Little Fairy
On the small island of Satellite the kind owner of an orphanage has fallen onto hard times. To ensure that their funds wouldn't run dry she was forced to open her doors to the public by turning it into a small inn. The young orphans, bright and cheerful, have always been oblivious to their financial situation, which is what she wants even though it means they are of no assistance. Instead, she has the help of her godson who also is an orphan. His name is Yūsei and he is a kind-hearted young man who cares for her dearly.
仙女
Yūsei's eyes widen with fright. He quickly turns away. The lake is occupied by more than water and water lily pads. A young woman, with her back to him, is bathing. She seems blissfully unaware that she's no longer on her lonesome. Yūsei creeps away as silently as he can. However, his foot nudges a small rock from its place. The rock soars off of the ground before splashing loudly into the lake.
!
The woman's head is all that remains above the water. Her wide, dark chocolate eyes stare up at him in alarm. Startled, he stares right back at her. For a long moment she remains in shock. Then, as awareness begins to seep in to her gaze she ducks down into the water. The lake is still. There isn't a single ripple. Even the water lily pads are unmoving. He watches carefully for any trace of her but there aren't any. He's sure that she couldn't have drowned. Not enough time has passed and if she were drowning. If she were there would be struggling but the lake is calm.
A sudden bolt of lightning strikes an inch from his feet. He scurries backwards. Something explodes behind him. A flash of silver flies past his head and crashes into a tree, promptly exploding. He spins around. Atop a small hill stands the young woman adorned in a sleeveless canary blue dress and pale sapphire belt of thick fabric. She pulls her arms together. Her hands curl and form an invisible ball. A silver spark erupts between her palms. The energy buzzes and grows more and more intense with every passing moment. She pushes her hands outwards and the energy soars towards him.
Yūsei races out of its course. The energy detonates upon impact. He whips around to look at the young woman again. Her hands are close together once more, another ball of energy forming. Then, suddenly, the energy disappears. She sucks in a deep breath. An ecstatic smile lights up her face. Her eyes glow with delight. She clambers down and hurries towards him.
"Yūsei gēge!" she cries enthusiastically.
He frowns at her in confusion. "What?"
She skids to a stop before him. Her eyes gaze up at him with something akin to adoration. She utters not even a single sound.
He takes a half step back. "What are you talking about? What does gēge mean? How do you know me?"
She smiles sweetly: oblivious to his cluelessness. "Shí… Ten, wait!"
He tries again. "What does gēge mean? How do you know me? Who are you?"
Her smile fades. "Gēge no… Wǒ jiào Lì Qiū! Yūsei gēge no know?"
Yūsei looks over her carefully. She appears a few years younger than him. Her skin is as pale as Arctic ice floes. Her hair is midnight silk that whispers down to her knees. Her canary blue dress looks to be an expensive fabric, perhaps of silk. No one in Satellite can afford silk. No one from Neo Domino would go to Satellite.
He changes tactics. "Have you ever been to Satellite?"
Her lips curve even further downwards. "Sa… Sata… Lite… Satalite?"
Knowing that they haven't met makes him hesitant to continue their conversation. Her exuberance and other-worldly appearance make him wonder if he's hallucinating. Both she and the land are too unnatural to possibly be real. He quickly races through all the possible ways to end their conversation. Her lack of English is quite irritating. However, Lì Qiū senses his discomfort and purses her lips in consideration.
Her expression suddenly brightens. She reaches forward and clutches his hands. The warmth of his hands surprises her. She smiles up at him cheerily. A knot of dread tightens in his stomach. She, still holding his hand, starts to lead him away. However, Yūsei refuses to move. He stands his ground even she looks back at him with wide, confused eyes.
She opens her mouth to speak and pauses. "… Lu… Cu… Yūsei gēge go... Lì Qiū…"
Her brow furrows uncertainly. Her gaze slowly scours the land for answers. She looks up at him, then. Her hands tug on his with stubborn uncertainty. He still resists.
"Lǎolao…" she whimpers, glancing around once more, growing panicked. "Lǎolao… Lǎolao… Nǐ zài nǎlǐ? Lǎolao…"
Yūsei follows her gaze. He can't see anyone in the vicinity. He slowly edges away, drawing Lìqiū with him. A great, exuberant smile flourishes across her face.
She shakes her head. "No, Yūsei gēge,"
She begins to pull him in the opposite direction. He glances about once more. He still can't see anyone but he follows her obediently, wondering if, whoever lǎolao is, is the same as her. A shiver runs up his spine.
"Lì Qiū!"
She halts abruptly. Her eyes scour the uphill woodland she was leading them to. Then she glances behind. Yūsei follows her anxious gaze. The deep emerald of the trees and the dark bark were all that he could distinguish. She jerks upright, drawing him nearer with wide eyes. They retreat to the side of the mountain in the embrace of the trees. She leads him onwards for three minutes before daring to pause.
She peers down the mountain anxiously. Then she smiles. She claps her hands elatedly, her head nodding from side to side.
He inches away. "Who was that?"
She frowns. "Wǒ bù dǒng le,"
She shows no signs of being about to move. He leans back against a tree, arms crossed. His experience since being lost in the sudden storm all seems to be a hallucination. He sighs, suddenly hoping that it all has been a dream.
"Yūsei gēge,"
He looks over at her. She's standing now. Her head is down and her expression seems guilty. She glances about before taking a step towards him. She raises her hands.
Her voice is subdued. "Duì bu qǐ,"
Tentatively, she reaches out. He watches her warily but makes no move against her. She takes his hands in hers, turning them over curiously. She nods, eliciting a small sound of satisfaction. She places her hands atop his and lets her eyes drift closed. Her smile widens and she murmurs inaudibly. Yūsei hesitantly follows her lead, closing his eyes too. They stand in the stillness of the trees for a small eternity.
Lì Qiū is the first to draw back. "Hǎo,"
She beckons him to follow and starts up the mountain again. He glances back but follows her out of fear for the stranger. The mountain inclines steeply towards the pristine blue sky. The soil is loose and soft, making him stumble from time to time. He presses on regardless, determined not to lose sight of Lì Qiū. After half an hour of clambering they step out onto stone.
Yūsei's eyes widen. The stone is intricately carved, each piece matching another in size and shape and continuing the design from one piece to another. A fountain stands proudly in the centre with water trickling out by small grooves to the corners where they descend down the mountain. It is encased by a short wall that barely reaches up to his waist. He turns to stare to his left. The stone steps stretch downwards and downwards until unseen. A river flows swiftly down the centre, dividing the steps into two sides.
"Yūsei gēge," she tugs softly on his sleeve.
He turns to his right and staggers. A palace balances on the top of the mountain. Its great halls reach out to the very edge of the mountain. The palace is crafted of white stone, whiter than even the steps and the courtyard. It spans three levels with a roof the height of another. The red tiles shimmer beneath the sunlight. A short flight of stairs leads to its grand entranceway. Three large lotus appearing circlets are built as part of the balustrade on either side. A round orb sits in their centre.
Lì Qiū hops up onto the wall and swings her legs over. She lands on the other side with ease and turns to offer her hand. He reluctantly joins her on the glorious grounds of the palace. She giggles as he sets his feet down.
"Yūsei gēge, hěn hǎo,"
She gives him thumbs up and skips off towards the palace.
"Wait," he calls. "Where are you taking me?"
She bites her lip. "Gēge, wǒ… Wǒ… Me… Me… Mecin? Yūsei gēge, mecin?"
His eyes widen. "Do you mean medicine?"
Her eyes brighten and she nods enthusiastically.
The passages of the palace stretch out in all directions to countless rooms, both vast and slight. Yūsei finds himself being lead down many turns and twists, up to pavilions and down to the gardens. The question of his destination rises in the back of his mind yet again. He glances over his shoulder. The sound of women singing had briefly reached him. There had been no set source for the fleeting sound and worry creeps deeper into him.
"Duì," Lì Qiū mumbles to herself before turning right.
A grin erupts onto her face. She claps her hands softly with glee. He follows her around the corner and comes to a sudden halt. A large circular door stands proudly in the far wall. The red paint appears crisp and fresh with gold decorating its border. It stands alone and stark against the pale walls of stone.
She clasps his hand. "Gēge,"
He stares at her. "Is the medicine in there?"
She tilts her head to the side. Her eyes are wide with innocent ignorance.
He frowns. "Um… The medicine, is it there? Is that why you brought me here? Is the medicine over that way?"
She releases his hand and skips over to it. She stands for a moment, hands stretched out and her palms facing the door. Her eyes drift closed and she listens intently. The world slowly unveils slight secrets. She steps back and pushes the door open. She beckons to him and hurries inside.
The room is as impressive as the door, he finds. Here the floor is wooden and is split into two levels. There is a latticed window to his right with a view out to a burbling stream. He looks ahead. There is a large desk that stands out with its dark wood against the lightness of the other décor. Beyond that is the higher level with small stairs at each side of the circular room. There, Lì Qiū creeps along its floor, hands clasped behind her back. She casts a scrutinising gaze over the three cupboards that stand next to each other. All are exactly the same.
"Ah!" she spins. "Gēge, me... med... Medicine!"
He hurries over as she opens the doors. Hundreds of boxes, very much like those that carry rings, sit in precise rows. Lì Qiū takes a moment to admire the wary excitement in his shining eyes. She smiles to herself as a soft blush touches her cheeks. Then, she reaches out to the middle of a high middle row. She deftly flips the lid open and a large, round pill sits on a cushion of silks.
He looks at her, incredulous. "This will save Martha?"
The curious confusion returns to her eyes. She purses her lips thoughtfully. A sound almost like a whine rises in her throat.
He looks back at it. "It's okay,"
Her left hand retreats to a fold in the skirt of her dress of its own will. A small charm is tied by a red string that ties around the seam in her belt.
"Lì Qiū! Lì Qiū!" a voice calls distantly. "Lì Qiū!"
Yūsei freezes. Lì Qiū's hand abandons the charm. Her eyes flicker about the room wildly. They soon settle on the cupboard itself.
She beams. "Gēge,"
She pushes him into the spacious cupboard. He turns, staring out to the door. His back presses against the shelves. A moment later, Lì Qiū jumps into the cupboard next to him. She reaches out and draws the doors shut quickly.
Author's Note: It amazes me how many people don't read the Author's Note. May I take this time to state that it is here for a reason? I do sometimes ramble on but the purpose is to give you extra insight and to tell you things that you might need to know. It also seems that some of you have forgotten the use of the Name(s). Yes, I did choose Yūsei and Akiza. I did that as they are main characters. That is the designated purpose of mentioning them. At no time did I state that they would be a couple. I also should say, as it is clearly stated on my profile, that I do not take requests unless I know you very, very well or greatly admire you. I do not often begin a story without knowing what the plot will be throughout and even then I know what the main points shall be. I find it rather insulting that any person would think that I would be so utterly clueless. If you had read the previous Author's Note you would have realised that it was doubly inappropriate to mention such a thing in what is a story re-telling. Furthermore, this is a T rated story. As such, there are certain things that cannot be asked. I am competent enough to know how to rate my own stories and to know where the limits are and are not.
Please refrain from making such ludicrous requests in the future.
For those who began reading with an appropriately open mind I do hope that you have enjoyed what there is. I apologise if my words seem unnecessarily harsh.