I apologize that it has been so long since I last updated, but I've finally come back! :DD So I want to thank everyone who has stuck with this story, despite my absence, and for everyone who has reviewed and encouraged me to keep writing. You guys are the reason I continue to do this. Thank you so much to everyone who has praised this story. It truly means a lot to me. MistressRiruko, We could definitely work out some kind of cameo for Satoshi. It would be fun! AnimeIsMyLife and SolluxStuck, I know that they see Yuri again in the second season, but I'm sort of disregarding that. I suppose you could consider this story to be an AU.
Four
Yuri was sitting on her bed, hugging her knees. She looked out the window and was able to see the beach in the distance. The moon was shining brightly in the inky black sky, its ivory light illuminating the cobalt waves as they crashed onto the shore. If she looked closely, she could see a couple walking along the shore. Yuri sighed sadly, her mind plagued with thoughts of Eri's wish. She had no idea how she was going to help the other girl when she couldn't even find Hippo. She felt useless and her chest tightened with sadness. A sudden knock at her door made Yuri jumped and turn to see who had come to see her.
The door slowly opened and Lucia popped her head in. "Hey, Yuri," she said a in a gentle voice. "Are you busy?"
Yuri shook her head. "Not at all," she said, giving the other girl a small smile. "Would you like to come in?"
"Hanon and Rina are with me. Is that alright?" Lucia asked, opening the door a bit wider so that her friends could be seen as well. Hanon and Rina both waved and smiled.
"Oh… That's fine with me," Yuri replied with a nod. "Come on in." She smiled warmly at the three of them as they walked into the room. Lucia shut the door and they sat down on the bed beside Yuri. "What's going on?" Yuri asked, tilting her head slightly to the side and staring at them with wide, curious eyes.
"We just wanted to welcome you to the Pearl Piari and let you know that we want to become friends," Lucia said, only half lying to her. It was true that Lucia wanted to befriend the girl, but her main mission was to find out about Hippo. However, she was almost positive that asking about Hippo so forwardly would not sit well with the young teen, so she decided to take a different approach.
"That's right," Hanon agreed with a big smile and a playful wink. "So we wanted to find out all about you! That's how people really become friends."
Yuri blushed a bit and twirled the ends of her hair. "I'm really not that interesting," she insisted sheepishly. She was a little nervous about talking to herself. She didn't want them to find out about Gaito and then think badly about her. But she didn't want to reject them either and make them believe that she didn't want to be their friend, because that wasn't true at all. In fact, she wanted more than anything for them to like her and consider her to be their friend. She didn't know anyone except Hippo and Eri in the human world, and if she was going to stay in this form, she wanted to meet more people.
"You don't have to share anything that makes you uncomfortable," Rina assured her sincerely, laying a warm hand on Yuri's. "If there's something you don't want to talk to, just say so. We'll understand."
Yuri gave her a small smile and nodded. "Thank you. I just… I don't really have much to say. Like I said, I'm not very interesting." She tapped her finger against her chin as she thought of what to say. "Well, I really like piano, and I like to think that I have quite a bit of talent…" She giggled a bit timidly. "In fact, playing the piano for the guests is going to be one of my jobs while I'm staying here. I'm actually really looking forward to it."
"That's wonderful Yuri!" Lucia exclaimed with a bright smile. "I'm sure the guests will really enjoy hearing you play. Usually we just play music over the radio, so a live performance will be a great change."
"That's all really nice," Hanon said with a dismissive wave of her hand, "but let's talk about something a little more interesting, hm?" Her eyes sparkled mischievously and she winked again.
"Um… Hanon…" Rina said a little nervously, positive that she knew where her friend was going with this idea. "I don't think Yuri is quite comfortable enough yet-"
"Interesting?" Yuri repeated, her eyes widening a bit. She tilted her head to the side as she looked at Hanon. "What do you mean by 'interesting'?"
"Let's talk about love!" Hanon cried, throwing her arms in the air. "Is there someone special in your life, Yuri? A boyfriend, maybe? Or a secret crush?" She leaned in closer to Yuri, searching the other girl's eyes for some sort of answer to her questions.
Yuri's cheeks flushed and she dropped her gaze to her lap. Her eyes had taken on a sad look and her hands clenched into small fists. "Love…" she whispered, more to herself than to the other girls in the room. Instantly, visions of the blonde boy she had met on the beach flashed in her mind. Hippo… He had been so sweet to her. He'd help heal her heart after it had been broken by Gaito. He was perfect… But of course, there was a catch. He was an ally of the mermaid princesses, and therefore, the two of them were considered enemies. It had pained her so much to have to say goodbye to him, but… She knew it had to be done. Still… He was the reason she was here now. She had come back to find him, to make up for everything.
"Yuri?" Lucia said in a soft voice, waving her hand in front of Yuri's face. "Are you ok? You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to…" The blonde's eyes were wide with concern for the other girl.
Yuri met Lucia's gaze and gave a small smile. "Oh… Sorry… I guess I let myself get lost in thought. No… I'm alright…" She shifted in her seat, making herself a bit more comfortable and sighed. "Well… I don't have a boyfriend… Not really, I mean. It's kind of complicated." She strained her brained to try and come up with a way to explain her situation without bringing up Gaito or the mermaid princesses. "There was a boy I liked… But we, uh… We couldn't really be together because our… families… didn't really get along."
"It's just like Romeo and Juliet!" Hanon cried out, her eyes wide and wistful.
Yuri laughed a bit uncomfortably. "Yes… I suppose so… Well, the last time we saw each other, we kind of left on bad terms. He was very upset with me for something and… And he told me he didn't want to see me ever again." She swallowed a lump in her throat while tears brimmed in the corners of her eyes. She didn't want to cry, but she hated thinking about that night. It still hurt more than she cared to admit.
Lucia was suddenly filled with guilt. She was sorry she ever thought to talk to Yuri about this… Despite the fact that they had once been enemies, she hated to see the other girl like this. It was heart breaking. But, she knew that Hippo still had feelings for her, and in order to help her friend, she needed proof that Yuri still loved him too. Part of her was saying that the glassiness of Yuri's eyes was proof enough, but Lucia needed to hear the words. She needed to be one hundred percent positive.
"I know that he said he didn't want to see me again," Yuri continued, her voice a bit higher now. Her emotions were getting the best of her, but there wasn't anything she could do about it. She'd already started the story. She might as well finish it now. "But a lot of time has passed since then, and I really want to try again with him. I… I love him very much, and I just want him to know that…" A few tears slipped down her cheeks, but she quickly wiped them away. "I'm sorry…" she said, giving them a sad smile. "I don't mean to cry… It's just very important that I find him again. I need to tell him how I feel, even if he doesn't feel the same way."
"Oh! But I'm sure he still loves you very much!" Hanon cried out, unable to contain the outburst. "In fact, I know-" She was suddenly cut off as Lucia tackled her to the ground, clapping her hands over Hanon's mouth to shut her up.
Rina sighed and looked at Yuri. "Listen, Yuri… I think it's very brave of you to want to find this boy again. You're very strong for following your heart." She smiled warmly, patting the smaller girl's hand. "If it's meant to be, then you two will cross paths again and he will return your feelings. If not, you will find someone else who will be even more special than this guy. Either way, you have to do what you feel is best and do what makes you happy. Do you understand?"
Yuri sniffled and wiped at her eyes again. Rina gave off such a maternal or older sister feeling. She looked at the younger girl with such compassion and understanding, and it filled Yuri with warmth. "Yes… I understand. Thank you, Rina," she said in a soft voice. She glanced down at Lucia and Hanon, who were still on the floor, and let out a watery giggle. "I'm sorry you guys, but I'm really tired now. Do you mind letting me get some rest? We can talk some more tomorrow, if you would like." Her head was pounding from the overwhelming emotions that were swirling around inside her at the moment, and sleep sounded amazing at the moment.
"Oh, it's fine!" Lucia assured her, pushing herself off the floor before helping Hanon up as well. "We should probably head to bed soon anyway, since we have to get up early for work. But we would definitely love to talk with you some more tomorrow. Whenever we all have free time, maybe we can go down to the beach for a little while and hang out there."
"Lucia just wants to watch Kaito practice his surfing," Hanon said rolling her eyes as a teasing smirk pulled at her lips. She loved spending her days on the beach though, so she wasn't actually opposed to the idea.
"That sounds like fun," Yuri agreed before yawning. She covered her mouth and let out a small sigh. "Thanks again for stopping by to see me. It makes me feel so happy and welcomed to know that I will be working and staying with such nice people." It really was a comfort to her. She wasn't exactly good at making friends, having spent most of her life as either a fish or an underling for Gaito. Perhaps, if they became close enough friends, these girls could help her find Hippo…
"Don't mention it," Rina said, standing up and stretching her back. "We'll see you in the morning, Yuri. If you need anything, don't hesitate to come get one of us. We're more than happy to help."
"Nikora is always there for you if you need her too," Lucia added with a wide smile. She and Hanon gave Yuri a thumbs up. "Have a goodnight, Yuri."
"I hope you three have a good night as well," Yuri replied as the three girls walked towards the door. She watched them slip out of the room, and once the door shut behind them, she allowed her smile to fade. She turned her head and glanced out the window again. The sight of the beach caused an empty feeling to return to her. She could spot the exact location on the beach where she last spoke to Hippo. Where he told her that he never wanted to speak to her again… Her stomach flipped and she quickly turned away from the window. With a sigh, she reached over to the nightstand beside her bed and turned off the lamp that lit the room. Then she snuggled under her blankets, curling up into a tight ball and closed her eyes. Sleep couldn't come quick enough.
I'm really interested in what you have to say and what you think will happen. Also, suggestions are always welcome! Please, tell me what you think! The more reviews I get, the sooner I'll update. Thanks for reading!
Mew Painappuru
