A/N: Here's to all you Mari+Leo fangirls. Song for the chapter: Yellow by Coldplay. You know, I just realized that if you do the couple name combining thing with my characters, it comes out Mario. :) Enjoy! On a side note, I've finished the story, all it needs is editing and time to publish!
Running. Always running, always chasing after something. Was it an urgent message this time? Leo. I had to help Leo! Run down the path, run down the path! Don't stop! Keep going! My chest ached from running so far, so fast, my feet tired and worn. I didn't want to keep going. But somehow, I knew I had to. I just kept running. What did Leo have to do with all of this? What did I have to do? In the midst of the darkness, I heard laughter.
"Revenge will be mine!"
I awoke with a start, sitting up quickly. I gasped. I glanced down at the foot of my bed to see Silverspark, also shaken up.
I see everything you see. I'm sorry. I know it can hurt.
"It's okay, Sparky. It's not your fault," I replied. I rubbed my head, glancing out the window. It was still dark outside. Most people were probably asleep. Thanks to the nightmarish visions Silverspark showed me, it was doubtful that I would go back to sleep at this point. I shivered, quickly changing out of my nightgown. I walked downstairs, Silverspark not following me for once. (He said he was going to try to go back to sleep.) No one was up yet. Wrapping my fur-lined cloak around me, I strolled out the back door, headed for the rock behind Allodia's house.
The boulder was large and sat atop a hill. There was a large oak tree next to it. I occasionally would come out here to write and think. I gazed up at the stars, admiring their beauty. The sky was incredibly clear in the crisp chill of winter.
On a whim, I decided to take a walk through the town, curious as to what it would be like at such an unusual and mysterious hour.
I strolled through the city, and hardly a soul was about. Honestly, it was quite nice. Out of habit, I walked to the gardens. I was shocked when I saw someone there. I could not see any features, simply a dark silhouette against the moon. I snuck closer, slightly afraid. I did a double take. Was that…it couldn't be…
"Leo?" The shadow turned toward me.
"Mari?" he asked. I smiled, running up to my friend, although I was pretty sure that I was in love with him.
"What are you doing here, at this hour?" I inquired. Leo smiled.
"I might be asking you the same thing." I sighed, sitting down on the bench. I looked up at Leo.
"Well…now that Silverspark has imprinted on me, I see things, cryptic visions of things to come. Nothing is ever clear, of course. The future isn't clear. Still, I see haunting things, events set in motion that will bring lots of heartache to people. I knew that I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep, so I simply took a walk. It's a lovely night. Why are you out here?" I asked. Leo sat down next to me.
"I couldn't sleep. I've been lying awake for hours, trying to rest. But I think you're right. Something big is coming. I've heard rumors of the fairies getting closer to Hetar. Everyone knows that the fairies hate all humans, but usually they stay away. It worries me, Mari. What if they seek trouble? Someday, I may have to take care of problems like this," he answered.
"Well, you're not king yet. So relax, enjoy the beauty of the nether hours," I replied. Leo smiled his dashing, boyish smile.
"You're such a good friend, Mari. I'm sorry I yelled at you yesterday," he said. I felt relieved that it was he who brought the subject up.
"Yes, I was going to talk to you about that. I was surprised at how angry you were. I didn't think my climbing up the tree was that big of a deal. I was just trying to save our animals. Might I add that it was very successful," I replied. Leo's smile faded, but only slightly.
"Aside from the fact that you fell! Mari, I was only upset because I didn't want you to get hurt. I was worried. I didn't intend to yell; it just happened because you didn't care enough about your own safety. I…I don't know what I would do if anything bad happened to you. I'm just glad I was there to catch you," he explained. My heart seemed to melt at his gentlemanly explanation.
"I suppose I didn't thank you properly," I started, standing up. I curtsied deeply, exaggerating my movements. "However can I thank you, dear Prince?" I asked. Leo stood up, laughing and setting his foot on the bench, striking a regal pose. He looked down at me.
"Fair maiden," he began. I blushed. Leo stepped down and wrapped his arm around my shoulders.
"Yes, my liege?" I was thankful for the darkness that hid my blush as I became aware of how close our cheeks were.
"All I ask is that you sit here with me, watching the stars and the sunrise," he finished. I stood up from my curtsy, smiling.
"Very well. This shall be your reward for rescuing me," I stated. Leo laughed.
"Alright then. Let us sit," he ordered.
As we sat there, watching the darkness fade into the bright yellows and pinks of sunrise, Leo put his arm around me. I felt so safe next to Leo, watching the old melt into the new. Everyone was still asleep, which I was thankful for. That meant no one could see us together. I almost forgot my dream. I leaned my head on his shoulder. My eyes drooped lower and lower, until I fell asleep on Leo's shoulder. I wondered, did this mean that Leo liked me? I smiled, my heart happy as I drifted off into a peaceful but short sleep.
I awoke sometime later to Leo whispering,
"Mari, wake up!" I had no idea how long I had been asleep, or when Leo had risen from the bench.
I later found out that it was only a few moments. According to Leo, I snored. I deny everything. He's lying. My sleep and apparent snoring were no matter, though, because it was after I woke up that things got interesting.
I rubbed my eyes, sitting up. It was very bright outside.
"What?" I asked drowsily, my word barely finished. Leo laughed, and I figured that my hair was disheveled. I probably looked like a mess; I usually did in the mornings.
"Don't worry, you haven't been asleep long. I was sitting there, watching the dawn, no clue that you were asleep, when it suddenly dawned on me. I know what's wrong!" he exclaimed. I was beginning to wake up.
"What? Sorry Leo, I'm always like this in the mornings. You'll need to be a bit more specific," I stated. Leo sighed.
"Fine. All right, I know that it's been harder to communicate recently. I think that's part of why we've been fighting more than usual. But I have the solution!" he exclaimed. I stood up.
"Okay. What is it?" I asked. Leo smiled.
"The letters aren't enough of a reminder of how much we'd like to be together. We can't consistently get letters back and forth. I realized that we need a constant reminder of our friendship! So…here," he said, handing me the last blooming rose. My heart leapt, and my stomach did a flip-flop.
"Leo…it's beautiful!" I exclaimed. I embraced him. "Thank you."
"It's just…I know how much you love roses. If you ever start to question my loyalty to you, just look at the rose," he said, his eyes gleaming in the rising sun. I smiled, pondering something to give him. What could I give Leo that he didn't already have? I suddenly got an idea.
I had a small red, jeweled pin that held my hair in place. I pulled it out and gave it to him.
"It would look better in your hair," I said facetiously. I laughed, and so did Leo.
"I'll never forget you, Mari."
"And I'll never forget you," I replied. I knew that Allodia would be awake, and probably worried about me at this point.
"I've got to go, Leo. Allodia is probably worried sick," I commented. Leo nodded.
"Goodbye Mari," he said. We stood there awkwardly, and I regretfully turned around to leave.
"Goodbye Leo." I held the rose close, smiling. Did Leo really care for me that much? Did he see me as more than a friend? His behavior was so kind…romantic, even.
In a daze, I walked back to Allodia's house and walked upstairs, still clutching the rose tightly. Allodia observed from around the corner. She was planning on scolding me until she saw the look in my eyes.
I flopped down onto my bed, sighing. Allodia peeked in.
"Mari?" she asked. I sat up, giggling.
"Allodia, Leo is so wonderful and kind!" I exclaimed. Allodia put her hand to her forehead, shaking her head.
"Heaven help us, she's smitten!"
Review replies:
Smiling Pancake: Thank you for your very encouraging and amusing review!
Mockingbyrd's Tune: It is a delicious feeling! Writing, the Bible/prayer, and my friends are pretty much my drug. :) They are things that I cannot live without. Yes, that was one of my favorite chapters to write! It wasn't easy; it made me figure out a bunch of backstories, but it's all definitely worth it! I always hope that my story never gets too dark. There are some really sad and hard parts, and sometimes I worry that it's too much. But I guess that's why we have betas. :) I am forever thankful to them, as well as the traffic feature! I don't know what I'd do without it! Also, Allodia is one of my favorite characters. She's so much fun to write about!
Arista Everett June: Yesterday I realized that Silverspark is also slightly based off one of my friends. She does the same distracted comments, especially if there's something she doesn't want to tell you. Oh the things we get away with in Food and Fitness...okay, so aside from that random tangent, I'm glad you picked up on the Allodia and Mari's mom bits. I'm curious to hear your theories...but you'll find out soon enough! I love connecting to the characters! I'm so glad that you're able to connect with Mari! In my opinion, that's one of the most important things about a story: its characters. (Hmm...I think I'm learning from MT!) Thank you!! Here's your update!
Ashabagawa: I really like the italic bits too! It makes it easier for me to write, too. And yes, there is a very nice crescendo! (Nice musical term, by the way.) :)
Thank you to everyone who still supports this story! You guys have no idea how much it encourages me!!