Oh, that stupid girl! That stupid curse! I watched as my last real friend in the world turned into a stone statue before my very eyes.
Of course, I had Florina, but… she was and always would be my superior. Friends, true friends on my level, they were all but gone.
But wait--I noticed one tear hanging dangerously off of Leora's stone face. I was about to wipe it away, but something held me back. Then, I watched it fall of its own accord.
It never hit the ground.
The teardrop suddenly crystallized, shining with all the colors like a prism. Lights of all colors floated through the room, and I watched, in total shock and amazement as my friends and comrades, my fellow Jumi, reappeared into the room.
"It's a miracle," I breathed, not knowing what to do. I felt something welling at the corner of my eyes.
Tears?
I could cry!
"By thinking of the welfare of all races," Lady Diana said, stepping forward, "a teardrop crystal is made…"
"Everyone!" Esmeralda cried happily.
"We're…alive!" Rubens said in amazement.
I looked around the room wildly. She had to be here somewhere. When I finally located, I saw there were tears coming from her eyes as well. "Pearl!" I cried, my heart swelling with emotions.
"Elazul…" she regarded me, in her usual way, with a warm smile. That smile, however, disappeared, when she saw the state that Leora was in. She gasped.
I had an idea, and made my decision. "Everyone!" I announced. "could you all give me a little life, please?"
"You're going to give Leora a teardrop crystal?" Rubens asked.
"I think I can cry…" Esmeralda said.
Diana turned to our Clarius. "Florina…" she began.
Florina cut her off. "Everyone, bind your souls," she ordered. "Let's make another teardrop crystal."
We all bowed our heads and let our tears flow.
It rained.
I watched it, sitting on the wooden bench, through the attic window. What a storm… it was thundering like there was no tomorrow.
I heard my sister come up the stairs, and turned to look at her.
"There's a terrible storm outside," Lisa stated. "It's like the sky is falling down!"
I chose my words carefully; I was worried about Leora. "They say that when a Jumi cries, the sky cries with it. Did you know that?"
Lisa shook her head, and yawned idly. "I wonder if the pearl girl is crying," she said, after a minute.
I didn't reply, just pursed my lips together and watched the storm. There were so many things that could have happened to her… and what of that old legend?
Lisa rubbed her eyes, perhaps thinking the same. "Or maybe it's the lapis lazuli guy…"
I wondered, too. The grey sky, maybe it was crying with grief.
"Leora is late…" Lisa said, climbing up on the bench next to me.
I gulped. "Yeah…"
We watched the storm into the night; still she did not return home. Finally, my sister and I just fell asleep on that bench, hoping for something better in the morning.
When I awoke, light was streaming through the windows. I slowly opened my eyes, and looked out to the sky. The storm had left beautiful, rainbow curtains of light wafting through the blue! I woke Lisa up in a hurry.
"Whoa!" she cried, looking out the window.
We rushed downstairs and outside, and sat on the front steps, watching the sun come up through the rainbows.
When we heard footsteps, we both looked up. It was Elazul and Pearl. We stood up, hoping for some kind of news.
"We've got to tell you about Leora," Pearl began.
I gasped, and Lisa fell to her knees. Pearl looked concerned, and Elazul ran up to my sister and put an arm around her.
"Hey," he whispered. "There's no need to worry."
We heard more footsteps, and looked up expectantly.
Leora grinned at us. "I'm back!" she announced.
I jumped up and ran at her, giving her a hug that nearly tackled her, even though I was only half her height. Lisa walked up more slowly, but was just as happy to see her all right.
All five of us went inside and had a modest, but still wonderful celebration.
Of course, I had Florina, but… she was and always would be my superior. Friends, true friends on my level, they were all but gone.
But wait--I noticed one tear hanging dangerously off of Leora's stone face. I was about to wipe it away, but something held me back. Then, I watched it fall of its own accord.
It never hit the ground.
The teardrop suddenly crystallized, shining with all the colors like a prism. Lights of all colors floated through the room, and I watched, in total shock and amazement as my friends and comrades, my fellow Jumi, reappeared into the room.
"It's a miracle," I breathed, not knowing what to do. I felt something welling at the corner of my eyes.
Tears?
I could cry!
"By thinking of the welfare of all races," Lady Diana said, stepping forward, "a teardrop crystal is made…"
"Everyone!" Esmeralda cried happily.
"We're…alive!" Rubens said in amazement.
I looked around the room wildly. She had to be here somewhere. When I finally located, I saw there were tears coming from her eyes as well. "Pearl!" I cried, my heart swelling with emotions.
"Elazul…" she regarded me, in her usual way, with a warm smile. That smile, however, disappeared, when she saw the state that Leora was in. She gasped.
I had an idea, and made my decision. "Everyone!" I announced. "could you all give me a little life, please?"
"You're going to give Leora a teardrop crystal?" Rubens asked.
"I think I can cry…" Esmeralda said.
Diana turned to our Clarius. "Florina…" she began.
Florina cut her off. "Everyone, bind your souls," she ordered. "Let's make another teardrop crystal."
We all bowed our heads and let our tears flow.
It rained.
I watched it, sitting on the wooden bench, through the attic window. What a storm… it was thundering like there was no tomorrow.
I heard my sister come up the stairs, and turned to look at her.
"There's a terrible storm outside," Lisa stated. "It's like the sky is falling down!"
I chose my words carefully; I was worried about Leora. "They say that when a Jumi cries, the sky cries with it. Did you know that?"
Lisa shook her head, and yawned idly. "I wonder if the pearl girl is crying," she said, after a minute.
I didn't reply, just pursed my lips together and watched the storm. There were so many things that could have happened to her… and what of that old legend?
Lisa rubbed her eyes, perhaps thinking the same. "Or maybe it's the lapis lazuli guy…"
I wondered, too. The grey sky, maybe it was crying with grief.
"Leora is late…" Lisa said, climbing up on the bench next to me.
I gulped. "Yeah…"
We watched the storm into the night; still she did not return home. Finally, my sister and I just fell asleep on that bench, hoping for something better in the morning.
When I awoke, light was streaming through the windows. I slowly opened my eyes, and looked out to the sky. The storm had left beautiful, rainbow curtains of light wafting through the blue! I woke Lisa up in a hurry.
"Whoa!" she cried, looking out the window.
We rushed downstairs and outside, and sat on the front steps, watching the sun come up through the rainbows.
When we heard footsteps, we both looked up. It was Elazul and Pearl. We stood up, hoping for some kind of news.
"We've got to tell you about Leora," Pearl began.
I gasped, and Lisa fell to her knees. Pearl looked concerned, and Elazul ran up to my sister and put an arm around her.
"Hey," he whispered. "There's no need to worry."
We heard more footsteps, and looked up expectantly.
Leora grinned at us. "I'm back!" she announced.
I jumped up and ran at her, giving her a hug that nearly tackled her, even though I was only half her height. Lisa walked up more slowly, but was just as happy to see her all right.
All five of us went inside and had a modest, but still wonderful celebration.