Whoowhooo! Hello reviewers, I'm back from North Dakota! I'm tired, and I have a cold, but here is your next chapter!
clawsm- actually, both Claire and Sandra are named in episode 12,"Swarming Attack" , when Jeremie and Odd are trying to guess who Ulrich's 'secret admirer' is. When they look around the lunchroom they name Claire (the blonde girl who always wears a green dress), Sandra (the African-American girl who has her hair up in three round balls), and Emily (who is seen in other episodes as well, mainly in the episode 22, "Routine".)
Chapter Nine: Let the Curtain Fall
Yumi rose and followed Emily with her plate. The Princess found she like the feeling of taking her own dishes away. The meal had been pleasingly simplistic, much plainer than anyhting Yumi was used to to, but she had enjoyed it because she was among friends.
Emily smiled at her, grabbing a large bucket that sat next to the door. "I'm going to go get some water so we can wash these," she said, and walked out the door, letting it shut behind her. Yumi listened to the happy sound of the laughter that drifted in fromt the other room like a vapor. It seemed strange to her that these people could be happy in such dire circumstances. Comparing her life to theirs', she lived on easy street.
Yumi felt a pang of shame rising up in her. Before when she was in the village she had thought these people had it so easy. The events of the past few hours had proven her wrong, very, horribly wrong.
The Princess's head shot up as a squeal and a splash came from outside. Rushing out the door, Yumi found herself staring at an amusing sight.
Emily was clutching the empty bucket, with a few drops of water still slipping out of it. Her other hand was clasped over her mouth in a look of mixed horror and amusement. Yumi followed the girl's gaze to where Ulrich stood, dripping wet and mad to boot. He caught sight of Yumi and started towards her. Making a quick descision, Yumi ran forward to meet him, throwing her arms around him with a cry of "Oh, Ulrich," in French."Ulrich, speak in Japanese," she murmered in his ear. If he called her Princess in French they would know who she really was. And Yumi didn't want that to happen.
Honoring her request, Ulrich began speaking in rapid Japanese, and Emily gave him and Yumi confused looks. "Where have you been," he demanded. "Odd and Aelita and I were worried sick about you! We have to get you back!" He was fighting the blush on his face, willing it very strongly to go away, but that was hard as Yumi was still hugging him.
"I know what I have to do now, Ulrich," Yumi responded in Japanese. "But first, you're right, I have to get back to the palace." She released him and turned back to Emily, switching back to French with practiced ease. "I want to thank you for your hospitality. I am proud to call you a friend, Emily."
Emily gave her another kind smile. "I enjoyed meeting you as well, Yumi. Good luck to you. And you as well, sir," she added politely to Ulrich. "I hope you two are happy together." Ulrich blushed and started to babble that it 'wasn't what it looked like,' but Yumi took hold of his hand and nodded.
"Thank you, Emily." Yumi turned and led Ulrich away, not dropping his hand until they were out of sight from the house.
"How's that for thinking on my feet," she said, sounding satisfied.
"What was that about," he asked, rubbing his hand self-consiously.
"I didn't want them to know who I really was, so I had to pretend to be a normal village girl."
"What does that have to do with you hugging me?" Ulrich tried to look cross, but ended up having to turn his face away to hide his blush at the memory.
"Well I had to think of a reason for you to show up, so I pretended that we were courting," Yumi explained. "Emily bought it too."
"C-courting," Ulrich choked out, his face inventing several new shades of scaret. "That was the best thing you could come up with?!"
Yumi sniffed indignantly. "Would you have prefered being my brother maybe?"
"I didn't say that," he snapped back. "You just...surprised me, that's all." Ulrich looked down, not meeting her gaze.
Yumi sighed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you just now and I shouldn't have run away. I learned a valuable lesson out here, and I'm ready to accept my destiny."
"You're going to marry Prince Jeremie?" Ulrich wrestled with the idea. He knew it was right, but it seemed so wrong. He knew, deep down, that he didn't want Yumi to do that. And he didn't think she wanted that either.
"It's the best thing for me," Yumi reasoned. Ulrich couldn't tell if she said that for her benefit or his.
"Are you sure about that?" He knew it was wrong to question her, but had to ask.
"Do I have to be? Let's go back." She took his arm again as they passed through the main part of town. Ulrich realized it was for the same reason she had held his hand in front of Emily and came to the conclusion that Yumi very much lived a lie.
clawsm- actually, both Claire and Sandra are named in episode 12,"Swarming Attack" , when Jeremie and Odd are trying to guess who Ulrich's 'secret admirer' is. When they look around the lunchroom they name Claire (the blonde girl who always wears a green dress), Sandra (the African-American girl who has her hair up in three round balls), and Emily (who is seen in other episodes as well, mainly in the episode 22, "Routine".)
Chapter Nine: Let the Curtain Fall
Yumi rose and followed Emily with her plate. The Princess found she like the feeling of taking her own dishes away. The meal had been pleasingly simplistic, much plainer than anyhting Yumi was used to to, but she had enjoyed it because she was among friends.
Emily smiled at her, grabbing a large bucket that sat next to the door. "I'm going to go get some water so we can wash these," she said, and walked out the door, letting it shut behind her. Yumi listened to the happy sound of the laughter that drifted in fromt the other room like a vapor. It seemed strange to her that these people could be happy in such dire circumstances. Comparing her life to theirs', she lived on easy street.
Yumi felt a pang of shame rising up in her. Before when she was in the village she had thought these people had it so easy. The events of the past few hours had proven her wrong, very, horribly wrong.
The Princess's head shot up as a squeal and a splash came from outside. Rushing out the door, Yumi found herself staring at an amusing sight.
Emily was clutching the empty bucket, with a few drops of water still slipping out of it. Her other hand was clasped over her mouth in a look of mixed horror and amusement. Yumi followed the girl's gaze to where Ulrich stood, dripping wet and mad to boot. He caught sight of Yumi and started towards her. Making a quick descision, Yumi ran forward to meet him, throwing her arms around him with a cry of "Oh, Ulrich," in French."Ulrich, speak in Japanese," she murmered in his ear. If he called her Princess in French they would know who she really was. And Yumi didn't want that to happen.
Honoring her request, Ulrich began speaking in rapid Japanese, and Emily gave him and Yumi confused looks. "Where have you been," he demanded. "Odd and Aelita and I were worried sick about you! We have to get you back!" He was fighting the blush on his face, willing it very strongly to go away, but that was hard as Yumi was still hugging him.
"I know what I have to do now, Ulrich," Yumi responded in Japanese. "But first, you're right, I have to get back to the palace." She released him and turned back to Emily, switching back to French with practiced ease. "I want to thank you for your hospitality. I am proud to call you a friend, Emily."
Emily gave her another kind smile. "I enjoyed meeting you as well, Yumi. Good luck to you. And you as well, sir," she added politely to Ulrich. "I hope you two are happy together." Ulrich blushed and started to babble that it 'wasn't what it looked like,' but Yumi took hold of his hand and nodded.
"Thank you, Emily." Yumi turned and led Ulrich away, not dropping his hand until they were out of sight from the house.
"How's that for thinking on my feet," she said, sounding satisfied.
"What was that about," he asked, rubbing his hand self-consiously.
"I didn't want them to know who I really was, so I had to pretend to be a normal village girl."
"What does that have to do with you hugging me?" Ulrich tried to look cross, but ended up having to turn his face away to hide his blush at the memory.
"Well I had to think of a reason for you to show up, so I pretended that we were courting," Yumi explained. "Emily bought it too."
"C-courting," Ulrich choked out, his face inventing several new shades of scaret. "That was the best thing you could come up with?!"
Yumi sniffed indignantly. "Would you have prefered being my brother maybe?"
"I didn't say that," he snapped back. "You just...surprised me, that's all." Ulrich looked down, not meeting her gaze.
Yumi sighed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you just now and I shouldn't have run away. I learned a valuable lesson out here, and I'm ready to accept my destiny."
"You're going to marry Prince Jeremie?" Ulrich wrestled with the idea. He knew it was right, but it seemed so wrong. He knew, deep down, that he didn't want Yumi to do that. And he didn't think she wanted that either.
"It's the best thing for me," Yumi reasoned. Ulrich couldn't tell if she said that for her benefit or his.
"Are you sure about that?" He knew it was wrong to question her, but had to ask.
"Do I have to be? Let's go back." She took his arm again as they passed through the main part of town. Ulrich realized it was for the same reason she had held his hand in front of Emily and came to the conclusion that Yumi very much lived a lie.