despite the title, it's actually funny! read and review, my little gummie worms! i hope you like!


The sky was grey that morning. A raven cawed and took flight. All around it, rain fell, hammering against the windows of the Castle of Aquaria. The morning was bleak, as if in mourning, every sound muted, every voice rising no higher than a hushed whisper.

Inside the castle, a door opened, and redheaded Aquarian maiden stepped into the hallway, her face pale and haggard from many a sleepless night. She looked around, and her weary emerald gaze rested on a man sitting quietly on the floor, facing the door to the medical room. He looked up, eyes hopeful, but it disappeared without her having to say a word. Her eyes told all.

Yet still he would not let go of that greatest of all treasures: hope. "Is he...?"

She shook her head, and slumped down beside him, resting her head on his lap "I…"

He stroked her hair hesitantly, as if unused to such intimate and trusting contact. Normally he wouldn't have allowed anyone to get this close, but this was different. "You tried your best," he murmured, voice soft and low. He closed his crimson eyes, leaning back against the cold wall. "We all did. I guess…I guess it was meant to be."

At that moment, two Klausians walked in, their heads close together, whispering softly. Like lovers, yet the context of their conversation was mainly of blowing things up in various, rather loud, ways. They stopped, though, when they say the two sitting together on the floor.

The female Klausian stepped forwards, crouching in front of the Glyphian man. "What happened?" she asked, eyes filled with concern.

But before he could answer, three more showed up: a brunette and two blue-haired ones, all of them barely adults. Behind them, two children where fighting over a bag of gummie worms. Their shouts fell silent when they saw the scene.

The male Klausian sighed and stood up. "Well, guys, I'm sorry. It looks like it's over. There's nothing we can do."

The brunette looked up at him with tear filled, frighteningly large eyes. "Maybe there's still hope?"

The blue-haired boy touched her shoulder. "No. It's too late."

The redheaded Aquarian curled up beside the man she had once called her enemy, burying her face against his muscular chest. "I tried so hard…"

He rested his head on top of hers. "I know. But sometimes…you just have to let things go."

The group stayed there in silence for a while, sharing each other's pain.

However, the moment didn't last long. A grey haired Aquarian, by the name of Clair Lasbard, walked in, and surveyed the scene with confusion. "What the…? Cliff, Mirage, why do you look so sad? And Fayt, Why's Sophia clinging onto you like that, and why has Maria got her hands round the girl's throat? I mean, I know Maria liked you, but is there any need to resort to violence? And what are the kids doing with those…what did you call them? Gummie worms? You realise they have a lot of sugar in them, don't you?"

Clair made her way to the door, taking the knife and gun away from Maria and the bag of gummie worms from Roger. They fell to the floor when she finally reached the wooden portal. "Nel? And…Albel? Are you…hugging…? I don't…" suddenly, realisation dawned. "Wait…did you guys try killing my father again?"

At that moment, the door to the medical burst open, and out jumped Adray, perfectly unharmed and healthy. At the sight of him, the little group wailed and sobbed.

"Hi guys! Did you miss me! Really, Nel, I thought you had better aim! Luckily, the doctor said you missed my heart! A few hairs to the left, and I wouldn't be here!"

Nel groaned, and Clair cast her a dangerous look.

Adray clapped Fayt heartily on the back, sending him crashing headfirst into the wall opposite. "Fayt! How would you like to marry my daughter!"

Clair grabbed Nel by the shoulders, eyes wild. "Nel, if you kill him, I'll double your wages, and help pay for the wedding when you and Albel get married, I swear!"

"But we…and I…"

"Aww, come on Nel, it'll be fun. I promise I'll try not to hurt you too much, but with this claw, it might be hard…"

Nel paled, and he grinned. "But hey, who says we have to wait for the wedding? I'm having some trouble sleeping. Care to lend a hand?"

Cliff overheard the conversation, and whispered something in Mirage's ear. They gilled softly, blushing brightly, and ran off to the apartments. Albel followed soon after, and casually slung over his shoulder was Nel, waving her arms about furiously and shouting. After she had time to think about it, and once there were no witnesses, she stopped struggling. Albel released her, and she pushed him into her room, eyes glinting dangerously as the door closed shut.

As for Adray, Peppita and Roger, who were either too young or too…disturbing for that sort of thing, contented themselves with watching Sophia and Maria fighting over Fayt. Clair stood a safe distance away, cheering on whoever was winning at the time.