Note: Here's Chapter 6, sorry if I was late or anything, exam week is coming soon so I might not have time to upload the next xhapter next week. I'll get back to this as soon as exam week ends though, and that's a promise. Well, don't let me hold you back, go on and read the chapter!

Umi's POV:

"Umi, O you sparkle like the sea,
The way you act makes me tick with glee.
So come on, do so without force,
That my heart be knit unto yours," Armik sang outside my window.

I was ready to blow up like a fuse. When will he get the message THAT I DESPISE HIM!

"Armik, away with your rotten heart,
Not with you a family I would start.
Unless you want to get into a fight,
Please DO GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!" I mocked his poem-making.

He woke me up early this morning and my temper was acting up.

Breathe in, breathe out, I thought, don't blow your fuse yet.

I sighed and curled my antennae, making them stand up. The sunlight streaming in my room made my scales glow blue and red. I always looked my best when the morning sun was up, yet the rage in my mind killed all sense of the peaceful image that I showered.

Armik must have left because I could hear nothing coming from my window.

I decided to go out; I cheerfully swam out of my window, my scales and tail now clearly reflecting colors along with the occasional stripes made by the reflection of the ripples in the clear water above. I only wish Arashi could see me like this. I decided to pass the rest of my day getting ready for tonight, that is- until my dad called me.

"Umi, Armik was here awhile ago this morning to greet you," dad said, "Did you entertain your guest?"

"Yes," I lied, "But he woke me up. It made me angry and um... let's just say annoyed!"

"Umi! I thought you would give him a chance," my dad scolded.

"Give me one month to prepare. I'm not ready to commit myself to that freak, err... I mean Armik," I said, trying not to show that my temper was slowly reaching its boiling point.

"One day, Umi," dad said, "you will thank me for giving you the right choice. Now you don't see it, but in the near future you will."

He soon swam away.

Aside from that, the rest of my day was glorious. I spent the entire afternoon at Ai's place. She helped me wipe the smudges of my scales, and she cut the fragment of coral and attached it to a ribbon she had found earlier, It now looked like a ribbon with a blue rose at the center. She tied it around my right antenna. The blue rose with a pink ribbon looked splendid on me, I hope Arashi thinks the same...

I left as soon as the sun was setting. To make matters better, mom and dad said they were not going to be home tonight for some "bonding" time.

I arrived there first, the orange sunset making my scales glisten. It sparkled in a colourful way making the place more radiant. I giggled and just wished Arashi was here to see this.

Seeing that I was alone, I just stared into the sunset and decided to sing. I didn't really say any words, just a series of melodic hums. The heavenly sound reached up to the blue surface of the ocean and emptied my heart of the burdens it had carried. I was in a state of contentment.

"Wow, Umi... You're early today," Arashi said. Apparently, he arrived as I was singing-

"You know, your voice sounds great!" Arashi complimented, trying to hide a blush.

I pulled my fan-like tail to cover my already blushing face.

Arashi chuckled nervously and he pulled something out with his tail.

"You did say you like roses," Arashi said as his tail interlocked with mine.

He pressed something against my tail and waited for me to grab it before he took his tail back.

I looked at what he had given me. It had soft delicate petals, flowing with the water around us. The petals were connected to a bud which ran down to a green stem. Upon closer inspection, I could see there were studs as if thorns grew there but someone had cut them off if there were thorns. It was a... rose!

I blushed.

"Thanks a lot, Arashi! How'd you get it?"I asked, unable to contain a smile on my face. By now I was feeling a weird tickling sensation in my stomach.

He just noticed the ribbon on my antenna though and he took the rose on my tail and placed it on my left antenna.

"One blue, one red," he said, "Umi, you look gorgeous!"

He was blushing but he tried to conceal his small sign of embarrassment; as for me, I was a deep shade of red. He gave me a gift! I was feeling so happy, maybe he l- Nah! I giggled and flashed a smile at him to conceal my blush on that final thought.

He seemed to take that as a good sign and I could see his tension ease.

"Oh, Arashi. Thank you very much for this," I said, "You're amazing!"

After saying this, I leaned my head on Arashi's body. I could feel Arashi tensing and when I looked up, he was blushing. I just giggled at how cute he looked.

For a moment it was silent, then my eyes met his. I felt warm, as if something had warmed me from the coldness of the outside world.

Arashi decided to break the silence.

"Uh... U-umi," he said, his voice dry and shaky, "I-I n-need to t-tell y-you something."

I perked up.

"Yes?" I said, eagerly awaiting his words.

"U-umi," he said. I could feel his heart beating faster for I was still leaning on him, snuggling a bit.

He closed his eyes. "I-I l-love-"

At the moment he said "love" my heart began beating faster. But he seemed to have felt it and bit his tongue.

"You love?" I asked, waiting for him to continue.

"I love thisbeautifulsunset!" he said very quickly, sweating uncontrollably.

I just stared at the sunset.

"Yeah, I know. It's beautiful," I said dreamily.

What if he had said 'you', I thought at the back of my head, Na, he wouldn't; besides I don't think I'm ready to commit myself to someone else yet, or am I?

I blushed as I thought up that last part.

As the sun reached its final phase of setting, it began to glow crimson red. The red sparks reflected off my tail. We both just stared at each other. The reflections made this moment feel... special!

This special moment was broken, however, by a sudden movement behind us.

Arashi became alert and turned around.

"Who's there?" he said, he swam forward in front of me to protect me.

No sound came out. Just a stinging silence which unnerved me more.

"Whoever it is, they're probably gone now," I said, "Probably just a passing Krabby."

He just eased off. It was dark by now. We talked and played. Underneath the shy guy he was, he was pretty nice.

We took the time to have a beautiful moonlit stroll (or swim for that matter), the silver beams making my scales give off a wonderful shimmer which gave off a soothing peaceful feeling.

The rest of the night was wonderful, I couldn't help noticing his eyes as we talked, the moonlight making his eyes glitter with a soothing sparkle... I was so... happy.

Then, an interesting topic struck my mind.

"Hey Arashi," I started, suppressing a blush knowing about what I was gonna talk about.

"Yes, Umi?" Arashi warmly said.

"Have you ever... fallen in love?" I asked, feeling my face's blood rise.

He seemed to be aghast when I asked him the question. He tried not to blush and kept averting my gaze.

"Umm... N-not really," he said, still breathing in huge breaths.

I giggled about his reaction.

"Hee hee, you have to tell me who's the lucky girl next time," I teased.

He just sat back and smiled. I noticed that his face was deep red by now and decided to ease him.

"It's just a joke," I said, still grinning.

"I know Umi," he responded.

We finally settled down at the reef. I was content that there was someone who understood how I felt. It's as if... he was made for me. I slowly closed my eyes, sleepiness overcoming me, I could hear Arashi breathing slowly beside me, already asleep. My eyes began to close... All the lights faded into a peaceful darkness.

"U-umi!" Arashi said as he nudged me awake.

I jolted upright.

"What?" I asked, suddenly aware that we were not alone.

I heard rustlings coming from the seaweed around us.

Two times in one day, definitely NOT a coincidence.

Arashi went in front of me, getting into a fighting stance.

The rustling soon died down.

"I'm guessing they're gone. But maybe we shouldn't meet in this particular area of Sunset Reef anymore, we can't risk getting found out," I whispered.

He nodded. He opened his mouth as if to say something but closed his mouth abruptly. Then he took a deep breath as if tired.

"Hey, U-umi? W-will we still meet each other?" he asked.

"Of course!" I replied, "See you again tomorrow."

He must have thought that we wouldn't be able to see each other again... I would never let that happen, my friendship with him is the most precious thing I have and I would risk even danger to keep this friendship alive.

He smiled and I couldn't help but blush, wondering why he was smiling.

I began to swim home for it was midnight. I snuck into the palace, avoiding the Kingdra guards.

I took off my coral fragment but I took the rose Arashi gave me. I slowly handled this with care and took a small vase-shaped sponge to help it stand. I put the rose in the vase, I stared at the rose until I slowly fell asleep.

Tonight, I finally let go of all my worries, I was smiling in my sleep for I was having a dream I didn't want to wake up from.

Arashi's POV:

I was panting at Kip's humble abode; I had spent the whole day trying to carve something.

Kip suddenly appeared at the opening near the window, in his mouth he clutched something which had a long, green stem-like stick and a bud that ended with red petals.

"Here!" Kip said, "It took a lot to get this."

"Oh, thanks a LOT Kip! I owe you," I thanked him.

"No problem, Arashi," Kip chuckled, "I can see you're eager to go on your date."

"It's NOT a date! It's a meeting!" I retorted, despite feeling my face grow hotter.

"Then, why are you blushing?" Kip deviously inquired.

"Honestly, I don't know," I replied, "Ever since I met Umi, I've been feeling uneasy yet pleasant when I think of her. Maybe I should stop seeing her..."

Kip smiled.

"Arashi, that can only mean one thing," he informed, his eyes starting to gleam.

"What?" I asked unknowingly.

"Ehehehe," Kip chuckled, "The symptoms all show it. You're in love."

I blushed and began twisting my tail into a knot.

Kip swam around in circles, teasing my display of embarrassment.

"You know," Kip advised, still grinning, "You should probably tell her tonight."

I paled.

"What? N-no! Not yet!" I stammered.

Kip just sighed, "Take your time, you're gonna have to confess sooner or later anyway."

I thanked him and put down my stuff but grabbed the rose by my tail. I began to leave for the reef. I didn't want to keep Umi waiting so I decided to leave while the sun was still setting.

By the time I arrived there, the sun was still beautifully setting. The orange rays reflected and streamed through the clear waters.

I decided to wait for Umi but I soon heard something faint. I followed the sound and recognized it as a familiar, mellow voice singing. It sounded divine, like the voice of an angel. It was then that I noticed that the one singing was none other than Umi.

She was perched on a cliff that had a clear and beautiful view of the sunset. She was bathed in the orange light as she sang, making her figure appear more angelic. I decided to approach her.

"Wow, Umi... You're early today," I said.

She turned around and was surprised to see me.

"You know, your voice sounds great," I complimented, suddenly feeling uneasy as if I had said something wrong.

Umi seemed flattered and she began to blush. She tried to cover it by lifting her tail to serve as a fan to cover her face.

I secretly chuckled; she looked cute when she did that. I pulled out the rose I had requested from Kip. I slowly pressed it against her soft, delicate tail and waited for her to accept it. She slowly coiled her tail around the rose and in doing do, her tail interlocked with mine. I was secretly blushing for this action was similar to what humans called "holding hands". She took the rose and I released my tail from hers.

She looked at what was on her tail. She blushed upon realizing it was a gift for her.

"Thanks a lot, Arashi! How'd you get it?" she asked, still blushing.

It was just now that I noticed the ribbon tied on her antenna, the old coral dangling there; I saw that she had decided to tie the coral with the ribbon. To tie the knot... Ugh! Never mind! I have to stop thinking about this. I took the rose and put it on her other antenna. She now looked wonderful with two roses on her head, both helping her face blend with her red "hair" on both sides.

"One blue, one red. Umi, you look gorgeous!" I complimented, blushing and feeling numb.

Umi, however, was glowing a deep shade of red. She giggled and smiled, apparently feeling happy for the gift.

I wish I could always make her happy like that, I thought.

I felt calmer afterwards.

"Oh, Arashi. Thank you very much for this," she smilingly said, "You're amazing!"

She then leaned her head against my body, as if she were nuzzling me. Her warmth got to me and I began feeling nervous. I was blushing out of embarrassment, but secretly I was enjoying it. She looked up at my red face and giggled, making me feel more uncomfortable and shy.

For a moment, our eyes met and I could feel a pleasant feeling emanating from them. I then remembered what Kip told me. Maybe this was the perfect time to confess. I mustered up all my courage and forced my mouth open.

"Uh... U-umi," I said, my throat turning dry, "I-I n-need to t-tell y-you something."

She immediately perked up.

"Yes?" she said in an innocent, sweet voice, though that unnerved me more.

"U-umi," the word exited my mouth.

My heart began pounding like crazy. I knew that things won't go so well.

I slowly closed my eyes.

I struggled to get the words out.

"I-I l-love-" I stopped myself in mid-sentence.

Umi, who was still snuggling up to me, began to tense, as I could feel her heart beating faster.

"You love?" she asked curiously, her two eyes focused on mine. It made things harder for me.

"I love thisbeatifulsunset," I quickly interjected, I was afraid to confess my true feelings for her at this moment.

She stared at the sunset, her tension going down. I silently breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yeah, I know. It's beautiful," she said dreamily.

She was probably thinking of something because she suddenly blushed. Maybe she knew... Urgh... Never mind.

The sun slowly began to set, bathing us in a warm orange light. Umi's scales shimmered in the light. We just stared in place, I felt heavenly, as if I were lighter. The burdens in my chest... all gone.

However, a sudden movement broke the moment. A small silhouette behind us moved away quickly.

I have to protect Umi, the thought involuntarily popped into my head.

I swam forward to block anything that was meant for her. If anything happened to her, I would never forgive myself.

"Who's there?" I growled intimidatingly.

Silence. All I could hear was the faint sound of the water currents.

"Whoever it is, they're probably gone now," Umi reassured, "Probably just a passing Krabby."

I calmed down, but something told me it was more than just a Krabby. I shivered.

However, I soon forgot about it. Umi and I had a wonderful night together. We talked and played although I couldn't help but feel awkward. I felt all shy but I tried my best to act casual.

Umi suddenly started a topic, grinning sheepishly.

"Hey Arashi," she started, blushing slightly.

"Yes, Umi?" I warmly replied.

"Have you ever... fallen in love?" Umi asked, blushing heavily but grinning from the question.

Yes, with you! Was what I wanted to say but...

"Umm... N-not really," I lied, my face slowly turning red.

She obviously saw through the lie.

"Hee hee... You have to tell me who's the lucky girl next time," she teased.

I smiled but my embarrassment had soon overcome me. My face turned deep red.

"It's just a joke you know," she reassured, still grinning.

"I know, Umi," I nervously replied, still sweating.

We both settled down on the reef bed. I felt so sleepy though, but I forgot the urge to sleep. Umi soon fell asleep though and my eyes slowly drooped.

Warmth. Care. Kindness. Love. I felt... different. Like a burst of colors had suddenlyexploded on me.

I slowly opened my eyes, seeing Umi still asleep leaning against my body.

I just smiled when I saw her glittery tail swish in her sleep. She was also breathing slowly, exhaling a small puff of warm bubbles from her mouth every so often. She looked peaceful, soothing, and beautiful... Agh! I have to stop thinking like this!

I suddenly sensed something... Something was approaching...

"U-umi!" I quietly whispered in her ear, nudging her to wake up.

She stirred and slowly jolted upright.

"What?" she softly asked, still sleepy.

She looked cute that way, I blushed at that thought but hopefully, she was too sleepy to notice.

The seaweed behind us rustled. This was certainly getting fishy. I got into a fighting stance. I hoped it wasn't someone from either tribes. The rustling soon died down.

"I'm guessing they're gone. But maybe we shouldn't meet in this particular area of Sunset Reef anymore, we can't risk getting found out," she sadly whispered.

I nodded in agreement, though my heart was struck with the fear that I'd never see her again. I wanted to ask her, but was too scared to. I took a deep breath.

"Hey, U-umi?" I nervously inquired, "W-will we still meet each other?"

I felt all the blood rush up to my face, I hope she doesn't notice.

"Of course!" she enthusiastically replied, "See you again tomorrow."

I couldn't help but smile, I felt relieved that I'd still be able to see her. She must have seen me smile for she was once again blushing.

We bid each other farewell and she soon swam off to return home. I slowly began to swim home, still thinking about the occurrences, the silhouette. Why would someone want to follow us? There was no clear explanation.

I slowly swam out of the reef... At least until I heard a faint murmur from inside.

I saw something inside, a blur of blue flashed.

"I gotta tell Arashi how awkward he looked," the voice said with a familiar chuckle.

Huh? That could only be...

"Kip?" I asked, "What are you doing here?"

Kip broke out in a fit of laughter.

"To guard you, of course," Kip chuckled, "Besides, I thought you were gonna confess."

I blushed after he said that. Kip just grinned, apparently teasing me on what I did earlier and making mock-kisses.

"Kip? You know that there are some things that need the word 'privacy'..." I shyly said, still blushing a little.

Kip just chuckled, "Privacy? I guess you wanted her all to herself, eh? I almost thought you were gonna tell her your feelings, I was even expecting a kiss tonight."

"KIP!" I roared, feeling my face burn bright red.

Kip just swam around my tail.

"You should just tell her, Umi seems very much in love with you," Kip informed, with a twinkle in his eyes.

I sighed.

"You think so?" I asked, "Because I'm scared that it might ruin my friendship with her."

"Don't worry, you could take a slow and steady pace, tell her when you believe the time is right," Kip reassured.

I just let out a small sigh, but I showed a small smile.

"Thanks Kip!" I gratefully replied, "just make sure dad doesn't find out."

"Of course! Now let's go home," Kip replied, "Oh and Arashi-" he let out a small grin "-that was pretty heroic of you, to suddenly push Umi back and go forward to protect her."

I blushed, I knew Kip had seen that too but I didn't want to talk about it. I swam home but dad left a note saying that he was busy at a meeting. I just swam over to my stone bed and soon fell asleep, dreaming about a peaceful dream, a grin plastered in my face in my sleep.

Note: Thanks for reading, again I won't be able to upload the next chapter next week because there are exams, but I'll get back to this as soon as time allows me to do so. Plase review too, I know you might find it lazy to do so but every review counts, however short so long as you get the message through. Thanks.

It's been some time since we last had this, but I'm gonna do this less frequently.

Daily Interview: Umi

Interviewer: Good evening, would you take some time to answer some of our questions?
Umi: Sure, why not?

Interviewer: What do you enjoy doing in your pasttime?
Umi: Well, I like to sing, sleep, talk with Ai, and daydream about the future.

Interviewer: What do you mean by "the future"?
Umi: Erm... Well... The time that comes after present.

Interviewer: How does it feel to be like the princess of the Milotic Tribe?
Umi: Actually, it's quite a pain compared to what you think. Sure I get to be fixed up and dressed properly by the servants but when the time comes, my father would force me to a male he seems fit to be my partner. Sad to say, the male on his mind is a dolt who has no manners and his pride is bigger than his lust for me.

Interview: If you're describing him so distastefully, you must have another guy on your mind that you like, do you?
Umi: Umm... Y-yes... I-in a w-way... B-but I-I'm not sure i-if he feels the s-same...

Interviewer: Take it easy, no need to get so worked up. Do you mind telling us his name?
Umi: Umm... I don't think I should... Not yet anyway...

Interviewer: Hmm... Well, that's all we have for now, please do come back next time for another interview.
Umi: Thanks and good bye!

Well, that's it for now, and don't forget to review!