Note: Here's another chappie here! Before anything else, I sincerely thank Palkia's Princess for taking the time to review the other chapters, so I decided it's time to upload another one. I know this one's not very good, so I'll try to make up for it in the next second chapter. Other than that, I'm not gonna say anything else...
Umi's POV:
I stretched myself and yawned. I was still grinning, happy about the special night I had just been through.
Arashi still lay down asleep beside me, his tail coiled up with mine. Ever since last night, I felt closer to him.
"Good morning, Arashi," I softly whispered in his ear and planted a soft kiss on his face. Soft red streaks appeared on his face and he murmured something in his sleep.
I just smiled and let him continue sleeping. He was very tired from planning everything for last night. I still felt giddy about last night. I can't believe it had happened all that quickly.
I didn't disturb him from his sleep; instead, I gently put my rose beside him and exited the room for a morning walk.
Everything seemed so peaceful this morning... It all felt so... different. So different that we both already know. Is this truly love? All the time I had spent waiting was nothing compared to this.
I sighed in contentment. Why, if, only Dad would've allowed this... I wouldn't have to run away...
Horrible memories of my life back home resurfaced in my head. Ai, Dad, Mom, Armik, all of those gave me a headache.
No! I thought, I have a new life now! I'm no longer Princess of the tribe, I'm free now and I'm spending my new life with Arashi!
Even as I thought about that, an empty and hollow feeling still settled on the bottom of my stomach. Was this guilt? No, I was sure that I had changed for the better.
The morning sun seemed so surreal, its gentle rays caressing the pristine clear surface of the sea.
There was no one else around the halls of the colony, it must be so early. I decided that I would go back to the room.
As I swam back, I caught sight of Unagi all by himself, he probably saw me too for he approached me.
"What are you doing up so early?" he inquired casually.
"Nothing much," I replied, still grinning.
"Hmm, why are you in such a happy mood today?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm just feeling great today," I blissfully replied, trying to keep what happened between Arashi and I last night.
"So," he continued, "you're planning on staying here longer?"
"I guess so," I answered.
"I see then," he continued, "Well good morning to you then."
He swam off after saying that. I wondered why would he take notice of my uplifted mood but I was still thinking about last night to even care.
I swam back to the room to find that Arashi had just woken up.
"Good morning, Umi," he greeted in a timid manner.
He put the rose that I had left earlier this morning on top of my right antenna.
"You look beautiful as always, dear," he blushingly said, unused to being so sweet on someone.
"Good morning," I greeted back, smiling at him.
I hugged him afterwards, but I could feel him tensing up so I guess he was still shy about this relationship.
"Good morning," I greeted back.
I suddenly remembered what I had thought of earlier this morning.
"Hey Arashi," I said, "Thanks a lot for last night!"
Arashi shyly smiled from the compliment.
I sat down beside him and lay down. Smiling, I looked back up at his handsome face.
"So," I asked, "what now? What are we going to do for the rest of our lives?"
"Whatever you wish, Umi," he replied back, his kind eyes meeting mine.
"Well, we're certainly not going to stay here forever, are we?" I continued, "I mean, sure it's nice, but why not go out there and start a life... together?"
He looked at me and, for a moment, he became silent.
"Arashi?" I asked, "Is there something wrong?"
He heard me and briefly replied, "No, not really... It's just that, I've been thinking about Dad and all..."
I looked down and remembered what kind of life he had.
"Oh," I replied, sorry for him, "You miss your home, right?"
He silently nodded and I decided not to pursue this topic anymore.
All of a sudden, Unagi entered our room. His face held a panicked expression.
"Bad news," he panted, "the Milotic Tribe has declared war on the Gyarados Tribe!"
"WHAT?" Arashi jolted up.
I began to panic.
"Wait, what?" I asked, hoping that I had just heard things wrong.
"It's true," Unagi exclaimed in a worried manner, "the Milotic were the ones who started the attack."
I just stared in disbelief. Something was up; I know that my tribe would never do such a thing. I knew my species well; we were a mainly peaceful species.
"How can this be?" I exclaimed in disbelief.
Arashi was just as shocked as I was.
"Wait," he took a deep breath, "a war has started? Between... our tribes?"
Unagi solemnly nodded.
Arashi began to hide his face as if he was ashamed.
"I'm sorry, Umi," he apologized.
"What are you sorry for?" I asked.
"It's all my fault," he muttered, "It was because I helped you escape, if you hadn't escaped, none of this would've happened."
Even as the situation was that heavy, I just couldn't bear seeing Arashi like this.
"It's not your fault, Arashi," I comforted him, "None of us would've liked to stay back there anyway right? Besides, we have to focus on the problem, if this is just a misunderstanding, we can clear everything up."
Arashi looked back up at me.
"But, you know that our tribes are sworn enemies," he continued, "how will we convince them?"
"Well, you trust me, don't you?" I told him.
He nodded.
"And I trust you too. If we can get along, ZI'm sure we can talk some sense into our tribes."
Arashi smiled, "Okay, I trust you. Let's go and give it a shot."
Unagi suddenly cut us short, "Wait! Both of you are thinking of going back?"
Arashi nodded, "Yes, it is part of our responsibility."
"Then I'll have some of our Huntail and Gorebyss accompany you, at least," he said, "It's dangerous and I wouldn't wish any harm to befall both of you especially... after last night."
Arashi gave a short sheepish glance at me.
"How did you know?" I questioned in shock, hoping that my face didn't go red at such a time.
"Legami told me, " Unagi said, "Good luck tough... I wish the two of you the best of luck!"
I looked into Arashi's eyes and he looked into mine, we both nodded at each other.
"Don't worry," I answered, "We'll both make it. Besides, I can't go yet. Someone else needs me."
Arashi managed to smile despite the situation and soon enough, I was smiling too. I knew that we were made for each other, and I knew that something like this isn't going to ever keep us apart. Ever.
The both of us trudged forward, out into the sea. We had a huge army that was waiting for us to command them.
"Now, let us go to the site of war," we both said in unison.
I know that I sounded pretty confident, but I was actually hiding fear in my heart.
There was something I didn't tell Arashi... I didn't tell him that our chances of failing are also equal to our chances of succeeding. But I didn't care. If things go wrong, I would give up my life for my love so that he will at least be able to enjoy a better future.
And so, we trudged forward not knowing what the future has in store for us. Whether we will face failure or success, only time can tell...
Arashi's POV:
"So, how did your night go?" Legami asked.
"It went perfectly!" I grinned.
She smiled.
"I told you love wouldn't flourish unless you tried," she wisely told me.
Yep, that was the best night of my life. My eyes were still closed, but I could feel Umi beside me.
My soft breathing immediately allowed me to go back into a deep sleep, allowing me to relive the special night.
There we were the both of us in the cave... Just looking at the sight of both of us, I knew it was a very unusual couple. But I knew better, I knew that love flourished between them.
I saw Umi's figure and mine together in the dim cavelight. For a moment, I smiled, but I noticed that there was something... wrong... There's something I'm forgetting.
The image of Umi and I disappeared from my mind. It was instead replaced by a close-up image of the gift I had given her. The Sapphire necklace glistened in the black background.
A voice called to me at the back of my head.
"This 'ad once belonged to yerr muther, 'ere... It was the gift she 'ad given me as a sign of oue love..." the voice echoed.
The scene changed, the gem broke in front of my eyes and shattered into a hundred pieces all falling into the darkness, each piece having a small reflection of Umi.
I wanted to gather the pieces, but before I could, the ground began to shake.
The background changed to red, a silhouette of Ikari stood before me. The black shadow just smiled, revealing its white teeth and with a swing of its tail, all the shards of the gem were swept away.
I screamed in anguish. All of the fragments... Umi... Don't leave me!
I opened my eyes. I was breathing heavily and I had broken into a cold sweat during my sleep.
It was all a dream.
But, for some reason, it reminded me of home. I knew that I was guilty of just leaving them all, but I had always pushed it away.
I shook it off. I reminded myself that my life isn't the lonely dark life I used to have anymore. I had Umi now, it's just not about me anymore... It's about us...
I jerked my body up. Sunlight streamed into the room from the holes and shone on my blue scales.
"Hey, Umi," I muttered, smiling.
But when I turned around, she was not there. A single rose lay on the spot beside me.
I smiled. This was Umi's way of saying that she went out and will be right back.
I swam back and forth thinking about her.
"Umi, how can someone like you make me smile so much," I muttered to myself dreamily, still thinking about the kiss we had last night.
I felt a light tingle on the spot where she had kissed me. I blushed, embarrassed at that, hopefully Umi wasn't here to see me like this.
I aligned my belongings and saw that Umi's belongings were just piled up on the corner.
I took out a small sharp rock that resembled a needle a needle and some fresh kelp; I worked my way into cutting through the fibers. I sewed the rest into a bag that could be strapped around her body like mine.
I arranged her things and put it all in the bag. Something caught my eye though, a small coral in the shape of a rose. I smiled as I reminiscenced our nights together back in Sunset Reef.
As soon as I had finished arranging her things, Umi entered the room.
"Good morning, Umi," I shyly greeted, feeling embarrassed that I had gone through her belongings.
I put the rose she had left on top of the bed back onto her right antenna.
"You look beautiful as always, dear," I couldn't help complimenting her.
She smiled and greeted me back, "Good morning."
She immediately locked me into a hug. I felt quite embarrassed about it though, for I was still not used to this.
Umi then called my attention, "Hey Arashi! Thanks a lot for last night!"
Her compliment made me smile. I just couldn't help it.
Umi sat down and lay down beside me. She looked up at me with her clear beautiful eyes and smiled.
"So," she sweetly asked, "what now? What are we going to do for the rest of our lives?"
"Whatever you wish Umi," I replied, staring into her beautiful red eyes.
"Well, we're certainly not going to stay here forever, are we?" she said in a cute tone, "I mean, sure it's nice, but why not go out there and start a life... together?"
My face started to grow deep red. I began to think of her idea. Just the two of us together with no one else to keep us apart. But as soon as I had entered that thought, Dad's voice echoed and reminded me that I was to give the gem to Ikari.
I grimaced at the thought of Ikari. I think a relationship with her would have no love in it, unlike one with Umi, who actually loves and cares for me.
"Arashi?" she asked, cocking her head sideways in a cute manner, "Is there something wrong?"
That snapped me out of my daydream.
"No, not really... It's just that, I've been thinking about Dad and all..." I replied.
She became silent as if she understood what was going on in my mind.
"Oh," she replied, "You miss your home, right?"
I nodded and we both became locked in a moment of awkward silence.
All of a sudden, Unagi burst into our room, destroying the awkward silence. I began to wonder about the term 'privacy' but I soon became serious when I saw the urgent expression on Unagi's face.
"Bad news," he frantically exclaimed, "the Milotic Tribe has declared war on the Gyarados Tribe!"
"WHAT?" I exclaimed, shocked that such a thing could happen.
Umi seemed to be shaken up but she did a good job of hiding it from me.
"Wait, what?" she innocently asked.
"It's true," Unagi continued, voice shaking, "the Milotic were the ones who started the attack!"
Umi seemed like she was going through some sort of mental anguish.
"How can this be?" she asked, teary-eyed.
It took some time for the weight of the news to sink into me.
"Wait," I choked, "a war has started? Between... our tribes?"
Unagi silently nodded.
I looked down on the floor. Umi must probably hate me now. Maybe we really weren't meant to be together. I can't believe this had to happen after we've finally confessed our feelings for each other. An even worse revelation burst into my mind: What if this was all my fault?
"I'm sorry, Umi," I slowly said, saddened that the girl of my dreams might get angry and leave me.
"What are you sorry for?" she innocently asked.
"It's all my fault," I started, holding in my tears, "It was because I helped you escape, if you hadn't escaped, none of this would've happened."
I closed my eyes, expecting a hard slap on the face. But instead, she didn't slap me, she just stood there silently.
"It's not your fault, Arashi," she warmly said, "None of us would've liked to stay back there anyway, right? Besides, we have to focus on the problem, if this is just a misunderstanding, we can clear everything up."
I lifted my head up and looked back at her, thankful that she didn't hate me.
"But, you know our tribes are sworn enemies," I said, "how will we convince them?"
She blinked her eyes and looked straight at mine.
"Well, you trust me. Don't you?" she asked.
That was a question I knew that she didn't need to ask me. I immediately nodded.
"And I trust you too," she confided with me, "If we can get along, I'm sure we can talk some sense into our tribes."
Hearing her say that made me smile. She really had a kind heart, any Milotic from that tribe would have already blamed me for everything and have me locked up as prisoner, but Umi, their Princess, still treated me as if nothing had ever happened. She really does care...
"Okay, I trust you. Let's go and give it a shot," I said, smiling.
"Wait!" Unagi interjected, "Both of you are thinking of going back?"
I nodded.
"Yes," I answered, "it is part of our responsibility."
"Then I'll have some of our Huntail and Gorebyss accompany you, at least," he said, "It's dangerous and I wouldn't wish any harm to befall both of you... especially after last night."
I sent an 'I'll tell you later' eye signal to Umi.
"How did you know?" Umi asked, trying to hide her embarrassment.
"Legami told me, "Unagi explained, "Good luck though... I wish the two of you the best of luck!"
Umi and I both looked at each other and nodded in unison.
"Don't worry," Umi told Unagi, "we'll both make it. Besides, I can't go yet. Someone else needs me."
I could feel my face burning up but I ignored it. I couldn't help but smile though...
The both of us swam forward out into the ocean. A huge army of Huntail and Gorebyss were waiting in position for their commands.
"Now, let us go to the site of war," Umi and I commanded.
I knew that my future depended on this. I knew that it would either be failure or success. If I succeed, I get to live a happy life with my beloved Umi. If I failed, well... that's another story.
I smiled. There is no way I'd ever lose Umi.
I'll never, EVER let go off you, Umi, especially at this time. Just you wait, we'll be able to live happily together in a good future and that's a promise!
Note: Awww... Isn't that terrible... Love LITERALLY hurts here. Anyway, I'll try to update this next week again, so I guess there won't be an update for "What a Thief Can't Steal" next week. I've also got a considerable amount of tests this coming week, so it'll be a miracle if I can even update next week. That's all for now, so please do stop by and drop a review. Thanks guys! Gotta go now...