Yuna and Kenta; Devoted

Yuna's POV

Dreams…

When thought of they are quite frightening things, the moment we close our eyes and slip into a state between our consciousness and unconsciousness, we are made vulnerable to the demons that lurk in us. It is the time where our more naked and carnal desires are revealed to us and truths that we try to hide from, surround us like a pride of lions and we are powerless to escape their claws.

This often confuses me, if the bare flesh of truth is revealed to us in dreams, is the world we form beyond our minds merely just a pack of lies?

A year ago I was swimming in forbidden waters, the water goddess I served warned me not to swim there. But the clear crystal of the lake was too enticing and I floated within it.

It was so soothing a tranquil, it was called the lake of dreams and legend told that if you were to take a single sip of the water, then you would dream of your greatest gift in the future and the dream would repeat until you found it.

It was not my intention to drink from it…but by accident I did so.

I was sweetly haunted by this…there was a man in my dream…a half demon. His hair was long and silver, his eyes gold. They beheld certain thoughtfulness, a deep understanding that not many possessed. He had an air of tranquillity surrounding him that similar to the water in the lake I drank from.

Within my dreams we spent day within the shade, he showed me his power…he could manipulate water in the most magical ways. For a long time he did not tell me his name and I did not tell him mine. We even kissed once and I fell so deeply in love with him.

Every day I waited by the place where the dream was set, I prayed that he would emerge…I don't care how long it would take; I would wait here until I turned to stone.

Every day for a year, once I awoke from the beautiful dreams I would come here and wait till night fell, then I would hurry back to sleep just to catch another glimpse of him. I even made sure I wore the same blue kimono he told me he loved so much.

Last night, he whispered his name to me…Kenta, it left a sweet taste in my mouth and a gentle melody in my ears.

I had already been here for three hours. It was starting to awn on me…what if the lake of dreams was actually a horrid method of torture. Maybe that was why the water goddess was so insistent I didn't drink from it, what if it was torturing me with a beautiful future I would never have and I wasted a long immortal life waiting for someone who didn't even exist.

The more I thought of it the more I began to feel like a fool. Someone as wonderful as him did not exist. He was a fantasy I longed to make real, a dream that could never come true. Clearly all that water did was delve into the depths of my heart and conjure the epitome of everything I have ever longed for and named it Kenta. I should have listened to the water goddess for now I was doomed to love nothing more than a beautiful work of fiction for the rest of my life.

The thought that I would never know him in the flesh cut into me like and ice cover blade and I shed a tear for this. It was like a death and I grieved for the love I never knew and would never know. Yet still even at this conclusion I remained under that tree by this lake, surrounded by the flowers. I relieved the moments we shared. The times he would watch me, the times he held me and the times he fed me strawberries and various other fruits before letting me taste his lips.

There was an unfathomably strong spiritual connection that bound us, we were worlds apart and only came together when I was in a state of unconsciousness. I wished then to sleep eternally so that I could be with him forever.

He was so thoughtful in everything he did; he oozed honour and strived for perfection in everything he did, even in the tiniest of movements he made. He was dedicated and sensitive; he was sweet and charming in a quiet way. You looked at him and you wanted to be near him.

Just as I was about to give up hope there came a voice "Yuna?" it called. I turned and there he stood, the man of my dreams.

This isn't real…I must still be dreaming. I stood there still as stone, the breeze danced in that silver mane of his and he watched me carefully with those sunset eyes. I'm dreaming….I must be! Such a sweet form of torture. "Yuna" he called again, he was getting closer.

My breathing grew heavy, his fingertips brushed my cheek and I held my breath completely. This touch was different from the touch in the dreams…this felt real, so very real. "Yuna" he breathed again, his hand now cupped my cheek.

I finally breathed, this was real! He was here with me now! "I have waited an entire year for you my Lord Kenta!" I told him quite tearfully.

He smiled…like a cool breeze. "I promise I'll never keep you waiting for me again" he assured and slowly got to his knee "marry me Yuna."

I thought my heart was going to burst with all the joy filling my heart. The happiness was filling my body began to spill from the eyes in the form of tiny salt drops!

"Yes! Yes I will!" I leapt into his arms and swore that I would never ever let him go for as long as I live! We shared our first real kiss…it was still just like a beautiful dream only one that came true.

Kenta's POV

Two weeks had passed since our meeting, since the day my dream became a reality. We swam together and rested in the shade. I read to her nightly because she loved the sound of my voice.

Within the two weeks of our engagement I had fall ill with a small code. Yuna doted upon me lovingly, she let me rest my head upon her lap and she stroked y hair to ease the ache in my head.

She and I were travelling to the shrine of the water +goddess; there I was to ask for her for Yuna's gentle hand in marriage. Yuna told me I needed no tribute, I was to simply approach the goddess and ask, I must be sincere.

My hand was in hers as we came to the lake, across was the shrine of the water goddess. "You can form a dome of water around you, that way you can travel there without getting wet. Also there are certain creatures in this lake; it may be safer for you to it that way. I however can swim across unharmed due to who I serve" Yuna suggested.

I shook my head. "No, I want to show the goddess what I'm willing to do for you, I will swim these waters and face these creatures if I must. You go on ahead of me, I will meet you there." With that I dived in

"Kenta!" Yuna called after me, "Please be careful!"

I couldn't promise that, I was diving into danger, willingly so…I would not be peaceful Kenta as most knew me as; I was willing to be more reckless like my brothers.

Deeper I swam, holding my breath…my vision was beginning to blur and my lungs were shrivelling. I could hold my breath longer than humans, however I was still half human. I would not give in, I would keep going until I…I…blacked…out….

I awoke in Yuna's soft arms and her face beheld such concern, I smiled and touched her cheek, to think I would wake to her for the rest of my life.

"How did I get here?" I asked as she sat me up properly.

"My shrine young Lord" a dominate female voice replied. There sitting before us upon her throne was the water goddess. She was beautiful….though nothing compared to my future wife. The goddess crossed her legs. "Yuna tells me you wish to claim her as your wife…is this true?"

I stood to my feet "Completely."

She frowned at me "one thing I do commend you for is that you didn't give up. Many fall for my nymphs though none have ever come so close to death trying to reach this place for them. You had it in your power to wield the water to your advantage…yet you seem desperate to prove your devotion. However…I have no children, Yuna is to take my place someday…she cannot wed you, I will not free her from my services."

My heart felt like it had been punched, I heard Yuna let out a gasp of sadness.

"I won't take no for an answer!" I informed, "Yuna and I will be together, you won't stop us…you can't"

The goddess laughed at me "can't I?"

Next thing I know I was being I felt my insides burning, I collapsed to the ground…the pain…the agony, it was too much. "W-What are you doing to me?" I demanded, I was starting to foam at the mouth.

"Right now every trace of water in your blood is being turned to acid…you'll burn to death in another…two minutes or so."

Through my darkening vision I saw Yuna being restrained and I heard her beg for my life.

The goddess smiled at me "I will release him my dear Yuna…if he tells me that he does not love" she then looked to me. "Confess that you lied when you said you love her, admit that you only wanted her for her beauty…you intend to use and abuse my servant! Tell her you don't truly love her and I will release you."

"No!" I growled, to say such venomous lies, to see the look on her face if I said them…that pain would be far more agonising. "I would rather die!"

My life meant nothing anymore; I would rather die declaring my undying love for her than live on having lost her.

Suddenly the pain went away…I breathed easily and stared up in confusion, a cold sweat all over my body. However my sudden ease was interrupted when Yuna screamed as though in searing pain.

I moved towards her when two guards restrained me, "Stop it!" I demanded "release her or I'll kill you all!"

Her mistress, the woman she had served for so long was suddenly at my side, "You can save her young Lord…your life means nothing to you, but her life means everything. End this engagement and she will live!"

I'd rather die…but it was no longer my life at stake. I never thought a woman like her could even exist…she was someone the world needed and I could remove her from it.

Tears were down her face, she writhed upon the floor in utter agony, burning on the inside, I have never heard screams so loud. I couldn't stand to see her in such pain, even if losing her would hurt I had to free her from this torture.

"Very well…I promise to leave, I promise I will never see her again…but I will never stop loving her!"

The goddess waved her hand and Yuna was released. "No!" she wept, "Kenta…I want to stay with you."

This hurt more than the acid!

"You shall" the water goddess conveyed, Yuna and I were so confused. "Forgive me, Yuna is my most prized nymph, she was my chosen heir. I had to be sure of your devotion to her, the fact that you would have given up your life and happiness for her means that I can trust you with her hand. You have my permission to marry Yuna, I release her from my services."

At this Yuna and I ran together and embraced. I wanted to take her back to the place where I grew up, I wanted to introduce her to the family she was about to be a part of.

The water goddess was right, I was truly devoted to Yuna as she was to me and we had a long happy life ahead of us.

Next Sora and Kasumi