Heirot

Hikari sighed with a smile as she closed her eyes so she wouldn’t go blind from the light of the sun. She enjoyed the feel of the cool breeze on her face and the feel of the mist on her smooth skin. She was careful not to move too quickly and risk falling into the cold water that flowed all around her.

Tiny sprigs of hair flew around her and tickled her face, though they grew increasingly damp and weighed down as more and more water droplets fell onto her head. She didn’t care if it ruined the elaborate way her hair was put up. It wasn’t as if she would be going anywhere that required a fancy hair do. Though, she truly needed more clothing than what she had on.

The shiromaku that she wore was white with silvery-white painted flowers on it that shined when any form of light hit it. Her arms were held out to her sides and the sleeves of the kimono billowed gently in the wind, the silvery flowers casting shimmering sparkles of light every now and then Hikari wore a beautiful gold comb in her hair with shinning beads falling from it and her hair was pulled into a complex looking bun on the back of her head.

She didn’t notice the man running up towards her, for the roar of the waterfall was so loud it blocked out all the sound. Someone would have to yell for her to actually even get the hint that someone was speaking to her.

Hikari soon forgot she was standing on a slippery rock and she turned around abruptly, dancing on it in unbalanced fashion. “Free!” she said, overjoyed by the fact no one would ever try and force her to be married again.

She lost her balance and her arms came out quickly. Her eyes shot open and she tried her best to regain what she had lost. "Woah... woah...." She leaned from one side to the other, unable to find a safe median.

Hikari didn't want to get wet. It was one thing to be damp, but another thing to fall in icy cold water. She hated falling in cold water. It always shocked her and she hated being shocked.

After several strange and over-exaggerated movements she managed to regain her balance. Well, at least she thought she had regained her balance. Her legs were in an unusual position and one for was on a terribly slippery spot. To move that foot it would require to balance on one slippery spot with the other.

She didn't notice the young boy blowing through the water behind her, for the roar of the water just mixed in with the sound of splashing.

She sighed when she realized her predicament, but knew there was only one way to get to a more balanced position and that was to move one foot. It didn't matter which one, they would both cause the same reaction.

She moved one foot and the other slipped out from under her, just as she had expected. However, Hikari could be a very hard headed girl at times and this only proved it.

Hikari was startled beyond description. She just stared at the bright sky for a moment before she blinked and turned her head slightly to the side to look at the man holding her barely out of the water. “Uh…” she said softly, wondering how he had gotten there and if he had been there for a while and she hadn’t noticed.

She thought that since he gave her his name it was only fair that she gave him hers. “Hikari Ayama..” she said softly, lifting her arms out of the water, though it would do no good since they were soaked.

“Uh…” she said again, not really knowing what to say in such a situation. Finally she swallowed and said, “Thanks.”

It was really the only thing she could think to say besides, ‘Hey can you help stand me up before you drop me?’

Hikari laughed and looked around as she kneeled on the rock. She smiled warmly and looked at the young man. “I’m sorry I fell on you, but thank you for stopping me from getting submerged…” she seemed to find it humorous that he just happened to be there the moment she needed him.

“No, I don’t live here,” she said simply, gazing as if she really wished she did. “Its pretty here though…”

“I live a day from here… I thin… Wait… If you were coming out into the water you didn’t see me?” she asked, a bit confused.