Summary: and the tide rises, the tide falls

In which Viktor is a lost prince and doesn't know it, Yuuri is a syren who wants to see his Queen happy and Yura is a noble stowaway who wants to be free.

(And also in which there is no universe where they do not find their way to each other and no universe in which their love does not change the world)

(Title quote from 'the tide rises, the tide falls' by H. )

A/N: Birthday fic for adreamingsongbird, I'm pretty sure that this will be your last present today and I hope you like it! You're an absolutely wonderful person Rimi and I really, really love you! I hope you have a wonderful year and that you get only the best of what life has to offer because you deserve nothing less!

Cover Art by Riki, whom you can find at riki-cartblog .tumblr .com

Chapter 1

It started like this. Falling, hard and fast. Something that must have been an uncontrollable descent into madness.

It started like this. A wish made under the light of a thousand stars, to hold on and never let go.

Though neither of them would remember it later,

it started,

with a kiss.

Viktor has only ever known the sea.

Well no. Not exactly.

He's known seagulls and his crew and Makkachin! The light of his life, the star of his heart, his best friend. And he loves the sea. He's had the best moments of his life on it, he's met people he'd be willing to die for on it, hell, there's very few memories he has off of it.

It's just that sometimes it gets a little... lonely, is all.

Make no mistake, he loves the life he leads adventuring on the seas, and he loves the crew that he's gathered. But none of them understand what it's like to give you life to the sea and have her take and take and take.

Sometimes it feels like she's left nothing behind.

He thinks the stowaway they found when they left the Royal Port, Duke Nikolai's grandson, Yuri, might come the closest to understanding, but for all his faults, Viktor wouldn't wish the life he's had to lead on him. Giving your heart to the sea, leaves a gaping hole that can never be completely filled.

(It has been two decades since he last saw his mother.

She'd warned him. She'd told him, again and again and again to not go too close to the shore, that it would take him away, away from her, from their people, his family-

He'd forgotten, too captivated by the water, the waves, that voice.

And he's had to live with that since he was seven.

It was his fault, all his fault if he'd just listened-

He's had to live with that and he thinks that has been punishment enough)

Viktor believed that one day, one day, he would find something that made the year's he'd given to the sea (and all the mistakes he's made-) worthwhile.

He had to believe. He wanted to believe.

(He needed to believe.)

But belief, did not mean that he would stop searching. All he had left of his mother (their home, their people-) was the seashell crest that he had found on his clothes when he had first washed up at the Royal Port. It was his only physical link to his past and he'd do anything to keep it safe. Unfortunately for him, no sailor or landsman seemed to recognise it. (Which, honestly? Made no sense. The only people who had crests were nobility and it was unreasonable that no one he'd met on all his travels would recognise it.)

But Viktor held onto hope that one day he'd find something that would guide him home. And then maybe, he wouldn't be... sad. Yes, sad, anymore.

"Viktor! Yura just threw a bucket of fish at Georgi, get down here and make sure that he doesn't kill the kid!"

Well, sad or not, he doesn't have the time to spend (waste) thinking about himself, he has a ship to run.

Yuuri can feel the magic swirling around him like a tangible thing.

The magic he was born with - Shifter Magic - while hard to accurately control, is something that has always answered his call when he's needed it. It used to be small things - changing the colour of his eyes, the shape of his tail - and then larger things as Minako took over his training - but today, with the added knowledge he has gained at Court, today, he can feel all the magic in the water bending to him.

It sings, and Yuuri can feel the syren in him trill a reply. Yuuri feels like he could do anything, be anyone and that's what Minako's been trying to teach him, isn't it? The power to give himself the freedom to be anything.

He thinks that this is what being invincible feels like.

"Well done Yuuri."

He starts. He had been so engrossed that he hadn't noticed the queen, the Queen, come up to him.

"Th-Thank you, Your Majesty." He says. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"You could resume that lovely show. Has anyone told you how mesmerizing it is to watch you work? If I hadn't studied the subject extensively, I would assume that it was Syren charm - but I have studied the subject and I know enough to know that this? This is all you. And that's a wondrous thing, Yuuri"

Yuuri has died.

That's the only reasonable explanation.

He's died and ascended to a higher level of existence. Because there is no way that the most powerful shifter ever recognised by the Currents is telling him that his magic is mesmerising.

No. Way.

"I'll admit - when Minako approached me asking to allow you to study at Court, I had my misgivings. But you've proven them all wrong, Yuuri. And gracefully at that." She laughs, "In fact - I'm sure that if you wanted to, you could ask the Court to help you stage a revolt and they'd create an army to follow you!"

Yuuri stiffens, because he loves his queen and he would die for her should she ask, and he says quietly, "I-I'm sorry Your Majesty, but I think you underestimate h-how much the Court loves you."

Because everyone knows what she's given up to keep them safe.

(Yuuri remembers the stories his mother told him - of how the kingdom rejoiced when the Crown Prince was born. She was one of the first to be appointed to the Queen's Guard and thus has pictures - pictures she's shown him of Queen Vasilisa with the newborn Prince.

It is the happiest Yuuri has ever seen her.

He also remembers the day his mother came home pale-faced and harried. He remembers her clutching him and his sister to her chest and telling their father in broken tones that the Prince was gone.

That he'd been snatched away by the Currents. That the Queen was powerless to stop them.

(If she did try, the kingdom would fall - the Currents did not take lightly to being crossed.)

She'd said that the Queen could keep track of the Prince's life force but that she couldn't go to him. A law she'd said. Once an untrained Royal left Court, they had to come back themselves and no help could be given or arranged for by a Royal.

This meant that not only could the Queen not go - she couldn't send anyone in her place.

Which meant that the Crown Prince - all of seven years old - was alone.

"Vasi, gods Toshiya, Vasi says that she can't leave and I've never seen her so devastated and I could never do what she's done, gods."

He remembers those words.

His mother was crying.

Yet no one's seen the Queen shed a tear.)

The Queen is smiling at him, "You never cease to surprise, do you Yuuri?"

He swims forward and offers her his hand, "I-I'm not very sure about surprises Your Majesty, but would you care to join me for some tea? Aunt Minako disagrees but I've always found tea relaxing after practice."

She takes his hand and says, "How could I ever turn down tea with you, Yuuri? You always have your mother's blends and those are better than any others in all the realms I've visited. Besides, I still need to talk to you."

He frowns, "Is there something wrong Your Majesty?"

"Minako submitted your request to visit the Human world with an entourage of your choosing, now that you've mastered giving yourself legs. And I am inclined to approve it, but I would also like to hear you explain why you want to visit the human world and to see whether you can convince me to let you go, hmm? I'll meet you at the pavilion in a few minutes."

She let's go of his hand and swims forward to join her Guard and he can see Minako smirking at him - and when did she even get here?

He loves his Queen - but she and her Guard terrify him, and he's grown up with a very healthy respect for all of them as a result of it.

But, she'd said that she was considering letting him and his entourage go to the human world, and if that was true, if their request might really be granted, then he needs to ensure that they don't fail her final test. Only the best are allowed to venture into that world after all, and she has considered many hopefuls before but none of them have ever made it past tea.

However, he thinks that he will make it. He believes in the power they hold together.

(And Yuuri can't wait.

To see the music and the dancing and the singing he's only ever heard about from his teacher and his mother. To feel the magic of an entirely new world. To go on an adventure.)

(And also to fulfil a promise, no matter that he's forgotten he made it.)

(The Currents are churning again.)

(It is time for the Lost Prince to come home)