Harmony: a beautiful sound, when executed correctly.
The six mermaids had not sung in harmony with each other for a long time, yet somehow, the bond between them was still as strong as ever. It was exactly five years ago that they had defeated Orfeo and saved the world together, but it seemed like just yesterday.
Serafina swam in circles across the vast garden in front of the palace. Her palace. So much had changed since the days when she was only a principessa, learning under the rule of her mother Isabella. She still felt her heart aching from the loss of her parents with every breath she took, but she had learned to harness her pain, to turn it into something she could use to her advantage to bring peace and prosperity to her kingdom. Looking over the streets of Cerulea, she knew her mother would be proud of her if she were still alive.
Serafina asked a passing soldier for the time, frowning when he told her it was quarter to ten. She had told her friends to arrive at half past nine, and she thought Becca at least would arrive on time, if not early. Sighing, she sat down on a large rock, resting her chin in her hands. She knew her friends were tired from the long journey, but that didn't stop her from being a little impatient.
Serafina startled when she felt a hand on her shoulder and a handsome merman sat down next to her. "Mahdi!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around him and placing her lips on his. His deep brown eyes were twinkling and a smile lit his face. Her Betrothed had been visiting his family in Matali for the past week, and she had felt his absence keenly. A week wasn't that long, she reasoned, but it felt like it, when you had to go without someone you loved. Even though the oceans had been restored to peace, she still felt a pang of anxiety whenever she thought about Mahdi or her friends alone, so far away from her.
"Sera," Mahdi said, kissing her back. After a few moments he pulled away, resting his hands on her shoulders and looking into her sea green eyes. "I can't begin to explain how much I missed you." He reached up to brush a loose strand of copper hair from her face. He glanced up at the sun, then into the distance, away from Cerulea. "Shouldn't your friends be arriving soon?"
"They should," Serafina replied, now getting a little paranoid. "They said they'd be here at nine thirty, and it's almost ten."
"Don't worry so much," Mahdi reassured her. "They're probably just tired. After all, Ling has had to come all the way from the Pacific Ocean, and you know that's not a very short journey."
"I know, but I'm still worried. Besides, Ling is a strong swimmer. They all are. I sure hope they're okay." Serafina let Madhi's strong arm wrap around her shoulders, comforting her. She closed her eyes and melted into his embrace, leaning her head against his shoulder.
"Of course we're okay," Ling's voice said from behind Serafina. The regina jumped, whirling her head around.
"Ling! I'm so glad to see you! And all of you, too," she cried, swimming up to greet her friends. She hugged each of them in turn. "I've missed you guys so much! But you're late," she said, frowning at the mermaids, but mostly at Becca.
"Why are you glaring at me?" Becca grumbled. "Just because I'm usually the punctual one, doesn't mean this is my fault."
"Actually, it's Astrid's fault," Ava declared, pretending to scowl at her. "She's the one who slept until eight fifteen."
"Shut up." Astrid slapped Ava lightly on the arm, but it was clear she was trying not to smile.
"It's okay," Serafina grinned. "I'm just happy that we're all back together again. The six of us. Just like old times."
The other mermaids seemed just as escstatic as Serafina. Smiles spread across their faces. Neela was glowing bright blue, like she always did when she felt strong emotions. But Sera's friends looked different, too. Their bodies were fuller, more muscular. Becca had grown taller, and she was now a good few inches above Serafina. Ling's beautiful, glossy black hair now fell to her mid-thighs, even when it was braided. But when Sera though about herself, she had changed, too. Her hair had grown back since she had cut it. There was something new, something strong and resilient in her sea-green eyes. And she no longer looked like the swashbuckler-warrior she had been during the war against Orfeo.
But some things never changed. Astrid's gruff fierceness. Becca's immaculate precision. Neela's good mood. Ava's magenta-hued clothing. Ling's kind smile. If Sera tried, she could almost pretend they were back to the moment when they first met in the Iele's cave.
"I love you guys," Serafina, whispered.
"I'll leave you merls to your happy reunion," Mahdi said, smiling as he excused himself. He knew the girls needed some time to themselves.
For hours, Serafina and her friends talked, sharing stories from the five years since they had last been together. They talked, laughed, and even cried, but they had the best of times. After so long, there was enough to talk about that it was well past noon when Serafina finally suggested they have lunch. They ate in a pavilion in the palace gardens, watching fish dart among the plants. It felt so good to be back together again, just the six of them.
When the mermaids were finished their lunch, Astrid stood up, clearing her throat nervously. "Uh, merls, if you wouldn't mind, I… I wrote a song, and, er, if we could sing it?"
Serafina laughed. It was so unlike Astrid to be so nervous, and besides, she had nothing to be anxious about. Sera was surprised and delighted that Astrid had wrote a song for them. Ever since getting her voice back, Astrid had been working hard to practice her songspells, but she had never expected that Astrid would write her very own song, just for them. "Of course we'll sing it," she said, smiling. The other mermaids nodded eagerly.
Astrid removed a wrinkled slip of parchment from a pocket of her travelling jacket. The paper was filled with incomprehensible scribbling, words and music notes, but Astrid smiled and taught her friends the words and melody.
When all six were familiar with Astrid's song, they sang together:
"I have been to hell and back again
You've been too, but you would go again for me
And I would go again for you
Because I will stand by your side
No matter where you are
Because that is what you mean to me
You see, we're more than friends"
In Serafina's eyes, Astrid's song couldn't have been more true. After everything the girls had been through, they weren't just friends anymore. Outside the Iele's cave they had performed the bloodbind, a solemn oath of loyalty, but this was different. Their experiences had made them something else, something that couldn't be defined by words. Sera continued to sing the next verses of the song, but tears pooled in her eyes as she sang.
The song ended by repeating the last line, "You see, we're more than friends". On the last note, the six mermaids sang three different notes, creating an achingly beautiful harmony to end a beautiful song. The harmony reminded Sera of their friendship: they were all different, but when put together, they created something strong, something beautiful, something magical. At this moment, the tears pooled over her eyelids, spilling down her cheeks and into the water. She could see that the others were crying, too. "Thanks, Astrid," Sera whispered, her tears and her feelings clogging her throat.
"No," Astrid said. "Thank you. Thank all of you for being my friends, for being here through all the difficult times." Astrid, who usually hid her feelings due to her Ondalinian upbringing, was crying the hardest out of all of them. Serafina wrapped her arms around her friend, and she was soon followed by Neela, Ling, Becca and Ava. The six stayed like that for a long time, their feelings in perfect harmony. It was just like old times. And it was beautiful.
A/N: I actually started this story in May, but I only recently discovered it sitting half-finished in my Google Drive :D. So I decided to finish it and publish it. I know it's not that great because I wrote it four months ago, but thanks for reading through it. Please review!