For solitaryloner's Stress Relief contest! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: The siren's song is LARGELY BASED ON Maroon 5's Come Away To The Water because it clicked really well and because I really can't write songs! I love that song but DO NOT own it!
The same goes for Vocaloid and all its characters. I love them but they aren't mine.
The plot is also slightly based on a chapter of Cantarella of Odile's Love Remains The Same.
Lastly, the cover image was found on Google. I'm sorry I can't find the link for it anymore but if you recognise the artist, do let me know so that I can insert his or her name here. The picture isn't mine.
For some reason, my Word's spell check isn't working, so please excuse the minor errors here and there. If you spot any, do let me know! I was listening the music box version of Alluring Secret Black Vow when I wrote this! It's just so eerie! Do try listening to Come Away To The Water during the siren song.
Solitaryloner: Happy early birthday SL! Hope you like this and it helps you relieve some of your stress!
Luculentus: Sirens! Brilliant idea! Really, for you to link sirens to Vocaloid because they're both related to songs is bloody brilliant. Thanks for the suggestion!
Pinny: You! You gave me the encouragement needed to get back to writing! I hope you enjoy it!
YJ: Thanks for all the constructive criticism! Hope this is better!
Guest: I'll answer your question at the end, wouldn't want to give spoilers for the rest would we? ;)
Minion 24639: You know how much I love having you as my minion? Good. Now DON'T PRESS THE SELF-DESTRUCT BUTTON YET!
~Siren Song~
"Don't go," they crooned. "Stay with us."
"Won't you listen to our song?"
"Just one song?"
"We promise it'll be good."
"Join us in the sea."
In unison, all three eerily sang, "Forever..."
Alas, which man could resist the siren song and alluring faces of the sirens?
Without so much as a second thought, the men plunged into the icy depths of the sea, never to resurface again.
~Siren Song~
"Kaito honey, you promised me no more sea voyages. You're a father now. You have responsibilities," murmured the brunette sadly as she stroked her belly. Kaito tilted her face up to meet his apologetic eyes.
"Mei, you of all people know how much I hate breaking promises don't you?" His wife nodded her head silently, disappointment still evident in her eyes. "This job is necessary to being able to support you and our family in the future. I need to do this. For us."
Meiko brushed the stray blue hairs out of his eyes and her gaze hardened, her mouth pulled into a grim line.
"You're not taking no for an answer are you?" she sighed.
"Nope, of course not!" he grinned widely. "It won't take long. I'll be back before you can miss me!" he sang.
Smiling, Meiko began poking at random articles of clothing in his bag. Incredulity filled her eyes as she lifted out a tattered blue scarf.
"Are you really bringing this sweetie? It can't possibly keep you warm!"
"Aw, but it was the first thing you ever knit me," he answered with a sheepish smile on his face. "I'm too attached to it." His gaze softened as his wife's delicate cheeks flushed.
"I'll, I'll knit you another one, alright?" she stammered, her face adorned with the most radiant smile he had ever seen, cheeks still blushing. "Wait, where's your coat? Kaito! It's winter! You know you'll-" With a peck on her lips, Kaito had effectively silenced her.
"Relax dear. I'm wearing the coat to the port. You don't have to help me pack Mei, take a rest on the sofa-"
"Earmuffs! Where are your earmuffs? You can't possibly sail past Minama Island without them!" she panicked, a crease forming between her eyebrows.
"Mei, it's cold but not that cold. Why on earth would-" Meiko cut him off again with eyes filled with anxiety and worry. Not wishing to stress her, he retrieved the white earmuffs from their closet.
"You, you must make sure to wear them when you're on deck! No! Don't even go on deck! Wear them inside the ship!" Understanding filled Kaito's eyes as he caught on to what she was worried about.
"Mei, don't be unreasonable. Those old wives tales are nothing to be afraid of. They're not real."
She lunged at him and clutched his collar tightly. "Promise me," she whispered frantically. "Promise me," she insisted more insistently and fervently.
He heaved a sigh. "I promise." Pulling her into his arms, he led them to the sofa, where they would snuggle by the fireplace for the last time.
~Siren Song~
Just hours after Meiko and Kaito shared their farewells at the port, Kaito was leaning on the railing of the port side of the ship, earmuffs still unpacked in his bag. He felt a twinge of guilt for breaking his promise but really, such old wives' tales were not worth the trouble.
Still, he did find that naivety of hers adorable. They clashed in so many ways but somehow, they still complemented each other perfectly.
"Opposites attract," he chuckled to himself. The ship was fast approaching Minama Island, the rumoured spot where many a man had gone missing. Some said they were driven to madness and cast themselves off, others said something in the sea pulled them in. Strangely, the victims were always men.
Kaito prided himself on being a scientific man, so he brushed away all these rumours and stood on deck alone, despite many warnings from the others not to do so, at least not without earmuffs.
"Ridiculous," he murmured, dismissing their fears, but nonetheless, the air around him dropped several degrees and a chill went down his spine.
"I'll prove them wrong. Sirens don't exist," he muttered. His rubbed his hands up and down his arms to warm himself up before tightening the tattered blue scarf around his neck.
Slowly, almost lazily, cold tendrils of fog caressed the ship. Visibility dropped to a minimum.
"Kaito, you idiot!" A rush of purple collided into Kaito. "Put these on," Gakupo, Kaito's fellow shipmate, hissed, holding up his earmuffs. Gakupo himself wore a green pair that clashed horribly with his hair.
Kaito felt a surge of irritation at Gakupo. He was being scared for no reason. And he had ransacked his bag. He did not appreciate the mess Gakupo would have left it in. Still, the concern did touch him a little. He snorted and waved the man off.
Gakupo wanted to say more but his eyes widened as he noticed some movement in the shadows. Hastily, he shoved the earmuffs onto Kaito's head and dragged them behind a crate.
"Gaku-" Kaito began, but Gakupo muffled his words with his hand. The men gazed in horror and fascination as a dark silhouette emerged from the briny depths, accompanied by two more.
Despite the earmuffs, both men could hear the unmistakable sound of something huge slithering on the deck. The air became thick with a mixture of scents. The salty smell of the sea tangled with the coppery scent of blood, permeating the nostrils of the men.
Kaito clenched his eyes shut, willing himself to wake up from the nightmare.
"My, my. What handsome catches," drawled a saccharine voice. The icy breath of the speaker tickled his cheek, sending shivers throughout his body. In shock, his eyes flew open.
Coy blue eyes, framed by long lashes, gazed teasingly at him. The most attention-grabbing feature, was her long teal hair. It was a strange hair colour, but Gakupo had purple hair, and him blue. So who were they to label weird hair colours?
"You won't be needing these," she cooed, flinging the earmuffs overboard. Kaito's breathing quickened as he noticed the red stains on her lips and teeth. He desperately hoped it was just lipstick.
Teasingly, she nibbled his ear. "Won't you play with us?" The illusion of choice was foiled by the serpentine tail curling around him.
She tightened her grip subtly, daring him to deny her.
One of the other silhouettes slithered forth, revealing a crown of blonde hair in the dim light. She wrapped her tail around Gakupo and threw off his earmuffs. The purple-haired man let out an unusually high-pitched scream.
"I have a wife and kid waiting back home! Leave me alone!" he wailed, hands flying to cover his ears.
"Indeed Miku. Very handsome catches today," came the throaty call of the third silhouette as she too slithered forth. Her pink hair cascaded down to her waist, where the scales began.
The pink-haired one quietly observed the men who were frozen in place. She slithered over to Kaito and pinched his cheeks.
"Fresh and young. Only twenty-eight years old I assume." She then assessed Gakupo's hair. "Silky and thick. This one has all the right nutrients though he's a bit older." She took a good whiff of his scent before letting out a dreamy sigh.
"Smells delicious too."
"Of course Luka! I picked them out! How could you expect any less from me?" beamed Miku proudly.
"What do you say Lily?" inquired Luka. "The usual?" The blonde nodded excitedly.
Kaito and Gakupo anxiously exchanged glances, each contemplating escape.
"Don't go..." they crooned. "Stay with us..." as though reading their thoughts.
"Won't you listen to our song?" chimed Miku, her voice taking on a more alluring tone.
"Won't you listen to our song?" echoed Luka, voice rich and seductive.
"Just one song?" pleaded Lily bewitchingly.
"We promise it'll be good," murmured Miku into Kaito's ears, sending shivers down his spine.
~Siren Song~
From his place on the bridge, Kiyoteru Hiyama stood rooted to the ground. He could not tear his eyes away from the sight of the sea demons cornering his men.
He watched as Gakupo opened his mouth to protest feebly. But it was too late. The sirens began their song. Kiyoteru shut his eyes, but the faint strains of the melody would haunt him forever.
"Come away, come away to the water,
To the ones who are singing only for you,
Come away, come away to the water,
Away from the world you thought you knew.
We are singing... For you..."
~Siren Song~
Through half-lidded eyes, Kaito and Gakupo nodded dumbly, their heads swaying to the rhythm of the song, their eyes glazing over more and more as they followed the sirens seductive swaying.
"Join us in the sea," Luka whispered hypnotically. Then eerily, all three sirens sang out one more word.
"Forever..."
Alas, neither man could resist the pull of the siren song. They plunged into the icy depths, without any resistance whatsoever. The sirens' words had robbed them of all free will.
The bodies sunk into the deep abyss, never to resurface again.
~Siren Song~
When he heard the splashes, Kiyoteru slowly reopened his eyes, desperately hoping the sea demons would be gone as well.
"There's one more on board," Lily commented, sniffing the air.
Kiyoteru paled dramatically as Lily turned and gazed directly at him, a knowing smile on her face.
"Lily, you know the ancient laws. We can't take anyone who isn't on the deck," chided Luka as she placed a hand on her sister's shoulder.
"Shame though," added Miku. "He looked delicious."
Without another word, the trio dived back into the abyss they called home.
~Siren Song~
"What a feast tonight!" cheered Lily as she breathed in the scent of the two corpses on the seabed.
Luka was busying herself with removing the men's clothing and possessions, placing them neatly in a box together with the earmuffs Miku had retrieved.
"Victim numbers?" she asked while scribbling words down with waterproof squid ink, available at Seashells On The Seashore for only ten seashells.
"13943 and 13944 I believe," replied Lily as she began sketching out the portraits of her victims.
"13942 and 13943! That last one didn't count remember?" yelled Miku as she swam over. "He tasted so much like rotten fish that we didn't finish him." Luka stuck out her tongue in disgust as she recalled their previous catch. She finished scribbling the numbers and pasted the label on the box.
"Really Lily, you're acting like those humans up there, taking pictures of their food for goodness knows what reason!" huffed Luka as she swam over to Lily. "What do they call it again?"
"Instagrand!" chimed Miku. "Or was it Instagrace? No. Instagrape?"
"Says the one who keeps all their belongings!" retorted Lily, completely ignoring Miku as she handed Luka the portraits. "I'm just documenting my experiences for sentimental value."
The scary thing about Lily's portraits was her uncanny ability to draw the subject's life into it. Luka did not exactly appreciate seeing that her meals had lives of their own. It made her feel a twinge of guilt.
Still, she could not keep curiosity at bay. She wanted to know who she was eating, not just mindlessly chomp into it. Humans were interesting that way, so she gave the portraits a critical look over.
Subconsciously, Lily had drawn Meiko, pregnant with child into Kaito's right eye. In the other eye, Kaito's aged father rested against a tombstone bearing his wife's name.
In Gakupo's, his most precious people had been sketched into his hair. A young woman was goggles in her hair and had hoisted a young boy onto her shoulder. Both grinned wildly.
Luka brushed her fingers lightly against the images of the men's wives, her heart weighing heavily. Yet, she steeled herself, sealed the portraits into their respective boxes and stuffed them into their expansive walk-in closet. She swam over to the coral table where Miku had laid out the cutlery. Lily lowered the two lifeless men onto the table and sank into her seat.
Hungrily, the sirens devoured their prey, until nothing but bones remained.
~Siren Song~
"I'm terribly sorry about your loss Shion-san," mumbled Kiyoteru, apologetically with his head bowed in regret.
Meiko's eyes misted over as she attempted to retrieve Kaito's bags from him. Her trembling hands were brought to his attention and he volunteered to bring them in for her. Her hand stroked her belly instead and the captain felt another wave of regret hit him.
"Shion-san, please, accept my compensation. I cannot bring your husband back but the least I could do is offer you some help in bringing up the child," he said, placing a large wad of cash onto the coffee table in the living room.
Instead of thanking him, Meiko swiped the notes of the table, causing them to fly around in disarray.
"Is that all my husband is worth to you? A sum of money?" she whispered darkly, fists clenched and trembling.
"No amount of money can ever replace him!" she screamed, tears running down her face. She lunged at him and rained down blows on his shoulder. Kiyoteru on his part, accepted the blows. He understood how much the grief consumed her. He himself had lost his wife not too long ago. He stood motionless, letting her unleash all her fury and dismay on him.
Before long, Meiko had sagged to the ground, resigned that no amount of shrieking or abusing of the captain could bring her husband back.
"Did you even try?" she whispered hoarsely. Kiyoteru hesitated and Meiko had her answer. She raised her hand tiredly and pointed at the still open door.
"Just go," she croaked. Without hesitation, Kiyoteru left, leaving the woman to her own grief.
Her eyes glanced over to the vibrant blue scarf draped across the chair, the scarf Kaito would never get to wear.
~Siren Song~
Kiyoteru wandered down the streets alone, hands in his pocket.
"She was right," he thought to himself as his insides churned. "I could have saved them if I tried..." He slammed his fist against the concrete wall of a house and slumped down, hands going to cover his face as his own tears fell.
"But I was such a coward..."
~Siren Song~
Meiko found herself on board a ferry to Minama Island every week. This particularly ferry service would only allow women on deck. Men were strictly required to stay in the ship at all times. Hence, none of its passengers had ever gone missing at sea.
Each visit, Meiko would buy a vanilla ice-cream cone and a rum-and-raisin one. Unfortunately, sake-flavoured ice-cream was not very popular here, so rum-and-raisin was the closest she could get.
She would stroll down to the seashore and admire water glistening in the sun. Then she would hurl the vanilla cone into the sea, hoping it would reach her husband somehow. Finally, she would finish her own cone and board the ferry home.
The ritual was her own special way of grieving.
~Siren Song~
"Hey Miku, the ice-cream woman is here again," commented Lily as she swam to retrieve the floating cone.
"Why does she do it though?" queried Miku. "Seems like a perfectly good waste of ice-cream."
"My guess is she lost someone at sea and he loves ice-cream. So it's probably an offering," answered Luka, oblivious as to how right she actually was.
"She looks familiar though..." pondered Lily.
Luka and Miku exchanged glances. "Nah!" they chorused in unison as they dug into their latest prey.
~Siren Song~
"Gumi? Gumi? I'm coming in!" hollered Gumo outside her door as he barged through the door. News had spread fast about the loss of another few men at sea. Normally, Gumo did not really care who it was but this time, one name caused him to rush down to his sister's as soon as her could.
Sprawled over the sofa, half-eaten carrot in one hand and an empty vodka bottle in the other, was Gumi. The entire living room reeked of alcohol and empty bottles were strewn all over. Cries could be heard from upstairs but Gumi seemed deaf to them. Gumo ran up the stairs and found his nephew in his cot, bawling his eyes out.
With a tender touch, Gumo lifted two-year old Gumiya and rocked him back and forth in his arms until he fell back asleep. He planted a kiss on his forehead before settling him back into the cot. He sighed worriedly to himself. Unfortunately, it would take a lot more than rocking her to sleep to sooth his sister.
Downstairs, Gumi raised her left hand and nibbled on the bottle, then realising it was not her carrot, she scowled and flung the bottle against the wall, not caring about the glass shards that rained down, before raising her other hand to nibble on the carrot. She finished about a quarter of the carrot before her snores indicated that she had dozed off.
Her elder brother winced. He had expected her to be a wreck, but that was way beyond his expectations. Gumi loathed alcohol. For her to have downed so many bottles, she must have been desperate to forget. Needless to say, she was a mess.
Quietly, so as not to wake her, Gumo tidied up the living room around her neatly, then he threw away all signs of alcohol in the house. Scribbling a note and leaving some aspirin and water on the coffee table, Gumo went back up to retrieve the sleeping toddler.
Dear Gumi,
I know Gakupo's death has hit you harder than expected, but you know as well as I do that alcohol isn't the answer. I'm bringing Gumiya to my place for a bit. I hope you don't mind. When you've sobered up enough, come get him. We'll talk then.
Love, Gumo.
PS: Take the aspirin with the water. Works wonders for the massive hangover you're gonna get.
~Siren Song~
Gumi awoke to a clean house but her head hurt like hell. Then she remembered how hammered she had gotten and raced up the stairs to find Gumiya gone. Panicking, she ran back down and noticed the note on the coffee table. In spite of herself, she smiled at her brother's thoughtfulness. She chugged down the water and aspirin before straightening herself out in the mirror.
Before she left though, her eyes lingered on her wedding photo. Gakupo had smiled as though he was the luckiest man in the world to be marrying her. She in turn felt it was the opposite. She bit her lip before she could cry and left for Gumo's.
~Siren Song~
Months later, Meiko gave birth to not one, but two healthy children, a boy and girl.
"Congratulations Shion-san," smiled the green-haired doctor. Gumi frowned a little when she realised that there was no husband present.
"Thank you," murmured Meiko as she smiled at Gumi, but Gumi could see the hidden grief in Meiko's eyes. It mirrored her own expression whenever she thought of Gakupo. Those sad eyes said "I wish you were here."
"Might I have a chat with you when you feel up to it? Perhaps over lunch?"
She hoped Meiko would be willing to grieve with her.
~Siren Song~
Despite being non-identical twins, Meiko could already see the huge resemblance between the two children. They seemed to be just counterparts of each other.
The funny thing was, neither twin really resembled Kaito or herself. They had inherited her mother's blonde hair and Kaito's father's eye colour.
She caressed their heads gently. "You both complement each other so well. I can't imagine what would happen if you were separated. You're each other's special halves."
"In fact, you both are more like two halves of the same person, just left and right." She smiled to herself as she thought of the names. "Left and right, yeah... I'll name you both Len and Rin..."
The hole Kaito had left in her heart would never close up, but the twins would patch their mother up. She would never be whole again but she could come close to it.
~Siren Song~
Five years came and went. Kiyoteru had continued providing support for the upbringing of Rin and Len. Meiko had been apprehensive about it at first but she understood that the guilt weighed heavily on him.
Kiyoteru paid the bills, attended concerts and helped with homework. Before long, the twins had come to regard him as a father figure. One evening, after he finished helping them with their homework, Rin and Len had smiled brightly at him.
"Thank you Daddy," they chirped.
"What?" Kiyoteru's eyes widened in surprise. Len took it upon himself to explain.
"Utatane-sensei taught us about families today," he said.
"He said that Daddy and Mummy are what we call those who look after and love us," added Rin.
"So we thought since Hiyama-san always helps to look after us and he loves us," Len trailed off.
"You do love us, right Hiyama-san?" interrupted Rin as she tip-toed on her stool, trying to peer into his eyes.
"Of course I do!" exclaimed Kiyoteru as he sat Rin down on the stool again.
"Then you're our Daddy!" they cheered. Kiyoteru could feel his heart burst with happiness.
"But Utatane-sensei did say Mummies and Daddies are always married," continued Rin.
"Are you and Mummy married?" asked Len.
Kiyoteru blushed and laughed sheepishly. "No, we're not," he replied. The twins frowned a little but shrugged it off. Clinging to his legs, they smiled innocently.
"It doesn't matter if you're married to Mummy or not."
"You're still our Daddy."
Laughing, Kiyoteru ruffled their hair. "I wish I was though," he thought as his eyes shifted over to where Meiko was cooking dinner, oblivious to what had just happened.
~Siren Song~
Soon after, Kiyoteru began courting Meiko, who had finally opened her heart up again. She would not say she had healed completely, but her heart definitely did not feel as painful as before.
Many nights were shared with a cup of warm coffee and sake as they talked openly about the grief they felt over Kaito's death. Meiko thought that it may have been possible to have more than one soul mate.
A year later, Kiyoteru had become the twins' stepfather, and he doted on them as though they were his own. Each week, the entire family would visit Minama Island on Kiyoteru's new boat. He named it The Vanilla Cone, in memory of Kaito, whose death still weighed heavily on him. Meiko had kissed him and they cried together, leaving the twins confused. Kiyoteru would accompany Len inside the boat while Meiko and Rin would stand on deck and relish the sea breeze.
At Minama Island, while Meiko paid her personal respects to Kaito with her ice-cream-throwing ritual, Kiyoteru would stay with the twins at the ice-cream parlour, watching his wife from the window.
~Siren Song~
Gumi transformed in the years after her husband's death. She became more reserved and channelled all her time and energy into her job as a doctor.
Well, not all of it. She made sure to spend large amounts of time with Gumiya. Without fail, she would pick him up from school each day and he would happily describe the day's events to her over lunch. Afterwards, Gumo would look after him in the afternoon, seeing as he worked from home. Gumi would finish up work by six and head over to her brother's for dinner.
Their way of remembering the lost member was slightly different from the Hiyama household's. Gumo would ensure one dish was cooked with both carrots and eggplants, Gakupo's favourite vegetable.
On weekends, the Megpoid-household would join the Hiyama-household for dinner. As Kiyoteru and Gumo played with the children, Gumi and Meiko would gossip and tell stories from their pasts. Sometimes there was laughter, sometimes there were tears.
But what was life without its ups and downs?
~Siren Song~
"You know sisters, it's been years and the ice-cream woman keeps coming back. She must really have loved that person," said Miku.
"I can't shake the feeling that she looks familiar, not after all these years," murmured Lily.
"Check the boxes for clues," answered Luka lazily as she flipped the pages of the aged book that had sunk down ages ago, dating back a few centuries. A grotesque painting of a woman with scales for skin spread across a whole page. Her hair was wild and dark, much like wild seaweed. But the most gruesome feature of all, were her two legs. They too were covered with scales, but they were fused together to form a fish tail. Luka fought to keep her last meal down.
Of the many creatures that roam the skies, seas and land, the syren is one of the cruellest. Syrens use their voices to lure men into leaping into the sea, where they devour them hungrily. Some claim to hear strained melodies despite covering their ears, as though their songs could penetrate through anything. None have lived to tell the true appearance of a syren, but this book has compiled a rough description based on the most popular rumours.
Syrens are rumoured to have hideous faces and scaly skin. Their talons are long and their mouths are home to teeth as sharp as knives. Their hair resembles seaweed and their eyes are beady and cruel.
Syrens are loathed by widows who have lost their men to them. It is advised for men to stay below a ship's deck if travelling Syren-infested waters, lest they become the Syren's next meal.
Ancient myths claim that several widows become syrens in their mourning. The syren's song is heavily guarded due to its magical properties. No living mortal has been able to walk away alive with the words of the syren song. However, when a woman experiences the grief caused by the loss of her beloved, the sea may take pity on her and offer to let her join the syrens' sisterhood. The words of the syren song will come naturally to the woman. Coupled with the ancient dance of the sea, the woman may become a syren herself.
From this, stems the belief that syrens were mortal women who have lost their men to the sea. In grief, they sung out the magic song and did the ancient dance of the sea. Thus, though they no longer remember their lives as humans, they continue to yearn for their lost loves, going so far as to abduct those from the sea.
Luka frowned at the passage. They had gotten so many things wrong about them! Anxiously, she swam over to the mirror and examined her face.
"I'm not hideous am I?" she asked her sisters, pulling at her cheeks.
"You believe a book that claims we have talons and teeth like knives?" responded Lily as she skimmed through the paragraph. "Although I must say, Miku is the only on whose hair even remotely resembles seaweed!"
"You take that back Lily!" Miku hollered, swimming over to play-wrestle with her.
"Hey Lily," called Luka as she gazed at Meiko's face from the water. "You know what, I think you're right."
"About Miku's seaweed hair?" she asked smirking, earning herself a slap from the teal-haired siren.
"No, about ice-cream woman looking familiar," replied Luka.
"Do you think we once had men we loved as much?" asked Lily, still reading the last paragraph on the 'syrens'.
"I-I cannot recall," sighed Luka, although she did have a fuzzy memory of dancing with a purple-haired man in her human life. She twisted the corroded silver band that still rested on her finger.
"I gotta say though, her dedication is admirable," said Miku wistfully. "If only we could find men as devoted. Of course, only females can be that loving. Men have the emotional capacity of food," she grumbled.
~Siren Song~
Kiyoteru was steering The Vanilla Cone towards Minama Island.
"Earmuffs on everyone! We're not taking chances!" he ordered. Obediently, the other men aboard wore their earmuffs, worry ageing their faces drastically.
All except one. The red-haired men stood up abruptly and stormed out onto the deck. "You guys are a bunch of superstitious idiots. As though anyone could believe that bullshit!"
Kiyoteru felt an impending sense of dread. He could not allow history to repeat itself. Not after Kaito. Not after Gakupo.
So he charged after Akaito, a spare set of earmuffs in his hand. The fog made it hard to see, but the ominous splash could be seen. Faint strains of a mystic melody threatened to penetrate his earmuffs.
The sirens were not on board, but he could still hear their singing. Summoning an image of his family into his head, Kiyoteru forced the melody out of his head and dived in to save Akaito.
"History must not repeat itself."
~Siren Song~
"Sisters, it's getting harder to find food now," sighed Miku from the water.
"They've gotten wise," murmured Luka, taking in the sight of the rest of the men, huddled inside the ship, earmuffs on.
"I say we resort to causing... An accident..." smiled Lily. She whistled loudly. "Tako Luka owes us a favour, does she not?"
Luka caught on quickly. "Yes, yes she does."
An enormous, pink octopus emerged from the sea. Luka spoke in a strange language, one that echoed of an ancient magic. The octopus nodded solemnly. A tentacle shot up to wrap around the ship.
With a grunt, the octopus lifted the ship high, tilting it at an angle. The men slid out of the door into the frigid water. They were fair game now. Tako Luka smirked sadistically, if an octopus could do so, that was what the men would have testified. The numerous tentacles forcefully removed the earmuffs of the men who were still afloat. The rest had already sunk to the bottom, still and unmoving.
The sirens grinned.
"Come away, come away to the water,
To the beauties waiting for you,
Come away, come away to the water,
To the water so deep and blue
We are waiting... For you..."
~Siren Song~
A groan came from Miku, who was sprawled on the sea sponge sofa.
"Can't..." She let out a loud burp before she continued. "Eat any more..."
Luka echoed her sentiments by patting her full belly. "Guess we don't have to hunt for a while. We should put the rest in the freezer."
Lily, who was still sketching the last few men, yawned. "Just let me finish up."
When that was done, Luka cast a freezing charm over the remaining bodies.
"We're still eating leftovers tomorrow," complained Lily.
"Shut up and let me sleep!" yelled Miku, chucking a cushion at Lily.
Luka looked over the sketches of their recent catches. For some reason, the one belonging to the bespectacled brunette caught her attention. Something nagged at her when she saw the image of a familiar woman in his eye.
Thinking nothing of it, she sealed the boxes and stuffed them into the recesses of their ever expanding wardrobe.
~Siren Song~
Fifteen years passed since Kaito's death, and Meiko felt a sense of déjà vu as she answered the door, expecting to see Kiyoteru, not officer Kagene.
"Hiyama-san?" he asked as she nodded warily, fear already building up in her chest. Officer Kagene removed his hat and bowed.
"My sincerest apologies, for The Vanilla Cone has capsized. The patrol boats have investigated the remains of the wreck and we found footage of what transpired just before the ship went down." He paused, noting Meiko's watery eyes. He tried to find some way to comfort her.
"Your husband tried to save a man who went overboard. Suddenly the ship capsized. We've searched for days but we have found no survivors, but your husband... He went down a hero." That said and done, he left Meiko at the door, unable to bear the agony in her eyes any longer. She sank onto her knees, gazing at the sea in the far distance.
Her heart had been ripped open yet again, and the pain left her zombie-like by the door. Rin and Len had returned from school to find their mother like that. Upon hearing of their stepfather's death, the family huddled together and sobbed.
~Siren Song~
Seventeen-year old Gumiya had developed an attraction to Rin. She was his childhood friend and two years younger than him but together with Len, they had been the best of friends. Over the past few years however, he began to see her as "more than friends".
Each day he told himself that he would confess to her, and each day he would have backed off out of cowardice.
But suddenly, both Rin and her brother had returned to school much quieter and reserved, and he missed the bubbly person she once was.
He soon found out about her stepfather's death from his mum. Together, the two shared many sunsets, talking about the fathers they had lost at sea. Rin found someone who understood her pain.
When they started dating, some of the sadness in their lives evaporated a little.
~Siren Song~
After school everyday, Len would walk alone to the cemetery. Rin was with Gumiya and he never wanted to intrude. He knew Gumiya had a crush on her so he let them have their privacy. Still, the loneliness was hard to deal with.
The two headstones stood next to each other and he would sit between them. Hugging his knees to his chest, he would recount his day to his fathers, the biological one he never met, and the one who raised him as his own.
He would leave the cemetery, shoulders hunched and hands deep in his pocket.
~Siren Song~
"For you, my loves," Meiko whispered to the wind as she threw two cones of ice-cream into the sea.
~Siren Song~
"You know, ice-cream woman has started throwing another cone in addition to the vanilla one."
Miku licked experimentally at the new cone. "Coffee," she announced.
"Did she lose yet another love?" asked Lily, as she rummaged through the recent boxes, looking for her life-revealing portraits. She finally pulled out one of Kiyoteru, one eye depicting a smiling Meiko holding her arms open to embrace him. The other eye showed Rin and Len dancing together.
"Sisters," Lily's voice trembled. "You have to see this."
Luka and Miku swam to her side and guilt shot through their hearts. The trio had grown fond of the 'ice-cream woman' and enjoyed the treats she threw into the sea. This was not something they had anticipated.
"We made her sad. She loved him so much," whispered Lily.
"We've inflicted all that pain on her?" Miku asked sadly.
Luka's eyes flashed with recognition and she began tearing through the older archives.
"Please don't let it be her again!" she prayed.
~Siren Song~
Eighteen years since Kaito and Gakupo's deaths and three years since Kiyoteru's. Gumi and Meiko sat facing opposite each other over dinner as Gumiya and Rin formally announced their relationship.
Len glared at Gumiya in his overprotective-brother mood. Despite being older and knowing Len for a long time, Gumiya feared Len's glare. He managed to convey his feelings pretty well.
"Hurt her and I will castrate you," he seemed to say. Gumiya gulped nervously. He was the kind of guy who wanted kids.
~Siren Song~
Yet another three years later, Len made a shocking announcement.
"I'm joining the navy Ma." Len saw her hesitation and refusal in her eyes.
Meiko felt her lungs constrict and she struggled to breathe. It felt as though the same vicious waves that consumed her husbands were going to claim her son now. She was drowning, not in water, but pain and memories.
How could she be expected to give up another precious person to the sea? How could she let yet another one go?
"I know what you want to say Ma, but it's my calling. I can feel it." Seeing her expression, he continued hurriedly. "Ma, it's my dream. I've wanted to join ever since we had that career talk. Both my fathers were seamen. Seawater flows through my blood." He prayed that she would understand.
Len stepped closer, stooping down slightly to meet his mother's feverish eyes as he clasped her hands.
"Please," he begged.
When did my baby get so tall? When did he grow up?
Meiko wavered. How could she let her son forgo his dreams? No matter how much she wanted to keep him safe, he was a big boy now. He was going to make his own decisions anyhow.
She examined his hands, no longer the soft, chubby hands of a child, but the strong, large hands of his father. "Please," she echoed. "You must look after yourself."
Len smiled when she relented. "Of course Ma," he reassured.
That night, Meiko prayed that he would stay safe.
~Siren Song~
From the church pews, Gumi dabbed her wet eyes.
"My boy is all grown up now!" she sniffled. Gumo patted her shoulder comfortingly, then shot Gumiya a thumbs up, showing his pride in his nephew. Meiko sat beside Gumi, allowing a smile to grace her face. At last, her life would be filled with joy.
The heavy, gilded door swung open and the music swelled. Rin, decked out in all her bridal beauty, glided to the altar, her arm looped around Len's.
"Who gives this woman to be married?" asked the aged priest, or at least he seemed aged, with his long, wispy grey hair.
"I do," came Len's deep voice. Several women in the congregation swooned.
Meiko dabbed away her own tears. At the very least, Len had stayed for his sister's wedding. She felt her heart swell with pride as Len handed Rin over to Gumiya, the man she trusted most to take care of her daughter. She knew Kaito and Kiyoteru would have been smiling down upon them. Lost in her thoughts, she had not realised the vows were complete.
"I now pronounce thee, man and wife." Applause broke out among the congregation and Father Honne's personality seemed to take on a whole 180-degree turn. From a solemn old fart, he yelled "You may kiss the bride!" exuberantly, pumping his fist in the air.
Gumiya obliged and dipped Rin to give her a passionate kiss. Perhaps Meiko and Gumi's lives were taking a turn for the better. Meiko certainly hoped so as Len left for his naval job soon after.
~Siren Song~
"More prey sisters," cooed Miku as she spotted the naval ship above them.
"Ooh, filled with hunky naval officers yeah?" cheered Lily. "You in Luka?"
"Hmmm? No, I'll eat later. You guys get the food," she mumbled distractedly.
"Luka, what the hell is your problem? You've been doing nothing but going through the archives for years!" complained Miku.
"Shut up, I need to look for something!" shushed Luka and Lily and Miku swam up alone, preparing to summon Tako Luka to help capsize the ship. People had begun taking the rumours of the sirens even more seriously and the sirens had to resort to desperate means to obtain prey.
But when they reached the surface, the noticed a handsome blonde at the bow, gazing mournfully at the sea that claimed his father and stepfather.
The sirens exchanged sly smiles. They had not had the fun of luring prey down in a long time.
"Come away, come away to the water,
In the shade of night we sing to you,,
Come away, come away into the water,
To the ones who will sing you through,
We are singing... For you..."
Like his father and stepfather, Len succumbed to the siren song and plunged into the icy water, completely unaware of his own actions.
~Siren Song~
Lily completed her sketch of Len and handed it to Luka who took a break from searching. She took one look at the people sketched into Len's hair and eyes and nearly fainted.
Kiyoteru smiled handsomely with his arm wrapped around Meiko in portrait-Len's right eye while Rin and Gumiya, were embracing in the left. In portrait-Len's hair, Kaito and Gumi had been sketched in carelessly.
She recognised Meiko and Gumi easily as the women in previous sketches. The thought of taking away another loved one of Meiko made her lose her appetite. And although not easily discernable, she recognised Kaito and Kiyoteru as previous victims of theirs as well.
Her stomach lurched and she clutched it tightly, suddenly feeling sick for causing a single woman so much pain. In concern, Miku and Lily swam over but she shrugged them off, digging around desperately through the older boxes, hoping she was wrong.
Box number 13942 and 13943 lay before her at last. She broke the seals and analysed the two sketches in them. Then she broke down crying.
"I knew it," she sobbed. "We're monsters sisters."
Lily examined the portraits and her stomach lurched as well. "All this time... Her sadness was completely our fault?" she asked shakily.
Miku held a hand over her mouth. "How? How could she be so cursed?"
The sisters wanted desperately to return the dashing naval officer to his mother, but it was too late. He was just a corpse in uniform.
~Siren Song~
Having finally learnt of Len's status through the crisp military letter she received, Meiko felt the last fragile bits of her heart shatter. Her eyes glanced over to Rin and Gumiya's wedding picture on her table.
"She'll be fine without me. She has Gumiya now."
Decisively, she boarded a ferry to Minama Island. There, she scaled the highest cliff and stared heatedly at the ocean.
"You consumed so many of my family. You might as well take me!" she screamed and flung herself off.
~Siren Song~
"Luka, Lily, quick, we have to save her!" screamed Miku. The sirens, still repulsed and guilty over their actions, sped up to the surface, just as Meiko crashed through the water surface. The impact knocked her out but she was still breathing.
Miku and Lily slithered onto shore, holding her limp body between them. They laid her down on the sand and gazed remorsefully at her.
"Dear ice-cream woman," murmured Lily. "How could we have been the cause of your pain?"
"You're so nice. How could your life be so cursed?" Miku whimpered.
"Wait here sisters. There's something we should do," said Luka as she returned to their underwater home.
Meanwhile, Lily and Miku busied themselves with leaving a message in the sand with seashells.
"We're sorry," it read.
Luka resurfaced with three boxes in her arms. Joining her sisters on the shore, she emptied the contents.
Miku held up the blue scarf belonging to Kaito. "This, we return to you," she whispered gently, wrapping the fraying scarf around Meiko's neck.
Lily retrieved Kiyoteru's glasses and placed them securely on Meiko's face. "In doing so, we hope to repent for our sins."
Luka placed Len's naval hat in Meiko's hands. "We can never be forgiven for causing you such grief.
They rearranged the contents of the boxes such that it seemed like the waves had washed them ashore. Then turning to bid Meiko goodbye, they whispered in unison, voices all weighed down with regret.
"We're so sorry."
~Siren Song~
Meiko squinted at the bright sunlight, annoyed at being woken up so early. Then she realised she was not on her bed, but on sand. She sat up hastily, finding her vision blurred. Confused, she removed the pair of glasses from her face.
"Wha-?" Recognition pierced her heart. "Kiyoteru... These, these are his glasses."
Her hands dropped down to unwind the frayed scarf from her neck. "Kaito?"
Then she looked beside her, noticing that she had dropped something earlier. Examining the naval hat, she read the label on its inner surface easily. "Len..."
The memory of casting herself off the cliff burned fresh in her mind. Realising what must have happened, she let out a howl, of grief and of sorrow. Tears flowed unceasingly from her face. So much pain, so much misery. All she wanted was release and even that had been denied.
The sirens' seashell message glistened in the sunlight. Meiko edged closer and peered at it.
"We're so sorry," echoed three voices in her mind.
She squeezed her eyes shut and sank down into the sand again. For hours, she sat still, meditating about loss, forgiveness and moving on. Finally, she stood and began gathering the rest of their belongings.
At least she felt some form of closure now. She twirled around in her soaked dress, singing her heart out.
"Come away, come away from the water,
To the one waiting alone for you,
Come away, come away from the water,
You know my love for you is true,
I am waiting... For you..."
For a split second, her eyes glowed red but when she shut her eyes and reopened them, they reverted back to their usual shade of brown.
So who's the siren now?
~Siren Song~
Well... How was it? I'm sorry for the tragedy Meiko endured, but hey! The sirens eventually find their hearts, no? Whew! That was quite draining though! Longest fic in a long time, particularly for a one-shot! I was actually debating on several endings, one had Meiko turning into a siren herself, the other, her summoning the skeletons of Kaito, Kiyoteru and Len and dancing with them in a trance until she died, or dancing till she felt asleep.
No, Meiko did not become a siren. It was just because she had unintentionally sung part of the siren song. However the words weren't accurate and she didn't do the ancient dance of the sea, so yup, she's still human.
Anyways, please review! Constructive criticism is most appreciated! Thank you very much for reading!
Happy birthday solitaryloner!