A/N: Yes, a dark fairytale combined with a lovable pup. It was originally encouraged by a harsh critique of that Disney movie we all know and love, but then I decided I would make it much better. Through in some swords, beautiful men, and some materia and we're set.
Disclaimer: No ownership of Final Fantasy VII, all characters are simply being manipulated for my own enjoyment (and possibly others). I do not own the concept of the Little Mermaid, only the dearly beloved Hans Chistian Anderson can lay such a claim.
.::Prologue::.
There was something entirely beautiful about the world Sephiroth awoke in. It was tinged in deep blues, layers of them floating like rainbows across an endless expanse of nothingness. Perhaps he was staring into the mouth of death – but it seemed so calm and serene there. Surely death – the end of existence – couldn't be down that peaceful road?
Bubbles twirled as he exhaled the breath he had been holding. Despite himself, his nerves flared with adrenaline as realization sunk in. This couldn't actually be… the sea?
Vague recollections of a boat helplessly tossing about came to him. Yes, he had been standing on the ship, helping tie down the masts with the sailors. Wind had whipped about his tied back hair until it lashed cruelly against his back and wind soaked through his military uniform. But the rest was nothingness and now…
Green cat eyes glanced about the endless deep blue surrounding him. Which way led to freedom? His chest was burning. Could he really determine that? There was no way out.
Sephiroth felt himself grinding his teeth at the impossibility of the situation. There was still so much he needed to accomplish – his victory in Wutai now meant nothing and the chain of events he had carefully planned out would fall silently to the wayside. It would be a futile struggle against the sea. All he could hope was that his body would never be found.
With that thought echoing in his mind, the general closed his eyes and faded into sleep.
"Waah, that was close!"
Zack awkwardly cradled the long-limbed creature as he reshuffled his magics into a dormant state. In his exploration of the central oceans – far out of his well-known territory – the youth had been prepared for many things. The slith-blade on his back made good of the monsters that lurked the depths, his magics the basics for nearly one hundred lightenings, and enough seashells to make any wandering merchant to kiss his fins. But this – this he hadn't been prepared for.
A fairy.
Zack had heard about them from the witches that gathered herbs along the coral reefs. They were beautiful, majestic things that rarely graced the sight of a merperson. From a world beyond the ocean, the fairies often communicated with dolphins and told of destinies and fates for the sea. Rather foolhardily, Zack had tried talking to the dolphins himself – apparently they only liked talking to King Trident, anything less they just turned their nose up and slapped with a fin.
But now, Zack had in his possession a true, living fairy. Its hair was strange silver color, as if it were made up of reflective scales. Zack couldn't tell the gender – it didn't have floats – and was confused by the strange skin it was wearing. It was scratchy, but loose, as if it could float away without any effort. It was bit bigger than him (maybe it was male?) but had a serene face so the merman wasn't worried.
If he remembered correctly, fairies couldn't actually survive in the water, which was why they rarely graced merpeople with their presence. The fairy didn't have any gills, so it may 'breath' through some hole like the dolphins did. His priority would be getting his new fairy friend back to the surface so he could 'breath'.
Flapping his tailfin, Zack sped towards the surface. Travel to the surface had been banished after the many disappearances of merfolk not a century ago. At the time, Zack had been too young to realize what it had meant, but his father assured him it was for the best. There were always hushed rumors about the wonders of the place, and the merman had always longed to travel there.
Purple eyes risked a glance at the fairy in his arms. The sleep spell had the doubling effect of barrier; hopefully, the lithe creature would stay asleep long enough for the merman to reach the surface. He didn't have a clue at how long it would take.
The currents swirled angrily the more he ascended. It wasn't as if Zack hadn't been in storms – he was sure he could handle both the fairy and himself – but he always knew there was a reason behind the pulls of the current. Usually it was just the ebbs that came from the shifting powers of rulers as they quietly rearranged the domains of the ocean. The only times it became this strong was when a battle was involved. Battles themselves were often tame, a clash of brute force replete with claws and teeth; but when the opponents used needlessly large magic they often left a chaotic energy. Until the ocean could absorb and distribute the power, it would swirl darkly and destroy all that came close.
From what Zack could tell the current storm was generated by a ruby magic. There weren't very many scattered around the ocean floor and only the most well trained of merman were allowed to wield them. Zack had only seen a few storms of this level, all during the Renyu (1) invasion. During those swirling days – darkly looked back on as the rift – nearly half of the Banora population had been destroyed by the ruby magic and its after effects before Lord Genesis and his father had managed to repel the invaders. Since then they had been gathering fragments of magics to form new entities tied directly to the royal line. With that one their side, they had been able to content against the thread.
Now Zack was a bit worried. If there were traces of ruby magic so far up, did that mean the Renyu had control of the surface? It was a disparaging thought and Zack found himself shivering. He made sure his slith blade was easily accessible.
The fairy was still asleep as they climbed further. His second skin swirled as if it would fall off and Zack worried it might end up hurting him. A strong swirl made all of Zack's fins extend and sharpen – a natural response in the face of danger. In this storm he couldn't sense any approaching enemies but he was more worried about reaching the surface. At this rate, he would have to go around the storm. He could keep reapplying the meager emerald sleep's onto the fairy, but he feared the precious magic would fade away as he cast its limit. If the fairy woke up, it might die!
Not good.
Zack pulled the fairy closer to his chest, using his arm feelers to ensure he didn't slip away. They would get out of this, Zack was certain.
With powerful thrashes of his tail, pushed against the currents in a straight line. Despite the swirl of the currents, the water in front of him changed a bit – as if it were flat. The water face rolled forward and then back dramatically with the current and Zack backpedaled.
Was – was this the surface?
It looked super cool! He'd never seen anything like that before.
With a thrum of excitement filling him, Zack pushed a hand against it. Upon finding it went through, the merman excitedly dove upward through the barrier. The surface wasn't exactly what he was expecting.
There wasn't any water past the barrier, and the dark columns that rose and fell with the current seemed strangely ominous. There was so much sound that Zack nearly dropped his precious fairy as he gasped wide-eyed. Stuff was falling onto him from a dark thing far beyond his reach. Even when the columns pushed higher he couldn't hope to reach high enough.
Zack suddenly realized he didn't like this ominous atmosphere – if this was the surface it was nearly as frightening as the sea dragon's den. Cradling the fairy's head above the water barrier, Zack picked a direction and swam. He couldn't see very far and the fairy seemed to get heavier the longer they stayed past the barrier, so sometimes he would duck down amidst the swirls and continue forward.
Eventually they passed the dark things above and the large columns faded gradually grew smaller. It was strangely calm afterward, with gentle currents gliding along Zack's fins. The dark thing above had changed to a black curtain with blinking lights, stretching from one edge of the surface's barrier to the other. Zack was a bit amazed by it and wanted to stare at it a bit more, but knew he had to put the poor fairy down somewhere before he did.
Off in the distance, something like a pillar came into view. It was blurry from this distance, and hard to make out against the darkness. But it was lit up with its own strange light. It reminded him a bit of Lord Genesis' castle – he must be getting closer!
In his arms the fairy made a sound through its mouth. After traveling on with silence for so long, Zack nearly dropped the creature before he continued on. The fairy needed floor! Its tall body wasn't meant to be carried for so long! Finally, the ocean floor breached the surface in a slow slant. The currents pushed against it needlessly and Zack found himself flopping onto its hardness.
The merman hissed at the unfamiliar feel of the sand on his fins as he pulled his cargo onto the floor. fairy stirred but did not awaken. Maybe sleep magic was especially potent against fairies? Either way, Zack applauded himself on a job well done. He rolled up onto his elbows and smiled down at his new friend. Not only had he rescued a fairy, but he had also made it to the surface! His father wouldn't have to –
A glint of shiny caught his eyes. Zack leaned in closer to inspect the object on the fairy's body, wondering why he hadn't noticed it by now. Wrapped loosely around the fairy's neck was a silvery necklace. It looked almost exactly like a heritage necklace! What luck!
The merman looked down at his own diamond and then back at the silvery tags on the fairy's neck. It wouldn't hurt to make the exchange? After all, it was common for those who met unexpectedly to trade their heritages in promise to meet again another day. Of course, his dad did say he did it too often with strange people; but it wouldn't hurt to do it again. Zack would surely meet this fairy again.
Still half submerged in the barrier, Zack used his claws to fiddle with the strange tie on the fairy's neck. After attempting to pull it over his head – it got caught on the nose and the fairy made a face in his sleep – Zack finally managed to pull it off his large head and clumping hair. Removing his own, he looped it around the fairy's neck and tying it with the friendship knot. However, Zack's hands clumsily worked – probably because he was past the barrier - and he eventually gave up on it and tied the promise knot instead. Surely the fairy would understand.
Zack clasped the silver necklace around his neck and smiled down at the fairy.
"Until we meet again" he smiled. His voice didn't have a sound without the water, but he was sure the fairy would hear. "I promise we'll be friends."
And Zack scooted back into the water and skimmed down into the depths. It was time to keep adventuring! His stomach coiled a bit. And the merman made a face, maybe some food first.
(1) Renyu is merperson in Chinese (literally person fish). Since I couldn't come up with a creative name for the opposing clan, I just chose one arbitrarily.