Disclaimers: I don't own any ounce of the Kingdom Hearts series or franchise… except my Keyblade replica, but that doesn't count D:
A/N: I don't know why I'm doing this ._. I think I have serious problems xD Oh well…
This is loosely based on Disney's The Little Mermaid… well… the idea was spurred by the movie. It's not a direct parody, I plan to make the plot unique and I hope you all enjoy reading!
~Roxy~
Chapter 1:Humans are Dangerous
The spray of the sea, the strong scent of salt in the gentle wind, the hearty laughter of crew mates, the call of the sea—how could anyone find themselves solemn or brooding in the clear blue of the open ocean? Unfortunately, one man found himself looking out at the endless sapphire of the rolling waves, his harlequin eyes fell shut.
"AXEL!"
The redhead's eyes snapped open and he whipped around at the exuberant voice calling his attention. He turned back to the ocean.
"Hi, Demyx." He mumbled, not wanting to deal with the hyperactive blonde.
"What's eatin' ya?" Demyx asked clapping his friend's back. Axel ran his fingers through his outrageous red hair and sighed.
"I don't know, Dem. I just—there's gotta be someone out there for me, but with my luck they're already at the bottom of the fucking ocean by now!"
~o~O~o~
CHOMP
"SWEET FISH JESUS!"
Black fins narrowly escaped the razor sharp teeth of an enraged great white shark.
"AH! N-n-nice sharkie… g-good sharki—AH!" the shark took another snap at the subject of his fury who barely avoided the second attack. A thrown rock distracted the predator just long enough for the frightened mer-teen to make his escape through a broken window in the side of the ship he had been cornered into. Once free, he looked around, securing a satchel around his front. He began swimming for one of the two exits from the underwater cavern, when a shout came from behind him.
"Roxas!"
He flinched and turned around to face a very angry azurette with her arms crossed over her chest. Her shining cobalt tail whipped back and forth every now and then, slightly displacing the crossed cerise colored belts that hung loosely around her hips with each flick of her fins. Similar belts met across her black cloth-clad chest, held together by a silver heart-shaped broach.
"Hi, Aqua." Roxas mumbled sheepishly, raising his hand to wave at his guardian. Attention was drawn away from the contrite teenager when the loud snapping of splintering wood signaled the forgotten shark's escape attempt. Aqua glared at the decaying ship-shaped mass of wood.
"Be still!" She commanded. The noise stopped and Aqua turned back to Roxas who had begun sneaking away. "I'm not done with you." She snapped causing the blonde to flinch again. "You're lucky I came when I did. What if that shark got you? You know I don't like you coming to old shipwrecks—what's that?" she stopped, pointing to the gray satchel slung around Roxas' torso.
"Um…" he trailed off, clutching the strap. Aqua swam over and put out her hand.
"Give it here."
Roxas sighed, lifting the strap over his head and hesitantly holding it in front of him. Aqua grabbed the bag and rifled through it.
"I would have been fine." The blonde reassured as the woman across from him pulled a single item from the bag. The thin silver utensil was dulled from wear and age and one of the four prongs jutting from the handle had snapped in half. Aqua groaned and set her head in her free hand.
"Roxas, how many times must we go through this? This interest you have in the human world is unnatural. I thought I told you that you were forbidden from scavenging things like this." She made her point by lifting the broken fork a bit higher.
"Aqua, I know they're dangerous, but I feel somewhat drawn to their cultu—"
"Stop." Aqua dropped the artifact, letting it sink to the ocean floor. "Every time you do this, you get yourself into more and more trouble! I've told you countless times not to get yourself so infatuated with the surface, but you just won't listen! Ever since you were a little guppy I've raised you because your parents weren't here to do it. I don't want to see you die because of some moronic obsession with trinkets you find lying around on unstable shipwrecks." She handed the satchel back to Roxas and turned. "Can we please just go home and stay there?" Aqua pleaded, starting to swim the way she came. Roxas hung his head and swam after her, glancing dejectedly back at where the fork lay in the sand.
~o~O~o~
When he was safe in his room, Roxas was greeted by a very young mako shark who nudged his hip playfully. He stroked his pet's head and crooned half-heartedly, "Hey, Ven." The blonde made his way to the solid fixture that acted as his bed and slumped down on it, ebony tail hanging unceremoniously off the edge. He brought his hand up to toy with the silver pendant that was strung around his neck. "Mom, dad, what ever happened to you?" he murmured to himself.
The topic of Roxas' parents came up every now and again and every time it did, Aqua gave him the same answer; something along the lines of 'they mysteriously vanished one night, leaving only their son and a metal four-pointed star in their wake'.
"'Mysteriously vanished' my left fin." Roxas grumbled, furrowing his eyebrows and dropping his arm to his side. "I think I need a nap." He sighed, fully lying down. Just as the blonde was on the brink of peaceful sleep, something hit and stuck to his hair, the spines of whatever was now there poked uncomfortably into the back of his head. He bolted up and looked to the archway that led into his room. The faded blue privacy veil was drawn back and three mermaids occupied the opening. In the center floated a redhead with wide surprised blue eyes and one of her pale arms cradled a plethora of black spike-balls and her free arm was drawn back behind her head, clutching a single urchin as if she were going to throw it.
Roxas reached up and pried the painful creature from his hair.
"Kairi! Did you just throw a sea urchin at me?" he questioned, a bit shocked, before throwing the urchin back at the group of girls. "And do you have any respect for privacy? The drape was drawn!"
"Um…" Kairi looked to the side guiltily and set her eyes on the timid blonde next to her. She shoved the jumble of sea urchins at the shy girl. "Naminé! How could you throw a sea urchin at Roxas' head when he was so obviously sleeping?"
Naminé looked down at the prickly bundle she now held and then at Kairi who was grinning.
"U-uh… but—I." She stuttered, holding the urchins out to Kairi, hoping she would take them back. When no such thing happened Naminé just held them back up against her stomach.
"So, why are you interrupting my nap, anyway?" Roxas asked, sliding off his bed and crossing his arms.
Kairi swam forward into the small space and held her arms behind her back.
"Well… Naminé, Olette, and I were wondering if you would do something with us tonight."
"Kairi, you know we're way too young to go breaching." Roxas scolded. Kairi rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"That's not—" the redhead began but was violently shoved aside by the brunette who'd been quiet until this point.
"That's not what we're talking about, Roxas! I can't believe you'd think we—upstanding maidens—would stoop to drugs!"
"Then what are you talking about, Olette?" Roxas groaned in exasperation. To this, Olette leaned in close to Roxas' face and raised her hand to her cheek, whispering.
"Tonight we're going to…" She glanced over her shoulder and then turned back to the confused blonde. "…the surface."
Roxas' sapphire eyes widened and he looked to Kairi at his side who nodded excitedly, smiling wide. He looked past Olette's head at Naminé who still held the sea urchins.
"They're joking, right?" He choked out. Naminé shook her head gently.
"I-I tried to talk them out of it but they… wouldn't listen." Her voice trailed off and she lowered her head.
The other two mermaids turned around and each hooked their arms through one of Naminé's, pulling her through the archway. As they were swimming out, Kairi turned her head to give some last minute information.
"We'll come pick you up at sundown. If anyone asks we're dragging you shopping against your will!" and with that, the redhead tugged the blue veil closed.
Roxas let out a sigh and ran his hand through his blonde spikes.
"This is a bad idea."
~o~O~o~
"So, the girls are taking you shopping tonight? That's nice. I'm glad you're going out with friends for once."
Aqua was met with silence. She had gotten the information from Kairi before she, Olette, and Naminé left and was now outside Roxas' room, talking to him through the veil that was pulled closed.
"Roxas, I'm sorry I had to be harsh with you earlier, but you have to understand that I worry for you." She reasoned. "Roxas? Are you even listening to me?" she pulled the curtain a bit and poked her head in. The teenager was sitting on his bed, staring fixedly at a small ovular wooden frame that he clutched in his hands. "What's that you're holding, dear?" Aqua asked, slightly panicked. When Roxas didn't answer, the azurette opened the veil more and swam forward into the room. "Roxas, what is that?" she pressed, anxiety rising quickly. "Roxas!" she nabbed the photo from his hands and did her best to maintain her composure when her worst fear was confirmed.
"Who is that?" Roxas asked looking up at Aqua. The latter nearly lost it, trying her best to keep her voice down.
"Where did you get this?" she asked with a shaky voice. Roxas asked his question again causing his guardian to bark, "That doesn't matter! Where did you get this?!"
Roxas pushed himself off his bed and turned to Aqua. "From your room! Why are you hidi—"
"What were you doing in my room?" Aqua set the picture down where Roxas had been sitting.
"I was looking for Ven!" at this point, both Aqua and Roxas were shouting. "What else have you been hiding from me? What do you think you're protecting me from?!" the young blonde screamed. Aqua opened her mouth to say something in return but was interrupted by a call from the entrance of the house.
"Hey Roxas! Time to go shopping!"
Without speaking to the azurette in front of him, Roxas snatched his satchel from his bed and rushed to the three girls waiting outside. When he didn't stop, Kairi, Naminé, and Olette swam after him, Olette being the first to catch up.
"Hey, what's got your fins in a twist?" the brunette asked pulling on Roxas' arm forcing him to stop.
"Can we just not talk about it?"
"Sure… sorry I asked."
~o~O~o~
"Kairi?"
"Hm?"
"Did you plan this?"
"Of course I did, Roxas! The surface is no fun if there's nothing going on!"
The four teenagers had breached the surface and were staring up at a massive, intricate, brightly lit ship sluggishly cutting through the calm waves.
"Alright, guys, see those two port holes?" Kairi pointed to the two rectangular holes in the side of the ship that served as windows onto the deck. "There's a ledge on each one that's long enough for two of us to sit on each. And those rungs up the side of the ship—those are what we're using to get up there." The other three looked up at the ship and then back at Kairi. Olette smiled, understanding the game-plan, but Roxas and Naminé both looked at the redhead in horror.
"Kairi, are you deliberately trying to kill us?" Roxas gaped, motioning toward the massive ship. "That would be way too close!"
Kairi nodded and grinned. "I thought you'd say that. Yes, it seems close, but they can't see us. They're too busy getting drunk anyway."
Roxas sighed in resignation. "Alright."
Naminé stared at him in shock. "R-Roxas! Don't give in so easily."
"I just think lightening up could be good for me." He confessed.
"Then I see absolutely no reason why not!" Kairi sang, yanking Roxas' arm and swimming forward. "I'll go with Roxas. Olette, you go with Naminé."
The group split; Naminé timidly swimming after Olette and Roxas swimming alongside Kairi.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you've done this before, Kairi." Roxas stated raising an eyebrow at his bubbly friend.
"I have." She said taking ahold of the bronze rung above her head.
"WHAT? You never told me about this!" Roxas shouted after the redhead now up a few rungs. Kairi looked over her shoulder down at the livid blonde. She rolled her eyes and chuckled, "Save your breath, Roxas; you're gonna need it. This takes a lot of upper body strength."
Roxas huffed and gripped the metal rod just as Kairi had a moment earlier.
Kairi was right; it did take a lot of arm and upper body strength. Roxas had almost slipped just as he neared the ledge they were going to be sitting on.
When the now exhausted blonde reached the wooden fixture jutting from the porthole, Kairi scooted over and lightly patted the vacant spot next to her. Roxas gladly flopped down and situated himself more comfortably. He peered cautiously at the deck through the rather large hole in the side of the ship.
"Um… Kairi?" Roxas whispered, his eyes fixed on the group of crew members by the porthole.
"Hm?" the redhead responded just as quietly, her face lit by the warm glow of lanterns on board the ship.
"Do you just come here to watch a bunch of big sweaty human guys get drunk and make fools out of themselves?" he asked, blond eyebrows knit together and lips downturned in disgust.
"What? No! I've found this pattern," Kairi started, looking from Roxas to the deck and then gesturing at the mess of staggering men, "the more gross hairy sweaty people there are on a ship, the more likely it is that there's someone really good looking among them. It's a ratio I've invented." She clapped excitedly and her blue eyes glowed with pride.
"That is absolute bull-shark shi—"
"Shh!" Kairi brought a finger to her lips to demonstrate silence.
"Did you just shush me?" Roxas hissed softly.
"shhhhhhhhuuuussshhhh! Look!"
Roxas followed his friend's finger that was now subtly pointing at the deck. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.
"What?" he asked dumbly. Kairi sighed and pulled Roxas' head over and turned it in the direction of the object of interest. His cobalt eyes widened as he scanned the fiery redhead he was originally forced to look at.
"Well, what did I tell ya'? He's a hell of a hottie!" Kairi squealed happily, pulling her hands back to clap again. As soon as she removed her small hands, Roxas whipped around and shot a glare at the still chipper mermaid.
"Kairi," he snapped, "what makes you think I care about which humans you think are attractive?" At his question, the redhead next to him crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. In the soft light from the deck, she could clearly see the rosy hue that Roxas' cheeks had taken on.
"Oh, please, Roxas. Even a cavefish* could see that you swim in the other pond." She teased, poking Roxas' shoulder.
"You leave my sexuality out of this! The situation is completely different! That's a human, have you forgotten that?"
Kairi pouted sadly and let her arms drop to her sides. "I just want you to be happy." She murmured causing the blonde to sigh.
"Kairi, I'm sorry, but," he paused and glanced back at the—admittedly very attractive—human Kairi had pointed out earlier and then continued, "this isn't going to help me… at all." The look he wore was one of deep disappointment and genuine misery. Kairi gasped.
"Is that love I sense in your words?" she cooed, sky blue eyes bright again. "Ah love at first sight, how romantic!" she swooned, fanning herself.
Roxas' mouth fell open.
"Wha-? No! It's just a little crush—" Roxas stuttered in defense.
"HAH! You admit it!" Kairi screamed triumphantly while Roxas mentally slapped himself for falling into her trap to confess.
From the other end of that side of the ship came Olette's voice, "KAIRI! KEEP YOUR VOICE DOWN OR THEY'LL HEAR US!"
"HUH? SORRY, THE MUSIC'S TOO LOUD!"
"I SAID; SHUT YOUR KRILL-HOLE!"
"OH! SORRY!" then the loud conversation ended and Roxas stared at Kairi dumbfounded, mouth agape. He took a breath to speak when the music stopped and a single voice rose on board the ship.
"Did you guys hear something?"
Roxas watched in terror as the crowd of men dispersed and some began walking to the porthole he was looking through. He looked over to Kairi who was currently making wild hand gestures at Olette. The redhead took hold of Roxas' wrist and tugged on it.
"ABANDON SHIP!" she yelled before yanking Roxas with her off the ledge and back into the water.
Once all four were safely a couple feet under water, Kairi and Olette burst out laughing, Roxas was still in shock, and Naminé was shaken and still scared out of her mind.
"Oh my gosh that was close!" Kairi howled, holding her stomach.
"I know! We'd be in sooo much trouble if they saw us!" Olette wheezed her voice hoarse from her fit of laughter. Kairi swam back up barely poking her head out of the water; just enough to confirm that the music had started again and the ship's crew had completely forgotten the whole incident. Dipping her head back in the water, the redhead motioned for the other three to surface again. Olette did without hesitation, Roxas with minimal, and Naminé took a good minute to finally inch her way up out of the water.
"I don't want you guys to miss the best part." Kairi chirped enthusiastically. "Oh! Look!" she pointed up at the sky just before bright blue pierced the dark night sky. The explosion of color lasted for only a moment before the lights fizzled out and fell, leaving only a smoky shadow behind. Not long after the first firework burst did another one shoot up and illuminate the clear sky. Kairi watched the light show in delight, the other three in pure awe. Unfortunately, the cheerful mood of the night only lasted a moment. The waves began to rumble and churn unnervingly and the wind bayed.
BOOM
The four teenagers looked up at the source of the thundering blare and gawked in alarm as the ship was quickly eaten by roaring flames and crew members frantically hopping into lifeboats and jumping ship. Roxas swam around the bow of the ship to the starboard side, not realizing the shadowy figures hugging the wood of the bow or the glowing amber eyes that silently followed him. He stopped abruptly at the sight of no less than ten men huddled uncomfortably in a wooden lifeboat all yelling up at a single person still on the flaming ship.
"C'mon, Axel! Just jump! I'll catch you!" one of the men stood in the boat and held his hands up.
"Demyx, even if that was reassuring there's still the possibility I could fall into the water and I CAN'T SWIM!"
"Fine then, we're leaving without you, sorry Ax!" the standing crewmate disappeared among the heads of the others sitting down.
"DEMYX, YOU SON OF A—" before the abandoned redhead could finish his sentence, the fire reached the kegs of gunpowder on the ship deck. In a cloud of black smoke and blazing heat the once glorious ship was completely obliterated. Roxas squinted, trying to locate the stranger who'd been left behind. His search ended abruptly when the loud crash of something hitting the water caught his ear and bright red showed up in his peripheral. He jerked his head around just as the figure disappeared below the surface. Roxas ducked under water and immediately spotted the unconscious human sinking further into the abyss. In one swift motion he swam down and around the redhead pulling the stranger's arm around his shoulder and grabbing hold of his waist. Roxas instantly brought the human to the surface again. The man gasped and coughed and in a panic he flailed, pushing his savior under the waves. His hands groped and clawed at the blonde, so he clenched his own hands around the redhead's wrists and yanked him forward, resituating their position. Then Roxas dragged the human forward—on his way to shore.
~o~O~o~
The sun had just begun to creep up the horizon when the pair made it to shore. The newly risen star left streaks of golden light across the still cool white sand, bathing the lone figures that lay motionless at the edge of the calm waves in the warm glow of dawn. Roxas brought a hand up to gently brush away stray damp strands of red from the pale face of the man he'd rescued.
"Kairi was right, you really are very easy on the eyes." He sighed. Bright green eyes slowly blinked open, staring wearily up into startled sapphire ones. Roxas went red in the face and scrambled off the redhead. "H-He's awake!" he gasped in a hushed voice before swiftly retreating back under the waves and out of sight.
*Cavefish: more commonly called the blindfish. Obviously, a fish that cannot see.
A/N: good GOD it's finally over! This chapter took me SOOO LONG! Don't count on them all being upwards 3,300 words long, I just couldn't find a really good place to cut off. Yes, Roxas is a freaking MERM…an….aid…. bah! (that's right folks, it's that kind of fanfiction) there might be a lot I need to explain but it's 1 am and I'm sleepy.
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And remember, kiddies; Flames are for Axels, not for Authors! :D
~Roxy~