Ursula
Everyone has a story. Mine just wasn't told. And a more tragic tail could never be found, than that of Nagami's Woe.
"Nagami? Nag-ami!"
Her sister's singsong voice rang out through the coral caves, making the water shiver delicately on Nagami's arm. Nagami rolled her eyes, and clutched the loose-woven bag of weed to her chest.
"I guess Sandra will be wanting help with her toilette, huh, my friend?" The sea cucumber glowed faintly red, but didn't reply. It never did. Nagami tried to smooth her hair behind her head, but it simply continued to explode around her head in a mass of white. She stifled a giggle, and swam into the outer cave. Sandra immediately spotted her.
"Nagami, I need you to help me with this head-dress!" Frustrated, she pulled and tugged at the bright mass that she was trying desperately to mount atop her small head.
"Then you need more patience, little sister," Nagami teased, not moving to help the hapless mermaid. Sandra scowled. She hated it when her sibling called her that. Sighing, she pouted a little, turning big eyes on the elder mer.
"Please?" The tone was so achingly pathetic that Nagami's careful avoidance of her sister's gaze was dropped, and she groaned, feeling her resistance crumbling…
"Al- alright," she said gruffly, amidst Sandra's triumphant whoops, "but it's only tonight, mind!" Sighing, Nagami moved to her sister's side, and twitched the gaudy head-dress from the slim mermaid's grasp, casting it aside. The slender mermaid caught several pearl-like bubbles between her fingers and blew on them, watching them grow icy and yet remain clear. Gently, Nagami wove them into her sister's long, flowing locks, where they settled like transparent pearls, catching the dim light like the ocean-gems the rich could afford.
Sandra's eyes sparkled as a reluctant grin tugged at Nagami's mouth. She knew that, however forbidden her sister's powers were, they incited the warmest glow on her pale cheeks that seemed reflected everywhere.
"What have you got in your magic bag?" she teased, tugging at the loose weave with eager fingers. Nagami laughed, and extracted a coral comb from its depths.
"The sea-weavers have spent many days on this, Sandra," she said. "They made it especially for tonight." Sandra's wide-eyed wonder was gratitude enough. Nagami caught her sister's hair, white as the foam on the surface, and twisted it into a knot, sliding the precious pale pink ornament into its thick tresses where it rested amongst the bubbles of water.
"There," she said in satisfaction. "Even mother will think it subtle enough. Come, little sister," she commanded softly, "or you'll be late!" Her words made Sandra stop in mid-flick of her crimson tail.
"Aren't you coming?"
"When do I ever attend the royal balls, Sandra?" asked her elder sister pointedly.
"Never," the young mermaid was forced to admit, but her eyes were fierce. "I just thought that you might want to – well, you know – come tonight?" At the drawing of her sister's brows, she hurried on. "Nagami, you would only have to stay for a few hours! It's – it's mother's birthday, and I just know she would love to have you there!"
Nagami's sceptical look showed that she doubted that very much. But years of looking after her adored sister and pandering to her needs took its toll. She relented.
"I suppose – just for a few hours, it might not hurt," she muttered. Sandra's face lit up as though from an internal light.
"You'll come, then?"
Nagami sighed. "Yes. You go on ahead to join mother, and I'll probably be there just as they present this new Princess."
Sandra's pert nose wrinkled. "I hear she's from some outlandish place called Atlantis. Seems a little ridiculous, to be sure. Apparently her entire kingdom was destroyed by the Scourge, and she and a few others were the only survivors." She sniffed. "Smells a little fishy to me, Nagami."
"Enough!" her sister scolded. "Don't be so suspicious of her, Sandra! I'm sure it is as she says." She pushed her firmly towards the palace. "Now, swim along. I'll be there soon."
"Promise?" Sandra's voice floated back from a few merlengths away where she was already heading towards the ball.
"Yes, little sister," Nagami called back, and smirked at the indignant huff Sandra made. Her smile faded as the import of her promise hit her. A Royal ball? Was she insane? What did she, a strange, reject mermaid know of balls?! Nagami streaked towards her home, flew in the window, closed the shutters and, panting, looked at herself in the mirror.
Her reflection was a strange one indeed. Unlike Sandra, her white hair was not a unique characteristic to be proud of. Exploding around her head, it resisted attempts to tame it or style it in a way befitting for any mer of status. And her eyes! Were they black? Were they blue? All the same, whatever colour they were, they were strangely off-putting to any who looked at them for too long.
Her nose was snub, her face was lacking the high cheekbones of their mother, and her pale skin was smothered with freckles! For a creature who shied away from the surface like all of her kind, it was a strange thing indeed to have the shapeless myriad of dots mottling her smooth skin.
But worse still was her tail. A deep, tumultuous purple, it should have been the pride of any vibrant young mer. Except that her skin was so pale she was almost translucent, and her body lacked the curves of other, more attractive young mermaids. It was a shade which disallowed her from fading into the background among crimsons and emeralds, and shades of sapphire blue. There were lilacs and purples, to be sure – all delicate, smouldering shades which hovered close to other colours.
But never the bruised purple that brought out the shadows under the scrawny mermaid's eyes, or swished in angry contrast to her appallingly white skin and hair. Nagami sighed, and opened the rudimentary little closet in the corner. Ooh, what choice, she thought sarcastically, eyeing the scant remnants of a once fabulous collection. She stretched out a slim hand and plucked a pair of pearl-white cups from its depths, and exchanged it for the drab ones she wore daily.
And now, to make-up, she thought, fiercely promising herself that she wouldn't embarrass Sandra. Not this once.
Surely it couldn't hurt, just this once.
I'm aware that it's short. Please review!
Nagame