Iridescent

Fragility

A warm kiss.

A breath of fresh air.

Hand in hand.

How poetic it was to recall such erratic memories while I was hacking on the ground.

I rolled onto my side, gasping for air, pushing my long hair out of my face. My lungs were burning as I shivered and chattered like crazy. Once on my knees I promptly looked side to side with my eyes to see if I had found myself in front of the pearly gates.

No gates….no lava pits either.

Not dead yet then I guess.

I dug my fingers into diamond-white sand of a narrow beach as water lapped at my ankles. Dead ahead of me was an entrance to cave several yards away and it appeared as wide as the mini beach was long. I weakly turned around and was confronted by swarms of ocean life illuminated by the rays of sunlight, but such life wasn't reaching me. I felt I could walk but ten feet, reach out, and touch them, but schools of fish and creatures were turning away last second to go around an invisible wall…like I was the exotic fish in an aquarium. I slowly got up, rubbing my chilly arms, it didn't take long to feel so alone in such a silent cavity.

"Vi~tya!" A far away voice cried from behind me.

I turned around and saw a young man with black hair sprinting towards me, waving his arms, smiling from ear to ear.

Yuri.

My eyes softened at the sight. With a start, I checked my hip to happily find the pouch with my mother's ring was, indeed, still tied to my side.

"Hold up, there Yuri!"

Along beside him was another, a much older man with a good build and long, dirty blonde almost brown hair. He appeared friendly, besides if he was with Yuri I didn't think I had much to worry about.

Yuri came to a halt. "Gomen, sorry, Vitya!" He panted. "I had to get help. I…had to let them know I had returned…and with a Human."

"Y-Yuri…w-what…I-I…w-who…" I ended up shaking my head. It was useless.

As I was relieved to see him, I wanted to ask how he was, I needed to know where we were, and what in the world he and the other man were wearing around their waists and over their shoulders, but was chattering so badly I thought my teeth would break and I couldn't think straight.

"It seems the land walker can't speak," remarked the blonde stranger.

Yuri pushed back my hair. "He can too, he's just cold, Celestino." He took my hands, knitting his brow in concern. "More like ice."

"Humph, must be his element."

Sorry, what?

"No way! That's too fast- Vitya!"

I had taken a couple steps forward only to need Yuri and this Celestino individual catch me in time. My entire body felt like jelly; I could barely hold my head up.

"Celestino!" Yuri cried. "Please, transport us, I don't think Vitya is handing this well."

"Humph, none do-"

I woke up waist high in water. I felt I was tilted back in comfortable chair, neither warm or cold, just content yet groggy and sore.

"Vitya?"

Just using my eyes, I looked up. "Hello…my little…fish…"

He was right next to me with his hand over mine. I had a feeling he hadn't left my side.

Yuri placed a tender hand on the side of my neck and stroked my cheek with my thumb. "You gave me quite a scare, Vitya. You fainted."

I closed my eyes. "It's…a lot to take," I sighed.

"I am positive you will have a loads of questions, but I need you to rest. You're body barely held lasted the trip. I thought I had given you enough air, but I was wrong."

I raised my eyebrows, but kept, otherwise, the same. "I see…we sure traveled fast."

"Yes, well, access is a lot like…uh…well…"

"Like…open sesame…?"

"Er, I'm guessing that's from another fairy tale of yours?"

I weakly nodded. "Password and then, boom, your in."

Yuri gave an airy laugh, pushing back a few strands of my hair. "Yeah…close enough."

"So…tired…" I whimpered. "I honestly can feel my-"

'Splash'

Legs?

Yuri brought a hand over my eyes when I tried to see. "Not yet."

"B-But!"

The splashing reoccurred every time I tried to move my lower half.

"Y-Yuri…what is going on?" I choked out.

Firm lips briefly pressed against my own. "You have to trust me, Vitya. I didn't want you to wig out."

I swallowed hard. "I-I do, Yuri…but I want to see…"

I felt Yuri lean in closer. "No. You don't."

"Then tell me."

There was no use sugar coating. "You're getting your own fins and gills."

I about fainted again but my curiosity was stronger.

"Permanent?" I choked out again.

"Put simply? No." Then Yuri started to ramble nervously faster and faster. "You're in a place that allows this while I remain to watch over your well-being. You need them to survive, Vitya, I-"

"I understand."

Yuri gasped.

There was silence.

Then I felt tears.

"Why are you crying?" I asked lowly.

Yuri pressed his forehead into the side of my neck. "Because…I've been sitting here for hours, desperately hoping you wouldn't hate me for not telling you before you came here."

I pushed forward slightly against his hand. "I should be crying," I insisted. "I have a gazillion questions racing through my head that it physically hurts!"

I felt more tears on my shoulders alongside his growing tremble.

I silently cursed my weak arms in not having the strength to hold him. "Yuri…you needed legs. How can I hate needing a tail?"

Yuri's hand about my eyes loosened but remained.

"I'm in a place only authors can dream about and you're crying?!" I lightly teased. "If I'm going to wig out about anything its going to be that!"

Yuri broke out snickering. "You're unbelievable," he sighed.

"Says the Merman!" I chuckled before getting back to business. "…Can I see now?"

Yuri's removed his hand while adjusting his head on my shoulder.

And there it was, suspending in the water alongside Yuri's tri-colored tail was my own. While predominately a rosy pink, there were countless patches of purples and blues.

"Wow~" I breathed out, taking it all in. "Wait…do I have a fish spine like yours now too? Where are my gills? Where do I practice swimming? Where are my clothes by the way-?"

Yuri pressed a finger on my lip, not bothering to lift his head. "Your belongings are close by…"

Getting the hint, I leaned back. "Questions later. Got it."