Amby-kun: Okies, I know I should be updating my other stories, and I slowly am, please check my profile for reasons of why and how far the next chapters are going.

Disclaimer: I in no manner, shape, or form own Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi or any of its related works or characters, I only own this idea of mine.

"Papa, I'm scared..."

Hiyori cried clinging to her father's sleeve as deep blue water swirled past them while they sat trapped in the clear plexiglass box like tank. Kirashima Zen, hiyori's father pulled her closer in an attempt to comfort her while he himself was just as, if not more frightened. His fright wasn't because he knew they were more then likely going to die, but for his lover as well. Yokozawa Takafumi, his lover of several years now had just up and gone missing a few days ago without a trace. Kirashima knew their chances of survival were dwindling into the single digits now, but he wanted to give Hiyori a fighting chance to live even if it meant he wasn't there beside her. Glancing up at the top, he judged that the cage they were in wasn't too far down in the ocean seeing as he could still see the rippling effect the sunlight had on the water, with that thought in mind he started to form a plan of escape.

"Hiyori-"

Kirashima whispered gaining the child's attention

"I need you to do something for me, think you can do that?" Giving a teary nod to her father, Kirashima went on.

"When I break this wall, salt water will come rushing in, but I need you to get out of here and swim up towards the surface, once there try to find land. Right when they were lowering the box I saw some seagulls so land isn't that far from here." he finished letting the weight of the word he just spoke sink into her small but bright mind.

"Papa! I won't leave you here!" Hiyori shouted in a sudden burst of passion, that reminded Kirashima greatly of his Yokozawa. Smiling softly at his fierce but frightened daughter, he ruffled her brown hair before replying

"I will be right behind you." Still acting fierce but now pouting slightly like she was trying to see through the gentle smile to see if it was a lie or not she asked "Promise?" softly chuckling he answered "I promise."

With that promise Hiyori threw herself even more at his side squeezing for all her worth in a bear hug, which Kirashima responded with a just a tight one.

It was now a waiting game, not far from their cage was a creature that Kirashima had been taught didn't exist outside manga and fairy tales, a merman holding a sharp looking spear was standing/swimming/floating, something right there, Kirashima had nearly fainted from shock at such a creature. Something had its attention as it swam back and forth in agitation while glancing constantly off into the deep blue water. Soon an awkward moving shape made its way out of the blue depths towards them, that shape Kirashima and Hiyori recognized as their neighbor and the man that kept trying to get Hiyori's Onii-chan to leave her papa, Iokawa-san. This Iokawa -san was different, instead of legs he now sported a green to yellow fish tail with a black band wrapping around the middle of the tail. When stood up side by side with the other merman Iokawa-san looked like a new born calf standing on its legs for the fist time if the way he was awkwardly flipped the tail about trying to keep himself upright, as the other just watched with a bored expression as he idly flicked his tail like he was born with it. Kirashima's suspicions were confirmed only seconds later,

"Oi, Fujiwara-san, how do you do this? You make it look so easy!" he asked still trying to keep himself upright by awkwardly flipping his tail about almost comically. Giving the other a bored but amused glance Fujiwara answered with a tone that stated that the information should have been obvious.

"I was born this way, you on the other fin were not." with another idle flick of his tail Fujiwara switched his attention back to the open water.

Hiyori tried to skirt closer into her father's side as the comically looking Iokawa-san swam up to the clear cage bracing himself on the wall leering at Kirashima. "You know Kirashima, now you dont stand a chance in hell with Yokozawa." a disturbing grin spread across his face as Kirashima's grew dark with barely restrained fury.

"Iokawa, you son-of-a- bi-" Kirashima's curse was cut short as a glowing silver arrow flew past nicking Iokawa on the chest in the process.

"Does that answer not satisfy you Iokawa-san?" a familiar voice called out, full of authority. All four heads whipped around focusing on where that voice came from. Fujiwara's expression became one of fear and shock, Iokawa's fear and lust, and the Kirashima's faces were shock and disbelief. There, floating while idly flipping his tail about as if he was born with it was Yokozawa Takafumi.

Kirashima observed this Yokozawa, bare chested, with a navy blue fish tail and gold bands on his upper arms and wrists with a quiver of arrows slung across his back , a golden choker hanging around his neck. Ignoring the three near the cage Yokozawa calmly drew another arrow aiming it at the other mer's chest, with the arrow fully drawn the shaft began to glow, seeing this the mer known as Fujiwara started to swim away as fast as his fins could carry him. It wasn't enough, the arrow once loose slammed straight into his neck killing him instantly.

Giving a soft sigh Yokozawa, looked back over to where is lover was being held, his features grew dark as he spotted Iokawa still there leering at him like a dog in heat. Slinging his bow across his chest she made his way over coming to a stop a couple of feet away from the black banded merman.

"Hiyo-chan! Zen!" he cried with relief seeing them unharmed. Turning his attention back to the other merman, he started "Iokawa-san I have told you once, twice, even thrice that I will never leave Kirashima and Hiyori for you, and now look at what you have done! Dabbling in black magic to try and imitate us, see that black band? That black band is a time limit, once its up you die."

Apparently this was going in one ear and out the other as Iokawa started for Yokozawa, seeing this said merman did a back flip using his powerful tail to deliver a powerful kick to the others chest pushing him away. Righting himself Yokozawa came up to the plexiglass a panicked expression on his face. "Are you two alright?"

Kirashima couldn't stop staring at the navy tail idly flipping back and forth to adjust his balance. "Why..." Immediately Yokozawa knew what he meant as his facial expression melted into a look a pain

"Zen, I-" he was cut off by Hiyori's frightened scream

"Onii-chan look out!"