Ocean Song
People whom reviews/reads The Winds of Change, this is for you.
I apologized for making Mikagami a love-sick-guy.
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Waiting…he was always waiting… He blow out a stream of bubbles, fluttering his hair with a careless movement. He sighed. Long hair was such a chore. If only his sister… He sighed again. Lifting his hands he twisted and prodded his hair into an intricate plait that was more than three feet long. He dove under the corals in a flurry as he heard someone coming.
"Michy?" A young girl called, flickering her tail erratically, clearly in distress.
"Yes? Your royal highness?" he peered out of the corals, unhappy to be found.
"Oh bosh, Michy! You are my cousin that makes you royalty too! My father says you really have to restrict your trips to the Above. You could be jeopardizing our existence…" Yanagi admonished, shaking her finger at him in mock anger.
"Hn." Mikagami turned to pick up a smooth shell. "I will do as I wish." And turn to swim upwards.
"Michy!"
He ignored it. The above had always fascinated him. His sister death had not embittered him, only served to make him more cautious. He was still drawn to the magical world. Mikagami broke through the water almost violently, sending up an arc of shimmering seawater. He gasped. The Above had never cease to be fascinating, no matter how matter times he view it. He sighed as the sounds and sights that were so muffled under water came into detail. It was beautiful. The golden orange glow of the setting sun gilding the waves edges gold. The sea gulls raising up and down in the sky in unison, the white contrasting with the orange, a glorious feast for the eyes. To his right was a school of dolphins, frolicking in the warm sea waters and to his left was a magnificent ship, the sails fluttering in the rising wind, the ship anchored for the night.
Mikagami swam closer; entranced by the homey bustling sounds on board the ship. Then she caught his eyes. Perched on the railing, her hair tousled and tangled in the wind. She was wearing a white frock that contrasted with her golden complexion. Her hair was a fusion of colours, a myriad of amber, honey, chocolate and many other shades of browns. And her eyes… It's like looking into the heart of the sea. Pure undiluted shimmering green. Gorgeous… he drank her in, trying to imprint her look deep into his memory. He swam even closer, bewitched. But then it happened. He dived down.
"... what was that?"
"... swimming away, silvery gray…"
"...must be a mermaid..."
"... that long hair…"
"...bad luck, I tell you it is bad luck…"
"...merfolk before a shipwreck, that's what they always says..."
Mikagami swam down in large spirals, as quickly as he could, the image deep in his mind.
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"Where the hell were you!?" roared Recca, Yanagi's betrothed, his tail, twitching in agitation.
"Hn."
"...she was worried sick!" ,he yelled shaking his hand.
"Hn."
"...what were you thinking!" Recca made a strangling motion with his hands.
"Hmpn."
"...forbidden to go above!" Recca ended with a flourish.
"Hn...huh...WHAT?"
"You are restricted from going above…"
Shooting a venomous glare at Recca, Mikagami propelled himself forward and out of sight. Never go up again? How could he? He –had- to see her again...
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Faster
Higher
Soon
Faster
Closer
See her again
To see her again.
Mikagami swam towards the light eagerly, anticipation lighting his face.
Quick
Faster
Near
Faster
Coming
He broke through the water, panting slighting with his exertion. She there... Oh no... Lightning laced the sky in dizzying brilliance, the thunder roared it fury while the waves rise and fell choppily. It would have been beautiful, in a macabre way of course. His stomach rolled as he watch the sea tossed the ship like an unwanted toy. And right before his eyes, the sea gave a mighty heave that torn the ship right down the starboard and deck, dismantling the ship plank by plank. The people screamed. And the ship just joined right in their cacophony of howling wails. They cried, and the skies wept with them, in a torrent of tears.
"No…" Mikagami whispered bobbing up and down with the waves, horrified by the massive scale-destruction. In his eyes, it looked so wrong. He wanted to see her. Where is she? He suddenly realised and started to franticly search among the broken debris of the ship. He dived low. Is that her? No it's not. Where is she? She will die here. Mikagami gave a small keening cry. No. One more time. Brown. Mikagami was there in a instant, gathering her into his arms. Then he took off for the shore, cuddling the precious cargo near to his heart.
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The morning came, burning red. The sun rose, glowing out of the crimson waters. He kissed the girl's forehead and eyes, wishing that she will wake, wishing that she will not died in his arms, just like his sister did. Placing her on the sands, he hide himself in the sea foam to observe if anybody came by before it's to late. He waited and waited. Even when the sun burnt his delicate skin. Even when low tide came. For he will not go, till someone comes.
Soon a young man came along and carried her away. Mikagami dived under sea, regret and sorrow cloudy his eyes and lacing his heart.
Just awhile longer.
She does not even know you exist.
It does not matter.
It's ridiculous.
I know.
You love her then.
Yes.
It's stupid.
I'm stupid.
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"He's moping away." Recca muttered, polishing his metal armbands, trying his hardest not to look concerned.
"He's always moping, it only got worse." Koganei, the young boy with a unique trident and golden scales flipped his tails, turning to peer at their object of interest.
"It's must be a girl." Yanagi sighed clasping her hands together. "How romantic..."
" Yueck! He probably has cooties!" Koganei made a face and swam off.
He had always been silent and thoughtful and now he grew more so. Again and again he swam to the surface. 'To see her again, just one more time.' His heart cried. But it's not enough, his mind whispered, it never will.
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She's a princess! Princess Kirisawa Fuuko of Cracehan. Mikagami swam around in circles. Now that he had found out where she lived, he came up to look at her every day and night. He swam close to the shore recklessly and even went up the canal just to gaze at her. It's strange but he could swear the girl carried the winds around her, Her hair was always tousled, the leaves was never still when she walked by. All that brilliant energy just brimming and spilling out of her. How enticing. He remembered. He remembered how closely her head rested on her chest and how lovingly he had touch her skin. But she knew nothing about it, of course- she didn't even dreamed he exist. And it makes his heart bleeds.
'I will give my life to be with her', he whispered to himself. But that was not to be. He remembers what his sister had once told him, "We are not like humans, Mi-chan, we do not have an immortal soul. Only when a human love you so much that you are dearer to her then her father or mother that she lets the priest put her hand into your hand and promised to be faithful and true to you forever then only will her soul flow into yours. You will then be filled with love and happiness. She would love you so that she give you a soul and keep her own."
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"Drink this and you will have legs. But it'll hurt – it'll be like a sharp sword going thru you. everyone who sees you will say you are the loveliest, the most graceful creature they have ever seen, But every step you take will feel as if you were treading on a sharp knife, enough to make your feet bleed. And once you've turn into a human, you can never revert back. Furthermore, if you can't win her love, the first morning after she marries someone else, your heart will break and you become foam on the water. Are you ready to bear all that?" Domon the sea wizard growled from among his grotto of rocks, his voice almost undecipherable.
'I'm ready." Mikagami replied. For her. All for her. My heart was hers, every since the day I saw her.
"Don't think you will get my help for nothing," the wizard cackled, careless tossing a rock from hand to hand, "I want your lovely voice."
"Give me the drink first." Mikagami agreed, his face paled but determine to go through with it. Domon passed him the potion.
"Now for your side of your bargain," Domon turned and with one swift stroke cut out Mikagami's tongue [1]. "Now go."
With blood streaming down his mouth, Mikagami swam to the palace unerringly, determined. For her, all for her. There he uncorked the phial and down the potion. First he bore the pain bravely but so it was too much. Pain. He gave a silence howl and twisted an writhed in the shallow water [2]. Pain. For her. All for her. He wept tears and cried her name, all silently. Hurts. For her, all for her. And mercifully the darkness claimed him for the rest of the transformation.
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"Are you alright?"
It's her! It's her! It' her!
Mikagami opened his mouth but nothing came out. Fuuko blushed and averted her head. It's was then that he realised that his fins and tail had vanished to be replaced be a pair of slightly muscular but pale legs. Luckily his long hair left him with some decency and he did not hesitate to put on the overcoat the Princess had push at him.
Fuuko... She helped him up and led him into the palace. All the way she exclaimed his grace and his lightness of step. But every step he took scored his feet as though he trod on freshly sharpened knives.
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Day by day, Mikagami became dearer and dearer to the princess, but she never made a sign that she wanted him as her consort. She kissed his forehead and call him 'Little Prince' but never spoke of love. And so everyday Mikagami heart broke bit by bit.
Little did she know that Mikagami saved her life and carried her back to land that he would give his life up for her and the fact that he's a prince too, in his world. But she was ignorance to all that, and treated him like a playmate and nothing more. He smiled as he cried. For her, all for her.
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But it was never to last. How could it, when he was living on borrowed time? Princess Fuuko was sent to the neighbouring country for she had caught their prince eyes, and would serve as the perfect barter for trade and peace between the two countries. Before she left, she spoked to him.
"I have to go, to please my parents. But I will not marry him. Who knows he could be a ugly toad! I would rather marry you." With that she left, but he cheered for he thought his love was finally returned.
The princess's ship sailed into the harbour of the neighbouring country capital. The prince Raiha was waiting for her. Perhaps it was natural, perhaps it was the cruel fates but she was attracted to him, and perhaps also because Prince Raiha could talk to her and communicate beyond a look.
"Did you see how handsome he is? Now intelligent? His charms? Ah... And his voice, so smooth and sweet. I think I might love him!" the princess gushed, twirling in a circle. And in her happiness, Mikagmi's stricken expression was easily overlooked.
'You will be happy for me, wouldn't you? I know my happiness will give you pleasure, because you love me." She added teasingly, unaware how close she strikes to the truth. And as she pulled away to twirl and sighed once more, she yet again miss his heartbroken visage as he felt that he might die from the pain and hollowness in his heart.
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As the priest joined the young couple's hands together as man and wife, while he held the rings as the best man he was crying, all the way deep down in his heart, crying silently. As they board the ship that would take them across the sea, he cursed the fates. And as they toasted each other and kissed, he smiled sadly and called himself stupid, still crying, still crying on the inside.
And Mikagami laughed and danced with the rest, knowing all the while that tonight will be his last but not wishing to spoil it for his love. He found himself staring at her all night, almost as though he could burn the image of her into his mind and bring it with him as he turn to foam.
He went to the railings, looking eastward, waiting for the sun, when suddenly he saw Recca, Yanagi, Koganei and even Domon rising out of the waters.
"We have a knife," they cried in unison, throwing the jewelled dagger to him, "You must stab it deep into Kirisawa Fuuko's heart and her warm blood would turn you back to the merfolk you were once more. Kill her an return to us!" They dived back to the depths of the sea, what they could do was done.
Clutching the dagger, he went into the room Raiha and Fuuko shared. They were sleeping peacefully with their arms around it other. Mikagami bent to press a kiss to Fuuko's mouth, tears streaming unchecked down his cheeks.
"Raiha..." She whispered, a smile on her face.
His heart shattered into a million pieces.
How could he? How could he do it? How could he watch the light fade from her eyes? He loved her so much, so deep. He dashed from the room to room and ran to the railings. How could he? Forever. He will love her forever. Till the end of time. How can he watch the blood flow from her? How can he stop her heart when his heart beat for her? Forever. Love you forever. Sayonara, the final good bye [3]. 'Forever, forever, I will love you forever.' He whispered. He flung the dagger far out into the sea. And as the brilliant orange sun started to peek from the edge of the blue, blue sea, he threw himself after it. 'Forever, forever, I will love you forever.' For her, all for her.
Owari
[1]It is possible to live without a tongue.
[2]Theoretically speaking, if a menfolk do exist, they should have a extended spine (for their tail). So if a merfolk changes into a human, the spine and flesh will have to split… hence the tremendous pain.
[3]I read it somewhere that sayonara means the final goodbye, instead of just goodbye. Please tell me if I'm wrong.
Notes: By the way that is the really ending of Little Mermaid, don't believe the crap Disney feed you. I know, I know I have to stop killing people in my fics. Please review! I will be grateful and write faster for The Winds of Change.