*A/N- I really hope that you like this! You asked for Colu and I love me some Colu! There's a little bit of angst-y feels, but also sassy Cubelios and plenty of fluff to make up for that, but when I thought of this idea it was so perfect for them and I couldn't not add a little bit of intrigue!
X x x
Buildings loomed out of the darkness in front of Lucy. She trailed her fingers along the worn stone, leaving trails of light behind her. Luminescent algae sprouted underneath her touch, leaving galaxies of light in her wake. She used this to light her way as she crept deeper into the ruins, tail slicing silently through the water. This was the deepest had ever been, the water dark gray and eerie. She held out her hand and summoned algae in her palm to further illuminate her surroundings.
The buildings were mostly intact, though a little worn by centuries of constantly flowing tides, and they were architectural masterpieces. They combined beauty and function, giving the impression that the people who lived there were graceful. They exhibited an open structure that that suggested a oneness with nature. Now that she was here she could definitely see the Atlantean architectural influences in her own city. Although her city had a more urban and bustling feel to it, and her castle was more imposing and closed than the one that loomed ahead of her, this city oozed grace. She could practically see the beautiful Atlanteans roaming these streets, going about their business and living their lives.
Despite its beauty, the deserted city was eerie in the darkness. Lucy wondered if it would have been better if there'd been some remnant of what happened to the Atlanteans. Perhaps some wreckage, or the skeleton of an enormous monster, centuries passed. Instead this eerie emptiness gave the impression she was being watched from every corner, and if she were to turn around she'd see some strange mer ducking out of sight.
What happened here? She wondered. Despite her glowing hand she could barely see ahead. She took a deep breath and concentrated, then threw her hands out in front of her, summoning two lines of light on either side of the street. She smiled to herself, she'd been practicing that move.
"Much better," she said aloud, swimming through the trails of light. She could get a much better look of her surroundings now. The road took a sharp turn just ahead. The buildings lining the street were short and stout, likely dwellings. This was probably a back street, not a main road. It might have even been a suburb once.
There were legends of how this place had died, stories told to keep children safe in their beds at night. Stories about an evil deity called Ophiuchus, a great sea snake that devoured everyone in the city on his own. There were other, more scientific explanations as well, such as plagues, changes in water temperature or current path, or simply a mass migration. None of these had impacted Lucy the way the Ophiuchus legend had.
Her lights stopped when the road turned, and she threw her arms out again to light her way, then screamed when they revealed something she had not been expecting. A man, and a giant snake.
Her scream had startled him nearly as much as he had startled her. He'd seen the darkness lift slightly around this sector of the city and come to investigate. He hadn't expected to find a girl with glowing skin who seemed to be able to summon light to show up. In fact, when he'd come to Atlantis to look into the Ophiuchus myths he hadn't expected to run into anyone at all. Once he got over the initial shock of meeting a person who actually glowed he began to assess the situation.
The woman appeared to be unarmed, which either meant she was foolish enough to travel this deep in the sea without one, had a weapon concealed in her bag, or was dangerous enough on her own that she didn't need one. Erik wasn't sure which one he wanted to believe. After her scream tore through the water she seemed frozen in place by shock, her eyes flitting between him and a place just above his shoulder, where he could feel Cubelios stirring the water.
He figured she wasn't going to start introductions herself. "What the hell are you doing here?" His voice seemed to snap her out of it, and her brow furrowed in anger.
"What the hell are you doing here?" She snapped. He raised an eyebrow as she crossed her arms, face set stubbornly. Unfortunately, he was also very stubborn.
"I asked you first, Princess," he said. He'd meant it as a jab, but when shock and horror spread across her face he realized she might actually be some kind of royalty. As she watched her face shifted from shock and horror to suspicion. Her eyes narrowed, her expression accentuated by the glowing patterns on her face.
She thrust out a single hand and a ring of light sprung into being around him, banishing the shadows that had blanketed him. Cubelios flinched at the sudden light, closing her eyes to let them adjust, and the woman's attention flitted back to her briefly. She seemed to tell herself to deal with one problem at a time, and she had decided to deal with Erik first.
"Who are you?" She demanded, "how do you know who I am?" Her voice was hard as steel. Erik had to hand it to the girl, if he were in her position he probably wouldn't be reacting as well as she was.
"I don't," he replied, raising his hands in surrender, "I was being sarcastic."
"Who are you?" She demanded, her voice rising with her anger.
"My name is Erik, I was just here to investigate the Ophiuchus legends." Shock shown on her face again, and Erik guessed that was probably the same reason she was here. Either that or she couldn't believe that someone would come all the way down here just to look into some stupid child's tale. Her eyes flicked to the snake again. "This is Cubelios," he said, flicking his tail so she was no longer concealed behind him. "She won't hurt you."
He normally would have refused to explain himself to this girl and just swam away, but he still didn't know if she was dangerous, and now that he knew that she was a royal, he was worried there might be a royal guard swimming around in the side streets, waiting for a signal to come in. He dismissed this idea almost as soon as it occurred to him, however, because they would have come when she screamed earlier, and he would have already tasted their blades.
He flicked his tail gently and eased forward, slipping out of the mysterious circle of light the woman had summoned and motioned to Cubelios to stay where she was. It would be easier to get this girl to let him close to her if he was not accompanied by a sea snake that could swallow her whole, and he wanted to get closer to see what this mysterious glowing was, it was disorienting to look at. She flinched away slightly, but then allowed him closer with narrowed eyes.
"My name is Lucy," she hesitated like she wasn't sure if she should tell him anything else, then sighed, then jutted her chin out defiantly, "I am the First Princess of the Gulf Kingdom."
He leveled his gaze at her and nodded. Her style of dress fit pretty well with what mer from the gulf usually wore. She looked ethereal, even up close, floating there in a halo of light sent off by her markings. She seemed to ooze magic, lighting up the water like a fallen star. It's quite possible she is magical, he reminded himself. Magic is pretty common in royal families.
But not only royal families, he thought, glancing back at Cubelios. I've got a little magic of my own. It was the reason he was able to communicate with Cubelios, and certain other fish.
"You're a long way from home, princess."
The Gulf was a tropical kingdom. While it wasn't actually in a gulf, it was called that because it was in relatively calm and proximity to the surface. The city was lined on one side by a great reef, protecting it from the harsh waves of the deep sea, and making it a great and safe place to raise a family. There was very little chance of your young getting swept up by a current or eaten by a shark there.
"I came because I wanted to know why the Atlantean people disappeared."
"So we're on the same mission, then," he said, trying to lighten the mood. He rather disliked the cold stare she was pinning him with. He edged a little closer, and she let him, and he got a better look at her markings. He'd assumed it was some sort of glowing paint she'd put on her face, arms, and torso, but from here it looked like she was just glowing.
"You don't have to stare," she snapped, annoyed. He could at least have had the decency to try and hide it.
"You glow," he replied simply.
"I know," she retorted. If he wanted answers he had better ask a question. "And you have a giant snake."
"I know." They stared at each other stubbornly, waiting for one of them to break the silence first.
"Why do you have a giant snake?" She asked, finally, when Cubelios twisted impatiently. Just say something already.
"She's my friend," he said. "It's my magic, I can talk to certain animals. Cubelios was one of them."
"What do you mean 'certain' sea creatures?" She pressed.
"There seems to be some sort of compatibility issue. There's no certain species that I can talk to, but there are lots of fish that I can't."
"So you have magic, are you a royal?" He shook his head. "That's pretty unusual."
"Says the girl who glows."
"It's perfectly normal for a royal to have magic!" She said defensively, though her hands went to cover some of the markings on her arms self-consciously.
"Yeah, I've met royals before. None of them glow in weird patterns."
"Shut up!" Lucy said indignantly. Erik chuckled, this girl was cute.
"So how did you find this place?" he asked, changing the subject. Lucy's trails of lights caught his eye, telling him exactly where she'd been. He had to admit, they were beautiful, like a river of stars on the ocean floor, even if he was a bit wary of leaving a trail for potential enemies to follow right to himself.
"I just studied the legends," Lucy said. "There are several different forms of it cataloged and archived in the palace library, so I just combined all that with all the context clues given about the possible locations."
"Really?" He asked. If it were that easy how come this place hadn't been discovered centuries ago?
"And then I just compiled that information with tide directionality, sea life migration patterns, location of fossil and artifact discovery, but we didn't get our first break through until we threw out all the tide directionality data and calculated what the tides must have been like a millenia ago when Atlantis was in its prime using changing weather patterns and environment deformations due to cataloged natural disasters."
Damn, Erik thought. "That's a lot of work."
"It wasn't much," Lucy said. "It was actually a lot of fun, and of course Levy helped out, and she's a genius."
"You really have all that sort of stuff in the palace library?" He asked, thinking that the place must be massive. Lucy nodded.
"It's wonderful. I could live in the library and never leave." There was silence for a few minutes before Lucy remembered to ask Erik the same question.
"I asked around," he said/ Lucy raised her eyebrows skeptically. "I asked the fish," he clarified. "They do a lot more swimming in unknown areas than mer do, but it was still hard to find a fish who I could talk to who knew anything. I got my first lead off this old sea. That bastard made me run errands for him all day in exchange for information. It was worth it though, the information he gave me was good." Lucy giggled a bit at the idea of this rather scary looking mer doing chores for an old turtle.
"That lead me to some sea snake who wouldn't stop flirting with Cubelios-" the snake thrashed its tail in annoyance, as if the mere mention of this snake frustrated her.
"We've all been there, sweetie," Lucy said, tossing the comment to the snake, who made a snorting sound.
"And that snake led me to this asshole angler fish who tried to eat me."
"What happened?" Lucy asked, scanning his exposed skin for injuries. Erik chuckled.
"Cubelios scared him straight."
"I'm surprised that old turtle talked to you with Cubelios around," Lucy commented. Turtles willing to trust giant predators didn't generally make it to old age.
"Cubelios hangs out in the kelp forests or hides nearby while I talk to more timid creatures."
"Smart." Lucy said.
"Come over here, Cubelios," Erik said, gesturing her over. Lucy recoiled slightly, happy enough to let the snake hang out several feet away, but unsure if she wanted her to come any closer.
"Don't worry, she's harmless," he said. The snake made a noise and he amended his statement. "Well, not harmless, she's actually quite deadly, but she won't hurt you."
"How reassuring," Lucy said dryly, eyeing Cubelios as she swam forward. "Easy there."
"It's alright," Erik said, "touch her. She likes her head to be rubbed." She sounds like a seal, Lucy thought idly as she reached out nervously and patted Cubelios's head. The snake responded by pushing her head up against Lucy's palm much like a seal would have. Emboldened, Lucy began scratching behind her head. She wasn't sure if the snake could feel scratches through her scales, but she seemed to be enjoying herself, so Lucy persisted.
"She likes you," Erik commented, and Lucy wondered what the snake had said.
Erik watched the two of them interacting for a few seconds, feeling himself warm up to this mer. It wasn't everyday Cubelios hit it off with someone, people were too intimidated by her appearance. He had to hand it to this girl, it took a brave soul to scratch a giant snakes head, even if they had been told the snake was harmless. This one is a good scratcher, Cubelios told him. We should keep her. Erik chuckled out loud.
"We can't just keep a person, Cubelios. She's a princess, she's got responsibilities and people to take care of."
Lucy quirked an eye at him, but didn't comment. She seemed much more at ease than she had been five minutes ago, and while Erik had a mind to tell her she shouldn't trust so easily, he also was pleased that she was warming up to him and treating his friend kindly.
A noise to their left startled all of them, and Lucy reacted first, spinning on the spot and flinging her arm out. Light sprung up in the general direction of the noise as Lucy shouted, her voice once again the cold steel of a commander, "Declare yourself!"
Erik drew his knife, and Cubelios bared her fangs menacingly. There was no movement other than the spread of the glowing algae that Lucy had summoned as she tried to banish the shadows in the building where the sound had come from. From the corner of his eye he could see her focused expression and wondered how much this magic was costing her. When no one was revealed Lucy darted forward ducking through the window.
"Dammit," Erik muttered, following her. Though he liked her daring and the way she swam towards danger, he would have preferred her to stay close. There was no telling what was in there.
By the time he got in the room, every surface was already completely covered in Lucy's luminescent algae, making this place the brightest he'd been all day. The omnidirectional light eradicated all the shadows, and lit the room more so that Lucy's glow was no longer as defined. She was rolling her eyes at the translucent squid cowering away from the light in the corner.
What the hell do you think you're doing, bitch? It snapped. This is my room, go find your own room, and turn off those damn lights!
"That's no way to talk to a princess," Erik said, catching the squids attention. Lucy opened her mouth to speak, but she didn't get to finish her sentence. The squid caught sight of Cubelios and squealed, releasing its ink and swimming away. Lucy coughed and swam away, rubbing at her eyes.
"Damn it," she said. Squid ink burned mer eyes. Erik guided her by the shoulders into the street and took hold of her wrists, tugging them away from her face.
"You'll only make it worse," he said.
"Well it burns!" She said, bringing her hands back up to her face. Erik pulled them away again.
"Well if you'd wait just one minute I could give you some of my eye wash."
"Why do you carry around eyewash?" She asked, crossing her arms to keep from rubbing her eyes.
"It might be hard for you to imagine, but this actually happens to us a lot," Erik said. "Squid aren't the bravest creatures in the world. They tend to ink first and ask questions later." He dug through his bag briefly then pulled out his eyewash. "Alright tilt your head back and hold still," he said. He'd been expecting her to argue, but she just tilted her head back and waited. He dropped some into each of her eyes individually and waited a few minutes while she blinked for her vision to clear.
"Thanks," she said, reaching for her face but catching herself and lowering them to her side once more.
"How could I refuse a princess in need?" He said sarcastically. Lucy rolled her eyes and looked around.
"Why don't we look around a bit more? Do you know the way to the main road?"
"It's back the way I came," he said, gesturing over his shoulder. Lucy followed him as he turned and swam away. He went several feet the turned and looked at her. "Here we are." Lucy nodded and threw out her arms, two long lines of light appearing in front of them like a carpet rolling out. "Handy," Cubelios and Erik replied together. The effect of this was lost on Lucy, however, because she couldn't hear what Cubelios was saying.
"Oh wow," she breathed, staring down the street in awe, "it's beautiful."
The place looked much better in the light than in the gloom, but Erik wasn't looking at the scenery anymore. The delighted expression on Lucy's face caught his attention. She was beautiful, not that he was only just noticing, but the way the lights on either side of her shone on her hair and tail, and made her markings less pronounced so he could tell more about what she actually looked like. There was a fire burning in her dark eyes that called to him, it spoke of earth and life, in stark contrast with his own smoldering rage.
He watched as she spun in a circle, admiring the architecture and city layout. He was sure she was seeing more than he was in the building shapes and decorations, but he still wasn't looking at them. Everywhere she touched she left little pinpricks of light, and Cobra wondered how much control she had over her powers, as she didn't seem conscious of this event.
A large statue in the middle of what might have once been a town square and ran her hands along the base, summoning alae to light it up. She reached up and trailed her hands along different places in the statute, lighting it up artistically and completely transforming its appearance. She glanced over at him and smiled reassuringly, misreading his expression.
"Don't worry, my algae doesn't harm the environment."
"What a relief," he replied. She seemed too engrossed in what she was doing to notice his sarcasm.
"Who do you think it is?" Lucy asked, swimming back to his side. The statue was of a merwoman in a simple crown, carrying a trident. She looked regal and elegant.
"I don't know, maybe the founding queen of Atlantis?"
"Maybe," Lucy said, "his inscription at the base probably says who it is. I'll copy it down and translate it later." She sat down in front of the statue and rummaged through her bag, pulling out a journal and ink. As she flipped it open Erik caught a glimpse of a few sketches and notes before she settled on a blank page and began slowly, and very carefully, copying down the inscription.
Lucy was completely zoned out of her surroundings, giving Erik the chance to observe her some more, and also making him glad he'd chosen this day to come to Atlantis, if something had come along while he wasn't here, she never would have noticed it before it was too late. His mind drifted back to the way her eyes had scanned him for injuries when he'd described his encounter with the angler fish. She really was a good person, being so concerned for a random stranger.
The corners of her mouth turned slightly down in concentration, and sometimes she would pull her bottom lip in between her teeth and chew on it. Her brow was furrowed and eyes focused, her fingers deftly copying the text.
Once again Eriks attention was drawn to her markings, though they weren't as prominent now with her proximity to the light. Her markings were unusual, he would have thought that someone with her abilities would glow all over, not in patterns, and yet here she was. He wondered if the glowing interfered with her sleep. Her jawbones were illuminated, and the markings travelled down her arms across her chest and stomach and round her fingers. I wonder what makes them appear that way? Were they tattoos? Did they have some meaning? Wasn't a little odd they accentuated her features so nicely?
Looks like I'm not the only one who wants to keep her, Cubelios said, when she caught him staring.
"Shut up," he replied.
"They're tattoos," Lucy replied. "The ink glows because of my magic. We didn't know it would happen when I got them, it surprised everyone, but I can't control it." Apparently she'd been aware of him staring after all. She looked up at him and smiled letting him know she wasn't offended.
"You control the algae," he pointed out, "but it looks like it happens sometimes on accident too." Lucy nodded.
"You're pretty observant." She said.
Nope, Cubelios said, just in love.He shot her annoyed look.
"What's she say?" Lucy asked.
Erik and Lucy sitting on a reef, k-i-s-s-i-n-g.
"Would you shut up?" He snapped, feeling his face heat up. "You're acting like a child." Thank God it was dark so Lucy couldn't see his blush.
What was wrong with him? He'd never gotten this flustered about Cubelios's teasing before. Cubelios snickered and left his side to curl up around Lucy.
Maybe I'll go live with Lucy instead-
"Good. Then I won't have to listen to your incessant rambling."
But I wouldn't have to leave you if you married Lucy and moved into her-
"I'm going to feed you too a shark if you don't shut up," he hissed.
As if a shark could take me.
Erik hated that she was right. Lucy looked between the two of them, half bewildered and half amused.
"So when's the wedding?" She asked, smirking. "You two fight like a married couple." Erik glared at her.
"Everyone is taking shots at me," Erik muttered angrily. He swam away from the two ladies, deciding he didn't want to hear what one of them dreamed up next. As he swam away he heard Lucy talking to Cubelios, though she couldn't hear what she was saying back.
"I think we made him made, Cubelios," She chuckled. He's just mad because I'm right. "Maybe I should be a little nicer to him, it's a little rude to tease people you don't know." It's okay he probably deserves it.
When Erik turned back he saw Lucy chuckling at the expression on Cubelios's face. She seemed able to communicate with her just fine without magic.
"Well I'm finished copying down this inscription, do you two want to keep looking?"
"Yeah, I haven't found what I was looking for," he said.
"What did you hope to find here by way of evidence?"
"I'll know it when I see it." Cubelios and Lucy exchanged a look that only pissed him off further. Women, he thought, turning away from them. They both chuckled and he ignored them again.
"He's so moody," she whispered. Tell me about it.
"Do you wanna fight?" He shouted suddenly. He'd been speaking to Cubelios, but Lucy surprised them both by replying first.
"Bring it on!" A shocked silence followed her words that stretched on for several seconds before Cubelios burst out in what even Lucy could recognize as laughter. Pretty soon Lucy started laughing too, and Erik couldn't help but chuckle. This one's perfect for you, Cubelios said, grinning. Her grin was a little terrifying, because her fangs were as thick as his arms.
What was that sound? A voice said, drifting through the water. Eriks blood ran cold and he looked severely at Cubelios, then towards the surface.
"I didn't realize how late it was," he said quietly. "We need to get out of here. Princess, Cubelios and I will escort you. Something tells me being alone this deep in the ocean at night is a bad idea."
There it is again, it sounds like mer.
"What is it?" Lucy whispered, sensing his tension.
"We're not alone," he whispered. "We need to go, get away from this lit street. Whatever is coming, it doesn't sound friendly." Cubelios's tongue flicked out and tasted the water and she shook her head. They must be down current. Better hope that they aren't a snake of they've already smelled us.
Erik took Lucy's arm and swam away, drawing his knife. She tugged his arm and pointed in another direction, likely the one she entered the city from, and he nodded. They would make a broad circle around the area he's heard the voice and hope for the best. He pulled Lucy close so they wouldn't get separated, not that he wouldn't be able to find her easily, she stuck out after all, but if they got seperated something could happen.
I think they went this way, the voice said. Cubelios cursed.
They must have a keen sense of smell.
"If we run they'll probably catch us," Erik muttered. "I'm willing to bet whatever it is is fast. We need to hide and wait for them to pass."
All eyes turned to Lucy at the same time, she even looked down at her own tattoos. How were they supposed to hide with her shining like a beacon? The voice spoke again and Erik dragged Lucy into the nearest building, then pushed her into a corner and pressed in close, attempting to block out her glow with his body. She was a good deal smaller than him, so it worked well. As long as whatever it is didn't look too hard they wouldn't notice, and he and Lucy and Cubelios could escape quietly. Cubelios concealed herself in the shadows on the other side of the room, ready to attack anything that came into the house after Lucy and Erik.
He kept his eyes on the door and windows, waiting for something, anything, to swim by and let him know what they were dealing with. There were several different predators that could be down in this depth, at this time. It was always possible there was another giant sea snake. Erik had never met one before, but there had to be others, Cubelios had to have had parents, and surely they weren't the only ones. There were also sharks and angler fish. The latter was the best case scenario, he'd taken them on before, and Cubelios practically ate them for breakfast.
A shadow moved outside and Erik pressed closer to Lucy, he was so close he could feel her breath, shallow and terrified, brushing against his neck. A few beats later, the thing they were hiding from swam into view and Erik swore mentally. He had no idea what it was, it looked prehistoric, like something of nightmares. He couldn't even hazard a guess about what it could be except to say that it was huge, looked fast, and had jaws that looked like they could tear him in half.
Lucy's fingers wrapped around his wrist, but he didn't dare take his eyes off the fish. He didn't know anything about this creature, he didn't want to risk it. Even Cubelios had gone stone still. They would have chanced a fight with an angler fish, giant snake, or even a shark, but Erik absolutely did not want to get into a fight with an opponent he knew nothing about. As it swam slowly past Erik chanced a peek at Lucy to see how she was faring and was surprised to see the same analytical expression he'd seen on her face while she was observing the statue.
Unbelievable, he thought, she's taking mental notes, probably planning on researching this when she gets home. Her eyes narrowed and Erik could only guess what she was thinking. Probably trying trace back its lineage to the stone ages based on looks or something. The fish moved agonizingly slowly, giving Lucy plenty of time to perform her analysis while his heart pounded in his ears.
After what seemed like hours the fish finally swam out of view, but Erik refused to move for several more minutes to be sure that there was some distance between them before they set off. After checking the street to be sure it was gone, Erik motioned to the others it was safe, and they booked it in the direction Lucy came from, not bothering with the streets anymore, just swimming over the top of the buildings hoping to get out of there before another one of those things came along.
Erik swore as a large rock wall extending into the darkness on either side rose up before them, thinking they'd taken a wrong turn, but Lucy merely motioned to him, indicating that she wanted him to follow her. Despite no longer being in the city, the two of them still hadn't spoken, and probably wouldn't for a while.
She darted into a hole in the rock that Erik nearly missed, and from there they followed trails of glowing algae all the way to the other side. Erik praised the gods for Lucy's ingenuity and magic. They swam at top speed through the tunnels, but the trip still lasted over an hour. As they swam he could feel them swimming slightly upwards and wondered where they would come out at. It was a blessed relief when they shot out of the rock suddenly and emerged into the open ocean on the other side. The ocean was still dark, but the moonlight lit the water so that it was still brighter here, now, than it had been down there during the day.
"Thank the heavens," Lucy panted, drifting down to the sea floor to sit, clutching at her sides. Erik did the same, breathing heavily. His sides were burning from exertion. "I've never swam that fast for that long before."
"I have, maybe once or twice," Erik commented, remembering the times he and Cubelios had been chased out of town after a pet disappeared and people got the excuse they needed to attack the sea monster down the street. "It never gets easier."
"Well hopefully I'll never have to do it again," she said, then leaned back against the rock wall and closed her eyes. She looked like she was about ready to quit for the night. However, after she caught her breath she pushed off the rocks and looked around to get her bearings.
"It's half a day's swim from the nearest guard outpost," she said. "If we start swimming now we'll be able to get there before sunrise and take shelter. In the morning we will be escorted to the castle where we can bathe and catalog what we've learned. I'm sure my father will want to reward you for protecting me, as well."
"That's not-" Erik began, but Lucy cut him off.
"It is very rude to refuse a gift from a royal," she warned. Erik wasn't sure how to respond to that, so he remained quiet as he got up and followed Lucy, but this time they went in a much more manageable pace.
"Have you ever been to the Gulf before?" She asked, after a few minutes.
"Never to the capitol city, I've been to a few outlying villages."
"What were they like?" She asked curiously.
"You mean to tell me you went on an exploration of a long-lost city but you don't know what the outlying villages of your own kingdom are?" He asked incredulously.
"Of course I know," she said huffily, "but when I travel through the kingdom there is much fanfare and preparation, and everyone knows I'm coming. I want to know what they're like when they aren't putting on a show for the crown princess." Erik thought for a moment before answering, it struck him that Lucy was going to be a very good ruler one day.
"They're nice, usually," he said. "Pretty friendly to me, but scared of Cubelios. Some are poorer than others, but I've also never seen a town that asked for help from the royal family be turned down." Lucy nodded.
"We are very fortunate to live in a kingdom where the resources are bountiful. And what about their states of mind? Are they truly happy with the state of the kingdom, what do they want to change?"
"I really haven't spent that much time in your kingdom, Princess," he said. "Although I'm sure anyone who got to know you would be thrilled to know that you would one day be their Queen." Lucy was quiet for a moment, surprised.
"...thank you," she said quietly.
You liiike her, Cubelios said. Apparently she felt they were safe enough to start teasing again.
"I'm going to tell the guards I don't know you and you shouldn't be allowed inside when we get to the outpost," he replied. Lucy will let me in, right Lucy? Lucy looked between the two of them and chuckled. Erik wondered what she thought they were talking about since she couldn't hear Cubelios.
The moon moved slowly overhead as they swam, and though the ocean was a dangerous place at night, even this close to the surface, nothing bothered them. It probably had something to do with them being accompanied by a giant snake.
Hours passed and finally there was movement in front of them. Lucy's face displayed the exhaustion he felt as they came upon the guard outpost. As they came closer to the small hut the mer inside took notice of them.
"Hey, who is that out there? Declare yourself! What business do you have in the Gulf?"
"My name is Lucy Heartfilia, crown princess of The Gulf Kingdom, and I am returning from a research expedition. I am accompanied by two honored guests, to whom I owe my life. I request a bed for the night and passage for the three of us back to the castle in the morning." Though tired, Lucy's voice carried an authority that propelled the guards out of the hut to meet them. Upon laying eyes on Lucy they bent at the waist.
"My lady," the woman said, "it would be an honor to host you and your guests tonight."
"Excellent," Lucy said. "Please, provide them with anything they need, and just escort me to bed. This is Erik and this is Cubelios." The guards eye's widened as Lucy indicated Cubelios, but they didn't dare question her. The two of them were escorted inside and, mercifully, to bed.
Lucy groaned and rolled over in her bed, pulling the blankets over her eyes to block out the sunlight. Why was she so tired and sore? And why was her bed so stiff? What was going on? She opened her eyes, squinting against the sunlight. All she could see was...purple? Something large and scaly was filling her vision. As soon as she had this revelation last night came rushing back to her. Cubelios! She sat bolt upright in bed and immediately regretted it. Her head slammed against the low bars of the bunk above her, and she moaned in pain.
To her right a deep voice roared in laughter. She squinted over at the offending mer as he practically rolled on the floor laughing. Despite her annoyance that he was laughing at her she found he quite liked his laugh.
"What a graceful and elegant princess you are, Lucy," he said between laughing fits.
"Shut up," she retorted, rubbing her forehead glumly. She glanced around the room, taking in their surroundings. She'd been to tired to do so last night. Her attention first fell on the snake she was cohabiting with. She had apparently been too big to fit in just one bunk with either her or Erik, so she'd slept with her head on the top bunk and wrapped her tail around Lucy. She also appeared to still be sleeping. "You'll wake up Cubelios."
"Cubelios sleeps like the dead," he replied, at last mastering himself, though his voice was still filled with mirth. "She won't wake till she's good and ready."
"Is that so," Lucy muttered, unwrapping herself from the snakes tail and crawling out of bed. "What time is it?"
"Early afternoon," he said. "I've only been awake for a few minutes, that lady guard said your carriage will be here within the hour."
"Wonderful," Lucy said, "I can't wait to get home and tell Levy everything! Do you know what that thing was last night? I've never heard of anything like it! I've never even seen drawings of anything like it in the palace library! I can't wait to show a sketch to a scholar and see what they have to say on the matter!"
"You almost died last night and you're already thinking about books?" He asked incredulously.
"Key word is almost. I didn't, so now I need to know what that thing was."
Could you two, maybe, I don't know, shut up? Cubelios mumbled sleepily.
"Could you, maybe, I don't know, make me?" Erik replied, eyes directed at the top bunk where Cubelios's head lay.
Have you noticed how pretty Lucy is in this light, look her tattoos are pink and match her tail, how nice.
Erik huffed angrily because he had noticed. You're so easy, Cubelios said, sounding amused now.
"Sorry, did we wake you Cubelios?" Lucy asked, following Erik's gaze to the top bunk. Cubelios flicked her tail in response, since Lucy wouldn't have been able to hear her reply anyway. "Come on, Erik, let's go outside and let her sleep. I would love to see the sun after last night anyway." Erik couldn't argue with that, so he followed her out and into the open sea.
The color assaulted his senses as he passed through the door, and he had to cover his face briefly to adjust. Lucy, however, shot directly out of the door and straight up, no doubt planning on breaching. Erik wasn't sure how she could contain so much energy after just waking up, but he elected not to follow her, instead watching from the sea floor as she shot up through the water, whooping loudly, and broke through the surface. Her figure was blurred but he thought he saw her do a flip before slicing gracefully back into the water.
"Boo!" A voice behind him called, catching both of their attention. "Three out of ten, Luce! Step up your game!"
"Natsu!" Lucy cried, her face lighting up.
A merman with pink hair and scales accompanied by a small blue octopus was swimming ahead of what appeared to be a royal carriage. Lucy swam back down to the sea floor next to Erik and waited for Natsu to catch up. When he stopped in front of her she made an angry face.
"That was at least a five out of ten! Especially considering the ordeal I went through last night."
"Sorry Luce, my score is final."
"What do you think, Gray?" She asked, whirling to face the mer who had stayed with the carriage. Erik noted his ice blue scales and black hair as an unusual combination.
"One out of ten, points docked for sneaking out last night and nearly getting killed."
"No fair!" Lucy said. "You guys were busy and Levy was sick and I figured it out!"
"Whoa, wait, you actually found it?" Gray asked. Lucy nodded.
"Yea, thats where I met Erik and Cubelios. She's inside still asleep. They saved my life!" Gray turned to Erik.
"Thank you," he said gravely.
"Well ya wouldn't 'a needed savin' if ya hadn't been actin' so dumb!" Erik was fairly certain royal guards were not usually permitted to speak to royalty this way, but Lucy didn't seem offended. They were all close in age, so he guessed they had grown up together.
"I wasn't acting dumb you jerk! I didn't expect to meet some random sea monster!" Who're you calling random? Cubelios said, slithering out a window towards them, but the arguing trio didn't notice.
"Well what did you expect, going into unknown deep waters?" Gray asked.
"Adventure!" Lucy replied.
"She wasn't talking about you, Cubelios, she meant that thing." Erik said. Good.
"Who're you-" Natsu started, turning in the direction Erik was looking. "Wow. They said you had a giant snake thing with you, but I thought they were playin' a prank."
"This is Cubelios," Lucy said, smiling. The blue octopus spotted her and squealed, attaching itself to Lucy's back. "She won't hurt you, Happy," Lucy said. "Cubelios is a friend."
"Speak for yourself, Lucy," the blue octopus said, "To that thing I'm just a fun colored snack!" Lucy rolled her eyes and Erik was surprised when Lucy responded like she could understand him.
"You are not." She spotted Erik's confused face and laughed. "I guess I forgot to mention it last night. Natsu grew up with deep river water-sprites, they enchanted Happy's egg and gave it to Natsu to hatch. The magic obtained from water-sprites before birth is unpredictable but strong, and Happy gained the ability to communicate with mer."
"Also I'm blue."
"Also he's blue," she repeated.
"I didn't think you could get any weirder," Erik replied.
"Hey!" Lucy whined.
"You shouldn't be so mean to the princess on her birthday!" Happy said.
"Yeah," Natsu agreed, "what kinda guy calls the princess weird on her birthday?"
"You called me dumb!"
"It's your birthday?"
"I didn't call you dumb I said what you did was dumb, and you did that yesterday so technically I called you dumb yesterday not today."
"It's the same thing," Lucy said.
"Anyway," Gray interjected, looking like he had to deal with arguments of this sort all the time. "We need to get going or you'll be late for your own party."
"Oh yeah, I forgot," Lucy said. "You'll both come won't you?" She asked, turning to Erik and Cubelios. "I mean my father would have invited you anyway for saving me but you will come, right?"
I love parties! Cubelios said.
"You've never been to a party," Erik reminded her. I like them in theory. Erik rolled her eyes.
"Cubelios said they'd come!" Happy translated. Erik opened his mouth to reply that that was not what Cubelios had said, but he was cut off by Natsu slapping Cubelios on the back.
"I knew you were a smart snake! There's nothing like a royal ball! You'll love it!" Cubelios gave Erik a triumphant smile. I guess you'll have to dance with the princess then. I mean, It'd be rude not to.
"You skeevy little snake," Erik muttered. After that they loaded up into the carriage, all four mer piling on up front because Happy was the only one who could fit into the carriage with Cubelios.
Erik was jammed against the armrest while Lucy was wedged in between him and Natsu. She had hold of the reins while Natsu reclined peacefully and watched the surface of the sea roll. Erik also didn't think this was proper conduct, but Lucy seemed to be enjoying herself. Meanwhile, Erik was trying to ignore the warmth of her seeping into him from all the places they were touching. He hadn't noticed last night when they were hiding from the thing, but her hair smelled nice.
"Erik I'll have Dad put you in the best guest chambers! There'll be room for Cubelios in them, and they have a really nice bath."
"Where'rya from, Erik?" Natsu asked casually, still staring up at the surface.
"Why do 'ya wanna know?" Erik replied. He wasn't usually a conversationalist.
"Geeze, I'm just asking. Happy, ask Cubelios!" Erik scowled. Cubelios would answer just to get under his skin.
"He grew up in an estuary town!" Happy called. "That's where he and Cubelios met! They had to leave though when someone tried to kill Cubelios and they were chased out of town. She took two whole months to recover. She has an enormous scar!" Erik gritted his teeth. "She says Erik took care of her and nursed her back to health all by himself." Lucy turned wide eyes towards him, her expression softened. He scoffed.
"Whatever," he said, "it wasn't that long, she just always exaggerates."
Do not! Erik really hated that look Lucy was giving him, like he was some sort of wounded animal that needed saving. He much preferred the fire he saw last night.
"Do I got somethin' on my face or somethin'?" He asked harshly, then immediately regretted it.
"A little bit of sea horse shit," Natsu replied.
Happy and Natsu filled the silence for the rest of the ride, talking about a bunch of meaningless garbage. No one else seemed annoyed by it though, Gray and Lucy even chimed in a few times. Apparently Cubelios and Happy were getting along well, which Erik was grateful for. He might find the little runt annoying, but Cubelios didn't have many friends.
X x x
You look snazzy. Erik shot her an annoyed look. They were in the rooms that the king had put them in, just down the hall from Lucy. Cubelios was watching him from the bed where she had been napping.
"Thanks," he said. Try a color in that neck thing though. "Why do I even have to wear this?" He asked. The king sent over all these nice clothes for you to wear, you have to wear something. You can't just go around a royal ball half naked.
"I look like an idiot." Take off the neck thing and undo the collar. "What is it even called?" Yes I, the snake, know what all your mer accessories are called and I give them cute little nicknames like 'neck thing' for kicks. Erik took off the 'neck thing' and unbuttoned the collar. Oh put on that white over thing. "Why? It's not cold." For the aesthetic. Just do it. He did as she said, and was surprised to find that he quite liked it. It was comfortable too. He glanced at Cubelios in the mirror and saw her triumphant expression.
I bet Lucy will like it.
"What do I care?" Please, you care. "Well are you going to wear that ribbon thing they sent for you to wear?" I'm a snake I don't have to have manners. "They'd all be too scared to say anything if they were offended, your fangs are as long as their swords."
A knock at the door caught both of their attention. Come in, Cubelios said. They waited, and Erik remembered that whoever was out there couldn't understand her. "Come in."
"The king sent me to escort you and your snake to the ball," the terrified guard said, determinedly not looking at Cubelios.
"What did he think we couldn't find the way?" I think it's supposed to be an honor, Erik. He shrugged and followed the guard out, Cubelios at his side. He was thrown for a loop when he was announced and descended into the party down a long staircase to applause. This is weird, Cubelios said, mirroring his thoughts. He made a beeline for the outskirts of the courtyard where the party was being held and took up residence on the shadowy side of a column. He was out of the middle of things enough that any people that didn't notice him, and he glared away everyone who did. The lack of interaction maybe had less to do with his own glaring abilities and more to do with the presence of Cubelios.
She was curled up around him and resting her head on his shoulder, gazing out at the party, drinking in all there was too see. Oh look her bracelet is a snake I wonder if she likes snakes? Oh that looks good, we should go look at the buffet. I really like this song. When do you think Lucy will be here?
"She's the princess, so I think we'll know when she arrives," he said, remembering the way he was announced and assuming she'd get something much more grand.
Lucy really lives in a whole different world than us, Cubelios said. We should come visit more often. Erik didn't respond, he just listened to Cubelios's running commentary as he looked around. The decorations were really elegant, but still simple. There were long silver chains threaded with pink fabric, probably because of her tail and tattoos. He tried to imagine what it must have been like for her growing up in this castle, loved by all, playing with those two boys he met earlier. It must have been happy. He was glad, a person like Lucy deserved a happy childhood.
...and then I told them we should totally murder everyone in this room don't you agree?
"Yeah," he said idly, looking now towards the stairs. Something was going on, it looked like they were preparing for someone to make a grand entrance. He straightened slightly. You're ridiculous. Cubelios said. Staring at the stairs won't make her appear any faster.
"Bugging me won't make me like you any better." Even your come back skills are deteriorating, she replied. I hope she shows up before you start saying 'I know you are but what am I?' Erik growled in his throat and a young mer nearby squeaked in alarm and darted away.
Nice one, it's usually me terrifying children. It's interesting to see other people do it as well.
Trumpets sounded and a voice announced "Lucy Heartfilia, crown Princess of the Gulf, and tonight's honored guest!" The double doors at the top of the stairs opened and Lucy appeared, cloaked in long flowing robes in dark blue. She stopped before she descended the stairs and waved at her people, smiling happily. Her eyes scanned the crowd as if she were looking for someone, and her eyes landed on he and Cubelios on their place in the shadows, and she voiced his thoughts once more.
Whoa.
X
These parties were apparently very procedurally driven, at least at the start. Lucy first danced with her father, then visiting dignitaries who had come to congratulate her on her birthday, and then, it seemed, she was free to do as she pleased. She turned a few times with a blue haired girl her age, and then took her hand and pulled her over to Erik's corner.
"Erik, Cubelios, this is Levy! Levy, this is them!" Levy extended her hand politely to Erik, and when he didn't take it, Cubelios stuck the end of her tail into Levy's hand and shook it. Lucy's eyes glittered with mirth as she rolled her eyes at Erik.
"He's not very friendly," Lucy said, "but thankfully he has the very lovely Cubelios at his side to make up for it."
"It's nice to meet you Cubelios," Levy said warmly. "May I scratch your head?" Erik immediately softened towards this girl. "I bet you would get along with Lily," she said.
"Who is she?" Erik asked.
"Lily is a boy, it''s short of Pantherlily. He's a friends shark. He's really very nice," Levy said. That explains why she is so friendly with Cubelios, if her friend has a pet shark.
"Is Lily here tonight?" Lucy asked. "I saw Gajeel earlier, but I didn't see Lily."
"Maybe Gajeel left him at home?" Levy pondered. "Oh I see him over there, I'll go and ask." Levy swam away, leaving the three of them alone again.
Ask Lucy to dance, Cubelios said. Before he had a chance to, however, Lucy had already extended her hand.
"How would you like to dance with me?" He took her hand by way of response and followed her out onto the dancefloor. People parted for her as she came, and he couldn't help but notice the lights lowering slightly. He realized why when Lucy's tattoo's began glowing again.
She instructed him briefly on how the song went and where to put his hands since he'd never attended a royal ball before, and then the music started, and they were dancing. There were plenty of other couples dancing on the floor, but Erik only had eyes for Lucy, with her dark eyes glittering up at him.
"I probably should have said this sooner, but thank you for protecting me in Atlantis and making sure I got home safely. I do hope you would consider staying here a while."
"I might just take you up on that," he said.
Her smile was luminescent.