Axel sighed, his bright red hair tickling his face as the water swirled around him. His emerald fish tail swished as he swam towards his sanctuary. If he hadn't been under water, one would notice the tears flowing from his eyes. His friend, a yellow sunfish by the name of Demyx followed him.
"Axel! Axel!" Demyx yelled out as the redheaded merman wriggled into the small opening leading to his treasure cavern.
"He doesn't understand Demyx!" Axel cried, wiping an eye. He looked at all of his treasures, sighing as he remembered the princess he had seen. The blonde hair gently falling around the face as Axel dragged the princess back to shore. He shuddered at the memory.
"Axel...." Demyx whined. Axel ignored the fish's pleas.
"If only I could make my father understand. I just don't see how a world that makes such wonderful things, could be so bad." Axel said softly, looking at all his wonders from the dry land above.
Demyx just groaned, knowing the merman was about to burst in song again.
"Look at this stuff, isn't it neat? Wouldn't you think my collections complete? Wouldn't you think I'm the guy, the guy who has everything?" Axel sang, his voice fluttering through the water as he spun. His hair flowed behind him looking like red tendrils of fire licking at the water currents. "Look at this trove, treasures untold." Axel turned to Demyx, a playful glint in his eyes. "How many wonders can one cavern hold?" The redhead turned back to his shelves of items swimming towards the ceiling. "Looking around here you'd think, 'Sure,' he's got everything."
Demyx sighed and swam after him, grumbling about too much music.
"I've got gadgets and gizmos aplenty. I've got whozits and whatsits galore. You want thing-a-ma-bobs? I've got 20!" Sighing Axel put down the box he had picked up, looking towards the small opening at the top of his cove. "But who cares? No big deal? I want more...."
"Axel! Axel stop!" Demyx slapped his tail in the redhead's face. "You need to get over this singing thing you have ok? This is not some movie!" Axel shook his head and frowned at the fish.
"Demyx. Please let me finish this last number.? Axel said haughtily. Sighing Demyx waved his fin.
"Fine...." Demyx slapped his fin to his face as Axel practically lit up with excitement. The merman swam up again, already opening his mouth to sing.
"I wanna be where the people are." Axel looked longingly at the rays of sun that poked through the opening at the top of his cove. "I wanna see, wanna see them dancing. Walking around on those, what do you call them?" Looking thoughtful for a moment, Axel smiled and shook his head. "Oh, feet. Flipping your fins you don't get to far." Axel sang, accenting his words by swimming very slowly. "Legs are required for jumping...dancing....strolling along down the, what's that words again? Street."
Demyx followed Axel as the merman sped towards the opening, a huge smile on his face.
"Up where they walk, up where they run, up where they stay all day in the sun! Wandering free, wish I could be, part of that world...." Axel spun around, swimming back towards the bottom. "What would I give if I could live out of these waters. What would I pay to spend a day warm on the sand." Axel lay on the bottom of the cove, looking up. "Betcha on land, they understand, bet they don't reprimand their sons. Bright young men, sick of swimming, ready to stand!" Axel lifted of the bottom, swimming around the shelves in a spiral, climbing towards the top. "And ready to know what the people know. Ask them my questions and get some answers!" Axel swam toward a mirror, touching it very gently with the tips of his fingers. "What is a fire and why does it, what's the word? Burn...." Axel's eyes glinted when he thought of fire. He remembered how when he had saved the princess from the burning ship that the red and orange, flames? Is that what they were? Well, he remembered how they tried to reach the sky. It was enchanting. "When's it my turn? Wouldn't I love, love to explore that shore up above...!" Axel's face dropped and he looked at he began to sink back towards the bottom, sadness overwhelming him again. His emerald eyes looked up to the opening, longing filtering through the deep orbs. "Out of the sea, wish I could be, part of that world...."
Demyx watched as the merman prince sank to the bottom, his eyes closing. He swam over to the redhead and gently put his fin up to Axel's face.
"You really want to go up there, don't you?" The yellow fish asked. Red hair bobbed as Axel nodded.
"It's all that keeps me going...."
~~OWARII
