So, it's been awhile since I wrote a one-shot for Pucca and in all honesty, we need more stories for this show. I'm not in the mood to write a lovey-dovey one-shot, so, this one is more of a dark fic (I think we need more of these too). It's always fun to write something different and to add a little spice to all this romance going around here. ~AR~


The ocean was wider than he pictured and it was a lot bluer, almost the same color as the sky but, when he looked over the old, wooden boat and tried to see the bottom, darkness. He sighed, slightly bored and wishing that he had brought a book to read or his guitar to play. He was please to have brought a hat because it was hot as Hell but the hat could only shade him so much. Already, the back of his neck burned to the point that Garu undid his pony-tail but it was too late. The sunburn was already starting.

Why was he out here again? Oh, yeah, because of his so-called best friend Abyo. Why did he agree to this? Now he remembered, Abyo used his honor against him. What was he suppose to find again? Garu couldn't remember until he saw a fish swim by.

"That's right, mermaids. Mermaids, I can't believe I was talked into this shit."

Garu only groaned and looked around. There was nothing but water that he could see and judging by the place of the sun, it was noon. Coming back around, Garu jumped. There staring at him was a girl. She blinked at him, tilting her head slightly as her long, ebony black hair stuck to her body with some over her shoulders. He looked back and saw he was still in the middle of the ocean and turned to the front of the boat. The girl was gone and he sighed.

"Must be the heat, I'm starting to see things."

"Hello."

He screamed, jumping and rocking the boat. The girl he saw moments ago giggled and folded her arms and placed them on the side of the boat as she looked at him with a smile. Her eyes were the strangest color he has ever seen. The lightest shade of brown with red that seemed to had been sprinkled in her eyes, mixing in with the brown. Her skin was a light tan but her lips were deep red. She was positively breath-taking.

"Are you a sailor?"

Garu pointed to himself and she giggled, nodding her head before lying on her arms, smiling the entire time. He felt himself blushing and grinned like an idiot.

"Uh, no, how – I mean, where did you come from?"

Garu just had to ask. She was in the water and they were miles from land. He had sat in this spot for more than three hours and not a single boat passed by. He needed to know where she came from. She laughed and dived under. Garu looked over and caught a glimpse of a long, sliver-red tail. He heard a giggle and saw that she was on the other side, just smiling at him. Garu swallowed as he went closer to her.

"Pucca," she said, pointing to herself.

"Garu," he replied, looking over the boat.

He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Her hair was long, covering her naked chest. Where there should have been legs, was a tail that seemed four or five feet long with a fin like a dolphin.

Mermaid.

Pucca giggled again before diving once more, granting him the pleasure of seeing the scales of her tail. She broke the surface at the front of the boat and Garu kept staring. Pucca smiled and began to sing. Her voice was rich and enchanting, leaving Garu in a trance. She beckoned Garu towards her and he followed. She kept singing, running a hand through his hair (his hat knocked off) and the other cupping his face. He sighed, leaning into the touch, enjoying the way her hand played with his hair and the soothing of her voice.

Everything about her was hypnotizing and he couldn't get enough. From her voice that came from those deep red lips, or those eyes that made her skin tone even lighter. Garu couldn't remember why he was here but he didn't seem to care and when Pucca moved closer to the water, he leaned over.

Both hands were on his face and Garu growled at how soft they felt. He didn't want her to stop. Something was wrong but Garu wasn't sure what it was. He didn't care; he just wanted to keep hearing her voice. She moved closer to the water, pulling him with her. Garu had to grip the edge so he wouldn't fall over. He could still hear her voice even when she touched his lips with hers. With one more pull, her entire body was under the water and so was his face.

The singing stopped and Garu opened his eyes. He saw her beautiful face smiling at him and then...it changed. Her eyes became slits, teeth became sharp and her face looked like a Purana. Garu screamed and with one pull, Pucca pulled him under completely and further and further down to the ocean bottom.

Abyo never did learn if mermaids were real and the ones that did, paid a price.

Their life.