Yeah. I kinda' got this one sitting in front of the TV and thinking Taito all the way through the movie... so i finally got around to writing it. Too much talk no action - lets get going.
Disclaimer: I do not own digimon (sadly) and i do not own the little mermaid all credit goes to disney (though there isnt very much to do with it)
Warnings Shonen-ai/Yaoi. AU. Character death (so sorry)
Anyway, i hope i get my message through in the first chapter. Read on.
:Your Ocean My Land:
Chapter One: Finding Answers
Yamato cleansed his face with the salty ocean water, crawling back onto the deck with excitement. It was his first time on a boat and he cherished every second he spent out at sea.
"Yamato! Where have you been? I've been looking all over this godforsaken ship thinking you fell overboard!" A voice said from behind him. Yamato drained the water out of his shirt making small puddles below him.
"But I love this place, Joe! I love everything about it! I just wanted to get out a bit!" Yamato protested to the blue haired boy.
He may have loved the ocean. But his father would never have approved of him tagging along with his older brother if he had known they were going out to sea. Being prince had its advantages, but royalty were always treated like babies when it came to things like safety. Wherever Yamato went there would be one of his fathers servants following him around and whispering short words of advice to keep safe. The ocean was his way of escaping it, but of course his father protested against the ocean and everything to do with it.
After half a year of swimming he began to think the more he swam, the longer he could hold his breath underwater. So even to increase the time he could do this, he'd dunk his head underwater in the bath and time himself. To turn him off the ocean, his older brother, Joe would try scaring him with the 'sharks live in water, Yama,' trick.
"I don't understand why I can't go near the ocean! What's wrong with it?" Yamato muttered angrily, sitting down on the bottom platform where his legs dangled in the water.
"Father thinks it's dangerous. And I'm only following his command. There are all types of odd creatures that live down there, Yama." Joe explained.
"I'm not scared," he whispered back. Joe sighed and folded his arms across his chest leaning into the side of the ship.
"You will one day when you loose a limb or something. You just have to wait until you encounter a life and death situation. So when you're stuck underwater in the jaws of a shark, don't come crying to me! Because I wont be coming in after you."
Yamato smiled and shrugged nonchalantly, "Fine… then you can explain to dad why I'm dead. No loss to me." Joe stared at him drawing his lip back between his teeth in panic. He bit down to the point he broke the skin. Yamato always made him do this. He'd say things that made Joe worry, and with Joe having a guilty conscious it was easy to pull a harmless trick or two to get his way –when necessary of course.
"I don't even understand why you followed me!" Joe snapped, walking toward the smaller youth. "Father tells you time and time again you should-"
"Get my head out of the water and settle down with the right girl! I know!" Yamato groaned. "And I don't care…"
Yamato restlessly got to his feet and dived head first into the ocean. Joe gasped and ran to the edge, barely stopping before he fell in. His eyes studied the crystal clear water to find the swimming figure. As he expected, Yamato was headed for the surface for air. "Yamato!" he yelled, voice overpowering the calls of the seagulls.
Yamato lifted his head from the water –wiping the salt from his eyes- to face him. "Yeah?"
"Gah! You always have to make my life more difficult don't you? When I catch you, Yamato. I swear on everything holy, you will be in so much trouble!" Joe stomped his foot against the platform. Quickly without thinking, he removed his shirt –carelessly tossing it aside- and dived off the platform into the perfectly regulated water. Yamato was nowhere in sight. He panicked, "Yamato! Yamato!" the blonde youth swam up from behind splashing water at the back of his brother's head.
"See, this can be fun!" Yamato smiled a genuine smile, submerging beneath the surface.
It wasn't often they bonded anymore. Joe was always too busy nowadays to play around with his younger brother. He had his father always telling him about the responsibilities the older brother always has in the royal family. Yamato was always somewhere close by to hear the lecture. Long, boring and pointless he called them. The lectures blunted his brother to the maximum, and almost to the point Joe had forgotten what the meaning of fun actually was. Being out there in the ocean –not having to hear his brother lecture him like his father- was fun.
'Will I ever see that same smile on his face again after this is all over and we head back home? Well, its not like anyone else in this world has it any worse,' he asked inwardly, propelling himself away from the older boy's outstretched hand as an attempt to tag him.
"I don't know what to do with you anymore, Taichi. This is all becoming too much for one merman to take care of!" the king said, staring at his only son in the throne room.
"But-"
"But nothing!" King Triton went on again about how humans were the most dangerous beings in the entire world. Being king of the ocean, he had to look out for his son's safety, and mucking about on the surface to mingle with humans is no way to avoid being hooked- literally speaking of course.
"If they get the chance, Taichi, they'll kill you! I can't leave this kingdom with a son that can't be normal." He bellowed. Taichi found it somewhat offensive and decided he'd smart mouth back,
"I try! You tell me to 'try my best'! Obviously my best isn't up to your standards!"
"That's not what I'm saying!" the king retorted furiously. "You do the complete opposite to everyone else in the palace! If someone goes left, you go right. If everyone loves seaweed stick, you hate it. We all hate humans, and you love them!"
"I don't love humans!" Taichi hissed through his teeth.
The king sunk back into his throne, massaging his temples, "Why was I cursed with you? I didn't do anything wrong when I raised you! No mistakes! You were perfect in your childhood," that was the problem. Taichi hated it. His childhood was nothing but a list of horrid memories.
He noted his first difference back when he was only six or so. He and his best friend would play friendly games of hide-and-go-seek in Coral Reef. He was the son of Triton, and his friend was the son of a divorced –and very crabby- mermaid. Taichi always knew he liked the boy, but never more then a friend. It didn't even strike him until the day the boy approached him and said he was leaving forever –off with his mother Taichi presumed. Just before seeing the last of his best friend, Taichi approached him, biting his lip and wrestling with his hands. Then quickly out of emotion he jerked forward and kissed the boy quickly on the cheek and turned red all in one moment.
Not long later, his father sat him down for a long lecture. Triton told his son he had seen the harmless kiss. Before now, Taichi didn't think there was anything wrong with it. But Triton distinctively got the message through to Taichi with his outraged tone of voice, "Outrageous! It just doesn't happen, Taichi! You just don't do that! As prince of Atlanta, you are bound to only love a woman! I am relying on you to keep up the royal family and one day have your own child."
Not really understanding the situation, Taichi opened his mouth and forced out the words with a childish slur, "What if the baby had two dad's instead of a mum and a dad?"
Triton could only stare.
"W-would that be alright then?" he stuttered, avoiding his fathers harsh glare.
"Absolutely not!" Triton cooled off. "That's not even possible, Taichi… I know you're young, so I can't get mad at you for things like this. Just please don't go against me law, son…" Triton wrapped his thick muscled arms around his son and kissed his cheek. Taichi was quiet though on the inside he was more confused then ever.
"Taichi!" Triton screamed. Taichi quickly snapped his head back up after escaping from the flashbacks his mind pressured on him.
"Huh?"
"Have you been listening to anything I've said?"
"A little."
Triton was irritated, and his narrowed frown showed it all. Tiresome from lecturing his son, Triton got up from his throne and drifted down toward the brunette youth. Taichi flinched –thinking he would physically be punished for the nonsense- one eye stiffly opened and saw his father holding an angry stare.
"You want to be different?" Triton's eyebrows rose, while Taichi's lowered with no reply. "If you want to be different, take a look at!" Triton cut off.
"At?" his son queried.
"Forget it," Triton closed thinking it was for the best. Taichi started to move toward to door. "Stop!" Taichi instantly complied. "As punishment for yelling at the king, you will go to your room and stay there until I see fit." Triton looked around. "Izzy!"
A small orange fish came through a side door and peddled as fast he could through the water, panting by the time he reached Triton. "Yes… your majesty?" The fish sighed heavily in pain, using its small red fins to clutch the underside of its rounded belly.
Triton took no notice of it and continued, "You'll check up on, Taichi every now and again wont you?"
"Yes. Well. I-"
"Dad!" Taichi bellowed. "You're not going to do this to me? I don't need one of your stupid little clowns to watch over me! I'm sixteen damnit! I have the right to do as I want!"
"And I have the right to make you do as I please!" Triton retorted, still angry.
Easily giving up, Taichi squinted his eyes almost on the verge of tears and flicked away, swimming as fast he could out the door in rage.
Triton slunk back to his throne and sat down. He felt guilty, and buried his face in his hands, mumbling, "I'm a terrible father, Izzy."
Izzy didn't know if it was best if he replied. He knew from previous encounters that it was never wise to back the king up on any of his theories. A few blows to the ears made him think twice before he patted his fins together and wheezed, "You're doing a great job with him… he's just a little disobedient, sir. That will all fix up in time. Like all children, he's just going through that teenage stage." He grinned.
"I don't know anymore… I just don't want to be remembered as the king in the royal Atlantean line to ruin everything. He just doesn't listen to me…"
The lazy grin Izzy wore faded. He knew above all what Taichi was like. He had been the king's right hand fish for well over sixteen years now –since Taichi was first born- and that meant he was truly like a father to the boy.
His eyes fell to the throne. On Triton's command, he swam off after Taichi.
Taichi's body weaved up and down through the water as he swam incredibly fast toward his corners of the undersea castle.
"Hey," a feminine voice called after him. She waved flipping out from behind a pylon.
Taichi acted dull. "Hey, Sora…"
"Great to see you made it out in one piece!" she teased. Taichi stared almost staring right through her. "Don't give me that look now, Tai." Edgily, she put her hands on her hips and frowned at him.
"I'm in trouble damnit!" he yelled.
"Trouble?" Taichi –feeling restless- pushed her aside and continued swimming. Sora followed, keeping right on his tail. "What do you mean, trouble? It's not like we did anything truly terrible! So we toyed with a few of the Atlantean guards. Who cares?" she shrugged coolly. Sora was always easy going. They had always gotten together for fun –or as Taichi's father called it, mischief- every day. After Taichi's father ban him from ever befriending another merman again he turned to Sora, who he claimed rightful best friend.
Taichi let Sora into his room and locked the door. He combed his fingers back through his hair and sighed while Sora swam over to his bed and stretched herself out over it, "I don't believe it." He stated.
Sora got up from her comfortable lying position –with her back in the bed, and head sinking into the pillow- to face her best friend. He looked angry, his hands tightened in fists, gritting his teeth rigidly.
"Don't believe what, Tai?"
"He thinks there's something wrong with me! I can't help it if I act this way! It's not my fault! I didn't ask to be like this!"
Sora winced; this is what she heard every week. Time and repeated, his father would do this to him. Sora often wondered if he'd ever get sick of trying to change Taichi. She never thought there was anything wrong with the way he acted. In fact, she thought he'd be a great king for his time.
"Come sit," she invited, patting a space on the bed beside her. He accepted, resting his hands on the lower part of his body. "There's a way out of this, Tai. There's a way out of everything."
"He wants me to get married, Sora!" he stopped to catch a breath. "He doest care what I think or feel. I just can't do it! I'm not cut out for royalty. I just want to live like a human and escape all these merman problems!" he leant forward, burying his face in his hands. "Human's aren't homophobic at least… There's nothing wrong with wanting to be human is there? Is there something wrong with liking another merman?"
Sora mused over the question biting her bottom lip nervously. She put a hand on his shoulder for comfort. "No. There isn't. I don't think so anyway… I like merman!" she said supportively, though she felt awkward saying this to her best friend. "Has he told you when he wants you married by?"
"Two weeks…"
"Two what?"
"Weeks," he repeated. "Two weeks. He wants me to get over my obsessions and think of everyone else for once."
"But you can't make others happy, unless you're happy!" she retorted.
Taichi lifted his head, working out a kink that had squirmed its way into his mind. "There has to be some other way to do this," he muttered, throwing his back into the bed.
"Of course there is… you just haven't figured it out yet."
Taichi shot back up and faced her. "I have an idea!" It wasn't one of the brightest, but he'd do just about anything to make it out of this royal wedding. Sora stared partly worried and a little keen. "What if I… marry you?"
"Ewe! Heck no! I'm only fifteen!"
"So what, I'm sixteen and I'm being forced into this!"
"We're best friends, Taichi. Honestly we are, and I'd do anything for you. I can put up being friends with you… just can't marry you," she laughed. "We're like brother and sister. You'll just have to think of something else. I want to marry for love, which is what you should do!"
Taichi fell back down onto the bed, turning his head away from her. "There has to be someone out there…"
"Of course there is! You… are just having a little bit of difficulty finding her or him."
Taichi groaned loudly, "Him? Ha! Say that to my father… the last time I fell in love I got into the deepest hole. He left with his mother though…" Taichi's eyes welled up to the break of tears.
Sora blinked. "What was his name?"
The tears in Taichi's eyes stopped as he quickly got back up to look at her. "I don't remember…"
"You mean… you had a love, happy as ever, never forget him, but you forgot his damn name? Then, what did he look like?" she queried, growing into depth with the conversation.
"I don't know."
"Taichi, you shouldn't just make up things!"
"I didn't make it up," he explained. "I just remember kissing him. And I remember he was the most beautiful thing in the entire world…" Taichi's heart throbbed.
Sora –genuinely confused- kept up the questions, "How do you know he's the most beautiful thing in the entire world If you don't even remember what he looks like?"
"He was my best friend!"
Sora smiled, "You sure have a thing for best friends, don't you? Gesh, Tai! First you fall in love with your old best friend, and a few minutes ago you were asking to marry me in order to trick your father! And I seriously don't see what good marrying me would do," she puzzled, making herself more comfortable on the bed.
"Well… don't get me wrong here, I love girls and everything!" he stressed the importance. "But, there are none I feel for. And I'm not marrying because I have to. I want to marry someone –like you said- for love. And I can tell you anything, so you'd know I don't really love you! But my stupid father wouldn't suspect a thing… then I could go out and chace my dream of being one of them. A human, Sora!"
Sora rolled her eyes away from Taichi. "Human lover! Even if you did want to chace that dream, it's pointless! The only person in this ocean who can make you like them is that filthy sick sea witch."
"Then I'll visit this witch and get her to turn me into a human!"
"Don't be stupid! Your father would freak out! And she's got issues," Sora grumbled. Taichi knew she was right, even if he didn't want to admit it.
Taichi smiled and swam over to the opposite side of the room. He flittered his tail excitedly. "Let's go!" he suggested, pointing toward his window.
"Go where? Aren't you in enough trouble?"
"We'll just go for a quick swim out of Atlanta… the fresh water might do me some good! Who knows, I might think of something while we're gone!"
Taichi opened up the small window and fit through it. Sora sighed and hesitantly followed with no other choice.
Shortly after, Taichi's bedroom door creaked open. Only a small orange fish entered. "Oh, I knew he'd run off! What's is the king going to say about this? Think of the trouble's you will's be in, Izzy… this is bad!" The fish blobbed over to the window and looked out spotting the two figures swimming out of Atlanta. "If I follows them. I will's be able to gets Taichi home before's the king even notices he's gone…" the fish squeezed his round body through the window and propelled himself after them. "I just hope, Izzy is doing's the right thing!"
Thanks for reading. Hope you all liked it. I'll try and get the next chappy up ASAP... if you even liked it that is.
- X-HARU