Written very quickly for completeoveranalysis at tumblr, originally through several asks. He was still halfway through the Shara arc when I wrote this without spoilers, which will explain Fai's character development in this thing. (12k words, written in 1 week)

I'm posting this now because I keep forgetting that this fic exists :(

red eyes at dawn

Part 1

Once upon a time, in a land far away, there was a merman named Fai.

Fai had the richest, most beautiful voice in all of the undersea kingdom, and merman and merwoman alike were envious of it. He could enchant the sharks to sleep, convince the anemones to their most vibrant shades, and touch the hearts of the stoniest cave-dwellers in the furthest reaches of the realm. Fai loved to sing.

But singing was not his only interest. He loved to explore. He had burrowed into the deep, dark crevices of the ocean, slipped into tight caves that resembled cracks, and swam amongst the most colorful reefs known to the undersea.

The day came when Fai, on his explorations, broke through the ocean's surface, only to see the strongest, most handsome warrior he had ever seen. The man was broad-shouldered and taller than any of the other two-legs in his company, and he had sharp features, a defined jaw, and eyes that held no fear.

Fai's heart galloped. His breath caught. He was enchanted.

The warrior did not see him, however, and Fai found himself swimming closer for a better look, ensnared as he was.

Alas, the handsome warrior was too far away on land. By the time Fai reached the shore, the warrior had ridden away on his inky stallion, flanked by dozens of his men.

Fai was disappointed. He swam back to his kingdom, haunted by thoughts of the majestic warrior night and day. What did he sound like? What was his name? Did he already have a betrothed?

Fai returned to the very same shore day after day, hoping for another glimpse of the warrior.

He did not sight him until a week later, when the man rode his steed into the shallow waters of the beach, scanning the thin horizon for something. His men stayed back on dry sand.

Seeing his chance, Fai beat his tail and glided through the water, all the way until he had wound between the horse's hooves.

The horse saw him. The warrior did not. Suddenly brave, Fai pushed his head up through the water, and waved.

"Hello," he said.

Sharp red eyes cut down at him. "What?" the warrior snapped, before his eyes grew wide. "Who— What are you?"

"My name is Fai," Fai said, and he wove around to the other side of the horse's hooves, grinning wide as the warrior's eyes tracked his movements. "Who are you?"

"I'm the General Kurogane," the warrior said, his voice low, accent faint, "serving under Her Royal Princess, Tomoyo. Who're you allied with?"

Fai blinked.

"Allied with?" he said. "What are you talking about?"

Kurogane's forehead furrowed. "We're on the brink of a war with Shara, across the waters. I repeat, who're you allied with?"

Fai stared. "There's a war?"

The General rolled his eyes. "The Princess predicted a war. If you are an ally of Nihon, then say so now. I'll have you captured otherwise."

"Oh," Fai said. "Well, I belong to the undersea kingdom of Celes. The war really has nothing to do with us. Will you be here often?"

"No," the General said, "there'll be patrols stationed here. I've waited long enough for news of the attack."

Fai's heart sank. "But," he said, "what if I looked out for the enemy's ships for you? Will you stay?"

By now, some of the General's troops had ventured forward into the water, arrows raised. Kurogane stopped them with a raised arm. "You can report to my patrolling men," he answered, turning his steed to leave.

Fai stared after him, aghast. "How rude," he said. "I'm not helping."

Kurogane looked back, red eyes calculating. He halted his mount, glanced towards the sea and back, and Fai knew the General was estimating his success in capturing him.

"I'm slippery," he told the General (and in mer-speak that was a big deal in courtship), "you cannot catch me."

The general studied him for longer, and finally asked, "how do we win your cooperation?"

"Simple," Fai said with a blinding grin, "you will have to receive the reports from me, personally."

It seemed that those eyes of Kurogane's missed nothing, but Fai was content to present just this side of himself. "I can't linger here forever while you give me reports," the General growled, "I have other duties to attend to, a war to fight."

Fai looked at him, sighed. "Well," he said, "then I'm afraid we must part ways. It's really not that far a swim to the other side. If you can swim."

"I can damn well swim, you idiot," Kurogane hissed, red creeping up his neck. "Fine. I will receive your reports."

"Truly?" Fai asked, his heart quivering with excitement. "You will keep your word?"

"Yes," the General said with only a moment's pause. His eyes raked over Fai, and Fai shivered. "But there are days I will be called away to duty. What, then?"

"Then there will be no reports on those days. I will only give them to you," Fai said, flicking his tail. "Do we have an agreement, Kuro-strong?"

"My name is Kurogane," the warrior said, "but yes. How do I know you aren't lying?"

Fai frowned. He looked down at himself. There was nothing on him to prove his identity, and nothing of value to prove his word. He bit his lip, dug his nail beneath a scale on his tail, and yanked hard. It hurt. Blood seeped into the water. He held the translucent circle up to the warrior, who had to bend to reach it. His fingers were calloused and big.

"How do I know you'll keep your word, yourself?"

Kurogane met his eyes, and said, "I do not lie."

Maybe it was his tone, or maybe it was his steady gaze. Fai felt a shiver arrow straight down his spine. "Okay," he said, "I will be here at dawn tomorrow. Please do not bring so many men with you. It's kind of scary."

The general looked at him for another long moment, before he nodded. "Fine."

Fai smiled at him then, slipped backwards through the surf. "I'll see you tomorrow, Kuro-scary," he said, waving. "Don't forget!"

He felt their eyes on him as he swam away, and ducked behind a rock to lose them.

Fai didn't know how he was going to explain himself to King Ashura, so he put that out of his mind, and swam instead to the other side of the sea.

It would have taken a while if he were relying on his own strength, but he knew the seas as well as the back of his hand, and ocean currents were no stranger to him. In hours, he was coasting along the shore of Shara, bobbing his head up every so often.

Fai saw a great many things along the coast. There were children on the sand, and there were stretches where wild birds nested. There was also a segment of beach along a city where great ships were being loaded, men hefting boxes and crates up along spindly gangplanks. These were all things that didn't concern him, though, so he noted them with an observer's eye, swam until he was bored, and headed back.

General Kurogane was waiting at the beach the next day. In the scant light of dawn, Fai studied the men he brought from afar. There were six soldiers with him—still too many, but it was less threatening than having dozens stare at him. When he was certain that there weren't more in hiding, and that they did not have nets with them, he swam closer.

"Yoohoo," he called. "General Kuro-Kuro!"

The man spluttered. He rode up into the ebbing tide in a huff, glaring down. "My name is Kurogane," he snapped. "At least call me that!"

Fai grinned at him. "If I said no?"

The General's eyebrow twitched. He maintained his composure, though. Fai suspected it was because there were subordinates he needed to put a front up for.

"What news do you bring?"

"They are loading ships," Fai said. "Five big ones on the south coast. I think you've seen those before. Made of wood, large sails."

Kurogane nodded grimly. "What else?"

"That was all I saw," Fai said. "Why is there a war?"

"It'll be winter soon," the General replied. "There's been a long drought. They want more land to grow food."

"Oh," Fai said. "That doesn't sound good."

The General eyed him carefully. "Have you changed your mind?"

Fai shook his head, surprised. "Of course not," he said. "I was just feeling sad on their behalf."

"Doesn't mean they can take land that isn't theirs."

"Well, no. Like I said, I'll continue to help you."

Kurogane nodded. "Good. Do you have more news?"

"Not right now." He swam around the horse's forelegs. "Won't you stay longer?"

The General shook his head. He scanned the lightening skies and seemed to make up his mind. Fai frowned when Kurogane jerked his reins.

"Wait," he said. "What did you do with my scale?"

Kurogane looked back at him, at the shimmer of his tail. "I still have it."

"But what are you going to do with it?"

The General shrugged. He slipped a couple of fingers behind his chest plate and pulled the scale out. It was faintly opalescent in the light of dawn. "What can I do with it?"

Fai smiled. "You may continue to wear it close to your heart," he said, and watched as a flush crept up Kurogane's throat. "I'm just glad to see that you're taking care of it. I'm touched."

"I'm not," the General spluttered. He shoved the scale back into his clothes, back against his breast, and looked away. "I'm leaving."

"Will you be back tomorrow?" Fai asked hopefully. He didn't want to read too much into the scale, but the knowledge sat warm in his chest. The General seemed a good man.

"Will you?" Kurogane held his gaze. Fai nodded and grinned.

"Yes."

"Then I'll be here as well," the General said.

His was a breathtaking outline against the velvet blue sky, and Fai couldn't help staring as he retreated, men parting to let him through.

Fai's reports continued for days in a row. Shara's ships loaded slowly. There was little to tell the General but the same old, and Fai discovered that the Nihonese Princess would be sending ships out to intercept their enemy's.

In this time, the number of men accompanying the General decreased. Fai blinked when he found Kurogane alone on the shore one day, stallion by his side. He swam forward and waved, and waited while the man splashed through the waves on his strange two legs.

"All alone today?" he asked, flicking his tail in the way that merwomen preferred to do. The patch of skin on his tail was still raw. It would take a while for another scale to grow in its place. "Aren't you afraid I might attack you, or something?"

The General scoffed. "If you'd wanted to attack me before this, you would have by now."

Fai twisted on his hands, deftly, and brought his tail curling up behind the General's knees. Kurogane landed in the surf with a loud splash, flailing, dagger flashing in his hand. The weapon was easy enough to dodge; Fai caught his hand, slipped past that, and tucked himself into the crook of Kurogane's arm.

"I haven't touched one of you before," he breathed. "You are so very warm."

"What the hell," the General said. Red eyes glared, and Kurogane's free arm came up to grab at Fai.

"Be gentle," he yelped, holding his hands up. "I'm unarmed!"

That did not stop the General. Kurogane secured his hands, pinned them behind his back, and glared down at him. "The hell do you think you're doing," he growled, low and dangerous, and Fai felt his insides tingle. "I could kill you right now."

"At least take advantage of me first," Fai said, pouting. "Don't just kill me like that. That's an awful waste."

"What kind of idiot are you," the General snapped, eyes roving over him.

"Are you checking me for weapons, or are you checking me out?"

Fai fluttered his lashes at the man; Kurogane threw him back into the sea with a huge splash.

"You don't just shove people around like that," Fai told him when he surfaced, wet hair plastered to his face.

"I was checking you for weapons." The General got to his feet, one hand on his sheathed dagger. "What information do you have today?"

Fai's shoulders sagged. "Oh, come on," he whined. "You're no fun. I wanted to play."

"I'm a General of Nihon," Kurogane said. "I'm not here to play."

"Then why did the Princess not send you on her fleet?" Fai asked, swimming around the man. Kurogane grimaced.

"None of your business."

"Did she strip you of all your men?" He swam closer to the General, who backed warily away. Fai pretended to gasp. "You didn't disobey her orders, did you?"

"I did not," Kurogane said, glaring. "All she said was, it's imperative that I stay here. Which is a load of bull if you ask me."

"She left the big General all alone?" Fai couldn't believe it, but maybe the Princess was doing them both a favor. "So you're a messenger now?"

Kurogane swung a fist at his head. Fai dodged, eased into deeper water.

"You're in my territory, Kuro-fight. Don't be rude."

"For the last time, my name is Kurogane! And I am still a General." Kurogane had his wits about him, though—he did not attempt to follow Fai. "I'll be back tomorrow."

Fai wriggled his fingers. "Sooner or later," he said. "I'll try to be patient."

The General brought two men with him the next day. He rode his steed into shallow surf, and Fai frowned.

"You're way too high up," he said.

Kurogane ignored that. "Your news for today?"

"The first fleet is making progress towards your northwestern coast. They're loading up a second fleet."

"Anything else?"

"Your people aren't familiar with the northern seas, are they? They're headed straight for a pile of huge rocks beneath the water's surface. Which could shred them to pieces. Of course, it won't seem like much from above, but the waves are pretty rough there."

The General made a noise of aggravation. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier? Are they there yet?"

"They have three days if the wind conditions are right. Maybe four. I didn't think they'd actually attempt sailing across it." Fai shrugged. "Of course, if Shara doesn't know about those rocks, it could be something you could use to your advantage."

"I should be out there," Kurogane muttered, eyes narrowed. He cast the horizon a long look.

"Maybe your Princess thinks there are more important things you have to be doing here."

"Tch." The General glanced at his men, jerked his chin at Fai. Suspicious, Fai studied the trio, flicking his tail so he inched into deeper water. "The Princess Tomoyo sends her greetings," Kurogane said stiffly. "On behalf of Nihon, we're extending these gifts of friendship to your kingdom, Celes. I need you to deliver this to your King."

Fai watched, dumbstruck, as the General's men slid off their horses and splashed into the water, unstrapping little red-brown chests from the backs of their mounts. "What are in those?"

"Jewels and gold." Kurogane waved to one chest. His soldier opened it. A little pile of colorful gems nestled on rich cloth within, cut and polished so they glinted in a multitude of colors. They were pretty, and Fai was intrigued. There were tools made with silver and yellow metals, too, ones that were similar to what the Celesian smiths worked at the lava fissures. Fai had seen plenty of metal before, so these were of little interest to him. "And some stoneware."

In the other chest were two gleaming cups, bone-white with paintings in shades of blue, and a number of carved land creatures.

"The Princess didn't know if you could carry more than that," Kurogane said. "But we'll continue the gifts if your King is agreeable to them."

"I can take those," Fai said, itching to poke around the little gifts to better examine them. "But two chests are plenty."

"You will take all of these to your King," the General pressed. "They aren't for you."

Fai smiled and shrugged. "Yeah. I know."

He took the chests, raised his eyebrows at the weight of them. Kurogane didn't seem convinced of his honesty. It wasn't as though Fai wouldn't be entitled to these, however.

"King Ashura will receive Nihon's gifts," he said. "You needn't worry about that."

"You have access to the palace, or the King, or wherever he lives?"

"A little late to be asking that, but yes. I do." Fai laughed. "You should have asked that first."

Kurogane frowned. "I'll be waiting for a response from your King."

Fai tucked the chests beneath his arm. "I'll be back with his word tomorrow," he answered. "Will you be here?"

The General nodded.

When he had swum out of their sight, Fai surfaced by a headland full of boulders. He set the chests down on a shaded flat rock, heaved himself up, and began to pick through the sparkling gems, holding them up to the light. Jewels were rare undersea, and he so loved the sapphires from Nihon.

In the other chest, he found carved creatures of all sorts—ones with long noses, ones with sharp teeth, and even the occasional turtle, which had feet instead of flippers.

Fai spent a long time playing with the treasures.

It was late when he returned to Ashura's palace, chests tucked beneath his arm, spear in his other hand.

King Ashura was surprised by the gifts, and not-so-pleased that Fai had surfaced enough for the land kingdom to acknowledge their existence. Fai promised to pass his message on, to have Nihon swear secrecy about Celes.

He also convinced his King that forging a connection between their countries would be of value to their future. Nihon seemed prosperous and peaceful. Ashura agreed to return gifts of their own, packed in the heavy wooden chests that the Nihonese valuables arrived in.

The Princess Chii swam up to investigate their discussion; Fai's eyes grew wide when she began to finger through the gemstones.

"I call dibs on the sapphires," he said, between his words to the King. "And the turtles."

Chii stuck her tongue out at him. "That's not fair."

Sheepish, he asked Ashura, "or do you want those for yourself, Father?"

Ashura shook his head and smiled, dark hair drifting about him. "You may have them, Fai."

Fai grinned.

By the time he arrived at the beach the next morning, it was close to sunrise. The General was wearing a scowl when Fai pushed through the water's surface. His ire dissipated immediately, though, when he looked again at Fai.

"What the hell are you wearing?" Kurogane snapped. His eyes darted immediately to the sleek golden spear Fai held by his side.

Fai smiled at him, faintly amused.

"I come in King Ashura's name, General," he said, and bowed with a flourish. "Prince Fai of Celes, at your service."

Kurogane's mouth was hanging open. Fai didn't think the General was aware of it.

"My apologies. Are my things on crooked?" Fai set his chests down in the water beside him and picked at the elaborate chains around his neck. When Kurogane remained staring, he rearranged the circlet on his head, twisted his bangles, and tugged at his earrings. "These are really a pain to wear around. They add a lot of drag to oneself, which was partly why I was late this morning."

The General retained enough of his mental faculties to latch onto his last sentence. "You were late," he said. "We've been waiting here a full half hour for you."

Fai shrugged. "Well, yeah. I had to deliver your gifts to my King and catch a current all the way to Shara, and back. Then I had to rest, pick all these up and bring them here, and these ornaments tangle if I change directions too quickly."

"You talk a lot," the General said. Fai made a face at him. "What is your King's response?"

"King Ashura accepts Nihon's tokens of friendship. In return, we present these." Fai lifted the chests, opened them to drain the water that had collected within. Kurogane nodded for his men to receive them. "In this chest, we have some of our rarest corals. I'm not sure if they'll survive in your palace, though. We've never tried raising them out here. Maybe you should bring some seawater with you."

"Noted," the General said. "Thank you."

"In this chest, we have precious stones from the sea. Some jewelry. Your Princess might like them." Fai handed the second chest over, watched as the General's men retreated. "Well?"

"We graciously receive the gifts from Celes and consider the friendship forged," Kurogane said. He looked as though he'd rather be fighting instead of making polite small talk. "Princess Tomoyo sends her regards."

"King Ashura sends his regards in return." Fai bobbed in the water. The General swept a passing glance over the chest contents. "Sorry I was late. I thought you'd still want your updates on Shara."

"Do you have new information?" Red eyes flashed with interest.

"It looks like your ships have avoided the rocks in the sea. Shara's ships are still headed your way. Their second fleet is comprised of smaller ships, by the way. So they might be quicker."

"Right." Kurogane thought on his words. "Where is the kingdom of Celes? We don't want to plan an attack nearby."

Fai shrugged, smiled. "It's not something you need to know. We'll inform you if you're stepping on our tails."

The General narrowed his eyes. "Fine."

"I'll see you tomorrow, then?" Fai turned so the rising sun caught on the gold of his jewelry.

"Yeah." Kurogane stared at him for longer, and Fai delved back into the sea to hide the heat creeping up his cheeks.

The General continued to attend the beach meetings with his men. It was three days after the gift exchange that he showed up alone with his stallion.

"Are you not afraid for your life?" Fai asked as he swam up to the forelegs of the General's horse. He had left his jewelry off as soon as he could—it was far too difficult to navigate the sea in secret with glinting metal hanging from his body.

"Not particularly," Kurogane said, surveying him. "You don't have your spear with you."

Fai shrugged. "I have no intention of harming you."

"But you can't have left it far behind."

"I have not. You're very sharp, Kuro-tall."

The General glowered at him. "Kurogane. You're very experienced with close combat. There's no way you'll go anywhere without a weapon."

"But I have none on me right now," Fai said, and smiled his most innocent smile. "Do you want to see?"

"No. I have no use for that."

But the man's cheeks had darkened. Fai was content with that.

"Why do you continue with this?" At Fai's puzzled look, he added, "this spying for Nihon. What's in it for you?"

"What's in it for me, I wonder."

"Don't play stupid games with me," the General said, forehead creased.

"Did you leave your men behind so you could ask me this?" Fai asked, curious. "Are you embarrassed by this question?"

"You're more likely to lie in their presence."

Fai grinned. This man had sharp eyes; it was exciting to be seen through by him. Almost intimate, even. "You haven't figured it out yet?"

He saw the moment Kurogane realized it, because his eyes widened comically.

"You— This— Really?!" the man spluttered. "Me?"

"I think you look very good," Fai purred, curling around the legs of the General's stallion. "I want to know you better."

"This is wrong on so many levels," Kurogane said. Red eyes turned to slits; his lips pursed. "I don't believe you."

"You don't have to." Fai shrugged. "I didn't think this would be easy."

The General's expression shifted to one of wariness.

"You will not control me, if that is your plan," he said. "I obey no one but the Princess herself."

Fai smiled fondly at him. "You're cute. But no, that's not my goal."

"I'll have nothing to do with a crafty fish like you, regardless." Kurogane scowled. He checked the sky and asked, "what's going on with Shara?"

"Their second fleet has set sail," Fai said. "They aren't going the same direction. I think they're targeting the port you have just down the coast."

"When will they be here?"

"About twenty days, if the wind is right."

"Tch. Maybe Tomoyo will let me fight this time. It's not too far away."

Fai's eyebrows drew together. "So you're leaving me?"

"I'm not beholden to you."

"Ouch. That stings." Fai cradled his chest with his hand, unable to help his pout. "What if I gave you your updates at the port?"

The General considered his words. "You're willing to follow me?"

He shrugged. "The port is not too far away from here. Or if you're sailing, I'll trail behind your ship."

Kurogane stared at him. "Why are you even doing all this?"

"Because I want a kiss!" Fai's shoulders sagged. "And you have not been forthcoming with them."

"I don't— I barely even know you," the General said, aghast. "And we're men. From different kingdoms. You're not even human."

Fai gulped and fell back, chest aching. "You didn't have to do that."

Kurogane's forehead furrowed. "Look, I didn't mean that. You're still a person. I just— This isn't the right time for anything."

"Well, yeah, but you could suffer a fatal blow and then I'll never get my kiss." Fai stuck his lower lip out.

"Fighting is what I do," Kurogane said. "But I will not fall easily, if you're that concerned."

He sighed. "I don't want you to fall at all."

"You're a warrior yourself. You know there will be risks."

"I do." Fai slipped further into the water to hide himself, so a wave crashed over his head. "I just— I wish there wasn't a war."

Kurogane snorted. "Then I wouldn't even be here, looking out for enemy ships."

"Does that mean—"

"I'll think about it. I can say that much."

That helped, at least, when the General nodded to take his leave. This wasn't what Fai had planned for at all. Who knew fishing for a kiss would be this difficult?

The General did not show up over the next few days. Instead, he sent his men, who stayed on dry sand while Fai approached them cautiously.

"I have no updates for you," he told them. "The General knows this."

"General Kurogane wishes you to know that he will be back," one soldier said. "The Princess has summoned an audience with him."

"Oh. Was the coral alive when your Princess received it?"

"I'm afraid we don't know," the soldier answered.

Fai sighed. "When will he be back?"

"In another four days."

He thanked them and left, retrieving his spear from where he'd wedged it between some boulders.

Kurogane took six days to return. Fai surfaced at dawn each day to scan the beach, but there was no sign of the General, and he did not approach the soldiers on their horses. The situation with Shara crawled along. They were loading more ships. Fai wondered if they had civilians on board, people who could not fight, but who would try to find their way onto shore. It would be terrible if those ships sunk.

All the same, this was not his war, and he did not want to jeopardize the General's mission.

He did not tell King Ashura what he felt for the General, either. But Ashura was his father, and Fai suspected the King knew, or would find out sooner or later. He had been spending a lot more time away from the palace since he met Kurogane. Chii, at least, would complain about his absence, and that could not be a good thing.

When the General returned, Fai's heart almost leaped from his chest.

Kurogane showed up alone on the beach. In his excitement, Fai shot through the water towards him. It was a testimony to his speed, then, that the General immediately backed away at his approach, only to stumble on soft, shifting sand and yelp when Fai tackled him around his thighs.

They made similar grunts hitting the ground.

"The hell," Kurogane snapped.

Fai grinned up at him. "Welcome back!"

"Will you get off my legs." The General scowled, and Fai rolled off, brushing imaginary sand off his chest plate. It didn't really help. Fai's hands left more sand than they attempted to clean, and the swash crept up beneath them, soaking through the back of the General's uniform. "Damn it!"

"You could take it off to dry," Fai said. "I'll even help you with them."

"No way." Kurogane glared, got to his feet. "You'll just get me wetter."

"I'll get you slippery." He wriggled his eyebrows, but the General did not seem fazed. Fai sighed. "We have communication problems."

"You think?"

"When I say 'slippery', I meant here." Fai reached up for the tops of his legs, and Kurogane batted his hand away with a glare.

"You're not touching anything," he growled.

"Is that a challenge?"

"Hell no!" Kurogane backed off, further up onto dry sand, and Fai made a face.

"I can't reach you from here."

"Exactly the point."

He sighed again. "So did you miss me?"

"No." Another glare.

"That's not fair," Fai said. "Because I missed you." When the General didn't say anything to that, he added, "did your Princess like the gifts?"

"She liked the jewelry. The coral died on the way there. Turned white."

Fai grimaced. "Ouch. Guess we won't include that in future friendly gift exchanges, then."

"In the future? Are you talking to other kingdoms on land, now?" The General leaned forward, eyebrows drawn low.

"Well. If you think about it that way, we're just making friends. Not enemies. I can't promise you that my King won't attempt to extend a hand of friendship to the other land kingdoms as well."

Kurogane made a low noise of frustration. "Have you been spying on us for Shara?"

"No." Fai frowned, folded his arms. "I told you I wasn't lying. I gave you my scale! That hurt!"

The General absorbed his words contemplatively, red eyes dropping to his tail.

Fai shifted his tail away from his line of sight. "See something you like?"

"No." Kurogane huffed. He folded his arms. "So, about the other kingdoms."

"What's your Princess's opinion on Celes? Are you going to tell the other kingdoms about us?"

"That depends on whether you do that yourself first, idiot."

"Have you, yet?"

The General paused. "No. Have you?"

Fai shook his head. "So we agree to keep this friendship secret, then."

"You mean Celes and Nihon."

"That, yes. Are you wanting to keep us a secret, too?" Fai grinned, raised his eyebrows.

"There's nothing secret about us," the General snapped, flushing. "You're sitting there, and I'm over here. Nothing's happening."

"Yet," Fai amended.

"So," Kurogane said, glaring, "the alliance between Celes and Nihon will not be known to Shara and the other kingdoms."

"What about your men? They have seen me."

"I trust my platoon. They will not sell us out." There was a hint of pride on the General's face that was charming, and it made Fai smile. "What?"

"Nothing," he said. "You're cute."

Kurogane's expression just as soon shifted into disgust. "Wash your eyes, fish man. I'm a General of Nihon. I'm not cute."

"So you say." Fai grinned. "You can be cute and a General at the same time."

The General flipped him off.

"That just makes you all the more adorable." Fai laughed when Kurogane grit his teeth. "Can't you do anything more dangerous?"

"I can," Kurogane muttered. "But I will not have the death of royalty on my hands. Especially not when we've just formed an alliance."

"I'm glad I mean something to you," Fai said. He rolled his eyes.

"I'm here for the updates," the General said, folding his arms. "What news do you have? I've been gone a while."

"You've heard that your first fleet has engaged in battle with Shara, then."

Kurogane nodded.

"Shara's second fleet might reach your port before your other fleet intercepts them. Just so you know."

"My sources say that Shara's second fleet won't be here until after we've taken up arms."

Fai shrugged. "The winds change over the sea sometimes. They're moving faster now. And your ships are still making their way over. Don't you have more ships than twenty?"

"The rest are on their way," Kurogane said. He was frowning, and he had begun to pace. "Not all of them will defend the coast from our side."

"Attack from behind? I like that." Fai flapped his tail and stretched out. It wasn't as if he had anything else to do, and there were strands of kelp along the beach. He grabbed one that looked as though there were tassels hanging down its length, and popped the green-brown bubbles where he could find them.

"What about their port? Do they have any other fleets loading?" The General was glancing at him every now and then, and Fai braided a thin strip of seaweed through his hair. This was something else in the merwomen's courtship rituals.

"Just the last fleet. I think you might have your hands full with these three. I swam along their coast while you were gone, you know. The third fleet has five big ships. The rest of their water transport are fishing boats."

"Huh. Good to know." Kurogane rolled his shoulders. His joints popped, and Fai watched as he heaved out a lungful of air. "Means we can focus on the attacking fleets."

"So are you going with the defending fleet?" Fai asked. "What did your princess decide?"

"She said I'm to sail with the defense." The General grinned a shark's smile, and Fai admired the brutality of it. "I hope we'll get to conquer a ship or two."

"Don't kill the innocents," Fai said.

Kurogane's forehead wrinkled. "What innocents?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. If they don't only have soldiers, you know. If they happen to have civilians on the ship."

"Why would they have civilians?" The General threw him a sharp stare. Fai jerked his shoulders uneasily.

"It's just a feeling, I swear. You know, in case they happen to be on the ship."

"Civilians don't go on war ships," Kurogane said. "Or do you know something you aren't saying?"

"I don't!" Fai frowned. "It's just— They aren't really soldiers, are they? They seem innocent."

"It's a war," the General said. "If they choose to fight, then they are soldiers."

Fai sighed. "It's not nice to kill people."

"Have you killed people?" Kurogane looked pointedly at him.

"Yeah, well. Sometimes it can't be helped." He pulled a face, and chose not to talk about the times he did want to kill.

"Then you have no right to tell me who I can or cannot kill."

Fai scrunched his face up. War was tricky like that. "All right, then. What did your princess call you back for?"

"Military discussions." The General stamped his feet on the sand, glanced around. "Crap like that. None of your business."

"Oh, come on." He pushed his bottom lip out. "I was lonely while you were gone."

"Still none of your business."

"Will you at least sit with me?" Fai patted the sand next to him, and smiled invitingly at the man.

Kurogane considered his suggestion for moments. "No."

"Tomorrow, then?"

"Tch. Still no. I have to get going."

"What're your plans for today? Growl like a dog at your poor men?" Fai wriggled his eyebrows.

"I'm surprised you even know what a dog is, fish man."

"Sometimes they come splashing in the water. I bet they can swim better than you, Kuro-grump."

"I can swim." The General narrowed his eyes, but the very corner of his lips had quirked up. He turned to leave. "You'll be here tomorrow?"

Fai nodded.

"I want to see how you fight," Kurogane said. "Bring your spear."

A slow smile spread itself across Fai's face.

A/N: Part 2 should be up sometime over the next few weeks... look out for it! :) I've just started work on a novel.