Surfacing (2?)

Rating: T

Warnings: boy/boy love, some sexual innuendo and nakedness, violence, no empathy, and gratuitous abuse of our G-boys.

Pairings: 3x4, 1x2, 5xS

Summary: Based loosely off of "The Little Mermaid." A prince below the sea, who longs for freedom and choice in his life, and another on land who shuts out the world…when feelings surface, more than one life will be changed.

Note: Part of my mini Disney project…and because the thought of a merman Quatre appeals to me and Dorothy is Ursula without a doubt in my mind.

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing is owned by Sotsu Agency, Bandai, and Sunrise...I have no legal hold over them. Nor do I own anything affiliated with Disney…I'm just borrowing and warping a story they borrowed. I am a mere college girl with no money attempting to entertain herself.

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Chapter Two: There Lived a Sad Prince

Quatre took off for the surface, curiosity burning through his veins as much as the anticipation of breaking the ocean's surface was. The booming noises happening above his head were loud, even muffled by the water, and the brightly colored lights that peppered the ocean's face made him grin…the consequences of his actions be damned at this moment. If he didn't go now and see whatever this commotion was, he just knew he'd regret it for the rest of his life…the question was he didn't know how he knew that. He could vaguely hear Wufei shouting after him, telling him that he was an idiot, but he didn't turn around to acknowledge him…the poor court mage didn't really know what he had gotten himself into when he agreed to 'watch' over him.

Quatre slowed his pace right before he broke the surface, easing his body out from the fluid ocean to the clear surface. He felt his gills shrink away so he could breathe air, and inhaled the crisp, cool air deeply as he closed his eyes; when he opened his teal eyes once more to focus on the stormy looking sky that was being colored with sparkling lights. He smiled and let out an excited laugh as the colors danced with each other, twisting around each other in a sinuous pattern that reminded Quatre of deep sea coral…and all the lights were coming from a huge, floating ship. It had a tall spire sticking out from the middle of it, cloth attached to it and billowing with the sea wind…the merman prince had never seen a ship that was afloat before…he laughed again. The waves of the ocean's surface were jolting and roiled to and fro almost violently, but the blonde merman didn't care.

He felt Duo and Wufei surface on either side of him and smiled brightly as both gasped at the scene before them; looks Wufei could be surprised after all. Quatre looked at each before focusing back on the massive ship, still sending off the sparks into the night sky. "It's amazing, isn't it?"

"Sure is," Duo said in an awe-struck tone, his violet eyes wide and a huge grin on his face. "I wonder what all those lights are going off for…"

"Let's find out!" Quatre said with a laugh as he dived back into the water, swimming towards the ship as fast as he could…he didn't want to lose the ship, or Wufei to come out of shock and realize what he had done. His lithe body cut through the water with ease, his teal fins propelling him faster than any paddles could to a ship, and much sooner than humanly possible, Quatre was at the side of the ship, resurfacing out of the water and feeling drawn to the sounds of music and talking coming from above. Quatre looked back and forth for a few minutes along the side of the ship before he found something he could use…a rope that led to a small stepping area. Quatre smiled again as he levered his body out of the water and pulled himself up the length of the ship.

It was quite difficult, he could only use his arms and upper body to pull himself along, his heavy fin and tail hanging behind him, and n the surface air, he wasn't cushioned by the feeling of weightlessness. He made it up to a ledge that he could sit on comfortably, close, but hidden and out of sight; all with a little gap in between the planking that allowed him to peek in at what the humans were doing on their ship…and he couldn't help but smile as he saw them dancing and reveling in some sort of celebration. Most had drinks in their hands, and some were playing strange looking instruments to Quatre, but the sound was pleasing…he felt vindicated at watching the humans. They really weren't that different, humans and merfolk.

Quatre felt something step close to where he was hidden, and he ducked back quickly, hoping he hadn't been caught…but nothing happened. He turned back and was met with a furry face that reminded him of sea lion, all golden brown and regarding him with curious golden, slit-like eyes. Quatre smiled tentatively at the unknown animal and reached out a hand, gasping at how smooth the fur on the creature was. He scratched the little creature behind its ears and smiled at the humming sound made in the back of its throat…and then he was licked on the side of his face with a rough tongue before the little animal scampered off. He rubbed his cheek and looked back through his small window at the revelry, examining each face with scrutiny and then he saw…

"Oh Allah…" Quatre gasped as a tall young human stepped into his view, followed by a shorter but powerful companion and an old man with a covering over his nose, and he felt his heart beat faster. This human had to be the most beautiful creature that the ocean prince had ever seen…a shock of reddish-brown hair covering half of his face, skin the color of warm cream, and form that was slim but powerful…he was beautiful. He didn't notice the dreamy smile that overtook his features as he rested his head on his folded arms, content in gazing at this man for as long as he could.

"My Prince," the older man said with a short bow and smile at the tall man, signaling the crew to quiet down…good, now Quatre could hear everything…maybe he'd get the prince's name. "The crew, along with myself, wish to wish you a happy birthday! It's not every year that you turn eighteen, and to honor this momentous occasion, I present to you you're birthday present!"

The tall prince merely smirked at the younger man next to him as an elegant tapestry was torn off of a massive structure to reveal a majestic statue underneath. It depicted the prince in a battle stance of some sort, one arm laden with a heavy crossbow while the other held a long hunting knife, similar to those that the palace guards carried in Araaba. The statue had an intense look on his face, and his entire face was in view, Quatre found it somewhat comical and had to stifle a laugh behind his hand.

"It's…nice, S," The prince answered in a rich baritone, a voice that made Quatre's heart beat faster yet again…he sounded so cold and detached, but there was humor buried deep within. "I'm sure Cathy will approve."

"I was hoping it could be thought of as a betrothal gift," S said grumpily…Quatre felt something unknown stir in his stomach at the words though…this prince wasn't betrothed!

"I'm sure my sister agrees with you," the prince answered with a wave of his hand as he and his silent, dark-haired companion walked towards the furry creature who had allowed the blonde to pet it earlier. Quatre stared at the prince as he pet the animal himself…and allowed a small smile to cross his cold features as the animal rubbed his face into the gentle looking hands. The merman was so lost in his gazing, that eh didn't notice another form sidle beside him until he spoke in his ear.

"Whatcha lookin' at, Quat?" Duo's voice asked in a knowing tone as he followed the blonde prince's gaze to the tall man dressed in black and dark greens.

"Him," Quatre answered with another brilliant smile as the man raised himself and began walking back towards him and Duo. "He is handsome, isn't he?"

"I like the shorter one myself," Duo said with a saucy wink, indicating the harsh looking young man dressed in dark blue with a long sword secure at his side. "But yes…I'd say both are pretty good lookin.' Of course, no one can beat us, but they are humans…they can't be expected to."

Quatre's eyes smiled as he gave his violet eyed friend a quick grin and then motioned him to be quiet as the prince and his two companions returned near the two mermen's hiding spot. The tall prince sat on the edge of the ship's railing, directly above Quatre's head, in a casual manner that looked effortlessly elegant.

"…that you should give it some thought, your Highness," the old man called S said, a little bit of desperation heard in his nasally voice. "I think you would be very happy in the long run if you just gave it some thought…we do you insist on pushing away every man or woman who comes calling?"

"Maybe I don't wish to marry," the prince answered in an indifferent tone…but Quatre saw through the voice as he craned up his head and got a good look at the gazing prince…he had beautiful green eyes that seemed much greener than any of the greenest kelp in the sea. His face looked…sad. Quatre bit his lip as his big teal eyes gazed up at the nameless prince, wishing he could help him somehow. "There is no law that states I must, so why should I?"

The old man gave a huff and then spoke in an annoyed tone, but not to the prince. "You encourage him on this, don't you Heero?"

"Hn," was all the response the fierce eyed warrior answered with a shrug of his shoulders. "Trowa can do what he wants…I don't bother myself with his decisions." The man gave one last harrumph, something that made Duo do an impression of a peeved cat-fish before he looked back up at the three humans…but Quatre saw that the violet gaze fell upon the warrior as much as his own turquoise gaze fell on the prince. On Trowa…he liked the name.

"I don't know why you worry," The green-eyed prince said with a wave of his hand out towards the sea. "Maybe the right person is out there…but until then I'm not going to pretend to believe in a thing I don't believe is useful."

"How would you know then, your Highness, if you keep pushing people away?"

"It'll just hit me…like lightning."

At that word, the sky began to groan and the wind howled something terrible, and Quatre shared a look with Duo as water began to fall from the sky…that couldn't be good. A man above yelled something about a 'hurricane' and how it was coming, but neither merman knew what that was, but figured it was something bad by how everyone scrambled to do something to help. The waves began pitching violently, and Quatre found himself clinging tightly to the boat in order to keep from flying off…like Duo just had. The blonde looked over for his friend, but didn't see anything…he was more than likely fine though…merfolk did live in the sea.

The water began falling harder from the sky, winds whipping harshly, causing Quatre to lose his grip and fling back into the water. He didn't stay underneath long though…he was worried for everyone on that ship…especially the sad prince. The view of what was happening was infinitely worse from sea level, as huge waves tossed the ship back and forth…Quatre's eyes widened as he realized this is how all the other ships sank…no, no…

Why do I care so much?

It seemed the humans on board recognized the danger the merman did, and he saw a good number lower and clamber into a smaller boat. The old man flailed in the water until the prince, Trowa, grabbed him and hauled him up into the smaller ship…but for some reason, Quatre saw the prince ad his dark-haired companion look back towards the doomed ship and leap out from the smaller boat. Quatre heard a keen mewing sound coming from the ship's surface…the friendly animal that had befriended the blonde was trapped on the ship…it looked like the prince was determined to see it to safety as well. He lost sight of both humans for a good while when they climbed onto the ship, and even though he didn't understand what the hot, bright, and orange lights were that the ships had become engulfed in, he just knew that they weren't a good thing.

The dark haired human jumped back off the ship, the little animal in tow…but Quatre felt his breath speed up when he didn't see the prince follow…where was he? The dark haired human, Heero they called him, looked to be asking that same question…and he began yelling for Trowa to get off the ship…why did he sound so urgent…?

And then the ship exploded in a cloud of black and red, sending the debris flying all over, and making Quatre duck under water to avoid being hit…that didn't make the look of dread across his face disappear though. He resurfaced and swam frantically towards the wreckage…hoping to find anything, anything that confirmed the sad prince wasn't dead. He saw the statue, still in tact remarkably enough, sink beneath the surface, and then Quatre's eyes fell on an unconscious man with a large cut across the side of his head…his verdant eyes closed, but not dead. He slipped into the water, and Quatre dove down after him, hooking his hands under the taller man's armpits and hauling him back to the surface, careful to keep his head above the water.

He looked for the ship…but it seemed that they could not withstand the storm anymore, and had already began a trek back towards the land. Quatre looked towards his insensible charge, eyes roaming over the now relaxed face before he narrowed his eyes and began to swim to shore…he would not let this human die. It was hard, Quatre realized, swimming on the surface while dragging a larger human, but he didn't stop; he kept on swimming as the storm abated in the sky and then as the sun began to rise in the East, bathing the blue water in light.

Quatre saw the sandy shores of the nearby human kingdom, the large seaside castle he often would stare at and wonder what happened inside, and he dragged the still passed out man onto the shore…it was especially hard when his fins had to push against the sand to get them both out. He succeeded though, and the blonde collapsed beside the prince after he had the man completely out of the water, breathing hard and uneven for a moment before he calmed his weary body down. The blonde prince propped himself up onto his side and leaned over the prince…he was so beautiful. He didn't know what a picture he painted, leaning over the unconscious man like he was, a and playing with the damp auburn locks while his tail and fins curled up beneath him, a smile on his face that was full of a particular kind of emotion.

Duo and Wufei, who had searched all over for their prince and had finally followed a faint wake that was headed for shore, did not miss the scene however…and while it made them happy, it also troubled them. Duo pulled himself out of the water to lie on the other side of the human prince, his gaze flitting between the human and Quatre's glittering teal eyes. "Is he dead?" Duo asked with dread as he reached out and hefted up a foot…he didn't know the first thing about human anatomy.

"No…look, he's breathing!" Quatre whispered back in an excited tone, fingers dancing through the hair once more. "He's so beautiful…"

Quatre smiled and sang to the prince as the sun rose fully in the sky, a song in a seemingly harsh tongue, his clear voice bringing the song to life as the prince began to stir at the song's prompting. Quatre's mother used to sing this to him when he was a child, it was one of the only memories the ocean prince had of his mother and he hoped its song would help the hurt human prince now. He cupped the side of the man's face, smiling even brighter as the green eyes began to blink open…a small smile flitting across the face as the unfocused eyes looked up into Quatre's face.

"You bakas!" Wufei hissed from the water, breaking both Quatre and Duo from their respective thoughts as the two looked up to face the dark-haired merman and the anxious look on his face. "Get away from there, humans are coming! We've lingered here to long already!"

He dove back into the water, Duo following suit after he dragged his way back to the water. Quatre looked back at the prince, whose hand had curled around his own, and smiled softly before he pulled away and crawled back into the water. By the time the prince awoke enough to be alert, eyes darting back and forth for the mysterious boy who had saved him, and then sang to him with such…such love, the only evidence of a merman's presence was the faint splash in deeper waters as Quatre dove under the water fully.

The blonde merman waited for a moment before he swam back to the surface, hiding himself behind a large rock positioned out of the water and watched the older man and dark-haired warrior rush and help carry Trowa back towards his castle. The prince sent a last searching glance back along the beach and the ocean before he went along with his helpers…that bemused smile was still on his face and Quatre smiled back at him, even though it couldn't be seen.

"We will NOT tell anyone of this," Wufei grumbled from behind him, his usually gruff voice filled with slight apprehension and dread. "Especially the King. And, I will stay in one piece."

"No problem Wuffers," Duo answered with a wan smile that really wasn't reflective of his serious mood. He knew their lives had just become tremendously complicated…the prince of the ocean was in love with a prince of the land. "I may not lie, but I can dance around the truth effortlessly."

Quatre merely canted his head forward as he watched the humans fade from sight from his perch on the rock, still humming the Araaban lullaby under his breath. He didn't know how he would do it, but he intended to see this prince again, he would figure out a way…he trusted the feelings inside him to be true and there was no way a little thing like race could stop love.

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"Oh my!" a high pitched voice laughed as she watched the scene through a crystal ball, a cruel smile alighting her pale features. "This is almost much to easy…the prince, is in love with a human…a human prince no less! I'm sure that Rabban Winner will love that…

"Alex! Mueller!" the woman shouted and two male Ozraleans, the half humanoid, half octopus race that lived beneath the sea and hated the merfolk. "I'd like you to keep a close eye on our little prince…make sure you're there to provide a solution to his problems when he needs them…I do believe he'll be trusting enough to listen."

"Yes mistress Dorothy," both intoned respectively before swimming outside her ornate chambers. The aforementioned Dorothy smiled gently as they swam out of sight before turning her cold, pale blue eyes back on the serene looking prince, tracing his outline with a taloned finger. Yes, she could and would use this pretty little prince to gain the power she desired…the power of the Araaban Scimitar…the power of the very oceans at her command.

She was a Sea Witch after all…she could do anything with the right pawn.

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Please do me the favor and review! Here's a link to the picture that inspired me too right this tale as a Gundam Wing one. I would say I'd use it for my cover piece, but it's not mine…so it's just inspiration! Jst type it in minus the spaces: http semicolon double slash kouaoi dot fc2web dot com slash 00 dot htm