The Clownfish

by Neko-sama no Kokoro

Based on Disney's The Little Mermaid. Alternate Universe. A young merprince decides to venture away from his home one day and finds himself tempted by the world of land. AllenxLenalee

3. Chapter 2

The Clownfish

Disclaimer: Cross is way more badass and sexy in the original.

If you don't like long chapters, this is your warning. This is VERY LONG.

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Chapter 2: That Poor, Unfortunate Soul

"Tiki…"

There was no response.

"Hey, Tiki…"

He couldn't keep this up for long!

"Tiiiiiiki." Something tugged a hanging strand of the Noah's hair. He scowled, but remained silent.

Well, this would not do.

Putting her lips close to his ear, Road whispered, "I know Tiki's secret."

"…What do you want, brat."

A now-pleased Road floated to the front of her brother's sitting form and slowly spun around in the water, eyes always on the other merperson. "Tiki, don't you think Allen's been behaving strangely these days?"

"Hm?" Tiki looked sceptical. "What do you mean?" He had apparently forgotten about Road's empty threat. This was part of her plan, though.

"You know…" Road's eyes widened briefly for the second that they met Tiki's. "He hasn't been around recently… and whenever I ask him about where he's going, he doesn't answer the question… and occasionally, I even catch him daydreaming."

"…and?"

"I think…" Road leaned closer to Tiki. "Allen's in love."

The room was silent for a moment before Tiki suddenly burst into laughter.

"Y-you… REALLY think…" Tiki gasped in between bouts of uncontrollable hysterical giggles, "that THAT boy… is… could be… HA. AHAHA."

Road pouted. "What's so strange about it? A boy that age… don't tell me you weren't like that when you were fifteen, Tiki. Falling in love…" A dreamy smile found its way to her face. "With a pretty little mermaid like me-"

"Nope." The laughter had subsided, but a grin that Tiki couldn't quite suppress remained. "When I was his age, I was busy working with the boys."

"You mean sitting around and drinking and gambling, right?"

"Well, on break… but you're not serious about this, are you, Road?" Tiki snorted. "Knowing that boy, he broke a vase or something and doesn't want anyone to find out about it. You'd better check to see if everything in the castle's intact."

"We'll see," Road told him, floating back to the door with a secretive smile on her face. "Wanna bet on it, Tiki?"

"Fifty."

"Awww, you know I don't have that much…"

"Too bad, squirt. Next time, then."

"No fair…"

For once, however, Tiki was correct. Although in a fairy tale, Allen would have fallen in love with the beautiful human girl after their brief exchange, this was not a fairy tale. Sure, he thought about her more than he probably should have over the following weeks, but even Road wouldn't have called it 'love'… unless she really wanted to win that bet.

No, what Allen was hiding was his collection of human-made items that Lero had discovered. After a significant number of threats towards the golem, he'd managed to convince it to keep his secret… but it had made Allen realize how vulnerable he was to discovery. Exploring the sunken ship after a squad of merpeople had removed the corpses and scavenged for valuables (jewellery was particularly popular among mermaids, and the raw materials were difficult to obtain otherwise), he'd discovered everything from waterlogged books to plates and cutlery to silk clothing (ruined by the water, but nevertheless fascinating to Allen). It had taken him and Timcanpy a week to haul everything back to his hideout!

And that, of course, was where Allen was at the very moment Road was revealing her suspicions to Tiki. He'd managed to install some chairs and a table – wooden, so they were in danger of rotting eventually, but Allen had salvaged wooden objects older than himself that were still intact – in the sandy floor, and some fabric-covered ones on the stone shelves. The bed had taken significantly more effort, but Allen found it more comfortable than the one he slept in back in the palace… he suspected that it must have belonged to a princess. (The pink quilt gave it away. It was a dark pink, rather sophisticated, but no heterosexual prince would have a pink quilt with a matching kitten pillow. Well, he might have had the latter; those kittens looked awfully cute.) Allen now had a complete dining room set for his morning, afternoon, evening, and midnight snacks, as well as a soft bed for afternoon naps.

He really did have too much time on his hands, didn't he?

"Allen-tama! WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN A HUMAN THING LERO!?"

Ah… and Lero had discovered him, eight days after the golem had been assigned to watch the merboy in the first place. Had Road finally grown bored?

"It's not really a human thing," Allen tried to reassure the umbrella. "That is, they did make it, but-"

"If only the Earl-tama were here to see what had become of precious-"

"…but mermaids sleep in beds too, don't they?" Allen finished with a sigh. Lero ignored him and continued to wail about what a terrible child Allen had become.

"…AND IF JASDEVI-TAMA WERE HERE TO SEE THIS OUTRAGE, DO YOU THINK THEY'D EVER DO SUCH A THING, OH NO, THEY'D BE SO DISAPPOINTED IN ALLEN-TAMA, YES THEY-"

Allen groaned at the mention of Jasdevi; knowing those twins, they wouldn't be disappointed so much as murderous. This was hardly a new emotion for them. Fortunately, Allen had plenty of experience finding ways to escape from the devious, dangerous pair. Yet if Lero told them about his secret hiding place…

…well, Allen had put a lot of effort into scavenging everything in the cavern. It had occupied most of his days for the past five years. If he could still swim at the end of everything, they would be a very dead pair of merboys.

If he could still swim.

"AND WHAT WOULD TIKI-"

Allen's gloved hand shot out to cover the golem's mouth. Lero writhed and made an attempt to bite him, but with no limbs to flail, it was completely stuck. Jasdevi was bad enough; Allen didn't want to even think about what Tiki would do to him if he found out Allen had a secret. His death wouldn't be the result of this stash, that'd be for sure.

"Lero," Allen said calmly, Timcampy bobbing in agreement, "you said you'd keep this a secret, right?" And Allen flashed one of his mood-brightening smiles. It worked on anything with a pulse except for his family, and even some things without one. Lero immediately went still, except to exhale outward against Allen's hand wearily.

"Allen-tama," it muttered once Allen had withdrawn his hand, "If you desire furnishings for your room lero, why not buy mermaid-made furniture? Lero is sure the Earl-tama could find a skilled craftsman, or a fashionable store to buy them from lero…"

"Hm?" It had actually never occurred to Allen… mostly because that would mean someone else knowing the location of his secret hiding place, or at least that he had one. "But I like this kind of thing. It's comfortable."

As comfortable as it could be when made for another species, anyway. For all fifteen years of his life, Allen had grown up in a world where humans had been hated, and often feared; it was difficult for him to feel otherwise without an example of someone who thought differently. Mana had never really shown a strong dislike towards humans… maybe that was why he could accept and appreciate their works as he did?

Of course, Allen couldn't ever actually like them. He didn't dislike them, either – especially not after seeing them with his own eyes; except for those strange legs, they were hardly different from merpeople – but like was a feeling beyond mere neutrality. He did like the objects they had created, but merfolk rarely spoke of the objects themselves. Even if they were strange and harmful, it was the humans who had made them, and the humans who would use them. Objects were merely objects.

Now that Allen thought about it, though, maybe that had only been a justification for the plundering of ships for profit. Hmm…

"But Allen-tama…" Lero edged closer to him with a knowing smile. "The master craftsmen of the sea can make anything Allen-tama wishes lero. Even if these things seem new and exciting lero-" the umbrella gestured towards Allen's collection with its tail(?) – "that's because they're unfamiliar lero. They have that allure lero."

Lero knew such big words? And could pronounce them properly, too?

"…but really, Allen-tama," the golem continued, floating in loose elliptical patterns around the merboy, "there isn't actually anything better about them lero. Down here, there is anything Allen-tama could need or ever want lero. Allen-tama doesn't need human-made items lero! Everything the sea produces is better lero!"

Allen gave Lero a blank stare. "Why?"

"Because… because…" If golems could sweat, this one would be doing so. Attempting a different method of convincing Allen to do something, one that involved persuasion rather than screaming at the top of one's lungs, had used up most of the brains(? pumpkin mush?) Lero had. Once Lero was confronted with a reasonable question that involved human-level thought, this strategy failed. "BECAUSE HUMANS ARE BAD LERO!"

Timcanpy began to shake with silent laughter.

Allen, torn between similar amusement and sympathy for the now-crying golem, opened his mouth to say something comforting, failed to think of anything that would actually be comforting, and, having no idea what to do with a crying golem, slowly and quietly slid out from under the bedcovers and made his escape. Lero, bawling, failed to notice even when a large golden ball still in fits of laughter darted past and nearly rammed into the umbrella by accident.

Their departure would not be noticed for another ten minutes, after Lero discovered the box of tissues Allen had been using as napkins.

By that time, Allen and Timcanpy had swum far from the cavern. With no destination in mind, the pair had wandered aimlessly around apartment buildings, city walls, and even through one or two farms whenever they strayed too far from human habitations. Certainly, Lero would be hard-pressed to find them, but that hadn't been Allen's intention; what could the golem do except be a bit of an annoyance (as long as it wasn't still crying)?

In his departure, hastened by the general awkwardness of the situation, Allen had neglected to remember his daily schedule… which involved plenty of hiding-in-the-cavern and exploring human shipwrecks. Such a life was a necessity for the second-youngest of the palace inhabitants. Now that he'd been driven out of his preferred time-wasting spot, what was Allen to do? The only human-item-related activities he could think of were the two he already favoured…

Allen suddenly felt a sharp pain in his earlobe; Timcanpy was demanding his attention. Absentmindedly prying the golem away from his punctured skin, Allen followed the path of the golden tail that was pointing to… a giant rock.

No, Allen realized after a few moments, it wasn't merely a giant rock. It was the City Library.

(Strangely, the City Library was outside the city walls – far away from most human settlements, in fact. Allen assumed it was just the most convenient location for a library, and one could hardly move an existing city to accommodate it. Whatever the reason, the library received relatively little traffic.)

The stone doors, carved out of the library's stone exterior into a splendid mural of sea life, towered over the approaching pair. Allen hadn't been to the library since his childhood with Mana, and even then, he'd mostly wandered around while Mana read a book, or talked to one of the knowledgeable historians. He'd never been that familiar with the place.

Mana… no, now wasn't the time to remember the past. Assuming Mana wasn't the reason, why had Allen subconsciously found his way to the library? He had been reflecting on his boredom, and on activities relating to his hobby-

-and the library would be the perfect place to read about the humans and their products. Of course. Why not spend a nice afternoon here?

As he approached the doors, though, Allen frowned. All this thinking had given him a headache; he wasn't used to so much of the activity. Perhaps he should turn around and come back on another, less brain-exercising day?

…but he was here now, so why not?

He pushed open the doors and, as he entered, a strange sense of familiarity washed over him.

The library was mostly one giant room of bookshelves, extending from the stone floor easily a hundred metres up in a labyrinthine formation; where the walls had not been fitted with glass to make windows, they too were covered in shelves, although these reached the ceiling. Carved from the interior of one large sea rock, the library was the only mermaid-made building to penetrate the ocean surface and provide a source of light that hadn't been refracted by the water. The main room's windows showed only the mermaid civilizations, but above that – where the rock jutted out of the water – was a room where, it was said, human texts were kept. Allen had only heard about that room, of course; although it was open to the public, he'd preferred to play among the books in the larger room. Yet it was there – up a flight of winding stone stairs that led off of the entrance hall – that held the answers he was seeking today.

The staircase culminated in a wooden door set in the ceiling. With a nervous glance at Timcanpy, Allen pushed open the wooden flap and pulled himself through it and onto the cool, dry stone floor. Trickles of water ran off his body, darkening the stone and running into the gaps between stones.

(Had there been no visitors for such a long time that the floor had been dry?!)

Allen gasped in shock upon entering; it was not the room itself that was surprising – the walls were wooden panels, and the ceiling had been replaced by a glass roof, but it was otherwise similar to the main library room – but at the feeling of pure air rushing down his throat. Of course; whatever humans used to write things on, it did not last very long underwater. Books would need to be preserved in a dry space! He clung to the dry stone, finally managing to yank his tail out of the water and onto the stone itself. Unused to the lack of buoyancy the water had always offered, it took effort just to pull his torso off the ground and into a sitting position. The last time he'd been on land, gravity had been the least of his concerns…

Above him, merpeople navigated around the bookshelves effortlessly with the use of a strange mechanical device… it was almost like a basket, Allen thought, only large enough to hold two adults, and that moved on tracks scattered around the shelves. They seemed to have no problem maintaining an upright position; time spent here must have made the librarians accustomed to the weight of gravity.

So where did he begin?

"May I help you-cho?" a voice chirped from above him.

Allen's head snapped upward. A track ran from the pool of water where the door was – he closed it hastily – across the floor and over to the bookshelves; one of the basket-things was perched on the track just in front of him. A young, brown-haired mermaid had peeked over the edge and was beaming at him.

"Umm, excuse me…," Allen muttered nervously. "Are you…"

"Yup, I'm a librarian-cho!" She frowned exaggeratedly. "Did you think I was too young-cho? Or too cute?"

"Er… The first, actually… ah, not that you're bad-looking," Allen added quickly when she seemed about to cry, "but… that's…"

"Oh, it's no problem!" She reached over the edge of the boat to him with one hand and swung open a hidden door to the basket with the other. "Come up here-cho. I'll help you find what you're looking for-cho."

"Thank you." Allen pulled himself into the basket and onto the bench – there were a pair inside – opposite the librarian. Timcanpy, small enough to seem weightless, fluttered effortlessly to perch on his head. "How does this work?"

The librarian nodded to a pair of joysticks set next to her seat. "This one-" she pulled it forward, and suddenly the basket lurched into motion, heading towards the shelves, "-moves it along the tracks-cho. And this one moves it up and down once we've reached a junction-cho."

"Amazing," Allen muttered, awestruck. Why didn't they have these back at the palace?

"Now that I look at you, you're awfully familiar, aren't you-cho?" She bit her lip and leaned forward, causing Allen to slump down against the back of the chair to avoid physical contact. "You're cute."

"Thanks." The personal space invasion was a bit uncomfortable. Pretty or not, Allen didn't like having someone's face this close to his.

"I collect cute things, you know." She settled back onto her bench just as they approached a kind of crossroads. "Which direction-cho? That is, what are you looking for-cho?"

Allen paused, wondering how he should phrase his request. "I'm looking for books on human-made items," he finally said. "Tools, or furniture, for example."

"Got it-cho," she chirped cheerfully, and turned the basket down another path. "Anyway, you're one of the princes, right-cho? The youngest one-cho."

"Eh?! H-how did…"

"I've met some of them before-cho. Your little sister is also cute-cho!"

Evidently, she hadn't actually met Road or she wouldn't be saying that.

"I-is that right," Allen stammered, watching nervously when the basket came off the ground and approached the glass roof. Sitting upright took little effort now, but he still clung to the edge of the basket… out of nerves now. He'd never been so far away from the ground when a fall would prove harmful or even deadly.

"Yup! I'm Sachiko, by the way!" She held out her free hand to shake, and he pried one hand away from the side to take it. Even if the height terrified him, it wouldn't be polite to refuse.

"I'm Allen-"

"I know, I know! After all, you're a cute thing-cho!"

Allen found himself wondering if he really needed those books…

"Aaaaaaand- here!" Sachiko interrupted his worrying when she plucked a book from the shelf they were currently passing. "This one's about recent inventions-cho. It isn't actually recent, though…"

"Thank you," Allen told her gratefully, taking the book and flipping it open to check the publication date – nearly a hundred years before. Oh well. Better than nothing.

"And this one's about design-cho." Another book was handed to him. "Architecture-cho. Tool catalogue-cho. Musical instrument guide-cho." The pile was becoming increasingly heavy; one or two had already fallen onto his tail. "Instruction manual-cho."

"I think this is enough," Allen said quickly as the librarian reached for another book. "Is there anywhere I could go to read them?" Timcanpy flew down to examine a book that had fallen open on his lap, tiny arms attempting to turn the pages. Allen gave it a nervous look, hoping the golem wouldn't try to use his teeth on them.

"There are some chairs by the windows-cho – I'll find an empty one for you!" Sachiko was a never-ending fountain of energy, wasn't she?

And, just as she promised, Allen was soon deposited at a comfortable chair in black-and-white stripes (they matched the typical palace décor, but not the subtle elegance of the library room itself) overlooking a familiar ocean view. With a cheerful thank-you to Sachiko, who gave him a wave as she zoomed off in the basket, Allen picked up the first book on the pile (a guide to modern transportation) and began to read.

Allen had not counted on the books being rather, well, boring. Although he did finish some of the easier books – children's, the one on musical instruments, anything intended for the general public – any mermaid passing him on that afternoon would have been greeted with the sight of what seemed to be a book with white hair emerging from its pages, and may have even heard a soft snore or two.

It was nearly sunset when the book slipped off Allen's face as he awoke, yawning. One half-open grey eye immediately caught an interesting sight: a medium-sized ship in the distance. Allen sat up completely, fixated on the boat until it disappeared from his sight, upon which he gave a relieved sigh and leaned back. Timcanpy gave him a worried look (as best as it could, anyway); Allen shook his head and smiled back at it.

"It didn't sink this time," Allen murmured, relieved. Even after a week, he still felt twinges of guilt for not coming to the ship's aid in time. Yes, it would have revealed his secret to more than just one human girl, but did so many really deserve to die? Human or not, they couldn't have been anything more than innocent lives. At least, Lenalee had seemed nice…

…awfully cute, too-

Allen snapped the book shut. That was definitely something he shouldn't be thinking about, not when he was never going to see her again! At least, he hoped he wouldn't, if only because that would mean she had the misfortune to be on yet another sinking ship.

"Are you done-cho?"

Sachiko was waving to him from her moving-basket.

"Ah… yes," Allen said cheerfully. "Thank you for all the help! What should I do with…" He gestured to the pile of books.

"No problem-cho. I'll pick those up later and sort them-cho. Need a ride back to the exit-cho?"

Well, it was just a few minutes, Allen figured. It couldn't be that bad.

Alas, Sachiko insisted upon telling Allen about her collection of cute things shaped like kittens during the three-minute journey.

---

If Allen had learned one thing from his library journey (which did not involve the effects of gravity on mermaids or books on his awakened state), it involved a certain item in his cavern towards which he felt a strange kind of affection. Among the books had been one on the basics of playing the piano. Allen didn't understand most of it, being unable to read music, but it had rekindled his interest in the beautiful wooden instrument.

Fortunately, Lero did not follow him to the cavern the next day, leaving Allen to explore the piano and the beautiful melodies it was capable of. He'd always known what it was – common knowledge among the merfolk – but had never bothered to use it beyond hitting one or two keys for the sake of making sure it worked properly. That one book, though, had ignited his curiosity with its instructions on hand placement, key names, and playing simple tunes.

He'd sat down at the piano bench carefully, making sure his tail was bent underneath the seat, pulled off his gloves, and touched the keys gently. The ivory had felt smooth under his fingertips, and his deformed, red left hand made an unusual contrast to the black and white of the piano. Slowly, slowly, one finger applied pressure to what he understood was an A… and suddenly, the key plunged downward, a muted sound echoing through the water.

It was strangely beautiful now that there was thought behind his actions.

Another key – B this time. A slightly higher-pitched tone rang through the water, a natural vibrato occurring as the sound was distorted by the thicker medium. As soon as the sound had dissipated, he pressed another one – C – and then a black one – C sharp. His fingers slowly danced over the keys, still pressing one at a time, and fleshing out the most basic of melodies after a short time. Finally, he ventured to hold down two at a time. The book had talked about 'fifths'; he spent a few moments in careful calculation, then hesitantly held down B and F. The resulting sound, however, clashed terribly. Allen flinched, then frowned. What had he done wrong?

Time to experiment. B and F sharp? And ah… that was it.

Allen didn't even notice when Timcanpy floated over to perch itself on the empty music book stand in front of him, or when a pair of blank eyes flickered open to watched him from the shadows only to disappear through the door-crack moments later. He was busy enjoying every moment of this new experience, laughter combining with the music to create an altogether fantastical afternoon.

…but Allen couldn't find happiness just yet. He'd first have to venture out of the ocean and on to land, away from his family and everything he'd once known. It would not be a great sacrifice for him, not after enduring five years of teasing, bullying, stalking…

Oh, and of course, the Earl's interference in his life.

That had begun with Lero's assignment, and although Lero had failed spectacularly in convincing Allen of the errors of his ways, Allen was mistaken to believe not only that a golem of the Earl would keep its word but also that not a single serious problem could arise from Lero's presence. At least, none that didn't involve Road.

He was sadly mistaken on both.

"L-lero has been summoned by the Earl-tama, lero?" the golem stammered, nearly horizontal in an attempt at a bow. It chanced a peek at the Earl-octopus; that teeth-baring smile never wavered. The expression never ceased to make Lero increasingly nervous.

"Lovely weather, isn't it?"

"I-indeed, Earl-tama, the w-weather is… lero…"

"Has dear Allen Walker been enjoying it?"

"A-Allen-tama lero? W-well… Allen-tama has… has been once…"

"Once?" The smile never wavered, but it seemed to Lero that the Earl was displeased. "Only once… Road tells me she hasn't seen him around the palace recently, though."

"Y-you see… Allen-tama has… has… been COLLECTING HUMAN ITEMS LERO!!" The golem burst into tears again. The Earl held out a handkerchief politely. "LERO KNOWS IT'S WRONG OF ALLEN-TAMA TO DO SO, BUT ALLEN-TAMA WOULDN'T LISTEN TO LERO-"

"Collecting human items… What a strange hobby."

"…Earl-tama doesn't care?" Lero whispered weakly. "Not about the human items lero?"

"They're merely pieces of junk to us. What Allen does in his free time is something the clan of Noah should not worry about."

Clan of Noah… the Earl didn't usually include himself in that category. Fortunately for Lero, the golem had one more piece of information to incriminate the boy.

"Even if it involves saving humans lero?"

"Saving…" The grin wavered. "Allen Walker has saved the life of a human?"

"L-lero thinks that may be so… Lero l-lost him one time lero, but Allen-tama was going to save the humans from a sinking ship lero! Lero told Allen-tama that more dead humans are good for the world lero, but Allen-tama-"

"Really now… Saving humans, you say." Was it just Lero, or did the Earl sound almost satisfied?

"A-and Allen-tama has been exploring that ship for the human items lero." There was a hint of arrogance in Lero's voice, and a bit of happiness; if this led to Allen's punishment… Well, it was the boy's fault for being so irresponsible in the first place!

"How interesting. Tell me, Lero, where is Allen Walker now?"

The smile remained, yet now it would have stricken terror in the heart of anyone facing it.

Allen could never have seen it coming.

---

The water stirred behind him, but Allen didn't turn away from his composition. Timcanpy was still sitting on the wooden instrument, and only two other animate beings knew about this location – "Are you feeling more cheerful now, Lero?" he asked brightly without turning his head. "Want to listen to something pretty? I know it's from a human object, but-"

"Good afternoon, Allen Walker."

Allen's fingers froze and the soft melody abruptly silenced.

"The Millennium Earl…" Allen whispered, still staring straight ahead across the front of the piano. How had he been discovered? What did this mean? Why would the Earl come here all of a sudden? Even if he'd known about the cache before, Allen could see no reason why… unless…

"Lero couldn't let Allen-tama be corrupted any more lero! So Lero told the Earl-tama about Allen-tama's secret lero!" Lero cackled. (Allen's eyes narrowed at that annoying voice; who else could it have been, really. If he could get his hands on that promise-breaking golem now-) "In the end, Allen-tama will see that this is for the best lero!"

"What an interesting hobby you have, Allen." The Earl drifted closer, tentacles creating little currents that made Allen shiver upon contact with them. "You've clearly worked very hard on its expansion."

"I-it's… they're…" Allen slowly turned around on the bench, head lowered as he stared at nothing. He still couldn't bring himself to meet the Earl's eyes. "N-nothing's dangerous. None of it has anything to do with humans anymore…"

"How fascinating." The Earl glanced around the cavern, eyes lingering on item after item until finally settling on the gramophone. The silence was wreaking havoc on Allen's nerves; by the time the Earl spoke again, he was visibly shaking. "Humans, you say? Lero doesn't seem to like humans, you know."

"I- I know," Allen whispered.

"This must have taken such a long time…"

Allen jerked his head downward in a nod.

"Lero has nothing to worry about, though. Of course it has nothing to do with humans. Didn't they discard it all for us to have? Like a gift."

"I… I suppose." Allen's reply was almost a squeak.

"And if that were everything, then no one would have any reason to bother you here."

Allen's heart leaped; was the Earl planning to leave? Had he come here to do nothing more than enjoy the reactions of a terrified Allen?

"But this isn't everything, is it, Allen Walker?"

"Huh?" Allen's head snapped upward, and he suddenly wished he hadn't reacted so reflexively; the Earl's grin widened when Allen's large grey eyes became visible. "What-"

"Surely you must know more about humans than-" The Earl waved a hand around, gesturing at the item-covered shelves. "-this?"

"No," Allen murmured hoarsely, the lie nearly catching in his throat, "not at all."

"Really?" The mild curiosity in the Earl's eyes had been replaced with a new emotion, Allen noticed fearfully. It was that triumphant feeling of catching a wrongdoer and knowing – being satisfied – that he would get his rightful punishment. He'd seen it in Lero's eyes before whenever the Earl found the golem with Road. "Yet Lero tells me otherwise."

Lero gave a nasty cackle again; Allen shot it a glare. "I don't understand-"

"How amazing, to be among the first to witness a sinking ship full of perishing humans. A wonderful sight, isn't it, Allen?"

The Earl's grin was challenging him to say otherwise – to confess. Trembling, Allen murmured something inaudible. Lero hadn't followed him to the land with Lenalee – how, then…

Allen's lack of a proper answer did not, however, dissuade the Earl. "Tell me, Allen, were you successful in achieving your goal that day?"

"My…"

"Which should have been to watch the wonderful sight of life escaping from humans."

"You never said anything about them!" Allen protested, the heat in his voice shocking to Lero and even himself. The Earl seemed unaffected. "You said so yourself – 'who said anything about humans' – what's wrong with-"

"My dear boy…" Allen nearly cried out at the menacing pleasure in that smile. "Haven't you learned by now? These are simply tests designed to test our young people before they grow too stubborn for us to mould. Haven't you ever wondered why merpeople are allowed to see the surface at fifteen, yet no one ever goes up there themselves?"

"N-no…" It couldn't be… this had all been set up to test his loyalty? His understanding of the traditions, the unspoken taboos? "B-but how am I s-supposed to know-"

"If one has been properly raised, one would have the instinct to enjoy a human's beautiful death." The Earl leaned closer to Allen, making the boy shift backwards as much as he possibly could. When he found himself pressed against the edge of the piano awkwardly, Allen turned his head away slightly; that caused the Earl's grin to widen. "As you should have felt with that wretch of a human you not only allowed to continue its miserable existence, but even aided-"

"Don't talk about Lenalee like that!"

The Earl became silent. Allen flinched, visibly trembling.

"She's… she wasn't like that at all. If there's nothing wrong with her, then how do I know you're not-"

"Lenalee?" The grin slipped, and Allen's mouth snapped shut at a sudden realization… he'd accidentally revealed everything. The Earl had been leading him on; there was no way he could know what happened that day. "Has Allen Walker actually grown… attached… to one of those things?"

"I- She just told me her name-"

"ALLEN-TAMA SPOKE WITH A HUMAN LERO?!"

"It seems we haven't done a very good job of educating you, now, haven't we, Allen Walker."

The smile had returned, more knowing and sadistic than ever. Allen instinctively pulled his head backwards and clenched his eyes shut tightly.

"It was an accident," he whispered weakly, desperately. No, please, nononono- "I didn't mean to- She was unconscious at first-"

"Misbehaving children need to be punished. Come here, Lero."

Allen whimpered. "Please, I won't ever go up there again- I won't-"

"This will teach you to behave."

"I PROMISE, I WON'T-" He was screaming now.

"You won't disobey ever again, Allen Walker."

The world exploded around him.

---

Timcanpy hovered in the water, wings flapping frantically as it strained to get a clear view of what was left of the cavern. The Earl and Lero had left already, but the dust hadn't yet settled from their visit, and Allen was nowhere to be seen. Here and there, fragments of polished wood or shiny metal had settled on the rubble, catching the light and reflecting it to reveal their position. Those flashes were the only indication of solid material for the time being.

There was a groan from below; Timcanpy waited for the telltale flash before diving down to the source of the sound. This close to the natural ground, debris was piled high enough to cover the entrance crack, and could easily have covered a fully grown mermaid even in a vertical position. Allen, fortunately, was not buried deep; spots of pale hair poked through dark wreckage here and there, and as he shifted, the movement of junk created tiny avalanches as his head emerged from the pile. This low, the dust had mostly dissipated or floated to the surface, leaving Timcanpy with clear vision to divebomb his companion affectionately.

"Timcanpy…" Allen coughed, wincing at the action. "What…" His eyes slowly fixated on the scene around him. "This…"

Timcanpy snuggled Allen's tousled hair fondly; at least Allen was safe, if not uninjured. Next to his perch, the water had taken on a reddish tinge where wounds had opened in the boy's head. Allen's breathing was strained; he probably hadn't broken any ribs, but the boy's torso would no doubt be coloured purple and yellow in the days to come. When Allen finally managed to clear enough rubble away from his tail to emerge from the wreckage, cuts and welts were visible over the skin, and through tears in his shirt.

Allen flopped weakly on top of the pile and stared at the open space above him, ignoring the damage he could see in the corners of his eyes. He felt strangely tired. Fear had disappeared at the Earl's exit, once the debris had settled, and the anger and hate he'd expected to replace it simply hadn't come. Yet he wasn't particularly sad, either. Empty. He felt empty.

Timcanpy, dislodged from his position by Allen's movements, perched on the boy's chest instead, bouncing lightly at the slow rising and falling movements. Its wings drooped sadly.

"It's all gone…" Allen raised his arm as if to grasp at something above him, something nonexistent, then let it fall in front of his eyes to shield them from the sun. The dusty water had cleared, providing faint protection no longer. "Everything we worked for over these past five years… it's gone." His voice was a broken whisper. "Gone."

All Timcanpy could do was watch as tears fell from Allen's eyes, more powerful than it had seen in a long time. His chest heaved with sobs that never passed clenched teeth. At times like this, the golem almost wished it could be more of a comfort – to speak, to reassure its friend that everything would be all right in the end, even if it knew full well that it wouldn't be. Instead, all Timcanpy could do was nuzzle Allen's cheek and hope that the boy could feel it through his pain.

For what felt like hours, Allen lay there crying, the misshapen remains of the cavern echoing his sobs – sometimes soft and muted, sometimes loud and unrestrained; there was no one else to hear him – until finally they subsided into mere sniffles, with Allen finally rubbing his eyes to clear them of remaining tears and growing quiet.

He'd lost his gloves in the wreckage, he noticed; he didn't want to have to look for them again. It felt strange to be without them, though. For his left hand, at least…

Allen sat up carefully, cringing when the movement of his muscles caused an injury to ache. Timcanpy hovered in front of him, patiently waiting for his next move. "Gloves," Allen muttered, floating off the rubble and half-heartedly sifting through the top layer of what had once been his favourite place to be. "Have to find…"

The uninjured Timcanpy darted off, presumably to look for the pair. Allen blinked in surprise when, moments later, a piece of thick white fabric was shoved under his nose – the right glove. He took it gratefully (noting the bite marks – well, they'd fade eventually; Tim's teeth hadn't gone right through) and gave Timcanpy a questioning look. When Timcanpy darted off, turning once to make sure it was not planning to do this alone, Allen followed.

The second glove, it turned out, was wedged under a particularly large rock three times Timcanpy's size. With a grateful look at his golem, Allen retrieved it, happy to see that the gloves were relatively intact. If the same could be said about anything else he'd once collected-

No, it was hopeless. The thought was possible, even acceptable, after the tears Allen had shed; he couldn't think of any other conclusion. He had to accept this. What was gone was gone, and if he continued to hold on to a few intact remnants of a happy past, he'd never be able to move on. Hadn't he been able to do it for Mana?

No, I didn't, Allen thought sourly, and that's why I have a scar on my face for everyone to stare at.

Well, not everyone. Sachiko hadn't – but then, she'd recognized him as the prince right away – and most of the palace staff had grown accustomed to it by now. And Lenalee hadn't-

Stop thinking of her! he forced himself to think desperately. So what if she was cute? Lots of girls are cute! And anyway, you were unconscious for hours, so for all you know she could have been staring at it until you woke up!

…but at least he hadn't seen her staring at it- No, he was going to stop thinking about people he'd never see again and focus on the present situation.

Which was this: He was alone and injured in a cavern no one knew about – no one who would help him, at least. If he went back to the palace, he'd certainly have to endure even more punishment from the Earl at the very least, and that was assuming the other Noah hadn't heard about it. If he stayed away… but where would he go? His face was hardly unknown to merpeople, and the only place he knew was safe to stay in had just been destroyed.

As if that weren't enough, he now needed a new hobby. (Going to the library every day was not an option even if Sachiko weren't bound to be there. He did not feel like dealing with her right now.)

"Tim," he asked his long-time friend, "what do we do now?"

For once, Timcanpy had an answer that Allen would never come to on his own. It also happened to be the perfect answer to the boy's problems.

Beckoning Allen with its tail, Timcanpy zoomed up above the piles of wrecked human-made items, pausing at the opening to wait. Allen was puzzled by the golem's sudden action, but decided following Timcanpy couldn't hurt – after all, the golem was his friend; he could trust it. Besides, things couldn't possibly get any worse. As he turned to follow, though, a sudden shimmer caught his eye. Hesitantly, Allen reached below the rubble to extract the shiny object.

It was a fragment of the gorgeous wooden piano.

Allen let it drop from his hands, staring numbly at his bare palms instead. It was not until a piece of rock that Timcanpy had knocked off the cliff fell behind him that he was jolted out of his trance. With a last sad look at the piano fragment, Allen floated upwards, following Timcanpy to an unknown destination, never to return to the place that had once been his home.

---

They'd been swimming for hours, and Allen, still weak from the injuries he'd sustained at the hands of the Earl, was growing weary. This part of the ocean was unfamiliar, yet Timcanpy seemed to know exactly where it was going. All the boy could do was follow. Right now, he didn't even know if he had the strength to turn back – or where to go if he did.

"Timcanpy?" he murmured hesitantly, half-wondering if it still had a goal in mind. The golden golem halted for a brief moment to nod to Allen, then continued on its path. With a sigh, Allen followed; Timcanpy was determined to continue until they reached its desired destination.

The sun had set by now, although Allen didn't think that was the reason for the dark atmosphere of this land. It was certainly deeper than he'd ever been before. Strangely coloured coral shone eerily around him, though he'd seen very few fish for a long time. The ones he had seen tended to be dark and unfriendly, hidden under rocks or behind coral as he passed. Allen shivered; not only was it dark here, but cold, too. Even with the minimal protection a vest provided, his loose white shirt was not suited for such temperatures. At times like this, Allen almost wished he could actually store fat from his six daily meals.

Suddenly, Timcanpy turned straight upwards, disappearing from Allen's sight for a brief moment. The atmosphere was no less dismal even close to the surface; it seemed that a rather large rock - no, it was larger than that, it looked like… an island? The word was only vaguely familiar to Allen – obscured the moonlight from reaching the ocean depths. It was to this… island… that Timcanpy led Allen.

As the pair approached, Allen noticed a large space, about the size of a mermaid, that almost seemed darker than the rest of the land even in this lack of light. It was almost as if nothing existed there…

A hole! There was a hole in the bottom of the island!

Timcanpy zoomed through the large space, leaving Allen to pause momentarily out of worry. The hole was larger than it seemed at first sight, yet as Allen continued swimming up the tunnel through rock and hardened clay, he bumped into the walls on more than one occasion, and not because of the darkness. By the time a faint spark of light became visible in the distance, a claustrophobic feeling had set in. Allen was relieved when the light became so close that it filled his vision and cast shadows even in the wide pool of water he had emerged in.

For only the third time in Allen's life, his head broke through the surface of the water and cool air flooded his lungs. Here, in a tiny rock cavern nearly sealed off from the outside world, that air felt a little less refreshing … a bit dank, almost used. Was there any circulation down here?

Allen floated to the edge of the pool of water and looked around the roughly circular cave. A pair of lanterns dimly lit the room, one on either side of him. Had he not been plunged into darkness for hours now, the distinction between this and natural light would have been very clear indeed. The pool led down into the tunnel he had emerged from, and extended a little ways into the room; from there, the rock floor that extended to the walls was smooth and flat. It seemed natural, yet… Allen couldn't put his finger on it, but something about this room felt unnatural. No stone hollow would have such smooth floors, not without the intervention of sentient beings.

Directly across from him, a part of the wall seemed to have disappeared… no, now that he looked at it, there were faint stone steps leading up into the gap. Was he underground? The thought of being above the surface of the water yet still below the sky made him feel uncomfortable.

Timcanpy darted out of the water suddenly, hovering in the air as if waiting for Allen to do something. The merboy frowned; what did the golem expect to happen? If he had to climb up those stairs after all this…

"What is it, Timcanpy?" he asked, a hint of irritation in his voice. "What do you want me to do?"

"Why, to see me, of course."

Allen nearly jumped out of the water at the shock. He wasn't alone! As he looked around frantically for the source of the voice, Timcanpy fluttered over to a shadow leaning against the wall near the stairs, settling contentedly on top. As Allen watched, stunned, the shadow unfolded and somehow glided to the centre of the room.

It was a man, dressed all in black, with thick red hair cascading over his shoulders and down his back. The right half of his face was hidden by a white mask, yet neither that nor the spectacles that crossed his face could hide the knowing look in his one visible eye. He wore a sly smile – or was it a smirk? With this man, it was difficult to tell.

"I see Timcanpy brought you here," the man said. His deep voice was echoed by the rock walls. "He was my golem originally, you know."

"R-really…" Allen gaped at the golem. "Timcanpy… I thought you-"

"-but I haven't seen him for years. Five years, actually." The smile widened.

Allen's mouth hung open, yet he didn't say a word. He'd had Timcanpy for five years, ever since Mana had given the golem to him before… Did that mean this man had known Mana?

"You mean Mana Walker?" the man murmured, amused, and Allen cringed at the realization that he'd spoken aloud. "Of course I knew him, once upon a time. You're Allen Walker, then, aren't you."

Allen nodded numbly. "How…"

"Mutual acquaintances. Come here, come here." The man waved to him, displaying froths of lace at the end of his sleeves. "It's impolite to sit in a pool of water so far away from your host. You are a mermaid, are you not?"

"Merman," Allen muttered sulkily, although none of the emotion found its way onto his face. He pulled himself out of the pool and dragged his body a little closer to the man. Now that he was looking down on the floor, Allen noticed that the smooth surface was certainly not untouched by living beings. A design had been carved out of the floor – a cross encircled by a number of rings. The centre of the cross was also a large circle, divided into many parts. Allen had stopped at the second-most outer ring; the man was sitting on the top of the cross directly across from him.

"Closer." Allen shuffled to the other, longer end of the cross. "Excellent. So tell me…" He gave Allen an amused look. "What brings the son of Mana Walker to the domain of me, Cross Marian?"

Isn't he being just a bit overdramatic? "Timcanpy led me here," Allen told the mysterious Cross. "I was… feeling a bit… discouraged, and I asked Timcanpy what I should do from here on."

He hadn't expected to meet someone who knew Mana, though. For that matter, he hadn't believed he'd ever encounter anything to do with Mana again. Continuing like normal had been difficult enough after Mana's death; he'd done his best to find other reasons to live – something that would enable him to enjoy waking up in the morning and look forward to the day ahead of him – and he'd found that in scavenging sunken ships for human-made items. (There was a brief interlude when cheating at card games was a favourite activity, but Allen grew tired of that when Tiki refused to stop bullying the younger boy for soundly beating him every time.) It had meant that he'd never been able to allow himself to feel the loss of Mana. He'd removed any emotion from those memories. It had been easy then, when he had nothing but his own recollections to provoke those emotions, but if this Cross wanted to speak about Mana-

He wouldn't do it. He couldn't. Allen had spent years letting go of his father, and the last thing he wanted was to have to think about the dead merman.

"Discouraged, huh?" Cross snorted. "You're young enough. There are plenty of beautiful ladies out there for-"

Allen's face heated up. "It has nothing to do with girls!" he protested, thoughts of Mana disappearing from his mind temporarily. "I only needed to stay away from… the castle for a while." Not so long ago it had been 'home'. Allen wondered if he'd ever be able to see it that way again when his real home no longer existed.

"The castle?" Cross raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "So that's what happened to you…"

The temptation to ask what Cross meant was incredibly powerful; Allen had already opened his mouth to inquire when he realized what the answer would involve. He would not give in to this!

"Taken in by the extended family after your father was murdered? How unfortunate." The tone of his voice said Cross could care less about Allen, but that wasn't what caught the boy's attention.

"M-murdered?" he whispered. If Mana's death hadn't been an accident-

No, he'd said he wouldn't talk about Mana anymore!

…but this wasn't the same, was it? Nothing about this piece of information required Allen to suffer through old memories of his father, right? Besides, curiosity was currently overriding his logical-thought processes at the moment, and Allen preferred to blindly give in to that feeling rather than come up with weak arguments as to why he should go against what he'd decided and lived by for so long.

"Of course." Cross leaned back and gave a dramatic sigh. "But I shouldn't be telling this to someone like you. It might make you even more… eh, what was the word… discouraged?"

"You know who… who murdered Mana, do you not?" Allen demanded, unaware of the satisfied look in Cross's visible eye. "Won't you please tell me?"

"Is it worth it, though?" Cross mused. "Your world would be completely shattered. Everything you knew, loved, cared for – you'd see it differently… well, I suppose I can let it slip, just this once. Your reaction should be priceless, after all.."

And he was still smiling? What kind of a person is this?

"I want to know," Allen said, determined. "Right now, I have already lost my trust in something I once believed in. I can accept this."

"Really now?" Cross leaned forward, looking interested. "You've already come to care less about that fat bastard? Excellent; what I have to tell you won't be so heartbreaking as I'd originally hoped."

"Hoped… Excuse me, but are you really a nice person?" Allen was beginning to worry that Timcanpy had made a serious error in judgment by befriending this man in the first place, let alone bringing Allen here to meet him, too.

"Nice?" Cross repeated. "Certainly not. You see, I have a task that needs to be done, and Timcanpy thinks you're the perfect person to do it. I have my doubts – you seem like an average boy of your age, which really doesn't say much for the species – but…" He shrugged, nonchalant. "It needs to be done."

"Wait a moment…" Everything was starting to come together now. "You want me to be heartbroken so I can accomplish this task for you?" Allen asked, bewildered. "Not only that, but you're telling me this beforehand?"

"Well, it's not as if it's untrue." Cross turned back to Allen and grinned deviously. "So what'll it be, kid? Wanna hear the truth and help me out, or would you rather run back home to the brats you call a family?"

"They are my family," Allen said defensively, although silently adding, even if I do dislike them.

"That they are. Which makes it all the worse. You see," Cross paused for a minute to pull out a pipe and light it; Allen was too anxious for him to continue to pay attention to the unusual item, "that fatty's the one who murdered your father in the first place."

"Fa- you mean the Earl!?" Allen's jaw dropped. Had he been underwater he could have caught a large fish in his mouth. "That can't be! They were related – by blood – how could anyone do such a thing to…"

"What, like you're not picked on in the castle? Aren't they your blood relations too?" At Allen's petulant look, Cross snorted. "Your father had been bending the rules a little, and going his own way. When that tentacled flab confronted him – gave him an ultimatum Walker didn't like – well, Walker tried to kill him. How do you think the balloon reacted?"

All these insulting nicknames for the Earl were beginning to confuse Allen. "I can't believe that! Why would the Earl kill someone himself for such a thing? He could try Mana for treason, or – or imprison him, but…"

"At least you know why someone would want to kill that fatass in the first place," the red-haired man muttered. "You really think so? Even after what happened earlier today?" He nodded in Allen's direction, indicating the boy's injuries. "And what did you do… break a vase and not tell anyone?"

"I saved a human," Allen muttered, blushing in embarrassment. How had Cross known what happened earlier, anyway? "It was my fault that the ship sank at all – I could have warned the crew if I'd remembered about the rocks earlier…"

There was a strange look in Cross's eyes now, one that held no trace of the sly satisfaction only moments before. "Is that so," he murmured. "Destroying your faith in him for one human life…"

Allen nodded stiffly. "I don't regret it. I never will."

"That's good." The shock must have shown on Allen's face, for the look disappeared and Cross chuckled. "Perfect attitude for your mission."

"My… I never agreed to that! You told me about the Earl all on your own without waiting for my answer!"

"Oh? I never said you had to undertake the mission if I told you, only that you'd want to." Cross blew a perfectly round ring of smoke and grinned when it entered Allen's personal air space, eliciting a cough from the boy. "What if I told you the mission would involve a sort of vacation from the mermaid habitations? Er, not a vacation, exactly, but you won't have to see a single one of your kind for quite a while."

"It does sound tempting," Allen murmured thoughtfully. "I suppose it can't hurt to listen, at least…"

"Excellent! What you'll be doing is a scouting mission for me. See, not so long ago, there was a scientific experiment to create a powerful weapon called akuma. What with all the wars going on everywhere even a hint of an intelligent being exists, such a thing was to be expected. Now-" In the momentary pause, another smoke ring was blown. This time, Allen leaned away from it as it passed. "It didn't work out very well. That's all you need to know of that."

"How does this relate to my mission?" Untrustworthy as the man may be, his tale only intensified Allen's perpetual curiosity. "Moreover, who created these-"

"Well, the Earl, of course. That's why I'm sending you, even though a mermaid who spent all their life in a little patch of ocean would be completely unfamiliar with the territory."

"What will I be doing?" Allen asked again.

"Oh, that. It's simple, really. Just go to the city – not that one; since you've never been there before, you'll get directions to it – and stay there for a little while monitoring the area to see if any akuma live there. You've already got the necessary equipment for that in your eye, don't you?"

"Pardon?" Allen blinked. "You mean this scar?"

"You got that from Walker, right? He was involved in all of this too, after all. Must've given it to you as some kind of warning system to make sure his precious son wasn't attacked."

"Attack- you mean this isn't safe?!"

"Oh, it's perfectly safe. For you, anyway. Fatass won't be controlling these ones. So?" The pipe was set down calmly next to Cross, and was replaced by a scroll of faded yellow paper – the kind humans once used, Allen noted. He'd seen it in some of the library books. "How about it? Gonna help me?"

"And you're sure it isn't dangerous?" Allen asked warily. "Is there anything else you haven't told me?"

"As I said – all you have to do is stay in a city for three months. That's all. Of course, you'll have to provide your own lodging and meals, but…" Cross shrugged. "It's a big city. There'll be jobs for teenagers like you. If an akuma is there, that eye will monitor it and collect data all on its own."

"If I run into any trouble…?"

"…well, that's a bit of a problem, isn't it?" Cross mused. "You could always return here, I guess, though I won't be very pleased if you do…" His smile told Allen that it would be safer for the boy to die painfully than to consider returning before the mission ended. "But you can't go back to the mermaid city. I mean, you could, but I don't think they'd welcome you if you arrived before the effects wear off…"

"Effects?!" Allen exclaimed. "So there was something you were hiding!"

"Ah, that… you see… it's just a drink, nothing more, that you'll need to take before leaving tomorrow. Tonight, then. It'll only hurt just a bit," Cross reassured him, "and only for a few minutes. In a few weeks, you might even forget you've… you'll forget the pain, anyway."

Allen gave him a sceptical look. "Why do I need this, again?"

"So you can live in the city unnoticed, of course."

"Why-"

"Oh, I didn't tell you? The akuma didn't stay in the ocean, of course. The problem is that it found its way onto land – to a human city."

The cavern became silent except for the rush of Timcanpy's wings as it fluttered over to make a nest of Allen's hair. A stunned Allen gaped at Cross, tail tucked underneath his body as he grasped it protectively. Cross merely looked amused, as usual.

"A human city," Allen finally breathed. "In order to stay there, wouldn't I have to-"

"Become a human yourself?" Allen nodded. Cross stroked his stubble thoughtfully. "That's impossible at this point, of course, but that's what the potion is for. I can't make you human, but I can give you legs… and for such a small price you shouldn't even miss it."

Allen's eyes narrowed; of course there would be a price. "You expect me to do a favour for you, and I have to pay to perform it?"

"What, you don't have any money?" Cross gave an exaggerated sigh and set down the scroll. "Can't be helped, I suppose. You'll just have to repay me later. Oh, but there is something else that's… a temporary cost, shall we say. The potion itself isn't without its side effects."

"I really don't think I can trust you," Allen began, but Cross waved for him to be silent, the lace dripping from his sleeves swaying stiffly.

"It's just a small price, this side-effect. Nothing you'll find you need over there, and you'll get it back when the potion wears off in three months' time. You might miss it a bit, but-"

"What is it." Allen looked as if he would jump back into the water and leave if he didn't get an immediate answer.

"Your voice," Cross said quickly. "See? Nothing of great importance. There are plenty of ways to woo a lady into your bed through actions alone – no, should I say, actions are absolutely necessary for it-"

"But this isn't a permanent loss, correct?" Allen interrupted, feeling his cheeks grow warm. What was with this pervert!? "When this mission is complete, I'll be able to speak again, right?"

"That's correct." Allen couldn't help but note the man's lack of enthusiasm for positive things.

"When that happens… I'll…" Something Cross had said earlier only now registered in Allen's mind; the issue of payment had distracted him before. "I'll have legs?!"

"Only as long as the effects last," the man explained. "Once your time is up, you'll turn back into a mermaid and it'll be as if nothing had ever happened. If you miss the wealth of the castle and your family-" that word was layered with disgust "-then you can return home. You'll have to pay me at some point, of course. However…" He looked at Allen, the sly grin widening. "There is one way in which you won't have to return after your time runs out."

"If I like it up there, you mean?" Normally, the thought wouldn't have even crossed Allen's mind, but the neutrality of humans and their culture was currently far more appealing than returning to life at the castle. Somehow, Allen doubted his indiscretions would be forgotten even if he were to spend years away from it. "But how could I live on land without legs?"

"Oh, you'll have legs. How could you stay without those? The only way to keep them, though, is to make your status permanent. You'd need to become a human."

"I thought you said you couldn't do that," Allen said, frowning.

"I can't. The only way for you to become human is to fall in love."

"Just like that?" It seemed too easy, but Allen's voice had a note of hope in it – dashed by Cross's snort of amusement.

"Of course not. Fall in love, marry the girl, and seal the deal." At Allen's blank look, he elaborated. "Consummate the relationship. Do the deed." No sign of recognition. "Kid, did no one ever teach you how babies are made?"

Allen was lucky he wasn't underwater at that moment, or else the water around his face would have boiled.

"W-what d-does that h-have to d-do with anything?!" he demanded, blushing. "A-anyway, it wouldn't w-work the same way, would it-"

"Of course it does. You're a mammal, aren't you? Just stick it in, and-"

"I'm not doing that!"

"Pity. That's how you become human. I bet you'd be saying otherwise if you met one of their prettiest girls, though. Although seeing what a prude you are… well, marriage is always a possibility, right? Three months is plenty of time to get to know a girl. How old are you again?"

"Regaining my tail will be fine," Allen muttered weakly. "So I have to drink this potion, which will exchange my tail for legs while making me mute – I live in this human city for some time while my eye searches for this 'akuma' – and when the effects fade, I return to the ocean as if nothing had ever happened, except indebted to you?"

"That sounds about right. So?"

Allen took a deep breath. "I'll do it."

Perhaps his hobby didn't have to end with the destruction of his cavern after all…

"Excellent, excellent. I'll prepare the drink." Cross rose – Allen wondered if the long black coat concealed human legs; Cross's race was a puzzle – and made his way to one of the hanging lights. Allen watched carefully as he opened a pair of doors camouflaged in the wall below and pulled out what appeared to be bottles upon bottles filled with a variety of things: a deep purple liquid that sloshed around sloppily; a small blue cube that shone in the lantern-light; a clear, thick, oozing substance… Had Allen not been the mermaid equivalent of a compost bin, he might almost have been sick knowing he had to drink that.

"Pardon," he muttered nervously, "but is all of that really necessary…"

"Absolutely." Cross settled down in his previous position, containers spilling out from his arms and rolling in place around him. "Don't worry; this will only take a minute."

He reached out to press one of the segments of the innermost circle on the floor, and as Allen watched, awestruck, the circle parted to reveal a deep cauldron that slowly rose to settle where the floor had once been. Cross wasted no time in removing the stoppers from the bottles and unceremoniously dumping the contents in.

"I know I'm not the expert," Allen began, "but again, are you sure this is safe?"

"You said it yourself – trust the expert." Cross continued pouring the purple liquid in, giving the cauldron's contents a careful look and a frown afterwards. "Or was this supposed to go in after the gorilla liver…"

Allen swallowed, a feeling of anxiety and pure terror growing rapidly within him. Timcanpy gave the boy an affectionate nuzzle, yet the action only made Allen wonder if he'd really been right to trust the golem after all. What Cross was currently doing was certainly enough to end five years of friendship-

"Done," Cross proclaimed, settling back proudly. "Just enough for one drink."

If the smell rising from the cauldron was any indication, drinking the contents might just end up making this day – no, this moment – the worst of Allen's life, if it didn't end altogether. Right now, he was seriously considering making his way among humans with a tail instead.

"Is it… really necessary?" Allen asked, face strangely pale.

Cross nodded. "Oh," he added, "before you drink that, you need to sign the contract. In case of accidents or something. You wouldn't want me taking responsibility for it, after all, would you?" He picked up the scroll of paper, clearing bottles away from where they'd fallen on top, and handed it to Allen along with a pen that emerged from his sleeve. "Just sign your name at the bottom."

Allen took the pen, and had just touched it to the paper when a thought struck him: "What do you get out of this, if I might ask? How will retrieving data on this akuma help you?"

"How kind of you to think of me! I don't get a thing out of it, though." Cross gave Allen an obviously fake smile. "I simply enjoy helping poor, unfortunate souls like yourself. With these potion-making talents I was blessed with, who wouldn't? And, of course, there is that teeny-tiny issue of payment-"

Allen nearly groaned; he'd forgotten about that. "You don't, by any chance, charge interest…"

"Of course not! I may require your help for other tasks once in a while that you'll owe me for because of it, but a man like me would never dream of such a thing."

It probably wouldn't be the best time, Allen decided, to point out the clause discussing "interest rates of 10 per month" in the contract.

Deciding that he'd had enough trauma for one day, Allen focused his vision on the empty space at the bottom of the contract. Once I sign this, he thought, I can't take it back. I won't be able to return to my family… to my home… I won't have a tail anymore… It's only for three months, but if I ever have regrets-

But do I really want to see the Earl again, after knowing what he did to Mana?

Allen shut his eyes tightly and signed his name at the bottom of the scroll as Cross watched with a satisfied smile.

"Then I'll just take that-" he reached out with one hand to pluck the scroll and pen out of Allen's hands and replaced them with a bottle filled to the brim with the foul-smelling concoction. "Drink up. Any last words?"

Allen cringed at the smell. "I-if I… by any chance… do become human, I'll be able to speak, right?"

"Ha! I knew you'd consider it. Of course you'll get your voice back; it's only temporary. Three months, no matter what happens to you in the end."

"And I absolutely need to drink this?"

"Yep."

"Timcanpy…" The golem rose and flew down to hover in front of Allen's face. "I hope you're right about trusting Cross," he muttered.

Timcanpy chomped on his nose in response, making Allen yelp with pain.

"Okay! I get it!" Tim released his bite, and Allen rubbed the injured appendage tenderly. "Thank you, though. For being my friend."

"Hey, that potion won't stay fresh forever," Cross grumbled. "Take it to bed tonight if you're so intent on the mushy talk. Drink."

It took Allen a few moments to muster up the courage to do so. Gloves stretched across his tense fingers, he gulped nervously as the bottle neared his lips. Pretend the taste isn't there. Pretend it's mitarashi dango in liquid form. Allen silently prayed for his continued life and health after this, and, in one swallow, drained the bottle.

The pain was immediate. The liquid stung with piercing cold where it travelled down his throat, leaving a burning sensation throughout his body. Moments later, it became sharp pain. The bottle fell from Allen's hand, shattering, as he collapsed face-down to the floor in convulsions of agony. Sweat beaded on his forehead; his breath became sharp gasps of air whenever the muscles in his chest could loosen enough to contract. The worst part of it was in his tail, though. It was as if someone had taken a sharp knife and split it open all the way up to his hips. Allen was sure that if he could raise his head enough to look behind him, the stone floor would be covered in his blood.

"Fascinating," Cross murmured, calmly watching the scene. Allen shot him a fierce glare of hatred in a brief moment of strength; how could the man have such little empathy? A merboy was practically dying in front of him!

The worst was yet to come, though. No sooner had he begun to feel as if the innards of his tail were being exposed than something shifted. Allen barely stifled a cry as the muscles and bones that enabled movement from the waist-down began to rearrange themselves: growing, shrinking, or merely exchanging positions in quick, painful, continuous movements. No sooner had the motion died down than the metaphorical knife in his tail forced the two halves apart. Allen clung to the grooves in the stone floor as this occurred, biting his lip to keep his yelps and sobs of pain from escaping. He wouldn't let Cross hear him suffer! Yet at the final connection of bones to one another, to the rest of his body, Allen could taste blood in his mouth.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity, the pain subsided, leaving him feeling oddly numb. Allen barely registered the coldness of the stone coming into contact with his bare skin, or the sharp taste of metallic blood replacing the foul potion on his tongue. He glanced up weakly at the thoroughly satisfied Cross.

What now- He opened his mouth to ask the question, yet only a gasp of air emerged. Allen blinked, startled. Had he been too distracted with the pain to notice this loss?

"It seems the experiment was a success," Cross breathed, sighing in relief. "Well then, I'll just go find you a pair of pants, shall I-"

Allen's hand shot out to grasp the black coat. Cross didn't turn around, although he was aware of the boy's eyes burning a hole in his back.

What do you mean, experiment!?

"You need trousers. I only like my women unclothed," Cross murmured, prying Allen's hand away and shuffling up the stairs quickly. Allen couldn't help but suspect he was also trying to avoid the inevitable question he'd invited with that comment.

A rush of gold in front of his eyes alerted Allen to the fact that Timcanpy had plonked itself down on the floor in front of him. Slight bounces and twitching wings betrayed the golem's curiosity. Had Allen not been concerned about modesty at the moment – not that there was anyone to see him, but it was nevertheless embarrassing; at least everything had been covered with a tail! – he probably would have felt no hesitation at turning his head and seeing the changes for himself. Nothing felt all that unusual, yet…

"Here." Allen was snapped out of his thoughts when a pile of black clothing was unceremoniously dumped on his head. "Cover yourself." Cross gave him a disgusted look and turned away.

Allen mouthed a 'thanks' and pulled himself into a sitting position, knees bent in front of him as if they were still one body part. As he pulled the clothing off of his head, though, Allen noticed something unusual-

"What- Stop tugging at my coat; you don't need to," Cross grumbled. "What is it now?"

Allen grabbed an article in each hand and held them to either side of Cross's head.

"Oh, right. The short ones go on first – tag in the back."

Allen didn't move. Cross sighed, irritated.

"One leg goes through each hole. If you have trouble moving them, just slide them over and up."

There was a sound of shuffling clothing behind him. After a few unsuccessful attempts, Allen finally managed to put on both articles properly. Although the buttons at the top proved to be no problem, Allen was left with yet another strange piece of clothing. He shuffled forward a little and tapped Cross on the shoulder, holding the length of material in the other hand.

"Oh for the love of- what now?" Cross snapped. "This is pushing the limits of stupidity."

Allen waved the material in his face.

"It's a belt. Know what that is?"

Allen shook his head.

"You seriously- Fine, come here." He motioned for Allen to kneel – another familiar motion, although made slightly more difficult by involving two separate limbs – and raised the boy's arms. In a few quick motions, while grumbling about how he wished this were a woman instead, Cross threaded the belt through Allen's pants and left it hanging in the middle.

Allen looked at him innocently.

"Even a monkey could do that up," Cross said flatly.

He was greeted with a scowl, although Allen's gloved hands quickly moved to the buckle.

"Got that? Those are the only pair of trousers I had that'd fit a kid like you. Last guy, er, well, he didn't leave any behind. Intact. So what are you waiting for? Get up if you want any sleep in a bed tonight."

Allen leaned so far away from Cross he fell backwards, cringing as his bottom hit the floor.

"Like I'd give mine up to you – or, worse, share it." Cross gave him a disgusted look. "Only if you grew a pair of nice breasts and lost that thing. Now that I mention it, I do have a recipe for that sort of thing… Hey!" Cross barked. Allen froze; he'd been making a mad dash – crawl, rather – for the pool of water. "It's a spare bed. Now get up."

Timcanpy nudged Allen's back. Allen alternated his quizzical looks between the pair.

Cross smacked his head into the palm of his gloved hand, exasperated. "Bend your knees – those things that make your legs bend, what kind of education did they give you? Push yourself forward and off the ground."

This attempt led to a spectacular, painful-looking fall.

"You know," Cross muttered sarcastically, "you might consider keeping your legs farther apart next time – not that far apart, you fool. And keep your feet- those things at the bottom of your legs, you idiot! You stand on those."

After a few more desperate attempts, Allen finally managed to stay upright, albeit wobbling so dangerously he was nearly horizontal most of the time. He looked up at Cross hopefully.

"My, aren't you short." The red-haired man frowned, stroking his stubble thoughtfully. "I should probably have given you a dress instead, after all. Well, can't be helped. A man, even a potential man like you, should dress like one. Come along."

As Cross turned to face the stairs, he heard a crash behind him; moving had evidently been beyond Allen's current abilities. He groaned.

"Kid, you've seen how humans walk, right? Bend one knee, put your foot forward. Hold onto the wall if you need to – I'm heading up the stairs now. Can't take any more of this."

Allen felt very tempted to stick his tongue out at the disappearing back. The impoliteness of the action (not Allen's maturity level) prevented him from doing so, but the scowl on his face showed no less frustration. How on earth did Cross expect him to be able to walk effortlessly? He'd spent fifteen years with a tail! He'd never even seen a human walk… or paid attention to it, at least. Simply listening to vague instructions could never teach him a task so late in life.

It was therefore hours later when Allen finally emerged from the stone staircase, worn out and sore from his falls, into what seemed to be a finely furnished study. The mahogany furniture was elegantly carved and lavishly decorated; assorted relics and souvenirs from around the world were perched on full bookshelves, or the magnificent desk that stood in front of him. The floor was covered in a deep red carpet, and above him hung a crystalline chandelier. Had Allen even known of these land-based materials and creations, though, he would not have noticed; his attention was on the man sitting calmly behind the desk – or in front, rather; Allen had emerged at the back of the room – and reading a thick book with faded yellow pages.

You--!! Allen's mouth opened and closed angrily, although no sound emerged.

"I see you made it up here. Congratulations." Cross snapped the book shut and tossed it carelessly on the desk, then stood up. "To celebrate, I'll ensure that you won't have to work so hard again, and give you a room on the ground floor."

Allen didn't move. He gave Cross a suspicious look

"Of course," Cross added, "that is where the servants tend to sleep. But that's no problem, right?"

Allen didn't even twitch.

"Right, you're a prince, aren't you. Might as well start early, though; unless you somehow manage to befriend the king and live a life of luxury… no, but you're a boy, so it's beyond your power to- oh fine." Cross made an exaggerated display of throwing up his hands in exasperation. "You'll get a nice room. There's one on the third floor."

Had Cross not made him leave the room first in case he took another hour to be steady on his feet, Allen might have sat down right there and cried at the thought of walking up three more flights of stairs.

Fortunately, the rest of the marvellous mansion Cross inhabited, not to mention the wonderfully soft bed at the end of it, distracted him from the soreness of his bare feet (and clothed bottom. Why couldn't there have been a thick carpet down there, Allen thought). The entire mansion, from floor to ceiling, was decorated with expensive woods and fabrics in rich colours, and filled with costly artefacts. Even the room he was given, filled with just the bare necessities of a bedroom, had a warm cream-coloured carpet with a colour scheme, from curtains to bedcovers, of blue and gold. Had Allen not been bone-weary at this point he almost certainly would have been amazed at the luxury wasted on such a… such a… perverted magician. The Earl's castle was like a stark, unfurnished hut by comparison.

Allen flopped down on the bed fully clothed (having nothing to change into) and breathed a long, content sigh. Timcanpy followed his head, curling up on one of the pillows at the head of the bed. A part of Allen thought that it would be the appropriate time to say something – anything – maybe a message to Mana, or… But it would be nothing more than a thought, wouldn't it, without any sound behind it. The action would be pointless.

So, with a bit of a frown at the negative thought, Allen slid under the layers of covers and pulled them up to his chin. His head had only just touched the pillow when he fell fast asleep, exhausted from the long day.

---

Allen awoke the next morning to find the curtains spread, revealing Cross standing over his bed while holding a hammer above Allen's face.

"Ah, I see you've awoken," the man said, a hint of displeasure in his voice. Allen blinked the sleep out of his eyes, then did a double-take; had Cross actually wanted to wake him up by whacking the poor boy on the head?! When he was asleep, no less?! "Come on. You've slept long enough, and it's time to leave."

Allen nodded, pulling back the blankets regretfully as Timcanpy spiralled off the pillow and into the air next to him. Even without the unmatchable comfort a bed provided to someone as tired as Allen had been, it had really been a soft bed indeed. Such a thing would never have been wasted on royalty back-

"Here." Cross interrupted the harmful train of thought by tossing a pair of black boots, knee-high and with the tops curved down, onto the floor in front of him. "Even I wouldn't make a boy run around in bare feet like that… not when you could step on a nail and hurt yourself…"

He actually cares? Allen thought in disbelief. Maybe Cross wasn't so bad after all-

"-and die before you ever see that akuma."

…nope, Allen finished. Definitely an evil person.

He swung his legs over the side of the bed, still in one motion as if they were a tail, and reached down to hesitantly pick up a boot. When Allen made no move to pull it on, Cross rolled his eyes and took it.

"This one's… for the left foot. That one's for the right. Wait-" He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a ball of white material, tossing it at Allen. The boy caught it in mid-air, eliciting a grunt from Cross. "Socks. Put 'em on over your feet first, then the boots."

Allen undid the ball and removed one sock, still staring at them quizzically.

"Is it really so difficult for your small mind to comprehend? Look at the shape! Similar to a foot, isn't it?"

Your sarcasm isn't helping me, Allen mouthed, giving Cross a dirty look. Now that he considered it, though, it did kind of look like a foot… After a few minutes of holding it next to a foot on both sides, then from the top, Allen slowly slid the sock over his bare foot.

Cross clapped.

Allen mouthed a curse and pulled the other one on hastily.

"Remember," Cross called, "the boots go on specific feet. Need me to remind you what side is your left again?"

One boot already in his hand, Allen paused, then nodded slowly. He thought he still remembered, but what if the business with the socks had-

"This," Cross said, leaning over to touch Allen's left shoulder, "is your left side. And this-"

Allen attempted to hit him with the boot, but Cross was too quick; he ducked away from the swing and made his way to his original position, chuckling. "My, you're a fast learner."

This time, Allen didn't just stop at swatting the boot in the air. Fortunately for Cross's face, he moved quickly enough so the door was shutting behind him as the boot hit it.

"You'll need to walk over there and pick it up yourself," came the disembodied voice from behind the door. "Get downstairs when you're done. I'm kicking you out as soon as you eat."

At the mention of 'eating', Allen couldn't help but grin, and not in a pleasant way. He wondered if Cross had any knowledge of his appetite…

Sadly, preparations had been made for even the worst-case scenario: Allen was told to 'eat up' so that he didn't collapse before making it to the city. Apparently, there was a truly endless supply of food. Sitting in a high-backed chair at one end of a long table – Cross was at the other end, picking delicately at his breakfast – Allen gaped at the many platters of exotic foods. Exotic to a mermaid, at least; humans would have found everything quite ordinary.

I'm curious, he mouthed, tapping his glass of milk with a fork to get Cross's attention. Who prepares all of this? It's- Allen wanted to say 'delicious', but if it involved praising Cross, he'd rather tell an outright lie.

"Who knows?" Cross shrugged deviously. "Perhaps it's magic. Or perhaps I have a thousand beautiful young voluptuous maids in miniskirts working in the kitchens all day."

I wouldn't put it past you to have the latter, Allen thought, stuffing a forkful of scrambled egg into his scowling face, even if involves creating them with magic.

"So everything's clear?" Cross shot him a look that promised Allen would never crawl out from under the rock he'd be crushed under if Allen had any reservations. Egg-filled fork halfway to his open mouth, Allen nodded stiffly. "Excellent."

I think everything is all right, at least…

By the time Allen got up from the table, completely full from the tasty breakfast, it was nearly mid-day, and Cross wasted no time mumbling curses, threats, and complaints under his breath about the fact. Allen was rushed through the magnificent corridors and entrance hall and pulled through a set of tall bronze doors that could have rivalled the library's for size. By now, Allen was able to walk at a decent pace with minimal wavering, although even the most casual observer would have noticed the lack of certainty in each step. Yet that wasn't the only thing-

"What's taking you so long," Cross grumbled, spinning around to face the boy. The mansion was situated on a fair-sized island, with a golden beach stretching around the coastline ahead of it, and a small forest behind. Faraway fields were visible even from such a low point; evidently, some fresh food was produced on the island. It was too isolated to easily trade with the mainland. "Can't you hurry up at all?"

Allen nodded half-heartedly and attempted to increase his pace. Only a well-placed rock sticking out of the ground prevented him from falling flat on his face yet again.

"Honestly. You haven't even learned how to walk properly after all this time? Get over here."

He must be serious, Allen realized when Cross actually stood in place to wait for him. Once he'd caught up, though, Cross shoved him down onto yet another convenient, flattened rock and glared down at him.

"If there's a problem with my creation," Cross said menacingly, "someone had better let me know."

Allen shook his head and waved his hands in an 'don't bother' gesture. Everything's fine, he explained. I'm not used to it.

"Really? Get up, then." This time, Cross noticed a tiny flinch as Allen began to stand. The boy found himself yet again pushed down onto the rock by a strong hand on his shoulder. "How could you get a rock in your boot so quickly? No, at all? Unless you're a complete moron-"

Allen didn't even have time to react before Cross leaned down, pulled off his left boot, and swiftly poked the underside of his foot. He jumped, gasping in pain.

"Fuck-" Cross straightened and gave Allen a glare as the boy quickly tugged the boot over his foot again, wincing. "You idiot! You thought you didn't need to tell me about such a thing?"

It's nothing, really- OW!

Cross had smacked him across the head. Allen muttered silent curses under his breath.

"If it hurts every time you put your foot down, then fucking tell me! You think I want all my ladies unable to walk if I use that on them? Half the positions would hurt them!"

S-so… it's… a prototype… Allen stared at Cross in disbelief. You've got to be joking. This wasn't even complete, and you fed it to me?!

"No way," Cross muttered. "Well, get up. Nothing I can do about it now. Pain will probably be gone in three months, anyway. Maybe you'll get used to it before then." He shuffled away to the edge of the sandy beach, motioning for Allen to follow.

The pair stood there at the edge of the ocean for a moment, staring into its depths. Allen finally looked up at Cross blankly: What now?

Cross pointed to something far away; Allen followed his hand to see what it was, and-

SPLASH.

Allen rose up on his hands and knees in the wet sand, soaking wet, and gave Cross a murderous look.

"What?" the man asked, calmly taking out a cigarette from a pocket and lighting it. "How'd you think you were gonna get to the city? Wait for a boat to come out here?"

The boy shook his head, sending droplets of water flying, and began to rise when he felt something poke his ribs. He fell backwards into the ocean, becoming completely submerged where the land below dropped off sharply.

When Allen's head broke through the ocean surface again, the first thing he saw was a completely calm Cross, smoking the cigarette as if he hadn't just kicked a teenage boy into a deep pool of water.

You--!!

"Hm? Oh, you're still here?" Cross made a flicking motion with his free hand. "Go on. Complete your mission."

I could have-!

"Honestly, what are you so angry about, anyway?" Cross muttered. "Water's a mermaid's natural habitat, isn't it? Did you become so accustomed to land after one night out of the ocean?"

I can't- Allen struggled to keep above the ocean surface, arms flailing wildly. I'm not-

"Did you forget?" Cross drawled, looking terribly amused at the situation. "You may have legs, but you're still a mermaid, boy. You don't have cuts in the sides of your neck for nothing."

Allen paused, pulled off a glove, and hesitantly touched one side of his neck. The gills were still there.

"Idiot. You can't drown, no matter how much you try." Cross grinned at him. "If you start swimming now, you should reach the city before the evening. Timcanpy can guide you."

At the mention of its name, the golden golem flew from where it had been hovering by Cross's shoulder down to Allen's level. Cross waved at the pair and turned away, calling over his shoulder as he made his way back to the mansion,

"Use your legs! If you learn how to kick now, it'll help you walk later, kid!"

What a strange, perverted, mean man, Allen thought. Curious.

Timcanpy flew ahead, and Allen, splashing along behind him with a surprising lack of dexterity for his species, slowly followed. Allen didn't bother even giving the mansion one last look; he never hoped to return there. Perhaps Cross would forget the debt.

Right now, he had to find the new place he could soon call home.

---

Cross hadn't lied about the distance; the sun was still high in the sky by the time Allen crawled onto a sunny, shell-filled beach, almost as weary as he had been the night before. He pulled himself forward, just out of reach of the water's lapping edge, and collapsed on his back with a relieved sigh. Timcanpy settled on a bent knee, wings folding neatly, and Allen enjoyed the warmth of the sun on his face for a few minutes.

It's nice, he thought, an equally warm and fuzzy feeling spreading throughout his body at the happy thought. I would never have had a chance to experience this otherwise. Are humans allowed to feel this every day?

He covered his eyes with an arm as he let the sun's rays sink in, drying his wet, clinging clothes. The sand did not make for a particularly comfortable pillow, but it was certainly an improvement over a cold stone floor. It had taken plenty of work to swim all the way to this beach – it was farther than his previous journey to land! – but after a good night's rest, Allen was left with only the positive feeling that came from hard work.

He'd made it. He was really here, ready to live among humans for three months. The excitement made the hairs on his arms tingle – another new feeling. Allen couldn't help but grin just thinking about it all. Even the tiniest new experience was welcome.

Allen closed his eyes and let the sounds and smells of the ocean fill his ears. The faint crashing of the waves… the cries of some animal above… the salty tang mixed with warm sand… and, off in the distance, a faint padding noise that was slowly coming closer…

"Lavi! There's a dead body down there!"

Allen froze. Humans?! What if they-

"Ahhh, a corpse? I'm not going near that thing!"

…thought he was dead…

"We can't just let it lie there! What if it was murdered?! The criminal would get away with it!"

"Then go tell the police about it! They'll listen to you!"

…and intentionally killed, at that? Allen felt more than a little irritated; couldn't they see that he was just an ordinary merboy enjoying some time at the beach? No need to disturb-

"…I suppose it could have drowned… and just taken a while to wash up on the shores…"

…really, this was ridiculous! Mermaids couldn't drown!

Oh, but he had legs now, didn't he? If only he could yell at them to leave him alone… No, if only it had been in his personality to do so. Even if Allen had had a voice, he would probably have remained there, unmoving, until someone really did come to… well, poke him or something.

"Then go down and see for yourself! I told you, I'm not going near something decomposing!"

Lavi sounds like a six-year-old, Allen thought, except with a deeper voice. Although now that he considered it, Allen wondered if he himself would have done the same had he and Timcanpy discovered a mysterious body. What if it cursed him?

"Fine! I will! You'll have to find someone to carry it to the morgue, though!"

The first speaker's voice sounded strangely familiar. He couldn't possibly have met her before, but-

"Got it!" The footsteps increased in speed; Lavi must have taken off at a run. The girl's movements were softer and slower, and Allen didn't notice her arrival until a dark shadow passed above his eyelids and something touched his shoulder gently.

"Excuse me…" The pressure on his shoulder flattened, and began to shake him – ah, it was a hand. "Excuse me, sir, are you all right? Do you need help?" There was a bemused sigh, and the girl began to speak to herself. "Is he deaf, I wonder? Such things happen with age…"

Allen's eyes flew open and nearly popped out altogether. She thought he was an old man?! Of course, he did have his face covered, and no exposed, unwrinkled skin… and with the white hair…

…and old men had annoying tendencies to fall asleep in annoying places such as this where people would assume they had died…

There was a thump beside him, and both hands were suddenly pressed to Allen's torso.

"I don't understand," she murmured. "He's breathing, but…"

One hand trailed up to take hold of his arm, lightly brushing Allen's cheek by accident.

"This…"

She lowered the arm as she leaned closer to Allen's face, just a few centimetres separating them-

No. No way.

Allen suddenly realized why her voice was familiar.

Lenalee?!

Evidently, she hadn't forgotten him, either. The moment Allen's incredulous look registered in her mind, Lenalee dropped his arm and pulled back sharply. "You-"

Hi again, he mouthed, grinning weakly.

"You…" Lenalee turned to look at his legs, then at his face again. "What…" Legs, then face. "Weren't you…"

Allen nodded.

"Why…" Lenalee shook her head and pulled back into a crouching position, arms crossed over bare knees. Her short white dress was stretched tightly over her thighs, although it would undoubtedly cover much more if she stood. Allen wondered momentarily if it wouldn't be a little cold; it was spring, after all, and even with most of her legs covered there couldn't have been anything under-

For some reason, Allen suspected that was not a thought he should be having. Therefore, ever the gentleman, Allen easily pushed the thought out of his mind and attempted to answer Lenalee's question. I'm just here as a favour for someone else. I-

Lenalee waved for him to be silent, or to stop attempting conversation, at least. "Couldn't you speak before?" she murmured, worried. One hand reached out to stroke his throat gently. "Did something happen to you?"

Those gentle violet eyes looked at Allen with such concern that he found himself struggling to think of an answer. I'm fine, he finally decided to say. It's related to… Allen nodded towards his legs and gave her a reassuring smile. When she returned it, relieved, he couldn't help but wonder why his heart started beating faster as a result. Hadn't he just alleviated a source of stress?

"You're really all right, then?" Allen answered with a quick nod. "That's a relief. I'm sorry for being so- I'm just- pardon me, I'm a bit surprised to see you here in such a condition."

How have you been? Allen attempted to ask, moving into a sitting position. Lenalee had made no attempt to leave; perhaps she was still waiting for her companion – Lavi – to return with someone to… to… At the moment, he suddenly felt very relieved to have legs.

"How have I…? Oh, things have been… good, of course. Definitely good." Lenalee's smile seemed a bit forced, though, and Allen wondered why she'd needed to pause before answering. He was about to ask what was wrong, hoping Lenalee would give him a straight answer, when he remembered the situation.

He'd met her a week ago. He'd saved her from a sinking ship. If no one else had escaped-

"N-no, really," Lenalee assured him quickly, noticing the realization in his eyes. "There were other survivors, too. I'm really grateful to you for saving me."

Ah… that had been it, after all. Yet if there had been 'other' survivors…

Not all, right?

One of Lenalee's hands dropped from where they had been folded in her lap, and touched his gloved one gently. "…No. Things are okay now, though! I-it's been a week, after all, and…"

Allen dropped his gaze to the sand. If I had done more…

It had just been a thought – he hadn't even moved his lips – but Lenalee seemed to understand what he was thinking. "Don't think that!" She shook her head furiously, and her grip tightened around his hand. "You already did more than you should have-"

He gave her an incredulous look.

"I mean… you didn't have to save me…" Her voice faltered. "I'm a stranger, and of a different species…"

You saved me too, though. He wouldn't actually have died, but Lenalee hadn't known that at the time.

"Even so…" Lenalee's smile was genuine this time. "Again, thank you."

She really is cute…

"Oi! Lenalee! I brought help!"

"Ah- Lavi?" Lenalee spun around, and Allen followed her gaze; the young man had appeared at the top of the slight hill of the beach. "It's all right; he wasn't dead after all! Here," she added to Allen, standing up with his hand still in hers. "I'll have to introduce you."

Wait! She frowned at him, confused. Allen struggled to pull himself into a standing position too with only one hand, and found himself briefly surprised at the height difference. She was nearly as tall as he was! Not that Allen would ever be considered average, let alone tall, but… Please don't… Not as… He gestured to his legs with his free hand. Please don't tell them!

"Of course," Lenalee agreed, nodding. "You're just someone I met not too long ago who saved my life once before. Is that all right?"

Allen breathed a sigh of relief. Thank you, Lenalee.

"You're wel- Ah!" She clapped a hand to her mouth in surprise. "I don't know your name yet! I can't properly introduce you without…"

Of course; why hadn't he told her his name by now? There was really no reason she didn't need to know, and she had told him her own when they'd first met. My name is Allen. Allen, he repeated at her blank look.

"A… Allen? All right, Allen-kun, isn't it?" She beamed at him, then turned to face the approaching visitors. "Ah, he brought Kanda… of all the people…"

"Lenalee!" The red-haired Lavi ran down to meet the pair, leaving his unhurried companion still at the top of the hill. "It wasn't a corpse after all? Ahhh, that's such a relief!" He grinned at Allen. "So who's this?"

"Oh, this is a new friend, Allen-kun. He stopped a little boy who stole my wallet in the streets last week," Lenalee explained. "Allen-kun, Lavi's one of my childhood friends. He's a historian."

"Nice to meet you," Lavi said as Allen mouthed the words. Lavi's smile faded slightly when he noticed Allen's hand entangled with Lenalee's; Allen removed it in order to shake hands. Was it just him, or was there a hint of unfriendliness in the older boy's green eye?

The look disappeared almost immediately, though. "Good to see you're not a corpse. One of those old men on the beach who come to die and have a heart attack or something, you know… Can't help but worry that it'll be the old man next. Sure, he's like this now, but…" Lavi made an exaggerated wary face, eyebrows raised comically. "That old rabbit likes pudding…"

"Don't be silly, Lavi," Lenalee told him, smacking him playfully. "Bookman would be healthy for man of any age. Bookman is Lavi's teacher," she explained to Allen. "He's a bit… old, but he's very knowledgeable, and disciplined."

Lavi chuckled. "Old man has me working at night sometimes- aww, not like that!"

Allen and Lenalee exchanged confused glances. Lavi merely burst into raucous laughter.

"Oh!" Lenalee suddenly exclaimed. The other human had suddenly appeared behind Lavi. "I'm sorry for bringing you out here, Kanda. There wasn't a dead body, after all."

"Che." Kanda frowned at Allen. "What's this?"

What- A muscle twitched in the corner of Allen's eye. He was an 'it' now?

"Kanda, this is Allen-kun, a new friend of mine. Allen-kun, Kanda is another childhood friend; I've known him ever since I was eight. He's visiting from a nearby country."

"He's a prince," Lavi added, grinning at the dark-haired boy. "That's why Yuu-kun can sometimes be a bit of a grumpypants-"

"Don't fucking call me that, you-"

"Kanda!" Lenalee glared at him. Kanda humphed and turned away with a scowl.

Nice to meet you, Allen mouthed quickly, attempting to change the mood. Kanda gave his outstretched hand a dirty look and uttered a soft 'che'.

W-what's with this guy? Allen's hand retreated to his side and clenched into a fist. He's so rude…

"Sorry, Allen-kun," Lenalee murmured apologetically. "Kanda's probably just in a bad mood from when Lavi called him by his first name. He doesn't really like that."

I… see… Allen suspected that the list of Things That Kanda Didn't Like was very long indeed, and that he now had a place on that list. I'll have to remember that…

"What's up with this beansprout?" Kanda gave him a narrow glare. "Doesn't feel like talking?"

Beanspr--!! That bastard! Allen was definitely starting to dislike Kanda.

"Yeah," Lavi mused. "Is he mute or something?"

Allen nodded weakly. Even if they'd ignored his hair and scar, he still managed to draw unwanted attention…

"Che. Pathetic beansprout."

The temptation to punch Kanda in the face was rising. Allen needed to distract himself, and fast. Lenalee? He tugged on her sleeve gently. I really should be leaving now…

"You… you do?" Lenalee struggled to understand his silent words. "Oh, you already have a place to stay, then?"

Was it just him, or did she look almost disappointed? Allen's wandering gaze, however, as he tried to think of a response that would be honest yet not obligate Lenalee to act, told her all she needed to know.

"You can stay with us, Allen-kun! There's plenty of room; I'm sure it'll be all right."

"Yeah, of course!" Lavi said enthusiastically, clapping Allen on the back. "Always good to have one more person around, 'specially someone our age."

Wait… had Lavi just implied that he and Lenalee were living together?

Lenalee nodded in agreement. "You don't mind helping out a little with… things, though, do you? It's all right if you don't want to, though."

No, it's fine! Allen told them. I'd love to help. After all, he really couldn't just leech off their food and shelter, now, could he? That bastard Cross might, but the thought of taking advantage of such kind people felt completely wrong to Allen.

"Che." Oh… there was Kanda, too. Then again, he was just a visitor to this country. Allen wondered if Kanda did any chores; being a prince was no excuse for laziness!

"Then it's settled. You'll come to stay with us for… um…" Allen held up three fingers. "Three… months – are you sure, Allen-kun? We don't mind having you stay for longer – well, if you insist; I suppose if you have other obligations… You don't think my brother will mind, right?" she asked the two older boys?

Lavi's smile faltered. "Another male? …I'm sure he'll be fine with it if you ask, Lenalee…"

"He will. I'm sure of it. Allen-kun?"

Allen nodded. Lenalee smiled back at him and set off up the hill, following Kanda and Lavi. Before he joined them, though, Allen spared one last look behind him, the first in a long time. He was leaving the ocean now to live in a city, and even if the body of water was close by, it wasn't the same. The ocean wasn't just his home; it was his birthplace, his environment, the source of all his memories, favourite and otherwise. It was – no, had been – his life.

"Allen-kun?" Lenalee called to him. "Is everything all right?"

Yes. Allen turned away from the seascape and made his way up the hill.

Things will be all right, Lenalee. I think.

---

18,957 words, according to this site. This is more than twice the size of the longest chapter I have ever written. Yes, I did consider breaking it up, but I couldn't divide it evenly, and, well, if you read this far, I'm amazed.

Yeah, so… please, please review. I like constructive criticism. Heck, I like any opinions about this story whatsoever. Way too long for you to take in? Great. Too descriptive? Okay! You liked it and want to read more? Wonderful! Really, I just want to hear your opinions. I like the attention. I like reviews.

Yes, I'm very sorry for the length of this chapter AGAIN. I hope it won't happen again. I hope.

(By the way: The average novel is about 80,000 to 120,000 words. Puts it in perspective, huh?)