[Starting Author's Note]

Greetings fellow readers! I loved writing the last chapter. I think I kinda rushed the ending of the chapter but otherwise I'm pretty satisfied with what I've written. There's a lot that's happened to Hinata these past couple days on Aeria huh? Well, there's more to come! Onwards to "Mercy, Please"

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

[ Ending Author's Note ]

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| Mercy, Please. |

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Was I dead? I sure felt like I was but I wasn't. Little by little, my eyes fought to creak open. My body floated in the midst of this murky green water. It's so dark... And cold. Light had cast over my head. Air. Panicking, I scrambled to the surface, almost losing my breath entirely. I casted myself to a solid wall, the pressure of the falling water almost pulling me under. Quickly, I struggled to climb over the solid, eyes still shut.

Slipping, I stumbled to the side of this cave I discovered. It was pitch black, just like the cruel hearts of the creatures that stole my normal living from me. Curling myself into a ball, I weeped the night away. I haven't cried in so many years, the few tears only turned to waterfalls.

Light hovered over my eyes as I awoke from sleep. My body had ached and I had many untreated cuts but I didn't mind since they weren't serious. Steadily, I played with the ground. This cave was interesting. Caves are dark and cold, sometimes even humid! Most of all, caves are rocks all over. Although this cave was cold and had minimal light, it had a teal-like sand all over.

To compensate for my loneliness and misery, I drew my special place. The river flowing here... The beautiful flowers all around, the fairy circle off the the side, the towering trees surrounding all around. My fingers stopped as drop by drop, water distorted my piece. I wiped my tears from my face as I held my head down. I thought drawing would make me happy, but it just reminded me of the horrific reality.

My mom had always told me not to play in the dark but right now it just seemed right.

In the midst of silence, enchanting tunes and humming traveled all around the cave. Finding myself pulled under this spell, I walked down deeper and deeper into the cave. I couldn't see a thing, it was pitch black but the hums of what sounded like women guided me. It wasn't too long until I reached an alluring glow of teals, purples and pink gleaming around the cave.

Such beautiful jewels embedded into the cave. Distracted, the hums had stopped.
I heard a waterfall nearby, just around the bend. Hesitently stepping closer, harmonic instruments filled the room. Seaweed draped over the end of this cave. Slowly and carefully I crouched to my knees, crawling to peek at the sight.

Wow...Such a beautiful place! Mysterious yet exotic flowers bloomed just around the corner. Large fruitful trees which perfumed the air had lured me inside. The music had dimmed almost inaudible. Taking my time to admire the beauty of this area, I was tackled downwards upon impact.

"W-what the..!" I looked up, rubbing my eyes. Immediately my eyes had grown bigger. There stood this little puff ball in intricate designs of baby pinks and blues. It's large beady eyes had captivated me. It's so...cute.. Just where did he come from?

"HEY! YOU LITTLE PEST! GET BACK HERE!" A loud voice boomed. A woman. A very young and aggressive woman at that. Rustling from the bushes came a beautiful woman with...very little clothing. Almost no clothing at all! Her breasts and lady parts were barely covered by teal scallops, that nearly matched her aquamarine eyes. The scallops peeked from beneath her matching fringed skirt and what-looked-like-a-bandeau. As well as having long, lucious blonde locks held into a high ponytail. She had such long bangs. It's as if she had never cut them..

The small creature jumped off me and circled the lady, she had almost stepped on him! Barely but surely. Aggressively she clenched her hands on the creature, making it squeal and jerk in agony.

"S-stop! You're hurting the poor thing!" I exclaimed, jumping from the ground and approached the lady. She appeared to be my age... She was very beautiful with her sculpted features.

She blew her bangs from her face and gazed at my face in curiosity. She seemed to tense up as a result of the creature collapsing in her hands.

"U-uhm.." I pointed at the little guy. The blondie quickly rushed the creature to a cyan glowing lake as well as pulling me along with out a word. She toss the creature into the lake and dove in, pulling me under. Her once bare legs had closed together to form a fin and looked at me with shock as she examined me from my legs to my face respectively.

I was almost running out of breath so the the woman held me in her arms, swimming me to the surface. There, I gasped for air and coughed the water out from my mouth.

"Little girl, how did you come here. You are not a lady of finesse and fine arts..."
She extended her thin arm out to me. Her delicate fingers cupped my chin, forcing me to look into her sharp eyes of wit. She averted her eyes, checking to see if anyone was around. Yes, there were but on the far end of the patches of flowers and fruit trees.

"I..I don't know. I just followed the music from the cave."

"...Music?" She snapped her hand from mine. Muttering something to herself, I couldn't make out what it was... Was it "this can't be true"..?

Again, she grasped my hands in hers she pressed her legs together and pushed me into the shallow part of the lake.

"Take a deep breath when before your head is submerged into water. I will reach for your hand, we're going for a little swim in the deeper part of the water. Whatever you do, do not let go of my hand and keep on moving your legs up and down or else you will die. Trust me, I have seen it before little girl. Do not fret, this will only take a while and you will breathe again as long as you heed to my warnings."

Unsure and determined to not die, I did as she had told. She never said I had to look. She is my guide after all.. All I have to do is move my legs and hold my breath...
But for how long..?

The feminine eyes that stared had never left me. I mustered up all the air I could hold and quickly submerge my body in the lake, diving along with this mermaid. Opening my eyes, all I saw was glowing sand beneath with lotuses planted at the very bottom. It was so far away from me... Just like the lotuses from my special place.

I miss my special place.

Deeper and deeper we swam, this lady was really rushing although tall seaweed had sprouted from the bottom. We zipped through the kelp forest as fast as we could, that was until something slippery got caught on my ankle.

My hand slipped from my guide who immediately turned around with anger, her face boiling red. "WHAT DID I TELL YOU?" She sprung forward pulling me from this know but I couldn't budge. This kelp was too strong and it seemed to squeeze tighter by the minute! It was like I was being held as a prisoner!

The girl glanced at my ankle and panicked. She knew this wasn't going to be an easy face, yet she forced herself to keep a calm composure. She formed a bubble filled with air as much as she could in her palms and it immediately attached over my mouth and nose.

"Careful, I don't have large hands so this is as much air as I can give you. Use wisely, child." She said, trying to cut the kelp from my ankle with sharpened shells she carried around her waist.

Even if she had freed me, my leg had already gone numb! And it was cold, I felt nothing.

Again, we resumed zipping through the end of the kelp forest yet my air bubble had popped due to the impact. I didn't even have a share at taking a deep breath. I already caused enough trouble, I will not make this a longer journey than this lady had originally intended it to be.

Hinata's energy swept low as her legs stopped functioning to the mermaid's commands. The blond beauty scowled and looked back to find an unconcious Hinata. A little irritated that this girl was so weak, she rushed herself even more. Just a few more minutes and we'll get to them.

There it was! The glass tunnel. If only the girl was concious to see the sight, if she were pleased with how the surface looked in Mermaid's realm then she would be more than please to see this sight. Coral reefs scattered all over the place in luminous colors with sand sparkling. The tunnel was wrapped with vines that held a rare flower with a bejeweling effect against light.

Lightly, she approached the doors of the tunnel which led into the a much grander set of doors.

"It's been a long time Ino, and you've brought a friend.." A deep, feminine voice resounded around them.

"Yes Lady Tsunade. This girl... She claimed to hear the forgotten music that was never heard in years. It hasn't been long since she passed out, we must get her to the medics immediately!"

The tunnel's gold embellished doors opened for her as she quickly rushed to the large oak doors embedded against the solid rock walls.

"My, what a small child. For what purpose does she stumble upon this realm?"

"Lady, it is better to treat this sweetness before questioning, yes?" A bubblegum-haired sprite zipped around her cheeks.

"I suppose you're right Sakura. Go on, treat her sweet pea. Notify me when she has healed."

The pink sprite zoomed around, ordering Ino to place her on a mattress of kelp for the lengthy healing process. Usually creatures of the undersea had no trouble healing. The beast tamers who have gashes look at it as mere cuts. The angels never really 'hurt'. Gnomes were immune to being hurt, after all, they always get scratched up for digging in the dirt be it gossip or literal dirt! But this... Humans really were weak creatures. Weren't they? Sakura frowned in disappointment.