Disclaimer: I don't mermaid melody or any of it's chacters. But you already knew that right?

EARTH & OCEAN

Chapter 4: A secret, a feeling

10 weeks have passed since the land prince and the mermaid princess met for the first time. Every week the two would meet either in the forest or the village to spend the day with each other while their parents made battle plans. Usually Hanon or Rina would fallow the two until they felt Lucia would be safe, but today they decided to give them some privacy.

Birds chirped happily in the sunlit forest as Lucia walked down a well-worn dirt path. She took a soft left and walked into the grass for a few feet until she came up to a large thick log lying next to the lake that the forest surrounded. The blond sat down, making absolutely sure that her feet didn't go near the lake, but rather the dirt path and patiently placed her hands on her lap. Lucia hummed to herself quietly while she waited for Kaito and her thoughts drifted towards him. Rina's words from 8 weeks ago still rung loudly inside her head, keeping her aware of everything both Kaito and herself did to keep her family's secret. However, every time she looked at him, she felt as if her mermaid heart was going to burst with happiness. This feeling happened every time she thought of him as well, which honestly was almost all of the time. Lucia felt her face warm up as she wondered what they were going to do that day. Were they just going for a short walk and then go out to eat? or were they going to have a picnic like they usually did on beautiful days like this? A crunch sound snapped her out of her day dreamy thoughts. Lucia stood up from the log and looked around frantically as more crunching sounds filled her ears. Lucia felt her blood pulse in her head she called shakily "Who's there?" there was a few more crunching sounds as a large group of men stepped out from the forest's shadows. Each one of them was big, and they gave off the the feeling of being bandits. Lucia stepped back until her calves touched the log and the men closed in on her. One stepped out in front of them, the leader obviously, and smiled. His teeth were a nasty yellow color while his bead was very short and stubby.

"Why is a pretty girl like you alone in a place like this?" he asked in a gruff voice. it was obvious he had taken a liking to the alcohol.

"I'm-m m-m-eeting som-meo-one." she answered quietly. Lucia couldn't stop herself from stuttering or her hands from shaking behind her back. the man's disgusting smile grew and the blond felt herself shudder. the men let out sounds like they were going to the amusement park as the leader said "Then I''m sure you wouldn't mind if we join you then." Suddenly, two of the bandits grabbed her arms at the biceps and wrists. The blond tried to squirm free, but their iron grip just tightened. The leader smiled wider, revealing black around the gums as he walked closer to Lucia. There was a whoosh sound as the man went to reach for Lucia's sleeve. An arrow hit the meat of his arm with a thunk, blood trickling out of the wound. The leader cried out in pain as everyone turned to the woods. The ones who were holding the blond let go and every bandit pulled out their weapons while foot steps could be heard from the trees. Kaito walked out onto the clearing, his sword drawn and a small quiver of arrows and a bow strapped to his back. Lucia took a step back, or at least tried to and fell over the log she was just sitting on a few moments ago. she felt her head splash into the water and the watery oxygen fill her lungs. She let out a gasp and pulled the rest of her body into the shallow end of the lake, completing the transformation as the bandit leader said "Well well, looks like little princy here wants to play hero."

"If you don't want your nose broken, I'd suggest that you leave Lucia alone and get out of this forest." said Kaito, sounding like a totally different person that Lucia was not used to. She watched as the large group went to attack him, But Kaito started to beat the stuffing out of them instead. Lucia let out a smile and pulled herself into the deeper water for more room while Kaito finished off the last of the bandits. the leader was the last one standing. He held up his claymore to fight, however Kaito glared at him and the leader lowered it, than ran away from the lake clearing. The rest of the gang fallowed and the land prince let out a sigh. Lucia continued to smile while Kaito started to look around. Strong, athletic, smart, kind and VERY good looking, what more can a mermaid princess ask for? The land prince smiled when he saw her chin deep in the lake and said "Lucia, are you okay?"

"Yeah! yeah...I'm fine." she said, the last part in a whisper as a thought entered her head like a bad nightmare entering her sleep. She touched her tail with her fingers as Kaito walked up to the edge of the lake. Lucia concentrated on keeping most of her submerged in the water as the land prince started to step into the lake.

"Wait! it's okay Kaito, I can swim." she called back quickly. This day was just getting better and better.

"Are you sure? I can come get you." he offered while the mermaid's mind raced. She shook her head in the water and said "I'll be fine. But if you could, please take a few steps back and turn around." Lucia saw Kaito's face flush scarlet as he did what she asked, going as far as around the log. she quickly and quietly swam back until she felt her stomach touch the sand of the bank and had to start dragging herself. Lucia let out a sigh as she pulled herself up and sat on the sand, her tail still in the water and the rest of her looking out onto the lake. the sun was starting to set. Strange, she didn't remember being out this late. The mermaid princess took a deep breath, and let it out slowly before saying "Kaito?" quietly. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course." he replied, starting to turn around but the mermaid princess shouted to not turn around. He froze and turned back around to look at the trees.

"Don't look until you answer me first okay?"

"Okay. what's the question?"

"What if i was different than you thought i was? What if i was someone else than what you think I am? Would you still wish to see me?"

"Why, of course Lucia!" he said back almost instantly with enthusiasm. the blond watched as he looked down at his hands in thought and continued. "When ever I see you, am with you, I'm... when you're not around, I still see your beautiful face smiling to keep myself from getting depressed because you are not near me." 'He feels the same as me!' Lucia couldn't help but think with a smile. She let out a held breath and prepared for the inevitable. He may have said those things, but Lucia knew that as soon as he knew she was a mermaid, that would all change. The worst case scenario would be that he would kill her on the spot. Stupid war.

"You can turn around now." she said, almost sadly. Kaito's brown eyes grew to the size of saucer plates as soon as he saw the mermaid sitting on the river bank.

"L-L-u-u-c-c-ia?" he stammered, falling backwards onto the dirt ground. Tears welded into Lucia's blue eyes a she turned back towards the water and started to slide back in. This would be the perfect time to get away. Maybe if she was lucky she could reach the ocean before Kaito could get to his armies.

"I'm sorry Kaito." she whispered as she started to sink into the water. a Strong hand clamped onto her shoulder, halting her movements and bringing her close to the land prince. He wrapped his arms around her and Lucia could feel her heart trying to break out of her rib cage.

"I told you didn't I?" he said, not looking down at her, but onto the lake.

"But...but I'm a mermaid. We shouldn't even know each other!"

"I know and I don't care." he finally looked down at her and lifted Lucia's chin so she could see him. "So what if you have a tail fin? SO what if you live in the ocean? you make me feel like if you leave, by heart would turn into Swiss cheese. You, the person not what species you are, are the only person I want to be with." Lucia's heart was beating louder in her chest and she feared he could hear it too. Her checks were on fire and she knew what he was going to say next but couldn't stop herself from gasping.

"Lucia...I love you." the mermaid could feel Kaito's heart beat in sync with hers as a silence squeezed itself between them. Finally, Lucia took some air into her lungs and said "Kaito, I love you too." The two hugged each other tightly as their hearts beated as if they were two drums playing the same piece of music. Lucia looked up as Kaito leaned down and as soon as their lips met, the world stopped turning for the two star-crossed lovers.