A/N: Happy Easter Sunday guys!

Now, that our effeminate tensai would return to his human form, I'll use the pronoun he. :D

*Imagine that Fuji's mother was a really beautiful woman with long golden brown hair and blue orbs similar to Fuji's eyes. You know, a typical mermaid has to be very beautiful and let's just imagine that she doesn't age much though she was already 36 years old, her appearance seemed like in her twenties. And his father is also a handsome man with dark brown hair and gray eyes that doesn't look his age (40). Ne, ne, ne? Pardon me for my change of character since I have to adjust their character in order to fit in the story.

Warning: This story is just a product of my wild imagination.


The Story of a Tensai Mermaid

Chapter 4: Guardian/Protector

Fuji woke up with a stinging pain on his legs and on his chest. He slowly opened his eyes. He looked around; he was now on his room. Right, he remembered that he fell asleep because he felt really tired especially when he heard his true identity. He slowly sat up, enduring the pain on his chest and legs. He removed the blanket that was covering his legs and his eyes widened as he saw his fins was slowly disappearing, revealing his firm and pale legs. He glanced over the alarm clock. It was three minutes before twelve am in the morning. He touched his chest, it was slowly flattening and his hair was shrinking back to its normal length.

As the clock ticked at exactly twelve midnight, he was back to normal – a boy.

So, that was it. For six hours, he would become a mermaid every full moon. So, he would be aware that every six pm in the evening, he should be home by that time to avoid people seeing him being transformed into a mermaid.

He then remembered Tezuka. He couldn't deny the fact that he was really touched the way Tezuka had taken care of him. He stayed by his side the whole time that he was in his mermaid form. He'll talk to Tezuka when the morning came. He really wanted to thank him.

He stood up and went to his bathroom. He glanced at the mirror and looked at his face, his body. He was a guy again when in fact; he was really born as a girl. Why did this happen to him? He was living a normal life until yesterday. He just couldn't comprehend. His chest was flat and he had his legs again. Everything that had happened to him seemed like a dream and very illogical that any normal human couldn't handle. Good thing, Tezuka didn't freak out when he heard the story of their family and his true identity. He ran his fingers through his hair. It was still soft but it was short. His hair when he was in his mermaid form was long and silky and he found it heavy especially when wet.

He stripped off his clothes and took a cold shower. He kept thinking on ways on how to break the spell. He had to make a move. He didn't want to become a mermaid every full moon and suffer the pain each and every time. Even on his own, he really needed to find out.


-X-

*Yoshiko was referring to Fuji as a she.*

Fuji Yoshiko (36) was restless. Just a while ago, her eldest daughter, Yumiko, called and told her that the spell in Syuusuke, or rather, Syuurika had already worked. Her daughter must be in a state of shock when she learned about her true identity and their family origin. She couldn't sleep. She was in Osaka with her husband, Fuji Masahiko (40) for their business trip. She felt that her husband patted her shoulder.

"Yoshiko, as soon as we finish our business deal, we'll go home as soon as possible." He assured her.

"Yes. Thank you. But I still feel uneasy. It must be hard for Syuurika."

"I know. But I'm getting excited to see our daughter again." He said.

"Aa. Me too."

"She must be very beautiful since she inherited everything from you." He said as he locked her in his strong arms.

"Yes. I miss our daughter."

"I'm sure, Syuurika will be all right. She's strong like you."

"Aa." She smiled.

"So now, go to rest. We need to finish things as soon as possible."

And with that, they went together to bed. Though her husband assured her, she was still uneasy and she felt scared for her daughter. They didn't even know how to break the spell, Medusi didn't say anything when she casted a spell on her poor princess. Just what was really waiting for her daughter?


-X-

-Morning in Kanagawa district on a certain household-

"Good morning, tou-san." He greeted his father who was scanning the morning newspaper.

"Good morning." His father replied.

He sat down on their dining table and began eating his breakfast. His mother appeared carrying a tray with rolled eggs.

"Good morning, kaa-san."

"Good morning." His mother greeted with a warm smile on her face. He couldn't deny the fact that her mother was a very beautiful woman despite her age of 38. Anyone who would see her would mistake her for a woman in her mid-twenties.

"Is your sister already awake?"

"When I checked her in her room, she was still sleeping." He answered.

"Son," his father called, "remember what I told you when you are still young?" He recalled what his father had told him when he was still young. He was aware that their family was a family of mermen and mermaids. They just took their human form in order to protect somebody. Both his parents were of mermaid descendants and his parents were loyal comrades of King Aidoneus, the ruler of the seven oceans and the king of the waters. They were sent to live on land to be the protector of the family of the cursed princess. They were sent extremely oblivious in the knowledge of neither the princess nor her family. But those years that they had lived on land, he hadn't even met the princess.

"That I will be a guardian of a certain mermaid when it's time?"

"Yes."

"What about it?"

"Now is the time."

He suddenly remembered what his father told him when he was only ten years old.

"Son, when the time comes, you will be the protector of the princess that is cursed by the sea witch named Medusi. You'll do everything to protect the princess." His father said to a ten-year old him.

"Is the princess beautiful, tou-san?" His father laughed upon hearing his innocent question.

"Yes, she's a very beautiful princess with a honey brown hair and blue eyes."

"Then I want to meet and marry her someday." He said innocently.

"That could be possible, but you have to protect and help her in order to break the curse."

"Hai."

His thoughts were brought back on reality.

"How do you know that now is the time, tou-san?"

"The crystal shell that King Aidoneus gave us before we lived here on land had lit up last night at around six pm. That's the signal that the curse has started to work on the princess. Your mother noticed it when there was a bright light inside our closet."

"But I don't have any idea on who she is. How could I start protecting her?"

"We'll try to communicate to the King in order to get some clues."

"Hai. Then, I'll go now, tou-san, kaa-san."

"Itterashai."

As he was heading toward his school, he kept thinking. What would be a middle school student like him could do in order to protect the princess? But he was really anticipating on meeting the princess. Ever since he was a child, it was imprinted on his mind that he would marry the princess someday and protect her from everything. Somehow, he was getting excited. How he wished that his father would get some clues as soon as possible.


-X-

Fuji insisted to go to school despite the fact that his sister forced him to stay at home and rest. When Yumiko-neesan saw him in the morning, back in his human and guy form, she was flabbergasted. He then explained to her what happened to him when the clock struck at twelve midnight. She said that she was relieved that he now knew that he would be a mermaid for a span of six hours every full moon.

And now, he was spacing out in class. He was looking outside the window while the teacher was lecturing about Physics and Eiji was fast asleep on his seat with a book on his front that served as a cover.

As the teacher dismissed them, Eiji automatically woke up and got his bento inside his bag. They ate peacefully with Eiji telling stories about how his older sister used up all his favorite toothpaste, his grandma had took another cat and other random stories about his families which he found amusing to listen. With Eiji, there was never any boring moment. Good thing, he didn't even question him about his sudden disappearance yesterday.

After they finished their bento, he went outside for a walk. He wanted to breathe some fresh air and thus, he found himself going to the rooftop. As he opened the door, he saw a tall bespectacled man gazing up on the sky. He smiled as he recognized that man – Tezuka. He still hadn't thanked him properly for taking care of him last night.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" he said as he was approaching near him. Tezuka, on the other hand, looked at him with a somewhat surprised expression.

"Fuji, how did you..?"

"Go back?"

"Aa."

"At twelve midnight, I turned back into a human and a guy again."

"I see."

Somehow, he was feeling a bit conscious with Tezuka here. Now that he already saw him in his mermaid state and now that he learned the secret of his family. But he was relieved that it was Tezuka and not anybody else.

"Ne, Tezuka, I want to thank you for taking care of me last night."

"It's nothing." He said as he looked at him straight into his blue orbs. And then there was a pregnant silence. They were both gazing up in the sky and enjoying the breeze.

"Fuji?" Tezuka called him gently after a while.

"Yes?"

"I want to help you."

"For what?"

"On finding out how to break the spell."

His mouth fell open. He didn't expect Tezuka to volunteer that easily. And he now that Tezuka wasn't the type to rub in into other's business.

"It might be dangerous."

"I don't care. I already made my resolution last night. I want to help you break the curse."

He was having second thoughts. He knew that the situation that he was in was dangerous and he didn't want Tezuka to put into danger. Only Kami-sama knew how he didn't want him to get involve with his situation. He didn't want him to get hurt. His conscience would eat him up if something happened to him.

"Why do you want to help me?"

Tezuka paused before he answered. "Because you're my friend."

He smiled bitterly but he didn't show it to him. Yes, just a friend. What else would he expect? He felt disappointed but he was glad that Tezuka did want to help him. He then decided to accept his offer but he'll make sure that he wouldn't put him in danger. He'll protect him with all his might.

"Then, let's work hard together ne?"

"Aa."

They had a journey that awaited them. For how long it would take them on finding out how to break the spell, he didn't know. But he knew he can work hard for it, now that Tezuka was on his side. He felt safe and sound, for he knew Tezuka wouldn't take back his words.

Together, they enjoyed the silent company of each other until their lunch time was over.


-X-

-In the deepest part of the ocean, far away from the Heart of Guinemere-

"It seemed that Princess Syuurika has found someone to lean on." Medusi said as she was watching at her magical ice mirror. She knew that King Aidoneus had sent a protector on land for their poor little princess. Even she, the great Medusi had no idea who might be that protectors for she knew that King Aidoneus had concealed them from her.

If Lyra, the deceased wife of King Aidoneus hadn't snatched the king from her, then, she would be the queen of the oceans. She was the one who knew the king first, but when she introduced Lyra to him, he fell for her instantly. Yes, she was also a mermaid like her sister. A beautiful one if she must say. She had the eyes like a sapphire, with a honey blonde hair. Her sister, Lyra, on the other hand, had the eyes like that of a blue diamond, with a golden brown hair. She was older to her by a year. They had been so close not until they both fell for the same man.

Engulfed by her own jealousy and envy, she killed her own sister right after she gave birth to Yoshiko, that was the time that she was still weak due to giving birth. For years, she had been exiled for ruining the family of her sister Lyra and the king. The king became furious and the underworld was disturbed by the drastic change of the king when his queen died. The king then decided to exile her to avoid future disturbances from her and casted a strong spell upon her, turning her into an ugly sea witch. Humiliated from her own form, from the day that she was exiled, she vowed to herself that she would take her sweet revenge for all the misfortune that they had caused her.

TBC…


A/N: There! We have a glimpse on how Medusi turned into that one.

And guys, I have a guessing game for you. Who is the protector of Princess Syuurika? Clue, he's one of the many tennis rivals of Fuji.

Whoever will guess this first can request a story for me with your favorite pairing. :D

I'll be waiting.

Ja.

-cayleyjanssen