Maecenas snapped her fingers, freezing the humans on the deck except for Fai and Syaoran.

"You don't know just how important you are to my kind. Your voice alone has a strange power to it. Almost like Kai." She ended in a whisper that only she could hear.

"My people are desperate. Our leader has ruled over us like a dictator for almost a century, laying waste to our cities and killing thousands. She killed our greatest warrior and leader, making victory almost impossible."

Fai stared at her. "I'm not a warrior, or a leader, just a mage. I can't help you."

Maecenas glared at him. "You are our only hope. I'm not letting you escape again." She looked around quickly before facing him again, a smug expression on her scarred face.

"That man in black isn't here to save you-" Syaoran jumped at her, sword out and ready to slash her to pieces. She froze him with a snap of her fingers and he fell to the deck. Her eyes bored into Fai's eye as she raised her hand to him until he held his up in surrender.

"I do not use my magic. I can't help you."

"I didn't come all this way to fail," She growled, lowering her hand. "You're coming with me even if I have to drag you there."

How could she drag me through water?

"I can't go with you. I'll drown."

"Do I look stupid? I know what I'm doing."

Maecenas raised a hand to him and fired a spell. Fai jumped to the side to dodge it, but it followed his movements. He jumped again and again, but failed to escape from the spell. It shot into his back in a flash, and for the second time in his life, he felt like his body was on fire. His mouth opened in a silent scream and he fell to the ground. Syaoran saw the whole ordeal, but was unable to even lift a finger to help as the man began to change painfully into a merman.

"I'm sorry, Fai-san!" He thought.

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The pain quickly subsided, leaving Fai feeling slightly numb all over his body and too stunned to stand. He looked down at his hands; they were webbed. Shakily, he looked at his legs, or at least what used to be his legs. A deep blue, almost black, tail had taken their place. The magic had destroyed all of his clothes except for his shirt, but he pulled off anyway. Maecenas tossed something at him. It stopped and hovered in front of him before vanishing into his throat. Fai coughed, and then gasped.

My voice!

"Happy?" She said; her voice now more feminine. "You have your voice back. Now-"

"Release all of these people!" Fai yelled, causing her to stop her speech. Maecenas stared at the crowd. Rolling her eyes, she walked over to the wheel, and the man behind it.

"I left this one alone, and the captain. They'll be able to get them all back safely. The spell on them will wear off soon anyway. Not that I care. My mission is only to get you to the Aqua polis, which I will do without fail."

"I'm not going!"

Damn it, I never learned transfiguration spells like this! I can't reverse it!

Fai swiftly crawled over to the side of the ship and pulled himself up until he had one arm hooked over the edge. Maecenas walked a few steps towards him, her back to the humans. The captain silently appeared from his cabins, pistol in hand. He walked up to the woman until he was a foot away.

"Miss Maecenas," He drawled, "You know that you can visit the ships and the people whenever you wish, but you are not allowed to steal one!" Maecenas turned and glared at him.

"He is the only one who can save my home!" She yelled in his face, freezing him with a spell. Fai frowned.

"I do not use my magic!" He said. "I am unable to help you."

"What if I took him with me?" The mermaid said slyly, pointing to Syaoran. The spell had begun to wear off on him, as well as a few other people who scampered away and he pulled himself into a sitting position.

"If I held him hostage, until you used your magic… That might make you change your mind."

Fai glared, and his eye flashed a golden color. The nails of his free hand grew into claws, and he pushed off from the side of the ship into her, knocking her over. He held his claws at her throat, fury in his eye. Maecenas laughed, snapping her fingers. Fai went stiff for a moment, but shook it off.

"It'll take more than that… to stop me."

"Really now?" She hissed.

"Fai-san!" Syaoran yelled, running to help. Maecenas snapped her fingers at him, and ropes appeared, wrapping around the boys arms and feet. His sword was now useless, but he held on to it anyway.

"Syaoran-kun!" Fai retracted his claws and crawled over to him to free him. His webbed fingers made it difficult. Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

"Are you alright, Fai-san?" Syaoran whispered.

"I'm fine… Syaoran-kun..."

"He's drowning." Maecenas said darkly. "My kind can only stay above the water for so long…"

"What?"

Fai collapsed to one side, his eye closed.

"Save him, Maecenas!" Syaoran yelled. She smiled grimly.

"Good-bye then."

Maecenas hoisted the merman over her shoulder and went to the edge of the ship. In one swift motion she transformed back into a mermaid and jumped overboard, taking Fai with her.

AN: CLIFFHANGER! The story is starting to take a different turn, but it'll still work! Thanks to all who have fav'd and alerted this story! You rock!

DP