Ningyo Hime
Merry Christmas! I FINALLY got to update this story after letting collect dust for over a month! Anyway, I have a VERY important question after the story, so PLEASE read at the end! But now, I'm happy to finally present you the next chapter of Ningyo Hime!
Chapter 4: The Sea Witch
It's been a while since Nya met and rescued the human prince in blue.
Before her sixteenth birthday, she always looked forward to showing herself above the waves whenever she pleased, but now, she couldn't bring herself to do so without thinking about the prince and what he could be doing right now.
Was he still in the stone building?
Was that beautiful green-eyed girl still tending to him?
Would he be in another boat dancing with some pretty human maidens?
Or could he be dwelling in his own castle built upon the earth?
Poor Nya's mind has been plagued by thoughts of the prince in blue ever since that fateful day. She tried to convince herself that she'll never see him again, but she would sometimes poke her pretty face above the waves and search the surface for him.
Even in the world of dreams she couldn't escape from the human prince.
He even made himself present in most of the dreams she had ever since she saved his life.
His sapphire orbs would gaze into her hazel eyes, as if he was looking right through her. Above all else, he would be by her side or at least nearby, regardless of the surroundings. His thin lips moved as if he was speaking, but no words would come out.
She didn't even remember what his voice sounded like.
This time, he didn't speak at all.
He just stared at her with his perfect blue eyes.
And then the unthinkable happened.
He turned his back on her, his cape billowing behind him and he became further away.
Before she knew it, Nya swam as fast as she could towards him. She had no idea whether or not she was above or under the water, or in a completely different world, but she went after him.
The mermaid's red tail swished as fast as it could as Nya got closer to the prince.
She just managed to grab his cape when…
Nya woke with a startle back in her bedchamber under the sea.
It was morning as the sunlight managed to reach the castle through the window.
The young mermaid was still disturbed by her dream.
Why did no words come from the prince's mouth as he spoke?
Why did he have to leave her?
Nya tried to remind herself that it was just a dream, but her vision had a way of not staying put in the back of her mind and invade all her thoughts.
Oh, how the little mermaid wished she and the prince can be together.
'Wait! Maybe Grandmother knows something!'
Clinging to the small hope of her relative having answers, Nya swam towards the throne room where the Sea King and his mother dwelt.
"Grandmother!" The mermaid princess called out to her kin.
"Oh, Nya. What brings you here?"
Nya swam close to her relative so only she could hear.
"Grandmother, why can't we mermaids coexist with the humans above?"
"Nya! Why on earth would you ask such a thing!?" The ancient mermaid was astonished by her granddaughter's question.
"Please, Grandmother. Ever since I have heard went to the surface, I've wanted to experience life like they do. It must be so amazing to dwell upon the earth and feel the winds caressing my face. Oh, why can humans not drown and live amongst us in the ocean?"
The old woman knew that her younger grandchild was always such a curious girl but she often dealt with her and Zelda ever since they were babies and they learned much from her wisdom.
At the same time, she knew how stubborn Nya can be when she didn't get her way.
"Nya, I should've known you would be curious of the world above and its inhabitants but we do not belong in the same world. Humans will never survive in our grand kingdom under the sea."
"But why not?" The little mermaid pouted like a disgruntled child.
"Humans always need air to breathe. They don't even live as long as us with our three hundred years. No, they almost never live to be one hundred years old."
"So they die like us?"
The mermaid's grandmother shook her head.
"No. The rules of death between merpeople and human are quite different. Once we turn three hundred, our bodies will become the foam upon the ocean waves and we cease to exist entirely but humans, as short as their lives are in this mortal world, shall continue to live on, even while their bodies rot within the earth. Humans are born with a soul that would live on forever, even after their death upon this world, which would then rise up towards the heavens to a place we shall never see."
"Why not?"
"Nya, you are much too young to speak of this subject. I suggest you put your mind somewhere else. Somewhere where you can be happy."
The young mermaid still had more questions to ask but she didn't want to bother her old kin so she left the throne room.
'Perhaps Zelda knows something…'
Clinging to that one small hope, Nya swam to find her intelligent sister.
Of course Zelda was found reading in the archives.
"Zelda!" The ebony-haired mermaid called out to her pale sister, regardless that she was in the royal archives where silence was a bit of a must.
The older mermaid princess put away her book and swam up to her sister.
"Nya. What are doing here?"
"Zelda, I have spoken with Grandmother."
"About what?"
"Grandmother said that humans have eternal souls, but us merpeople will die entirely once we reach three hundred years in age."
"Why does this concern you, Nya?"
"When I die and become the foam on the ocean, I will never hear music again, I will never sing another song, and I will never see the wonders this world has to offer. Yet humans will ascend towards the sky upon death to a place where our kind shall never go and live forever. Oh, how I wish to be with the prince not as myself, but as a human, even for just one day."
Nya sighed sadly.
Although she was filled with pity for her sister, Zelda knew it was unwise of her to desire being something she could never be.
She also had no idea how much Nya really liked the human prince but she was also young and still had so much more to learn.
"Nya, it may seem cruel, but this is the way of life for us. We live for three hundred years, turn to foam, and cease to exist. But a lifetime for three centuries in this world is enough for us but humans can't stay here as long as we do. The realm above you speak of is only for them, not us. In fact, we are far better off than humans."
Never before had Nya become so angry at Zelda for saying such things about humans.
Sure, she heard her father and even her grandmother talking down on them but she would've never thought that her sister of all people would agree with them.
Then again, Zelda was the more obedient of the two princesses.
Before the older mermaid princess could say anything else, Nya swam out of the room.
A few hours have passed before Nya approached her grandmother again.
"Greetings, Nya." The old mermaid greeted her granddaughter, "I trust that you feel well."
But a sigh from the princess' lips told her otherwise.
"Grandmother, is there any way I can gain an eternal soul and ascend towards that wonderful place only human souls have seen?"
Her grandmother sighed in defeat. It seems like nothing could quell the princess' curiosity.
"Well, there is one way…"
"Really? Oh, Grandmother! Please tell me how!"
"I honestly doubt it could ever happen, but this is how you, a soulless mermaid can gain a soul. To do this, you must find a human man who loves you with all his heart. If you two shall ever be bound by holy matrimony, a part of his soul will flow into you and when you die, you'll be able to live on forever in the realm in the sky."
Nya was engrossed by her words.
If only she can find her blue prince again.
Then maybe she can gain his love as well as an eternal soul.
"Once again, I do not think it will work." The old mermaid continued, regaining Nya's attention, "Humans don't have tails. Instead, they have those two fleshy limbs called 'legs' where we have our scaly tails. Humans are, I'm sorry to say, are very shallow creatures. They believe that legs are beautiful and they would see our tails as 'hideous' and shun us. I don't want the same thing to happen to you, my granddaughter."
Nya gazed at her red tail sadly.
She wished that instead of seeing one scaly red appendage, she would be greeted by the sight of two legs, much like those of the people on the prince's ship.
After giving her grandmother a quick hug in thanks for her great wisdom, the mermaid princess swam away, far from the palace.
She desperately wanted to be a human and be with the prince but her family will never allow it.
That left her with only one person to go to.
This person was the only other living creature as wise as her grandmother, but nobody dared to go near that person.
That person was the Sea Witch.
Feared by all, she dwelt in the furthest corners of the Sea Kingdom but Nya was willing to make the treacherous journey to her domain.
Unfortunately, someone saw her.
"Hey, Nya! Where are you going?"
Kai caught up with his mermaid friend, not knowing her true motives.
"Kai, I can't stay here any longer." Nya answered briskly, "I'm going to the Sea Witch."
If Kai was at least a merman, then his face would've become white. Every creature living in the sea, including sharks and whales, avoided that wicked woman.
"A-a-are you serious!? Nya! You can't do this!"
"Kai, if you truly value our friendship, then you will not stop me." Nya said sternly to the fish.
"B-but- "
"This is what I want, Kai. Please leave."
The red fish didn't know what to say.
He truly cared about Nya, despite being a different species, but he also didn't want to disobey her. As he just stood there, the mermaid princess swam far away.
Further from her life under the sea.
The Sea Witch's dwelling was avoided for very good reasons other than the sole inhabitant.
Surrounded by angry whirlpools, the sand was bleak and grey, and the only thing that grew in this dreadful place were the ugly polyps moving like worms with the current. Strewn about the desolate seabed were skeletons of any unfortunate creature that came too close.
Nya was terrified but all thoughts of the prince gave her the courage to continue.
Deep in her nightmarish realm stood the Sea Witch.
Her eyes shone a deadly red and her flesh was pitch black to match the darkness that suited her nefarious reputation.
Before the mermaid could speak the old hag beat her to it.
"I know why you've come here, Nya." The witch sneered, her voice dripping with poison upon saying the princess' name.
"So you know…" Nya said, trying to maintain a calm face.
"Indeed. I know just as much, if not, more than that pretentious person you call grandmother."
The Sea Witch gave a mean chuckle before continuing.
"You are such a naïve fool. You're in love with a human prince. How stupid of you. But I'll help you get what you want."
"Why would you help me…?" Nya asked, feeling suspicious.
"Simply because there's something in it for me." The hag answered dismissively.
"I know you want to be a human just to be with the prince and earn a soul. I have just the thing you'll need."
After rummaging through her belongings hidden by the disgusting polyps, the witch displayed a small vial of a mysterious violet liquid.
"This potion, once you drink it, will split your tail in two and they will become those abhorrent things called 'legs'. But it would only work if you go to dry land and drink it as the sun rises but the transformation will be excruciating. You will feel like a sword is cutting your tail, but in the end, you shall have beautiful graceful legs."
"Is that it?"
"No. Far from it." The Sea Witch grinned, revealing her teeth, which were all sharp, "With each and every step, you'll feel like you're walking on white hot blades, and your feet will bleed. That brings us back to what I want."
"What do you want?" Nya asked.
"Your voice."
"M-my voice…!?"
"Yes, beautiful." The witch extended a clawed hand and held up the mermaid's chin. "You have been gifted with the most beautiful voice in both land and sea. I don't like giving anything away and get nothing in return. In exchange for the potion, you shall give me your voice."
"B-but how will I get the prince to love me?"
"Oh, Nya. Sweet naïve Nya. Haven't you forgotten the importance of body language?"
The Sea Witch cackled, much to the mermaid's discomfort.
"If you get the prince to love you, then a part of his soul will flow into you and you shall also get an eternal soul, but I can't guarantee that will happen."
The mermaid princess' face paled but the hag continued.
"Once you become a human, you shall never be a mermaid again nor can you return to the sea. You'll never see your precious family again. And the prince may not love you. If he proclaims his love to another, your heart will shatter into many tiny pieces and you'll become the foam upon the waves and you'll cease to exist entirely for you will have no soul."
Nya thought about everything the Sea Witch said.
At last, she can become a human and be with her prince, but she will have to sacrifice so much. She'll lose her voice so she could sing no more and the prince may never hear her voice. She'll have to give up her life here in the Sea Kingdom, never to see Kai, Zelda, and her family again. The pain of being a human may also be too much and she'll have no voice to scream in agony. Above all else, the prince might not even love her.
"Is this still what you want?" The Sea Witch asked, leering at the mermaid with her unnervingly red eyes.
Being a human might be brutal, but Nya's love for the prince was far greater and she was willing to suffer for it.
She will go through it all just for him.
"Yes."
And Nya never spoke again.
Yeah. The Sea Witch was inspired by Lord Garmadon (at least his evil self).
Okay, question time.
I'm considering to make the rating go up because Nya will turn into a human. Since she isn't wearing anything on her tail, she would be naked and that might be 'M' material. But all I'm gonna say is that she's naked but I will NOT go into further detail other than that. Would that still be 'M' rated? PLEASE help me out here.
Anyway, I would also like to wish you all a Merry Christmas!