Part IV
"After having lost sleep and overworked myself to obtain very marked progress on my album's songs, I finally convinced myself to take it easy for the next few days. In this time, Japan progressed into the Golden Week. Overhearing about Momo-chan the young pink dolphin whom was brought in for care on the noontime news after some footage of Jennifer Houston, in which some well wishes from her were dedicated to me and my aims to make music, I decided that visiting the aquarium was a good idea. Figuring the poor dolphin child was lonely and hurt, I set off with the mindset to speak to him, commune that all would be well for him once again. On my way over there, I looked out and saw Kaito with his surfboard in the water nearby another dolphin that looked sad and then turned to the building.
'Is that Momo-chan's mother?'
Thinking this might be the case, I went onwards and found myself in the aquarium within several minutes. Taking a careful, serene set of trance in my headphones, I slowly walked to admire the sea life before my eyes. It then transpires that a few different ones swam close to look right at me.
"Is something troubling you?"
Hearing that over my music, I paused my iPod and took off my headphones.
Nobody was looking at me, though, so I can only presume that the fish were communicating with me. Putting my head down just a little, I let my mind wander and heard thoughts that were concerning a princess. The voice resembled Hanon's and I came back to myself in shock."
It took Taiki a minute to cope with what he had just heard and take it to heart.
'What was that…?'
The music resumed around his neck with pressing play and Taiki walked in the direction of Momo-chan's pool to see him, with both Kaito and Lucia coming into sight in front of him. Quietly he comes up to the railing next to them and looks at Momo-chan with a sense of concern.
Taiki: Oh, you must be so lonely, Momo-chan. Trust me, I know just how that feels…!
He holds a hand near his chest.
Taiki: But, I'm sure… you will be together with your mother again soon… please, be strong. Believe, and it will happen.
With a nod, he walks on past Lucia and Kaito, waving goodbye to them both. With his thoughts open, though, he hears a good portion of the latter side of the conversation between who he could only figure was Lucia and Momo-chan. He simply figured that this girl must have developed telepathy or some way to commune with the ocean's creatures as he headed for the performance area's event pool, albeit slowly. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something critically important about Lucia.
Suddenly, yells and shouts of the people in the stands by the event pool in the aquarium got Taiki's attention.
Taiki: What the hell—?!
"I quickly worked my way up and into the seating area, only to be greeted with the sight of a water serpent like I had seen several nights ago. Unwinding the chain and hook from around one of my arms, I ran to the edge of the pool.
"Everyone stay back, I'll see what's going on here!"
I pulled myself up onto the pool's railing for a look inside to see what was going on and then three mermaids emerged out of the water, surprising everyone. I leaned back too far trying to get a solid look at them and fell over to the seating with a less-than-stellar landing. I kept my eyes shut in the seething pain until the melody cut off and stopped. Not understanding this, I pushed myself back up onto my feet and seemingly as though on cue, a new, much different song began, emanating from the white light that held the three idol girls whom these mermaids had become. What struck me as being odd is that this song, with its danceable beat, actually removed my pain.
"I like this… a lot!"
After I had listened to the bulk of the song and even participated by saying "Hey!" at the right times as the aqua and green idols signaled for the audience to shout it, I pulled out an impromptu dance in the vein of parapara that matched the words on a moment's instinct before the blonde idol had sung them. That thoroughly impressed everyone in attendance, and then the aquamarine idol said Momo-chan's mother was then entering the pool, at which point it happened. It heartened me to see a mother and child reunited. Pointing to the idols and then giving them all a nod and a wink, I saw myself out and left the aquarium feeling better but now with a few questions on my mind as I walked back to Yoshimi's place."
Lucia, Hanon and Rina all noticed Taiki do what he did, then before they spilt up and headed for home, they caught a glimpse of him outside the aquarium looking out at the ocean before the lights changed and he heard the crossing signal tune start playing. They watched him disappear into the traffic and they wondered where they would see him next.
The next day, near the end of his CD sales, Taiki caught word from a few girls around the town about the day of the annual Mermaid legend of the candle light.
Taiki: Would you tell me about this legend, please? I'm interested to know about this.
The girls graciously obliged and informed him of the story behind the legend as well as how there's a cave in which girls place their wishes for love, health and the like by placing and lighting candles there. Upon their finishing of the story as they remembered it, my response was somewhat unexpected from their standpoint.
Taiki: Please go and see if there are those who wish to set down a candle but won't be able to make it to the cave for whatever reasons.
He writes down the address of Ms. Yoshimi's residence.
Taiki: Have them carve in the names and then bring those candles to this address; I will bring them all with me tomorrow to the cave and see to it that their wishes are heard. Hopefully I'll see you girls there when I show up tomorrow.
He ended his sales early and bought a dark grey, scented candle with a larger wick, inscribing his name into the side along with "worldwide peace and love". But his day was not over and he left his bag with a boat renter as he heads out to a point in the inland sea with someone else piloting, though not after changing into a wetsuit.
Taiki: Let me test something, if you will. It may be very situational, but I have a means to breathe that should also combat the pressures.
He was wearing a meter and did a test dive, coming up from it with no ill effects.
Taiki: I'm surprised that worked. Still, I'm going to make this easier on myself.
He puts on fins before descending into the depths with a waterproof spotlight and numerous thick cotton drawstring bags for clothing picked up from military surplus. His pendant was attached around his neck not with string but with an alloy chain that had also been treated to virtually guarantee it would not rust. The coordinates he had found by a message decoded a few days previous using ancient cryptex devices that had come into his possession when he was a child and his mother was still alive; marked with what appeared to be an ancient underwater race's language, a preserved message accompanied them. It turned out to be a set of directions to a legendary pair of weapons that helped to save the seas and the surface from a vicious turmoil a long time ago.
Taiki: 'Ancient weaponry, huh? I would like to see these for myself.'
After several minutes of wandering, Taiki suddenly found the ruins of an undersea palace appearing before him. Entering a chamber with the help of his light, he happened across a goblin shark which swam out of the way as he came upon seeing the same kinds of language inscriptions on the walls around a pedestal and two heavy sets of doors.
Taiki: The Lineage of the Surface will return for its weapons. One of great strength, courage and willpower shall wield these in the name of justice and give to his benefactors aid and protection.
"The more I read out loud, the more shocked I had become. Long ago, a Princess of the Surface wielded these weapons and yet refused to strike down the lives of the enemy. She strived only to stop the fighting and almost succeeded until merging them together, whereupon it became too large and powerful for her to control safely. The Goddess of the Seas realized she needed to quell the fighting by sealing away the dark forces that came from all around the underwater world. The princess, believing that she could never control the fused weapon, asked the goddess to seal the separated weapons away for a future generation to retrieve. This was done and the goddess fell dormant.
Finally, after having followed the winding story and message around the path around the walls, it stopped at the center of the back wall. The text said "Now, You of this revered Lineage, whether prince or princess, having come here to retrieve what is rightfully Yours, the key is on Your neck and the lock is right behind You," with an arrow on the floor that illuminated and pointed to the pedestal.
"Is this for real? Mother, is what you have said true?"
Speaking what was on the pedestal, I then removed my pendant and placed it in the recessed indentation. A reaction of light and energy permeated from the pedestal, causing what I believe to be ancient machinery to move and open the vault doors onto glimmering sights. Gold coins and jewels surrounded two silver star glaives, each with five arms and a width of between one-half and two-thirds of the length of one of my entire arms."
Taiki: The sea star weapons…
Moving forward to get a closer look, he noticed the two stars started to shake and hover off their stands. This prompted him to move back to the pedestal, though the stars then suddenly jutted out blades from their arms and flew right at him. They stopped right before his eyes and the Black Pearl inside Taiki's pendant began to give off light while ancient, mystic voices speaking in unknown languages were chanting. When the voices came to an end, the light faded and the stars sheathed their blades before rotating and descending into Taiki's hands.
Taiki: I can hardly believe this! I'm an actual prince!
He places the stars in his cloth bags followed by the gold coins and jewels he had found, then used his strength to take the bags out of the chamber and into the open ocean one at a time, then ascend these bags to the surface with the help of a winch on the boat.
Taiki: I found something very important down there, but this is also bonus. I will get everything appraised and take out a cut of the total value as a tip for your help today, sir. Tis only fair and I mean it on my honor as a man.
The star glaives were taken out into sight before Taiki used the drawstrings to close the bags and make a looped knot in each to keep them closed. A thunderstorm line rolled in on the way back to shore, making things difficult for him and the ship's captain, but after it passed, it was smooth sailing up and into the docks. With a taxi called and help lifting the wet bags up and into the trunk, Taiki was able to get back to Yoshimi's house and get the find inside so he could start to look over all of the gold he had discovered along with the two star glaive weapons when the time had allowed. For right now, though, he needed to rest his arms, back and legs which had become sore from all the heavy lifting. After an early night, he woke up early and stretched before taking pain medication as a buffer to lessen the soreness in his arms and then going out for a jog but with the sea star glaives in tow. He worked with throwing them and making them return, eventually having them jut out their blades and slice across the surface of the ocean after the sun was up and over the horizon.
Taiki: To protect my benefactors, it said… so, then, I am to safeguard the Mermaid Princesses? I wonder where they are…
Once finished with his jogging, he returned home and had breakfast before catching up on the news briefly. This done, Taiki would later head out and go into the cave of the candle legend with his scented candle and those which had been delivered for those girls who would not be able to make it themselves in person. The sight was one to behold and he placed down all of the absent girls' candles after which they were all lit using a metal lighter.
"Wow, there are so many candles here right now."
That was Lucia's voice and her friends Hanon and Rina were with her. They wondered at the beauty of these lit candles with the hearts and dreams of all the girls within them.
Taiki: Even those who couldn't make it, their candles also shine bright. Thanks to me, their wishes stand alongside everyone else's.
Hanon: Oh, Taiki, so that's why you're here?
She comes to look down to his side along with Lucia and they see the segmented cardboard box.
Taiki: Indeed it is, but I also wanted to see this sight for myself. Nothing short of magical.
Lucia: Oh, that's so sweet of you.
Taiki: A good deed a day, like I've said previously. It makes me feel better about life, but I'm not important for saying that.
He lights the wick of his scented candle with the inscription for peace and love to the whole world and sets it down in a place close by to those of the girls whom could not make it.
Taiki: Right now, this is the only thing that matters. I hope for peace, love and good works for every last one of us.
After he gets up to his feet and dusts himself off, Taiki picks up the cardboard box to bring it back out with him.
Taiki: I should be on my way now.
Lucia: Wait, before you leave, Hanon and I have a friend with us.
Taiki looks and sees Rina there.
Rina: Taiki, yes? My name is Rina Touin.
Taiki: Ah, greetings. It's nice to meet you, Rina.
He offers his hand and she shakes it.
Taiki: Lucia and Hanon keep very good company. Maybe someday I'll be considered someone else's good company…
Rina: What's to say you aren't already with what you've done today?
Taiki: No, really, please.
Lucia: Not many boys are this sensitive and in touch with women so naturally.
Taiki: Um, well…
He has a moment's worth of blush.
Taiki: Th-Thanks. I'm heartened to hear you say that.
Hanon: You keep that up and you're sure to find love yourself!
After a wink from Hanon, Taiki turns to the other girls in the gathering.
Taiki: Everyone, make your wishes heard!
Lucia: Hanon, let's get our candles lit as well.
Rina: Have a nice day, Taiki. Take care.
Taiki: Likewise, Rina. Same to you, Lucia, Hanon.
He left the cave and headed up the beach on a slower walk and listening to his iPod, only for a sudden storm to blow in many minutes later and a large hailstone to strike him. Taiki would hear three voices say "Pink Pearl Voice", "Aqua Pearl Voice" and "Green Pearl Voice" as he was holding himself where the hailstone had hit and then the familiar melody started up… but his pain leaves and whatever bleeding there was from a ragged edge on the hailstone having cut him to stop via the wound closing. Was the legendary mermaid finding favor with him, he wondered aloud before returning home. Starting the next day, things finally turned for the better and Taiki was able to sign with a studio, allowing him to begin to record his music and singing voice in a professional manner. At long last, his album would come together and be made. Other musicians whom were around at times would also help him out wherever needed and it was only about a week of almost-continual work before the songs were finished recording to hear in a master setup. With high-end reference headphones used, everything was perfect in terms of the sound field.
Taiki: So I suppose what I write for comments as well as the photos are what remains?
Indeed, the bulk of the work was done, but Taiki took a copy of the RAWs on an external drive just in case something happened to the studio. Once back home, he re-dressed in lighter clothing and went out to the beach to sunbathe and occasionally look out at the waves for a few hours until mid-afternoon. He had wanted to go and see the "Mermaid's Eye" gem on display over in a docked ship, but had no ticket to get aboard and admire it. He just hopes that its mysterious power will be of help.
"The days that followed were mainly uneventful and I was grateful to relax for once. On one of these days, I worked my way over to the main beach and it turns out the East Japan surfing competition was being held there. So many people had come to watch. I decided to stay nearer to the street and I looked about the sands using binoculars that were kept in my active-wear vest. When I was looking around, I happen to take notice that Lucia, Hanon and Rina were there.
"Yup, Kaito's going to be out there defending his title."
While the surfers were out on the water and made their approaches, something weird happened… the middle parts of the waves were momentarily freezing and the freezing reached them on their surfboards, thereby causing them to falter, then fall. I didn't know if I was seeing things or if that was what was really taking place. All I know is that every surfer up to and including West Japan's surfing champion, Sakiya Kousuke, had taken a fall because of this phenomenon, whatever it was. That was when I realized that some presence was causing that freezing within the waves. Thanks to skill and a warning yell from somebody, Kaito saw and was able to avoid the freeze blast that was intended for him. In addition to that, the three idol girls had to have showed up somewhere to stop whomever was screwing up the competition, because I heard the faintness of their melody from my distance away near the street. Kaito ended up winning as result of a spectacular performance out on the waves. After a brief joining in with the crowd's applause, I returned back to Yoshimi's home for the evening and again I went to bed early."
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