Hello readers!
I'm finally starting to catch up with what I already had written so I hope I'll be able to stick with the weekly updates.

(I did update on time I just put the chapter on the wrong story! ; A;)

But for now, they continue!
Enjoy :)

~o~

Chapter 7:

Things would already be difficult enough for Haru, what with his missing promissory scale and the disappearing act, without any extra attention being drawn to his return. There was no doubting that Haru tried his best to sneak into the kingdom without being noticed, well as best as a prince could go unnoticed. Which was not very unnoticed at all.

The palace guards had already been sent on patrol, the kingdom had been alerted and his friends were searching every square mile of the kingdom to find him.

Sneaking didn't really pan out as Haru anticipated. As soon as the first mermaid saw him and cried out, crowds of frenzied merfolk began to crowd him, yelling incomprehensible questions to him. Fortunately, the palace guards quickly saw to the situation, privately escorting the young prince back to the palace. A guard that Haru was familiar with, a strong red-headed merman who went by Seijurou Mikoshiba escorted him by himself once they passed the palace gates.

"Prince Nanase, your father wishes to speak with you immediately." Haru groaned and swam ahead to the palace entrance, waiting for the guards to open the door.

"And I wish to go to my room and clean myself immediately. You may tell him I said so." The redheaded guard swam quickly after Haru as he fled down the corridor to his room.

"Your highness, it was the king's order." Haru stopped at his door and looked at the guard with the cold blue look of superiority that he had mastered under the instruction of none other than his father, even though the guard with flaming red hair towered above him.

"And this is my order. You may return to my father, alert him of my presence and tell him that I will not be accepting any visitors to my room unless approved by myself. You may also tell him that this decision was mine and that I gave you no say in this order. You have fulfilled your duty as an escort." He smiled politely and opened his door. "You may leave."

The guard clenched his jaw and nodded obediently before swimming away quickly to deliver the message, as Haru retreated into the privacy of his coral enclosure. He quickly grabbed for his sea sponge and began scrubbing at his body, making sure there were no traces of his previous night's activities. The scar on his hip was still fresh and tender with some dried blood, which he gently rubbed clean before retiring his sponge and grabbing the small shell containing oil. At special events he would be given fine gifts from other nobles or traveling pods of merfolk, one such gift was a few small shells of coconut oil, derived from the coconuts that washed out to sea in more tropical oceans. He dabbed small traces of oil onto his skin, hoping to cover up as much of Rin's scent as he could.

Then a timid knock sounded at his door. Haru flicked his tail irritably beneath him and glared at the door, as if it had just insulted him.

"I said no visitors." There was a hesitance, and then a small voice, fragile, scared.

"Haru…" Haru placed the shell on its shelf and sighed at the sound of the voice.

"You can come in Makoto." The door cracked open slightly, and then the brunette quickly slipped into the room. Before Haru could say anything Makoto started rattling off, his voice high pitched and panicked.

"Haru, I'm so sorry about last night. What I said was uncalled for and I never should have gone there and I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry. It was stupid of me and I apologize and I was so worried and I didn't know what happened to you and it was all my fault and-" Haru rushed up to his distressed friend and wrapped him in a tight hug.

"I'm sorry." Makoto froze for a moment, shocked by the strange affectionate action of his friend, before easing into the embrace. It was nice to have Haru do something so strangely un-Haru for once.

"I was so worried, are you okay?" Haru let go and caught a glimpse of Makoto's slightly bruised and swollen cheek.

"Oh god, I'm sorry I hit you. I should have never hit you." Makoto held up a hand and shook his head.

"No, I deserved it. You weren't wrong." Green eyes glanced up nervously into blue ones and he cracked a little smile. "Truce?" Haru just nodded curtly and that settled everything. They had always handled their disagreements like that in the past, Makoto would offer a truce in the middle of their apologizing, or fighting and then it would all be over and wiped clean.

But then Makoto noticed the missing scale from Haru's tail.

"Your…your Promissory Scale! What happened Haru?!" His hands flew up to his mouth and Haru glanced down at the wound on his skin.

"Ah, a shark got me." Makoto audibly gasped and flailed his arms, Haru was just grateful that he believed it.

"A SHARK?! How did that even happen? Are you okay? What are you going to do about the…you know?" Haru fled to his large bed of sea sponges lined with seaweed.

"Please try to be quieter, I have a horrible headache." Truth. "I…don't really know how it happened." Lie. "I don't know what I'm going to do about the scale and I don't particularly care." Very true. Makoto swam over and sat next to him on the bed.

"Why were you gone so long last night, Haru?" Makoto said softly, Haru pursed his lips and rolled over, his back to Makoto.

Silence.

"Something had to have kept you out so long, why won't you tell me? We made our truce." Haru curled his tail in close and denied Makoto's question. Makoto leaned closer to shake his friend's shoulder when he caught the scent.

"What's that smell on you? It smells different…" Haru shrugged and hoped that Makoto wouldn't notice how much quicker that question made his heart race. He didn't want Makoto to know about Rin again. He knew Makoto would be furious.

"Coconut oil?" Makoto's green eyes narrowed in thought.

"No something different. It's…musky."

"Must be the shark." Haru mumbled into the seaweed, feeling Makoto come closer. "Stop!" He finally half-shouted nervously. Makoto reeled back and sat silently for a moment.

Haru felt the tension in the room immediately, he knew the face Makoto would be making and the look he would have in his eyes. He didn't want to see it.

"He's back isn't he," Makoto said quietly. Haru didn't answer, he didn't need to. Makoto clearly already knew the answer. He felt Makoto get up and begin to swim around.

"God who would have even thought that he would have the nerve to just show up after he broke your hear like that! Damnit Haru, that human didn't have to see how miserable you were every day, he didn't have to sit back and watch you turn into a broken mess knowing full well that there was nothing he could do to help you. He didn't have to hold you while you cried, and cried and cried over him. And you're just willing to let him come right back and do it all over again? Well I can't handle it again, Haru. I can't. Watching you break once was hard enough." Makoto's voice sounded broken, he was fighting back tears behind his sea-glass green eyes. Haru sat up and looked into Makoto's eyes with his own teary ones.

"I love him, Mako." He hadn't called his friend that since they were children. Makoto shook and pressed his palms against his face.

"Haru, you can't do this anymore. There's too much on the line now." Haru gestured his friend over to the bed and wrapped an arm around his shoulder; he noted that it didn't feel as nice as when Rin did it to him, but he could tell that Makoto needed it.

"You know what they say about merfolk who can't be with their mates, don't you." Haru leaned in and whispered quietly, "They turn to sea foam."

"Oh, shut up! That's just a wives tale!" Haru raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

"Oh is it?"

"But he's not even your mate, Haru! He's just a human!" Haru's aquamarine eyes narrowed seriously.

"Rin is my mate." He protested.

"He's a human!" Makoto cried again, Haru gestured to the missing scale on his hip and raised an eyebrow.

"My Promissory Scale begs to differ." Makoto stared at him with a mixture of appall and shock.

"With a HUMAN Haru?! You mated with a HUMAN?!" Haru pushed him back on the bed.

"Will. You. Keep it DOWN? You whale-mouth!" Makoto groaned and buried his face in his hands.

"Why, Haru? I just…I don't know what else to say, but why?" Haru crossed his arms indignantly and tilted his chin high.

"I already told you. It's because I love him." Makoto just groaned, but Haru knew that groan well. It was the groan of defeat. He had won. They sat silently for a moment, Makoto digesting all of the information that he had just received and tried so hard not to think about it at the same time. Haru just laid back happily, a little sore and tired, but happy.

"Haru, just please…don't let him hurt you like he did before." Haru rolled over and smiled at his friend. That was a sight that Makoto couldn't argue against. He hadn't seen Haru smile like that in nine years.

"He won't." Haru hesitated taking in a deep breath, as if he would need it for what he was about to say. "Mako, if anything happened…would you be okay?" Green eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean happen?" He asked warily.

"I mean…what if one day I wasn't here anymore? Or what if everyone started hating me and overthrew me as king?" He laughed a little, watching Makoto smile a little. It felt better to laugh.

"That day will never come." Haru insisted and pressed the question further.

"Really Makoto, it worries me. I want you to promise me that if anything ever happened regarding my rule over the kingdom that you would take responsibility. You are the second in line." Makoto's voice was hushed and he shook his head lightly.

"I can't, I'm not a prince." Haru rolled his eyes.

"You're my cousin. You have the royal blood, you're obviously the second closest heir to the throne. Just, humor me, okay?" Green eyes looked hesitantly into firm blue ones, practically dragging the answer he wanted out of him through his eyes.

"Alright, fine. I promise that I'll take care of the kingdom if anything happens." Haru held out his pinky, never looking more serious in his entire life.

"What are you doing now?"

"Pinky promise."

"What?"

"Pinky promise. Pinky promise me that whatever happens you'll be here to take care of everything." Makoto opened his mouth to protest but Haru's blaring blue eyes froze his tongue in his mouth. Slowly a tanned pinky came up and wrapped tightly around Haru's.

"I promise."

~o~

The rest of his day was filled with formal apologies and explanations (or rather lies) for his actions. At first the royal court, including the king and queen had a difficult time accepting the loss of their precious prince's promissory scale, but overall they were just grateful that the "shark" didn't take all of him.

It was an exhausting day to follow his exhausting night, but when nightfall came once more he knew he couldn't rest. The night had provided his cover and he was finally able to sneak away.

His decision was already made, he had already made all of the proper arrangements for his plan and all that was left was to strike a deal with the kingdoms sorceress.

She lived far on the skirts of the kingdom in a secluded cave with a small entrance lined with long, dripping strands of pearls. He brushed aside the pearls and peeked his head inside, seeing a faint glow on the walls of the cave.

"Hello?" He called, a quiet voice called back, inviting him in. He saw a vague blur of brown approach him from the depths of the cave as the delicate voice asked,

"To whom do I owe the- Oh!" She bowed when she clearly saw that it was Haru. "Prince Nanase Haruka, your highness! How may I be of service?" Haru smiled politely and extended his hand cordially.

"Madame Miho Amakata, I have a problem that I think only you may be able to help me with." The woman was very dainty and petite, her tail resembling that of a lionfish, her long quills flattened humbly in his presence.

"Of course your highness! I will surely help you to the best of my ability!" Haru gestured to the deeper parts of the cave.

"If we could, I would like to discuss this in somewhere more private. This matter truly needs to be completely confidential. I am willing to pay you handsomely for your sworn secrecy." Haru felt a little strange talking so formally, but it came as second nature to him at this age; he had been raised a gentleman- he just chose not to be. She nodded graciously and led the young prince into her home. In the main clearing of the cave there was a large brewing pot with a thick bubbling liquid inside. They sat beside each other on the sitting stones in the room and Haru folded his hands properly against his tail.

"I've heard wonderful things about your ability as a mage and sorceress, you were clearly the only person who I could confide in about this matter." He looked at her gravely and lowered his voice. "However, the assistance I'm seeking dabbles more along what we would consider dark arts." Her eyes widened in shock. Practice of the dark arts was strictly prohibited in their kingdom, she knew very well that she could be imprisoned just for being caught performing dark magic.

"Your highness! Is…is this some kind of test?" Haru shook his head and extended a satchel full of gold.

"It, my dear, is not. That is why I had to sneak here under the protection of night time." Brown eyes still watched him warily as he glanced down, his confident persona breaking for a moment. Desperation began to take over. "I need you to make me a human." Her gasp was expected, as well as her shock.

"I- I cannot possibly! That would be near treason!" Haru looked down solemnly, eventually the brunette sorceress gently asked, "Prince Nanase, why would you possibly want to be turned human?"

"I'm terribly miserable here! I have never been happy as a prince! All I've ever wanted is to be free, but all I've ever received are strict rules and traditions forced upon me with a weight that I cannot possibly lift. I hate it here, I'd give anything to leave." He looked up into her compassionate brown eyes and sighed. "And I'm in love with a human."

She shook her head knowingly, as if she had known the answer all along.

"Love is a hard magic to mess with. Nothing is quite as powerful." She leaned back and waved her striped tail languidly in the water. "Aaah little prince, you have gotten yourself into quite the situation."

"Please, I'll do anything! Please turn me into a human so I can be with Rin." He leaned forward and placed the heavy satchel of gold in her hand, watching her eyes glisten greedily. Mermaids couldn't resist shiny things, gold and jewels among their favorites.

"Ohh, this is going to come back and haunt me…but I know a spell." Haru's eyes lit up, he wanted to yell out in joy, but before he could celebrate she continued. "There's a catch though." Brown eyes looked into his seriously.

"What is it?"

"You will have absolutely no memory when you awake. Your memory will not return until you mate with your true love." Haru smiled broadly, that sounded easy enough. "And you can never return. Ever. There is no reversal spell. You will lose all of your healing powers, you won't be able to communicate with any sea-creatures, and your lifespan…" she hesitated, pushing chestnut waves out of her face. "Let's just say that merfolk live much longer than humans. That will change as well."

"I'm willing to accept all of those conditions." Miho eyed him once more, seeing that there was clearly no doubt in his mind that this was what he wanted.

"Boy am I putting my tail on the line for you…Just…tell me where you want to be when you wake up." Haru bowed deeply and clutched his hands together.

"This is the most important thing to me in the world. There's this beach, it is straight north and it's pretty private, it ends with two cliffs on either side not too far apart. That's where Rin will find me." She reached out for his hand and led him over to a small shelf with different vials of liquid in them. She grabbed a deep purple one and handed it to the prince.

"Have you said all of your goodbyes and done everything you needed?" He clutched the vial tightly and nodded once.

"Oh, don't worry that's just a sleeping potion. You're not going to want to be awake for the whole thing. It could be pretty painful." Haru just swallowed the lump in his throat and clutched the vial close to his chest.

"Whenever you're ready your highness," Haru glanced down at the small purple vial and popped off the cork, eyeing it once more before downing it in one mouthful.

It didn't taste as horrible as he expected, it was actually rather sweet. Before Haru knew it the world around him was beginning to fade and the ground was coming closer and closer.

The last thing he remembered was the shiny maroon color of Rin's eyes as he smiled into his own lovingly. There was only one word on his lips as darkness washed over his mind. Tomorrow.

~o~

YAY Cliffhanger! Okay so like I said above I'm probably going to need a little bit of a push to keep up with these weekly updates at this point.

I'm so excited to see how well received this story is and love reading all of your reviews! :3

Until next week,

Chayin~