Husky quickly stripped off the outfit the tailor sisters had made for him earlier, feeling much better just at the idea of 'getting out of the dress.' The jewels unfortunately took more care to take off, as the beautiful fish +anima wasn't keen on ripping out his hair, in which countless strands of jewels had been woven. Off went the jeweled circlet, the rings, the bracelets, the necklaces, the strands draped around his tail and waist. The sisters had actually decked him out in far more jewelry then they had the first time he tried on his outfit, and the boy was quite annoyed by the time he was done. The whole process of undressing had taken far too long. Not that he was in any particular rush, but he couldn't shake the feeling that the sooner he got out of here, the better.

Not sure what to do with the outfit and jewels, he dumped them on the bed. Surely they wouldn't be missed there. He examined his silver hair in the mirror, combing his fingers through it to make sure he got all the strands out, made sure his sapphire earrings from his parents were still securely in place, then grabbed what he'd come with. He wrapped his black undershirt around his staff, not wanting to buy the time to run to a bathroom to put it back on, buckled his belt and its attached waist pouch around his middle, then hefted his staff in hand, opened the door, and slipped out, shutting it firmly behind him.

He realized with a quiet laugh that he was smiling. Practically humming at the thought of going back to his friends. Regrets? Not a one. This place was neat to look at, but without his friends it just wasn't any fun.

He retraced his way through the halls of the castle, never noticing the shadowy figure of Prince Derik discreetly tailing him.


Nani, the eldest of the three royal tailor sisters, almost crashed into Husky as she rounded the corner on her way back to her family's suite of rooms.

"Husky?" she asked in surprise, looking down at the beautiful fish-child, light blue eyes wide and looking like he was weighing whether to dash around her. "Is something wrong?" Her eyes drifted to the staff he held tightly with both hands.

"Uhm… no," was the child's hesitant reply. He lowered the staff slightly. "I'm going home," he said quietly.

Nani's eyes widened in surprise. "Already? I thought you were staying a bit longer."

"And I thought you laughed at me when I said so earlier!" retorted the child, whose heated gaze quickly dropped to one of shame at seeing the hurt on the young woman's face.

"I was only surprised because every fish-person who has visited Lee's realm has chosen to stay, Husky. I never meant you wouldn't have a choice!" she said quietly, calmingly, in a voice a cross between a big sister's apologizing and a loving mother's consoling.

"Everyone was laughing at me," grumbled Husky, holding the staff tight. "I didn't even notice until that friend of Miki's pointed it out."

"Were you scared?" Nani asked him gently.

He looked up in surprise, but the truth to that statement shone clearly in his eyes. The blue-haired fish-woman took the child in her arms and hugged him as if he was one of her siblings.

"It's okay, Husky. We'd never allow someone to trap you here, and Lee's not that sort of fish-man." She chuckled slightly. "He'd probably try desperately to convince you to stay here, maybe he'd try to drag out your stay by a week or so, saying there's no-one to escort you or some other garbage, but he'd never, never imprison a child."

After a minute, she eased her grip on the child and he squirmed out of the hug. The beautiful child looked up at her with those enormous, incredible light-blue eyes, still slightly wary, but holding a degree of trust.

"What about Miki?" he asked quietly.

Nani frowned. Her immediately response would've been 'of course not', but the child's seriousness made her hesitate and think it over.

"Maybe," she finally said. "But he's not in charge. Lee is."

"I want to go home. Back to my friends."

"You miss them that badly?"

Husky ducked his head and a blush colored his cheeks. "Yeah…"

"Then I won't stop you," said Nani conclusively, stepping to the side and gesturing Husky to continue. "It's too bad we didn't get to know each other better. Maybe you'll be able to visit again one day."

"Maybe. If I can find a way for my friends to come along," replied Husky, smiling slightly.

"That would be nice," said Nani, returning the smile. "I'd like to meet them, seeing as they mean so much to you." She waved goodbye and continued on her way.

Husky waved back and turned to leave, only to have a large hand cover his mouth as another wrapped around his waist, pressing him tightly against a well-muscled chest.

"Don't scream," growled a cold, male voice.


Derik expected this part to be easy. Grab the pretty fish-child, scare him into submission, drag him off. He wasn't really expecting resistance.

He certainly wasn't expecting the child to bite his hand, slam the end of his staff into his stomach, and yank himself out of the fish-man's grip when it loosened.

Husky span around, staff at the ready in front of him, in a clearly professional stance that Derik vaguely recognized. He'd seen it once or twice in his excursions to Sailand – though, in all honesty, it was usually used by warrior noblewomen. The ones who refused to be mere political pawns, who would never be content tending to the home while their husbands were off fighting wars. The staves they used made up for the difference in arm strength and reach between themselves and the average male soldier, and so were more practical than swords or knives. The downside was they required a degree of intelligence to use, a knowledge of pressure points, balance centers, muscles, and nerve clusters that generally took at least five years to gain, and twenty more to master.

Which you'd think would mean that Husky should certainly not be an adept, not at his twelve years or so of age.

Husky's stance, and the pain in Derik's gut, spoke otherwise.

"Heh," chuckled the dark-haired prince, taking a deep breath and straightening up, trying to ignore the pain. "Cute, Husky. Very cute."

The beautiful child's eyes were narrowed in suspicion, his hands properly positioned on his staff, his form ready to attack or defend as need be.

"What do you want?" growled the child, eyes flashing in distrust.

"Just wondering what you're up to, sweetheart."

"I. AM. A. BOY."

"So what are you up to, handsome?"

Husky's mouth actually dropped slightly, then the anger hit and his hands tightened on the staff. If the situation wasn't so awkward, he'd have bashed the guy over the head already. But the guy, whatever his name was, was Lee and Miki's guest, and they had been nice enough to him, so if at all possible he'd rather not leave something like a guest's unconscious body as a parting gift.

"None of your business," Husky said dismissively. "Now go away."

"Why not I escort you back to your room?" asked Derik, swimming a little closer.

Husky's eyes narrowed. "No."

"Ah, come on, cutie! I'll tell you stories of my dashing adventures…" He swam a little closer still. Husky saw what he was doing and swam backwards a bit, readying his staff to strike.

"Not interested. Especially after you grabbed me like that. I'm not even going to ask why! Keep your hands to yourself and buzz off."

"Oh, oh dear – I'm hurt! Wounded, my pride shattered! The beautiful cross thinks I was going to jump him and drag him off! What do you take me for – a pervert?"

"Absolutely."

"I would never lay my hands on a child – not in that way, anyway. Give yourself a few more years, then we'll see. Especially once you start developing. Under my attentions, that shouldn't take long."

"Forget it!" growled Husky, and he leaped forward to attack, swinging his staff around. The water slowed him down considerably, but actually his experiences spear-fishing allowed him to move the staff in a way that almost made up for it, and as Derik dodged with an irritating grin, he realized that he just couldn't swing the staff with enough force underwater. But stabbing motions worked just fine. And he shoved the staff forward, slamming Derik's side instead of his chest as the fish-man twisted at the last second. The fish-man actually had the nerve (and intelligence) to grab the other end of Husky's staff to keep the child from using it again.

"Like I'm gonna buy you just happening to swim by while I'm trying to get out of here!" growled Husky, trying unsuccessfully to yank his staff free. "Like I can't see just looking at your face that you're up to something! Something involving me! I am NOT an idiot!"

"Fine then," said Derik, forcing Husky back until the child's back was against the wall, then pinning him there by pressing the staff lengthwise across the child's chest. Which actually hurt, not that Husky would admit it or let it show. "Miki sold you to me. So I'm taking you back to my father's kingdom. Tonight."

Breathing was getting difficult, and Husky cursed in his head when he realized that the position of the staff was pressing down on about half the gills on his chest.

"F-fat chance! He c-can't do that!" growled Husky, though his voice was a little raspy. Husky's breath was quickening as he subconsciously tried to get more oxygen into his lungs.

"Too bad, 'cause he did. You're coming to my kingdom and will grow up to be a beautiful little cross. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to get you to shift for me."

Husky's vision was spotting, but he noticed his chance as Derik foolishly leaned in too close. He slammed his head forward, smashing it into the prince's face. The prince fell back, dropping the staff and clutching his nose.

Husky leaned against the wall, gasping for oxygen, his vision clearing up as his gills worked properly again. Funny, he'd never even noticed them before. Derik was recovering far too fast, though, so Husky quickly grabbed for the staff.

He wasn't quite quick enough. The prince angrily slapped it away with his tail, then grabbed Husky around the waist and started swimming off, scowling as the child took bit down on his arm. He'd been expecting that, and all the squirming, so he could bear it. What was strange was that the child still didn't scream. In fact, he didn't seem scared at all, even after all the harassment. Just angry. Very, very angry.

When the fish-man showed no reaction, even when Husky bit down so hard he broke the skin and it began to bleed, even when Husky clawed at the arms holding him with his nails, elbowed the fish-man in the gut, and tried desperately to kick him with his tail or punch him with his flailing fists, Husky glared up at him spitefully, eyes full of rage.

"I'll NEVER be a girl, IDIOT! I'm going HOME! To my FRIENDS! To Cooro and Senri and NANA! YOU HEAR ME?" he shouted, returning with renewed energy to fighting.

Derik decided he would've preferred screaming.


Author's Note: I know I'm repeating myself, but just to let you know that I have not changed my position on where this story is going. There will not be any actual gender-bender and the only couple will be Husky/Nana. Derik is just an idiot who doesn't know the meaning of the words "Quit It!" Oh, and yes to the surprising amount of Lee-lovers, the red-haired prince will be returning next chapter.