Mermaid Melody: Pearl Lullaby

Chapter 12

"Master Misani, we have been watching the mermaids for at least a month, when can we finally go after them?" Sheshe asked. "Patience is a vertue Sheshe, you must have it if you wish to control this world. But if it will make you happy, i suppose it's time for us to go into the next stage." Misani said.

"And what is the next stage master?" Mimi asked.

"What is the one thing the mermaid princesses treasure most?" Misani asked. "Their pearls?" Mimi said. "Close but not what i had in mind." Misani said with a hidden smile.

"Then what, master?" Sheshe asked. "Love. If you take away the thing they love most, they'll be so vulnerable, they won't be able to get in my way. I want this world to suffer, i want it's people and everyone in this world to suffer, i want every creature to suffer for what they did to me!" She said.

"Master?" Mimi said. "Enough, it's time, wait two more days and keep a close eye on them, find the thing they love most, and two days from now, take it away." She said as she disappeared once more into the shadows.

It was the day before the show, and Hanon had been quiet the whole time, keeping all her designs a secret, at least until tonight.

Everyone was gathered in the den again, and Hanon came downstairs.

"Okay everyone, i have completed the designs and they are ready for someone to get into them." She announced. "But Hanon, it takes hours to do even one outfit, how could you have done 8 in 6 days?" Noel asked.

"I have been working nonstop, because when it comes to fashion, it is an art, an art that calls to me, and i must answer it's call with fighting spirit!" She said, and an angelic glow shined upon her heroic stance.

"Okay? In any case, what the heck are we supposedly going to wear?" Caren asked. "And how do you know they'll fit us?" Lucia asked.

"Oh, they'll fit you, i sorta went through everyone's clothes to get their measurments." She laughed. "YOU WHAT!?" Everyone shouted. "Well, how can i get your sizes if i don't rummage through your stuff?" She asked. "TRY ASKING!" Everyone shouted again. "Well i wanted it to be a surprise. Anyway, enough chit chat, let's see how they look on you." She said and she ran back upstairs to get the outfits.

"Oh man, i can't imagine what she's going to make us wear." Rina said. "Well it's Hanon, and you gotta admit, she has a pretty nice fashion sense." Sakura said. "Except when it comes to swimsuits, then she goes off the deep end. I'm sure Lucia knows what i mean." Coco snickered.

"What!?" Lucia said turning a deep shade of red. "Now now, no picking on poor defenseless Lucia." Sakura said. "Thank you Sakura." Lucia said. "Even if she is a victim to Hanon's fashion crisis." She added. "What!?" Lucia said. "I'm back!" Hanon said coming down the stairs.

"Okay, everyone has their color, and a different design for each person. And don't worry, none of these designs have been made yet, they're all new designs. Maybe someone will wanna buy my designs and make me a professional and famous designer, and all the guys will be head over heals in love with my fashionable beauty." She said with stars in her eyes.

"Careful Hanon, your drooling." Seira said. "Oh, right, anyway, grab your color and try them on. Nikora, Hippo, i trust everything's set?" She asked as she turned to them.

"Yeah, we sold lots of tickets, and the set's already up. If this works, we'll get lots of customers, maybe while they're waiting for the show, they'll have a bath?" Nikora said. "Yup, but i hope there isn't too many boys, it's bad enough these mermaids are in love already." Hippo said and got smacked with a paper fan.

"Oh by the way, i made outfits for you two too." Hanon said putting away her fan and handing their clothes to them. "Oh my, this dress is just beautiful Hanon, you should design for a living." Nikora, she was so amazed by the purple dress Hanon had gave her.

"Naturally." Hanon said. "Hanon! This suite, it's so handsome, it's better than my current one." Hippo said. "And there's a second one for your human form too, so now you have 2 of the same suites, for both your forms." Hanon said.

"Oh, i am so touched, this suite is so, so, so beautiful, it'll make me even more handsome than i already am." He said.

"Keep dreaming hotshot." Hanon mumbled. "What?" Hippo asked, too amazed in his suite to notice what she said. "Nothing, enjoy them." She said and she went to see the other girls. "What about your dress Hanon?" Nikora asked. "I aready have it ready, it's all set for tomorrow night." She smiled and went back to the others.

"Hanon, my dress is so beautiful, Subaru is going to be drooling over me!" Caren squealed. (A.N. Because i like surprises, whether you like it or not, i won't reveal what their dresses look like until the show. End of commentary.)

"I know, and i'm sure Nagisa will be head over heels in love with me even more when he sees my dress!" Hanon squealed too.

"Rina, that outfit is so cute, you look like a real model!" Coco said. "Not really. But i feel a little too classy in this outfit Hanon." Rina said. "Nonsense, you look terrific, and i'm sure Hamasaki will think so too!" Hanon said.

Rina blushed slightly. "Don't say that, now i feel nervous." Rina said. "You'll be fine, it can't be as humiliatin as Lucia's." Noel said. "Noel!" Lucia said from the baths, were they had a mirror.

"What? What's wrong with it, you said your self it was cute." Noel said. "That was before i saw how it looked on me!" Lucia said. "Oh, your such a critic, it's a masterpiece, i'd say your is one of my best." Hanon said pulling her out for all to see her.

"Hanon!" Lucia said, and she felt way too embarrassed to go on with the show now. "Don't you even think about dropping out, what would Kaito say if he found out he wouldn't get to see his beloved Lucia onstage?" Hanon asked.

"But i don't wanna show this dress to people, especially Kaito!" Lucia said. "Lucia, what's worse, going out in this, or that one swimsuit i got you last summer?" Hanon whispered.

Lucia turned a deep red when she remembered that swimsuit Hanon got her that summer, oh gosh, everywhere she went guys were staring at her. "Hanon, don't remind me of that! Okay, i see what your doing, i'll do it, this dress isn't really all that bad." Lucia said with a smile.

"Thank you, i really think it's one of the best." Hanon said. "Ooh! Sister, you look absolutely gorgeous!" Seira said.

"No, no no, i'm not all that special, Lucia's is way more pretty." Sakura said, and she was too nervous to actually say how much she liked the dress. "Lucia's is pretty yes, but yours brings out your eyes." Seira said. "I'd say if it had to go with my eyes, it would go better with my mermaid eyes." Sakura said.

"Actually, that dress looks better with your brown eyes, instead of your emerald green eyes, those eyes go better with your mermaid form." Caren said.

"Seira, you look totally cuter than usual!" Sakura said, getting the subject off her. "I know, this dress is so cute! I like the ruffles on the bottom!" She said twirling in her dress.

"Alright, now that everyone has seen themselves in their outfits, cough them up, you can enjoy them more tomorrow night. And when it's over, you can wear them anytime." Hanon said. "Okay." Everyone said and changed out of their outfits.

"Nikora, Hippo, did you try on your outfits?" Hanon asked. "I did, and i must say, it brings out my handsome penguin features." Hippo said. "I haven't yet, i was too amazed by the girls' outfits i didn't bother to change. But i will do it, and let you know how it is." Nikora said. "Taki!" Hanon called.

"Yes Hanon?" Taki said a she entered the room. "Where were you, we already finished the tryouts for the show." Hanon said. "Listen Hanon, if this show continues tomrrow evening, someone in this house, will suffer a terrible fate." Taki said with serious eyes.

"Guh." Hanon said. "But i'm sure i'm just picking up some TV show frequency again." Taki said with a smile waving her hand. Hanon sweatdropped. "If your gonna lie, get better at it." Hanon said.

Lucia walked down the beach and sat on the peak like she usually did. She felt uneasy about tomorrow. What if what Taki said was true?

I'm so nervous about tomorrow night, all those people are going staring at me, including boys, and especially Kaito. Aww man, why did she pick ME to wear that dress, it was pretty, and down right adorable, but on me it loos a little skimpy. I don't want to be stared at by strangers and have them eye me with eyes like daggers. Lucia thought.

The very idea of so many men looking at her made her shiver, she didn't want them to come to her after the show and ask her out or maybe even try to feel her up, or maybe even do other wrong things to her. She shivered at the very thought. Then she felt a jacket come onto her shoulders.

"It's a little chilly, if you sit here without a jacket, you'll get sick and Hanon will kill you for not being i the show." She heard a voice say.

"Sakura." Lucia said. "Hiya." She said as she sat next to her. "I couldn't sleep so i decided to come here, i was actually thinking about going for a swim, but it's a little too cold for me. How about you?" She asked.

"I was actually waiting for someone." Lucia said. "Kaito?" Sakura asked. Lucia nodded. "If you don't mind me asking, what is it you see in him?" She asked. "Shouldn't i ask what you see in Keisuke?" Lucia asked. "Um, well, you don't have to, uh, well, Keisuke, he's a nice guy, and he's funny. He's a litle perverted but he means well, he's protective, and he has the best trait i could ever ask for." She said with a smile.

"What's that?" Lucia asked. "He was able to see through my mermaid form, and see me. Even though he had never seen my mermaid form, he still knew it was my human form inside, and he didn't need any help in figuring it out. I was so happy when i had found someone who could see right through a persons appearance and see into their heart." Sakura said.

"That's something i wish Kaito had at first. He had all the other traits, except that one, but it wasn't his fault, it was because i just didn't act the way i did in my human form, i acted way too different, and made it hard for him to figure out it was me. Even though he knows i'm the mermaid now, i still feel bad for all the torment he must've gone through to choose between me and the mermaid me." Lucia said.

"Lucia, i'm sure it wasn't tormenting him, you couldn't help the fact that we're forbidden to tell our secrets, but i heard that you all did, and got away scott free from the fate that would usually have been done. So you were able to tell him, or in your case show him you were her, and i'm positive he felt so much better knowing he didn't have to choose between the 2 forms of the person he loved more than anything in this world." Sakura said.

"Sakura." Lucia said as she looked at her, Sakura's eyes were calm, and her smil was low, but she showed affection, and wasn't showing any dishonesty.

"You know, even though we're mermaids, and they're humans, we can still feel love, and have love be returned. Even when we don't see them, their love still comes to us every second. And when we leave, we'll still be able to feel their love and they'll be able to feel ours." Sakura said now staring into the sky, looking at the stars.

"Unh." Lucia mumbled she was moved by those words. "So even if we're all miles apart, we'll still be connected by our hearts and those ties will never break or undo. Because they're bound by the magic of love and friendship." Sakura added as she put a hand over her heart.

She looked to Lucia and smiled a big grin. "So don't worry, tomorrow night, Kaito will be even more amazed by your beauty than he ever has before. I just know it!" She said. "Hm, thank you Sakura." Lucia whispered. "Your welcome, everyone has doubts, and sometimes, those doubts eat away at your fears and they bring themselves to life. But if your willing to fight them, they won't hurt you. You know sometimes it's your own fears that make you feel pain." She said.

"Is there something that happened to you to make you say this?" Lucia asked. "No, but i know what it's like to be scared." She said referring to when Keisuke was caught by the monster, and when he was in the hospital.

"But in any case, everyone deserves a chance at love, even those who have done terrible deeds, it doesn't matter, every single creature in this world deserves a chance to explore the wonders of love. And see what kind of joy it is, because even though some people are totally different, like us and humans, it doesn't matter. " She said and paused for a second.

"Because we don't care about species we care about what we feel, we want what makes us happy, and nothing would make me happier than to see all of you happy. I'd do anything to keep those smiles on your faces. You have no idea how special you all are to me, and i promise form now until the day i die, that i will always protect you all from the pain and suffering, so that i can still see those smiles." Sakura vowed.

"Sakura." Lucia was about to say she didn't have to, but Sakura looked as if she already made up her mind. Lucia felt as if Sakura was her big sister, she felt so much better abou herself now that she knew that Sakura had finally opened up to her. "How come you don't open up like this to the others?" She asked.

"Well, i guess in the moment, i felt as if i could say anything and it would help me realize just how much i needed you." She said.

"You need us?" She asked. "Yeah, i need you all, because you were the only real family i had ever had, i never really expirienced love and friendship in the sea. And sometimes i feel like a useless memraid because i refer to myself as a substitute. But when i'm here, with Seira, i feel needed and wanted in this world." She admitted.

"Your always needed Sakura, nobody will ever not want you around. You are one of the greatest things that have ever come into our lives, especially Seira's." Lucia said as she placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I know, and i know that life should be easier from now on, and you just get ready for tomorrow evening, i'm sure you'll be the most beautiful thing on that stage the whole time. Not to mention the fact that 've got a little something extra planned. Hann doesn't know about it, but Nikora does, and she thinks it's a fine idea." She said as she stretched.

"What is it?" Lucia asked, curious. "Ah ah ah! You have to wait like everyone else." She said.

"Aw, your being mean!" Lucia pouted. "Aw, don't be like that, you'll see tomorrow i promise." She said and she grabbed her pinky with hers. "Pinky swear, that i will not only protect you, but i will show you the greatest act of your life." She smiled.

Lucia smiled too. "Kay." She said. She began shivering a little more. "Are you still cold, good gosh girl, if that boy doesn't hurry it up, you'll freeze. Come here." She said and she hugged Lucia to keep her warm.

"Ah, Sakura." Lucia mumbled. "Don't worry, i don't have any diseases that transfer through physical contact. Besides, i wanted a hug." She giggled. Lucia just giggled with her and hugged her back. "Thank you Sakura, for everything." She whispered. "I should be saying that to you." She said.

"You still cold?" Sakura asked. "No, thanks to you, i feel much warmer." Lucia said and Sakura let go of her but kept an arm on her shoulder. Then Sakura chuckled. "Judging by your presence, i'm guessing you've finally arrived?" She said as she turned around. "Huh?" Lucia sid and she turned around and Kaito was several feet away.

"Ah, Kaito." Lucia said happily. "Well then, i'll take this as my cue to leave, see you at home Lucia." Sakura said as she got up and walked down the peak but stopped next to Kaito.

"Please, don't let her go, not for a minute." She whispered and continued walking down the peak and headed for home. Kaito heard her, but didn't know how to understand what she meant. But he took a wild guess.

"Sorry i made you wait, i hope you weren't for very long." He said as he sat next to her and she immediately laid her head on his shoulder. "Were you really that anxious to see me?" He asked. "Mm hmm." She mumbled. He just smiled and put his arm around her.

I still can't help but wonder what Sakura meant by that, did she and Lucia have some wierd discussion? I guessi shouldn't ask, Lucia seems happy enough, i'll just let it be. He thought and just kept her close to him, not letting go, just like Sakura said.

So, that's it huh? I've finally found you." Sheshe said. "Sister, now?" Mimi asked. "Not yet, we wait until tomorrow is done, then we take her, we wouldn't want their precious show to be ruined, now do we?" Sheshe asked.

They quickly went back to Misani's keep. "Master, we have found her, the person most precious to the mermaids, but we've also found a boy." Mimi said to Misani.

"It doesn't matter which one you take, take the one who is the most precious, for tomorrow night, will be their final night of freedom. They shall suffer as i have, they shall see how much hate i have stored within me, because of those infernal mermaids, i have suffered a broken heart, and now they shall feel my hate!" Misani screamed.

"Yes master, we understand." Sheshe and Mimi said.

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Misani must have some big grudge against the princesses, bigger than Gackto's or the Prince of the Sea of Japan's. Well anyway. Next time on Pearl lullaby: The Night The Love Sang. See yuz then! 3 Peace out.

RedPearlVoice.