Natsu's POV

I can't quite remember when it started.

I think it was the day I saw her laying nonchalantly on the shore side, alone and topless— as most sirens remained. She was beautiful beyond words. Glistening scales, golden hair, with the deepest of brown eyes I'd ever seen. She looked at me with the most innocent curiosity, vulnerable like a puppy. But when she asked me my name, I was too mesmerized by the way her hair perfectly framed her features to notice and much less answer.

"Helloo~! Anyone home?" She whispered. Smiling casually at me as if we'd known each other for ages. I shook my head and raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry?" She giggled, finger tapping once against her bottom lip.

"My name is Lucy, short for Lucille, what's yours?" She offered a smile, hair falling off the side of her shoulder as she tilted her head.

"I'm- I'm Natsu." Dear god I had never seen someone so perfect. All I knew about marine life was that it was popular recently. I hadn't payed much attention, I don't know maybe I thought it was just stupid researchers talking about how we should go outside more often. In fact, the only reason I knew about sirens was because of how popular they were. A law was decreed against any harm that could come to them. Countless poachers lost their jobs. People wanted their blood, scales and meat for oil, medicine and valuables. I never looked into it or gave it a second thought. Sirens were known to be beautiful women with enchanting voices; though the myth of these sirens luring sailors to their deaths wasn't true. It was just talk— stories for little kids to get a kick out of. Everyone knew this. Only because they were considered the most beautiful creatures in the animal kingdom after they were found in the uncharted depths of the Mariana Trench. After this rule came into play, their species grew out again, falling off the endangered list. In return for the decrease in amount of siren deaths, the rest of the animal kingdom underwater began slowly dying out. That was months ago— I haven't checked the news in a long time. Hearing about the countless marine lives being taken upset me so I took a break from the newspaper and Magnolia Times.

She had scars on her stomach. The fact that I knew she was being used for children angered me. I'd expected to just watch her swim by and forget about her forever. "Your... stomach." She looked down and smiled softly, tracing the lines running down her skin.

"I guess you know what these are from so I won't have to explain." She hummed, closing her eyes and sighing gently. She was laying perfectly against the sand on the beach, pushed up against her hands to meet me on my knees.

3rd POV

"Can't you do something about it? Make it stop, seeing your stomach covered in scars is an ugly sight if I'm being honest." She giggled, eyes gleaming while staring innocently up at him.

"Did you know that when sirens have children for the first time, their scales begin turning golden? That's how we know who has matured. We can also tell how many offspring they have produced based off how vibrant their hue is." Lucy spun on her side and flipped her tail up to land on the shore. The bright, vivid color of lemons coating her scales completely shocked him to no extent. "Isn't it pretty? It's kind of the only thing I have to boast about." She giggled and offered him a goofy grin, fingers running down the smooth of her plates.

"How are you making a joke out of this? I don't care what species you are or where you live, what they're doing to you is not okay. Who is it? Your husband? You're young, how is this not illegal?" He asked, anger seeping through his voice with every word.

"You're right, I am young. But you know, it's alright. I just don't want to let anyone down, right? I don't have a husband and I likely never will. But I'm okay with that, really." She hushed, finger erecting to trace down his tanned temple. Natsu groaned and placed an arm around the small of her back, shoving her between his biceps and rubbing the back of her head in slow circles.

"I know we just met. But you don't have to be strong. You don't have to pretend you're okay with it if you aren't. I can help you." She sighed, voice shaky as she relaxed her head atop his deltoid.

"What could you possibly do for me? I'm one of the last sea creatures out there and once we're gone, the world will crumble to pieces."

"Why would you care if it did? It's treated you so unfairly hasn't it?" A small sob escaped her, a hot tear streaming down her left cheek.

"I love this world so much. It's so magnificent in so many ways and the animals that inhabit it, even my kind fail to see it's beauty. I'm so scared that humans will die. I love humans just as much, I think they are intelligent, amazing animals. I just wish mother Earth's offspring hadn't led her to her own doom. Right along with their own."