Hello everyone! Happy Summer, freaking finally! After the horrible awfulness of last semester, I know I'm glad to be free from college for at least two months. This is a longer chapter, and it's one of the chapters that made me mad! We don't have a lot of time left Below Surface, and I haven't shown off the best parts of it yet! But anyways, I really like this chapter and I hope you do too! I stayed up til like 5 am writing it all. Hope you enjoy, and remember, review!

Shirayuki whipped around, flinging her arm out and to the side.

The water responded, blasting backwards the three Xerturts trying to get to her.

Shirayuki flipped upside down, grabbing the throat of a Xerturt and throwing it into the ground. She pulled herself right side up and dug her fingers under the gills of another, lifting it high above her. Blood leaked around her fingers from its gills as she dug her nails into the skin. Then she let it go, and the creature was launched towards the surface, miles away.

Shirayuki's tail glowed as she ripped through the Xerturt ranks. The fins on her arm helped keep her motions even more precise and deadly, while also working as sensors and when a rare Xerturt managed to get close, blades.

She finished off the last Xerturt by tossing it into the ground, where the sand enveloped it for a minute.

Shirayuki was left swimming just in front of the pod, in open water. Blood pooled around her, and Shirayuki was trying to keep from inhaling it. She kept her breaths short and looked around, looking and feeling for the next attack.

Instead, she sensed a shark.

A Great White from the feel of its tail. Sharks were both welcome and unwelcome this close to the village. Welcome, because it meant the threat was truly fading if the apex predators felt safe enough to come inspect the blood smell. Unwelcome because they would get a little too comfortable and try to go after the mers.

She spun around, ready to send the shark blasting back the way it came, when suddenly all the blood in the water lifted away from her. The Xerturts bodies were lifted as well, disappearing in to the scarlet cloud. She watched it go, letting out a sigh of relief as her hair was pulled up much the same way. The blood circled into an oval shape, then darted away into the depths.

"I figure the sharks can enjoy that smell themselves."

Shirayuki looked down again and saw Obi smiling at her. His eyes glowed the same gold, his spear was just as sharp by his side, and his fin still curled in ways a Great White's never could. "Obi." The mermaid breathed.

Obi dipped his head in greeting.

"You look like you got hugged by a jellyfish." Shirayuki blurted, swimming towards him worriedly. Her eyes were on his chest, where a bunch of new scars had appeared. The more she scanned his tan skin and gray scales, the more bruises and new wounds she found. There was a particularly nasty gash that was still scarring over right his upper chest.

"It's good to see you too." Obi snorted. He held out his hand to stop her when she reached out to touch the scar. "I'm fine, Shirayuki."

"What-What happened to you? Why are you…so damaged?" Shirayuki asked incredulously. She couldn't imagine anything in the entire sea that could do so much damage to a Sharkman.

Behind her, the pod's lights turned from an anxious yellow to a more relaxed green, seeing that they weren't in danger. Obi watched the lights, the fins on his arm catching the colors. He sighed. "You and Zen aren't the only ones who have been battling the Liopleurodons."

"There…there are more out there?" Shirayuki stopped swimming for a second in dismay. "How many?"

"Too many." Obi shook his head. "But regardless, we have strength in our numbers. We'll take them all down." Obi twirled his spear and slammed the butt of it into the ground. He smiled at Shirayuki. "You look well. The Aigua suits you."

Shirayuki brushed her hair out of her face and looked sheepishly at her fins. "Oh. Thank you." A heavy weight settled on Shirayuki's chest. "Are…Are you here to take me to the whirlpool?"

Obi's smile lessened. His eyes grew sympathetic. "I am sorry. We have a few hours before we must set out on our journey."

A horrible sinking feeling – which was something mers didn't usually get to experience; swam its way down Shirayuki's throat. She stared at her fin despondently. "I…I had almost forgotten about this. It's really going to happen, isn't it?"

Obi nodded slowly. "Zen must return to the land. And you with him."

Shirayuki sank to the ocean floor, curling her tail around her protectively. "But…why?"

Obi swam down to kneel in front of her. "Don't despair, Shirayuki. You will return to the ocean again."

Shirayuki bit her lip. "Obi…Zen adjusted to this life poorly. He nearly died multiple times. I…I don't want to experience the life of the land."

Obi put his hand on Shirayuki's shoulder. "I don't know what I can truly say here to calm your fears. The land is a scary place to us mers, but to the humans, it is home. If Zen can find some sources of joy down here, you will find sources of joy up there. Now-" Suddenly Obi's gills flared.

Shirayuki felt it at the same time. "They're back."

Obi rose and retrieved his spear as Shirayuki spun into a fighting stance, higher off the ground. She curled her fists as the Xerturts approached them in a wide semi-circle, gurgling their weird battle cries. And that's not all. Farther away, Shirayuki felt the tell-tale swish of another monster-Liopluerdon, approaching.

"Where is the Prince?" Obi grunted, pulling his spear back in a fighting stance. "We could use another Aigua user."

"He's protecting a hunting party, they're long gone by now. He'll be back in a few hours." Shirayuki responded, the water swirling around her as her eyes glowed gold.

Obi heaved a sigh. "Alright then, let's send them off."

"So, Zen." Kihal started, ducking under a leaf of kelp. Around the group of ten mers, the light danced as the kelp moved with the currents. The mers had been silent up to this point, listening for the feel of the currents and any approaching creatures. Their weapons, knives and swords and spears were battle hardened, but they would work well to kill their prey. "Tell me about yourself."

Zen, who was in front of the group, looked back at her with a raised eyebrow. "You haven't shown any interest in me before, why start now?"

Kihal shrugged, the stub of her left arm moving with the motion. Zen was still so shocked to see how fast she had healed. Within two weeks, she was without her cast and her wound had completely closed. He had asked Shirayuki about this, but his timing of his question was a little poor. As Shirayuki had her hair pulled into a tight bun and was swimming amuck creating herbal mixes that could be toxic if even the tiniest mistake was made. But, it was Shirayuki, of course. So she answered his question while creating plumes of nauseating smells into the air. "Mers heal much faster than humans, Zen."

The ex-guardian of the pod had been denied on their first hunting trip out since the Stalking, but of course Kihal snuck after the group anyways with a long spear. And of course, she had gotten the biggest kill. So, now no one questioned whether or not she was still able to fight with a missing limb, as they'd find her more capable than perhaps even themselves. "That was before you were suddenly granted the Aigua." Kihal said.

Zen thought, then said; "Well, I'm actually a human. I come from the land, there I am a Prince of a huge Kingdom. I was kidnapped by pirates and thrown overboard, and the Sea gave me a tail instead of drowning me."

Kihal blinked, then laughed. "Okay, sure. And I have a secret human boyfriend living on the moon."

"Good for you." Zen responded.

Kihal laughed again as Zen stopped.

He faced the hunters. "Here's good. Keep within the kelp forest, and come back in an hour. I'll come find you if you don't. Be safe, and good hunting."

The hunters nodded and all took off into the kelp, disappearing into the incredibly high stalks.

All except Kihal, who crossed her arm over her chest. "I'm beginning to think you don't like me."

Zen blinked. "I don't know what you're talking about, Kihal. I really enjoy your company."

"Then why are you hiding so much from me?" Kihal asked, pulling her mouth to the side.

Zen shook his head. "Kihal…I don't know why the Sea gave me the Aigua. I don't feel worthy of it in the slightest." Zen stared at his hands. "I'm…I'm not from here. Where I come from…my legacy means I shouldn't even be here. I have no right."

Kihal blinked. "Whoa, hang on a minute. Zen, are you alright? You're not suicidal, are you?"

Zen shook his head with a soft smile. "No, no. Don't worry, I'm…speaking metaphorically." He ran his hand through his hair. His hair had gotten pretty long, he was sure if he were on land it would curl up uncontrollably. It was almost fully blonde as well. While his mid-section had never been more toned, his arms a little less so. "Kihal, my past is a little bit of a messy place."

Kihal gestured to her lack of an arm. "Try me, Butterfish."

Zen rolled his eyes. "Well…I grew up with a brother and my mom. I didn't really know my dad all that well. He was too busy for us. I trained in the sword, because my family was from…well, I was destined to be a ruler after my brother."

Kihal's gaze suddenly hardened. "Wait a minute..." She studied him closely, then backed up rapidly. "It all makes sense now!"

Zen blinked.

"You're a royal. Descended from our King and Queen!" Kihal gaped. There was no malice in her voice, but she still looked confused. "Wait…how would you know Shirayuki then? No one loves them, but I think Shirayuki is the most vocal about her dislike of the Royals."

"Oh." Zen blinked. "Um…Well, oops." He cleared his throat, then made a conscious effort to switch back to mermish. "Well, I did something bad. And got thrown in the dungeon. Shirayuki…trespassed on the castle's grounds, and they tossed her in with me. We managed to escape together, and she let me start a new life with her here until I've figured out a plan."

Kihal's tail quivered. "Wow. That's quite a tale."

Zen rubbed the back of his neck. He was a good liar – when he was forced to be. He didn't like lying to Kihal, however. She was super close with Shirayuki and was one of the few mers in the pod who actually treated him like he was normal. She had proved herself to be a great friend. "Promise you won't tell anyone else? Everyone else already thinks pretty low of me."

Kihal smiled at him. She swam up and wrapped her arm around his shoulders. "You're secret's safe with me. I can't believe that you'd give up being a royal so easily, though."

Zen scoffed. "Royal life is horrible for someone like me."

"Hmm." Kihal teasingly knocked her fin against his. "Alright, Mr. Princey, I'll see you within an hour."

"Happy hunting." Zen said, waving as Kihal dove into the kelp strands, her spear soon as she was gone, Zen sighed. He looked up to the surface longingly. Surely, it wouldn't be long now. Anxious thoughts bubbled inside him, he had sort of lost track of how long he had been away from the castle. He tried to do the math, and his best estimate was he had been gone for at least five whole weeks. He imagined that the knights had found the little village Garack and Yatsufusa, standing there confused with a boarded up window with the shape of him carved in it.

The knights would report back to his brother, who would then probably end up interview the healers himself. Zen scrubbed his face with a groan at the thought of his older brother's reaction; "My brother…swam out to sea and drowned himself?" If Izana hadn't already thought him dead, he probably now thought of him as an absolute maniac.

And poor Mitsuhide and Kiki. They would be trying so desperately to be figuring out what had happened to him. Zen needed to find a way to contact them before anyone else. They were the only way he could sneak back into the kingdom unnoticed. As much as he wished he could, he couldn't simply walk out of the sea and begin the treck back to the castle he called home. No, he would have to be slippery about this. He would need to travel back alone, unrecognized. Izana no doubt kept his disappearance on the down low, Zen needed to do the same.

His thoughts of the land made him think he was human. For a quick second, he attempted to breathe in through his mouth. Suddenly unable to fill his lungs, he coughed and grabbed his throat in surprise. He coughed until he had expelled the water from his lungs and took a huge breath through his gills, though he had to cover his mouth and pinch his nostrils shut to do it.

He sighed with relief and let himself sink down, leaning backwards as he stared at the surface. "Soon." He told himself.

Zen returned with Kihal to Shirayuki later that night and stopped dead when he swam through the doorway.

Kihal ran into him. "Oof! Move it, seaweed breath." She shoved him forward and Zen caught Lioj for support. When Kihal peered around him her mouth formed a perfect "o". "Oh." She breathed. "I didn't realize…wow." Kihal slipped around Zen like a minnow and swam up to Obi, who was sitting at a table Shirayuki had set.

Zen jumped as the basket of fresh food Kihal had caught bumped him on the head. Kihal had dropped it in her rush to get around Zen. Zen grabbed it and pulled it down to the ground, absentmindedly setting it on the floor and covering it with a small stone to keep it from floating upwards.

Food floated around the room, it all smelled delicious. Since the mers could actually eat now, Shirayuki wasn't the only one who had been feasting for dinner almost every night. This seemed a little more extra than usual, however.

Obi smiled at Kihal. "Hello to you as well."

"You're a Sharkman! I didn't even know you were real!" Kihal caught herself and blushed. "Oh, I'm a-I'm sorry." She swam around Obi to Shirayuki, grabbing her by the bicep strongly and turning her around with a wild look in her eyes. Shirayuki laughed aloud at something she whispered. Then she turned and smiled at Zen. "Welcome back." She said in English.

Zen smiled back, but he caught the sad look in her eyes. Zen took a deep breath and then smiled at Obi. "Hey, Obi."

"Prince." Obi responded, rising from the table. His spear was leaning on the wall, just within his arms reach. "It's good to see you well. The Aigua has truly made you a real mer."

"Oh." Zen studied the fins on his arm. "Thank you, I think." He clapped his hand with Obi and shook it firmly. "You look…um, well like you've been hugged by a jellyfish."

Obi laughed. "Shirayuki said the same thing." He pulled his hand free. "Come, Shirayuki has invited me for dinner. We have a lot to discuss."

Once Kihal got over her shock, they all settled in for dinner. Lioj munched noisily in the corner of the room, but that was normal. How strange, Zen realized. He would miss these evenings, where the light of the Vidre glowed an even blue, and the smells of all the spices of the sea drifted around the room. Shirayuki, Kihal and himself would all just chat about nothings and tlak about their days.

Tonight was a little tenser, but old habits die hard. Kihal and Shirayuki joked about a a hunter who had challenged Kihal for the bigger kill that day, and how Kihal and utterly destroyed him with her catch while he brought back barely a nibble of a fish. Zen and Shirayuki looped Obi into their dinner conversations as well, talking about the pros and cons of the Aigua.

"For one, I can't roll in my sleep any more. Which is good, but also bad, as the fins will shred my bedding." Shirayuki was saying.

Kihal laughed. "Waking up to that must have been shocking."

Obi laughed, but then sighed. "Shirayuki, thank you for the lovely feast. Kihal, you should be proud of your hunting prowess."

Kihal blushed and swept her tail under the table sheepishly, knocking into Zen's accidentally.

Zen shot her a look.

"Obi, are you staying the night?" Shirayuki inquired.

Obi nodded. "But not here. I'll take the night shift, you two both should enjoy a full night's rest."

Zen and Shirayuki blinked in surprise. "Are you sure, Obi? Don't you need to sleep?"

Obi shook his head. "I only need a few minutes of rest to keep me going for hours. We leave tomorrow morning, after all."

At this Kihal jumped. "Wait, you're leaving?"

Shirayuki exchanged a wince with Zen. There was an uncomfortable pause, where Lioj's relaxed breath as he digested filled the room. Then Shirayuki grabbed Kihal's hand. "Kihal…Zen and I are leaving. Zen…forever, and me…for a few weeks at the least."

Kihal's jaw dropped. She looked at Zen. "Where are you going? Forever?! I-"

"Kihal." Obi interrupted. "The ocean has called upon these two mers. They have a great quest ahead of them, and they will need your support from afar."

Kihal blinked. "N-No!" She grabbed Shirayuki's hand and turned to face her. "Shirayuki, you can't leave me. We've only just gotten to know each other! I-I don't want to say goodbye already."

Shirayuki closed her eyes and smiled, and Zen knew her well enough to know that she was holding back tears. "Kihal…It's only temporarily. I'll need you to watch the shop for me while I'm gone. Maybe even run it, if you feel well versed enough in my medicines."

Kihal shook her head desperately. "No, no. Please."

Zen's heart reached out to the mer. "Kihal-" He started.

She wheeled on him. "And you! Forever?! Why forever? I thought you were starting anew with us, here!"

Obi gave Zen a curious look.

Zen shook his head desperately, hoping the Sharkman wasn't thinking that he wanted to stay down here forever. Then he caught Kihal's look of shock and opened is hands pleadingly. "Kihal…I didn't tell you the full truth. Shirayuki was to help me start a new way of living, but I wasn't meant to stay here. I have another…place to go. Another place I can call home."

Kihal looked no less satisfied, but Shirayuki tugged on her arm for her attention. "Kihal, I promise we'll give you a full explanation in a bit, but…after dinner. Not while Obi's here."

Obi shook his head. "No, no, please. Allow me." He faced Kihal. "The Ocean works in strange ways. You deserve to know the full truth, but you cannot spread the knowledge." Before Zen and Shirayuki could even try to argue, Obi told Kihal everything. During the story, Zen and Shirayuki were silent, not sure whether or not they were welcome to chime in or not.

When Obi finished, Kihal was sitting like a stone in her seat. She looked at Zen. "So, you were telling me the truth."

Zen shrugged helplessly. "I'm sorry, Kihal."

"I…I just need a minute." Kihal pushed herself away from the table. "Excuse me." She swam upstairs quickly.

Shirayuki straightened from her sitting position. "Kihal!"

"Let her digest." Obi suggested, catching Shirayuki's hand. "Please, we still have things to discuss."

Shirayuki reluctantly sat down again. "Poor Kihal. I feel so bad."

Zen reached over the table and squeezed her hand.

Shirayuki squeezed it back gratefully, then they both looked to Obi, who looked surprised.

"Uh, right." He cleared his throat, then spoke in English. "English from now on, just in case Kihal hears us. I found the Circle of Tides."

"The Circle of Tides?" Shirayuki and Zen both repeated.

Obi nodded. "The Circle of Tides has been here since the Sea first formed. They are integral for Her, consider it one of Her organs."

"Ew." Zen shook his head.

"I don't know what that word is." Shirayuki blinked.

Obi raised his hands. "Just know that if the Circle of Tides ever stopped, a huge part of the ocean would die off."

"Okay, then?" Zen looked at Shirayuki.

Shirayuki shrugged. "Obi, you told us it would take you a week at most to get to the Tides. But we haven't seen you in at least two or three. Is that because of the monster attacks?"

Obi nodded. "The Tides are a four day journey, that's true. But because of the release of the Sea's elder creations, all Sharkmen were needed to fight and kill them off. I can't say that I've finished that mission, but the Sea grows ever weaker. Whomever or whatever is Above Surface is still working their strange magic to destroy the Sea."

"How are we supposed to be able to stop it?" Zen asked.

Obi took a deep breath. "The Sea told me…the Moon would tell you."

No mer moved, then Shirayuki groaned while Zen let his head hit against the table.

Obi let out a startled laugh. "Um?"

Zen turned his head to face Obi. "We've met the Sea herself, now you're telling me we're going to meet the moon?"

Obi smiled as understanding filled his eyes. "Ah, I see. The Moon knows more about what goes on Above Surface than the Sea. She will be your guide on your journey back home, Prince Zen."

Zen straightened. "Alright." He smiled at Shirayuki, who leaned her elbow on the table, resting her head in her hand. She shook her head and rolled her eyes at the Prince.

Obi watched the two with a small smile. "Get some rest." He lifted himself from the table. "I have to meet with the pod Elder now. We'll leave tomorrow morning."

Shirayuki and Zen rose. They murmured goodbyes as Obi grabbed his spear and swam out. As he passed Lioj, he scratched the manta between the eyes.

Zen sighed. "Alright. I guess it's time to-"

"No you don't!" Darting like a minnow, Kihal suddenly exploded from downstairs. She circled Shirayuki three times, so fast that Shirayuki actually spun around with the current before Kihal wrapped her tail around Shirayuki's to stop her

"Kihal?!" Shirayuki exclaimed, pushing her hair out of her face.

Kihal grinned at Zen, looking happier than a dolphin in the waves. "You two aren't going anywhere just yet!" She tugged on Shirayuki's tail and let go, diving for the entrance. She grabbed Zen's arm and pulled him towards the door. "Come with me!"

"Do we have a cho-whoa!" Zen gasped as Kihal yanked him outside.

Shirayuki exchanged a startled glance with Lioj, who followed them outside dutifully.

Shirayuki thought the blindfolds weren't necessary.

Shirayuki and Zen had seaweed wraps around their eyes as they were lead…somewhere through the pod. Once Shirayuki had hit the side of a building, and another time Zen's guide accidentally pulled him into someone's pet octopus, which terrified all parties involved.

But when Kihal excitedly whispered; "now" and the blindfolds came off, Shirayuki understood.

"Oh, Kihal." Shirayuki breathed.

The center of the pod had been decorated hastily. Kelp strands had been laced from building to building and decorated with glowing orange plankton, which gave the town square something similar to sunset lighting. Almost the entire pod had to be there, all smiling at Zen and Shirayuki. A group of seashell players were sat in the corner, looking excited to be able to finally play after weeks of forced silence. The mers were all adjourned with beautiful jewels and skirts, scales glimmering in the lighting.

"Wow." Zen spoke in English.

Shirayuki glanced at him. His blue eyes had never seemed lighter as he stared around the square. The plankton occasionally drifted off the kelp strands before sliding back against the vines, making the illusion of the light dancing around. His hair was glowing, and his tail fin was curling and closing excitedly.

Kihal nudged her excitedly as a mer swam forward.

Zen jumped in surprise. "Master!" He greeted.

The merman who taught Zen how to fight underwater smiled at Zen and affectionately ruffled Zen's hair. Then he lifted a necklace over Zen's head, resting it against his chest by pushing the pendant against Zen's skin. "For the mers who saved our pod." He raised his free hand for Shirayuki, and Shirayuki took it, swimming forward. "Kihal told us you were leaving for a long journey. We wanted to give you a proper send off, and a proper thank you." He pulled his hand away from Zen's pendant, and another mermaid swam up in front of Shirayuki.

"We treated you with disdain, and for our poor judgements we sincerely apologize."

"Oh, no. No, please." Shirayuki shook her head, a red blush to match her hair growing over her face.

The mermaid smiled. She reached up and pulled Shirayuki's hair back, swimming around the herbalist to tie her hair back. Shirayuki reached back when she finished with surprise, and her hand was gently grazed by a spiral seashell, adjourned with beautiful pearl dustings. "Thank you." Shirayuki breathed.

The mermaid bowed. "No, thank you. May this pin protect you during your quest."

The mermaid and merman hugged, then turned to the pod. "Is this a farewell party or not? Start the music!"

As the pod cheered, Zen leaned in and whispered in Shirayuki's ear. "Are those magic pearls too?"

Shirayuki felt the pin again. "I don't sense any, so I don't think so."

Zen smiled and pulled a piece of her hair free, curling it around his finger before letting it drop. "It looks good."

Shirayuki almost forgot to breathe for a second. Then she smiled and looked away without really thinking. "Uh-um."

Kihal laughed as she swam past Shirayuki. "Come on guys, the dancing is starting!"

Once again, Shirayuki found herself welling with love at her pod. The music began to play. There was no hesitation, the musicians released their instruments like an eel striking the next food source. The pod laughed and cheered as first the younglings swam into the center of the pod. They spun, their heads facing the surface and their tails loose as they drifted together, arms out to the side. They laughed and giggled as the pod cheered. One little mermaid twirled right in front of Shirayuki and Zen and knelt, presenting a beautiful green skirt for Shirayuki.

"Thank you." Shirayuki breathed, leaning down to accept the skirt. She wrapped it around her waist, pinching it shut and doing a twirl in it. "It's perfect."

The young mermaid giggled and back flipped through the air, joining her friends in a dance where they clapped and spun in perfect beat with the music. It was a little as if their dancing restrained the musicians.

The younglings grabbed hands and swam close together, before exploding outwards and back off the ground. The entire pod roared with applause, before the rest of the mers swam forward and began weaving and waving in their own dance.

Kihal laughed and nudged Shirayuki as she joined them.

Lioj let out a purr and dove up and around. The younglings chased him, and Lioj turned to face them, pulling in his tail. The little ones cheered and before Shirayuki could blink they were circling him. Lioj spun in place happily.

"Aw." Zen smiled.

Mers who weren't dancing lead Zen and Shirayuki to tables of food, and suddenly Shirayuki regretted making such a feast before. All of the food looked so delicious, and she didn't have the stomach to eat any of it.

So instead, they chatted. Mers of all kinds came up to the two users of Aigua and dressed them with too many gifts. Zen received a coral bracelet, three pins into his hair, two necklaces, an offering to pierce his fin, and a whole handful of earrings. To Shirayuki's surprise, he stuck one onto his left ear and then smiled at the merman who had given him it.

Shirayuki was given two other layers to her skirt, earrings as well, more clips for her hair, four bracelets, and six necklaces. She wasn't sure what to do with it all. But Zen and Shirayuki adorned what they could just in time for the musicians to control their instruments. Slow, melodic tones rang out, drifting happily through the water with a steady thumping in the background to keep it all tied together. The music whispered through Shirayuki's ears, and her tail twitched with the urge to dance.

She looked around, but no one seemed like they weren't paired off. Then Shirayuki looked at Zen, who had settled at the edge of the table, looking as if he was content to simply watch the whole display.

It nagged at Shirayuki that Zen hadn't truly seen living underwater for what it was. Thanks to the Stalking, he had lived his live down here in fear. And that didn't sit right with Shirayuki. She swam towards him and put her hands over his, getting near his face. "Hey. Come dance with me."

Zen blinked in surprise. "What?"

"You heard me." Shirayuki pulled him upright.

"I…I don't know how to dance without…um, with…" Zen lifted his fin to the side and wiggled it a little.

"I'll teach you." Shirayuki promised. She pulled him into the water. They found an open spot, and Shirayuki grabbed Zen's hand. She pulled it to her waist. "Here." She clasped her hand to his shoulder, and then held out his other hand just to the side of them. "And here."

Zen laughed. "I know…that much."

Shirayuki grinned. "But you don't know this part." Shirayuki pulled him downwards, flipping them backwards before pulling them into a tight spiral.

"Whoa." Zen laughed at the motion, as they spun three times before loosening.

"And then you just…move with the water." Shirayuki shrugged, pulling them upwards.

"Wow, so descriptive." But Zen was beginning to get it. As the twirl ended, he twisted, pulling himself around Shirayuki so her tail flared out attractively, pulling back into them with enough force to tip them sideways and around once more.

Zen laughed. "Wow. This is…it's like gravity doesn't exist."

Shirayuki shrugged and pulled them into a tight flip, the lights bending behind Zen and moving in and out of focus, but he stayed clear the whole way. Their tails flicked and pulled them out of the flip together, synchronizing them to the side. Shirayuki watched his face, waiting for him to notice that they were moving to the music.

His face scrunched as they twirled, Shirayuki displaying her fin again. "Are-Are we-"

"Yes!" Shirayuki laughed, pulling him into a spiral. They moved backwards for her, eyes locked.

The song seemed like it could have gone on for eternity. Shirayuki had forgotten how great it felt to dance with someone. And Zen was a natural, pulling and twirling expertly in the water as if he had done it all his life. He laughed alongside Shirayuki, and even once let go of her to complete a perfect spiral and flip right back into her arms.

The night went on, and Shirayuki and Zen found themselves dancing with each other many other times. As the party slowly died down, Shirayuki and Zen finished one final twirl before separating.

Zen's Master raised his hand in the air. "To our heroes!"

"To our heroes!" The pod echoed, before all the mers bent themselves gracefully in a bow.

Shirayuki, still holding onto Zen, gave a breathless laugh and buried her face in Zen's chest with embarrassment.

Later that night, Shirayuki woke once to a weird tingle in her fin. Lioj was lying on her bed, his tail had drifted a little too close to her scales. She wiggled it just slightly, and Lioj straightened it immediately. He gave a small sigh, half asleep but not quite there yet. He winked at Shirayuki, and she rolled to the side to ignore him. She hardly had time to notice how Zen's new pendant radiated something very powerful as it gently touched against her chest when she curled into him before sleep grabbed her conscious and yanked it back into a deep sleep.