*Disclaimer: Takeru, Hikari, Daisuke, and Taichi don't belong to me. And just to be safe, Digimon doesn't belong to me. If it did, there would have been a different ending written. The story Nicholas Pipe doesn't belong to me either. T_T So don't sue! .

Author's Note: When I do ~~~~~~~~~~ it means it's a flashback. (Or the end of a flashback, depending.) I hope it's not too confusing.

By the Seashore

By: RaspberryGirl

Takeru sighed as he looked at Hikari's retreating figure. What had he expected? Things were different between them now, but he couldn't help but wish that it hadn't been so. Was it because he'd failed Hikari when he'd promised her he would try to warn her family of the storm? He had tried, but they had driven him away. He had watched in horror as his sisters preyed upon the fishermen of Kent. There was nothing he could do. When the Yagamis' boat shattered, he had tried to save them, but his sisters had kept him away. The old man had drowned, along with three others, but Hikari's brother and father had survived. Takeru had hoped that Hikari would come to the shore the next day so he could explain.

But she never did.

~~~~~~~~~~

Takeru paced frantically on the beach. Why hadn't Hikari come at her usual time? What had happened? The fishing boats hadn't set sail in the morning like they usually did. Of course, that was to be expected. The town was probably in mourning of the four men who had died. That was probably the reason of her absence. After all, her grandfather had been one of the four! Takeru couldn't expect her to just forget about it so she could come and talk to him.

The merboy suddenly felt very guilty. Perhaps if he had tried harder, been more insistent, this wouldn't have happened. He looked up at the cliff. His feet started to take him to the stone stairway and up the steps. But he stopped halfway, abruptly.

What was he doing? He was going to walk right into the arms of death if he entered Kent. Then he shook his head to clear himself. Of course, he was in human form. He had nothing to fear. At least, he hoped not. He had to see Hikari again.

Warily, Takeru continued his way up the steps, through the woods and into Kent. The streets were empty. All was silent except for a single voice that seemed to be in the middle of a speech. Alert and attentive, Takeru followed it until he came to the Town Square. There, the people of Kent were gathered in a semicircle around a single man. Everyone was dressed in black. Men held their wives protectively and most of the women were crying. The man at the head of the crowd was dressed in a coarse gray robe with a hood. He was balding, was rather chubby, and wore spectacles. A cross hung from his neck, and he held a tiny book in his hands. "May God have mercy on their souls and let them rest in peace. Amen," he finished.

Takeru hid himself behind a cottage. At the moment, he would stick out like a sore thumb among the rest of Kent with what he was wearing. The ceremony ended and one by one, he watched as the gloomy townsfolk disbanded and walked past. He hoped that Hikari would come this way. And at last, he spotted her.

"Hikari." He took a step forward and grabbed her hand.

Startled, Hikari yanked her hand back. She gasped as she recognized him. "Takeru?"

"Hikari, I'm so sorr—"

A hand shoved him and Takeru went sprawling backwards. "You!" A savage voice accused him. "You get away from her!"

The angry shout had already begun to attract attention.

"Taichi, stop!" cried Hikari, restraining her brother.

Taichi turned on his sister, fury burning in his eyes. "You promised Father you wouldn't speak to him again!"

"I didn't!" Hikari pleaded. "He grabbed my hand and startled me! Please, Taichi, forget about him! Let's just go home! Father and Mother are coming this way." She cast an anxious glance backwards.

Although still in a rage, Taichi let himself be led away by his sister.

Dazed, Takeru got up. People murmured and pointed at him. Who was this stranger? Why was the Yagami boy angry with him? What was his connection with the Yagami girl?

Takeru had a sinking feeling in his heart. Hikari hadn't even look at him when she pulled her brother away. Was she angry with him?

Cautiously, so that Taichi wouldn't see him, he followed Hikari and her brother back to her cottage. There, he waited patiently for Hikari to come outside, alone. He heard Hikari tell Taichi that their mother and father hadn't come back yet—probably because they were busy somewhere, consoling or being consoled by friends. Hikari asked her brother to lie down and calm himself. She also said she was going outside to see if their parents were returning. Takeru's heart leapt. This was his chance.

As soon as Hikari stepped out of the cottage, he called to her.

She turned at his voice, surprised. "Takeru?"

"Hikari, I'm sorry about what happened during the storm. I tried—" he stopped, as he realized that Hikari was backing away from him. "Hikari?"

"I'm sorry, Takeru. But I can'twe can'tbe friends anymore." With that, she whirled around, slamming the door in his face.

He stared after her, stunned. What did she mean?

__________

After some time, Takeru got used to the fact that Hikari was purposely avoiding him. He wasn't sure why, but he forced himself to accept it. He didn't know what had led him to do it, but he decided to make a life in Kent.

A couple of days after the mourning, Takeru appeared in Kent again. He wasn't going to let the enchantment go to waste, not after he had paid such a dear price for it. And besides, he was curious about Hikari's world. There seemed to be no excuse hiding in the sea now.

Taking a deep breath, Takeru strode into Kent and unfortunately, the first person he met was Daisuke and his friends.

"Well, if it isn't the little fish boy," Daisuke sneered, catching sight of Takeru. He felt particularly bold surrounded by his friends. And Takeru was obviously human-looking enough that there seemed less to fear of him.

"That's the 'merboy' that you were talking about?" one of Daisuke's friends asked. "The one from four years ago?"

"He doesn't look like he could harm a fly," another scoffed.

"Are you sure he's not just another newcomer in town?" a third friend chimed in. "You know, you're always making up stories, Daisuke."

"It is him!" Daisuke insisted as his friends looked at him skeptically. "I'm serious!"

Takeru took this advantage to get away. He wanted to look for an apprenticeship in the town and didn't have time to deal with them.

By the end of the afternoon, Takeru was fairly happy. Three men of Kent had told him that they'd consider taking him, the rest already had apprentices and didn't need any more. Perhaps there was hope after all that the rest of the town didn't fear him like Taichi and Daisuke.

The next day, he arrived in Kent early and went to the cottages of the three men. At the first house, the man opened the door and gasped, "Demon!" The man took a step forward, trying to appear menacing. "Begone!" He slammed the door. Inside, Takeru could hear the hysterical voice of the man's frightened wife.

"Look what your ignorance has brought upon us, husband!" she sobbed. "Be glad that the Motomiya boy warned you about him before it was too late!"

Motomiya. Takeru was almost sure that it had something to do with Daisuke.

When Takeru went to the houses of two other the men, he was greeted with similar reactions. Sadly, he turned back to the sea.

__________

For a year, Takeru familiarized himself with the tasks of the fishing town. Some of the townsfolk let him do odd jobs for them, but most of Kent shunned him. And to add to his dismay, he found that he was growing to love the land more and more, and seldom returned to the sea at all.

One day, he overheard two women gossiping about a lady by the name of Mrs. McFlintock. Supposedly, she was an old half-blind woman who lived by herself in the village. The servant girl who was taking care of her had gone away, hoping to seek a better job in another town. From what Takeru heard, Mrs. McFlintock had a wealthy nephew who sent her money every month to support her and that she was willing to pay a high price for a new servant.

Interested, Takeru sought out Mrs. McFlintock's house and found it with no problem. The cottage was like all the others of Kent, only it was a little shabbier and rundown. A thick tangle of ivy covered one of the cottage's walls.

Takeru knocked on the door, as was the human custom.

"Yes?" a voice cackled. "Come in."

Takeru entered. The cottage's windows were covered with ragged pieces of cloth and it was completely dark inside. An old woman, with white, wispy hair, a pointy nose, and filmy brown eyes sat in a creaky rocking chair. Even though it was summer, she wore a heavy gray dress and a black shawl. In her gnarled hands, she held a sturdy cane. She squinted at Takeru, her eyes staring at the spot over the boy's shoulder. "What do you want, young man?"

"I—I heard that you needed a servant," Takeru stammered.

The old woman gave a coughing laugh. "You want to be my servant?" she asked with a toothless grin. "My, my, you're very brave. Not many come willingly to serve me. I am rather difficult, you know."

"So I've heard," Takeru ventured.

"Very well," Mrs. McFlintock said, with a vague wave of her hand. "You will begin immediately. You wage: a silver piece a week."

From his year's experience with human money, Takeru knew that it was a handsome wage indeed. "You don't have to pay so high," he said humbly. "I really have no use for money."

"Eh? What's this?" Mrs. McFlintock cocked her head, as if she hadn't heard him right. "Many boys your age would be overjoyed at the price, but youyou insist I lower it?" She laughed again. "What an amusing young man!" Her eyes fixed on the spot past Takeru's ear. "And to tell you the truth, I have no use for money, either. No, no, the price will not be lowered."

"As you wish." Takeru bowed his head.

"So formal," the old woman crowed. "You are a strange one. And what did you say your name was?"

"Takeru."

"I think I'm rather going to like you, Takeru," Mrs. McFlintock said. "You're very different from the servants I've had before."

"Differentyes, wellI think there's something you should know about me." Takeru's words became difficult. This may destroy his chance of employment, but he wanted to be honest.

"What is it? I have seen all, so I doubt whatever it is you're about to say will surprise me. Well? Get on with it!" Mrs. McFlintock waved her cane impatiently.

"I'm not human," Takeru said slowly. "I'm one of the Mer Folk."

"Hmmvery interesting, indeed," the old lady replied, showing no trace of horror.

"You'reyou're not afraid?" Takeru asked, surprised.

"You silly thing, of course not! Look at me, boy. I am not young anymore. In a couple of years, months, or maybe even days, the Devil himself will come to claim me. What have I left to fear of the damned sea folk?" She smiled her toothless smile.

Takeru winced at her slur, but said nothing of it. He took a deep breath. "All right, what would you like me to do for you first?"

__________

So for two years, he worked for strange Mrs. McFlintock. Somehow, he rather enjoyed the old lady's company, and got used to her sudden whims quickly. The townsfolk of Kent didn't know what to make of it, so they just left him alone. The town boys, however, jeered at him, led by Daisuke. Takeru ignored them.

Most of the time, though, Takeru was happy. Finally, he felt like he had a place in the town. He never transformed into a merman within eyesight of the townspeople, but the knowledge that he was one, nonetheless, still stirred trouble. He made a temporary home for himself in the shed at the back of Mrs. McFlintock's cottage in her unattended garden. His other "home" was Pirate's Cave, now called Merman's Cave. And in his heart, he knew that the sea would always be home to him too. There was just one thing wrong, and that was Hikari.

~~~~~~~~~~

Hikari.

Takeru snapped out from his thoughts. Why couldn't he get her out of his head? She had already made it clear she didn't want anything to do with him, but he still considered her a friend.

Sighing, he started into the woods. He needed to be alone, to think out his thoughts. Tonight, he would reside in Merman's Cave.

* * *

Hikari ran all the way back to her cottage. She burst through the door; her face flushed from the exertion.

"Hikari, dear," Mrs. Yagami said, without looking up. "You're back. Just in time for supper."

Hikari sat down at her place at the table. She ate slowly. The sight of Takeru had driven all appetite from her. She fiddled with her food idly.

Mr. Yagami frowned at his daughter's behavior. "Hikari, are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Hikari answered. So what if she saw Takeru? What did she care? He meant nothing to her

"If you're fine," Mrs. Yagami said worriedly, "you should be eating your food, not playing with it. I hope you haven't caught that cold that's been going around the town. I heard that a few friends of ours is down with it."

"It's nothing severe, is it?" Mr. Yagami asked, concerned. "Not like a plague or anything? Hasn't killed people, has it?"

"You worry too much, husband," Mrs. Yagami sighed. "It's just a simple cold." A small smile crept on her face. "You can rest assured that we won't all be dead when you return from the capital."

"Why can't I go with Father?" Taichi complained. "I want to see Ramona too."

"We need someone to do the fishing while your father's gone," Mrs. Yagami explained. "Just because you had a good catch today doesn't mean you can be idle. Perhaps some other time, Taichi."

"I want to see the kingdom, not be stuck in this little place," Taichi muttered, looking sour.

Mr. Yagami shot his son a sharp look. "What did you say?"

"Nothing," Taichi answered glumly.

"I'm full," Hikari said, standing up. "If you don't have anymore things for me to do, Mother, I'll be in my room." Without waiting for a response, she left.

When she entered her small bedchamber, Hikari immediately sprawled onto her bed, gazing up at the ceiling. A glimmering caught the corner of Hikari's eye and she sat up. She stared at the pink and cream colored conch shell that sat on the table. She reached towards it, then stopped herself, her fingertips barely touching the shell's surface. She had kept it because it was pretty, she told herself, not because it had a connection with Takeru.

That funny feeling came over Hikari again, as she thought about him, walking alone on the beach. Suddenly, Hikari felt very tired; her mind threatened to burst from good memories and bad. She changed into a nightshift and then crawled into bed, falling into fitful sleep.

__________

"Hikari. Hikari, dear, wake up."

Hikari opened her eyes, feeling foggy and confused. "Mother?" She tried to get out of bed.

"Hush, my sweet, you're sick," said Mrs. Yagami, gently pushing her daughter down. She felt her daughter's forehead. "I think I'd better brew some medicine."

"What time is it?"

"Well into the morning. Stay in bed. I knew something was wrong with you the other night." Shaking her head, Mrs. Yagami left the room.

Now that her mother had mentioned it, Hikari did feel like she was burning up. She tossed her sheets off; everything was just too hot. Her nose was clogged and she could barely breathe. She sneezed. Sleep sounded like a good idea.

When Hikari awoke again, it was to her mother's voice once more. Mrs. Yagami sat on the edge of the bed, a bowl in her hands. "Drink this," she said.

Hikari tasted the liquid and grimaced, but forced the bitter stuff down her throat.

"There's a good girl," Mrs. Yagami murmured. "Rest some more and I think you should be just fine."

Hikari nodded weakly and fell back onto her pillow. She looked out her window. The day was overcast and it looked like it would rain. She hoped the fishermen would make it back before it started pouring. Hikari's last thoughts were of Taichi.

* * *

Hikari opened her eyes, feeling a little better. Her nose had cleared, but when she sat up, colors danced before her eyes and everything seemed overly bright. That will fade, she told herself. I'm just a bit dizzy that's all.

The room spun and tilted as Hikari got out of bed, but she ignored the sensation. She changed into some fresh clothes and staggered into the cottage's main room.

Mrs. Yagami was sitting at the dinner table, mending a shirt. "Hikari!" she cried, when she saw her daughter. "You should be in bed!"

"I feel fine now," Hikari said. That was almost the truth.

"Well, I suppose," Mrs. Yagami said skeptically. "Come." She motioned to the seat opposite of her. "Sit down and rest."

Hikari nodded, then wished she hadn't. The room spun even more and she felt like throwing up. She looked out the window. It was probably afternoon, but the sky seemed even darker than before. She hoped that it wouldn't turn into a storm. But just as that thought came into her mind, there was a flash of lightning and a gentle rain began.

"Oh dear," Mrs. Yagami murmured. She stopped her sewing to gaze worriedly out the window. "I hope Taichi will be okay."

At that moment, one of the neighbors burst in. "A storm's coming!" he cried.

"A storm?" Mrs. Yagami asked, standing up. "How do you know?"

"McFlintock's boy!" the man gasped. "He said so, and he's always right."

Mrs. Yagami winced at the mention of Takeru. "Are you positive?"

"Well," the neighbor admitted, "the boy said there was a chance. Marlin's son rowed out and warned the fishermen, just in case. They're at the shore right now. But Taichihe's not there!"

"What?"

"Supposedly, he was with the other fishermen earlier, but later into the day, he went off by himself and didn't come back!"

"I know where he is," Hikari said. There was a place out at sea where only she, her father, and Taichi knew about. Grandfather had showed it to them. The spot was always filled with fish. The catch today must have been bad; otherwise, Taichi wouldn't have gone there. "I'll go get him."

"Hikari, no!" Mrs. Yagami cried as the girl started out back to get their spare boat. "You're ill! You can't go out!"

"I have to," Hikari said. She disappeared and then reappeared with a small boat held above her head. The boat was only big enough to hold three people, perhaps even less. Hikari made her way past her mother and the flustered neighbor.

"Hikari, stop!" Mrs. Yagami cried, but it was in vain. She knew that determined expression on her daughter's face. There was no way to stop her.

A crowd had gathered at the shore. People began murmuring as Hikari appeared. They let her through and stared at her as she made her way determinedly to the shoreline.

"Hikari, what do you think you're doing?" a voice cried. Daisuke pushed his way through the crowd and grabbed the girl's arm. "If a storm is coming this way, you're going to get yourself killed!"

Hikari shook off his arm angrily, her vision blurry. "Taichi's out there, Daisuke! I'm not going to let him die!"

"But he could be on his way back this instant! Stay here, on the shore where it's safe." There was a hint of a plead in Daisuke's voice. "Please, Hikari!"

The girl's voice softened. "I can't." Hikari pushed the tiny craft into the water and got in. She thought she saw Takeru looking at her in the crowd.

The rain continued to fall gently, and the waves were calm at first. But as Hikari rowed farther out to sea, they became stronger and more violent. Now, it was taking all of Hikari's strength to keep the boat on its course.

Just a little farther

Finally, she saw Taichi's boat. "Taichi!" she called as she reached him. "Tie up your nets! A storm might be coming!"

"Don't you think I know that?" Taichi cried. "But the net, it's stuck on something!"

Hikari's boat bumped into Taichi's. Quickly, she tied the two crafts together with rope and clambered onto her brother's boat. They pulled at the net with their combined strength.

"It's no use!" Hikari gasped. "We have to leave it!"

"But we'll lose the catch!" protested Taichi.

Pale shapes beneath the water caught Hikari's eye. It had looked like something with the upper body of a woman, but the lower body of a fish. They were surrounding the two little boats.

Taichi saw them too. "The Mer Folk!" he gasped. "We're doomed!"

"Row, Taichi!" Hikari screamed, immediately abandoning the net. "Maybe we can get away!" Takeru had been friendly and harmless, but she was sure that these sea folk were not. Without a word, the siblings took up their oars and began rowing with all their strength.

A giant wave tossed the two crafts around like a child's toys. There was a snap and the rope that held the two boats together broke. The spare vessel that Hikari had brought disappeared within the waves.

Suddenly, a long, piercing cry filled the air, ringing with wild beauty. The cry was answered by similar calls around the one remaining boat.

The girl gasped. Pale hands, as white as snow, grasped onto the sides of the boat. Their owners were beautiful, with large eyes of various shades and rosy lips. Their long hair was like seaweed, streaming out behind them. Some had pearls, seashells, or starfish in their hair as decorations. One of the mermaids smiled at Hikari's bewildered expression, a smile that sent chills up the girl's spine.

Violently, the pale hands began rocking the boat, as if to turn it over. Rage began boiling within Hikari, overtaking her fear. How dare the creatures take joy in her terror? Perhaps they were as soulless as her brother had accused them of being.

"Get away!" Hikari cried, swinging her oar at a nearby mermaid. The mermaid let out a shriek and ducked back into the sea. When she resurfaced, she called to her sisters again, her melody filled with anger and hate.

Hikari wasted no time in swiping at the other mermaids as well. "Come on, Taichi!" she shouted at her brother. "Fend them off!"

"Butthey're females" Taichi started, not knowing what to do.

"Taichi!" Hikari screamed. "This is no time for manners! If you don't hit them, we're going to die!"

The thought of death seemed like a slap in the face to Taichi, bringing him back to the reality of things. With a grim nod, he picked up his oar and struck at the mermaids.

But even as the two siblings attacked, more mermaids clung to the boat, pulling and tearing at it. Hikari's oar made contact with a mermaid's chin, knocking the creature back into the waves. That only seemed to make her fellows angrier. They began attacking Hikari herself.

Hikari screamed as the mermaids grabbed at her dress, hissing with anger. They almost successfully pulled her into the sea, had Taichi not pulled her out of their grasp. "Get away from her!" he yelled.

"Hikari! Taichi!"

Hikari whirled, recognizing the voice. "Takeru!" She spotted the golden-haired boy roaring towards them in a boat of his own.

Taichi began cursing under his breath. "What do you want?" he snapped as Takeru reached them.

"I'm here to help," Takeru said.

"We don't need your help," Taichi spat, making a grab at Hikari as if Takeru was going to carry her away. But since the boat was so narrow, Taichi slipped, and knocked himself unconscious.

"Taichi!" Hikari leaned over her brother, making sure he was all right.

Takeru faced the waves. He opened his mouth and a low, wordless song poured forth, drowning out the mermaids' voices. Hikari listened in awe. She never knew that Takeru could sing. Already, the sea seemed calmer, the sky less ominous. The mermaids stopped their attack. They hissed and spat at Hikari and Taichi, but they began backing away. To Hikari's surprise, they began retreating into the water.

As soon as the last of them was gone, Takeru got into the boat that Taichi and Hikari was in and tied his own craft to theirs. "I suggest you row for you life," he said, offering Hikari a pair of oars.

"But didn't you just get rid of them?"

"It was only a charm. My sisters will return when it wears off."

Without another word, Hikari grabbed the oars and she and Takeru began rowing. The wind had ceased howling, the rain had stopped, and they were able to make it back to shore safely. The crowd pointed and shouted in relief as the two boats approached.

Daisuke yelled to her from the shore. "Hikari! Hikari!"

But to the girl, he was only a small moving figure in a sea of fuzziness. The illness was now finally catching up to her and her body felt like it was a stove. Hikari's heart was beating at a pace that didn't seem normal and she had broken out in a sweat, her breathing labored.

"Are you okay?" Takeru asked from behind.

"I'm just a little sick."

"Just a little?" Takeru said skeptically.

"We're almost at the shore anyway, I should be fine."

Takeru fell silent and continued rowing.

"Hikari!" Daisuke cried as the boat that Hikari and Takeru was in hit the sand. Some of the town men waded into the water and pulled the boats ashore. "Hikari, you're safe!" He rushed towards her.

Hikari got out of the boat unsteadily. To her, Daisuke's voice seemed far, far away. The concerned and relieved faces that surrounded her seemed distorted and unreal. The ground tilted.

The girl couldn't hold herself up any longer and felt herself fall. Someone caught her and she saw a pair of blue eyes before that too melted into a confusion of colors. "Takeru" Then, she fainted.

"Hikari!" Daisuke cried. "Hikari!"

Inside the boat, Taichi groaned. Mrs. Yagami pushed her way through the crowd. Seeing that Hikari was all right, and disregarding the fact that it was Takeru who held her, she ran to her son. "Taichi, thank goodness your alive!"

Taichi opened his eyes. "Mother" He sat up. "You again!" His face became livid with fury. He got out of the boat and stormed over to Takeru. "Let go of her!" With the help of Daisuke, Taichi scooped Hikari up into his own arms. He shot Takeru a venomous look. "Don't you dare touch my sister ever again," he growled.

Mrs. Yagami came over. "Hikari! My sweet!" she sobbed. "Taichi, get her to the house immediately." Grunting, Taichi headed towards their cottage followed by Mrs. Yagami and Daisuke.

__________

Hikari opened her eyes and realized that she was back in her own bedroom. The faces of Taichi and Daisuke peered anxiously at her.

"Mother!" Taichi yelled. "She's awake!"

Mrs. Yagami hurried into the room immediately. She knelt at Hikari's bedside. "How do you feel, dear?"

"Fine." This time, it was true.

"Good," Mrs. Yagami said in a relieved tone. "That medicine we had to force down your throat must have worked. You should thank your brother and Daisuke," Mrs. Yagami continued. "They kept an eye on you the entire time while you slept." She turned to go. "Well, I'll leave you three to talk."

"How long have I been asleep?" Hikari asked, sitting up weakly.

"Two days," Taichi said.

"Two days" Hikari murmured. "What happened when we reached the shore? Last thing I remember"

"We took you and left," Taichi said flatly.

"Without thanks?" Hikari asked sharply.

"Why did Taichi need to thank him?" Daisuke asked.

"Because," said Hikari, angry with both of them, "Takeru saved our lives!"

"No," Taichi objected. "You saw what happened at sea. You saw the Mer Folk. They were trying to kill us!"

"Yes, but he didn't!" Hikari said.

"Are you sure?" Daisuke asked doubtfully.

Hikari sighed. "I was there, Daisuke."

"He probably did something to your mind," Taichi said frowning.

"He did not!" Hikari yelled. "Takeru kept the mermaids away long enough for me and him to row us back to shore!" She turned to Taichi. "For shame, brother! You didn't even say a word of gratitude!"

Taichi looked away from his sister's glare. "We had nothing to be grateful for."

Exasperated, Hikari opened her mouth to answer back, when a man entered the room. "Mr. Motomiya!"

"Hello, Hikari. I see you've recovered," Mr. Motomiya said with a smile, also nodding a greeting to Taichi. "Glad to see you in good health."

Hikari murmured a word of thanks.

"Now," said Mr. Motomiya, turning cheerfully to Taichi and Daisuke, "I got to a late start today and was wondering if you two would like to come along. High time you got back to the sea, don't you think? The three of us can go together in my boat." Mr. Motomiya gave a meaningful glance at Taichi.

"Well, okay," Daisuke said. "Now that Hikari's better. What do you say, Taichi?"

Taichi nodded. "You two go down to the beach first. I'll meet you there."

"All right." Mr. Motomiya and Daisuke left the room.

Taichi turned to his sister. "I want you to do me a favor."

"And that would be?"

"I want you to promise me," Taichi began, "just like how you promised Father, never to speak with that creature again."

Hikari only stared.

"He's dangerous, Kari!" Taichi cried. "We lost Grandfather because of his kind and I'm not going to let them take you!"

"I promise," Hikari said quietly, although she wasn't sure she meant it.

"Swear it."

"I swear."

"Good." Taichi managed a weak smile before leaving.

* * *

Night fell, and Hikari was taking a stroll around the town. Although, her mother had objected at first, the girl had managed to persuade her otherwise. Hikari smiled. The night air felt so cool and soothing. All was quiet except for the murmur of the soft breeze, the singing of the crickets, and the distant noises coming from within the cottages.

Suddenly, a cry broke through the air, making Hikari jump.

The girl whipped around, trying to locate where the noise came from. It had sounded as if someone might be in trouble. Thieves and cutthroats weren't unheard of in Kent.

"Hello?" she called, taking small steps forward in the direction of a cottage. "Is someone there?"

Another muffled cry. Hikari was now sure it came from the alley that was about fifty paces away. She quickened her steps. "Hello?" She was now at the entrance. She could make out two figures up ahead. One of them was pressed against a wall and the other was holding a torch and speaking quickly and angrily.

Hikari recognized the voice, as well as the face. "Daisuke!" she cried. "Daisuke, what are you doing?"

Startled, the figure with the torch whirled around. "Hikari!" Daisuke cursed, then cast a nervous glance at the person against the wall.

Hikari gasped. "Takeru?"

The golden haired boy looked up. Blood was pouring from his nose in a steady stream, staining his white shirt. Hikari ran to him. "Are you all right?"

Before he could answer, Daisuke asked loudly, "Hikari, what are you doing here?"

"I heard a noise and—and—" She narrowed her eyes, wanting to give him a good slap. "What has gotten into you, Daisuke? Why are you attacking people in alleyways like some—some criminal?"

Daisuke fell back against her onslaught. "Hikari"

"There is no excuse for that," Hikari said flatly, pointing to the blood.

"Hikari, listen—"

But the girl didn't want to hear what he had to say. Instead, she began pushing Daisuke out the way she came. "I'm disgusted with you! I don't want to see you or talk to you! Just—just go away!" With a final shove, Daisuke was out of the alley. "I don't want to hear your excuses!" She heard the boy protest, but shut her ears against his voice. She came back to Takeru and started going down the alley, motioning for him to follow. "This way," she said gently. "I want to know what happened."

Wordlessly, Takeru nodded and began following Hikari who was making her way to Mrs. McFlintock's. The two stopped outside the old lady's cottage. "The candles are out, she must be sleeping already," Takeru observed. "But there's a shed out back. We can go there."

Hikari agreed and with Takeru now leading, the two headed towards Mrs. McFlintock's garden.

"Oh my, it's quite amess," Hikari said, staring at the wild green jumble of plants and weeds.

"I would have fixed it up for her," Takeru said ruefully, "but my gardening skills are lacking."

"Well, I guess you can't be good at everything," Hikari said thoughtfully.

"Here it is." Takeru pushed open a narrow wooden door, and entered. Hikari followed.

The inside of the shed was not very impressive. It was musty and gray with a window at the far end of the place, a narrow bed in one corner, and a dresser. A tin pan, a cup, and a pitcher rested on its surface.

"Is this where you live?" Hikari asked. She had somewhat expected more. She was sure that if Takeru wanted to, he could have bought a cottage of his own and lived quite comfortably.

"Yes," replied Takeru. "I know it's small and rather crowded, even with the scarce furniture. But that's why I sometimes stay at Merman's Cave."

"Oh, I see," Hikari said quietly. "Um, here, let me clean up that blood for you." She went over to the dresser and poured some water from the pitcher into the pan. From her apron pocket, she took a handkerchief and soaked it in the water. She brought the wet cloth over and wiped at his face gently. "Now, tell me why Daisuke attacked you in the alley."

"I don't know."

Something in his tone told Hikari that this wasn't the truth. "He must have had a reason," she persisted. "And if I know Daisuke, he probably made it very clear to you."

"I"

"Tell me the truth. Don't try to fool me. I've known you for a long time, Takeru, and I know when you're lying."

Takeru smiled faintly. "Are you sure? You haven't talked to me in three years. Things change."

Hikari froze as his words set in. Three yearshad it really been that long? Had she really managed to keep her promise to her father for three whole years? And what about her promise to Taichi? She was breaking it, this very moment.

"All right, I'll tell you," Takeru said. He took a deep breath. "Daisuke told me to stay away from you. He said that you were betrothed to him."

Hikari dropped the handkerchief. "What?"

"Aren't you and him betrothed?"

"No! Of course not!" said Hikari. She gritted her teeth and clenched her fist. "I can't believe he" She let out a cry of frustration. Muttering under her breath, Hikari leaned down and grabbed the handkerchief. Her fingers brushed Takeru's arm and to her surprise, he trembled.

"What's wrong?" she asked with concern. "Are you cold?"

"No." He looked away.

Suddenly, Hikari felt very uncomfortable. Here she was, alone in the "home" of some boy that both her father and brother had forbidden her to talk to. But no, he wasn't just any boy. He was Takeru and she had known him for a long time, but like he had said, things change.

"I've got to go," Hikari said abruptly. "It's getting late and my mother and brother are probably worried about me. Um." She remembered something. "Oh, and thank you for saving my life and Taichi's life. I—I know Taichi doesn't really show it, but I'm sure he's very grateful too." She stuffed the blood stained handkerchief back into her apron pocket. "Well, I'll get going now." She hurried out and shut the door behind her.

Takeru sighed. It had been nice talking to her, but what had he done wrong to make her leave so abruptly? Did she hate him? For as long as he'd known her, Hikari wasn't like the other girls of Kent. While the other girls preferred long hair, Hikari wore hers short. She was strong, hard working, and pretty. Takeru knew that many of the village boys liked her. She probably did hate him. With so many other good-looking young men around her, there was no way Hikari would choose him. Takeru collapsed onto his bed and fell into dreamless slumber.

* * *

Daisuke seethed as he stormed home. Why did Hikari have to interrupt him? His lip curled in disgust as he remembered how she had stood up for that freak. Daisuke was sure that the merboy and Hikari used to be friends, but nowhow did Hikari really feel about Takeru? The merboy wasn't bad looking, Daisuke could give him that, but could he really be a rival? He didn't want to take any chances. Takeru had to go.

But how?

Slowly, a plan formed in Daisuke's head and he changed his course of direction. Finally, he arrived at the cottage. It was on the edge of town away from the other houses. Nervously, Daisuke knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" a rough voice asked. The door opened and Luorke appeared. He looked sleepy and smelled of liquor. He growled at Daisuke like an animal. "What do you want, boy?"

"I've come to make a proposition," Daisuke announced grandly.

"What proposition? I make no deals with children."

Hoping strongly that Luorke wasn't drunk, Daisuke spoke again. "I think you'll be interested. It concerns that merboy. The one called 'Takeru'."

"What Takeru?" Luorke grunted.

"The one that works for Mrs. McFlintock," Daisuke said impatiently. "The one that washed ashore seven years ago."

"Oh. What about him?"

Daisuke smiled. "Didn't you say you wanted to make money by him?"

"So I did." Luorke was now regarding Daisuke with interest. "What are you proposing?"

"Well, my friend," Daisuke said pleasantly. "Listen carefully..."

Author's Note: Just because Takeru refers to the mermaids as his "sisters," doesn't necessarily mean they're related. It's just a generic term. Comments, rants, flames, whatever. Just please review!