Chapter 12

Acnologia grinned and dropped his nephew's hand as soon as he led the prince into the cave. The young merman looked around in wonder, not even recognizing the lie Acnologia uttered.

Thanks to his two minions and the magical power emanating from inside himself, Acnologia carefully watched the kingdom from the moment he was banished. He saw the festivals, the hair cutting ceremonies, but most importantly, he saw the fiasco his little nephew had gotten himself into. Acnologia shivered. His scales itched in anticipation. His goal was just within his grasp, so close he could almost taste it.

Let's just add some bait, shall we?

Acnologia spun on his tail and smiled at the prince. "Now then, what brings you all the way out to my humble abode?"

The prince flinched and glared under his long fringe of hair. Oh he was testy, all right. And had a scale on his shoulder the size of Atlantis. Acnologia could practically see the frustration oozing off of the merman. His grin widened. The prince would serve his plans quite nicely.

"I was told you could help me," the prince finally muttered, straightening his shoulders.

Acnologia placed a hand over his heart. "I certainly try to be a helpful member of mer-society. And if it's a favor for my very own nephew, then I couldn't be more happy to help!"

Gajeel raised a brow. A blue crab scuttled onto the rocks, staring at him with her tall eye-stalks. The black fish latched onto the prince's tail wiggled and muttered something too quiet for Acnologia to hear. Gajeel flicked the fish on the head, causing him to lose his suction. The movement seemed to jostle his nephew, finally allowing him to find his backbone and swim forward.

"I need a place ta hide from my father."

Acnologia tisked. "Now what did my dear little brother do this time? I would have thought he learned his lesson after betraying me like he did."

A betrayal he most certainly deserved, but Gajeel did not need to know that tidbit of information. And judging by the surprise on his face, the king never told his son that small piece of information.

"He did?"

"He was always jealous of me, when we were younger," Acnologia gave a heavy sigh. "Always trying to best me in everything he could. So it was no surprise that when the princess of Ishgar started paying special attention to me…well, let's just say my brother had to woo her himself and claim the right to the throne."

"Wait, so you were supposed to be king?"

He needed to get the prince back on track or all his plans would be ruined. "That's neither here nor there and I'm sure it was nothing compared to what he did to you, his own son."

"Well, I dunno…" Gajeel clasped the handle of his weapon, his gaze darting to his friends near the floor. His mouth moved, a whispered conversation floating over the waters.

Of all the times for him to finally grow a brain…

"Don't tell me!" Acnoligia gasped, startling the mumbling trio, "you fell in love and he doesn't approve of the young mermaid!"

The sea creatures squeaked and Gajeel gaped, his mouth working up and down.

"How'd you know?"

Acnologia gave him a warm smile. "You have that look about you, someone who's tasted the sweet kelp of first love. It's a marvelous feeling, no?" He draped an arm around Gajeel's shoulders and swam forward. "Now tell me all about her. Perhaps I can find a way for you and your love to swim away together?"

Gajeel shook his head even before Acnologia finished speaking. "It won't work."

"That is correct!" the blue crab exclaimed, "The prince no longer needs your help and Juvia will–"

Acnologia twisted Gajeel away from the crab. "Why not? I told you I would help and I will!"

"That's not it, Uncle," Acnologia bit back a smirk, "it's…well, she's not a mermaid. She's…a human." Gajeel glared as if daring him to protest.

"Oh. Human, you say."

He took his arm off the prince and turned his back. Water swished and moved behind him, betraying Gajeel's desperate attempt to follow. Acnologia waited patiently for the prince to speak first. He had been waiting for over a score of seasonal currents, so what was a few more moments? A few days?

"Is that gonna be a problem?"

"Actually," he paused, relishing in the way Gajeel seemed to hold his breath. "It's simple really!"

"What is?"

Acnologia spun on his tail, gesturing wildly. "The solution to your problem! Why, it's so simple in fact that this little remora guppy here could have figured it out for himself."

"Quit talkin' in riddles, old man."

"Now now," Acnologia chuckled, "we mustn't get impatient. I am the only one who can help you, remember?"

Gajeel sighed and rolled his eyes. "What do I have to do?"

"It's easy, really…"

"Ya keep sayin' that."

"In order for you to be with your human love," Acnologia lowered his voice to a bare whisper, "you just need to become a human yourself."

Gajeel drew back. "Can ya even do that?"

Acnologia shook his head. "Not for everyone. But for you? Yes."

"Why?" came a timid whisper near Gajeel's tail.

"My magic is limited, you see," Acnologia answered, addressing only Gajeel. "I can only change things that already exist. Well, to a certain extent."

Gajeel snorted. "Then that means I need ta be a human, which..." he gestured to his tail and shrugged.

"Do you remember your mother?"

Gajeel frowned. "No? She died when I was born."

"What about your grandmother, do you remember her?"

"'Course I do!"

Acnologia swam forward. "Then tell me, what did she look like?"

"Why do you need to know?"

"What about her face? Her Teeth?"

Keep pushing, keep pushing…we almost have him!

"Her teeth? I don't get what–"

"What about your human's teeth?" Acnologia leaned forward, pressing the prince.

"They were flat, just like…" Gajeel trailed off, his eyes widening.

Acnologia cackled, fingers twitching. "It seems the prince has finally remembered something. Something important."

"How's that–"

"Let me tell you a story, fry. Long ago, when your grandfather was still a young king, he fell in love. But it was a forbidden love," Acnologia whispered, placing a finger over his lips. "One that would make him lose the very throne he had worked so hard for. One that made him desperate enough to use the great trident to fulfill his selfish desires. No one knew what he had done, just knew that suddenly…one of the trident's prongs didn't glow anymore." He snapped his fingers, startling his guests.

Gajeel shook his head, scratching at his long hair. "But how do you–"

"He married his love," Acnologia circled the prince, whispering into his ear. "Even sired a daughter through that love. That princess in turn fell in love, married your father and had…you.

"Do you want to know why you always felt drawn to the surface? Why you feel trapped under the water, longing to feel the sun on your skin and overwhelmed with the knowledge that you just. Don't. Belong?"

"It's 'cause…are you saying that I'm…" The prince spun to face him, his red eyes desperate.

Acnologia nodded, slow and careful. "You have human blood in your veins, fry. Passed on from your oh so precious grandmaman."

"But she never said anything!" Gajeel shouted, his voice shaking. "She would've told me, she never would've lied to me like that!"

Acnologia shrugged, lifting his hands. "She had to. Once your father married into the royal family and found out their deepest, darkest secret…well, he forbade them from talking about it. I only heard the story when your mother, carrying you in her stomach, came to me in distress." He placed a hand on his nephew's shoulder, feeling the tension beneath his fingers. "Your father made us lie, Gajeel. And banished me before I could spread the tale."

"His Majesty would never!"

His eels circled the two chattering problems, blocking off their well-meaning advice.

Acnologia whispered, "Your father has been lying to you your whole life, suppressing the part of you that is screaming to be released." He bent his head, forcing Gajeel to look at him. "I can help you, my dear nephew."

Gajeel grasped him by the arms. "How? What do I have to do? I'll do anything!"

Acnologia sighed. "The magic is strong and I don't have the trident like your grandfather did. I can only do a temporary fix."

"Just tell me," Gajeel yelled, shaking him by the arms, "I'll give you whatever you want!"

"Well," he began, tapping his chin as if he hadn't been plotting since the very beginning, "The spell will require something important from the user…something precious to them."

"Like this?"

The prince's spear waved in front of his face. Acnologia curled his fingers around the cool coral, grinning widely. "Yes! This will do very nicely! I can give you one day as a human for this. Do you have anything else?"

"Something else," Gajeel muttered, ignoring the warning calls from his friends. He placed his spear back at his waist and fiddled with a strand of hair. Acnologia nearly vibrated as his magic churned within him.

"That is a glorious crown you have there," he said, helping the gullible prince, "perhaps it is worth another day on the surface with your love?"

If Acnologia had a heart, surely it would have been filled with guilt at the trust in his nephew's eyes. As it was, he had barely spoken the suggestion when Gajeel nodded his head in agreement.

"Excellent!" Acnologia hurried to his cauldron, the magic eager to be released. He grabbed potions and bottles, creepers and crawlers, and tossed them into the bubbling cauldron in the center of the room. The prince swam behind him, muttering softly.

"But that's only two days. Can I get more?"

Acnologia hummed, measuring ingredients. "Others who have asked for my help have given strange things. One young mermaid even gave me her voice," Acnologia smirked, peeking at the prince from the corner of his eye.

The merman didn't even look at his friends, just eagerly swam forward. "That's fine, she'd do most of the talkin' anyway. But…" he stared into the cauldron, watching. "Would I get it back, when I turn back into a merman?"

"Of course!" Acnologia gave him what he thought was a reassuring pat on the shoulder, "Unfortunately your spear and badge of honor will be used to fuel the spell, but I can manage to return your voice to you, that much is easy to do for my dear nephew."

Easy, don't ruin it now!

"I'll extract the payment as soon as the spell is prepared. So let's see. Three items for a spell for three days. Remember, after your three days is up, you will turn back into a merman and need to return to the sea."

He grabbed a long piece of coral and made a show of mixing the heavy mixture. He mumbled to himself, listing off ingredients and directions he would need for the makeshift spell. He eyed his nephew, seeing the sand dollars spinning in his mind.

"What if…what if I wanted to stay human longer. And never come back."

Acnologia paused at the soft question, scales tingling.

Finally!

"You would like something permanent? That, my dear nephew, is much harder." He turned to study the prince, "But it is possible."

The light in his nephew's eye glowed. "What would I have to do?"

He forced his voice to remain steady, to not betray the way his heart hammered and his tail twitched. "Make a contract with me, each party offering something of great importance. I will offer a magical deal. If your human can fall in love with you, meaning she has to kiss you, then my magic will allow you to remain human permanently." Acnologia took a calming breath, hurrying to before the love-sick prince could interrupt. "But that requires a great deal of magic from me, you understand! I would be weakened for a prolonged amount of time afterwards, so I must have something offered to me as compensation if the deal falls through."

"But I don't have anythin' else…"

"Are you certain your human will return your feelings?"

Gajeel scratched his ear, the fins curling even as his mouth pulled into a small grin, "Yeah, she almost kissed me once, so it shouldn't be too hard to kiss her again."

"Then offer me anything, anything at all! So long as it's of great value."

Just a little more…patience.

"What about…you said you were gonna be king, right?"

Acnologia's fingers twitched. "...yes," he hardly dared to breathe.

"If I offered my position as heir, would that be enough?"

Fish and crab protested, their cries echoing in the cave. Gajeel shoved them aside and rushed to float directly in front of Acnologia. His dark gaze stared at him and Acnologia focused on keeping his excitement at bay.

"Would that be enough? Even though you won't be winnin' the wager?"

We'll see about that.

"It warms my heart to see you thinking of me so. If you agree, then we have a deal."

Acnologia held out a hand, his blue scales glowing a brilliant light as his magic pulsed through his blood. Gajeel hesitated for a moment, giving the black fish ample time to push his way in between the two of them.

"Gajeel would never betray–"

Shoving the fish aside, Gajeel thrust out his hand and clasped Acnologia's in his strong grip. Acnologia threw back his head and laughed, his magic finally releasing. Swirls of blue and black twisted around him, morphing into a hurricane of color as it encompassed him and the prince. It shone over the prince's weapon, making it disappear in a flash of light. It coated the prince himself, lifting him up in the water. Gajeel's friends screamed his name, but it was too late. The deal was done.

Gajeel writhed in the light, the magic entering his mouth and flowing through him. It coated his hair, eliminating seasonal cycles worth of effort and training, before swirling around his tail. Gajeel screamed and Acnologia cackled as the prince's tail stretched and pulled, ripping in two.

"As a special thanks to my dear nephew," Acnologia lifted his hands and howled, "I will grant you one last favor!"

With a twist of his fingers, the magic surrounded the two floundering sea creatures. A final crackle of laughter and Acnologia thrust his hands forward, hurling the former merprince and his friends toward the surface.

dun dun duuuunnnnn! And that is where I leave you, but like I said I promise I will finish this story as soon as I can! I want to focus on writing that Christmas Special without worrying about running out of time. In the meantime, if you have any suggestions or ideas you would like to see during Gajeel's three days on land, please leave a review...I read each and every one of them and would love to hear your thoughts!

Thanks again for reading and I will see you at the next update! God Bless!