*Digimon does not belong to me. Etc., etc.

Author's Note: Like By the Seashore, this story is also based roughly on a picture book about mermaids. Unfortunately, I read the tale a long time ago and do not recall the title or the author (or much of the plot for that matter, but I guess that's a good thing). However, if you notice slight similarities between this story and a certain picture book you've read, please inform me of the title of the book and/or the author so I can give it its due credit. ;_;

Beneath the Waves

By: RaspberryGirl

Hikari stared at Takeru in stunned silence. Was this some sort of game? Was he playing with her? If this was still part of his act to keep the others of the castle from getting suspicious, it was going too far. "Takeru!"

The merman frowned at Hikari, his lip pressed in a thin line. "You're proving more trouble than you're worth, human," he said quietly. His expression was cold, unreachable.

Hikari was at a loss for words. Why had he sent her that message? Why didn't he remember her? She grabbed Takeru by the shoulders. "It's me, Hikari," she insisted. Takeru struggled, his face twisting into a mask of disgust and contempt. "Takeru! Look at me!"

With a rough shove, Takeru finally managed to push Hikari away, his eyes burning with anger. "Don't touch me," he snarled. Warily, he backed away a few strides, as if afraid that Hikari would try to lunge at him again. "And address me properly as Master Takeru'."

Hikari felt her lip quiver. She was afraid she was going to cry, but the tears didn't come.

"I don't know you," Takeru continued evenly. "I'm afraid you've mistaken me forsomeone else."

"What's happened to you?" Hikari whispered, her voice trembling. "Don't you remember anything?"

Takeru only stared at the girl impassively. "I have no idea what you're talking about. And frankly, you're starting to annoy me." He turned his back on her. "Now, either you behave and follow me to the serving quarters, or—"

"Takeru!" The squeal was followed by a flurry of movement from one of the hallways at one end of the room. Hikari stumbled back in surprise as a mermaid threw her arms around the merman, giggling girlishly.

To Hikari's astonishment, Takeru returned the mermaid's embrace, and when he drew back, he was smiling. "Reagan. You've returned."

Reagan gave Takeru an impish grin. "I've missed you," she said breathlessly. She leaned forward and gave him a loving kiss on the lips.

Hikari felt her face redden. Her chest tightened as she watched them.

"Ah." The mermaid had turned her attention on Hikari. "Takeru, who's this?"

The girl felt an agonizing stab in her breast when she saw Reagan's face. The mermaid had black hair the color of the ocean's darkest shadows and skin as white and translucent as a pearl's. Her large, luminous eyes were clear and blue-green like the sea, and her lips were as pink as the coral shell. A mass of fish scales had been woven into her long hair, shimmering whenever they caught the light. Strings of pearls were draped around Reagan's neck, tumbling over her shoulders and onto her breasts. Her fish tail resembled the sea witch's: long like a snake's and dark-green, with side-fins of pale orange and a V-shaped flipper.

Painfully, Hikari noted that the sea witch's daughter was more beautiful than she could ever be.

Reagan regarded Hikari with haughty aloofness. "What's a human doing here?"

"Your mother sent her here," replied Takeru. "Or so the human claims."

"My mother?" Reagan's lips pursed into a perplexed line. "Yes, perhaps that's why she can survive underwater." Her eyes became cool and assessing. "Maybe the human is a gift from Mother for our upcoming ceremony."

"That's what I thought," agreed Takeru. "The sea witch does have a reputation for beingexotic."

Reagan circled Hikari, inspecting her as if she were a piece of furniture. "How queer," the mermaid murmured. "I've never seen a human this close before." She laughed when she saw Hikari's legs. "Takeru, look at those repulsive things! They look like two sticks, don't you think?"

"Yes," said Takeru amiably.

Reagan slid over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and tilting her head so that it rested against his collarbone. "What do you think she's for, my love? What shall we do with her?"

"I think she's meant to be a sort of temporary servant," Takeru supplied. "I don't know how long the human can remain here under the sea, but I suppose she can be useful around the castle. And she'll certainly be something to amuse the others with."

"Very well," Reagan sighed. She beckoned to Hikari. "Come, human. I will show you to the serving quarters."

Confused and uncertain, Hikari swam after Reagan, casting Takeru a backward glance. Somehow, she was sure that this was the reason why he'd sent her the message—when he'd still had memory of her, that is. If only she knew how to help him, how to make him remember

But what of Reagan? After that kiss, Hikari was almost certain that the sea witch's daughter was connected with all of this somehow.

"Halla," Reagan called. They had traveled the length of a sloping downhill corridor and had finally stopped in front of an open doorway. "Halla!"

A mermaid emerged, complaining in the sea folk's tongue. She was a bony thing, with wild hair, so green that it was almost black, and colorless eyes. Her viridian fish tale was short and dark like her hair; her spiky fins and flipper glimmered a transparent white.

Reagan said something quickly, and the two mermaids switched to the human language.

"A human that breathes underwater," muttered Halla with distaste, shaking her head. She stared at Hikari, looking displeased. Her accent was like the guard's.

"Can you make use of her?" Reagan asked. "She'll only be here temporarily. Besides, it would be rude to refuse my mother's gift."

"Yes, I can put her to work," said Halla. "What with all the preparations and other things needed to be done, it's hard to refuse extra help. But this'll cause quite an uproar among the others of the castle, I assure you."

Reagan shrugged dispassionately. "If that be the case." Then, with a swish of her long tail, Reagan disappeared back up the corridor.

"Well," said Halla briskly, "come in." She turned and started on her way without waiting for Hikari to follow.

The room Halla and Hikari crossed seemed to be the sleeping quarters of the servants. Giant clamshells were pushed up against the walls, serving as "beds," and a thin layer of woven seaweed lined the shells' insides to make the beds soft.

Hikari swam faster and followed Halla through a doorway out of the sleeping area. They entered into a chamber that appeared to be the castle kitchens. It was small, with an oval-shaped window to the right, smoothed counters of rock, and piles of flat chunks of wood that Hikari took to be plates. There was no stove or any other sort of cooking place—as was expected.

"You will begin by helping with the evening meal," Halla told Hikari. "It's a very simple task." She approached one of the nets of dead fish on the counters and grasped one of the dead creatures in her hand. "Watch what I do, human." There was a testy quality to Halla's demeanor. "First, you must clean it." The mermaid combed at the sides of the fish with a scrub-like tool. "Leave everything inside. Mistress Reagan and Master Takeru like their food that way; it's the next closest thing to one of the hunts where they track live schools of fish and eat what prey they catch, then and there." The mermaid dipped the fish in a red-brown sauce. The liquid must have been heavier than the surrounding water because it didn't float out and mix with the sea. "There." Halla placed the fish on one of the wooden platters, laying strips of spiced seaweed on its side and placing a coral stone on the flipper to weigh it down. "Any questions?"

"No." Being from a fishing family, Hikari wasn't new to the chore of preparing fish. However, she had never prepared a dish raw and with all the innards intact.

"Good," said Halla. "And just to let you know, I'm the only one in the serving quarter that knows your human language, so if you have any other concerns come to me."

For the next few moments, Halla watched as Hikari worked before eventually moving off to supervise some of the other mermaids who had just appeared to help prepare the evening meal.

Hikari glanced up now and then to find the other sea folk staring at her, murmuring behind their hands. Hikari ignored them. Some of them were quite strange looking themselves. The girl remembered seeing one with webbed hands and a few others with fins where their ears should have been.

Just when Hikari was about done with her chore, Halla appeared beside her once again. Mermaids had begun whisking the plates of food out of the kitchen and down the halls.

"Dinner has started," Halla informed. "Master Takeru and Mistress Reagan must be served first. You will bring the Master and Mistress their drinks, then help set and serve the servants' table."

Hikari nodded. She took up the wooden board on which two goblets rested. Trying to hold onto it with both hands and swimming with just her feet proved a difficult and awkward matter, but Hikari managed. When the girl entered the dining hall, Takeru and Reagan's table and the guards' table had already started eating. The sound of conversation faded to hushed mutters as Hikari brought in the two goblets, kicking at the water clumsily with her feet.

Keeping her eyes lowered, Hikari approached Takeru and Reagan. The two spoke warmly to each other, smiling and laughing. Takeru didn't even glance in Hikari's direction as she set the goblets down. His eyes were on Reagan. The sea witch's daughter, however, cast Hikari the briefest look of vexation, before turning her attention back on Takeru. Eagerly, Reagan watched Takeru down his drink before taking a sip from her own.

Seeing that others were already busy setting the servants' table, Hikari hurried back to the kitchens to bring the food. As it turned out, one last dish remained. Hikari snatched it up and hurried back to the dining hall. She would miss her chance to eat if she didn't hurry up.

By the time Hikari reentered the hall, everyone had begun eating, even the servants. Suddenly feeling out of place, the girl squeezed in between two mermaids at the serving table. One of the mermaids immediately scooted away from Hikari, as if she were some fatal disease. Just as Hikari set the platter down, the other mermaid reached out a hand and accidentally knocked a fish from the plate, sending it splattering against Hikari's shift.

"Oh!" Hikari brushed the fish from her clothing, letting it drift to the ground and hoping no one would notice. "Ex-excuse me," she apologized, as if she'd been the one who'd upset the dish.

The mermaid ignored her. It wasn't like she understood what Hikari was saying anyway.

Hikari wiped at the ugly stain with her hand in despair. There would be no chance for her to clean her clothing while she was here. The Mer Folk didn't wear clothes, and she didn't think they'd know what "laundry" meant—even those who spoke her language.

* * *

That night Hikari couldn't sleep. The clamshell was too small to be comfortable, but the others didn't seem to mind at all. Hikari could see a few fish tails hanging over the side of their clams, or curled up snuggly around its owner. Hikari twisted and turned fitfully: the thought of Takeru weighed heavily in her mind.

What was wrong with him?

The girl wished he'd been more specific in his note. She wished she'd asked the sea witch for better help.

Takeru

Hikari sat up, drew her knees close and buried her face in her hands.

__________

The next day, Hikari was kept busy cleaning the castle. Halla explained that this was Reagan's private palace, and not many sea folk lived here. The household consisted mostly of guards and few servants. The castle was supposedly one of Reagan's more "human-looking" homes and that in itself kept most Mer Folk at bay.

The previous night, Hikari had thought about the sea witch's summoning horn. The girl wondered if there were any more of those horns lying in the castle or in the surrounding lands. She was too afraid to rouse suspicion to ask Halla, but in the end, she didn't need to.

"Mother!"

Hikari had been busy polishing one of the pillars of the main hall when Reagan flew past and hugged a figure entering the castle.

"Mother, I didn't expect you here today! What a surprise!" Reagan drew back from her embrace, her face glowing with enthusiasm.

"Yes," said the sea witch absently. "Surprises are good. How are things progressing?" She looked around the hall, and Hikari felt the witch's eyes slide over her.

"Wonderfully," Reagan sighed. "I'm very excited." She began leading her mother down into the chamber with the arching window. "I was inspecting the sea anemones yesterday. They were gorgeous, but I don't think I'll have them picked until the day before the ceremony. By the way, Mother, Takeru and I loved your present."

"Present?"

"The human girl."

"Ahof course." At that moment, the two mermaids glided past Hikari, but neither mother nor daughter gave her a sparing glance. "If you liked the first present that much," said the sea witch, "then I might as well get you a second one. A better one."

"And just as peculiar, I hope," added Reagan. "I love strange things."

Hikari finished her task and got up, using the excuse of returning to the serving quarters to follow Reagan and the old woman down the hall. She had seen her conch shell hanging on a chain from the witch's neck. It looked strange on the hag, making her seem like a child wearing an adult's jewelry.

Hikari slipped quietly into the window room, trying not to stare too much at Reagan, the sea witch, or Takeru. Reagan was saying something to her mother, looking pleased with herself. The sea witch chuckled in response. But Takeru didn't join in their conversation at all.

Pale-faced, the merman stared at the conch shell in silence. Something—some distant memory, perhaps—stirred in his eyes.

Hikari slowed down her pace, watching his reaction to the shell. Hope spread in her chest. Perhaps Takeru remembered now. Perhaps he'd come to his senses. Perhaps

Feeling the girl's eyes on him, Takeru turned his head in Hikari's direction. His gaze fell on her, his expression slightly bewildered and confused.

Remember me! Hikari cried desperately in her mind. Please remember

But even as these thoughts came, Takeru's eyes became dull again, his self-composure returning. He turned back to Reagan, commenting on something, making her laugh.

Hikari looked on in despair.

* * *

It was just before the evening meal that Hikari found the sea witch swimming down a hall alone.

"Pardon me," Hikari called.

The sea witch whirled around. "You again!" She bristled, clutching the conch shell close to her protectively. "What do you want this time?"

"Please," begged Hikari. "I need your help."

The sea witch relaxed, and her whole frame seemed to sag and loosen. "You know my ways. If you want my aid, you must offer me something in return." Like before, her flat black eyes seemed to peer straight into Hikari's heart. "Unfortunately, there is nothing I want from you at the moment. Come back when you've gained something interesting." She turned to go.

"Wait!" Hikari protested. "Something's wrong with Takeru!"

"That's what you told me the first time we met," the sea witch said, unmoved. "It seems there is always something wrong with the boy." The hag smirked.

"But" Hikari thought of what Takeru had given to the sea witch in exchange for the temporary ability to become human. "Isn't there any small errand I can run for you, in exchange forbit of advice?"

The sea witch thought for a moment. "Tell you what," she said at length, "I'm in a good mood today. If you agree to ask the kitchen folk to serve fish eyes tonight at dinner, I'll tell you something."

"Agreed," Hikari said eagerly.

The old woman sighed, as if she were doing Hikari a great favor—which, in fact, she was. Then she said, "I take it you work mostly in the kitchens, right?"

Hikari nodded.

"Well then. When you prepare the evening meal tonight, make sure the sea berry isn't added to the merman's drink." The witch began to drift away. "That's all I'm going to tell you. Whether you seize this chance or not, it's up to you alone." The hag began to swim faster, making sure Hikari wasn't following her. "Till dinner, little human! Make sure Reagan knows nothing about this encounter of ours." The sea witch turned a corner and disappeared from view, leaving Hikari to ponder over her words.

* * *

True to her promise, Hikari managed to persuade Halla to serve a dish of fish eyes for dinner.

"Strange," said Halla, giving Hikari a quizzical look. "And just yesterday, you couldn't even bring yourself to eat the slightest bit of our food except for a few strands of seaweed which you swallowed while making an awful face, and nowyou say you want fish eyes?"

"Well, yes," said Hikari sheepishly. "I think Rea—Mistress Reagan's mother might like the dish."

Although Halla had agreed to serve the platter, she had also given Hikari the task to prepare it. Armed with a small scoop, the girl painstakingly scraped out the eyes one by one from the day's catch. Every time Hikari dug the scoop into an eye socket, the eye made a squishing sound like someone stepping into a pool of muddy rainwater. Finally, when a gooey pile of fish eyes had been assembled on the wooden platter like a gelatin cake made of round white balls, Halla returned to Hikari.

The mermaid peered over Hikari's shoulder approvingly. "Not too bad. And by the way, you'll be serving the Master and Mistress their drinks again. This time, you'll help prepare them, too. Come this way."

Hikari followed Halla a little ways down the stretch of counter. The girl watched as the mermaid prepared the first goblet. The drink was made of powdered starfish, polyp juice, and a pinch of ground crab. Before leaving Hikari to make the second drink alone, Halla said, "Once you're done, don't forget to add the sea berry to Master Takeru's goblet. He hates his drink without it."

As Hikari added the ingredients to the drink and stirred everything together, her heart began to hammer so loud that she was sure the others could hear it and sense her nervousness. The girl's eyes darted left and right, and her hands began o shake. Hikari glanced down at the berry. It was a luscious dark red and about the size of a pearl. There seemed nothing particularly special about it.

Hikari stirred the drink faster, wondering what she should do about the berry. The sea witch had told her not to put it in Takeru's drink, but what had the old hag meant by it was up to her to "seize this chance"? What chance? Had she been talking about the after effects of not adding the berry? Uneasiness made Hikari's fingers twitch.

And where should she hide the berry? She had no pockets in her shift, no layers of clothing in which to conceal the thing. She didn't even wear shoes in which she might be able to slip the berry in. Perhaps she should let it drop to the floor as if she'd accidentally knocked it downbut someone might notice. Hikari considered squeezing the berry so it burst, but the juice would stain her hand and identify her as the culprit. After deliberating the issue for a bit, Hikari finally decided on what to do.

Looking in both directions once more, Hikari swept the berry into her palm, pretending to put it in one of the goblets. With the sea berry hidden and held in place by her thumb, Hikari feigned a yawn and put a hand up to stifle it. No one saw Hikari slip the berry into her own mouth. Careful not to swallow it, Hikari stirred Takeru's drink again.

When it was time to serve the evening meal, Hikari first brought out the plate of fish eyes the sea witch had requested.

Eyes lighting up with glee, the hag immediately grabbed a handful of the eyes and shoved them into her mouth.

The next item Hikari served was the two goblets for Takeru and Reagan.

Trying to remain calm and hoping her feeling of anxiety didn't show on her face, Hikari brought in the two drinks and set them on the table. Once more, the girl noticed that Reagan watched Takeru drink his goblet first before taking a sip from her own. Reagan's eyes followed the merman like a hunter watching her prey take the bait. Hikari lingered near them, studying Takeru's face.

"Girl!"

Hikari jumped. Reagan was staring at her with a sour expression.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Hikari bowed her head.

"Don't be idle!" Reagan snapped. "Return to the kitchens and finish your tasks at once."

Hikari nodded and hurried away. She'd need to find a chance to speak with Takeru alone later, to see if the absence of the berry had wrought any effect on him.

Once Hikari entered the kitchen, she made sure all the mermaids had left before spitting the berry out. The girl fumbled to the window and tossed the thing outside before swimming back to the dining hall.

Just like the night before, Hikari was the last to take her seat at the servants' table. This time, however, she managed to find an empty spot next to Halla. The mermaid didn't seem to notice the girl, and if she did, she simply ignored Hikari.

The girl accepted this treatment without protest. She couldn't blame Halla. After all, Reagan had never told the mermaid to be kind to her. And besides, Halla was patient enough with her as it was in the kitchens. The girl knew she should be grateful; her folk had treated Takeru much worse.

Feeling slightly miserable, Hikari turned her attention on the Mer Folk's food. She had tried some yesterday, but the heavy sauce and the raw meat had made her stomach clench and her head spin. The only food she could force down was the seaweed, which had felt as slippery and slimy as an eel against her tongue.

Suddenly, with much cheering from the guards, their captain stood up and, with one hand over his heart, began proclaiming something in the Mer Folk's liquid tongue.

"Halla" Hikari looked at the mermaid pleadingly. "What is he saying?"

"He's giving his congratulations to the Master and Mistress," answered Halla, her eyes never leaving the figure of the captain. "Now he's praising the Master and Mistress in turn, naming their virtues and the like."

"Congratulations? On what?"

The mermaid finally met Hikari's gaze, her own pale eyes expressionless. "Their wedding, of course."

* * *

Hikari stared out across the vast expanse of Reagan's valley without really seeing any of it. Light had retreated to its eastern home and the ocean kingdom had been draped in a mantle of darkness. Disturbed and restless by what Halla had told her, Hikari had left her sleeping quarters and wandered about the castle, guided by the dim light of glow-fish trapped in crystal jars mounted on the coral walls, until she'd finally found herself on a balcony overlooking the valley.

"You didn't know?" Halla had said, surprised by Hikari's stricken expression. "Silly human, why do you think I accepted your help?" Halla shook her head, then said; "It's going to be a wonderful ceremony. They'll be festivity and fanfare, not to mention many distinguished guests from all corners of the kingdom. The wedding will truly be a memorable occasion."

No! It can't be! Hikari thought. Her hands gripped the railing of the balcony, the rough edges digging into her palms. Takeru wouldn't do that

Would he?

Takeru doesn't seem to even remember me, but what if he's doing that on purpose? What if he's grown tired of me and found a new love in one of his own kind?

No! her other conscience screamed. Stop it! If that really were the case, why did he send you that message?

"Message" Hikari murmured. She'd almost forgotten. That day she'd found the hastily scribbled note on the seashore seemed so long agoThe Takeru she had reencountered after six months of separation was so different from the one she'd remembered, the one she'd expected to meet that the events half a year ago and her memories of him all seemed part of another lifetime.

A flutter of movement to her right made Hikari turn her head. Were guards strolling by on their evening watch? Was she going to get caught?

A second ripple of motion and the gleam of a shark-teeth necklace before the figure was close enough to Hikari that she could reach out and touch him.

The girl drew back, feeling a tight ball of apprehension build within her. "Takeru?"