Wish
Kiyami: This has been collecting dust for a while. Inspired by a glass of water and the Little Mermaid. Enjoy!
Pairings: Lots of pairings in this fanfic. This chapter is Tezuka x Fuji though.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Prince of Tennis.
There had always been a legend circulating around the local towns. A legend of a beautiful maiden with a lower body of a fish who would tempt sailors to crash their ships into the dangerous rocks that surrounded a deserted island.
No one ever went near that island. It was to be cursed and the maidens of the sea would only bring sorrow and other horrible consequences.
It had always been forbidden for man and mer to be together.
He could feel the sun warming his skin and the cool water soaking his body. He could hear the calming sound of waves crawling up the beach and retreating. He could smell the cool breezes flowing past him. He could taste the saltiness of the ocean water.
Slowly, painstakingly slowly, he opened his eyes. Everything was blurry, probably due to the lack of glasses. He could see the vibrant blue sky and the seagulls flying up above. He could see a pair of chilling eyes the color of the sky.
A smile was on the face. The face was fair with pink faintly coloring the cheeks from the heat. Eyes closed to hide the lovely blue eyes. He mimicked that and closed his eyes as well. He could feel the weight of the wet clothing and pain in all of his limbs.
All he wanted to do was rest his eyes and sleep some more. That wasn't an option though. He had to get up and figure out what he was doing. Normally he would never be down by the ocean, soaking in the waters and tanning in the light of the sun. He had no time to do such activities. He had to work.
"What's your name?" The woman, or was it a he, asked.
"Hn." He wasn't so keen on just giving his name out without knowing the person first.
He opened his tired eyes. He tried to get up, but the person above him pushed him back down. Anyway he felt too sleepy to do anything at the moment.
"Don't move…You're hurt." The person said.
He realized the sting of pain in his left arm. Salt water washed over the bloody wound. He flinched slightly.
"Wh-" He couldn't talk. His throat was too dry to get out the words he wanted.
"Shhh…Don't talk." The person, whose gender he had yet to figure out, placed a finger on his dry cracked lips.
He could feel himself shudder at the stranger's touch. A cool sensation on his heated skin. Soft fingers traced patterns on his exposed skin. They were teasing and light, almost tickling.
He took the time to look at the person. Through blurred vision he thought he could make out blue on the legs. Was it a skirt?
"Tezuka! Tezuka!" Distant shouts called for him. He lifted his head at the sound of his name.
"Tezuka? That's a nice name…" The person cooed into his ear.
He could feel the stranger touching his hand and then tying something around his wrist. They felt like shells from the texture. Another item was slipped into his hands. Metal, glass…it could only be his glasses.
"Well my name is…Fuji." The stranger whispered into his ear. Something wet and scaley, like a fish, brushed against his exposed feet.
That was the last thing he remembered before blacking out.
"Don't worry, it's only dehydration."
"Everyone, we returned with the water nya!"
"Bring it here."
"Will he be alright?"
"Of course!"
"He's lucky! Lucky that we found him."
"We have Kikumaru to thank for that."
Tezuka opened his eyes. He felt relaxed in the cool shade of the tropical trees. Birds sang merrily in the cover of the trees and the distant sound of waves came to his ears.
"Look, he's awake." Someone pointed out, was it Momoshiro?
"Hoi, hoi, about time!" Kikumaru practically shouted into his ear.
He sat up, a little too fast, and regretted it. He felt pain, but didn't let anyone see it. Momoshiro helped support him as he looked around at his crew. There weren't many here probably because of that night.
"Here drink this." Inui offered a large shell full of clear liquid.
The day had started out nicely. The wind was in their favor and with this speed they would be at their destination in no time.
The day had turned horrible when they neared an unmapped island. A ring of white sand surrounded a jungle. Rocks the color of the sand created a protective wall around that island. Tezuka had specifically ordered to avoid the island. Many couldn't see it, but barely beneath the waters were jagged rocks ready to break through wood.
The weather suddenly shifted. Dark clouds formed above their ship. The waves turned from gentle and soothing to fierce and harsh. Waves crashed into their wooden ship. The ocean mercilessly beat upon the poor ship.
Tezuka had tried his best to steer the ship away from the island. He knew the consequences of doing so. He was captain and he had to make sure everyone got out alive.
The sound of wood cracking was heard over the roar of the ocean. They had hit an unseen rock.
The next thing he knew it he was in the water. Tezuka struggled to stay above the water. Waves crashed onto him and many times he was forced beneath. His lungs burned from the lack of oxygen when his clothing weighed him down. Slowly he sank…
Deeper…
…and deeper…
…and deeper.
It had now been three days since their ship crashed. Thirteen people had drowned in the water and were properly put to rest. One person was missing and assumed dead. He was Akutagawa Jiroh. Everyone seemed saddened by the missing presence of the cheerful and sleepy look out.
Shelters had been built out of the scraps of wood from their old ship. Several boxes had washed up onto shore that was supposed to be brought to the next bay for selling.
Paper, tea, charcoal, fabric, clothing, china, and wine were some of the contents. Paper had been used to burn for fires after being properly dried. The tea was unusable since the water had gotten in and soaked its contents. The rest were used to build practical items for their survival.
Tezuka cleaned his glasses on his shirt. The freshwater pool they had discovered had washed the salt from it. His glasses were scratched up from the sand, but they were still usable. It was a wonder how both Inui and Tezuka still had their glasses. Although Inui was known to keep several pairs with him at all times.
"Mirages, the sun can play tricks on you." Inui explained when Tezuka mentioned the person he had met on the beach.
"Have you checked the entire island for civilization?" Tezuka asked.
"Not entirely, but there are no signs whatsoever. We'll just have to hope a ship will come by to save us. Although there is a 79.8 percent chance they will be unwilling to get near the island. 95 percent of sailors are superstitious." Inui sipped the coconut milk. Kikumaru had discovered several trees of them earlier that day.
Tezuka sighed, would they always be stuck on this island?
"Neesan, I need help." Fuji told his sister as they searched for usable shells underneath the water's surface.
"With what, Syuusuke?" Yumiko triumphantly found a pale pink shell.
"Well, you're the Seer's apprentice, aren't you?" The Seer was the one who held knowledge of everything. The Seer knew which places were the most dangerous, the best places for shell hunting, and other useful knowledge. He or she was the one who often led the colonies of the mer.
"I am. Why?" Yumiko paused in her search for shells to look at Fuji. His expression seemed troubled as he stared thoughtfully at a rock.
"I met one of the stranded humans the other day. Well…I…" Fuji blushed as a smile crept onto his face.
"Syuusuke, you should know. We're not allowed. Forget about him. Anyway I thought you liked Saeki-kun." Yumiko's voice became low and warning.
"I do like him…No, I love Kojirou, but it's not the same. Kojirou is a friend and that's all he'll ever be. When I'm with him I feel secure and happy. I can let myself open up to him, but he'll only be a friend. With him, Tezuka, I feel this wild sensation I never felt before. It's so strange, but I like it. You have to feel it to understand. The feeling…it goes beyond joy and happiness." Fuji tried to explain.
Yumiko sighed and shook her head. "Syuusuke, are you sure this is not lust? The man is something new that you have never seen before. In a few weeks you'll be over this little obsession of yours and your feelings for Tezuka won't be there anymore." She tried to convince her younger brother not to love Tezuka.
"Neesan, the oceans could dry up and I wouldn't even care as long as I was with him." Fuji replied seriously. Saying something like that was no joking matter.
Yumiko felt her will cave in. She of all people should know that once Fuji started to care for something, nothing would stop him. Every little thing he cared for was precious to him whether it was that first insignificant shell he found or his own kin. This included Tezuka.
"Fine, I'll help you, but with what?" She knew the trouble she would be in for telling Fuji, but the way he explained it, it could only be pure.
Fuji hugged his sister and his brother before moving away from them. Yumiko held onto Yuuta so he would swim after Fuji.
"Aniki, are you sure about this?" Yuuta shouted, his eyes were wet with tears, but they blended in with the ocean water. He tried to pull away from his sister's powerful grip.
"Don't worry, Yuuta. I'll visit." Fuji smiled and waved. He turned their back to them.
"Be careful, Syuusuke." Yumiko whispered.
Fuji stared at his hands and the sharp rock. Yumiko had explained everything to him. He was supposed to give a blood offering to the ocean itself and make a wish. The ocean was the conceiver of life to the mers. The ocean was what gave them life and took it. They all believed that in some mysterious way, the ocean would grant their wishes.
Fuji held the rock firmly in his right hand and brought it down onto his left. He pressed down hard enough for the keen edge to pierce his skin. Slowly he made a line from one end of his hand to the other. His right hand let go of the rock. His fingers traced the shallow cut on his left hand. It stung.
A cloud of red drifted from his hand towards the surface of the waters. Fuji closed his eyes and wished.
"Great Ocean, let me be one of them. Let me walk on the land with them. Let me be a…human." Fuji said quietly.
"Let me be with him."
Tezuka woke up slowly that morning. It was something about this place that kept luring him into sleep. Maybe it was the cool breezes, the warmth, or the calming sounds of the ocean.
"Tezuka! Tezuka!" Someone shouted.
Tezuka forced himself to sit up and put on his glasses. It sounded like something important had happened. He stepped out of the makeshift hut to find the survivors gathered around something by the water.
"What happened?" Tezuka demanded while moving towards them.
"Somebody washed ashore nya!" Kikumaru jumped and pointed at the unmoving body.
Tezuka froze when he saw the slim figure. The person…looked just like the mysterious stranger he had met. He pushed aside the crowding people and checked to see whether he was still alive or not. The person was faintly breathing.
"Get him into the hut and give…him some water." Tezuka ordered. There was no more confusion whether the person was male or female. He was bare naked.
Fuji opened his eyes and expected to see the sun or the water. Something…he wanted to see something, but there was nothing.
There was only black; darkness.
He panicked since he couldn't see anything at all. Where was the sand? The sky? The ocean?
Then Yumiko's words drifted back into memory.
To receive a wish from the ocean you must offer her your own blood and something dear to you.
Fuji's heart sank as he remembered. He had sacrificed his own vision, something he cherished, just to walk on land.
Fuji loved sight. He loved looking at vibrant fishes, the pretty way the sun hit the waters, the sunset. He loved looking at everything.
He would miss everything that vision had given him. He would only have those few moments in which he stared at Tezuka to remember the face that he had given up everything to be near.
He felt sad and troubled. Fuji sat up, wherever he was, and placed his head in his hands. Gradual tears turned into full sobs as he realized he would never be able to see again.
Tezuka waited outside the quiet hut. They had dressed the man in spare clothing and left food beside him for when he woke up. Until then Tezuka was guarding the hut so no one disturbed the stranger. It was Tezuka's sole presence that foiled the plots of Kikumaru and Momoshirou.
He chewed on a strip of coconut slowly to savor the taste. Food was going to be an issue on the small island. Shelter would be too if some sort of tropical storm came, which was assured. So many things to be done.
The sounds of crying alerted Tezuka. Silently he entered the hut. He saw the stranger curled up in a little ball shaking violently. Matted, honey gold hair covered his face so Tezuka couldn't see what emotions the stranger was portraying.
He placed a comforting hand on the stranger's shoulder. The shaking seemed to have calmed down, but the stranger still cried.
Finally after what seemed to be an eternity the stranger lifted his head. Tears streaked his face. Blindly he searched for the source of comfort.
"Is tha-that you? Te-tezuka?" The stranger asked softly.
"Yes." Tezuka wondered how he had obtained his name.
The answer comforted the stranger. He smiled bitterly and embraced Tezuka.
"I'm here…I did this for you." He mumbled.
"What's your name?" Tezuka felt uncomfortable in the presence of this stranger who acted so closely with Tezuka.
"Fuji." His eyes opened for Tezuka to see. Tezuka expected to see the same chilling blue from before, but was surprised. He saw the milky white, sightless eyes.
The eyes he had given up for him.
Tezuka held onto the small body of Fuji. Together they sat on a rock away from the noises of the survivors. Tezuka slowly ran his fingers through Fuji's hair. Fuji smiled.
"Tezuka, you do know I gave up my sight just for you, don't you?" His voice was soft bordering on a whisper.
"Yes." He felt guilty even though he couldn't have done anything to prevent this from happening.
"Would you do the same for me? Give up something precious to you?" Fuji was curious to know.
Tezuka was silent for a couple of seconds before answering. "Yes, I would."
Fuji snuggled closer to Tezuka. "I'm happy I did."
There was silence for a long while. Tezuka watched the sun begin to set quietly. Fuji merely enjoyed being so close to Tezuka.
"Is it sunset now?"
"It is." Tezuka replied.
"Will you describe it to me?" Fuji asked.
Tezuka watched the horizon. He searched his mind for any poetic words that could bring the sunset into full detail.
He wanted to have Fuji experience the joys of sight again even if Fuji couldn't see.
It was the least he could do.
Yumiko watched the pair from a distance. She smiled. She had made the right choice after all.
Even if the laws of nature had deemed a relationship between man and mer as taboo, their love seemed right.
Their love was meant to be.
Kiyami: I hope you enjoyed this! I'm not quite sure how they talk underwater…Just think of the Little Mermaid? Up next? I'm trying to decide between Atobe x Jiroh, Golden Pair, or Sanada x Yukimura. I'm open to suggestions though.