Disclaimer: I do now own Fushigi Yuugi nor Sailor Moon.

AN FY/SM fics aren't popping up anymore in, so I was spurred to try my hand writing one, which turned out to be the fic, Can You Handle It? Who knows, maybe this could be my potential, second FY/SM fic.
Thanks to all those who have reviewed. I'm actually considering continuing the Wish crossover.

Story Summary:
A son of a poor family comes across a mermaid on one of his fishing trips. Will she be able to bring him the riches that he needs to help his family? AU

Important notes: No Sailor Moon or seishi stuff.

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Fushigi Yuugi/SM
Untitled

By Angel-Goddess

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"Please try and catch something today, Kishuku! Look at your poor siblings, they're almost skin and bones!" A weary looking middle-aged man sighed to his eldest son. "I'd go out and do it myself, but you know I'm not feeling well. So for now, we're relying on you."

Kishuku, also known to many as Tamahome, nodded grimly, sending his wild locks of dark blue hair flying as he grudgingly agreed to his father's request. A small idea suddenly popped up in his head. "Why don't I just go get a job in the city?" He suggested, his dark violet eyes questioning.

It was true that the Sou family couldn't afford much. Life was hard here in Konan, especially in the rural areas where their relatively small village, Hakkou, currently resided. People who lived in the rural areas were the lower commoners and people of the high statuses that lived in the city rarely ever acknowledged them. They were reduced to having to fend for themselves in the harsh world by planting their own crops and growing them for their family, and if they were lucky, they might have some additional crops harvested that they could sell for extra income. But it was uncommon that they had extra to put on the market, considering the sudden changes in the unpredictable weather that could easily damage their crops.

It was good that their plot of land was located near open water where Tamahome often went to catch fish. Fishing was the only alternative if their crops hadn't yet flourished or when they needed more food. He could also sell the fish in the markets, but competition was tough as many of their neighbours were using fishing as a way of life instead of producing crops.

Tamahome's family was rather poor, in fact. Along with his father, they had often plowed their land area or fish together to provide the rest of their hungry family with food. But now that Tamahome's father was extremely sickly and they couldn't afford the medicine for him, Tamahome was the only one that was capable of working the hard job because he was seventeen. His mother, may the gods rest her soul, had passed away when he was still young.

It was hard taking care of his younger brothers and sisters, who looked up to him. They were growing rapidly and they needed a lot of food. Chuei, his thirteen-year-old brother, often gave him a hand, but the boy couldn't exactly work long hours in the field. After all, it was extremely exhausting work.

"Work in the city, son? That's preposterous." His father commented, "None of those city busy-bodies would ever give us a chance." By the word 'us', Tamahome knew that he meant the lowly commoners, which included them because they didn't have a lot of money. Money here in China made everything work out right. If you didn't have money, you were nothing. And if you were nothing, no one cared about you. You were treated like some sort of dirt that was stuck on the stranger's shoe.

"But I could try." Tamahome protested, trying to get his point through, "I heard that they pay a lot!" If he found a good job in the city, they certainly would be paying him a weekly amount of three gold ryos in a week! And his family would never be able to earn that much unless they worked constantly for three weeks!

His father suddenly hunched over and started to cough continually, causing his body to jerk at the movements. Tamahome immediately poured water in a cup and held it out to his father, waiting for the violet coughs that wracked his body to subside. The elderly man gasped for breath and cleared his throat, reaching for the cup and drinking from it eagerly to soothe his sore throat. He smiled shakily at his son. "If you really want to work in the city, you may. But before you go, may I remind you that it's about four days' ride to the city." He warned, a mild frown settling on his lips.

Tamahome hesitated. That would prove to be a problem since he had to somehow be able to take care of his family while trying to find a less hard job that offered more income. But how could he do that? He obviously couldn't be at two places at once. Leaving his siblings and his sick father would be hard. He hung his head, defeated. "I'm going fishing." He decided before bowing politely leaving the elder man's room.

Tamahome's father leaned back in his bed as he watched the retreating back of his son, a forlorn look in his own violet eyes. He hated to burden him with the family troubles, but it wasn't like he could do anything. He hoped his sickness would soon depart so that at least his son would be able to make his own path and not be tied down by the family's needs. I wish a miracle would just happen. He thought, looking at the wooden ceiling of his small room.

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Tamahome heaved a sigh as he tied a net to the small wooden boat. It was harder to set up the equipment alone. His dark hair fluttered in the sea's cool breeze as he shoved the boat off the sandy shore and onto the calm water that barely had any waves. He jumped onto the boat and pulled out the wooden paddle that was underneath one of the built-in planks of wood that served as a seat for the person on the boat and started to paddle towards the horizon, in hopes of catching some fish in his net.

He loved being out here in the sea. It often calmed him and gave him a chance to think. The weather was nice, although a little breezy. The light wispy wind that skipped across the seawater's perfectly serene surface crinkled its previously flawless exterior, sending it flowing back and forth the fine golden sands in the vast shoreline he had left behind him mere minutes ago.

Tamahome leaned back in the boat as he watched the wonderfully fluffy white clouds drift overhead. A large, puffy, partly translucent cloud drifted in front of the glaring sun, somewhat blocking the incandescent rays of its extraordinarily bright brilliance that imperceptibly bounced off the glassy surface of the water and made it shine. The loud squawks of the seagulls that flew in the skies were the only factor that almost purged the peacefulness of this quiet environment that Tamahome could've easily slept in.

There was small island further up ahead that he had discovered several weeks ago while fishing and he doubted that anyone had found its location yet. He had laid an unspoken claim upon it. It was his secret retreat that was virtually untouched by anyone but him and he had found it to be quite a good finishing area.

A bright grin made its way to his handsome face when he could see a dark speck far in the distance. He still hadn't given the tiny isle a name. Hmm, let's see… Tamahome's Island? Nah, that sounded to unoriginal. He'd have to work it out when he got there.

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He felt the wooden boat's front hit the rocky shore of the island and he automatically jumped out to pull the boat in. Whilst doing that he frantically untied the net and pulled it out so that no fish would be able to swim out.

He scowled when there was nothing in the net except for a tiny fish the size of his hand. This thing wouldn't able to feed his family! He growled, where on earth did the rest of the large fish go? This was by far the worst catch he had ever had. He leaned on the boat with a sweatdrop, eyes half open as he stared at the churning waters.

There was a soft giggle and he hurriedly turned around in alarm, dropping the net onto the sand as his eyes tried to seek out anyone hiding in the bushes or something. Where had that come from? His keen violet eyes looked warily around the island's rocky beach that was filled with white sand instead of the usual golden. Was it his imagination or did he really hear someone giggle? As far as he knew, no one but him knew about this place. He kept his breathing quiet as he strained to hear any more noise that may give him a clue to the whereabouts this mystery person was. All he heard was the flow of the tide and the wind rustling past the various plants that grew further in the small isle.

There was another muffled giggle that was closely followed by a barely audible snort somewhere near him and his violet eyes narrowed suspiciously. He most definitely didn't imagine that one. "Who are you? Where are you? Show yourself, you coward!" He shouted, into the seemingly empty area, slipping into a fighting stance in case anyone tried to attack him. The air current carried his loud voice throughout the island and you could almost hear it echo back. When there was no reply and he growled dangerously.

There was soft snicker behind him and he whipped around to find a girl with unique golden hair holding onto the edge of his boat that was half floating in the water. Tamahome couldn't see past her head, neck and shoulders because she was behind the boat and that she was most likely partially submerged underwater but he had a hunch that she wasn't wearing anything because her shoulders were bare. She grinned up at him cheekily, her ocean-blue eyes twinkling in mirth as she observed his reactions.

He gawked at her ostensibly naked appearance, which was obscured because of the boat the she was currently holding onto. Where had this girl come from? And her hair... He had never seen such a colour on a person before. It wasn't done up in any special style, she just let it out, flowing past her shoulders with in a flash of delicate tresses.

"Wh-huh!?" Tamahome uttered, violet eyes bugging out. He was almost speechless until she raised her eyebrows at his response, pulling him back to earth. He scowled, "How did you get here? And where are your clothes?" He asked, curious. There was something not quite right bout this girl.

"I swam here." She answered in a melodic voice as she beamed at him sweetly before looking puzzled, "Clothes? What are … clothes?" She rolled out the word in her tongue slightly with a small frown, trying to get used to saying it.

He snorted at her outrageous reply. "Clothes! You know, these!" He tugged at his shirt and she giggled. He did a double take. She swam here? Yeah right. As if. But the funny thing was that she didn't seem to strike him as a liar. "Swam here?" he questioned.

"You people wear funny things." The golden-haired girl commented before nodding vigorously. He had an incredulous look on his face. "Uha! I swam here." She repeated, staring up at him with a bemused expression.

Tamahome moved closer, his shoes dipping into the water. If she swam here, did it mean that … "Do you live on this island?"

"Live here? Of course not! I live in the deepest trench in the ocean." She chirped cheerfully as though it was a normal answer.

He laughed at her for a moment. This girl was either crazy or she was toying with him. "Okay, whatever you say." He shrugged, quirking an eyebrow. "But how can you 'swim' here from the 'deepest trench'?"

She sweatdropped at the way he said swim and deepest trench. She figured that by the way he said it, he didn't accept it as true. Was it so hard to believe? "Easy, that's 'cause I'm a mermaid!" She elucidated, flicking her golden tail right out of the water to show Tamahome whilst accidentally spraying the crystalline droplets everywhere, creating a very light mist for a few seconds.

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AN So I've made Usagi into a genie, an angel, a cupid and now a mermaid. Hmm… Lol –Sweatdrops- I'm crazy.
Next is a DNAngel crossover.

Much Love,
Angel-Goddess
aka Tenshi-Megami