While Pepper is inconsolable, Tony has drifted into a fantasy world.
The idea for this fantasy, came from a lovely friend, who has a soft spot for the mythical creature mentioned.
Also, the song Pepper sings to Tony, is "Return to Me" by Dean Martin.
Once again, he was in the Abyss.
Oh, he had been here before... it was a cold, empty place. And once again, he was floating aimlessly in the darkness.
He knew from his last time here, it was always dark, it was always nightfall.
But this time, he could hear voices. He could hear whispers, swirl and echo around him. They were talking about him... or talking to him... he was not sure.
Where is the damn light? Last time, there was a moon, where is the Moon?
He saw a grey lance lash out at him from the shadows and he cried out in pain as the lance pulled his flesh apart. It began to poke him and he saw his flesh drift away like sand, into the darkness.
What are you doing to me, whoever you are! Come out and face me!
Then a very familiar voice spoke from the emptiness.
It is alright, Tony, shush, don't worry, just a little bit more... just a little more, it will end soon, I promise you.
If you say so... Who are you? Where are you?
He reached out blindly to see if he could touch the invisible talking spirit but he couldn't feel anything.
The lance poked him hard again and he could see a red mist rise from the burning side of his body.
What are you doing to me?!
Gentle hands held him still and he heard the spirit speak to him softly but this time he could not understand what it was saying.
He turned around, trying to find the moon.
Then he saw it.
A bright orange light. Drifting towards me... or am I moving towards it? Does not matter, it is getting closer.
He could feel the heat from the light as it moved towards him, it was a brightly burning orange flame, shaped like a large tear. It burned before him.
Suddenly he was afraid, the heat from the light was frightening him.
It is going to burn me! He shouted into the Abyss, desperate. Help me! Get me out of here!
He tried to move away as the light grew closer and then he heard the spirit again. She, he was sure it was feminine, was singing to him.
Return to me
Oh my dear I'm so lonely
He could feel the heat on his skin but he paid attention to the voice.
Hurry back, hurry back
Oh my love hurry back I'm yours
The light was so close, so close now and he felt it touch him. He screamed in pain and tried to jerk away but the voice kept singing.
Return to me
For my heart wants you only
Hurry home, hurry home
Won't you please hurry home to my heart
He was in a lot of pain but he gritted his teeth, determined to bear through it and focused on the voice, trying to distract himself.
Then he walked through the light. White-hot, blinding pain touched him everywhere and he felts as if he was set on fire. His heart was beating so fast, he could hear it thud dully in his brain.
He throw his head back and cried out and felt his Flame leave his Arc.
He opened his eyes and stared as the flame lit up the blackness, swirling above him angrily and violently.
It seemed like a deadly wave of blue fire and he could hear a faint roar come from it.
Then the voice could be heard again, singing sweetly to him. He tried to search for it in the darkness, hoping the flame would illuminate the being but he couldn't see it.
Return to me
Please come back bella mia
Hurry back, hurry home to my arms
To my lips and my heart
Tony felt himself falling suddenly, falling from the Abyss into further darkness. He fell heavily into water and struggled to breathe, lashing out with his arms and legs.
I know how to swim, so why can't I swim!?
His lungs were going to burst from the lack of air, when he saw something floating towards him. A faint shadow moving through the water.
He looked around fearfully, fearing an attack when he was most vulnerable. The shadow drifted closer and he dimly tried to see who or what it was.
He realized that it had hair, flowing behind it in a thick wave. And it was a fish because it had a huge triangular tail. It swam powerfully towards him and he closed his eyes in fear.
He felt himself rising, being pulled along by something and then he was floating on the surface of an ocean. The Thing had saved him from drowning!
Tony took deep gasping breaths, filling his lungs with air. When he had managed to calm himself, he pushed his wet hair from his eyes and looked around.
He was floating in an ocean, bobbing aimlessly in a very still, calm sea of blue, cool water. The sky above was bright and clear.
"Where... where am I? How did I... where's the Abyss?"
Tony turned and looked around, trying to find land.
Then he heard a musical voice say softly, "Swim to your left, Stark, swim to your left."
The voice seemed to be coming from the very water in which he was floating.
He was scared now, of this, this Thing in the water, even though it had saved him.
Then it called out to him again. "Listen to me, swim to your left, come on, you need to get dry..."
He decided to obey it. What have I got to lose? I can't stay in the water forever...
He swam with broad strokes towards the left. There was a strong wind blowing now and he felt waves push him helpfully as he swam. Then he saw it, just there in the distance.
Tony shouted with glee, "Land! Land ahoy!"
He heard the voice laugh below him and the water seemed to ripple with the sound. Then a wave pushed him hard from behind, as if trying to shoo him to the shore quickly. Tony sputtered as his head dipped into the ocean. He swam like a dog, desperate to get to land.
Finally he reached the sandy shore and staggered to his feet, tiredness and sand bogging him down. He managed to walk drunkenly up the soft, sandy bank and collapsed face first into the clean, white sand.
"Good lord, I am so damn tired!" he exclaimed out loud, feeling as if he had been swimming forever.
The sand started to dry on him and he tiredly dusted his hands off but he did not have the energy to sit up. He closed his eyes, blocking out the sky. The water lapped at his feet but he was just too exhausted and stayed put.
Something loomed over him and kissed him softly, pressing moist delicate lips to his.
He should have pushed the Thing away, after all it was kissing him when he was semi-comatose but his heart told him it was alright, he knew her.
I know her... really?
He whispered a name instinctively from the back of his mind, buried deep within him, Pepper... and felt the Thing smile against his lips.
"You need to wake up soon, so that we can go riding and we can train some more..." it said to him in a lovely voice and he nodded absently.
Tony felt so warm and comfortable, lying there in the sun. He could feel the sunshine drifting over his face and smiled.
Then he heard someone laughing musically and he sat up abruptly. He was lying on the shore, facing the endless blue ocean before him. There were a number of rocks on the side of the shore, oddly shaped rocks, oblong and oval with a light blue tinge.
"Wait, they are glowing..." he muttered to himself.
The sand he was lying on was soft and so fine and white. He picked up a fist and watched it pour away from his fingers.
"Where the hell am I?"
He was wearing a white shirt and black trousers. They were slightly moist from his time in the water.
Then he saw the water ripple and he heard the musical laugh once again. Tony yelled at the water, "Who is there? Stop laughing at me!"
He widened his eyes as a huge wave of water began to roll over the previously calm sea. The wave came close to the shore and splashed hard against the rocks and generously splashed him as well.
Tony sputtered as he was once again soaking wet and stood up angrily. "Cut that out!" he yelled at the sea, shaking his fist at it.
"I am sorry, I didn't mean to splash you, Stark..." a low feminine voice said from somewhere close and he turned to face the voice.
Tony stared at the vision sitting daintily on the high rock, to his left, smiling down at him. He felt his heart pound in his chest as his brain tried to process what his eyes were looking at.
Impishly perched on the rock, was a very beautiful young lady. He stared at her angelic face, with a delicate nose and high cheekbones. Her air of innocence and purity was contrasted by her lush, rose pink lips, that were curved in a very sensual smile. The lady had a porcelain complexion, beautifully highlighted by a wavy, crown of reddish-gold hair cascading down her back. She had eyes, the deep blue color of the sea behind her, twinkling mischievously at him.
Through the roar of blood in his ears, he lowered his eyes over her completely bare chest, her breasts artfully hidden by her wavy hair. But he could see coral pink nipples peeking at him and he couldn't help but stare as his blood warmed in his stomach.
"Hey," she said with a laugh, "Hey sailor!"
He dragged his eyes up to her face. She was still smiling at him but the vision said firmly, "My eyes are up here, Stark."
He swallowed, nodding mutely because his tongue was somewhere in his stomach. Then he looked at her waist and Tony felt his legs turn to jelly.
Because the vision had no legs. Below her beautifully taut abdomen, was the lower body of a large fish, ending in a wide triangular tail. Her fish body gleamed with a bluish-green sheen, just like that of a swordfish.
He fell to his knees, feeling very warm and the vision straightened and looked at him with worry. "Hey Stark, you got to keep it together! Don't faint on me!"
"You are... you are a...". he whispered, "You are a mermaid..."
She bit her beautiful lower lip and nodded quietly. Then she smirked at him. "What's the matter, sailor, haven't you ever seen a mermaid before?"
He shook his head because he couldn't use his tongue.
The vision sighed with exasperation at him. "Are you just going to gawk at me? Because then I am going to go away..."
He sputtered indignantly at her, "Hey, give me a minute to recover! I was just drowning and now you are here in front of me... it is not every day that a man gets to see a mermaid!"
She threw her head back and laughed musically at him. Her beauty was so spell-binding, he just couldn't stop looking at her.
"Now you're getting your nerve back, sailor! I am glad." she said happily, tilting her head at him.
Tony shook his head and then tilted it and tapped his ears to empty the water he was sure, was swimming around in his brain. Two hard taps and endless shaking later, she was still there in front of him and he huffed loudly.
The vision said softly, "I think introductions are in order. I am Princess Virginia of the Merkovian Sea. But you can call me Pepper."
"Pepper?" He furrowed his brow at her. Somehow the name seemed very familiar to him but he couldn't place it.
"Yup, my nickname." She smiled sweetly at him. "And of course, you know who you are..."
"Do you mind, Princess, telling me who I am?" He realized the sheer stupidity of his question but for the life of him, Tony couldn't remember who he was actually.
She widened her eyes at him. "You are the infamous Pirate Lord, Stark, Scourge of the Seven Seas. Dear me, did you hit your head when you fell into the ocean?"
He mouthed the name she gave him slowly, testing it on his tongue. "Stark, the Pirate Lord? Pirate? Lord?"
Tony looked back at the mermaid, Virginia and furrowed his brow at her. :When I fell, wait... what do you mean I fell? Did you see what happened to me?:
She flushed and looked so guilty that he asked her angrily "What did you do to me?"
The mermaid looked straight at him and said quietly, "It wasn't me, I wouldn't have hurt you..." she swallowed and said, "Your ship strayed into this holy Sea. You know men aren't allowed in the Merkovian Sea, Stark, you shouldn't have come here. My sisters saw your ship and got angry. So they began to sing and your men went crazy with their song. They turned on one another and one thing led to another. Somehow your ship caught fire and went down in a blaze."
He stared out at the calm sea, no sign of this ship she was talking about. "But why can't I remember anything?" He said to himself.
She heard him and said, "Because, Stark, as the ship began to sink, I saw you jump overboard. I think you hit your head on some floating debris."
Then he remembered the dark depths of the ocean. "I was drowning... you..."
The mermaid smiled at him and said, "I searched for you and pushed you to the surface. Then I used my power over the waves to push you to this island. I wanted to save you..."
He stood up and turned. Sure enough, behind him, was a large canopy of greenery, thick shrubs and tall palm trees. Tony took one step forward, suddenly curious about the island. Then something deep inside him, whispered the mermaid's name and he turned.
She was still sitting there on the rock, looking at him sadly.
He swallowed, every fiber of his being urging him not to leave her. I know her... I feel as if I know her so very well... I can't leave her...
The mermaid gave him a little wistful smile and said softly, "Go ahead, Stark, I can't walk on land... anyways my duty is done. Take care of yourself."
"Wait," he stepped closer to the gently glowing blue rock and stood next to her shimmering tail. "Do you have to say goodbye,? Can't you stay with me for a little while, Princess?"
Her eyes lit up and she smiled happily at him, making his heart skip a beat. "I would love to stay with you, Stark ... please... call me Pepper."
"Okay, please call me Tony."
Pepper looked at the island and said softly, "I can't walk, Tony. How can I follow you in?"
He stretched out his hands and said, "I will carry you. Come. I will catch you."
She pushed herself off the rock and fell softly in his arms. She was surprisingly light for having a fish body and her tail fell over his arm as he cradled her to him. Pepper wound her slender, warm arms around his neck and he looked straight ahead because if he stared down, he could see her breasts and he did not want to anger her by staring.
He carried her over the sand, towards the greenery, feeling strangely comforted by the oddly familiar feel of the Princess in his arms.
It was nightfall and Tony was setting up his makeshift bed in the middle of the tropical island. They had found a small pond of water, surrounded picturesquely by numerous palm fronds. They had explored the island and there did not seem to be any animals on it, only cawing brightly-colored birds. He had set the mermaid, Pepper, down in the pond and she frolicked there happily in the water as he collected leaves and branches to make bedding.
When he was done to his satisfaction, Tony wiped his brow. The night was warm and he was sweating from all his activity. Pepper had swam to the side of the pond, closest to him and was humming a melody gently.
The tune was very familiar to him and he said its words out loud, "Return to me , For my heart wants you only."
She looked at him, blue eyes wide and luminous in the fading light. "How did you know that, Tony? How did you know the words?"
He shrugged and said, "I think I've heard that song before."
She shook her head at him. "You can't have."
"Why not?" He said mulishly.
"Because that is my song! I wrote it!"
They stared at each other and Tony said out loud, "Are you real? Or am I dreaming? I mean, this seems like a dream..."
She smiled at him and said, "You can pinch me if you'd like."
He did just that, bending to the edge of the pond and catching her soft arm in his hand. Tony gulped at the way she was looking up at him and the way her skin felt against his fingers. She was so close, he wanted to bend his head and kiss her pink, smiling lips.
He didn't pinch her but stood abruptly saying gruffly, "You feel real enough, so I guess you are real and this isn't a dream."
Pepper just smiled at him and then his stomach growled with hunger. She giggled and asked curiously, "What is that noise coming from you?"
"I am hungry."
Her mouth parted in a silent O and she looked around, saying, "I am sure there is something you could eat here, from the trees."
Tony walked away from the pond and took out his knife, clasped to his leg. He heard her gasp quickly and he turned to see Pepper staring at him, eyes wide.
He chuckled at her. "Don't be scared, Pepper, I am just going to use it to start a fire. It is getting dark." He cut off a few branches and arranged them on the ground.
He heard her ask nervously, "Tony, what are you doing?"
"I am starting a fire." He hit two stones together and the sparks set the branches on fire.
Satisfied he stood up. Then he heard Pepper cry out in fear and he turned quickly. She had swam away to the other side of the pond, far away from him and the fire and had pressed herself backwards against the bank, eyes full of fear.
He walked towards her. "Pepper, what is the matter?"
She hugged herself tightly and kept looking at the fire. She shrank away from him as he came nearer and cried out, "Put it out, please! Please put the fire out! Please Tony! I am begging you!"
She covered her eyes with her hands and he saw her shoulders shake as she began to cry softly. "Please put it out... please listen to me!"
He couldn't bear to see her cry, so he cupped water in his hands and put out the fire, stamping it away with his foot. Then Tony slowly stepped close to her.
"Pepper, what is it? Are you scared of the fire?"
She wouldn't look at him, her hair covering her face and moved to the center of the pond. So he shrugged off his shirt and gingerly dipped himself into the pond.
The water was refreshingly cold on his sweating body and he slowly moved towards her. She kept her back to him, her bare shoulders stiff and he gently placed his hand on one. She shrugged it off.
He said softly, "I am sorry, I didn't mean to scare you... I am sorry, Pepper, please forgive me, I did not mean it..."
She turned to him and he felt his heart constrict at her beautiful blue eyes filled with unshed tears, tear streaks on her cheeks.
"Don't you know," she hiccuped at him, "don't you know, Stark, that merfolk fear man's fire? It burns so badly! It burns and destroys!"
He swallowed and said apologetically, "I did not know, I did not do it on purpose. I won't light one again, I promise... can we be friends again?" He held out his hand, hoping she would take it.
She stared at him warily and then took his hand. He pulled her softly to him and they floated together, faces nearly touching, bodies brushing each other lightly. He wiped her tears away with his hand and she caught his hand and held it to her cheek.
"I am sorry, Pepper..." he whispered.
She whispered back, "It is okay, Tony, I know you didn't mean to... I just got scared."
He looked up at the darkening sky with worry. "It is getting dark, night is nearly upon us. We need a source of light."
She giggled and he looked at her curiously.
Pepper stuck her chin up at him and said proudly, "Don't worry, Pirate Lord, I can give you light."
"Oh yeah?" He raised his eyebrow at her in challenge. "Show me."
She whispered, "Let it get really dark. That's when we need the light."
It was soon pitch black and he could hardly see her. "Pepper..." he said to her, "we could really use that light now..."
She giggled and he felt her warm hand on his chest, pressing him right in the center.
"Let there be light!" she said in the darkness and he felt his heart race as a strange blue light began to glow from him.
"What sorcery is this?" he whispered in awe.
"Silly man, the light is within you... it has always been within you..." she said simply.
The pond and the area around them was bathed in a ethereal, light blue glow emanating from him, from his chest. Tony stared down at himself and then at Pepper.
She moved closer to him and whispered, "Do you like the light?"
"Yes, my Princess." He was captivated by the way she was looking into his eyes, licking her lips.
She moved right into him, he could feel her bare breasts press against his chest, teasing his flesh with their touch.
"There is a magic within you, Tony, can't you feel it?"
She was so close to him, he could do nothing but stare at her dumbly.
Pepper sighed then, her soft breath wafting over his face. "I feel..." she whispered softly, "I feel as if I've met you before. As if I've known you for so long. As if we were friends and we did things together and we spent time together and I... I loved you... Why do I feel this way, I wonder?"
He whispered back, "I feel the same, Princess. I feel as if I've known you for so long. And loved you."
"Tony, something deep within me, tells me, that you kiss very well and that I love the way you kiss. But that's not possible ... because I've never kissed anyone before."
"No one?" he said incredulously and she blushed.
"No one, Tony..."
He watched her tongue dart out and moisten her amazing pink lips and he whispered softly, "May I kiss you, Pepper?"
She nodded and he pressed his lips tenderly to hers, feeling the moist flesh tremble at his touch.
He leaned back to see she had closed her eyes tightly, lips still parted. "Thank you..." he said.
Pepper opened her eyes and looked at him with mild irritation. "That was nice but... that's not the kiss I remember, let's try that again."
Before he could react, she wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled his head down, pressing her lips firmly to his. He recovered from his shock and moved his lips fiercely over hers, claiming her soft mouth. Tony swiped his tongue across her lip and slid it into her gasping mouth. Then their tongues danced in an age-old dance and he smiled as she moaned into his mouth.
She pressed herself urgently to him, branding his chest with her skin and flesh. Pepper wound her fingers in his hair, tugging at him gently as he ravished her soft mouth, again and again, unable to get enough of the taste of her. He ended the kiss by gently letting go of her mouth, only to pull her bottom lip softly between his teeth.
They were both breathing harshly in the glowing blue water and he touched his forehead to hers, trying to catch his breath.
"I hope that wasn't too forward of me." he started.
She sighed contentedly and said, "That was perfect... that was..." she hugged him tightly and he swallowed as he felt her pointed nipples poke against his chest firmly.
"Tony, that was just as wonderful as I remembered."
"What can you remember?" He asked curiously.
She opened her mouth to answer him but sneezed cutely instead and he said, "Let's get out of the water for a while. This is still water, unlike the sea, it has no current and can get cold."
He pulled himself out of the water and then lifted her out and placed her on his makeshift bed. The light from his chest illuminated the small area brightly.
He picked up his shirt and Pepper said "Tony, look at the tree next to you. It has some fruit. You can eat it safely."
He saw what she was pointing at and reached upwards to pluck the strange yellow fruit. He plucked three ripe ones and then walked back to his bedding.
The night was still warm but Tony was cold from the water and hugged himself to get warm. Pepper was sitting up and she took his shirt gently from him.
Then she began to wipe his hair tenderly with it. He sat absolutely still as she rubbed his hair, his beard and then his chest.
"I feel as if we have done this before... you and I..." he whispered to her.
She looked so beautiful in the faint blue glow and when she smiled at him, he pulled her on top of him and kissed her again.
This time, their kiss was slow as they explored each others mouths and Pepper broke off the kiss, to caress Tony's chest with one hand.
"You feel so firm and hard yet so soft..." she whispered in wonder and he took her her hand to his lips and kissed it.
They both sat up and shared the strange yellow fruit, which tasted soft and tangy and exotic.
Pepper yawned and Tony asked her quietly, "Do you want me to take you back to the ocean?"
She looked at him from beneath her lashes. "Do you want me to leave Tony? Because..." she stroked his jaw and he sighed with pleasure, "I don't want to leave you..."
"I don't want you to go either. But don't you need to sleep in the water?"
"I will return to the pond in the morning. Don't worry for tonight."
She smiled and lay down. He lay down next to her, lightly touching his head to hers.
She placed her head on his shoulder and nuzzled him gently, in another familiar gesture.
"Good night, Pirate lord."
"Good night, Princess." He kissed her forehead and closed his eyes, feeling at peace.
Tony felt he had died and gone to Heaven. Perhaps even Heaven wouldn't be so good.
He did not know how much time had passed on the island but he was enjoying his time with Pepper too much to care.
They spent their day in the sunshine swimming and playing in the ocean. Pepper had taught him how to eat stranger and stranger fruit such as something called a coconut and another strange thing called a banana.
They would lie down in the sand and talk for hours about this and that. Then make sandcastles.
She had a beautiful musical voice and would sing songs to him, some of them in her haunting melodic Mer language.
To carry her around the island easier, Tony had constructed a small sling that tied Pepper to him across his back. They explored more of the fascinating island.
While the days were amazing, he enjoyed their nights together more. They had made the tiny clearing with the pond as their own. After eating fruit for dinner, they would lie back on the grass and gaze up at the stars twinkling down at them. And talk and kiss until they fell asleep.
One bright day, he told Pepper that he loved her.
And she had tearfully told him, that she loved him too.
They kissed passionately and he made sweet love to her breasts in the sunshine.
That night, he heard Pepper cry as she slept and when he tried to ask her, what had happened, she said nothing but just hugged him tightly.
He knew their time together was coming to an end.
