Chibi: Chapter two! YEEHAW MOTHERFU- I don't want to swear since this is technically a children's show, but you'd be surprised how many teenagers and adults are into it. But anyway, welcome to the second chapter of Ningyo, which coincidentally means mermaid in Japanese. (Not so much a coincidence.) But anyway, Rinakko is the first reviewer and as such the second chapter dedication goes to her. There's still a chance to vote on who Adriane ends up with! We have the first one cast, and voting ends on the 29th of January because that's when I start college! (I'm going to be a medical assistant.) But anyways...

On With The Show~!

...

They say she spent many a day and night there, until one day, a nearby sorceror cast a spell on her that he thought would help her. Instead it turned into a curse, making her stay in the sea she was occupying so much.

But it was alright, because she loved being in the water. It made her feel safe.

. . .

The Festival of the Aurora

Normally I'd be all over this festival, but instead I'm in the water, swishing around the cursed appendage. As opposed to being on land, with the people, instead I was stuck in the water underneath the cliffs, staring at the darkening sky and wishing intensely that I never tripped in the shop.

Now I bet you've figured out what's wrong with me.

No?

Really now?

Here's a hint: I HAVE A TAIL, AND NOT THE CUTE KIND.

Puffing my cheeks I raised the scaly abomination and slapped it down into the water angrily, not caring that the dark blue scales blended into it like it belonged there. Being half fish was frustrating for the first couple of months. I mean, I figured out that water equals a big dark blue scaly tail and really long whitish blue hair. I suddenly have an aversion to sushi alltogether and thank goodness for the weird costume orders at the clothing store otherwise I'd be swimming around here topless. I shuddered and slid off the smoothened sea stone, splashing my tail around a bit as I descended down into the dark depths of the ocean. I guess the upside was that I could breathe underwater now, even if I lacked the gills for it. I took a timer under, and lasted almost two hours before I wanted to surface so I could see the coast and my little house down by the beach.

I surfaced again and wiped the salt water from my eyes, blinking up at the cliff...

Only to see a man dressed in white blinking down at the waters in alarm.

"THAT GIRL!"

Fuck!

I dove and swam down deeper, trying to escape whoever had spotted me, but the rush of bubbles nearby told me someone had to dive beneath the waves to find me. Cursing, I swam further down, hiding behind some of the larger underwater boulders to hide away. I grabbed the floating strands of silver and held them close, praying that they didn't try to get down as far as I was. Normal humans could be crushed under this pressure.

Time passed.

I opened my eyes (when had I closed them?) and peeked upwards, letting my body float a bit above the cover to see if there were still any people in the water. Not find anyone against the moonlight shining from above, I feel and settled against the rocks, rolling on my back and letting out a rush of the water in my mouth to show relief.

Then bright blue eyes met mine and I let out the most panicked, scared and silent scream to never grace the ears of man.

...

"So... it was tea?"

"And the bottle of sea salt Miss Cho kept in the same box. She said nothing was going to happen because the tea was so old..." A hand patted my shoulder reassuringly as I dropped my head onto my scaly knee. This guy was so... calm about everything. I didn't even know him and yet he was listening as I blurted out everything from three months; the frustrations of living with just a shower instead of the tub that could make being in the water so much easier, being turned into a mermaid and wanting to bash his head into a rock for seeing me in just a shell bra. "So... how the hell can you go that far underwater without being crushed like a soda can?"

"I believe my framework is stronger than that of a soda can."

"Huh."

"What is your name?"

I peered at him and smiled softly. "Adriane. Yours?"

"Zane."

A comfortable silence followed before I blinked and turned to him. "What did you mean by framework?"

"I am a Nindroid."

...

"What?" That came out a little more dead than I expected.

"Nindroid. Instead of being born, I was... created. I am a robot."

"WHAT? No way! Show me!" He pulled his shirt up and opened a door there, exposing wires and the bright shiny thing he had the pleasure of pointing out to say it was like his heart. When the fabric went back down, I was dumbstruck. It took a few minutes of pulling the jacket he had lent me a little closer and staring down at the reflection of lights in water before I spoke again. "Wow. That's... wow."

"Zane!"

"Where are ya Frosty?"

I looked up at the rocks. "Are those the brothers you were talking about?"

One look at him confirmed my answer. He was smiling ever so slightly before those blue eyes locked onto mine. "Yes. I would introduce you..."

"Eh. I think I've met enough people for one night. Maybe another time, if I run into you again."

"I hope that happens. You seem like a nice girl."

"Thank you. You should probably go."

He gave a nod of his blonde head and stood before leaping across the scattered stones until he found shore again. Zane looked back and I smiled, giving him a little wave as he ran off to find his brothers.

...

Wait.

If he was a robot... how did he have brothers?

OH SHIT HE FORGOT HIS JACKET.

...

'I want to feel safe.'

'I want the warmth of being held by someone.'

'But it's so cold...'

She rose up a bit, dark stormy eyes gazing at the light above the waves.

'Can't someone rescue me?'