I won't say much here. This section is pretty much MMPure Episode 15 plus extra stuff. There are lots of cute scenes in this. :3 Anyways, the next part will be posted on Friday December 19th.

Divine Expectations
Reunion and Revelation
Written by: Jazlynn

I had been living with Subaru for about two weeks now. I was amazed at how attached I had become to him. His smile, his eyes, his voice, his scent—everything about him, I just had to see everyday. He was like the best friend I had never really had. We talked a lot more often now—vampires being one of our favourite topics, surprisingly. He still demanded that he sleep on the couch and I agreed only to later carry him into his room when he was asleep. I also went out hunting more frequently to prevent myself from accidentally attacking Subaru. I couldn't afford to do that now. Not now that I was happy.

A cold breeze swept across my face as I stood, staring at a glacier that contrasted against the night sky. We discovered the landmark a little over a week ago and Subaru moved his home over to this area. Apparently, the glacier was melting a lot faster than the rest of the ice. Because of it, the ground occasionally trembled and it would be difficult to stand up right. But, not only was the ice melting fast, I kept getting these strange vibes—as if I knew that there was something—or someone—causing this.

I sighed softly, taking in the beauty of the land around me. It was a winter wonderland—a glorious sight to behold. I couldn't even fathom the reason why I'd never come up here often before. Wait, I knew the reason:

Subaru.

He was the only reason why I was even up here in the first place. The very thought of him made me smile. It made me smile even more as I began to hear the sound of boots crunching in the snow. Apparently, 'the reason why I was here' was trying to sneak up on me. I mentally prepared myself, afraid that Subaru might try to scare me. Instead, he did the opposite of scaring me.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" He asked me softly, referring to the icy landscape.

I hummed pleasantly in response as I turned back to look at him. His eyes were ice blue yet, they were warm as Subaru acknowledged me. He was just so… cute. I think that was the word I was looking for.

I found it amazing, really. I had befriended Subaru and had known him for only two short weeks and, already, I felt closer to him than I was to Mathias. Or maybe, that hole that Mathias had left in my chest was beginning to fade. I wondered if Mathias had abandoned me. He still hadn't come to the Antarctic and my memory of him was becoming quite vague. Perhaps he hadn't heard my cry for help on that frightful night that seemed like ages ago.

"You know… the heat's getting a lot stronger all of a sudden."

Snapping out of my thoughts, I turned to look at Subaru who seemed worried as he looked at the large glacier that I had been gazing at. I repeated what he said, feeling slightly shocked by the bit of information he had just told me. "The heat's… getting stronger? How can that be?"

"I don't know." Subaru replied looking quite troubled. A smile then lit up his face and he looked at me apologetically. "I'm sorry, Caren. I have you worrying about an issue that I should be dealing with."

I shook my head in disagreement. "Please, Subaru. I want to be here. I want to help."

"Alright." Subaru said while flashing me a bright smile. "I mean, it isn't like I can stop you from doing anything. I'm already about to give up on demanding that I sleep on the couch."

I laughed. Subaru disliked waking up in his bed to find me lying on the couch to greet him in the mornings. It was mainly because he would fall asleep on the couch the night before and then wake up in his bed in the morning. It became somewhat of an inside joke between us. I couldn't imagine that joke being interrupted by me actually listening to him.

"Well, maybe one day I'll actually leave you on the couch." I said with a smirk. Subaru chuckled in response. He glanced back over at the glacier and I did the same. My face then became serious. "All joking aside though, I get the feeling that something unnatural is causing this glacier to melt. I just have this really odd feeling about it. But I still can't understand why all of this is happening."

"Well, we'll just have to figure this thing out, won't we?" Subaru said, his magnificent eyes sparkling once again. All of a sudden, a bright and excited look entered those eyes of his and I felt caught of guard by how amazing he looked. "Hey, let's go, right now!"

Shock and confusion flickered in my golden eyes? "Right now? What? I don't understand…"

Subaru seemed slightly impatient with my response as if I couldn't grasp what he was trying to tell me. "Let's go find out what's causing the ice to melt! If it's some unnatural cause then I'm sure that we'll be able to find it!"

I looked at Subaru skeptically with a smirk on my face. "You're being spontaneous again, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am. Now let's go!" Subaru demanded excitedly while taking my hand in his own.

"Subaru…" I moaned in protest as the blonde male tried to pull me away from my spot.

In all honesty though, I wanted to go along with Subaru. I wanted to run off in this spur of the moment and enjoy this childish adventure with him. I wanted to be spontaneous alongside him. I wanted him to never let go of my hand. I felt good when he held my hand like that. It was as if he were sending me good vibes and nothing else. Subaru was good. He was everything that I could have ever wanted.

My thoughts were disturbed as the ground began to tremble beneath my feet. This tremor was a lot worse than any of the ones before. I gasped and my arms flew up to catch my balance. I was able to regain my composure but, Subaru wasn't as lucky. He had fallen to the ground and he looked shocked. He looked up at me with confused eyes.

"I fell…" he murmured quietly as if he were a dejected puppy.

The way that he spoke made me laugh out loud. I couldn't help myself! Subaru was just too cute! In that moment, I was glad that the tremor had knocked him over. His reply was just so priceless!

Subaru groaned as he tried to stand back up. "Okay, okay, stop laughing at me. How can you manage to keep your balance?"

I smirked, ready to pull out another one of our inside jokes. "If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times: I'm a vampire."

Subaru rolled his eyes as he regained his composure. "Caren, I still don't believe you. You aren't a vampire. I'd believe that you were a mermaid princess before I'd believe that you were a vampire."

I cocked my head to the side. "What, they can't be mixed?"

"I don't think so. Wouldn't there be some sort of rule against that?"

Oh, the irony! Oh the heavy sarcasm and irony that Subaru would never pick up on! "Yeah, I've heard about that rule."

A smirk was evident on my face but, Subaru wouldn't understand why. I found it amusing how he was unknowingly aware of the complete truth about me except for my 'vampiracy'. He even suggested that I might be a mermaid princess and that he would believe that that was what I truly am. Haha, if only he knew…

Another tremor shook the ground beneath us and, this time, my balance had switched with Subaru's. I fell forward and into the arms of the fluffy blonde haired male. I looked up at him and blinked a few times before looking back over at the glacier. A piece of ice was beginning to slide down it. My eyes widened in shock and I looked back at Subaru.

"The glacier is beginning to fall apart."

--x--x--x--x--x--x--

All I could do was watch in anxiety and eagerness as I sent off one of my messenger penguins. I had sent for the penguin to come to me on the surface using my pearl. It was the only kind of communication I had given to my kingdom since I first came up to the surface. Now I was sending a message to the other mermaid princesses, well, Lucia, Hanon and Rina anyways. I knew that those three were still living in the same place so, it'd be easier to ask them for help.

I let out a sigh as I headed back to my home. I still found it hard to believe that I was now considering the house on wheels to be my home. Up until now, my home had been wherever Mathias was. I felt as if he was fading away from me completely. Then there was the other fact that was attached to that—I didn't really care. I felt as if my life could go on without him. And it was.

I focused on the snow crunching beneath my feet as I walked and I noticed something. I felt heavy. I felt as if I was tired. I couldn't possibly be tired, could I? Maybe it wasn't tiredness. Maybe it was something else. What exactly it was though, I had no idea. I just knew that something was weighing on my shoulders.

I pulled the door open to my home and I silently crept over to the couch. I allowed myself to fall onto it and I closed my eyes. Normally, I would've waited for sleep to overcome me but, I knew better. Instead, I listened to Subaru as he sat at his computer, figuring out more things about the drastic change in temperature, I presumed. I listened to his steady breathing and the beautiful rhythm of his heart. It was the most amazing thing I had ever heard.

I heard a chair move and then I heard footsteps approaching me. A smile crossed my face as I felt the warm breath of my fluffy-haired scientist hit me. My golden eyes flashed open and he was kneeling at my side just looking at me.

"Hey," I greeted softly.

"Hey," he greeted back. "Are you tired?"

"No, not really." I admitted while sitting up.

Subaru sat down beside me and, for some reason; I leaned against him as if I was tired. I was surprised when his arms wrapped around me. I could feel the heat radiating off of his body, warming my ice cold skin. I had never felt anything like this before. It wasn't like being held by Mathias. It was different. It was more… loving.

I breathed in his glorious scent and I felt as if I had been whisked away to some far away place. I imagined myself in endless fields of lush green where the sun was shining down on me with all of its splendor. I saw myself lying in those fields with someone by my side. I turned to see myself looking at a man with blonde hair and blue eyes but, it wasn't Subaru.

I snapped out of my fantasy and looked up at the blonde. His eyes were closed and he looked like he was the one who was tired. I smiled at his calm demeanor and I softly blew cool air into his face. His eyes flickered open and he looked somewhat surprised. I giggled.

"Are you tired?" I asked, repeating his last question.

"Nah," he said. "Just resting."

He smiled and pulled me close to him and I gladly welcomed the invitation. I snuggled up into his chest and I rested my head against his shoulder. For a moment, I was overwhelmed by his scent and I was distracted by the flow of blood beneath his skin. I leaned forward as if in a trance and I let my lips softly touch his neck. My lips gently parted and—no! I froze to think through my actions and I pushed all of my instinctive thoughts out of my head.

I slowly pulled my mouth away from his neck and I chanced looking up into Subaru's eyes. I saw sky blue filled with shock and awe. I also saw reflected gold filled with hidden horror and regret.

"Caren…" he murmured gently.

He lifted his hand to brush my purple hair out of my face and he leaned forward. I closed my eyes and felt Subaru's lips touch my own. It felt as if electricity was surging through my veins in that instant. It didn't create a burning feeling like when I had first been turned but, this feeling made me feel good. It made me feel alive.

Subaru pulled away from me all too soon and I still wanted more. His expression seemed rather surprised but I didn't care; I leaned forward to kiss him. He accepted my actions and pulled me closer to him. I held onto him tightly—almost too tightly. And then, a memory surfaced in my mind.

His lips pressed gently against mine and I felt as if I could soar. My eyes closed so that I could focus on his kiss and memorize his lips. He tasted like heaven and I never wanted the kiss to end. However, when it did, I found that his golden eyes were fierce as if they were hungry for more that I could offer. I found myself pressing my body against his and I kissed him this time. His hold on me became more aggressive and I felt as if he were crushing me. I forced myself to pull my lips away from his and I gasped for air.

Subaru pulled away from me and greedily took in air. I suddenly felt numb. It was dangerous to have kissed Subaru like that. I understood why he acted the way he had that one night. I was all too tempting for him to resist. Now I was in his place and Subaru was in mine. I lowered my eyes as a wave of guilt washed over me and put me in a state of shame.

"Sorry…" I mumbled incoherently.

I felt Subaru lift my chin with his hand so that I was looking into his eyes once more. "Don't be. That was… I mean… you are an incredibly good kisser."

If I could blush, my face would be a bright shade of red. Unfortunately for me though, my eyes usually said everything. Subaru would be able to tell how embarrassed I felt in that moment. What he wouldn't be able to tell was that I had almost killed him. My memory of Mathias had saved his fragile life.

"Umm, thank you." I replied quietly to his statement.

Subaru was smiling again. It wasn't a genuine smile that he usually wore. This smile was different. It seemed kind of… devious? As I sat there trying to figure out what his smile meant, Subaru lifted me up into his arms and began to carry me across the room. I let out a yelp of surprise and clung to him.

"Subaru, what are you doing?" I demanded, still slightly surprised.

"It's late and I am going to make sure that you don't wander back to the couch again." He stated simply.

I blinked in confusion as he gently kicked the door open to his room. He carried me inside and gently set me down on his bed. It was dark, yet, I could still see Subaru smiling at me. I couldn't help but smile back at him.

"So what now?" I asked. "Do you plan on watching me until I fall asleep?"

"Maybe…" Subaru mused while looking at me thoughtfully. Another devious smile crossed his face then. "Or I could just hold you here all night."

I didn't know what happened then. One moment, Subaru was standing at the edge of the bed and the next; he was lying on the bed next to me with his arms locked around my body. I let out a fake scream for help and tried to struggle out of his arms while laughing. Of course, there was no effort behind my struggling. I could easily get away from Subaru if I wanted to. The thing was; I didn't want to get away from Subaru. I wanted him to hold me. I wanted to lie beside him. It felt right.

I stopped struggling and, instead, I snuggled close to him. I wrapped my arms around him and he did the same. He planted a kiss on my forehead and I hummed in response. This was the most perfect moment in my entire life. Subaru—not Mathias—Subaru made me feel completely whole.

I looked into his sparkling blue eyes and I kissed him again. I had no idea as to what was happening to me. I felt as if I was in a trance around Subaru but, I felt happy and safe. It was so much more than I could have ever imagined.

I pulled my lips away from his and took in a deep breath. I let all the air out in a satisfied sigh and I closed my eyes. I softly began to hum my song to the beat of Subaru's slowing heart. He was falling asleep.

My humming slowly turned into words. "I'm so happy about today's morning sun that my tears begin to fall without even thinking about them… Have I seen this somewhere before, I wonder? Shining continually bright under the same sky… My dream now is still but a dream…"

I went silent, and opened my eyes. Subaru's heart remained at a slow and steady pace and he was lying still beside me. He was sleeping and I now had all the time in the world to watch him—to just stare at how perfect he was as a human. He didn't have to be a vampire to look incredibly beautiful.

I thought back to my vision earlier about the blonde haired boy who was lying with me in the fields I had thought of when I breathed in Subaru's scent. Why had I thought of this boy when Subaru filled my mind? I was sure that I'd never seen this boy before. Still, he looked kind of familiar. I couldn't quite place my finger on who I was reminded of. I was all to intoxicated with Subaru's sunshiny aroma.

I tried to push the thought out of my mind as I looked upon the sleeping Subaru once more. Tomorrow would be a big day. Lucia, Hanon and Rina would be coming by and I would have to explain their random appearance to Subaru. Things would certainly be… interesting, to say the least.

--x--x--x--x--x--x--

I felt nervous as I waited in the ice-cold Antarctic waters. More so than usual. Very soon, I would be reunited with three of my mermaid friends. I had been worried about trying to figure things out the whole morning. What would my story be? How would I know Lucia, Hanon and Rina? How was I supposed to tell them how I knew Subaru? Everything seemed like a tangled mess. I wasn't quite coping with it well.

Soon, I had to force a smile on my face. Far off in the distance, I saw the faint silhouettes of beings swimming towards me. Although I couldn't quite make out who they were yet, I was certain that they were Lucia, Hanon and Rina and possibly Hippo. In fact, I had no doubt that it was them. They began to get clearer and clearer until I could see that it was indeed them. Soon, they were close enough that I could call out to them and they would hear.

"Rina!" I called out, recognizing Rina before I recognized the other two. "Lucia, Hanon, Rina! Over here!"

I heard them all say my name in unison and I watched as they quickly swam over to me. I swam up to meet them and I embraced each on of them.

"Oh, thank you so much for coming here." I said gratefully with a smile on my face. "I'm so glad that you could come."

"Hey, we'll always be around to help you out!" Lucia said cheerfully.

"Yeah!" Hanon agreed quickly after.

I smiled at them and then turned to Rina. "So, Rina, how are things going with that guy you like?"

A deep blush made its way onto Rina's face and both Lucia and Hanon got devious smiles on their faces. I was pretty sure that their deviousness passed onto me as I wore a grin on my face as well.

"There… there's nothing going on!" Rina blurted out, trying to deny her obvious feelings.

I laughed and then began to swim towards the surface. I turned back to face the trio to watch them follow me. Rina was still blushing. "Oh, there will be, Rina. I guarantee it."

Lucia and Hanon laughed as they followed me up to the surface. Rina was very flushed and embarrassed but, I had to pick on someone regarding their love interest. Lucia and Kaito were old news, Hanon and Taro seemed one sided and got boring very fast but, with Rina and this mystery guy… I just couldn't resist. But I was soon to be picked on about my relationship with Subaru. That frightened me.

Very soon, the four of us were all on the snowy terrain and were headed towards the colossal glacier that I always found myself watching. Lucia, Hanon and Rina were all wearing outfits similar to mine and that kind of bothered me. Could I not be original? I ignored the thought and listened to our boots crunching in the snow.

"I'm sorry for calling you guys here on such short notice." I apologized, recognizing that they must've come right to my kingdom. "You probably didn't even get any time to rest."

"There is no time to rest." Hanon said patriotically.

"That's right!" Luchia agreed, obviously glad to be of help. "Don't worry about it, Caren."

I smiled back at them and we continued to walk until we got to the glacier. It stood there, hovering up in the sky above us like a great monument. I sighed at I looked up at it.

"Well, here it is. This is the main reason why I wanted you to come here. I'm sure that my messenger told you about it?"

Lucia gaped at the glacier when she saw it. "Wow, it's huge!"

"It's even bigger than I thought it would be." Hanon stated in awe.

"It's already started to break down, right?" Rina asked, getting right to the point of the matter.

"Yeah," I replied with a somber tone. "For some unknown reason, the ice started to tear itself apart."

Just then, the ground began to shake—another tremor. I was caught off guard by it this time and I almost lost my balance. The other three were completely taken aback, afraid for what I had forgotten to warn them about.

"What the!?" Lucia screeched as she clung to Hanon. "An earthquake!?"

"No, it wasn't." Rina clearly stated. I was surprised at how quickly she had been able to pick up on that fact. It was most definitely not an earthquake.

"Then what was it?" Hanon asked fearfully.

I looked up at the glacier, worry seeping into my expression. "The ice is shifting again, somehow."

"Hey!"

I gasped as Subaru's voice echoed towards me as well and Lucia, Hanon and Rina. They all seemed to be surprised that someone else was there.

"Where is that voice coming from?" Rina asked in shock. "Is someone else here?"

I didn't really take the time to answer her question. Subaru sounded distressed when he had called for me and I had to figure out why. I took off in the direction of his voice and the other mermaid princesses quickly followed me. I searched the terrain for Subaru and I eventually spotted him on the ground. Had he fallen again? Why would he need me if he had just fallen?

"Subaru, what happened?" I asked as I neared him, although it became quite clear when I finally saw him. His leg was trapped in the ice and snow.

"Caren," he said softly, acknowledging my presence. He smiled at me before he went on to explain what had happened. "Just now, the ice gave way under my foot and now I can't seem to get my leg out of it.

"You're alright though, right?" I asked while trying to pull some of the ice away from around his leg. "Here, I'll help you."

My task wasn't difficult at all but, I faked how hard it was. A normal person couldn't just tear chunks of ice away from something unless they used some amount of force. My acting skills had become truly amazing—even to myself.

Behind me, I heard Hanon saying how dreamy Subaru was and how she was amazed that I had actually met someone here. I rolled my eyes and almost could have smiled. Yes, I had met Subaru here. I had met Subaru in one of the most desolate places on Earth. It was funny, really. I meet a normal person in a place where no one normally is and when I'm in a place where people normally are, I meet a vampire. Haha, greaaat.

After I got rid of most of the ice, I slid my arm under Subaru's to support him and I helped pull him up out of the ice. I let out a sigh as soon as he had been freed and he looked to smile as me. His sparkling blue eyes bore deep within my own and I'm sure that I would have blushed if I could. I always wanted to blush when Subaru looked at me that way.

"Thanks, Caren." He said softly, love and gratefulness shining in his eyes. "You really saved me there."

"Geez, Subaru," I said in a playful manor, not wanting things to seem lovey-dovey between us to Lucia, Hanon and Rina. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Hey, Caren…" Hanon started mischievously, coming right up to Subaru and I. "Who might this guy be?"

I never got a chance to respond to her before Subaru went and introduced himself.

"Oh, I'm sorry." He apologized to her. "I should have introduced myself. My name's Subaru. I'm a researcher here."

"A researcher?" Lucia repeated curiously.

"Yeah," he replied. "I'm here to figure out what's happening to the ice."

I could've sworn that there were stars in Hanon's eyes. For a moment, I found myself somewhat jealous. I seriously hoped that Hanon wasn't going to try and flirt with him the whole time. I didn't want to feel jealousy towards one of my friends.

"Wow! That is so cool!" She exclaimed, taking a shine to Subaru's career.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all!" He said while going to shake their hands.

It was then that fate decided to be cruel to him. Subaru's foot slipped on the ice and it gave way under his foot again. The look of embarrassment and disbelief was clearly evident on his face and I was positive that it was reflected on mine. How could that just happen to him?

"Subaru, what are you doing?" I demanded, feeling more embarrassment since Lucia, Hanon and Rina were all there watching.

I quickly helped Subaru out of the ice again and rolled my eyes. "Geez, Subaru…"

He smiled and laughed at me innocently. "Hey, I'm sorry. I couldn't help it!"

"Well, that wasn't very cool, but he seems like a nice guy." I heard Hanon say to Lucia and Rina, figuring that I probably wouldn't hear her.

"Yeah." Lucia agreed quietly. "And besides, he and Caren seem to get along really well."

Subaru turned his attention back to Lucia, Hanon and Rina. "Anyways, this is the first time I've met you all but, how do you know Caren?"

"What our connection is?" Lucia said kind of dumbfounded.

"He doesn't know about it." Hanon whispered to her.

"Oh right." She said quietly, now searching for something to say.

Subaru decided to add on another bit to his question. "And where did you come from?"

Hanon and Lucia both thought on this hard and then they both pointed in opposite directions. "From that way!"

My eyes widened in disbelief and I think my eyebrow may have twitched a few times. I couldn't believe this. I chanced a look at Subaru and he looked seriously confused by the pair. When Lucia and Hanon realized their problem, the both laughed sheepishly.

"S-sorry." Hanon apologized. "That's wrong."

Both Hanon and Lucia pointed in opposite directions again. "It was from that way."

I couldn't believe this! They were making fools of themselves and me! However, thankfully, Rina was the only one with any common sense and she stepped in front of Hanon and Lucia.

"We all came separately." She quickly explained, trying to patch up what Lucia and Hanon had done.

She then pushed the two away from Subaru and I very quickly and I felt very thankful to have her around. She may be the youngest of all the mermaid princesses but, damn, she was smart and mature. You'd never guess that she was younger than both Hanon and Lucia.

Still somewhat embarrassed by my friends' behavior, I turned to Subaru with a sheepish smile. "S-sorry, Subaru. W-well then, I'm going to go after them."

"Caren," he called out to me, causing me to stop and look back at him. He smiled at me before continuing. "I'll see you later then."

I smiled back at him, my eyes shining. "Y-yeah."

I then turned to go running after Lucia, Hanon and Rina. They didn't go too far which I found to be a very good thing. When I approached them, Hanon and Lucia were smiling, knowing that they were probably in trouble with me. I stopped when I reached them and I put my hands on my hips.

"Now hold on a sec, you guys." I said sternly, thinking about everything that the three had to be careful of. "What if Subaru will get suspicious about our whereabouts?"

"I think we're okay for now, Caren." Rina stated calmly, trying to get me to calm down, obviously. The need for it wasn't necessary when Hanon asked me a question.

"Anyways, Caren, do you like Subaru?" She asked, her face lighting up.

I was quite taken aback by this. A look of sheer surprise crossed my face and I desperately searched my mind for something to say whether it would be an answer or not.

"Wha… what are you saying all of a sudden? That's not the case right now!" I blurted out, my mind reeling. Then, I thought of an excuse. "I'm a mermaid princess! I'm not supposed to feel that way!"

Judging by Hanon's face, I knew what she wanted to say to me. She would say 'But that doesn't mean that you can't have feelings for him.' I was suddenly feeling as if I had been pushed into a corner and had no escape from this conversation. Well, I should have been expecting it. That's why I was bothering Rina earlier.

"Then what do you think of Subaru?" Lucia asked me quickly.

"What I think?" I repeated while glancing at Lucia. And then I did think about what I thought of Subaru. A small smile crossed my face as I answered. "Well, he's a really nice person, the sweetest human I've ever met. He's kind and gentle and… I always seem to think about him."

"So, basically, you like him?" Hanon asked excitedly.

I felt a wave of shyness wash over me as Hanon said that. Did I like Subaru? I had considered him as a really good friend in the time that I'd known him. I always thought that I was madly in love with Mathias. Yet, now, I wasn't so sure.

"I… I don't know about that…" I stuttered. "Maybe…"

The three of them smiled at me then and I presumed that they assumed that I liked him. I didn't know where the conversation was going to go after that. However, the ice decided that our current conversation would go nowhere. The earth rocked violently back and forth and I heard the ice crack and scrape against itself. Then, I heard the ice being ripped apart, a massive crack tearing itself open and racing toward me, Lucia, Hanon and Rina. Rina, Hanon and I were able to get out of the path of the crack's way but Lucia—oh, Lucia!—she wasn't quick enough and she let out a terror stricken scream as she plummeted down, down, down into oblivion. I screamed out her name, leaning over the side of that crack as if there was someway that I could extend my arms and catch her.

Hanon was extremely distressed about this new situation. "Rina, what should we do? Lucia is… Lucia is…!"

"Calm down, Hanon." Rina told her before turning to me. "Caren, we need to swim and find her."

"Got it." I replied before getting up to my feet.

I scanned the area for the ocean and I began running towards it once I found it. Rina and Hanon were right behind me the whole way. I wanted so desperately to find Lucia that it bothered me that I had to keep a human pace. This was absolute torture! Lucia could have been hurt! My thoughts of worry clouded my mind and I was wrapped up in them until I made it to the ocean. I instantly leapt into the cold water, looking around furiously once I was completely submerged. Hanon and Rina were soon in the water as well and the three of us began to search. We searched and we searched but we could find no trace of Lucia.

At one point, I swam away from Hanon and Rina to go off looking on my own. I searched for what seemed like hours and I felt even more distressed when I couldn't find Lucia. I was half vampire! I was fast enough to search ten different areas while, in that time, Hanon and Rina may have only been able to search one. I felt absolutely helpless as I made my way back to Hanon and Rina.

"Any sign of her yet?" I asked them once I reached them.

"It's no use." Hanon said sadly.

"Nothing is over here either." Hippo informed as he and my penguin swam over.

I had almost forgotten that Hippo was there. I had been so preoccupied with Lucia, Hanon, Rina, and Subaru that I hardly took notice to him. However, his presence didn't matter to me at the moment. He hadn't been able to find Lucia. He had no importance.

"It's my fault that this happened to Lucia." I admitted, wanting the blame of this to go completely on me. Tears were beginning to fill my eyes at the hopelessness of the situation. "If Lucia… if Lucia hadn't come here, I—"

Suddenly, I heard a loud sound and I felt my left cheek begin to sting. My eyes were wide with fright and I slightly turned my head to see Rina. She had slapped me. She had slapped me! I was shocked.

"Caren, Lucia is definitely alright." She told me. "What would happen if we stopped believing in that?"

"Being Mermaid Princesses isn't our only connection." Hanon explained to me. "I wouldn't know how life would be without Lucia!"

"Rina… Hanon…" I looked at them for a moment before I turned my attention towards my penguin. "Gather all the ocean beings! We could use help from everyone."

All of us continued to search and I had contemplated going off on my own again. If my penguin was going to round up my attendants back at my palace, I wouldn't want to be seen. I didn't want them to interfere in the life I was trying to build up for myself. I knew how in Sara's kingdom, it was one of her servants who drove the nail into the coffin of her relationship. I wouldn't let them interfere with Subaru and I. Wait… Subaru and I? I was considering us to be in a relationship?

My thoughts were interrupted as the water vibrated around us. It was tingling off of all my senses and I knew that this was the worst tremor yet. There was a huge jump in how violent the tremors had been and what it was now.

"The ice is shifting again!" Rina exclaimed.

"And it's very serious this time, too!" I added on.

I think we all knew what was happening up on the land. There was something that had gone horribly wrong and we needed to fix it. However, it wouldn't be wise to do in a human form. So, the three of us swam to the surface and transformed into our idol forms. Once back on land, we ran inland in hopes of figuring out what was going on.

After a moment of running, Subaru came into view. My eyes widened in shock. He wasn't safe here! He needed to get away! However, he just stood there and didn't say anything. His eyes looked like they were clouded over. It was a look that I recalled Mathias had whenever he was zoned out—a lifeless look. However, that was normal for a vampire since he was already dead but… Subaru was alive and well and was not a vampire.

"Subaru, what are you doing here?" I demanded quickly, hoping that he would respond.

To my shock and dismay, Sheshe and Mimi appeared at his side, clinging to him as if he was some sort of 'boy toy'. That made me angry. No, scratch that. I wasn't angry. I was infuriated! How dare they?! I wanted nothing more than to tear them limb from limb! The only thing stopping me was the fact that Rina and Hanon were standing right there and my actions would more than likely leave them absolutely mortified.

"What did you do to him?" I yelled, practically shrieking with my rage.

"Can't you see for yourself?" Sheshe asked me.

That right there almost set me off to follow through with my original plan. However, when Subaru came forward to attack me in a trance-like state, I found myself paralyzed by him. I found myself completely surprised by his actions. I tried to hold his arms back so that he wouldn't attack me although I knew that he could never possibly hurt me.

"Subaru, stop!" I cried out, hoping to somehow get through to him.

Mimi laughed. "Whatever you say to him, it won't work.

"He's decided to be on our side now." Sheshe informed.

Oh, how I hated their voices! I wanted to tear out their vocal chords! Then again, that was also something that would lead to the snow being drenched in blood. I would have to find a different way to hurt them. But what about Subaru? How was I supposed to help him? I felt at a loss. Then, I heard Subaru gasp in pain and fall into my arms. I held him close to me and glanced over at Rina who had just punched him.

"Caren, whatever they say, it's not true." She stated.

Sheshe and Mimi didn't seem affected by Rina's actions. Sheshe was the next to speak. "You can't defeat us now; you won't be able to stop it."

"Besides, there's no time left." Mimi added on.

I hated them. I hated them! I wanted to kill them in the most ruthless of ways! How dare they do this in my kingdom?! That was the last straw; I was going to destroy them. I moved to lay Subaru on the ground but Rina stepped in front of me and told me to get him away. For a moment, I was able to think with clarity. She was right. I had to get Subaru away.

I quickly took Subaru into my arms and I carried him away at a fast speed. I found a place that seemed safe enough and I gently lowered Subaru onto the ground. He groaned in pain and I softly 'shhh'ed him.

"Everything's fine Subaru. Everything is going to be alright." I whispered to him gently.

His blue eyes flickered open to look at me and he forced a weak smile. He softly murmured my name. "Caren…?"

I smiled at him and softly stroked his fluffy blonde hair. "Yes, I'm here. It's alright."

A look of confusion washed over his face. "What… happened?"

"We found the reason why the ice is melting so drastically." I explained quietly. "We're fixing it right now. But, I think that, right now, you need to rest."

He nodded as if mesmerized by me and he slowly closed his eyes. I smiled at him and then, I was distracted by something. I heard singing. I heard Hanon and Rina singing off in the distance but, I also heard Lucia. And not just them. I heard Coco and I even heard Noel! They were all singing to help Subaru and I.

"Everyone…" I murmured quietly.

It was then that I decided to sing along with them. I closed my eyes and allowed my voice to rise in an attempt to help everyone else. I became lost in the song, completely unaware of the blue eyes that flickered open to watch me sing. I filled my voice with all of the emotions I felt in my entire life. All the emotions I felt when I met Mathias, when he left me, when I saved my sister, when I met Subaru, and that moment Subaru and I had shared last night. I would not allow this to be destroyed by some demons from the sea.

Soon, the song had ended and it seemed as if we had won. Yes, we won; we had always won. I truly hoped that it would stay that way. When I put my attention back to Subaru, I only just noticed that his heart was slowing to a sleeping pace. He had been awake the whole time I was singing and he was only falling asleep now. I realized that I would have to fabricate a good story to cover up what he probably figured out about me.

Once I knew that he was fast asleep, I picked him up in my arms and shifted him so that I was carrying him on my back. I then headed in the direction of Hanon and Rina. Once I had reached them, we discovered that Lucia had returned and was standing a short distance away from us. We all headed over to her, calling out her name. Once she noticed us, she ran over to us with a smile on her face.

"We did it!" She exclaimed.

Once that fact had settled in, Hanon and Rina also made comments about how we did such a good job with everything and how things were going to settle down in Antarctica. I wasn't so sure about that.

"You realize that we're going to have to sort things out with Subaru now." I stated quietly, interrupting their cheerful reunion.

They looked at me with smiles on their faces. Lucia stepped forward. "Caren, we'll stay here as long as you need us to. We're here to support you."

I smiled at her and I felt happy. "Thank you Lucia, Hanon, Rina. That means so much to me."

The three of them smiled back at me. Rina stepped forward this time to voice on of her worries. "Is there anywhere that we should bring Subaru?"

I glanced back at Subaru's sleeping face and I turned back to look at Rina. "Yeah, follow me."

So, I led the three of them back to the 'house on wheels'. I wasn't quite sure how things would be when Subaru awoke or if he would give the story I was fabricating in my mind a chance. Either way, I was hoping that things would turn out alright now. I just had to wait and see.

--x--x--x--x--x--x--

It had almost been a week since us Mermaid Princesses saved the Antarctic. Lucia, Hanon and Rina had been staying with Subaru and I for that time just to make sure that everything was still okay. Things had settled down quite nicely.

When Subaru had awoken, he definitely had some things to say about the previous events. He had noted the change of my hair colour and my eye colour as well as my different (and much colder) attire. He also heard me singing. However, I informed him that when there was a tremor, he had fallen and had hit his head pretty hard on the ice and that he must have been thinking about our past conversations about Mermaid Princesses and vampires. Thankfully, he believed it.

However, the fact that the Antarctic was back to normal meant that Subaru would have to leave. He had sent word to his superiors that everything was fine now and that his work in Antarctica was done. Now, a ship was coming to pick him up and take him away from me. He would leave just like Mathias had and I would be all alone again.

So, I now stood facing Subaru with a forced smile on my face and a boat off in the ocean heading for shore. Subaru was smiling at me as well but I could see the sadness in his eyes. He extended his arm out to push my bangs behind my ear as he looked at me.

"You know," he started, "sometimes I wish that there were still strange things going on around here. Then I could stay here. But, I'm sure we'll see each other again, right Caren?"

"Yes." I replied, a sad tone seeping into my voice. "I'm sure of it."

Subaru cocked his head to the side. "You don't look so sure of it."

I tried to keep my neutral expression but it was faltering. "But you said that you were being sent somewhere else after this. You don't even know where it is that you're going so, how would I be supposed to find you?"

"Hmm…" Subaru paused to think for a moment. "Well… you're a vampire. I'm sure you'd be able to track me down."

A smile crossed Subaru's face then and I smiled to, my head lowering at our inside joke. That was the first time he had referred to me as a vampire. He still didn't even know how right he was about it. I was going to say something else to him but, as my mouth opened, my voice was drowned out by the loud horn of the ship.

"That blasted horn!" I yelled out in disgust.

Subaru laughed at my reaction. "I know, eh? I don't want to leave yet! But, if I must, there's something I want to do first…"

As Subaru trailed off, he leaned forward and placed a kiss on my lips. I flung my arms around his neck and deepened the kiss, wanting to savour every moment of his presence. Unfortunately, Subaru had to pull away from me and make his way to the ship. I watched him go in silence, trying to think of some reason why he should just stay here. Then, it hit me. I ran towards Subaru just as he was boarding the ship and I was able to reach him in the nick of time.

"Hey! Suppose more strange occurrences were to happen around here like… if mermaids began to appear around here. Would that be a reason for you to return someday?" I asked, trying to put this new plan of mine in motion.

Subaru laughed at this and embraced me one last time. "If that's a reason for me to return then I would truly wish that you were a Mermaid Princess."

This was what I wanted to hear him say. I could follow through with my plan. A few humans who were on the ship came to us and said that they had to leave very soon and that we should be quick. So, Subaru kissed my forehead and looked deeply into my eyes one last time.

"So, I'll see you around, then?" He asked.

"You will." I promised; no second thoughts in my mind this time.

So, I stood back and watched as the ship carried Subaru away from me. I knew that Subaru and I could never really be together. There were so many ways that a relationship with us could be twisted around. First, I was a Mermaid Princess. Secondly, I had been turned into a vampire which meant that I would be doomed to live forever when he would die. And, thirdly, I already had Mathias who was in love with me—that is, if he ever decided to come back to me. I knew that tears were filling in my eyes but, I refused to let them fall. Somehow, I felt as if my love for Mathias was gone—like it was a mere infatuation. The truth was, I was in love with Subaru. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. I wanted to be with Subaru for all the time that he had. But, after this, I would probably never see him again.

"Caren?" Rina called out softly from behind me.

"Is it really okay this way?" Hanon asked me quietly.

Lucia stepped forward. "Subaru loves you too, you know."

Without turning to look at them, I gave them a reply. "It's okay. Subaru and I are a human and mermaid after all. Even if we meet a second time it's just…"

I paused for a moment and then turned to face them, a forced smile on my face. "That's why… it's okay this way."

I felt my tears threaten to fall so I quickly wiped them away from my eyes. I turned to look back at the ship Subaru was on. I wondered how fast I would have to swim in order to catch up to it. I had to go through with my plan. Rina walked up beside me to watch the ship as well.

"So, what are you planning on doing now, Caren?"

"Right now?" I repeated. I turned to look at her. "Right now, I'm going to tell you and Lucia and Hanon to go home because you've already taken too much time off of school to help deal with my problems and then I'm going to go see how fast I can swim."

Rina smiled and then pushed me forward. "Then go catch that ship. I'll make sure that Lucia and Hanon get home safely.

I smiled at her and then I took off for the ocean. Before I jumped into the water, I turned back to wave goodbye to Lucia, Hanon and Rina. "I'll see you all sometime later! Don't get into too much trouble while I'm away!"

The last thing I remember before jumping into the water was seeing the three wave back at me with bright, hopeful smiles on their faces. But now, I had a new priority. I would tell Subaru that I was actually a Mermaid Princess—or rather, I'd make him assume that it was me.

I swam as fast as I possibly could through the frigid waters in order to get to the boat. I had to get there, I had to. I pushed myself to go faster and faster. Slowly, that ship seemed closer to me than it had been before. It was almost relieving, in a way. I was gaining on it. I would be able to see Subaru at least once more.

I allowed myself to surface and I saw just how close I was to the ship. Feeling hope, I swam faster and I made an attempt at passing the large ship. I needed to get just a little farther ahead. I pushed myself to reach my goal and, eventually, I was ahead of the ship. Then, I scanned the area to find an iceberg floating a fair distance away. I swam over to it and pulled myself up to sit on it. I looked to see the ship passing by me but, I didn't see anyone up on the deck. I felt discouraged but, I still had to sing. I had to try. So, I let my voice ring out over the waters in the hopes that it might reach Subaru.

"I'm so happy about today's morning sun that my tears begin to fall without even thinking about them… Have I seen this somewhere before, I wonder? Shining continually bright under the same sky… My dream now is still but a dream…My dream now is still but a dream…Let me stay together with you now… but I'll believe in our place… Will my wish riding on the wind of the aurora reach you? I'm sure it'll make it there, because I definitely want to see you again… Even if our two lives are beneath a star-crossed sky… Our hearts are one and we both embrace the same wish to see each other."

I kept watching the deck as I sang, hoping—praying that Subaru would come to me. As the ship kept passing me by, I was feeling discouraged. He wasn't going to come… No! I couldn't think that way! He just had to come! It couldn't end this way! I wouldn't let it! My voice grew louder and more desperate as I sang as I longed for him to come.

"I wonder why we both have to follow our own different fates… I've lost the broken map of time and have only just begun my true voyage… I've lost my way, and I've cried but let me just raise my voice higher so I can cheer up! My faith is surely sleeping within the glittering sea… When you can hear a love song playing on a purple wind on the night of a full moon… I'm sure both of our hearts will sing together."

My hope was dying when I still didn't see Subaru. The ship had almost passed by me. Then, I heard the click of a door opening on deck. My hopes shot up again and I filled my voice with all of my feelings. I truly hoped that it was Subaru. I heard footsteps running to the railings and… it wasn't Subaru. Another man stood there gaping at me and I felt heartbroken. I almost didn't want to sing anymore. Then, the man ran from the railing and I heard the door open on deck once more.

"Subaru, come here! You've got to see this!" He yelled.

That single phrase that the man said made my heart soar with joy. Suddenly, I was glad that he'd come out on deck and had noticed me. If he hadn't, Subaru wouldn't know I was out here. And then, I heard footsteps on deck again. I looked up at the deck hopefully and then he was there, looking at me in complete awe. A smile spread across my face and tears fell down my cheeks as I sang for him.

"Even if it's a little emotional movement, these will still be our special feelings! My dream now is still but a dream but I'll believe in our place… Will my wish riding on the wind of the aurora reach you? I'm sure it'll make it there, because I definitely want to see you again… Even if our two lives are beneath a star-crossed sky our hearts are one and we both embrace the same wish to see each other."

I stopped singing then and just smiled at him. He was still looking at me with a look of awe but a smile was on his face as well. Then, I got the impulse to tell him something that I desperately wanted to tell him.

"Subaru," I called out. "I love you!"

"I knew I wasn't hallucinating! You are a Mermaid Princess, aren't you?" He replied a wide grin spread across his face. "I will see you again, Caren! I'll see you again because I love you too!"

For a moment, I thought my heart was beating again. Subaru loved me. Subaru loved me! Bittersweet tears of happiness rolled down my cheeks as I raised my arm to wave to him as the ship moved away from me. I would see him again. I knew I would. And I would try and figure this whole thing out so that I could be with Subaru. This was what I wanted. This is what I needed. I needed Subaru. And, one way or another, I would have him.