"Well that boat cost $250 bucks." Mike told the young man.
"But I only got $50." Jake replied.
"Too bad then, no sale." Mike explained.
"What are you two doing this time?" Mark asked them.
"Selling boats." Mike pointed out.
"Least your not talking about that island again." Mark said as he shook his head.
"An island?" Jake asked.
"See what you done now?" Mike asked Mark.
"Not my problem man, I'm going fishing." Mark said, as he waved before leaving.
"I want to go to island." Jake said then.
"If you want to go there, you'll get cursed." Mike explained.
"Oh cool, a curse." Jake said all excited.
"People never learn." Mike replied, as he sighed deeply.
"I'm telling Cye what that guy is up to." Sage said slowly.
"Huh?" Mike asked.
"That guy that said he was going fishing." Sage pointed out.
"Where did you come from?" Mike asked.
"Long story..." Sage replied, hoping his wings were hidden this time.
"Oh I see, you came from that island." Mike replied, as he ran off.
"Cool, curse!" Jake said again, as he went into a boat.
"Gah..." Sage said slowly.
Sage soon glanced about, as he watched Jake untie the boat and let it drift into the water. Sage, wondered to himself slowly, was he in the right place? There was lots of people around and no Cye in sight. Sage soon walked near the water's edge, as he let the small waves push water against his shoes. Sage just kept walking around, until he came to a spot where no people where around. Sage then glanced out toward the water.
"Maybe I should take a swim." Sage replied to himself.
Sage then took his shoes and socks off, before he took his pants off too. Before placing his shorts on, as he gave a blush doing so. Sage then placed his shoes and socks into his bag he had taken with him, as he then went toward the water. Sage glanced up at the sky, before walking into the cold water. Sage's body shivered, as he looked around himself.
"Well, this was pointless..." Sage said to himself.
Though oddly, Sage thought he saw something splash out of the water way up there. So Sage slowly swam over to that spot, though nothing was there, as he sighed out. He then saw that fisherman close by too, he was glancing toward all the boats for some unknown reason. But at least Sage wasn't that close to them, as he decided to just to swim back to shore. Sage did so, as he heard a gun fire somewhere, people were so odd around the ocean.
"What a waste of time." Sage said, as his body shook still, he was still very cold.
Sage then took his bag and took his socks and shoes back out. Oddly, Sage forgot to pack himself a towel, oh well he thought. Sage put his socks and shoes back on, as he stared toward the water, but nothing was seen anymore. Sage remembered that odd story Cye had read, as he kept staring at the water. Just what was Cye trying to tell him?
"Mister?" Nick asked, as he shook Sage.
"Yeah?" Sage asked, as he glanced over at the kid.
"Have you seen a strange shell?" Nick asked.
"No, why?" Sage then asked.
"Well, I dropped it near here." Nick replied.
"If I see it, I'll let you know." Sage then said.
"Okay mister, I'll be up on the hill." Nick replied, as he ran up the hill.
Sage shook his head, why did kids want help from him all of a sudden? Sage then decided to head back to the mansion, though he soon stepped onto something with his shoe, he noticed a shell. Sage glanced at it, it was all different colors and it had a small star on it. Sage blinked, maybe this was the shell that kid was talking about? Sage didn't care, so he picked it and placed it into his pocket. He then finally walked back down the road.
Though oddly, Sage felt like he was being followed. Sage shivered, before he glanced behind himself, but no one was there, so he kept walking. But it kept up, so Sage decided to run for awhile, but then he got out of breath. Sage then caught it, before glaring at the road behind himself. Sage then walked on more and yet again that feeling came back.
"Okay... who's following me?" Sage asked out.
There was no reply, as Sage shivered only more so, he then moved himself toward the left. Sage then gathered some wood and sat before it, now if he brought matches with him. Sage shivered as he felt a hand on his shoulder, he was too scared to glance toward them, whoever they were. Sage only gulped, as he noticed that the sky got dark all of a sudden.
"Why are you alone?" Krystal asked.
"I... am looking for someone." Sage replied, as he tried not to question why the nothingness spoke.
"Why are you looking for them?" Krystal asked.
"Because... I got feelings for them." Sage soon said.
"You shall seek this one, you shall protect that one." Krystal told him.
"Huh?" Sage asked.
"When you find it, you won't let go. You can't let go. Not like the one that let me go." Krystal soon stated.
"Someone let you go?" Sage asked.
"Yes, very long ago. They were a fool and stopped coming." Krystal pointed out.
"That is very sad." Sage soon said.
"Yes, but you love water, don't you?" Krystal then asked.
"I... can't say I don't." Sage answered.
"Go to the water, you'll see. I will make it so that no one can see you." Krystal pointed out.
"Okay, I guess I can go back there." Sage then said slowly.
"Here." Krystal said, as she then placed a necklace around Sage's neck.
Oddly, Sage could see that, but not the one speaking to him. Sage then shrugged, as he got up and started to head back toward the water. Sage didn't seem to care anymore that the ghost seemed to follow him back to the water. Sage slowly made it to the ocean again, as he glanced about, he saw no people though. Maybe they all went into tents or something? Sage glanced at the ocean, as he noticed a splash from it again.
"You see." Krystal said to him.
"Yeah... a splash." Sage replied.
"You wait here, I'll tell him you have come." Krystal told him.
"Okay." Sage said, giving a shrug.
Sage then sat onto the ground, forgetting he only had his shorts on still. Though oddly Sage was no longer shivering, he didn't know why, but didn't bother to question it. Sage slowly looked to the bag he still carried with him, though he soon saw a wet Cye standing next to himself, Sage only turned bright red. Was Cye swimming out there, or something?
"Hi." Sage replied.
"I see that you came to the ocean." Cye said slowly.
"Yeah... I guess that ghost told you." Sage shivered at that thought.
"Shouldn't you be back at the mansion?" Cye then asked.
"I can't be there." Sage said, as he looked down.
"At least you don't got a dark secret." Cye whispered.
Sage looked at Cye, as he remembered that colored shell he had picked up earlier. Sage then took it from his pocket, as he placed the shell into Cye's hand. Cye blinked and glanced down toward the shell he was giving, before he gave it a gentle nuzzle then stuffed it into his own pocket. Sage just blushed more, as he sighed to himself.
"What is wrong?" Cye asked.
"How did she die?" Sage asked him.
"Oh, the mermaid?" Cye asked, as he then sat down be Sage.
"The ghost I mean." Sage replied.
"No, no. That's the ghost of the mermaid." Cye pointed out.
"That story is true?" Sage then asked.
"Yeah, but you know what?" Cye asked.
"Yeah, what's that?" Sage asked him.
"Her lover stopped showing..." Cye whispered.
"Her lover?" Sage asked more.
"Yes, Jimmy the boy... he stopped coming to the water. Actually he never tried to go into the water again. Sadly, if he had she would have lived." Cye told him.
"Oh..." Sage replied.
"Please, never take him to that island, that is how I got stuck. I used to be able to come and go as I pleased, until I went to that island. It made me unable to switch back mermaid, I didn't know until it was too late. Because my lover like he said, stopped coming. If he came, if he stepped into the water, I would have returned back to it. But no... he was too afraid to go near it again." Krystal told them, she was more or less warning them.
"Well, I don't want to go to any island." Sage soon said.
"Does he got his lover to protect him?" Krystal asked.
"I got no one..." Cye pointed out.
"I won't let anything bad happen to him." Sage replied.
"You... you got feelings for him?" Krystal asked.
"I said that earlier." Sage then pouted, as he blushed now.
"Sage, you shouldn't love a fish." Cye chuckled.
"I don't even know why I do." Sage said honestly, still bright red though.
"You knew?" Cye asked.
"Knew what?" Sage then asked.
"That I was a fish." Cye pointed out.
"No..." Sage admitted.
"But, you are both man." Krystal soon said.
"Yeah... that's what Beth said..." Sage sighed.
"You see its rare." Cye replied.
"Okay, tell me about this." Sage then said.
"Its rare that two guys fall in love, its normal if a man loves a mermaid, or a women loves a merman. But, for a guy to love a merman its very rare." Cye pointed out.
"You... love me back?" Sage asked, as he blushed darker.
"I guess wrong choice of words." Cye then chuckled.
"Yes, what he says is true." Krystal told Sage.
"Well... then how does a merman love another man?" Sage asked now.
"It is impossible. The other usually leaves, even when its a women. This man here, has gone through too much pain. He might not love anyone back, even if he only got hurt once. But that is all it takes." Krystal explained to him.
"I won't leave, besides I got to protect him." Sage then said, as his wings flickered, trying to say yes.
"You... you shouldn't exist." Krystal then said.
"Huh?" Sage asked.
"You are a winged one, those are super rare and need more protection then a mere mermaid or merman." Krystal pointed out.
"Winged one?" Sage asked.
"I don't love no one." Cye whispered.
"Yes, winged one were said to have been killed. Or their wings got sealed, but you should hide your wings, if someone cut them... you will grow weak." Krystal told him.
"Mine used to be sealed..." Sage pointed out, as he rubbed Cye's back gently, noticing that he was sitting next to him.
"Now, this don't make sense. A winged one loves a merman, but this merman has no feelings toward you." Krystal said then.
"So what are you saying, that I can't love him?" Sage asked now, as sparks circled his form without him noticing.
"Wind, with water?" Krystal then asked.
"Well, I do... I don't know my reason. But, I fell in love with Cye here." Sage pointed out, as he stood up then, his wings even arched open.
"Please don't, you may only keep him on one condition." Krystal explained toward Sage.
"What's that?" Sage asked, as he glanced toward Cye on the ground.
"You have to protect him, but you also can't go to that island. Also he has to love you back." Krystal then said.
"Oh... he'll never..." Sage soon said in a low tone, his wings pressed against his back.
Krystal noticed their movements and knew Sage spoke the truth, that he was indeed in love with Cye. Cye then glanced toward Sage a bit, as he had said that. Cye actually didn't understand many things, even why Sage had tried to kiss him back when, or why Sage even came looking for him. But Cye was a bit glad that someone visited him in the water, he hated being alone, he hated that they often left once they knew.
"I just noticed that your wings glow." Cye replied slowly.
"Hmm?" Krystal asked, as she glanced to Cye, then toward Sage.
"I... don't know how to hide them. I was told to think of my lover, but I only love you." Sage replied, as his heart pounded when he said this, sparks even circled him.
"Can a winged one die?" Cye then asked.
"I... don't know." Sage whispered.
"Yes, they can. If they get denied and keep getting denied by the one they truly love, their wings would whiter and their life will drain from them." Krystal answered.
"Life drained?" Sage asked, as he gasped a bit.
"You see a winged one knows who they truly love and searches for only them. I heard a story of how a winged one's life got drained from them, since the one they loved, loved another... the winged one slowly died in lots of pain." Krystal told them.
"So... I?" Sage asked, as he felt over his heart a bit.
"Oh, that's sad." Cye replied.
"Yes, you see you actually truly love him. Even if you didn't know it, your heart and wings knew, it would always make you go to them. No matter where they might be, which means if he does get that curse, to go to the ocean, step inside. Don't be scared, he'll return to it, but only if he loves you back will he return back." Krystal pointed out.
"I don't want nothing to happen to him. I don't plan on going to that island, or even risking taken him there." Sage soon said.
"I wonder... you both stand still and face one another." Krystal told them.
"I am standing." Sage pointed out.
"Do I have to?" Cye asked.
"Its an experiment, I must try." Krystal said.
"Alright..." Cye then said as he got up and shook the water off himself, before he faced Sage.
Sage just went deep red when Sage faced him, as Krystal gently pushed Cye against Sage, causing him to kiss the winged one. Cye blinked as he backed away, as he glared toward Krystal now, as he only walked off. Sage sighed softly, as he placed his head down, there was no use. Sage didn't even know why she tried that for.
"I'm so sorry..." Krystal said slowly, as she went after Cye.
Sage sat onto the dirt again, as he placed his head against his knees and just cried. He didn't want to go after Cye, especially after what she had done. No way would Cye allow him to get close now, Sage sighed more, as he recalled what she had said, that would die... slowly... oh well, Sage thought. Sage soon dried his tears, as he stood up, his body was weak when doing so. Maybe it already was being drained?