A/N: YES! Two updates in one day! This one-shot is for ikarilover (an anonymous reviewer. If you weren't, I would've responded right away…) ikarilover requested for a story where Hikari is the mermaid, and Shinji is the one lost at sea. So, I'm feeling generous, so here ya go! Lovies!
Midnight
"All aboard!" A voice shouts over the bustling people.
Shinji sighs and shoulders his bag. He really didn't want to board the ship heading out for a month long fishing extravaganza, but his family needed to money. So, for them, he signed up as a sailor. He doesn't even like the sea. But, if he wanted his family to eat, then this was their best shot.
Along with other poverty-inflicted eighteen-year-old boys, Shinji walks the boarding planks to the rickety looking boat. All around him are the ignorant voices of the other guys, and the boats creaking loudly under the weight of all the sailors.
This is Shinji's life now. And he's not too happy about it.
"Hey-o, Sailor!" Someone sings, slapping Shinji on the back. Growling, Shinji turns around to face a happy blonde. He's smiling, orange eyes light. "Why so grumpy?"
Shinji turns back around, determined to ignore the boy now behind him.
"I'm Jun!" the too peppy boy introduces. "And what's yours?"
"Shinji." The mauve-haired boy growls under his breath.
"Excellent!" Jun cheers. "It's nice to…"
The boy's voice fades away as Shinji leaves him to the other side of the crowded boat. Finding seclusion in an empty corner, Shinji sits down, going through his bag. Once he finds what he's looking for, letting out an accomplished grunt, he pulls out a cracked, spotted, spiral shell. Holding it in his grip, he remembers what his brother told him.
"Now, Shinji." Reiji says, patting his little brother on the head. "Take good care of this." He points to the old shell in Shinji's care. "They're very rare in Sinnoh, and extremely special. They hold a secret to the sea. This one's been in the family for a long time. And now, I want you to have it."
Shinji nods and turns away from his older brother
"Thanks, Reiji."
He clamps the shell in his hands tight. He's going to need all the secrets of the sea he can get, if he's going to be on this boat for a month.
~o0o~
It's been five days and no sign of fish. The boss says no fish, no money. And Shinji desperately needs that money.
It's midnight, and Jun's snoring is obnoxiously loud. Shinji can't take it, so he rolls out of his cot and stands up. Without much though, something strange for Shinji, he exits the sleeping area and makes way for the top of the boat. Finally, after climbing the stairs, the night sky is visible.
But not for long. Dark clouds soon blanket the constellations, and rain in poring down, drenching Shinji in seconds. He's about to go back into the sleeping area when someone screams, "A ROUGE WAVE! HEAD FOR THE SAFETY BUNKER!"
Men flood out of the sleeping area and soon Shinji is surrounded. He's tossed to and fro by the passing bodies. He's trying to make it to the safety bunker when someone knocks into him and over the edge.
Before he can let out a scream, he plunges into the black water. Slowly, he pulls out his shell and whistles into it.
~o0o~
When Shinji wakes, there's a melodious singing that is purely beautiful. He opens his eyes slowly and sees nothing, but the black midnight sky. But this time, the stars are visible. He's lying on a rock in the middle of a crystalline lake.
When Shinji looks for the source of the singing, there's nothing in the water around him. A bell-like giggling chimes behind him, and whipping around Shinji's met with ocean eyes, framed by similar blue hair.
"Where am I?" Shinji demands the girl.
She doesn't say anything, but shows him a smile and disappears under the water.
Growling, Shinji sits up and folds his arm across his chest. Water splashed on the side of his face, and gasping, Shinji turns to his right to spot the girl smiling deviously.
"Wha-"
"Hi-ya." The girl says, reminding Shinji a whole lot like Jun.
Shinji turns away. He hears the girl sigh, and when there's a soft lapping of water, he assumes that she's disappears under the water.
~o0o~
When Shinji's wakes up the next day, it's midnight again.
Turning to the side, the girl is there, her head poking out the water.
"Who are you?" Shinji asks skeptically.
"I am light. Who are you?" the girl asks.
"Shinji." The boy answers in turn. "Is your name really Light, or…" Shinji trails off.
"I am the embodiment of light." The girl answers. "Bet you can't guess my name."
"I have no desire to play such childish games." Shinji turns away. Looking out of the corner of his eyes, he sees the girl pouts. Sighing, he guesses, "Taiyō."
No smiling, the girl shakes her head. "Nope."
Light… Shinji thinks. "Hikari?" he guesses.
The girl smiles widely and nods. "Yep! You're a good guesser!" she laughs, and Shinji thinks, that maybe, she's not so bad.
~o0o~
The next time, Shinji wakes up; the girl isn't in the water. She's sitting in a rock near Shinji's, and he can't help but gasp as he sees her tail.
"M-mermaid." He stutters.
"Yeah." Hikari whispers, turning away from Shinji's stare. She plays with her blue hair awkwardly as Shinji smirks. "What?" Hikari asks, noting his smirk.
"Oh. Nothing." Shinji chuckles darkly. "It's just that, I don't know why, but the fact that you have a tail isn't that surprising."
"Oh." Hikari laughs, and it sounds like bells. "Shinji?" she asks, now blushing deep red.
"Yes?" he asks, observing the shimmering blue scales on the mermaid's tail.
"Would," she stops, looking away from the mauve-haired boy. "Would you like to stay here with me?"
Shinji sighs.
Should he stay here in this world of midnight?
A/N: Fin. I left it cliff-hanger-y, didn't I? I just might do a sequel….
And, I would like to say, XxLeafGreenxX, I support oldrivalshipping, too! Yeah for Old Rivals!