A/N: WARNING: Cliffhanger at the end. What, you thought it would be something different?
They were sitting on a beach, having set up a small camp and eaten their food. Lloyd glanced over at Regal, tilting his head.
"So you didn't realise you were part mermaid?" he asked.
Regal shook his head. "I had no idea. I've been in the water before, but never had a tail as I have now. I was raised in a very open-minded way; both of my parents believed in equality between all races, and although my mother supported the Martel faith, she wasn't an extremist like some are. We actually sometimes helped mermaids while we were out at sea."
"They both sound like nice people," Lloyd noted with a smile.
"They were. They died a few years ago, but I try my best to honour their memory," Regal agreed. He turned slightly. "And you? You said you were raised as a human, but knew you were a mermaid."
"Well, I was actually raised by a dwarf, but I realised I was part mermaid when I was about two or three. Or, he realised, at least. I just knew I could go underwater for a long time." Lloyd gave a half-smile. "I'm pretty sure I drove him up the wall with how stupid I acted."
Regal nodded, then looked over at Zelos. "And you? Are you also half-mermaid?"
Zelos snorted. "No way. I'm pure mermaid, through and through."
"Oh? And what of your family?"
"Well...I have a younger sister. Half-sister, I mean. My family is pretty well known, too. Our mothers died when we were both pretty young, so we've mostly been raised by maids and stuff."
"So you're rich?" asked Lloyd.
"Not in your sense. We don't have the same sort of money as you do."
"What is your currency? I've always been rather curious," Regal said, leaning forward.
"It's a bit complicated, so...Lloyd, you've already figured out how to use your scales for things, right?"
"Yeah. When Genis and Colette put them in their mouths, they can breath underwater for a while, and when made into those pendants, they either give legs or a tail..."
"Right. Different scales have different properties, and generally we can all use those different properties in some way that is useful. So, we trade goods for a certain amount of scales we've shedded."
The two of them looked surprised. "Isn't that a little temperamental? And what if someone doesn't want the properties your scales have?"
"We'll just hang onto the scales until we can trade with someone who does want them, or whose scales we want. Like I said, it's pretty complicated."
Regal frowned. "Fascinating...And, because you naturally produce them, you never run out?"
"There does come an age where we'll stop shedding them, but each family usually stays in a community, so they'll have at least a few people shedding all the time."
"But what if they aren't the same colour?" asked Regal.
Lloyd blinked. "Tail colours are hereditary," he said suddenly.
Zelos looked at him in surprise. "Yeah...Which means so long as you know the property of the scales of each parent, you know what the property of the scales of the child is...How did you know that?"
"Kratos told me. He said I have the same tail colour as my mum."
Zelos nodded. "Well, anyway, there are also certain restrictions. Fake tails, such as the ones the Desians use, don't have any real properties. They do occasionally shed scales, but they don't do anything - not even allow humans to breath underwater, which all scales can do."
"So that makes them kind of useless?"
"Exactly. Yggdrasil uses them because plenty want to be mermaids, but a lot also die every year. It's kind of cruel."
"Cheap labour, then," Regal noted.
"Yeah, sort of."
Lloyd sat back. "Wow. That's really smart. Pity we can't use our bodies naturally for money too..."
"We can, in a way," Regal murmured. Lloyd looked at him in confusion, and he shook his head. "You're a bit young. Maybe when you're older."
"Uh..okay? Anyway, I'm going to go hit the sack now. See you guys in the morning."
It was dark. The fire had long since burned out, and it was quiet other than the faint rustle of leaves from the wind.
A figure stepped out, walking over to the water. Touching it, it drifted up and became a sharp dagger. The figure glanced at the camp, shaking their head before going back and walking towards a different tent.
Slowly, they pushed the flap back, looking into the tent. Lloyd lay sprawled on his back, snoring quietly, unaware of the person standing over him. They lifted the dagger, gritting their teeth as they hesitated before starting to bring it down.
Lloyd's eyes snapped open, and he sat up, prepared to fight. He blinked before lowering his fists, frowning at the stricken expression of the person infront of him.
"Zelos? What are you doing?"
A/N: Hehehehe
(Sorry it's short)
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