Hi everyone. I have not much to say other then this: The beginning of the chapter will mostly be Rina-centric and for all MasahiroxRina fans out there, this one is for you. There will be a mixture of the anime and manga here. Enjoy.


Chapter 8: Trust

-Favorite Place-

In their favorite place, where Rina and Masahiro would usually spend time by themselves or together, they are meeting there again. Both Rina and Masahiro are sitting on the grassy ground. The wind blows gently on their face while the faint sunlight shine warmly on them. Rina is wearing a green coat and black pants. Beneath her coat is a green shirt with the hem decorated with leaves. Masahiro is wearing his normal attire consisting of a brown jacket and dark jeans. They were enjoying their time together in silence until Masahiro spoke up.

"Rina."

"What is it, Masahiro?" Rina asked.

"A couple of days ago, I've met a mermaid." Masahiro started.

"A-a mermaid?" Rina pretends to be shocked.

"Yes, she saved me a few days ago and she left me with a present. A 4-leaf clover." Masahiro explained. "Rina, do you remember the story I told you? The one about my ancestor and the mermaid who saved him?" Rina gave a nod.

"The one who build the Awami Shrine in dedication to the mermaid he loved, right?" Rina questioned.

"The very one. That day when the mermaid saved me, her voice, her face, her eyes, they are the same as yours. Whenever I looked at her, I see you and whenever I looked at you, I see her." Masahiro further explained.

'Could Masahiro beginning to...' Rina wondered.

"It must be a coincidence, I can't swim. You know that." Rina tries to denied it.

"Rina." Masahiro called out her name seriously. "You told me that once yet there was that time where you saved me from drowning, remember?"

'Of course I remember that time. It was when I was afraid of losing you back when that idiotic fairy, Alala, crumbled her own stage building. I saved you from drowning, I confessed my feelings to you, you dropped the honorific and called my "Rina" for the first time... And that's when I shared my first kiss with the person I love.' Rina thought.

"In my ancestor's story, if a mermaid were to confess who she is, she'll turn into sea foam. However, I'm pretty sure that you know the story very well because she didn't despite she did show her true self to a human." Masahiro continued.

"What are you trying to say, Masahiro?" Rina asked as she turned her face away from him. To her surprise, Rina is wrapped around in Masahiro's arms.

"What I'm trying to say is that I don't want the same thing to happen to you. I've been hoping for the same miracle to befall on us just like in the story... And it did." he told her.

"Masahiro, so you..." she couldn't finish her sentence.

"Yes, yes I knew. Ever since I first saw you, I knew there was something special about you. However, I wasn't even sure myself. I wanted to spend time with you, to know you. I wanted to give you time, time to show that I can trust you and for you to trust with your own feelings. When you saved my life twice, you appeared as a human the first and as a mermaid the second, that's when I've realized even though I knew you were hiding your secret that you are a mermaid, I knew you did it out of love. That's why I continued to trust you." Masahiro explained. "I've found you, Rina. My Green Mermaid Princess."

Rina felt tears are threatening to fall out of her eyes. She has been waiting for Masahiro to find her one day, to figure out the truth about her. She wanted to tell him everything she know of. Her adventures, her feelings, her friends, but mostly, how she truly feel towards him now that he realized who she is. And now she got the chance to do so but not today. Today, she is going to cherish it and she doesn't want to ruin the moment.

Masahiro let go of Rina and took out her hand. He put something in it and allow Rina to see. Another 4-leaf clover, a new fresh one. A symbol of trust and understanding.

"Thank you, Masahiro." Rina smiled.

"You've been waiting for so long and patiently, I should be the one to thank you, Rina." Masahiro replied.

They both looked in each others' eyes. They closed their eyelids, leaned over a bit, and shared a kiss. Through the kiss, Rina felt complete for the first time. The man she loves, Masahiro Hamasaki, loves her both as a human and a mermaid. The love for both are now in sync with one another. The two hearts have become one just like the two final pieces to finish a puzzle. The sun was starting to set but they don't care or mind. They've found each other and neither want to let go. They broke up the kiss.

"It's getting late." Rina comments.

"Would you rather spend the last few hours together worrying?" Masahiro asked. Rina shook her head no.

"But I don't know where I want to go next." Rina told him.

"Then here." Masahiro gave her a ticket.

Rina took the ticket and examined it. It was a boxing ticket for a match set on November 25, before Thanksgiving. That is close to two months away. She never went to a single match before so maybe this time she will.

"Thank you, Masahiro." Rina thanked him. "Will you be attending the Spring Festival three weeks from today?"

"I'm actually planning to go this year. I didn't get the chance to last year." he answered.

"I guess you and I have something in common. I didn't got the chance either." Rina replied.

Masahiro grabbed her hands, "I'll come."

"So will I."

-Pearl Waters-

At night, Masahiro accompany Rina back home on his motorcycle. She wished the day didn't have to end so soon but there was nothing she could do about it. She also wished they didn't have to part ways but they'll meet again.

"See you at the Spring Festival, Rina." Masahiro told her.

"You too. Goodnight, Masahiro." Rina replied back as he rode his bike into the night.

Rina made her way back to the bath house.

"Rina!" Hanon exclaimed as she and Lucia appeared in front of her. "How was it, Rina?"

"Where did Hamasaki-san take you?" Lucia asked.

"Did he take you somewhere romantic?" Hanon questioned.

"We just spend some time together at our favorite spot, that's all." Rina explain as if it wasn't a big deal when it actually was.

"Come on, Rina. He must have taken you somewhere good." Hanon insist as Rina walked passed her and Lucia.

"There's nothing to talk about." Rina replied, trying to sound chilled. What the girls didn't know is that she was smiling behind their backs.

"Really? Then why is there a beautiful smile on your face, Rina?" a voice called out. Rina stopped in her tracks at the sound of the voice. She looked up the stairs to see her best friend, Noel.

"Noel!" Rina exclaimed in shock and happiness.

"And it's not just me who came." Noel told her.

"Did something happen between you and that guy with the bike?" Karen teased as she came down the stairs halfway. Coco is with them too.

"You three... Why are you here?" Rina asked.

"We were going to tell you but you insisted in going back to your room, Rina." Hanon told her.

"Karen, Noel, and Coco came here not just for the anniversary that will be in two weeks but something has happened." Lucia explained.

"Something has happened? What?" Rina turned to the three.

"A spirit of a mermaid appeared to us today. She warned us that it's almost time for that day to come. The Day of Fate." Coco explain, though there is confusion in her eyes.

"The mermaid was blurry, we could make out the details." Karen added.

"Could it be Emi?!" Lucia exclaimed.

"Emi?" Coco called out the name in confusion.

"Who's Emi?" Noel asked.

"She's a red mermaid who appeared in Lucia's dream." a voice explain which revealed to be Seira's as she joined the girls.

"A red mermaid?" Karen and the girls couldn't seem to catch up.

"I think we should explain everything. Let's go sit at the table." Lucia suggested.

-Meeting Table-

The seven Mermaid Princesses, Nikora, Taki, and Hippo sit on the long table. The three girls explained everything to the other three while Seira omit that fact the Emi has been possessing Lucia's body and the fact that she could be a Mermaid Princess.

"Why would Emi tell us all of this? The red mermaids only existed in stories, how do we know if we can trusted her?" Karen questioned. She wasn't against the fabled red mermaid, she just wanted to be sure if they can trust her.

"Because... because she has been warning us about the enemy!" Seira exclaimed. Her sudden outburst surprised the girls.

"But we don't know if what she said is true. How would you know, Seira?" Noel tries to calm her down.

Seira wanted to tell them despite the promise she made with Emi when Lucia took her hand. Seira looked up to see the girl. She shook her head and put a finger to her lips. She knew, she is possessing Lucia again.

"I think Emi can be trusted. So far, what she said has been true. Those winged demons have came back." Emi spoke though Lucia.

"Do you know her, Lucia?" Coco questioned.

"She only appeared to me in my dreams. Did she said when the Day of Fate will be on?" she asked, though she already know the answer.

"She said that it will be in two weeks, the same day where the anniversary will be on." Noel answered.

"I guess that's when we'll know for sure. I'm pretty certain that when we meet her, she'll explained everything." Lucia told the girls. "I need to speak with Seira alone for a moment. Let's go." she took Seira's small hand and tried to take her to her room when Karen stopped them.

"Wait a second you two. Seira, I've heard you found yourself a cute boyfriend. Is that true?" she teased the little girl. Seira's face blushed in embarrassment as she and Lucia ran upstairs. They heard the door being slammed.

"You shouldn't do that, Karen." Noel advised.

"Give me a reason why I should not." Karen dared.

"Well, how would you feel if I asked about you and Subaru?" Noel gave her reason.

"Wha- There's nothing between me and Subaru! We're just friends." Karen stammered.

"That's not like what Rina had told me." Noel countered. Karen gave Rina a death stare.

"W-well I better be going to my room now. Goodnight everyone." Rina dashed out of the room.

"You stopped right there, Rina!" Karen shouted.

-Seira's Room-

In the room, Emi, still in Lucia's body, and Seira heard all the commotion outside. They can hear Karen yelling, "Why would you tell her about me and Subaru!" and Rina defending herself answering, "Because she is your sister so I thought she would want to know and she does." and more yelling and screaming.

"So what do you want to tell me, Emi?" Seira asked the girl who is sitting next to her.

"In two weeks, you will meet me in my kingdom. I will be guiding Lucia to my home and all of you will follow. However, I will warn you, I'm not physically there. You won't find me no matter how hard you search. There is a reason why I am a fabled princess and none of you have heard of me before. Everything will be explain, I promise... But no matter what, you must trust me. Even if I am keeping a terrible secret from all of you." Emi explained.

"A terrible secret?" Seira questioned.

"It's the worse burden that only I can take. I don't know how would you or the others react if it's let out. So please... trust me." Emi pleaded.

"I do trust you, Emi." Seira told her.

"Thank you, Seira." Emi hugged the little girl as her spirit faded.


Hi hope you have enjoyed this chapter. Thank you to magic135 and marinabtr for the wonderful comments. It made my day. And remember for the rest of you, Favorite, Follow, and Comment. See you soon.