Fairy Tale: Little Mermaid
Rated: K
Cast: Keimi, Hatchan, Pappug, Otcopako, and some old lady I made up on the fly.
Spoilers: If you know any of the people listed above, then don't read.
A/N: Yes this is a special chapter that took a little more time. please enjoy!
Once Upon a Timeā¦
In her childhood, Keimi could recall the first time she had seen what was above the ocean's surface. There were the most beautiful twinkling stars in the night sky and a small ship rocking dangerously from side to side in the mountainous waves.
On the small ship was a strange looking person who had six arms and two limbs that kept him upright. Keimi had heard stories about people on the surfaces with "two fins" which allowed them to tread on land.
But this guy was different. He looked like an octopus.
The waves grew larger and larger until the small boat capsized. Octopuses could swim and live under water, right?
The man fell out of the ship and splashed in the water. He didn't surface.
Keimi quickly dived under water and dodged past broken pieces of ship. She caught up with the peculiar man and dragged him to the surface. He was unconscious, but not from lack of oxygen, he had hit his head. There was a large egg shaped bump on his forehead.
Keimi lugged the octopus-man to a nearby shore and propped his arms to cradle his injured head.
Soon enough, another human came along and noticed him. Keimi watched from a safe distance as two humans dragged the unconscious man into shelter.
The island looked as beautiful as the starry night. It had many glimmering lights of any color imaginable. She heard laughter from young humans coming from a spinning machine with strange looking animals. She had never seen these creatures before. The young people rode these strange animals, bobbing up and down, and around in a circle.
If only she could ride it. It looked so beautiful and fun. If only she had two fins like the man she saved.
Keimi returned to her home in Fishman Island, where a worried Pappug questioned about where she had been.
"You were supposed to see the surface and come right back, why did you take so long?"
Keimi sighed longingly, "I saved a two-finned man from drowning, but he never thanked me." She swam into her room and shut the door. She wanted to be alone, to dream of being on land.
The next day, Keimi went in search of the man she saved with Pappug tagging along beside her to keep an eye on her.
While they swam to the island, a giant sea boar swam behind them and swallowed them whole.
The two went tumbling into the sea boar's stomach.
"What happened, I can't see a thing," Pappug panicked.
"It stinks in here," Keimi commented, not realizing the situation.
There was a sudden lurch and the stomach rumbled with the sea boar's cries. It had been eaten by and even larger sea king.
Moments later, the larger sea king shook with loud roars and spat out the sea boar. The smaller sea king also bellowed and ejected Keimi and Pappug.
The two stumbled out of the sea boar's mouth and held their heads to feign off dizziness.
"You guys alright?" Hatchan asked.
Keimi looked up at her rescuer and gasped.
"Hatchin, how did you ever get your legs?" Keimi asked her beloved friend, while preparing more takoyaki for the Straw hat pirates.
"What are ya talking about? I was born with these," Hatchan wiggled his limbs for emphasis.
"So how come I wasn't born with legs?"
Hatchan looked for the right words, "Don't you think it's better to have a tail fin anyways? You can stay on land and swim really fast underwater,"
"But you can too," Keimi pointed out bitterly.
Hatchan looked away from Keimi and tried to change the subject, "You guys ready for more takoyaki?"
"Yesh pwease," Luffy asked with his mouth full.
Hatchan smiled and piled more of the delicious octopus fritters on a tray and gave it to the bottomless pit of a captain.
After the crew had departed, Hatchan, Keimi, and Pappug relaxed and ate some takoyaki themselves.
"Remember back at Sabody Park? That was probably the best time of my life," Keimi smiled.
"Ya that was pretty fun, wasn't it?" Hatchan laughed.
"It would probably have been better if I could have walked," Keimi huffed.
Hatchan glowered at Keimi, "You know what? If you suddenly want legs that badly we should just find someone to help us,"
Keimi beamed at Hatchan and giggled, "Really? Thank you Hatchin!"
"Wait, how are we supposed to give her legs? That's not possible," Pappug interjected.
"I've seen people with strange talents," Hatchan explained, lifting the small anchor out of the water.
The three sailed back toward Fishman Island and anchored the boat. They swam downward until they found a large underwater cave in the red line.
Hatchan swam ahead to see if anyone was inside. He then beckoned for the other two to come in.
Inside the cave lived an elderly fishwoman that resembled a Blue-finned Elephant Tuna.
She looked truly horrid, she had a longer nose than Usopp, two large horns just above her two large lips, and her ears hung like two giant sacks.
The old fishwoman smiled a menacing smile, "Who are your friends, Hatchan?"
Hatchan cleared his throat and introduced Keimi and Pappug. Keimi mustered a small grin and shook the fishwoman's hand.
"Hello Keimi and Pappug, I'm Renu, you came here for some help?"
"Yes, Keimi has been wishing for a pair of fishwoman legs," Hatchan explained.
"That would be strange, Keimi would look more of a human than a fishwoman, is that truly what you would want?" Renu asked, looking over Keimi.
Keimi gulped, "Of course, I've wanted legs since I was little."
"Then I must warn you, developing legs will not be entirely pleasant," Renu said solemnly.
"What do you mean?" Pappug asked.
"When she grows these unnatural legs, she will be able to walk on land and swim under water, but with every step, and every stroke, her feet will feel as if they are being stabbed," Renu explained.
Keimi gaped with her trademark look.
"I knew this was a bad idea," Pappug said.
"If you don't want to endure that pain, you'll be stuck with that fin forever on," Renu persuaded.
Hatchan tried to convince her to leave the deal, "Keimi, it's okay to have a fin, that's who you are."
Keimi mustered a small amount of confidence, "No, I can endure the pain. I want to be able to walk."
With a grin, Renu slipped away into the deep darkness of the cave, she came back with a vile of a strange liquid.
"Swim to dry land and drink this, but be warned, when you drink this, it will feel as if you're being cut in half," Renu explained.
Keimi gulped and left the cave, Hatchan and Pappug followed behind.
"Are you really sure about this?" Pappug asked.
"There's nothing I could want more," Keimi answered.
"You'll be in so much pain though," Hatchan said uneasily.
"It will be worth it," Keimi insisted.
They swam back to the Takoyaki 8 and as soon as Keimi sat on the deck, she took a large gulp from the vile. She gagged on the terrible taste and howled in pain. Hatchan was immediately at her side, trying anything to make her more comfortable.
Keimi's screams eventually became quiet sobs, and she soon fell unconscious.
In the morning, Keimi was the first to wake up. She quickly looked down at her lower half and gasped to see two limbs. She wiggled her toes and laughed. Hatchan and Pappug awoke from the sound of their friend's laughter and gasped when they saw Keimi try to stand.
She set her feet on the ground and winced. It felt like a she was walking on needles. Never the less, she absolutely adored her new way of transportation.
She walked, ran, skipped, danced, anything that she couldn't possibly do before.
"Doesn't it hurt?" Pappug asked.
"It hurts terribly, but I'm so happy!"
Hatchan grinned, "Let's go back to Sabody park then. You can finally be on your own,"
Keimi gasped in delight. Finally her life-long dream to ride the carousel without anyone's help, or something to cover her up, would be fulfilled.
Unfortunately, it wasn't going to happen anytime soon.
On the way to the island, Hatchan couldn't believe his eyes. Walking on the shores of the red line was his darling Octopako.
Immediately the ship was turned toward the shore, and Hatchan practically leaped over to her.
"Octopako, where have you been?" Hatchan asked.
"You with the takoyaki stand? What's a guy like you doing on a nice beach like this?" Octopako asked snobbishly.
"I just wanted to see you," Hatchan said.
"Well don't flatter yourself. How about you get me some of that takoyaki of yours?" Octopako asked.
Within minutes Hatchan leapt back to the ship and started to prepare takoyaki.
"Hatchin, you shouldn't make food for her, she's always mean to you," Keimi warned.
"Maybe she'll accept me if I make her some of our amazing takoyaki," Hatchan hoped.
"She's only going to hurt you," Keimi insisted.
"Hey, who's the freak with the legs? Is she human? You know how I feel about humans Hatchan," Octopako spat at her.
"She's Keimi, I think you've met her before," Hatchan introduced again.
"Oh yes, the little runt that got traded by Hatchan for a map," Octopako sneered.
"Hatchan still saved me and Pappug afterwards, he would never just abandon us," Keimi argued.
"Whatever, he would probably trade you for me any day, isn't that right Hatchan?"
Hatchan looked between them, disturbed by the sudden turn in the conversation, "I wouldn't want to pick between the two of you."
"Hatchin! She's evil and mean to all of us," Keimi tried to convince.
"No she's not, she just had some bad days is all," Hatchan denied.
Keimi groaned and turned toward the island. She didn't want to argue anymore. "I'm going to try out my new legs," She said and dived over the edge of the boat.
"Keimi," Pappug and Hatchan called after her, but she swam toward the island and dug her toes in the sand at the shore.
"Who needs her anyways," Octopako huffed.
Keimi treaded through the sand, still wincing from the pain.
'It's so nice to be able to walk, but I was hoping the three of us would be able to go to the amusement park. Why did that stuffy little octopus have to pop up and demand takoyaki from Hatchin like that?' Keimi sighed. All this drama wasn't her thing.
"Maybe if I hadn't gotten these legs in the first place, Hatchin would have never seen Octopako," Keimi thought out loud. Suddenly an idea came to her.
She dived back into the sea and swam back to where Renu lived.
"What's wrong dear, not quite loving your legs anymore?"
"No, there fine, but I was just wondering if I could switch back." Keimi asked.
"You can, but only if you win over Hatchan again," Renu said.
"How did you know- what do you mean by winning him over?" Keimi asked startled.
"He is your friend, right? But that friendship has been lost because of Octopako, I will give you your fin back, but it will disappear again if you don't prove that you have won Hatchan over by killing the fishwoman," Renu said menacingly.
Keimi gasped, "I can't kill her! Even if she's mean,"
"You'll do it, or you will have to endure the extreme pain of your two legs," Renu pointed out. She changed Keimi's legs into a fin, and instantly Keimi sighed with the relief of the pain.
"Now go, and bring back the body of Octopako before sun rise tomorrow," Renu ordered.
When Keimi swam back to the surface, she realized that night had already fallen.
She quietly boarded the Takoyaki 8 and noted that all three passengers had already fallen asleep.
She moved toward the counter, where Octopako was asleep, sitting in one of the stools.
Hatchan stirred and awoke, "Keimi?"
Keimi froze, "Umm, no? I'm not Keimi."
"I know it's you, why do you have a fin again?" Hatchan rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
Keimi started to cry, "I- I was going to do horrible things to Octopako, Hatchin. I don't get to keep my fin unless I bring her body back to Renu and prove that you're my friend again," She whispered between sobs.
Hatchan was slightly shocked, but he quickly tried to calm Keimi down.
"You've been my friend this whole time Keimi, and if Renu wants Octopako, then we should bring her to the cave," Hatchan grinned. Keimi looked up at him curiously.
Later that morning, just before the sun rose, Hatchan and Keimi swam back to Renu with a sleeping Octopako in tow.
"Here is Octopako's body, sorry I couldn't kill her, and me and Hatchin are friends again, see?" Keimi claimed as the two friends hugged.
"Very well then, you get to keep your fin, but you may never have legs again," Renu allowed and watched as the two swam away.
The end.
A/N: This may not be relevant, but I just found out that Sanji's VA was also a voice for Jack Sparrow in a Pirates of the Caribbean Japanese dub! I just think thats made of win :P Reviews are also made of win! :D
