Chapter 15 - Truths

A familiar feeling had come over me. It was dark, silent and cold. Just like ten years ago I was falling into the darkness of the ocean. I panicked and started to look around but I couldn't see anything. Suddenly I felt someone grab my arm and I turned around. Glowing in the dark were a couple of beautiful blue eyes. I stared into them and my panic disappeared. I blinked a couple of times and I my eyes adjusted to the dark and I could see the person in front of me. He saw pointing up and I realized what he meant and I started swimming. He let go of my arm and took a hold of my hand and started swimming too. My oxygen had almost run out when my surroundings were getting brighter and I could see the light of the surface. It didn't take long before my face broke it and I could breath fresh air. I didn't know how long we had been under the water but the strom had cleared and the sun was shining.

"There they are!" I heard Gou shout.

I looked towards the dock and I could see everyone standing on the beach.

"You stay here," I told Haru as I started swimming towards the beach.

When I reached the beach Nagisa put his arms around me and hugged me tight.

"I'm so glad you're okay Mako-chan!"

"Nagisa… You're sufficating me!"

"Oh, sorry," he said and let go of me.

I looked around and saw the worry on all my friends' and father's faces.

"I'm fine everyone, no need to worry anymore," I said and smiled at them.

"You little punk!" I heard Dr Hamada say.

Dr Hamada pushed everyone aside and stood in front of me with an very angry expression on his face.

"What's up Doc?" I asked him with a grin.

"You have no idea what you have done!"

"I think I've just exposed and spoiled your stupid little plan."

"You little," Dr Hamada said and raised his fist.

"Don't you dare touch him!" I heard Haru's voice coming from behind me.

I turned around to see him sit on a rock not to far from the beach.

"I told you to stay," I said in a panicked voice.

Dr Hamada looked at Haru with a look of anger on his face.

"What is it? You're not gonna try to capture me again?" Haru asked Dr Hamada.

"No, I won't! You have given me enough trouble! But don't forget that you told me where the rest of your kind are!"

"True, I did tell you where they are but that won't help you," Haru told Dr Hamada.

"What? Why not!"? Dr Hamada asked Haru in anger.

"Because humans can't find it. Even if you know where it is you won't be able to see it."

"DAMN IT!" Dr Hamada shouted and fell to the ground.

"This has been my family's dream for decades! Ever since my great grandfather failed!" Dr Hamada said angerly.

My father turned towards all the guards and the other researchers.

"Did all of you know what Dr Hamada had planned to do?" He asked them.

All of them started to look down in the sand.

"So you did know? Let me guess; Dr Hamada promised you all fame and fortune?"

They didn't say anything and continued to look down in the sand.

"Now that you won't get what you wanted, what are you going to do?" My father asked them.

They all turned to look at Dr Hamada who was standing up again.

"What are you all staring at!?"

"It seems like they don't want to answer to you anymore," I said with grin.

"I'm getting out of here!" The director of the marine park suddenly said and went back through the door leading to the dock.

"Looks like you've lost," Nagisa said to Dr Hamada in an amused voice.

"NO! I won't lose! I can't lose! Stop staring at me like that!" Dr Hamada said in panic.

"Wait a minute," Gou said suddenly.

"What is it?" I asked her.

"Dr Hamada, you said your great grandfather had failed? Did he also catch a merman?" Gou asked.

"Indeed he did, it was a mermaid though," he said in an irritated voice.

"Tell us about it," I told Dr Hamada.

"Why should I!?" He said angrily.

"Because he told you too," one of the guards said and pointed his weapon at him.

"Fine then! It was my great grandfather and two others. They were working for an rich man and one day my great grandfather saw him together with a mermaid. He couldn't believe what he saw at first but when the shock had past he rememered all the legends about mermaids and that one could gain eternal life by eating it's tail. So he told the two others and they captured the mermaid and kept her in the man's basement and they tried to get them to reveal were the other mermaids and mermen were so that they could find them and sell them to get rich but she refused. Unfortunately the man discovered her in the basement and freed her and the truth was discovered and my great grandfather and the others got fired.

I was in shock, I looked at Haru and he looked just as shocked.

"This might sound weird but do you know if the mermaid turned into a human?" I asked Dr Hamada.

"It did, or at least that's what my great grandfather wrote in his journal."

"Then the story your mother told you was true Haru!" I said looking at Haru.

"I guess so," Haru said in a suprised voice.

"That doesn't matter! Everything I ever worked for has been ruined!" Dr Hamada said in an angry voice.

"Can you get him back inside please?" My father asked the guards.

"Uh, okay," One of them said and took a hold of Dr Hamada and started leading him back inside, with the other guards and researchers following behind.

"Now that that's over with," I started and looked at the others.

"Thank you everyone for helping me free Haru."

"That's what friends are for," Rei said and smiled.

"Now introduce us to Haru-chan!" Nagisa said enthusiastically.

"Oh, okay. Everyone, this is Haru. Haru, this is everyone,"

"H…hello, nice to meet you," Haru said and blushed.

It was quiet for a while until Rei suddenly spoke.

"I still can't believe that mermen acually exist," he said and stared at Haru.

"I couldn't really believe it either in the beginning," my father said and laughed.

All of a sudden everyone started laughing. We just stood there and laughed of about a minute for no apparent reason at all. When the laughter had finally died out I looked at Haru and he looked back at me with sad eyes.

"What's wrong? You're free now, you should be happy," I said and smiled at him.

But my smile soon faded. He was free which meant he was going back home. I ran out into the ocean until I reached the rock he was sitting on.

"Makoto," he said and touched my face.

"It's okay, you are free to go now," I told him and smiled, but on the inside I was breaking.

"But I don't want to," he said in a sad voice and tears started running down his face.

"Don't cry Haru… If you cry, I will too."

"You're already crying," he said.

I was indeed crying. I felt warm tears running down my face and I opened my mouth to speak but no words came out. I couldn't take it anymore and I put my arms around Haru and pulled him close.

"I…don't want…you…to go," I said in between my sobs.

After a few minutes I pulled away from Haru and turned my face away.

"You better go…" I said without looking at Haru.

"Makoto," Haru said and I turned my face towards him again.

Then he leaned in and put his lips on mine. His lips were warm and tasted salty. We stayed like that for a few seconds and then he pulled away.

"Good bye, Makoto," he said and disappeared into the ocean.

(Don't worry, this is not the end :P )