Chapter 16 - The End Part 1

Haru's POV

I kept on swimming and didn't look back. I could feel the tears stinging in my eyes as I swam through the dark water.

It only took about half an hour to get to my home, a place called Melodia. It was a very beautiful place but somehow it's beauty seemed to have faded in my eyes. I entered through the magic gates and before I knew it, I was surrounded by people.

"Oh, It's Haruka! He's back!" said one of them.

"He's okay!" said another.

"His parents will be so relieved!" said a third.

I just ignored them and continued towards my house. After a few minutes I was in front of the door. I opened the door and entered.

"I'm home," I said as though I had just returned after being out shopping or running an errand or something. I heard hurried movements coming from the living room.

"Oh my godness!" My mother said and looked at me in shock before pulling me close into a big hug. My father had now also entered the room and he too looked at me with a shocked expression. My mother let go of me and led me into the living room. We all sat down around the small living room table.

"I'm so glad you're safe my son," he said and smiled at me.

"Now tell us what happened!" My mother demanded.

"Yes, Haruka! Tell us everything! Do you know how worried we have been!?"

I took a few seconds to look at my parents faces. They looked determined and I knew there was no helping it so I opened my mouth and told them everything that had happened.

Makoto's POV

I just stood there completely frozen as the tears continued to stream down my face. Haru was gone. I had freed him and now he had gone back home to his family, to the place where he belonged. That's what I was supposed to do all along. I knew that deep down, but then why did it hurt this much? "Oh, I fell in love with him," I thought. That's why.

"Haru... Haru!...HARU!" I couldn't take it anymore and I started walk further out into the water but before long someone grabbed my arm. I looked back to see it was my father.

"Makoto, let's go back."

"No! I have to after him! Let go of me!" I shouted at my father.

"And where exactly are you gonna go? You can't breath under water and besides you don't even know where this place is."

"I'll just get Dr Hamada to tell me then!"

"Didn't you hear what Haruka said? Humans can't see it."

"I...I... I don't care! I just...want...to..."

"I know Makoto...but it's no use. Let's just go back," my father said in a sad voice.

"Fine..." I said and started walking through the water, back towards the beach.

When I finally reached the beach I saw my friends standing there looking at me with sad expressions on their faces.

"Mako-chan? Are you okay?" Nagisa asked me. I ignored him and started walking towards the door leading back inside. I went in through the door and headed down the corridor until I reached the door leading to Haru's room. I opened it and walked in, closing the door behind me. I looked at the big empty tank and walked up to it, putting my hand on the cold glass. My legs gave out and I slid down to the floor. I buried my face in my hands and started crying uncontrollably.

Haru's POV

When I had finished telling them the story my parents just stared at me.

"Oh, honey. That must have been awful!" my mother said.

"Not all of it was..." I said.

"You mean that human?" My father asked me.

"His name is Makoto, and if it weren't for him I would be at that stupid park being displayed as "the wonder of the sea"!

"Oh...yes." My father said and looked down at his feet.

"I still can't believe that story was true though," I said after a moment's silence.

"Well of course it was! She was a very good friend of mine," my mother said and smiled at me.

"But I wonder how she turned into a human?" I asked my mother.

"I really don't know. It's a mystery," she answered

"Did you know she kept visiting that human?"

"Oh, yes. She always told me about how amazing and kind he was. That he wasn't at all how others said humans were. I told her more than once that she would be better of not meeting with him anymore but she wouldn't listen. When she didn't return one day I was really worried but then I few days later I heard everything from her parents. I didn't know what to think and went up to the surface to meet with her. She told me she was happy and that she didn't mind being a human as long as she could be together with him. That was the last time I spoke with her. I guess she's long gone now." My mother said and gave me a sad smile.

"Maybe it was her desire to be together with him that turned her into a human," I said to my mother.

"Could be," she said.

I started thinking about Makoto. I wanted to see him so bad, to be together with him. Would I turn into a human too if I wished for it strongly enough? I didn't want to think about it any further so I excused myself and went to my room. I threw myself down onto my bed and buried my face in my pillow and started crying again.