Chapter 19 - The End Part 4 (Last Chapter)
Haru's POV
I got a sudden impulse. I couldn't really explain it but I just suddenly felt like getting out of bed and going for a swim. My parents was very surprised to see me when I passed through the living room. They called out to me but I ignored them and continued outside. I kept on swimming until I reached the forest of seaweed. I had always loved to play in the forest when I was a kid and it really felt good to be back there again.
"I always loved this forest," I heard a female voice say from behind me.
I turned around to see a mermaid sitting on a rock not so far way from where I was.
"Did I scare you?" She asked and smiled.
"No, you just startled me."
"Isn't that basically the same thing?" she said and smiled again.
"Who are you anyway?" I asked the mermaid.
"My name is Minako Kuroyama." she answered. Something about her name seemed familiar.
"And your name is Haruka Nanase."
"How did you know that?" I asked Minako in surprise.
"Because you called me here."
"Called you here? You mean to the forest?" I asked her, confused.
"No, back from the dead," Minako answered and smiled.
"Back from the dead? What do you mean?"
"Yes, back from the dead and if you just take me home to your house I will explain everything," Minako said and smiled once again.
Makoto's POV
"What just happened?" Gou asked no one in particular.
"She just... vanished," Rei said in a shocked voice.
"She really was a ghost..." Nagisa said and gulped.
Everybody looked around in shock and confusion.
"Be patient and have faith? What did she mean?" Mr Tanaka asked me suddenly.
"I'm not really sure..." I answered.
"What if she meant that if you keep being patient and hope then maybe Haru-chan can become a human! I mean, she did ask you if you wanted to see him before she said that stuff!" Nagisa said excitingly.
I didn't comment on what Nagisa said, instead I turned around to look at the ocean.
"This is madness!" Dr Hamada said suddenly.
Everybody turned to look at him.
"Let's just take Dr Hamada and go, that's what we came here for," Mr Tanaka told his partner.
"You're right and we have gotten enough information about the situation," Mr Yoshida said.
"We just have to talk to you about a few more details," Mr Tanaka told my father.
"Okay, let's go back inside."
My father, the security guards, Mr Tanaka and Mr Yoshida excused themselves, took a hold of Dr Hamada and went back into the research facility.
"Guys!" A voice suddenly shouted from behind me. I turned around to see Momotarou and Aiichiro running towards us.
"What are you guys doing here?" Rin asked them.
"Gou texted me and told me everything so I called Aiichiro and we hurried over here."
"Anyway, where is the ghost!?" Momotarou asked and looked around … .
"She already disappeared some time ago," Rin said.
"Oh..."
"Thank god," Aiichiro said.
"What do you mean "thank god"! We missed the chance to see a real ghost!" Momotarou said in a loud voice.
Aiichiro and Momotarou started a heated discussion about the ghost of Minako but I wasn't paying attention. I turned away from them and started walking down to the beach.
Haru's POV
I didn't really understand what was going on, it all seemed so unreal. As I swam through the forest back towards my house I kept glancing at the mermaid beside me. She didn't seem like a ghost, in fact she seemed just as alive as me.
"Is something the matter?" Minako asked me.
"No, It's nothing."
We continued in silence until we reached my house. I opened the front door and called out to my parents.
"I'm back!"
"Haruka, welcome ba...AAHH!"
"Mom! What's wrong!?"
"Mi...Mi...Minako?" My mother stuttered.
"Hello Riko! Long time, no see!" Minako said and smiled.
"Wait a minute, you two know each other!?"
"Yes, we are old friends," Minako said and smiled again.
"Old friends..."
That's when I understood.
"It's you... The mermaid from the story." I said while looking at Minako in shock.
My father had now joined us and looked just as shocked as my mother.
"Minako, what in the world are you doing here?" My mother asked her.
"I'm here because your son called me here." she answered.
"You said something like that in the forest too." I said.
"Yes, indeed I did." Minako said and smiled her usual smile.
Everyone fell silent and no one spoke for a few minutes.
"Before I came here I payed a visit to a young man up on land. A young man named Makoto, " Minako said after a while, breaking the silence.
"What!?" I said, surprised.
"I have been observing him for three weeks and during those three weeks he's been going to the same place everyday. Everyday for the last three weeks all he's been doing is staring at the ocean," she said.
"Did he look sad?" I asked her.
"Yes, during all that time I didn't see him smile even once."
A Makoto who wasn't smiling? I couldn't believe it. Minako must have noticed my thoughts because she gave me a comforting smile.
"Don't look so sad Haruka," she said.
We stood there in silence for a while.
"So what are you doing here?" I asked Minako.
"You called me here because you want to be together with Makoto, right? So that's why I'm here. To make your desire a reality, or at least try to." She answered.
"Really? How?"
"That's the tricky part," Minako said.
"Tricky?" I asked her.
"Yes, because I have no idea what to do."
"You mean how to turn me into a human?" I asked Minako.
"Exactly."
"But how did you turn into a human?"
"I have no idea about that either. I just wished so hard to be together with him and then the light appeared and suddenly I had feet instead of a tail. I guess that's what you have to do to, just wish for it and it will happen. Just to be safe I asked Makoto to "be patient and have faith". I thought that if you wish for it strongly enough and Makoto is patient and believes then it will happen!" Minako answered and smiled.
"You might be right! In either way, it's worth a try!"
"Haruka..." I heard my mother say from behind be and I turned around to face her.
"Mom... I..." I started.
"It's okay Haruka," my father said.
"Dad..."
"If you really wish to go, we won't stop you," my mother said and smiled.
"As long as you are happy," my father said and he also smiled.
"Mom...Dad...Thank you." I said and turned to Minako.
"Okay, here's the plan. Just swim towards the surface and while you do wish as hard as you can to become a human so that you can be together with Makoto."
"Got it."
As soon as I had said that, Minako started to fade away.
"Minako?"
"My time here has run out, it's time for me to go back. It was really nice to see you again my old friend," Minako said and smiled towards my mom, then she disappeared.
I turned to my parents again.
"I guess I'll be going then," I said turning to the door but as I reached for the handle someone took a hold of my arm. Before I realized it, I was crushed in a big hug.
"Mom! You're going to suffocate me!"
"Oh! I'm sorry," she said and let me go.
I took one last look at my parents and then I opened the front door and started swimming towards the magic gates. When I reached the gates I looked back in the direction of my house.
"I'll see them again," I thought as I swam through the gate.
Once I had passed through the gate I started swimming up towards the surface. I started swimming faster and faster while thinking of how much I wished to be with Makoto. Thoughts of his gentle smile filled my mind as I raced towards the world above.
Makoto's POV
I sat down in the sand and stared at the ocean.
"Be patient and have faith," Minako had said.
"Haru... I wish you were here with me...If only you would turn into a human then we could be together. Maybe if I believe you can turn into a human you will be able to do it." I thought.
"There you were!" I heard Nagisa say from behind me. I turned around to see him and the others walking towards me.
"We wondered where you had gone! You just disappeared all of a sudden!" Rin said.
"Sorry to make you worry about me," I said.
"Well, we have done nothing but worry about you lately so it's not anything new," Nagisa said.
"I know and I'm sorry."
"That reminds me. Rei-chan how come you're here? I thought you were busy with work?" Nagisa asked Rei.
"Well, when we talked on the phone before you sounded so upset. I tried to concentrate on my work but I couldn't. I just couldn't stop thinking about how disappointed you sounded when I said we couldn't go see a movie tonight so I told everyone at the lab to go home early and I came straight here," Rei said and blushed.
"Aw Rei-chan!" Nagisa said happily and jumped into Rei's arms so that they both fell over.
"Waahh! Nagisa calm down!"
"Rei-chan! I love you!" Nagisa said.
"I love you too, Nagisa," Rei said and smiled.
I didn't know what came over me put somehow I found myself laughing. At first everyone stared at me but then they started laughing too, even Nagisa and Rei. The laughter was quickly interrupted however when a blinding light suddenly shot out of the ocean up in the sky.
Haru's POV
As I continued to swim towards the surface something happened. A light surrounded me and almost seemed to devour me. The thoughts of Makoto's gentle smile flooded my mind as I reached the surface. When I broke the surface of the water I got a strange sensation in my tail, almost like it was itching. Suddenly the tail split into two and formed legs and a pair of pants and a shirt appeared out of nowhere. The light started to fade away and that's when I realized that the light was what kept me floating in the air. The light disappeared completely and I fell into the water.
Makoto's POV
"What was that?" Aiichiro asked after the light had disappeared.
"I have no idea," I said and looked in the direction where the light had just been.
"There is a guy there in the water!" Nagisa said suddenly an pointed.
Everybody looked in the direction where Nagisa pointed.
"You're right but it doesn't seem like he needs any help. Just look at how fast he is!" Gou said.
I sat watching the guy as he swam towards the beach and even though the he was still far away I caught a glimpse of his eyes and they were blue, very blue, like the ocean.
"Impossible..."
"What's wrong Makoto?" Rin asked me.
I didn't answer and instead I stood up and started walking out into the water.
"Makoto! What are you doing!?" I heard someone say behind me as I continued further out into the water.
It seemed he had seen me too because he started swimming even faster then he did before. I also tried to increase my speed put since I didn't want to fall and get my head under the water I slowed down again. I stopped once I couldn't get any further without getting my head under the water and waited for him to reach me. Since he was a fast swimmer it didn't take him long to reach me.
"Haru..." Was all I could say. I was in shock, I just couldn't believe Haru was here in front of me.
"Hello Makoto."
"Why are you here? That light?" I asked, still shocked.
"Makoto, I couldn't stand being apart from any longer."
"So you came to visit me?"
"Minako told me she had been to see you," Haru said.
"Minako came to you too!?"
"Yes and she told what to do so now we can be together."
"Wait... You mean...you're a...a human!?"
"Yes," Haru said.
I tried to speak but I couldn't, instead I just looked into Haru's eyes and smiled and just like always, he blushed.
"You're as cute as always when you blush," I said and smiled again.
"Shut up!" Haru said and blushed even more.
"You're really cute..." I whispered as I leaned in. Our lips met and I could feel a rush of warmth going through my entire body. I don't know how long we stood there with our lips pressed together but felt like forever and then when I pulled away it somehow seemed like only a second had gone by.
"Let's go back to the beach," I said and took a hold of Haru's hand.
I looked up and waved to the others on the beach, who also seemed to have noticed who the person in the water was because they were jumping up and down with smiles on their faces.
"Let's go."
"I don't think I can," Haru said.
"Huh?"
"I don't know how," he said and blushed.
"Oh, it's easy. Just put one foot in front of the other, okay?"
"I'll try."
It didn't take Haru too long to get the hang of it and we walked together back to the beach.
"I can't believe it..." Rei said when we reached the beach.
"I still can't believe it myself to be honest," Haru said.
"This is totally awesome! Welcome back Haru-chan!" Nagisa said and gave him a big hug.
"Excuse me, I can't breathe," Haru said.
"Oops, sorry. Anyway, we must have a party!"
"A party?"
"Yes, Mako-chan! A party! We have to celebrate!" Nagisa said.
"That's a good idea!" Gou said.
"Then let's go right now," Rin said.
"But where should we have the party?" Sousuke asked.
"We can have it at our place. Right Rei-chan?" Nagisa said.
"Yes, I guess that would be alright."
"Then it's decided! We'll go to Nagisa and Rei's place and have party," I said and smiled at Haru.
"But before we do that there is something else we must do," Nagisa said.
"Huh? What?" I asked him.
"We must go see Dr Hamada one last time."
"Dr Hamada, why?"
"Well, he's being sent away to some government facility right? He's not gonna bother us ever again so let's make him really angry," Nagisa said with a … look on his face.
"Nagisa, I don't know if that's..." I started but Haru interrupted me.
"Let's do it."
"See? Haru-chan thinks it's a good idea. It's the perfect revenge! I mean not only did Haru-chan manage to escape from his clutches but he has also turned into a human! I mean he wanted Haru-chan so that he could be immortal or whatever but that only worked when he was a merman!" Nagisa said.
"Okay then. My father and those government guys are discussing the last details inside the research facility right know so let's wait for them in the parking lot," I suggested.
"Sounds good," Rei said and we all walked back to the parking lot.
We had only waited for about five minutes when my father and the others came out through the entrance. We made sure Haru was hidden behind us so that we could really surprise Dr Hamada.
"You're all still here?" My father asked me.
"Yeah, we thought we'd wait for you," I said.
"That was nice of you. By the way, did you guys see that strange light?"
"Yeah, we did."
"Do you know what it was?" He asked me.
"No, do you know Rei?"
"No, Makoto. I do not," he said.
"Rin?"
"No, sorry. No idea."
"Nagisa?"
"No clue."
"Sousuke?"
"Nope, I don't know either."
"Gou?"
"Sorry, Makoto. I haven't got the faintest idea what it could have been."
"Aiichiro? Momotarou? Do either of you know?" I asked them.
They both looked at each other and shook their heads.
"What about you Haru? Do you know?"
Everyone moved aside so that Haru was now clearly visible.
"Who knows," he said and shrugged.
"Y...YOU!" Dr Hamada said angrily.
"Hello Dr Hamada, surprised to see me?" Haru asked him.
"Why you little!" Dr Hamada said and tried to get out of the security guard's grip.
"No you don't!" he said and dragged him to Mr Tanaka and Mr Yoshida's car.
"I can't believe it! It's really you," My father said.
"This is the merman?" Mr Tanaka asked.
"Yes...Well not anymore," I said.
"That's true. Anyway we'll be taking care of Dr Hamada now so you and your people don't have to worry about him anymore. Same goes for the director of the marine park," Mr Tanaka said while looking at Haru.
"Uh, thanks," Haru said uncertainly.
"No need for thanks, this is our job.
"We're ready to go now," Mr Yoshida said.
"Okay, goodbye then," Mr Tanaka said and followed Mr Yoshida to their car.
While they were driving away, Dr Hamada looked at us through the window and the look he gave us was not very pretty.
"Hey, guys. Let's just smile and wave at him."
Everybody looked at each other and smiled. We turned back to face Dr Hamada and we all raised our hands and waved. The car was already pretty far away so we couldn't see what kind of face he was making but I doubt it was a happy one.
Let's have that party now!" Nagisa said.
"Yeah, that sounds good," I said and turned to Haru.
~ A few hours later at Nagisa and Rei's apartment ~
The party had gotten pretty wild. Right now they were singing karaoke and Nagisa and Momotarou were fighting about who would sing next. Deciding I needed some air I went out onto their balcony.
"You can see the ocean from here," a voice said from behind me a few minutes later.
I turned a little to see Haru standing there.
"Hi, Haru. Yeah you're right," I said.
He walked and stood beside me.
"You know, ever since that time ten years ago I've hated the ocean," I said after a few minutes of silence.
"But now, even though it still scares me, I don't hate it anymore," I continued.
"Why?" Haru asked.
"Because it's were you come from, your home," I said and smiled.
"Did you really stare at the ocean all day, everyday for the last three weeks?"
"Wha...What!? Who told you that!" I said and I could feel my face heating up.
"Minako told me and by the way Makoto, did you know?" Haru asked me.
"Did I know what?"
"That you also look pretty cute when you blush," he said.
"Uh... that's...that's not true," I said and turned my face away.
"Makoto..." Haru said after a couple of minutes of silence.
"Yeah?"
"We'll always be together from now on, right?"
His question caught me off guard but I already knew my answer.
"Of course we will, Haru," I said and turned to look straight into his blue eyes that no longer had any sadness in them.
"I love you, Haru."
"I love you too, Makoto."
At that moment it was like everything had stopped. The music from inside the apartment died out and there was no longer any wind blowing. In that moment there was only me and Haru, it was like no one else existed except us and all that could be heard was the distant sound of waves and of our own heartbeats.
That's all folks! It's done! I really hope you have all enjoyed this story! This was my very first fanfic and I have really enjoyed writing it. I don't know when I will write another one or if I'm ever gonna write another one. I got the idea for this fanfic from a picture I saw on Facebook. I saw the picture and the story just appeared in my mind. Anyway, goodbye for now! I hope to see you all again someday! :D