"Wow, isn't he just amazing?"

The beach was crowded with sunbathers, picnickers, surfers and all other assortment of beach lovers. Many of those such beach lovers were kids, teenagers mostly, enjoying the start to their summer vacation, three of which were enjoying something a little different. Out in the water were young surfers the three girls were enjoying watching, well, to be more precise, one surfer in particular. A young man of seventeen with bleach blonde hair shredding the waves like a pro. He was actually the favorite of many girls on the beach and so had quite an enthralled audience.

"You think he'll take the surf team to state this year?" one of the three girls, one with magenta hair, asked as she leaned on a volleyball.

"If he doesn't, I can't wait for all the torment he goes through senior year for letting everyone down," a girl with blonde pigtails sighed happily. "How wonderfully tragic it'll be."

"No way. Mytho will take the team to state, and he'll win too," the third girl, with long red hair pulled back into a braid stated defiantly. "He's been working hard all year. There's no way he'll lose."

"Is that so? Well, I'm sure a confession of love will only help him win, dontcha think, Ahiru?" the magenta haired girl smirked.

Ahiru turned bright red and quickly waved her hands in front of her. "N-n-no no way, Pique. I could never tell him. He'd never pick someone like me. I mean why would he? As perfect as he is. He deserves a girl like...her."

The three girls looked at who Ahiru was pointing at and Pique sighed. The girl in question was tall, slender in figure with ankle long golden blonde hair and looked absolutely stunning in her red and white bikini. Many boys were ogling her and it was obvious she knew the attention she was drawing to herself which only made the situation seem even more hopeless.

Ahiru, with her petite build and scrawny limbs, was no match for her and even Pique, was who a bit taller and curvier, couldn't hold a light to the girl's natural grace. As for the third girl, Lilliae, she wasn't trying to impress anyone. She mostly enjoyed watching the surfers wipeout and laughing at other people's misfortune. She was a strange one, but her two friends accepted her anyway.

It was all Pique could do to not grow depressed from Ahiru's slumped form, but she put a reassuring hand on her shoulder and explained, "Well, think of it this way. She may have the looks, but because you've been friendzoned, you can hangout with him whenever and simply pretend you're on a date. She can't have that."

"You know, for some reason, that doesn't actually help," Ahiru stated indignantly.

"Poor adorable Ahiru," Lilliae squealed as she grabbed her red headed friend's face and squeezed her cheeks. "You'll never be happy. But then that means I can cheer you up even more."

"Still not helping," Ahiru mumbled through squished lips.

Just then, a yell and loud crash was heard from the surf and they all looked to see that the subject of their focus had just fallen into the water and they all jumped to their feet. After just a few seconds, the familiar bleach blonde of his hair popped back above the water and two out of the three let out a sigh of relief. Lilliae mumbled a 'drat' under her breath and both ginger and magenta haired girls turned to look at her in concerned disgust.

"What?" she shrugged. "He's not hurt."

"You worry me," Pique grumbled and they all headed to the shoreline as Mytho trudged out of the waves, surfboard under one arm.

He had a big grin on his face and only laughed as he met up with another boy, also seventeen, with peacock blue hair and glasses. He was not nearly as amused.

"Man, what a wipeout, huh Autor?"

Autor pushed up his glasses and crossed his arms. "You're lucky you got out of that in one piece. I advise you to be more careful with your footing. You are always getting too distracted." As if to make his point, Mytho watched a group of bikini clad girls walk by, his stare causing them to giggle. "You need to pay attention to the waves more than the sand...and the people on it. Are you even listening to me!?"

"Lighten up, Autor. It's summer. Let me live a little," Mytho chuckled.

"You asked me to coach you during the summer and that's what I'm trying to do. Now pay attention. The reason you wiped out was because you were only watching the waves. You need to feel them too. The pull, the churning of the currents and most of all, the swell. You are not trying to fight them. Let the natural flow of the water lead you. It'll make everything so much..."

"Nagging him again, Autor?" Pique called as the three girls drew closer.

"As I was explaining to him, I am not nagging, I'm..."

"Hey, girls," Mytho greeted cheerfully.

"Gnarly wipeout," Lilliae giggled. "You wouldn't happen to be hurt would you?"

"Nope, just drank some sea water, that's all."

"I swear you just get better every day," Ahiru said, a bit shyly. "Even your wipeouts are getting less and less."

"Thanks, Ahiru," Mytho smiled and rubbed the back of his head. "That's what I'm hoping for."

"What do you think your chances for state is going to be this year?" Pique piped up again after hip bumping Autor out of the way. "I think it's looking pretty good, but I'm not the expert."

"Well, before I was so rudely interrupted," Autor practically snarled. "I was just giving Mytho some tips on how to improve. If he follows them then he'll have a good chance...if he goes to state. The rest of the team might be a lost cause."

"They're not that bad," Mytho defended sheepishly.

"And that's why you're the only one asking for my help this summer. Oh yeah, they really care about giving it their all."

"Why don't you surf, Autor?" Ahiru asked suddenly. "I mean, you know what you're talking about and you could probably be just as good as Mytho in no time, and it's clearly something you're interested in, so..."

"I'd need to get special contacts and they're expensive. And before you tell me I can get prescription goggles, I am not going to make a fool of myself by wearing stupid goggles in a sport where no one else wears them."

The other four just looked at each other and shrugged before Mytho completely changed the subject and asked, "So, who wants a smoothie? I could go for a smoothie."

"Only if you're paying!" Lilliae cried as the group of five headed up the beach to the smoothie stand, completely unaware their summer was going to be one they were certain to remember.

Powerful jaws snapped impossibly close to the end of his emerald tail. He could feel the tip of the shark's nose brush against his fin and he pushed himself to go faster. As far as he could tell, he was still going to right way. The map was pretty accurate, he had already passed the rock arch and the kelp forest, now he was just looking for the reef with the purple coral. It shouldn't be that hard to find, he figured, considering purple coral was rather difficult to find, but why did he have to be spotted, again? These chases were excruciating and monotonous and just out right exhausting. Couldn't he have a break for just a day?

He twisted around some rock spires, getting a small lead, when, after turning a corner, he found himself amongst a reef. He hoped it was the one he was looking for and pushed forward, his pursuer still on his tail. His eyes scanned the reef, trying to find the purple coral, when he nearly ran into a rock wall. It just seemed to come out of nowhere and he was lucky he hadn't run face first into it. Not to mention, it didn't look natural. It seemed someone had stacked hundreds of enormous rocks on top of each other in a long line. Was it some sort of territory barrier? Somebody's property line? He had no idea and with one quick glance behind him, he knew he didn't have time to think about it.

The shark was still coming full speed at him and, after swiftly pulling together an idea, he waited until the shark was nearly on top of him before racing out of the way. The shark had no time to stop and rammed into the rocks, his nose clearly crumbling in on itself, and soon a stream of red traveled up to where the merman was hovering. Blood. That only meant there were going to be more sharks soon. He had to find shelter before they arrived and find him and without wasting another minute, he went to the surface for the first time in his life.

His breath caught in his throat as he took his first breath of non-hydrated oxygen and he paused as he realized that the rock wall went way above the water as well. He couldn't see over it. Now he had to find out if he could go around it. To his right, it was obvious there was just land, thus leaving his only option being his left. Swimming carefully just under the surface of the water, he finally found the end of the jetty and carefully peaked above the water once again, this time his breath catching for an entirely different reason.

Humans! So many humans. There were humans on boats, floating over the surface of the water, humans standing on boards that sliced across the waves and humans sitting, standing and, was it, walking on the yellow sand. Humans couldn't live in the water like he could and yet they found so many other ways of enjoying the sea. It was kind of impressive, but he had to keep moving. He could enjoy humans' innovations later. Now he just had to find the Edel person.

Dunking back under the water, he pulled out the map and found where he was. Two jetties jutted out into the sea and since he had already passed one, he just had to pass one more and he'd be able to find this entrance. Shoving the map back into the satchel, he swiftly sliced through the water, quickly passing the second jetty and soon came upon the last landmark. Now that he had found the submerged statue of a barnacle encrusted mermaid, he found the twin coral towers and knocked the same rhythm as his home's entrance on a moss covered stone and just like his home, it lifted open and he squeezed through the opening, taking one quick glance back to make sure no one had seen him.

He swam through the tunnel, but unlike his home's it was surrounded by colorful corals and sea plants, making it seem welcoming. After a few shallow turns, he found himself at the bottom of a deep underground lake and waiting above him, on the shore, appeared to be the figure of a person. He hoped to high heaven that this was the person he was supposed to meet and he cautiously swam to the surface. His head slowly broke through the surface of the water and he came face to face with a woman with lime green hair pulled up into an extravagant bun. She didn't react in any way he might have expected a human to react when first meeting a merman, but her calm smile only seemed to make him even more tense.

"Well," she spoke suddenly. "I don't get very many visitors here. And young mermen either. So, to whom do I owe the pleasure?"

"Um..." he glanced around the dim cave, not sure what to find, before answering, "Fakir. My grandfather sent me. Are you..."

"What's your grandfather's name?"

He was startled by her bluntness but still responded. "Drosselmeyer. He told me to come here to find..."

"Edel, I'm assuming." She smiled at his surprised reaction and continued. "I am she, Fakir. Now, what could Drossy possibly be sending a young merman here for?"

Drossy? he thought, quickly deciding to just explain everything like his grandfather had instructed. "He sent me here because the Princess is here and now that she's getting older, he said it'll be easier for the King to find her and kill her and that I need to protect her until she turns sixteen so that she can finally gain her full power and bring peace back to the ocean." He inhailed sharply as he finished and waited anxiously for her response. I seriously hope I didn't just tell all that to the wrong person.

Edel was silent for a moment, clearly thinking over everything he had just said, before smiling sweetly and relaxing. "Well then, if that's all, then I suppose you'll need to learn how to be human. I see that you have a pearl. No doubt, one of your grandfather's favorite spells. Now, come along. You have a lot to learn before you can go out into the world."

Fakir stopped as she began walking away and he was about to say something when she turned around and smirked at him. "What? Don't tell me he forgot to tell you how to use that."

He nodded shamefully.

"It's quite simple. Merely think about becoming human, and you will. Perhaps you should sit up here, to do that. First time getting legs will be unusual and you most likely will not know how to swim with them. Come on," she patted the stone next to her feet and he jumped up onto it, his fins the only thing still in the water.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, concentrating on being human. Was it really as simple as just thinking it? There had to something more to it, right? Well, when he opened his eyes again, instead of his emerald tail were two fleshy legs the same olive shade as the the rest of his skin and he had a panic attack.

He jumped away, terrified of his new limbs and ended up with his back pressed firmly against the stone wall, the satchel he hadn't taken off yet being the only thing keeping him from complete nudity (although Edel wouldn't have been too against it herself, wink). He was breathing hard, nearly hyperventilating, as he stared, petrified, at the foreign limbs.

"Now, now," Edel chuckled. "It's not that bad."

"They're hideous!" he cried. "I don't want them. Is there some way to do this without...these?"

"Well, what else did he say about your mission? Maybe all you have to do is watch her from the water."

"Um..." his eyes were glued to his legs as he thought and he tried to calm his racing heart. "She'll have two friends...uh...they'll have pearls like mine...and...um..."

"Will she know?"

"What?" he looked up.

"Will she know? Who she is. Will she know she's the Princess?"

He thought back to what his grandfather said and shook his head no. "He said she can't know who she is or the King will certainly find her. Why?"

"Well, then, I guess you're going to have to use legs. If she doesn't know who she is, then you can't very well protect a human from the sea."

Fakir's head leaned back against the rock wall as he realized he was stuck. Either put up with legs or fail the mission before he had even started. His shoulders slumped in exasperation and he groaned in annoyance. At least he was no longer trying to get away from his own body.

"Fine..." he grumbled and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I'll just have to deal with them then. But...I have no idea how to use them. Will it take me long to get used to them?"

"It depends. But you certainly won't get anywhere by sitting on your butt all day. I'll get you some clothes and we can get started on training you how to walk."

"Wait...what are clothes?"

It was too late. The older woman was already gone, leaving him alone in the damp cavern. The water from the lake splashed soothingly on the stone and he found himself already missing home and wondering if his grandfather had gotten away safely or at all. He just hoped the old merman was still alive in the very least and it wasn't too long before the woman came back holding what he assumed were 'clothes'.

She dropped them in his arms and explained, "You're going to want to always keep at least your lower half clothed at all times. It is indecent for any human to be naked in public."

"Indecent?" he repeated as he looked at the bundle in his arms.

Whatever, he thought and used the wall behind him to get to a standing position. And for the first time since he switched to legs, the satchel moved from its place in front of his crotch and he stared in shock at what he saw. He had never seen anything like it before and it was even more disgusting than his legs. All he could seem to do was stare in mortified awe when he heard Edel chuckling and he looked up, not sure if he needed to be angry or afraid.

"What is that?" he pointed to his crotch, not at all amused.

She chuckled again. "That is what those are meant to cover. Now hurry up. We haven't got all day now have we?"

He watched as she walked up the stairs and out of the cavern again and he begrudgingly began trying to figure out how to wear 'clothes'. It took all his patience just to get on what he assumed were supposed to cover that monstrosity and just as he finished pulling the shorts over his waist, one of his ankles went out on him and he fell to the ground with a thud. Soft footsteps echoed on the stone steps as Edel quickly made her way back down, swiftly rushing to the merman and helping him to a sitting position, checking that he wasn't majorly injured. Just a scrape on his chin, elbow and both knees. Nothing she couldn't fix.

"I'm so sorry," she quickly apologized. "I probably shouldn't have left you like that. Let me get something for those scratches."

She walked over to a shell shaped cupboard and rummaged around until she found a blue bottle. She knelt back next to him as he gripped at one of his bleeding knees and she poured one drop of the liquid in the bottle on the injury. He flinched as it stung, but in the next second it was gone. She then did the same to each of his other injuries, soon completely taking away any hint that he had hurt himself. He rubbed at where the injury on his chin had just been and quietly thanked her, ashamed for having done something so foolish.

She sighed before getting up and putting the bottle away. Just as she shut the cupboard, she suddenly mentioned, "That's a very powerful spell on your back. You probably don't know how to use that one either, do you?"

"Huh?" he tried to look at whatever was on his back and shrugged. "My grandfather said it was a weapon but once again, he told me nothing on how to use it."

"Typical," she smirked and turned to him. "Well, I hope you never have to use it, but in case you do, just reach back and mimic grabbing the weapon and then it will appear in your hand. Try it."

These spells were so odd, but he did as he was told, reaching back as if to grab something and when he pulled his hand back he found, gripped firmly in his fist, a long, silver sword with two white dolphins engraved into the pommel. He stared at it, marveling at the craftsmanship and how lightweight it was. For something as big and sturdy as this weapon was, it almost felt like there was nothing in his hand. He wobbly got back to his feet and gave the sword a few slices through the air to get a feel for it, still amazed by how easy it was to wield.

Edel smiled knowingly and walked around him as he practiced with the sword. "My dear Drosselmeyer certainly knows what works best for you, doesn't he? And, it seems, the best part is, when you have it sheathed, no one will have any idea it's real."

"What do you mean?" he stopped and turned to her.

"Put it back and I'll show you."

As he repeated the original action, only the reverse, to put the spell back on his back, Edel brought out a mirror and carefully led the boy the another mirror on the other end of the room. She held up the mirror in such a way so he could see his back and he was baffled to see the same sword now seemingly drawn directly onto his skin with black ink, fading under the waistline of his shorts.

"How will no one know this is a real sword? It looks just like it."

"The humans have something called tattoos. Permanent ink drawings engraved right into their skin. Most look just like this so even if someone were to see this, they'll just think you have a tattoo. You'll need to make sure that's all they think it is."

Edel turned and seemed to head back to the stairs when Fakir spoke up with a question that seemed to have plagued his mind since he had gotten there.

"How do you know all about this? Are you a mermaid?"

She stopped and, with a sad smile, responded, "I was. But not anymore. Now come along. We don't have much time before you must go and find the Princess. It would appear time is of the essence."

Fakir blinked as she continued up the stairs without another word and couldn't help wonder what that could mean. This woman, who his grandfather seemed to put so much faith into, just brushed off his question and walked away. If she really was a mermaid, why was she here? An adult mermaid would be extremely powerful. Why was she hiding on land? And being able to use potions and magic? Taking on the King would be easy.

But until she decided to tell him her story, he would just have to trust his grandfather's judgement and believe in this woman's ability to help him. And just thinking about how much rested on him to keep some girl he had never met safe, it was already stressing him out. He was nervous before but now that he had had some time to rest and was no longer being chased, the realization of his task was honestly terrifying. What would happen if he failed? Would he even be able to find her? What if he ended up finding the wrong girl? Or she was already dead?

He shook his head. Ugh, all these doubts were just going to distract him. He WAS going to find her and he WASN'T going to fail. The Princess WILL live to sixteen and she WILL return peace to the sea. She had to. If she didn't... He didn't want to think about that and ran a worried hand through his hair. He quickly pulled his hand back with realization. Now that his hair was drying out, leaving it down would be a problem. He couldn't very well protect the Princess if he couldn't see. Hopefully Edel could do something about it.

"Are you coming!?" Edel's voice broke through his thoughts and he looked in their direction with surprise. "Also, put that shirt on too. Taking you shopping will be difficult without that."

Shirt? Shopping? What on earth were all these words she kept throwing at him? Well, from context clues, he figured the shirt was whatever that secondary thing she had given him was and shopping...well, he'll just have to wait and see. He stumbled over to where he had dropped the other piece of clothing and, after slipping his satchel off, eventually figured out how to put the shirt on. It took a few trials and errors, but he soon realized the open part went to the front, and the closed part to the back while his arms went through the two holes on the back...or was it the sides? Either way, he finally began his escalation up the stairs, making sure to keep his satchel with him at all times. He had no idea what could be in there that he would want with him.

New chapter guys!!!! Yay!!! So...how do y'all feel about a Pique/Autor pairing? I think it could be fun. An interesting dynamic to be sure.

Also, im going to try to get at least one chapter out every 2 days at the most. I'm going to finish this story dagnabit!!!! And near the end, I'm gonna ask what story you guys will want me to do next. And as for the other ones I haven't finished...it's because I'm stuck. Maybe doing this will help get me out of my writter's block.

So...until next time, slaters. XD