Morg: Heyo! So there might be some confusion. Utau isn't actually a slut in this story.

Ikuto: I just think she's like all the other girls I've dealt with.

Amu: But she's really nice and sweet and not evil.

Morg: No, at the moment she's evil.

Ikuto: Sisters usually are.

Amu: This is why you don't own anyone.

Morg: Pretty much.

~At the Water's Edge~

Once again on dry land and back in his car, Ikuto was too angry to return home. He wasn't actually surprised that his stepfather had kept such a huge secret from not only Ikuto but the world. Not surprised at all. His anger was solely due to the fact that even now that the bastard had shared the secret, he wasn't going to give Ikuto any information. The comment he'd made before they'd returned to land about not asking questions at the moment meant that Ikuto shouldn't ask any at all.

No, he wasn't returning to his home and Kukai and that stupid bird of his just yet. Not when he was this angry. Ikuto was tired of hearing Kukai preach about knowing that Ikuto was only going to be angry or put out when returning from visits with his stepfather, which is why Kukai usually advised to avoid the man or simply be pleasant in his presence. Two things that Ikuto could not do.

So instead of returning to his warm bed on his cozy yacht, Ikuto drove around in the night for a while. The road that wound just next to the sea shore was lovely with the moon's weak light reflecting off the water. So beautiful that Ikuto decided to pull off the road and down a dirt path that he knew led to a little cove. Not many other people knew that such a place existed, which was all the better for Ikuto.

Once his car was parked, Ikuto sat in the driver's seat and just stared out over the water. So merpeople were in league with his bastard of a freedom stealing stepfather, Ikuto should have known. If they hadn't been then everyone would have already known they existed. Not only were the half human half fish people hiding, but humans, full humans, were hiding them too.

Gripping the steering wheel harder than he needed to, Ikuto felt like screaming. Damn his stepfather for refusing to share any information on the creatures. Damn him!

XXX

Utau knew that she was in love the moment that human boy had spoken. That gorgeously hot human boy. The princess of the merpeople also knew that she wanted him, and that he would be hers.

Swishing her tail, Utau propelled herself into her father's chambers. "Father, where are you?"

Appearing before his daughter, the king smiled. "What is it, my dear?"

"I want that human boy. The son. Ikuto. I think we should be married."

"A relationship between a mermaid and a human boy? Such a thing cannot happen."

Utau frowned. "But think about it, Daddy. If I and that human boy were to unite in marriage then your contract with that human man would never void. I would have bonded us and our protection will remain for much longer than you thought."

Knowing that his daughter had a rather good point, the king sighed. "Let me talk it over with your mother before I give you my decision. Go now, Utau."

"Thank you, Daddy!"

The princess flicked her tail and swam out of her father's room only to head straight for the prince. "Guess what, Tadase!"

"No."

"I'm going to marry a human!"

"I said I di- wait. What?"

"I went along to the meeting earlier with Daddy and met the son of the man we have the deal with. He's amazingly good looking so I told Daddy to let me marry him and once he speaks to Mother it will be announced!"

Tadase didn't know what to say. "Good for you, but why a human? I mean, you could have anyone and you picked him? He can't even live in the ocean with you."

Utau smirked before checking to make sure that she and her brother were really alone. "If Daddy announces it then I'm going to find the Tear."

Almost as if he were afraid of what Utau was saying, Tadase grabbed his sister's wrist and pulled her in closer. "Don't even talk about it. That's a ridiculous idea!"

Shrugging her brother off, Utau flicked her tail again to put her further away from the other blonde. "Whatever you say. I'm going to do it."

Sighing, Tadase just watched his sister leave. Utau was one crazy fish for even thinking about what she just said.

XXX

The morning's rays filled Ikuto's car and woke him. Not quite remembering what was going on, Ikuto stared out the windshield in confusion. Slowly, the night before returned though his anger wasn't as much. At the moment he just needed a distraction.

Exiting his car, Ikuto worked some of the weariness out of his limbs before popping his trunk to grab some gear. No point in just wasting the fact that he was at the cove so early in the morning. Taking a net and his notebook and pen, Ikuto set off for the beach. Time to see what was hiding in the waves.

XXX

Amu knew that he was there. The net he was casting had already come into the water and left without a single thing tangled in its webs. Thank goodness for that. Amu wasn't certain what the human would do with what he caught, but she rather not find out. That was, until her rainbow fish, Miki got ensnared with the net was suddenly cast in a new spot.

Unable to ignore the fact that one of her familiars was being pulled from the ocean, Amu flung herself up and out of the deeper waters to land in the shallows close to the beach. "Please release her!"

Ikuto was stunned. There she was. Amu. Right before his eyes yelling about some fish. Looking down that the rainbow fish he was measuring before he released it back into the ocean, Ikuto returned his gaze to the pink haired mermaid. "The fish?"

"Yes! That's Miki and she's my familiar!"

Looking back at the fish in his hands, Ikuto let a plan form in his mind. "Alright, but I would like for you to stay for a bit and answer some questions for me. You don't have to answer any that you don't like."

Thinking there was no other way to save her fish, Amu nodded her agreement. "Fine, but please put her back now. Fish have to have water to breathe!"

"Yes, I know." Ikuto finished what he was doing before quickly letting the rainbow fish back into the waves. He watched the little fish to make certain that it was alright before turning back to the mermaid. "So how have you been, Amu?"

"Fine. Why are you asking me this?"

Ikuto frowned. "Well first off, I don't think I've ever actually had a chance to introduce myself. I'm Tsukiyomi Ikuto. And second, you have bruises and a couple of cuts. What happened?"

Looking down at her arms, Amu noticed that her marks from the last time she was unable to get away from the bullies were still visible. "Some of the other merpeople don't like the fact that I'm different."

"How so?"

"Well they beat me because they think that I think that I'm better at them because I can control the elements of nature. I don't really think that way, but nothing I can say will change their minds. If I fight back then the story of what happened gets twisted and others believe that I went looking for a fight and used my powers on innocent merpeople."

Ikuto felt more anger now than he had the night before. "That is just stupid. I suppose merpeople aren't that different from humans after all. I should've known. That isn't right, Amu. You shouldn't be treated that way."

Shrugging her thin shoulders, Amu couldn't really say much to that. She hid her surprise that Ikuto sounded like he was actually sincere in what he said to her unlike so many others that had said similar things in order to just get closer to her. "Thanks for saying so, but your words won't change reality."

Rolling his eyes, Ikuto took a seat on the beach with his notebook in hand. "I know that. The most I can do for you is listening to your troubles if you want to share them. It isn't like I can just turn into a merman and kick everyone's butts for hurting you, even if I would like to."

"Why would you do that for me?"

"Because obviously they fear you and think that you will use your gift for something evil. You saved my life, Amu. Because you are who you are and have the powers that you do, I am still living. That tells me that you can't be evil. That and you are way too beautiful to be evil."

Blushing a little, Amu turned her face away from the human boy to look out over the sea. "The prince is recently attempting to court me. I find him creepy and false. I can tell that he really has no feelings for me. The prince has always been power hungry. I'm avoiding him as often as I can. That is why I am here today. What brings you here?"

Ikuto smirked knowing that Amu was agreeing to have an actual conversation with him now. She wasn't suddenly going to just disappear into the water. "I slept in my car last night after my stepfather introduced me to your king and princess. I knew that merpeople existed because of you, but I had no idea he was keeping the secret from all the other humans. He won't answer any of my questions even though he is already forcing me to take over the family shipping business. So instead of returning home to my rather self-righteous roommate, I drove around and ended up here."

Knowing that she probably should have taken in more information than she did, Amu couldn't help but ask again just to clarify. "You met the king and princess as in the king and Princess Utau?"

"Yes?"

"I am so sorry."

Ikuto let the confusion show on his face. What did Amu have to be sorry about? "For what?"

"Considering your looks, I am almost positive that Princess Utau will demand that you somehow become hers. I'm just apologizing in advance. She tends to do this with anything she sees that she likes. If she could take another merpersons' familiar then she'd do that too."

Deciding to ignore that for now, Ikuto wished his phone wasn't currently ringing. Checking the cell, he noticed that he had about forty seven missed calls from Kukai. "I'm really sorry; I should answer this before Kukai blows a casket."

Amu nodded for Ikuto to do whatever he said he needed to do as she made herself more comfortable to wait for him to finish so they could talk some more. Despite the man's looks and the obvious look of perversion in his eye, Amu sort of liked the human boy.

"Hello?"

"What the hell! Where are you!?"

"Kukai, you aren't my wife, mother or girlfriend. I don't have to let you know when I won't be home. Chill out and calm down. I'm at the beach talking with Amu. I'll call you when I'm on my way home."

"Wait, like mermaid Amu?"

"Yes, like mermaid Amu. Call you later?"

"Fine, but you owe me some good food tonight!"

The call ended with Ikuto shaking his head. "Sorry, best friend was worried when I didn't come home to our boat last night. He's worse than a jealous girlfriend."

Amu giggled a little at that. "Don't worry about it. I'm not entirely sure what you mean, but that's alright. Do you have any more questions for now?"

Feeling as if he'd just been told that his stepfather died and the company was sold in pieces and chucks leaving Ikuto with only money and freedom for the rest of his life, Ikuto smiled at the mermaid. "Yes, yes I do."

.

Morg: There you go! More Amuto action!

Ikuto: Not really.

Amu: He's got a point.

Morg: Well, I don't care! I do care about Mirene messaging me so we can start hashing out the properties of this stone and what not since it is named after her! I can't wait to introduce more of the plot to you in future chapters! Please look forward to it!