Morg: Heyo! Ready for an epic adventure?

Ikuto: Being around you is always an adventure.

Amu: There was so much sarcasm in that statement that I can taste it.

Morg: What?

Ikuto: Want to know what else you can taste?

Amu: Nope!

Morg: I think I know!

Ikuto: I would hope so.

Amu: Neither of you own me! I'm free and I won't be bullied by you!

Morg: Spoil sport.

Ikuto: She tries to resist.

Amu: Dear Lord.

~At the Water's Edge~

Kukai honestly had no idea why Pepe didn't like him. Of course, it had nothing to do with him spraying her down when he thought she was getting too hot. The little Pomeranian had so much fur that the male was convinced she'd die of heat stroke if he didn't help her out. Considering he was helping her, spraying her couldn't be the reason for her hate.

Ikuto should have known that his friend was an idiot. All the signs were there.

Riding on a boat was much different than being in the water. Amu couldn't decide if she liked the feeling or not. Sometimes it felt like she was just floating on the waves. Other times it felt as though it was them against the ocean. Considering that she'd lived her whole live in sync with the large body of water, fighting it was just… strange.

A blast of cold water caused Rima to deadpan as her hair covered her face. Slowly, she used her arm to lift the sopping strands while glaring at the boy in charge of keeping her and her mer-companions wet. "Kukai, you might mean well, but I'll kill you anyhow."

Grinning sheepishly, Kukai rubbed at the back of head before setting the hose down. They were wet enough for the next hour. "I'm going to go steer the boat."

Only settling down when Nagi placed his hand on her shoulder, Rima continued to glare at the human's back as he ran away. "Yeah, you go do that."

"Rima, be nice. He means well."

Having now gotten to experience how soft her hair was when it was dry, Rima wanted to keep it that was for as long as possible. With Kukai around, that didn't seem to happen for more than five minutes. "He doesn't have to spray my head. Only our tails need to stay moist."

Moving about on the deck of the boat was definitely taking its toll on his arms. Nagi was used to using his tail to take him from place to place. Now it was just dead weight. He supposed this was good training, even if he didn't quite want it. "We don't have to do this for much longer. We'll just catch up to the others and stop them. Then we'll be back in the sea where we belong. You won't ever have to see that human again."

Rima couldn't wait for the moment that that happened. "Promise?"

Pulling his wife into his arms, Nagihiko smiled. There was a reason he loved this girl. "Of course."

Amu couldn't help but smile at the sight. Even Yaya was silent while watching the two lovers hold each other, which the pinkette mermaid decided was quite the feat. Yaya didn't seem to have an off switch to all that energy. The moment was perfect until Ikuto appeared in her face.

"Are we still going the right way?"

Either the captain was really worried that they were going to get lost and his future would be with Utau, or he was fishing for ways to speak to Amu. The pinkette figured it was the first option. "Yes, I'll tell you if we end up off course."

Slipping his hands into his pockets, Ikuto glanced from where he was looking out at the sea to Amu before looking back at the water. "So do you like riding on my boat?"

Lifting an eyebrow, Amu turned to face the human full on. She had a feeling he wouldn't be leaving for a while, anyhow. Then again, it was his boat and he could do what he wanted. "It's different, but it isn't bad."

"I wish I knew what it was like to travel as freely as you do beneath the waves."

Amu had to laugh at that. Ikuto sounded as if he truly wanted to try being a merman, which was what he was trying to avoid. "You might find out if Utau gets the Tear."

Frowning, Ikuto nudged the mermaid's shoulder with his elbow. "That's not how I want to experience it. Though I might see more of the ocean that way."

Smiling because she enjoyed his company even if he was a bit odd, Amu nudged the other back. "And why is that?"

"Because I'll be spending all my time swimming away from that crazy princess."

Giggling because the other had a point, Amu promised herself that Ikuto wouldn't have to escape Utau for that reason. Just as she was about to tell the other that, the little thing they called a dog came sliding across the deck and into Amu's arms. The puppy licked her face before barking happily. Amu couldn't help but laugh with it. The human world was so interesting. She wouldn't mind getting to see more of it.

XXX

"I don't like this."

Rolling her eyes, Utau made certain that their small group continued on with their quest. "You said that before, Tadase."

The young prince felt that his unease was well deserved. They were currently swimming through giant underwater pillars. The way the rock had formed after a volcanic explosion left the ocean floor marred and difficult to traverse. It didn't help that they couldn't see very far in the murky water.

Despite not liking the area they were going through, Tadase kept going. Mostly because Utau was forcing him and partly because Kairi said that they had to go that way. If he wanted to get to the Tear and use it to get Amu then he had to be brave and swim through water that was spooky.

Something moved out of the corner of his eyes. Tadase sped up to be closer to his sister. "I really don't like this."

If she could kill him and call it an accident, then Utau would have done it long ago. Her brother was really annoying. Unfortunately, she couldn't make her father that angry. Not if she wanted to take over the kingdom someday. "I really don't like you."

Listening to the siblings bicker was something that Kairi was used to doing. At first, he did his best to stay out of whatever they were fighting about. Now, however, he just ignored them completely. The two were childish and ridiculous. Kairi really didn't want to see the kingdom ruled by either of them. Their petty fights and snobbish attitudes didn't bode well for the rest of the kingdom. They were doomed.

What Kairi really wished, at the moment, was that he could escape like he usually did to go and speak to a wildly beautiful human. The girl was so lively with what she talked about. Everything was innocent, which was the opposite of what he saw throughout the day at the palace. He missed Yaya.
"Did you see that?"

"Quit being creepy just because you don't want to be here. The faster you swim the faster we're past this."

Ignoring his sister almost completely because the older girl always thought she knew best, Tadase kept trying to see through the dense water. Something wasn't right. Sure, the water and the effects of the pillars made him see things, but Tadase was certain that he really had seen something moving in the dim light.

Tugging on Utau's arm, Tadase pointed off towards the left. "There! Did you see it?"

Shaking her brother off, Utau turned to give the male a piece of her mind. Instead of being greeted with just her brother's worried face, Utau found herself looking up at a creature that she didn't want to see. Panic set in. "Swim!"

Kairi was pulled from his thoughts of small fluffy dogs and cute human girls when the two royals shoved each other as they went by. Where they thought they were going, he had no idea. The librarian was the one with the map. If they strayed off their course, they'd end up lost and there was no telling if they'd be able to find it again. "Where-"

A pillar to his right collapsed. Kairi turned to see what had caused the damage. A giant sea monster stared right back at him. One of its long tentacles shot out to hit him this time. Being quick, Kairi dodged the attack before swimming after the prince and princess. Of course they'd just leave him behind. The two were quite selfish like that. Kairi was only a servant, after all.

Dodging attacks and weaving in and out between the pillars, Kairi looked for the other two. As much as he wanted to return the favor and leave them behind, he couldn't. Mostly because he was too kind to do that, but also because he'd be blamed for their deaths. "Tadase! Utau!"

The prince and princess were too busy getting away to pay attention to where they were going. They swam as fast as their tails carried them through the gloom. The only thing the two could think about was getting away. Their quest didn't matter. Kairi didn't matter. Not as long as they kept their lives.

"Swim faster, idiot!"

"Don't call me an idiot, you little brat! Just keep going!"

Whether it was because they were the ones running or if it was because somehow the creature knew that they were royals that panicked in dangerous situations and made dumb choices, the creature chased Utau and Tadase rather than Kairi. The librarian couldn't complain. He didn't want the creature chasing him. Not with those long tentacles swatting at the pillars and causing so much damage.

Still, even if he was dragged along, Kairi couldn't just abandon the two to their fates. Studying the situation, he found that the bulk of the monster couldn't move through the pillars like its long limbs could. Moving into open water like the two royals were trying to do would only give the monster more room to gain on them. Staying in the dark water with the pillars didn't sound ideal, but it was the best option. "Come back this way! Tadase! Utau! Don't go that way!"

Barely dodging another swipe of a large tentacle, Utau swore as she went tumbling through the water and hit a pillar. Her words stopped as she sunk to the ocean floor.

Tadase screamed as he dove to grab at his sister. A long snake-like appendage of the sea monster slithered towards the fallen princess. Tadase slapped it away when it tried to wrap around Utau's tail. "You can't have her!"

There were a lot of things that Kairi didn't like about the siblings. However, he could admit that they were kind people at heart. It was the reason he served their family. Because he couldn't abandon them, he searched through the water for something to use to help. A jagged rock laid not too far away from where it had broken off from a pillar after being struck.

Hefting the rock, Kairi used all his strength to stab the pointed end into the tentacle that Tadase was struggling with. The prince was slowly becoming entangled. It wouldn't be long until the monster pulled him away.

A loud cry echoed through the dark water as inky blood poured from the gash that Kairi created. Lifting his weapon once more, Kairi forced the rock back into the cut he'd already made. The tentacle retreated.

Swimming down to where Tadase was attempting to rouse his sister, Kairi took the girl's hand. "She's just unconscious. Look, she's breathing fine. Let's get her to somewhere safer. I have a feeling that creature won't give up so easily."

"How do we get out of here?"

"It can't move through the pillars. We have to stay in them and move away from the body. Once we're out of its reach, we'll be safe. Come on."

Together the two lifted the princess and moved quickly, working together without complaint.

.

Morg: It's never easy to go on epic quests.

Ikuto: They'd be boring if it was easy.

Amu: How many sea creatures are going to attack?

Morg: As many as needed!

Ikuto: Whatever.