Disclaimer: I own none of the characters!
Notes: Mini chapter! After this starts the last fairytale for this story (hint: Eren's love of apples will play a big part in it). I'm sad to say this story is officially on the downhill. I want to thank everyone who has read this and for all the encouraging words! But for now, enjoy this mini chapter!
It was on the shores of the ocean, miles away from Shiganshina, when Connie sputtered and coughed out salt water. He caught his stomach with his hand, life coming back into his face. He rubbed his eyes and looked out over the ocean. And at what used to be his small fishing boat.
Fishing proved to be difficult, especially in a storm that hadn't been predicted, and Connie had suffered the harshest end of it. Though the last thing he remembered he was sinking to the ocean floor. And fast.
He looked to the girl next to him and she stared back at him, shoving her face full of soggy bread.
"You…you saved me!?"
She nodded and swallowed. "Sorta. I was saving your food but I figured I should save you, too…"
"But how…?"
Connie glanced down at the girl's body. And where there should be feet and legs there was instead a glimmering green tail. A fish-like tail. Connie yelped.
"WHAT ARE YOU?!"
The girl swallowed again and laughed. "I'm a mermaid." She sighed. "But what I would give to be human…"
"Huh? Why?" Connie asked, once he had calmed himself down. The girl held up the bag of wet bread.
"Humans get to eat all sorts of amazing foods. On the ocean floor we have…fish."
Her tone was lackluster. And it was then that an idea sparked in Connie's mind.
"What's your name, lady mermaid?"
"Sasha."
"Well, Sasha, what if I make a deal with you?" Connie asked. "If you can find me blue lobsters, I'll go sell them to the fish market and get you more food. Better food than wet rations."
Sasha's eyes lit up. "R-Really?! You'd do that if I help you?!"
Connie laughed and nodded. "Of course!"
They shook hands and Sasha disappeared into the ocean. Connie waited, legs crossed, for her to reappear. And within the hour, Sasha had poked her head out of the water and was throwing blue lobsters onto the shore.
Connie grabbed the lobsters and hurried off into the small town. He sold his lobsters and with the money he bought the best meats and breads and cheeses he could buy (and still had quite a bit left over). He was back on the ocean shore, running across the sand in no time.
Sasha poked her head out from behind a rock and swam over, eyes big. "You came back!"
"Of course!" Connie called, laying out a blanket. "I said I would. Come on, let's eat!"
Sasha crawled on to the sand, watching Connie slice bread and layer the meat and cheese onto it. He held out the sandwich to her and she was close to tears.
"You're so kind, thank you!"
Connie laughed. "It's no problem. But…why would you want to be human for just food? You're a real mermaid and that's...It's really fucking cool!"
Sasha laughed and shrugged, flopping her tail against the sand. "Because human food is delicious. And having a tail is worthless, really, ya know?" She finished off her sandwich and eyed the rest of the food. Connie slid the knife over to her to let her cut however much she wanted.
"But it's beautiful!" Connie shouted. Sasha looked up at him and Connie flushed, turning away. "I mean…you shouldn't change. You're fine the way you are."
Sasha smiled around the slice (it was more than a slice, it was a large hunk) of bread in her mouth. She mumbled out a muffled "thank you" before swallowing.
"We should do this more often. I can help you fish and you can buy food and share it with me. We'll be a deadly combo."
"That's actually not a bad idea…"
And so they settled on their agreement. Connie would bring her more food and Sasha would help him to catch fish. It was a simple arrangement, nothing extravagant, but it brought the two of them closer to the world they wanted to be a part of.
Connie's love of the sea grew even more that day.