Hey everybody! The Wielder of the Blue Flames here with a new chapter for Elric Brothers Live Start! And this time, Hanon takes the stage as well as the newest Dark Lover, Eriru!
Hope you guys enjoy this and thanks for being patient! And don't worry, soon enough Ed and Al will get their chance!
Also, guest reviewers… STOP ASKING ME TO UPDATE! I have a LIFE outside of this site you know!
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
The Aqua Blue Princess: Hanon takes the Stage!
Pearl Piari… Sunset,,,
"Listen to my heart, it will burst and splash!"
"Swaying feelings, just around in a flash!"
"Like a small blooming flower, it's the first time I've had such feelings!"
"Can't stop singing, can't stop dancing!"
"No matter what, in my heart, I can't stop falling in love!"
Luchia continued to sing, her soft melodic voice echoing in her room as she finished getting washed and changed from her quick bath to freshen herself up. With her Pearl back in hand, she was glad to be able to sing normally again and at the best of times as well.
After talking to Hanon and of course, getting through the rest of the school day, the Princess and the two Elric Brothers returned back to the hotel and after immediately stepping in, both Luchia and Ed went to their separate rooms to get ready for their date tonight.
'Finally! After all these years, we're finally going on a 'REAL' date!' Luchia thought with happiness and she looked over her outfit choices in a mirror, seeing which one would be the perfect choice. 'Just him and me and nobody else to-'
"You know she was right."
"GAH!" Luchia screamed with a jump, dropping the dresses in the process, placing a hand on her chest, panting. She looked down to see Hippo standing just a few inches behind her. "Hippo! Are you TRYING to give me a heart attack!? It's bad enough you burst into the bathroom, but now when I'm getting changed!?"
Hippo simply ignored the girl's response and continued. "Hanon was right about you dating that human! It's nothing but a disaster waiting to happen!" He said with a flat look, but his tone clearly made it sound like he was very annoyed.
Luchia waved her hand at him dismissively as she picked up the dresses. "Okay Hippo, First: Hanon worries too much. She even had to resort to that kids myth about us turning into bubbles." She began as she straightened the dresses out. "Second: That 'human' has a name and it is Edward."
"Even if that myth is untrue, a mermaid forming a romantic attachment to a human is unheard of!" Hippo went on, waving his flippers. "Do you know what kind of damage just one coupling can do!?"
"I'd rather think of all the good it can do." She rebutted with a smile as the penguin squawked. "Look, it'll be fine. Nothing bad is going to happen."
"Well forgive me if I'm less than satisfied with that claim! Of course something bad is going to happen in this situation!" Hippo then folded his flippers in a 'stern' manner. "I think it would be best if Hanon went along with you."
Luchia's eyes widened before she turned to him with an angered look. "WHAT!? Are you kidding me!? It's supposed to be just ME and HIM. No one else! That's how dates work!" She yelled at the penguin with a growl.
"Well then, I guess I'll have to ask her to follow you again." Hippo stated simply, further angering the mermaid.
"You can NOT be serious! You want to stop us from dating so much that you would go as far as to send a spy on us!? Do you really trust me so little!?" She asked as her eyes narrowed on him.
Hippo flinched, but stood his ground as he looked back at the intimidating teenager and replied with a flat tone. "That's right. Even I can't trust you."
Four seconds later, the penguin found himself being thrown out of the room with a yelp as a huffing Luchia looked down at him. "Go right ahead then! Go ahead and send someone to follow us around! Makes sense since you don't have the guts to do it yourself!" And with that, she slammed the door hard.
Hippo quickly got back up and looked at the door with a worried expression. "Wait, Luchia!" He called out to her, but he received no reply. "I didn't mean it like that!"
"I believe that you meant it exactly like that."
"GAH!" Hippo squawked in surprise before he looked up to see Madame Taki standing by him with a bemused expression. "Madame Taki! Thank goodness it's you! Please tell me you agree that this date is a bad idea!?"
Taki looked down at him silently for a few moments before she answered. "I believe your distrust of Edward Elric, added with your tendency to overreact is clouding your judgement, Hippo."
Hippo felt his beak drop before he yelled. "I DO NOT OVERREACT! I'M JUST CONCERNED FOR LUCHIA!"
"Then why are you screaming as if you're calling for help from an abyss?" She asked in a calm tone, causing the penguin to blush embarrassingly. "It's clearly obvious that you dislike Edward, not just because of his status as a human, but as a closer companion to Luchia than you."
Hippo visibly blanched before he looked away. "N-no way! Of course not!" He denied, folding his flippers. "I just think a relationship with a human and a mermaid is immoral! I'm just doing my duty to watch over her!"
Taki sighed and shook her head. "Hippo, that young man clearly cares for Luchia. Enough to place his own life on the line, if need be." She smiled as she remembered seeing the boy's eyes full of conviction when he left the room with Luchia after Nikora told them of their plight last night. "Their history alone is enough evidence to show that they care for one another. And let us not forget that he returned the Pink Pearl to her instead of running off with it." She explained in a 'matter-of-fact' tone.
Hippo could only sigh. "But, it's just not right. How can a human and mermaid love each other?"
"Hippo, love works in many ways. You have not yet experienced the emotion fully, therefor you are not able to understand." Taki pointed out before she sighed herself. "But if you insist on wanting to know how this date will go, I shall look up Edward's fortune first and then Luchia's."
The Fortune Teller then proceeded mutter what sounded like a quick chant and yanked a small piece of Hippo's feathers from his head, causing the penguin to yelp in pain. She rubbed the feathers between her fingers as she hummed. "Hm… I see… a flare of emotions… followed by a confession… heartache by an event from the past… And yet, I see a calmness settling between…" She soon gave a small smile, as if at peace. "The date shall be fine."
"What?" Hippo queried with a confused, uncertain look. "But what about the 'heartache' part? Shouldn't that be cause for concern?"
"Perhaps… but with the right combination of timing, reassurance and mood, it can easily be overcome." Taki said before she hummed again, yanking another pair of feathers from Hippo's head, causing the penguin to yelp once again.
"Ow! Would you cut that out!?" He screeched to the woman as she repeated the process, humming as she ruffled the feathers in her hand again.
"Hm… I see… a gift wrapped in deception… A trap hidden in the shallows… It is another disaster at sea." Taki opened her eyes, a hint of concern in them. "There is more to this little outing than meets the eye. But I can see no further into the premonition."
Hippo was still rubbing the patch of ruffled feathers on his head with a hiss when he heard the fortune teller's vision. "Well, I guess it's not that bad. I mean, your fortunes are never right so I think I should be at ease."
Taki gave a subtle twitch at the penguin not-so-subtle jab at her profession and she narrowed her eyes, causing him to shiver at the almost cold gaze. "Whether they are right or not isn't the point. I would not joke about something as serious as this." She then allowed a small smirk to appear. "But if you insist, I think one more try couldn't hurt."
As she began to reach for another patch of feathers, Hippo screeched in fright before he ran off in a panic, not wanting to experience the pain a third time. "No! No more! I've had enough already!"
Taki let out a quiet chuckle as she watched him run off before turning to Luchia's door. "Do not let this argument discourage you, Luchia. You will be fine." She reassured before she left the hallway.
Back in her room, Luchia was a little surprised that Madame Taki knew she was listening in, but was even more surprised to know that she encouraged her to go on her date with Ed. Ultimately, she smiled at the Fortune Teller's reassurance and acceptance on the subject and soon got back to picking out which dress she would wear.
Meanwhile… The Elric Brothers Room…
"I look stupid."
"Oh come on brother."
"No Al, I'm serious! This does not look good on me!"
"Ed, it does look good on you!" Al said as he tried for the upteenth time to convince his brother that he looked good in his newest set of clothes. Nikora had suggested that since Ed was in Japan for the duration of his leave, he should try the different style of clothing in order to blend in, rather than look like a tourist.
"Al, look at me! Take a good look!" Ed said before he gestured to his clothes. He wore black shoes, black jeans held by a black belt and a red shirt underneath a black, zipper jacket that had a horizontal red stripe cross around the midsection of the jacket. "I look like a British rocker that fell out of style seven years ago!"
"No you don't Ed! Trust me, those suit you great and Luchia will think so too!" Al implored before he gave a thumbs up with his glowing eyes shining with honesty. "You look dapper!"
"...Okay, how much do I have to pay you to NEVER say that word again." Ed asked with a flat look, refusing to believe he had just heard his little brother use such a ridiculous term... Well, ridiculous to him that is.
"Brother, I'm being serious. You look good, you're overreacting and Luchia will love it!" Al said before he began pushing him out the room. "No go on and have fun. I'm gonna try out Madame Taki's fortunes!" He explained with an excited tone. "I bet they're gonna be mysterious and cryptic!" He then closed the door to make sure Ed couldn't get back in.
Ed just stood there with slumped shoulders and sighed before he made his way downstairs. He may as well bite the bullet and give the new clothing a try. For Luchia at least.
'Meh, I guess it won't be so bad. At least it's just me and Luchia and no one else around. Not even Lunchmeat could ruin this for us!'
How wrong he was.
Meanwhile… Spring Festival Market…
Night descended upon the city as the Spring Festival was in full swing. Everyone was enjoying themselves such as families, couples and children as they either browsed around or bought anything interesting from the market stalls.
"Welcome everyone! Step right up if you want a pet fish!"
One such stall had a teenage girl wearing a black tank top, black mini skirt and a yellow bandana, calling out to the patrons with a merry tone as she held up a bag of water with a tropical fish swimming around inside while standing in front of a fish tank filled with much more of the same type.
"Trust me folks! These aren't your ordinary little fishys! These tropical beauties are just plain crazy about music! Doesn't matter what type: They love it!" Eriru pitched with a smile as she waved the bag out enticingly with a smile. "So if you're a music lover, this little guy is the perfect friend for you!"
"Then I suppose it would be alright if I purchased one then?"
Eriru smiled when a man that appeared to be in his early thirties stepped forward before she handed them the bag. "Well, for my first customer this evening, this one goes out for free!" She smiled, earning a surprised look from the man.
"Are you sure?"
"Sure! Go right ahead and make sure you give this little guy a good home and some good tunes to listen too!" She waved him off as he walked away with the fish, still a little dumbfounded by the young lady's 'generosity'. But as soon as he was out of sight, Eriru let a mischievous smile appear on her face and clasped her hands together.
'Heh! Sucker! Mermaids like songs and music. And if they so much as sing one line of lyrics, these little guys will find em, then I swoop in, grab them and their precious Pearls and Gaito will make me his number one Dark Lover! It's the perfect plan!'
"Um, excuse me miss?" Eriru was brought out of her thoughts when she noticed a little girl holding up a couple of yen. "How much are the fishys?"
Eriru let loose another happy smile and handed the girl a bag. "Just one sweetie! Make sure he's taken care of!"
The girl smiled and gave her thanks before running back to her mother, leaving Eriru to hug the yen close to her face.
'And I'm making a profit while doing so! I'd like to see Izuru top that!'
Meanwhile… Town Square… Luchia…
Luchia smiled as she waited by the Town Square fountain for Ed to arrive. She was now dressed in a white shirt with an orange button up shirt over it, a blue skirt and kept her red shoes on. It wasn't anything fancy, but she didn't mind.
"I still can't believe me and Ed are REALLY going on a REAL date." She said to herself with a small blush appearing on her cheeks. But her smile soon dropped as a worried expression appeared instead. "To be honest… I am a little nervous… Okay, I'm very nervous!"
"Guess that makes two of us."
Luchia resisted the urge to yelp when she recognised the voice belonging to the Fullmetal Alchemist and she turned to face him. "Ed-!" she soon stopped herself when she noticed the young man's ruffled hair, of which he was desperately trying to brush back. "Uh… what happened to you?"
"Girls! Crazy ones! Two of em!" He said with an irritated look as he kept brushing his hair back. "When I entered through the market to get to ya, they instantly threw themselves at me, begging me for a date. Gave em the slip though."
"Really?" Luchia asked with a surprised tone… with a hint of jealousy mixed in. "Where are they now?"
"Don't know. Don't care." He said simply before smiling when his hair was once again tidy before he gestured to his clothes. "So… uh, what do ya think? Too much or too little?"
Luchia didn't notice Ed's clothes before he pointed them out and when she did she couldn't help but giggle a little. "I never took you as the 'fashion cautious' type."
Ed just groaned at the response. "I'm not. It was Al's idea, not mine."
"Well, he picked out the right set for you!" She complimented, surprising the Alchemist with a cute smile. "They look really good on you! You fit right in!"
Knowing that his girlfriend was telling the truth, Ed allowed a small blush to appear on his cheeks while he rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Heh… Thanks. I honestly thought they were-"
"Did you see him!?"
"No! Where'd that Amestrian cutie go?!"
Ed quickly felt his blood freeze before he looked behind him to see two teenage girls looking around the crowds, recognising them as the pair that had tried to date him. He turned to Luchia and grabbed her wrist. "Let's check the market!"
"Whoa! Easy Ed!" The girl yelped as she was dragged away, thus officially starting their date.
Meanwhile… Again...
But not far away from them, a certain blue haired girl had entered the market place, a few minutes earlier and was checking each stall for two blonde haired teenagers.
"Aw come on! How hard can it be to find teenage girl hanging out with a boyfriend the size of a park bench!?" Hanon exclaimed with an annoyed sigh as she continued her search for her fellow mermaid and her date. "Geez. Wonder where Luchia went off too… Wish Hippo told me more." She muttered as her mind replayed her earlier conversation with the penguin.
Flashback…
"Please Princess Hanon! Accompany Luchia to the Festival!" Hippo begged as he stood in front of the girl with a pleading expression. "This date will end in a disaster, I just know it will!"
"I tried, but she won't listen to me." Hanon sighed in a defeated manner. "Besides, I'm pretty sure Ed will get in the way too, considering the fact that he knows who I really am and what that means."
"Yes, but you're the only one left who has the best idea of how terrible this matter is! Nikora has accepted it! Madame Taki won't listen to reason and there's no one else I can turn to!" Hippo explained before he bowed his head. "Please Hanon! I'm begging you! Look after Luchia!"
Hanon could only sigh and shake her head.
Present…
"Why did it have to be me? I've already tried talking to her and she shot me down." Hanon moaned in aggravation before continuing her search before she spotted a certain couple by one of the stands… the shortest one yelling.
"THIS GAME IS RIGGED!"
"Sir, the game is working just fine. But you need a stand to get a better shot at-"
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING TINY LITTLE COCKROACH THAT CAN ONLY BE SEEN THROUGH A MICROSCOPE!?"
"Ed, he didn't say that!"
'Yep, that's them.' Hanon thought with a flat stare as she could see the almost comical scene of Luchia pulling Edward back from the frightened stall owner. She was just about to walk towards them when she suddenly bumped into a passerby.
"OOF!" She yelped, about to fall over when an arm held her back, preventing her from doing so.
"Oops! I'm very sorry about that miss."
Hanon looked up as soon as she got her bearings back… and she let out a silent gasp.
Standing in front of her, was a man that had dark brown hair, dark brown eyes, a yellow shirt and blue pants along with a pair of smart black shoes. In his free hand, he was carrying a bag filled with water and a fish. He gave a concerned look to the girl and smiled. "Are you alright?"
Hanon could not reply as her mind raced and her heart beated faster than she had ever felt before.
This man… he was so…
'Handsome.'
With that thought in mind, a blush soon appeared on her face and her eyelids drooped into a lovesick gaze. "Yes… I'm alright thank you."
"Thank goodness." The man said in a relieved tone before he helped her up on her feet. "But still, it was rude of me to not watch where I was going... Here, you may have this." He said before giving her the fish in the bag, stunning Hanon once again. "I was going to have this, but I'd rather see him free than in a bowl. I think you may appreciate this more than me. I hope it's not a bother."
"O-oh! T-thank you!" Hanon stuttered, her blush growing as she felt like her legs were about to give out on her. "It's no bother at all!"
"That's great." He smiled thankfully before a curious look crossed his features. "Listen, I know this may sound out of the blue, but are you attending Mizu High?" He asked.
"Y-yes, I am." Hanon replied as she held the fish in the bag within her hands, a silly smile still on her face.
"Well, be sure to get back home before it turns late. Don't want to miss anything for tomorrow." He advised wisely before he turned to leave.
"Wait!" Hanon spoke quickly, getting his attention again before she blushed. "Uhmm… I just wanted to say… thank you for this." She said, gesturing to the fish.
"Not at all. Thank you for accepting it." He said with a grateful smile before he turned back around and left, disappearing among the crowd.
Leaving behind a very smitten Hanon.
Meanwhile…
"And I'm pretty sure you scarred that man for life." Luchia sighed as she walked beside Edward, only this time she was carrying a stuffed whale toy that Ed had managed to finally win for her.
"Eh, he'll be okay." Ed waved off with a carefree look, not at all bothered by the brief exasperated look Luchia had sent him. "I've done worse before that warranted the Colonel giving me a half hour lecture and an hour long scolding from Al."
Luchia almost facepalmed if not for the fact that she was currently carrying her prize so she just settled for shaking her head. "I don't even want to know the rest of your victims."
"Sheesh, when you put it like that, you make it sound like I'M the bad guy." He said with mock-offense before he gave a smile. "Have a heart Luchia. I won that whale for you. Am I really THAT bad?"
Luchia only sniggered a little at her boyfriend's attempt of a puppy-dog face before she gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Okay… you have your moments."
"Whoo! That's good enough for me!" He gave a mock cheer, getting another laugh out of the girl and placing a smile on his face as well, glad to know that she was enjoying the night out.
The smile was quickly wiped from his face and replaced with a horrified frown when up ahead, he spotted the same two girls that he escaped from, still looking for him!
"Dammit!" He swore before turning to Luchia, putting on a convincing smile. "H-hey Luchia, you remember that little 'spot' we used to go to when we were kids?" He asked, trying to come up with a quick excuse to be anywhere but here.
"...Which one?" She asked, confused causing the boy to groan.
"The inlet. The one by the rocks." He specified, growing more and more anxious as he saw the girls get closer, inch by inch among the crowds.
"Oh yeah! I remember now!" She smiled before she was jerked away by Ed's arm as the two broke through the crowd and back into the two. "Eep! Ed, what are you-?!"
"Don't wanna wait! Want to see if anything changed!" He semi-lied quickly as he pulled her along, the girl trying to keep up with his speed while also carrying her stuffed whale. He did want to go back to every one of the spots he and Luchia hung around, but he wanted to check on them at a better time.
But two headaches changed that plan.
Much later, after leaving the city and close to the beach, Ed and Luchia soon came upon the inlet, where the ground was uncovered by sand revealing the rocky surface underneath. The two continued onwards before they reached a small spot, big enough for a group to fill and by water shallow enough for them to be waist deep in.
Ed finally let go of Luchia's arm as the girl tried to catch her breath. "T-that was… the longest I have ever run before in my life!" She panted, holding onto her toy.
Ed winced a little before a sheepish smile appeared on his face. "Sorry about that. Kinda… got excited." He said with an apologetic tone.
After catching her breath, Luchia slowly looked out to the waters ahead of them, far and wide with a smile. She remembered this spot fondly. Only four people knew about this, which were her, Ed, Al and Aunt Trisha.
"Remember when we found this place after you saved me the first time?" Ed asked as he sat on the ground, Luchia following suit.
"How could I forget?"
Flashback…
"Mom! Mom, look!"
Ed continued to call for his mother as he jumped up and down in excitement. The young woman smiled as she walked alongside Alphonse, holding her son's hand while walking towards her firstborn. She wore her usual lavender dress, sans apron and she decided to undo her side-ponytail, letting her chestnut-brown hair fall free.
"You're gonna love it mom!" Al promised as his big brother rounded a corner on the stone path they were currently following while he continued to hold on to his mom's hand. "Ed said he found it first, but Luchia did."
"I had a feeling she did Alphonse." Trisha let out a small giggle, her melodious voice sounding like that of an angel. Some of the towns people back in Risembool often considered her one due to her kind, gentle nature and she was honestly flattered by the title, though she didn't think much of herself like one.
As the two rounded the corner as well, Trisha let a little gasp of wonder out and she looked around the area with a smile while Ed stood by the edge land by that showed off an impressive view of the ocean before he held his arms open wide. "Ta-da!"
'SPLASH!'
"Ta-da!" Trisha nearly jumped in surprise when Luchia jumped out of the water with her own arms opened wide and made the same cheer as Ed did, showing off her pink tail before she dived back in. The seven year old mermaid popped her head back out of the water before she leaned on the edge near Ed with an excited smile. "Did you like the surprise Aunty Trisha!? Did ya!?" She asked, anticipating the human woman's answer.
Trisha gave a pleasant smile and leaned down on one of her knees before she ruffled the little mermaids hair. "I did indeed Luchia." She answered honestly, making the three children cheer, making the older woman laugh. "When did you find this?"
"Me and Ed did yesterday when we were playing!" She answered. "We wanted to see how far we could go, him saying he can go faster on land than me on water!"
Ed folded his arms and gave playful scowl. "And she cheated!"
Luchia then gave him a huffy look before she folded her arms too. "No I didn't! You did! You made a head start before I could swim the right way!"
"Did not!"
"Did too!"
"Did not!"
"Did too!"
"Alright, alright you two, don't fight." Trisha scolded lightly, making the two give nervous chuckles to the woman, who knew they were only playing. "This really is a nice place… But are you sure you want to show us your little 'lovers' spot?" She joked, a mischievous smile appearing on her face as the two blushed going red in the face.
"Ew, mom no!" Ed denied.
"We're not like that!" Luchia added as she turned her head away.
"Aw, that's a shame." Trisha mock sighed. "A personal hiding spot for my son and his girlfriend, hidden away from his own brother and mother? It actually sounds romantic!" She gushed while Al snickered as Ed and Luchia's blushing faces grew brighter.
"MOM, THAT'S NOT FUNNY!"
"WE'RE NOT DATING!"
Flashback end…
Luchia smiled fondly as she looked into the water. "I was never really a good liar. We gave it away so many times and I don't even think we needed to for her to say we were."
Ed chuckled a little before he looked into the water as well. "...She would have loved to see you again." He finally said after a moment's silence.
"Really?" She asked, her eyes soft and her own smile fading. "I… I wish I could tell her about everything… About my home and Nikora and everybody else."
"She would have liked that." Ed agreed as he crossed his legs while Luchia brought hers closer to her face, the two of them sitting in silence as the mood obviously dampened.
All that could be heard were the distant sounds of the sea, the waves crashing and water rippling.
"..."
"... Listen, Luchia… There's something I've got to tell you… About me and Al." Ed broke the silence, his voice going quiet.
Luchia quickly sent a worrying gaze to him, a little unnerved by the somber look that appeared on her boyfriend's face. "What?"
Ed gave a mournful sigh as he took his right glove off, revealing his automail hand. "...It's about how we lost our bodies."
Meanwhile… you getting sick of these yet?...
Hanon had also left the Spring Festival of her own accord and had gone to a similar inlet with the fish in the bag set beside her. Luchia and Ed were no longer on her mind, nor was the request Hippo had made to her… but rather, a very handsome stranger instead, making her sigh longingly.
"Ahhh… Even though I gave Luchia a hard time about her being with Ed… I still can't get him out of my head!" She giggled with a blush instantly appearing on her cheeks. She soon remembered the other reason why she was here and quickly untied the bag before gently pouring the water and the fish out, the creature soon swimming away. "Go back to your own sea and be free!" She called to it before it disappeared from view.
Hanon smiled as she watched the calm, blue waters, dangling her feet just above the surface of it before he mind went back to the man in at the Festival. "That guy… he was really cute! And polite! And a gentleman!" She then squealed happily as she held her hands to her face and stood up excitedly. "This is what it feels like! I'm in love!"
The cluster of emotions, as well as wanting to freely express herself caused the lovesick girl to dive into the water, without fear of getting herself wet. And for good reason.
Hanon sighed peacefully as a small spiral of blue light surrounded her before her blue hair grew longer to the point it went past her waist with two mini seastars on top of one of her bangs as well as two starfish earrings hanging by her ears. Her dress faded away to reveal her blue seashell bikini top, a necklace with a blue seashell pendant and in place of her legs was a beautiful, aqua blue tailfin. She opened her eyes to reveal that they changed from brown to a beautiful blue color.
Happy to be back in her mermaid form once again, Hanon started to swim away from the inlet as her hair flowed within the water, the stars and moon gently lighting up the underwater view as her thoughts returned to man who had captured her heart.
'This must be how Luchia felt when she met that Elric guy… I really want to meet him again.' She thought to herself with a lovesick expression as she continued to swim along.
Unaware of the small fish that had started to follow her, its eyes glowing a bright red.
The same color of its master who had just received the message.
"Found you!"
To Hanon's surprise, something crashed into the water right in front of her, stopping her from swimming any further. The bubbles cleared to reveal Eriru with her arms folded, her teeth sharpened, eyes red, bat ears out and her wings springing out, a malicious smile on her face.
"About time we met Princess!" Eriru commented, her tone menacing and evil making Hanon reel back in shock.
"W-what!? A water demon!?" Hanon gasped, taken aback by the sudden appearance. She was shocked even further when she potted a familiar fish swim past her. "Hey, that's the fish I got earlier!"
"Well, not really. This little guy here and the rest of his brethren are my little spies. He was fortunate enough to find you faster than the rest!" She then pet the fish with a single finger affectionately. "Good boy, such a good little boy! You found the prize!"
Hanon quickly steeled herself as she faced the water demon. "Who are you!? And what do you want?"
"My name is Eriru! A Water Demon and the most dangerous member of the Dark Lovers!" She introduced with an evil chuckle. "And what I want Aqua Blue Mermaid Princess… is YOU!"
Before Hanon could move, Eriru lunged forward and grabbed her by the neck, the mermaid letting out a short scream as the water demon laughed with glee.
Meanwhile… With Ed and Luchia…
"...and that's how I ended up as a 'Dog of the Military'." Ed finished his tale to Luchia, who sat there silently listening to every detail, a flurry of emotions processing through her head.
Saddened by Aunt Trisha's death.
Horrified by their attempt at Human Transmutation and the end result: Ed's arm and leg and Al's body.
Happy to know that they were even alive after all of that.
And in awe at Ed's audition for the Star Alchemist exam.
"So, let's see if I'm getting this right… You performed Human Transmutation to bring back Aunty Trisha…"
"Yeah."
"But it failed and some freaky eye thing with black arms took you to this place called the 'Portal'."
"Yep."
"Run by some god known as 'Truth' who took your leg for the Transmutation and then your Arm when you brought back Al's soul before bonding it to that giant suit of armor?"
"Pretty much."
"Then you decided to undergo Automail surgery then joined the Amestrian military trying to find a way to get your bodies back?"
"That about sums it up."
Luchia just sat there once again in silence. "...Wow." She just said.
"Yeah." Ed agreed before he shifted uneasily. "So… I screwed up royally, didn't I?"
Luchia didn't want to say it, but she couldn't really sugarcoat it either so she decided to answer honestly. "Well… Yeah, you kinda did." Her response caused Ed's shoulders to drop with his head hanging in shame. "But you are trying to make things right again. And because of that, you and your brother are helping more people out than you thought you would, right?"
Her attempt at a pep talk caused Ed to lift his head up a little and look over to her, a remorseful look in his eyes.
"And I'm sure Al doesn't blame you for what happened at all and he still loves you… Just like I still love you regardless." She said with sincerity, making her boyfriend's eyes widen. "You are still the Edward Elric I fell for when we first met and nothing could ever change that."
Ed smiled softly as he fully lifted his head up as his eyes watered, only by a little. "You mean it?"
Luchia rubbed a hand on one of his cheeks and nodded. "With all of my heart."
The two sat still, looking into each other's eyes as their breathing slowed down, everything around them fading away from their view and slowly, but surely their lips drew closer and closer, eyelids drooping and-
"Let go of me!"
"Huh?" Just as they were about to close the distance, Luchia pulled back when she heard a female cry out, echoing in her ears before looked to the sea, not paying attention to the confused look by Ed.
"Hey, why'd you do that?" He whined a little, a little upset at abrupt end of their intimate moment.
"I… think I just heard Hanon's voice just now… from the sea…" She whispered, loud enough for him to hear as her eyes focused on the sea. "...She's got to be in trouble!"
"Okay… and you're concerned, why?" The Alchemist asked offhandedly with a flat look. "I mean, you said it yourself that she told you to stay away from me and was going to follow you around like Lunchmeat would do."
"Look, I know so far, she hasn't shown the best of herself just yet, but she doesn't deserve to be captured or hurt like I was about to be yesterday! Besides, she's a Mermaid Princess too which means if she goes, the ocean is much closer to destruction which means the surface too!" Luchia reasoned frantically.
"...I hate it when there's an important reason to save annoying people like her." He pouted for a while with folded arms before he sighed. "Go on and save her, I'll wait."
Luchia smiled as she quickly pecked his cheek. "Thank you Ed, your the best!" With that, she quickly dived into the water, transforming into a mermaid again and quickly swam off to find her fellow princess, leaving Ed at the inlet.
He just grinned as he rubbed his cheek with a slight blush. "Heh. Good to know I am." He said, stroking his ego a little.
Back with Hanon…
Hanon struggled against Eriru's hold who now had her in a headlock, preventing her from escaping as she wriggled her tailfin trying to shake her off, but it proved futile.
"To be honest, I was searching for the Pink Pearl Mermaid Princess that Izuru failed to capture, but finding the Aqua Pearl Mermaid Princess is a great substitute! You're pearl is on par with the Pink Pearl after all!" Eriru cackled as Hanon continued to struggle. "Quit trying to fight back and come quietly! It would be less painful if you did!"
"A-as if!" Hanon grunted out as she looked over her shoulder with narrowed eyes to face the water demon.
"Hanon!"
The Aqua Princess' eyes widened when she heard the familiar voice of Luchia and she managed to turn her head far enough to see her ally swim towards her with a concerned look.
But it also grabbed Eriru's attention, who grinned at the new arrival. "Well, well, look who we have here! The Pink Pearl Mermaid Princess has decided to join us? This must be my lucky day!" She then turned to Hanon with an evil smirk. "As for you!"
She then out stretched one of her arms as a purple aura covered her hand, gesturing to the dark waters below. From out of the darkness, three long strands of seaweed stretched out, covered in the same colored aura before they coiled around the end of Hanon's tailfin, binding her and holding her in place.
"Okay, that's just freaky!" Hanon pointed out with a frightened expression.
"That seaweed is strong enough to keep you there while I deal with your friend! So in the meantime, sit tight!" Eriru laughed with glee as she turned to face Luchia, who stopped as well to do the same.
"Who are you!? And what do you want with Hanon?!" Luchia demanded to know with narrowed eyes.
Eriru kept her frightening expression on for a few seconds… before she quickly span around and replaced it with a silly smile and a cheerful expression. "Hi there! I'm Eriru of the Dark Lovers! Nice to meet you!" She greeted happily, confusing the mermaids.
"Uh, right." Luchia said slowly with a cautious look before she glared once more. "I'm guessing your a friend of Izuru, that other Water Demon, am I correct?"
Eriru just shrugged, the silly expression still plastered on her face. "Eh, more like a co-worker/rival kind of deal. But you're close though! I just thought I'd pay a friendly visit to the Aqua Mermaid Princess and say 'Hi'!"
"I doubt the feelings mutual!" Luchia pointed out. "Right Hanon?"
"What do you think!?" Hanon yelled as she pulled on the seaweed holding her tail, but they still held on tightly much to the mermaid's growing frustration. "I just love to be captured and held hostage by some idiot who has a split personality disorder!"
"Okay, sheesh, no need to bite my head off." Luchia muttered with her hands raised in defence. "Some people would be thankful to be rescued you know."
Eriru ignored the back and forth between the two as she continued to cheer about her premature success and performed a very silly dance. "Not only is the Pink Mermaid Princess here, but I got the Aqua Mermaid Princess! I can't imagine how happy Master Gaito is going to be when he sees me with TWO Mermaid Princesses!"
Luchia just continued to throw her a confused look as she watched the odd girl dance around like a fool. "Uh, don't you think you're celebrating a little early? I mean, you haven't exactly won yet."
Eriru stopped dancing and pointed at her with a victorious smile as she revealed her yellow eyes. "But I will now! So just give yourself up because I've already got this in the bag!"
Luchia clenched her hands to fists and gave a look of determination. "Never! You Water Demons are causing nothing but trouble across the Sea World and the Surface World and I can't let these crimes go unpunished!" She then smiled as a light started shine upon her. "So how about a Spring Festival Live Start!?"
"Pink Pearl Voice!"
As before, her seashell necklace opened up to reveal her pearl before it shined a brilliant pink/reddish color, flying out before it transformed into a microphone once more. The same chrome light from last time covered her entire body before her tail turned into two human legs and she wore her newly dubbed 'Live Start' outfit with a smile.
"So, not bad, eh?" She asked with a smile and a playful wink.
Eriru just made a sound of wonder before she smiled. "Oooh, that's a pretty dress! Hold on, if we're gonna fight, let me change to my 'Battle Form'!" She requested Luchia waited, wondering what kind of form she would take…
Only to be puzzled when she simply pulled bandana over her bat ears, covering them.
"Okay, I'm ready!" She said with confidence.
"...You, uh… you sure? I can wait for a little longer if you want." Luchia offered, completely off-guard by the anti-climatic moment.
"Nope! I'm good to go!" She waved off before she span around, going into her 'Evil' persona. "Now I won't fail like Izuru and I will win!" She then held her arms open wide, gesturing for her to go first. "So go right ahead and sing! I'll evaluate your little song and see if it's worth listening too! Though to be honest, I think I'll give it a zero anyway!"
Luchia narrowed her eyes at the water demon and stood straight, ready to sing. "We'll see about that!" She held the microphone to her mouth and began to sing as music started to play, prompting the girl to dance to the beat. "Pichi Pichi Voice Live Start!"
"The rainbow colored is being blown…"
"Aiming for the distant cape…"
"The melody I could hear before sunrise…"
"Is a very nostalgic song!"
"The birds-"
But Luchia cut her song short when she noticed that Eriru just laughed with her arms folded in a mocking manner, not showing any signs of the song causing her any agony.
She was completely fine!
"Wait a second… are you even listening!?" Luchia questioned with an almost horrified look.
"That's impossible!" Hanon said to herself, shocked as well by the scene before her.
"Oh, is your song over already?" Eriru asked mockingly with a grin before she held her hands up, nails sharpened like little claws. "Then I guess that gives me the 'okay' to attack now!" She outstretched her arms before two combined jetstreams of solid water shot out from her hands, right towards Luchia who dodged just in time, barely missing the end of one her pigtails.
"Whoa! Okay, gotta say, the water dragons were scarier- EEP!" She quickly yelped before dodging another jetstream combo. "But this is a close second!"
As she kept dodging, Hanon could only watch with worry as the water demon continued to throw more jetstreams at her ally. "Luchia! Damn it, how is she even attacking at all!? That song should rendered her-" She stopped herself when an idea struck in her mind. "Wait a second." She muttered before calling out loudly. "Hey Eriru! When you do capture us, what do you plan to do with us afterwards!?"
Eriru just laughed as she continued to fire at Luchia. "You can't escape from me, Pink Mermaid! Your and your Pearl are going to be mine!" She declared, seemingly ignoring Hanon calling out to her.
"Or just as I thought, she can't hear me!" Hanon realised when she looked at the source of Eriru's hearing impairment. "Her bandana!"
She smiled as she tugged her tail forward with the seaweed struggling to pull her back, moving inch by inch, outstretched her left arm and as soon as she was close enough, she swiped the bandana right off of the water demon's head, yell in surprise.
"Hey! How did you do that!?" She cried out in shock, breaking her focus on Luchia and in doing so, broke her concentration on the seaweed holding onto Hanon's tail, the vegetation losing it's grip before it let go of the mermaid.
"Ha! Freedom!" She cheered before turning to Eriru with a smirk, confidence in her eyes. "Alright Eriru, watch this!" She outstretched her arms like she was about to present something and smiled before she called out.
"Aqua Pearl Voice!"
Her blue seashell necklace opened up to reveal an aqua blue pearl inside before a bright blue light shined off of it before it flew out and like Luchia's, it turned into a microphone before her. Soon, a chrome light formed around her entire body, colors shining off of her like a rainbow before her tailfin turned into a pair of human legs.
As the light faded away, it revealed Hanon now dressed in a similar outfit that Luchia wore for her Live Start performance, but instead of pink, it was colored blue, just like Hanon's tail and hair. She grabbed onto the microphone and winked, making a pose.
Eriru just watched in horror as she held her bandana. "N-no way! That's not possible!"
Hanon winked playfully, blowing a kiss as if to a real life audience. "The rehearsal is over! It's time for the real show to begin!" She declared proudly with a twirl.
Luchia was also amazed by the transformation, smiling at the girls new outfit. "Oh my god, Hanon, you look so cute!" She praised, making the girl smile.
"Not bad, am I right?" She showed off with a smile before waving her microphone knowingly. "So then, shall we start over Luchia?"
Luchia returned the gesture and smirked. "You read my mind!"
The two stood back to back before they smiled down at Eriru, as the music started to play again.
"This time for our encore, it's a Pichi Pichi Duet!" They declared in unison as they began to dance.
"The clouds are flowing slowly…"
"And vanishing beyond the end of the rainbow!"
"The stars are sparkling like pearls…"
"The flute you can hear from the southern sky…"
"Yes! The time to become an adult has come!"
"The miracle is a never ending adventure!"
As they sang their duet in perfect sync, Eriru held her head and covered her ears in pain, trying to block out the song as much as she could, but it was proving to be very difficult considering the volume of it. She was focusing so hard on trying to block out the song, she wasn't even paying attention to the fact that she was spinning around madly, her personalities switching from ditzy to angry, over and over again.
"Drawing kind feelings while holding my heart…"
"Everyone is out travelling."
"A fantasy of falling stars in the night.."
"Overflowing tears and a prayer…"
"I don't understand, but I believe in the prayer!"
"GAH! This song is pure hearted it makes me sick! All that cutesy crap is pissing me off! I'm outta here!" Eriru yelled as her body was quickly covered by a dark purple light before vanishing completely. "And those dresses look tacky!"
As the song finished, Luchia and Hanon stood side by side before they posed together, their respective colors surrounding them. "Love Shower Pitch!"
The two smiled when they realised Eriru had retreated before they both let out quick cheers of victory. "Whoo! We did it Luchia!" Hanon whooped with a smile, pumping her fist to the air.
"Yeah, but it was thanks to you! You taking off her bandana really saved my tail!" Luchia complimented with a smile of her own.
Hanon smirked before she placed her hands on her hips with a smug look. "Yeah, I guess it was all thanks to me!"
Luchia's smile quickly vanished before she narrowed her eyes. "Wait a second, I was the one to come rescue you and I had to be a moving target so you could get it off of her!" She pointed out.
Hanon quickly threw a glare of her own. "No way, I did all the work!"
"No, it was me!" Luchia growled out.
"Me!"
"Me!"
"Me!"
"Me!"
The two glared at each other for a few good seconds… before they both let out good natured laughs, finding the playful banter hilarious.
Later…
After the song had ended, the two swam back to land and changed back into their human forms and sat together by the shore, the water slowly coming in and out as they talked.
"Look, Luchia… about you and Ed… I just wanted to say… sorry." Hanon finally said, surprising the girl beside her.
"What brought this change of heart?" She asked, very curious by the girls apology.
"Well, I've been doing some… thinking… and after you told me about how you already confessed to him when you were kids and you did not turn into bubbles and the fact that he really DOES love you for you… I just wanted to say sorry for nagging you and trying to give up on him." She explained, genuinely sincere about her apology.
Luchia was silent for a few seconds before she smiled gently and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "It's okay Hanon. I forgive you… and I'm sorry for blowing up at you back on the roof."
Hanon smiled before she held a hand out. "So… friends?"
Luchia nodded and held her hand out as well. "Friends."
The two cemented their friendship as soon as they shook hands.
After they let go, Luchia stood up and stretched. "Well, I gotta head back to Ed. I think I kept him waiting long enough. See you tomorrow Hanon!" She wadded into the water before diving and swimming off as a mermaid again.
"Same to you Luchia!" Hanon waved back with a smile, glad to know they had put aside their differences and thus, letting her new friend and Ed's relationship continue as she sat back down.
But to be honest, there was one part of her apology that was untrue. The 'thinking' excuse was not because of a few minutes deep in thought… but rather a swift change of heart.
Brought on by the kindness of a stranger.
Hanon smiled with a blush once again appearing on her face as her mind drifted to him again.
'I really do hope I get to see him again.'
Meanwhile…
"Brace yourself… Brace yourself…"
Edward hummed as he lied down on his back, his legs crossed as he looked up into the night sky, patiently waiting for Luchia to return. Sure, he was bored as hell, but he didn't want to leave and hurt her feelings if she came back only to see him no longer there.
"Huh… what were the lyrics after-"
'SPLASH!'
"TA-DA!"
"Wha-OOF!"
The wind was knocked out of the boy as someone landed on his body before he felt a pair of arms wrapped around his neck and a pair of lips capture his own, his eyes widening before he gave in, recognizing whose lips they were. After a bit of lip locking, he pulled back before his golden eyes stared into crystal blue ones.
"You really don't hold back on your surprises, you know that right?" He commented with a smirk as he wrapped his arms around Luchia's waist, her tailfin flapping a little playfully against his legs.
"I learned from the best." She quipped with a wink as she leaned her head on his shoulder. "Sorry I kept you waiting."
"Nah, it's okay. Just glad you're safe." He responded before the two looked up into the sky, gazing at the stars. "So, how's Hanon?"
"She's fine. She also approves of us, so that's a major plus." She answered as their hands intertwined.
"Really?" He asked with a surprised tone as the mermaid nodded. "Huh. Guess you'll have to tell me all about it tomorrow."
"Deal." She agreed as the two continued to watch the stars, enjoying the beautiful sight and each other's company.
They had both agreed that their date was a complete success.
And Ed vowed to never let Hippo live this down.
…
…
Well, that's another chapter done! Once again sorry for the long wait, but I've been having a MAJOR writer's block so understand be patient!
So anyway, Hanon and Luchia are officially friends and Eriru has been vanquished… but not for long!
Next Time: Hanon decides to help Luchia and the Elrics with their adventure… by moving in!?
And a new student arrives… who is this mysterious green haired girl?
Please read and review!
This is The Wielder of the Blue Flames here, signing off!