Hi! So...yeah, I'm back lol. I know its been a long time since I updated this story! Writers block and a busy life definitely messes with your creativity. Its taken a while, but I finally finished this story for you all! I hope you all enjoy and have a great week!

Chapter 13

His body pulled and stretched every which way until Gajeel thought he would go mad from the pain. Water rushed past his ears and nose and starfish flashed behind his closed eyes. His lungs clenched and throbbed as if filled to the brim with boiling volcano waters. He could feel Lily and Juvia thumping against his body, but Gajeel could only clamp his nose closed and pray to the Seven Seas that the torture would end soon.

The moment he thought he would certainly die, his head finally broke the surface of the water. He launched into the air, sky and sea twisting together over and over, and landed back into the waves with a loud splash. Twin splashes echoed next to him, accompanied by Lily's curses and Juvia's loud ranting. He floundered in the water until he felt cool sand beneath him.

Gajeel coughed and shook sea water from his face, rasping a hand through his hair to fling the long strands from his face. His hand froze the moment he touched the top of his head. He took a deep breath and tugged. His hair slipped through his fingers almost immediately.

That's…gonna take some time gettin' used to.

Fighting against the coughs still lingering in his lungs, Gajeel took a deep, calming breath and studied his surroundings. The tide was high and the water came all the way to the middle of his waist, but he recognized the same rock formations and sandy beach where Levy handed him her hair covering. Images of ruined fabric and his father's irate scowl flashed through his mind.

A throbbing filled his chest, pinching off his breath. His eyes burned and an ache filled his stomach.

"Just what has the prince done!?" A screech came from the water next to him.

Juvia swam on top of the water, clacking her claws in his direction. Lily swam in small circles, staring up at him with his scales scrunched in concern. Gajeel shook off his rising anger and bit back a grin at his friends' antics. He pursed his lips to whistle an apology, but only air blew out.

He grabbed his throat, working his mouth and tongue in the human language. He could feel his throat vibrating, but no sounds moved passed his lips. He clicked his tongue and hummed low in his throat, but even speaking in his native language seemed to be useless. Heart hammering, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

It's fine, it's fine…no big deal.

Juvia's incensed ranting drifted up to him and he took a deep breath each time the crab screeched his name. The long tirade allowed his pulse to return to its normal rhythm and he opened his eyes to look down at his father's advisor.

Next to the crab, two brown knees popped out of the water.

Gajeel smiled widely and lifted a leg. Water dripped from his calf and he flexed his feets…foot, focusing on wiggling each one of his toes. On a whim he touched the bottom of his foot, but frowned when his body didn't jerk and cause him to laugh like it did Levy.

His dark skin gleamed in the sunlight. Gajeel tilted his head at the color, reminded of the wet sand that lay on the beach. His arms were still covered with familiar scars, but smooth skin replaced his silver scales. Small, circular shapes ran along the side of his arms. He trailed his hands along his smooth shoulders and across his neck and face. More circular shapes ran above his eyes and on his ears.

All of his fins were gone.

His smile disappeared and his skin itched. Gajeel stared at his new legs, focusing on keeping his breaths clear and steady. His oddly colored, smooth skin made him terribly exposed in the water, but he knew it would serve to help him blend in with the humans. A flap of wings alerted him to Wendy's arrival, but Gajeel kept his focus on his legs, grateful that Levy took the time to teach him about the different parts.

"What happened!? Why does Gajeel look like that!?"

His friend's previous rant resumed in full force. Wendy hopped from rock to rock, her usual calm voice shrill with worry. Lily frantically circled around Juvia, who snapped her claws anytime the remora swam too close to her shell. Gajeel felt his lips twitch at his friends' antics. He took a deep breath and focused on his legs again.

I wanna try standing…

He ignored his friends' argument and used his hands to scoot backwards until he sat in shallow waters. His feet dug into the sand and he took a moment to wiggle his toes in the softness.

"That is what Juvia would like to know! Who gave the prince this scatter-bubble idea in the first place?"

A small wave lapped over his body and Gajeel positioned his hands in the water in front of him. He slowly moved his feet underneath him and leaned forward.

With his tongue between his teeth, Gajeel began to stand. His knees immediately began to shake. Focusing on every new muscle in his legs, he slowly straightened out his legs until there was only a slight bend in his knees. With a deep breath, he clenched his stomach and stood fully upright. Blood rushed to his head as the water swayed beneath him. His legs shook like a newborn whale calf and his arms waved in the air. Water rose to greet him and he fell, coughing and sputtering as his lungs tried and failed to breathe in the liquid.

Right…I'm human now. Can't breathe underwater.

"By the Seven Seas, just look at the prince! On human legs! Juvia must…the king must know what is happening!"

No! She can't tell father yet!

He grabbed the blue crab before she could jump into deeper water and stood to his full height. He wobbled where he stood and spread his legs apart to hold himself steady. Water trailed down his face and dripped off his nose onto Juvia's blue shell. Juvia's claws clacked in the air as she ranted and raved. Gajeel stood on quivering legs, a strange sting forming in his eyes. He shook his head rapidly at the crab, his neck feeling strangely light without his crown of hair.

"Does the prince even know what he has done!? Why, Juvia should swim straight back to Ishgar and tell the king!"

Gajeel pulled his bottom lip between his smooth teeth and shook his head, his body wobbling. He shuffled his legs to keep his balance and continued to silently plead with his father's most trusted advisor. The crab's tirade slowed until finally, Juvia sighed deeply.

"Though it goes against Juvia's better judgment, Juvia will not tell the king until…"

Gajeel's lips pulled into a wide smile and he spun in a circle, ignoring Juvia's screeches that he was going to drop her. He wobbled for a moment, but managed to keep himself from falling into the water again.

"Ok, Gajeel…" Wendy landed on his shoulder. "You don't have a tail anymore, so that means you'll need some human coverings."

Right…humans cover their legs.

He set Juvia back in the water and gave Lily a parting smile and wave before carefully following Wendy's pointed wing to the beach where a bile of debris sat pushed against the cliffside. His legs grew stronger with every step, but by the time he walked across the sand his knees felt like a jellyfish. He placed Juvia on a rock and leaned most of his new weight against the wooden debris, helping Wendy sort through the materials.

After a few minutes of searching, Gajeel lifted up what looked like brown leg coverings. Wendy tugged at a piece of black fabric with her beak. It was ripped and torn near the bottom, but it looked like it had enough holes to make a torso covering. With Wendy's expert help, Gajeel managed to arrange what Wendy called clothes in what he hoped was the correct human fashion. A piece of rope tied the leg coverings around his waist, but the torso covering hardly covered more than his shoulders.

I hope I find Levy quickly and she can help me.

"Why don't you practice walking a bit more? I'm sure it's very different from swimming!" Wendy chirped from the pile of debris.

Gajeel admired his new human clothing for a moment before listening to Wendy's expert advice. He trekked back and forth on the wet sand, listening to Lily as he shouted tips from the shallow waters.

He just managed to keep his legs from quivering with each step when the sound of voices carried across the waves. Wendy squawked and fluttered away. A splash near the rocks showed that Lily and Juvia hid underneath the water. Gajeel froze, staring at the pathway leading towards the human building.

I'm free!

Levy skipped down the castle garden pathway, sandals dangling from her fingertips. It had taken her ages to get off house arrest, but finally her father relented. After promising her father that she would not step foot into the ocean, Levy donned her outdoor clothes and darted out of the castle without a second look. She gave Lucy explicit directions not to follow after her, so Levy knew she had at least an hour of uninterrupted time before her maid came searching.

Her feet slowed the moment she reached the shoreline. Arms limp by her sides, Levy stared off into the distance, just breathing in the salty sea air. Her hair rustled in the breeze and she stared at the waves lapping over the rocks.

"An hour won't be enough time," she murmured, heart growing heavy.

It had only been a month since she had last seen Gajeel, but to her their adventure seemed almost a lifetime ago. Tears burned her eyes and she shook her head, kicking up sand as she resumed her rapid pace to the lagoon.

It was her first time seeing a merman, that's why she felt so out of sorts. She was simply curious about seeing him again, to ask questions about his culture and help him learn the human language. It was a mutual interest in a foreign culture, nothing more and certainly nothing silly like love-at-first-sight.

Then why did you almost kiss him, huh Levy-girl?

"N-n-no I didn't!" she waved off the thought, face growing hot despite the slight breeze. "I didn't almost kiss him, I'm not in love, he's just…a good friend! Yes, that's it, the first friend I've made in a while that seems to have the same interests as me. Who just happens to be strong and handsome, with a wonderful smile and standing right in front of me–"

Levy blinked, shook her head, and blinked again. A pile of driftwood sat against the sea cliff and a tall man leaned against the rotting wood. His tattered clothing was several sizes too small and highlighted his tanned skin and athletic swimmer's build. He lifted his hand, a wide smile on his face, and his familiar red eyes twinkled at her.

"Gajeel!?" She shouted, running across the sand.

She threw her arms around his neck and Gajeel yelped. She felt their bodies tilt to the side and she let go of her tight hold.

"Sorry, sorry!" she giggled, holding onto his arms to steady him back on his feet.

He spread his legs and planted his feet firmly in the sand, knees bent and arms outstretched. He breathed heavily and slowly stood upright. Levy blocked laugh with her hand.

"What in Fiore…how did you…you have legs!"

She pointed to his feet as if he hadn't noticed them yet. Gajeel nodded rapidly, the wide grin never leaving his face, and pointed to his legs. His arms waved and his mouth worked up and down. Levy took a step back, tilting her head as she watched. Gajeel pointed to the ocean and back to her, mouth constantly moving.

"...Gajeel?" she waited until his arms stopped and he turned back towards her, "Why can't I hear you?"

He closed his mouth with a snap.

Levy frowned, stomach fluttering the longer she looked at his appearance. "And why does your hair look like that? And why do you have legs?"

Gajeel scratched his smooth neck and stared at the ground.

"...what did you do?" She asked softly, taking a step closer.

She stood in front of him for several moments as he stared at the sand beneath their feet. Waves lapped behind them and Levy saw a white bird perch on a nearby rock. Its familiar blue feathers winked at her, but Levy kept her focus on the merman-turned-human in front of her.

After several minutes of silence, Gajeel jerked up and snapped his fingers. Before she could ask what was going on, Gajeel positioned her in front of the pile of driftwood. He took several steps back and held up a finger.

Levy quirked an eyebrow. "Are you going to tell me?"

Gajeel nodded, then pointed to the ocean.

"...ok?"

He pointed to his hair, his throat, then waved around an arm, ticking off a finger for each one. Levy sighed and leaned against the driftwood. Charades had always been her least favorite game.

"Ok, slow down and start over."