Chapter 26
Bubbles filled his ears and nose as he crashed into the waves. Gajeel choked and sputtered, his lungs struggling to remember how to breathe underwater. The remaining clothing on Gajeel's body floated away in the current. His uncle's human legs disappeared in a whirlpool of water, revealing purple and blue scales.
His uncle led them deeper into the waves towards a small coral reef. A school of yellow tangs floated on the current. They glanced at Gajeel before rushing away in the direction of Ishgar.
Acnologia growled. Gajeel cried out, his shoulders popping as Acnologia yanked his arms backwards to tie a thick piece of seaweed around his wrists.
"Don't need you getting any ideas of swimming away, now do I?" he grinned, tugging on the piece of seaweed as if Gajeel were a simple dog-fish.
Gajeel writhed in the water, pressing his arms against his bindings. The sharp edges bit into his skin and Acnologia laughed.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Prince. Though I suppose I don't need to call you that anymore, do I?"
Gajeel snapped his teeth. "What's that supposed ta mean, you cod fish!? You slimy piece of sea foam!"
"Temper, temper," Acnologia tsked, continuing to swim deeper into the reef, "It's not my fault if you forgot about our little deal."
"Quit speakin' in riddles, old man, or I'll really–"
"As much as I'd love to continue this conversation, I have more important things to take care of."
Gajeel stopped thrashing in the water and followed Acnologia's pointed finger. His heart sank at the sight of his father and the fighting corp rapidly swimming towards them. His father's trident gleamed brightly in the dark water, illuminating the king's ferocious snarl. Acnologia yanked on the seaweed chord, bringing Gajeel forward until he was in between the king and the older mermen. Gajeel growled low in his throat, which did nothing against his surprisingly strong uncle.
Acnologia wrapped an arm around Gajeel's neck. "Stop right there, brother dearest, or your son will face the consequences of your foolishness."
Metalicana swam to a halt, but kept his gleaming trident at the ready. "Release him, Acnologia. NOW!"
The bindings on his arms tightened and Gajeel winced. His father jerked his gaze to him for a moment before glaring at his brother once more.
"I am a merman of my word," Acnologia grinned, moving to hold Gajeel by the shoulders. "The prince and I had a little deal, you see, and I'm just here to take my end of the bargain."
Gajeel twisted away from his uncle, "Dada, I'm sorry! I don't know–"
"It was tragic, really," Acnologia sighed, patting Gajeel's head before he could yank it away, "seeing my poor nephew so distraught in my cave. I can understand his hatred for you, I really can…"
"You lying kelp…I never said that! I never said that, Dada!" Gajeel snarled, begging his father to believe him.
"So it seemed only natural for him to give up his birthright for the sake of his true love."
Gajeel watched as his father's eyes widened. The mermen floating next to their king murmured, glancing at one another. The ever powerful trident hung loosely in his father's grasp.
"What?" the king asked softly, his simple question ripping a hole in Gajeel's chest.
"Dada," Gajeel choked, eyes burning, "It's all my fault, I was stupid, I don't know why I–"
Acnologia pushed Gajeel on the back. He landed on a coral shelf with a loud yelp. Blood trickled in a thin stream where the coral bit into his back. Metalicana rushed forward, but stopped at Acnologia's shout.
"I challenge you!" His uncle's voice thundered through the water, "I challenge you to a duel for the honor of ruling Ishgar as their new and rightful leader!"
The fighting corp murmured and at Metalicana's shallow nod, backed away from their king. Gajeel twisted on the coral until his tail tucked underneath him. His scales itched and he glanced down, seeing Juvia and Lily swimming up his side. The skin on his wrists tugged painfully as the blue crab worked her claws on his bindings.
"You have chosen poorly, my brother." The water around Metalicana shimmered as the trident gleamed brilliantly.
Gajeel struggled against his bindings, ignoring Juvia's hushed warnings, and snarled at Acnologia. The merman simply smirked and formed his fingers into sharp claws as he swam closer to Metalicana.
Gajeel kicked his tail helplessly. "Fight me, you clowinfish! I was the one you wanted, remember!?"
Acnologia chuckled, "Ah, my dear, dumb nephew…I hate to be the one to tell you this, but you really aren't that special. Though I must thank you for being stupid enough to break a contract with me!"
Gajeel watched from the seafloor as Acnoliga rushed the king. Bright flashes shone from the trident as Metalicana warded off a blast of magic from Acnoliga's hand. The two mermen circled one another, blasts of magic and energy heating the water around them. The fighting corp swam for cover, narrowly escaping a dark, pulsing beam of energy from Acnologia's fingers. Gajeel pulled against his seaweed bindings, feeling a slight give around his wrists.
"Hold still, Prince!"
Gajeel twisted in the water, earning a smack from Juvia. "I'm so sorry, I should've listened to you two. I didn't mean for this–"
"Would ya clam up?" Lily released his suction on Gajeel's tail and swam in front of his face. "You owe me a hundred apologies, but that can't happen until you figure out how to stop this challenge!"
Gajeel shifted and rubbed his wrists against the edge of the coral shelf, growling at himself for his stupidity.
I should'a just talked with Dada, instead of swimmin' off like some small-finned fry! Then I wouldn't have gone to Acnologia,and I could've just taken my sweet time gettin' Levy ta really kiss me…
A memory surfaced, fleeting and swift as a central current. Gajeel froze, his lip curling as he bared his sharp teeth where Acnologia hurled magic at his father.
"You slimy sea snake! You broke the contract first, you lying piece of sea scum!"
The ocean turned deathly still. Faint crackles of magic and energy popped and sputtered, begging to be released. Acnologia's fingers cracked as he slowly pivoted on his tail to face Gajeel.
"What. Did you just say?"
Gajeel flashed a grin, feeling Juvia working her claws on the seaweed binding. "Our contract. Ya know, the one we both agreed to? The one that said–"
"I know what it said, you halibut!"
"Then if yer so smart," Gajeel scoffed, earning a heated glare from his uncle, "then you can figure it out."
"Gajeel…" his father's low warning drifted across the current. His trident glowed.
Just a bit more…
"What are you talking about?" Acnologia asked, his voice as dangerous as the magic shimmering on his fingertips.
Lily gripped his tail tightly and Gajeel swallowed against the pulse in his throat.
"Levy did kiss me," Gajeel lifted his chin, forcing his grin to turn just as deadly, "right on my cheek."
The ocean was silent for a moment before Acnologia suddenly burst into laughter. He huddled over, holding his sides, while the fighting corps slowly positioned themselves behind their king.
"That doesn't count!" Acnologia wheezed between breaths, "I said she needed to fall in love with you. Which she didn't, so apparently you aren't as charming as you think–"
"Ya must be gettin' senie in yer old age," Gajeel said, testing the bonds on his wrists. "'Cause I'm pretty sure I remember you sayin' that if she can fall in love with me…"
"Which I just said she didn't!"
"But then ya backswam by sayin' she had ta kiss me. Which she did. Right. On. My. Cheek."
Gajeel punctuated each word with a jerk of his head, hardly caring how his uncle's face turned nearly purple with rage. Acnologia roared, his razor sharp teeth flashing, and aimed a glowing hand at Gajeel.
Gajeel broke out of his loose bindings, grabbed Lily and Juvia, and tucked his body into a tight ball right as Acnologia hurled a crackling bolt of energy in his direction. Shouts of alarm echoed in the water. Coral shattered and splintered around his head and the water turned hot and boiling. But no pain came.
A loud groan filled his ears and Gajeel twisted around, his heart plummeting to his tail fin.
His father lay in a curled heap on the coral ground in front of him, his once lustrous, silver scales now blackened and withered from the blast.
"No...no, Dada…why…" Gajeel's hands waved uselessly over his father's injured body.
The fighting corps rushed to their king's side, surrounding both Gajeel and his father from Acnologia's magic. A merman dropped to his tail, shouting orders and medical directions. Gajeel's chest tightened and he choked on the water. Metalicana lifted his hand and Gajeel grasped it tightly, pressing it hard against his cheek. Acnologia swam towards a golden glow in the water.
"How fitting…a foolish son for an even more foolish father. To sacrifice this kind of power for someone so pitiful…" Acnologia spun the still gleaming trident in his hands. "I can't even imagine how terrible you must feel right now. The guilt building inside you–"
"Gajeel…"
Gajeel dragged his attention away from his uncle's tirade and forced himself to look down at his father's injured body. His eyes burned. The sea king snorted, a slight lift forming on his lips.
"Crying is a human thing. Don't even think about doing it in front of me."
Gajeel lowerd his father's hand. "Dada, I…I'm sorry…I…"
Metalicana shook his head, "No, I'm the one who should be sorry. I know exactly who you got your stubbornness from. I…should have been more understanding."
"Dada…" Gajeel murmured, the water seeming to press heavily on his shoulders.
"How touching," a sneer interrupted, "Since you seem to be taking your sweet time, I think I'll go test my newfound powers somewhere else."
Before Gajeel could utter a single questioning word, a thunderous boom sounded overhead. The water shook and trembled. The merfolk looked toward the surface, where flashes of light showed the large, looming shadow of a slow-moving ship.
"...no," Gajeel whispered, ice freezing his scales.
Acnologia winked. "Farewell! I'll say goodbye to your human love for you!"
Acnologia rose through the water, his body twisting and twirling in the current as if he hadn't a care in the world. A glowing light formed at the bottom of his tail fin and slowly crept up his tail and to his shoulders. Gajeel lifted himself with a growl, but a low moan from his father halted his tail. He looked between his wounded father lying on the coral floor and the pulses of magical energy that followed Acnologia as he slowly made his way towards the surface. Gajeel's heart clenched and his breath came in heaving gasps.
"...go."
Gajeel shook his head and dropped down to his tail, clasping his father's hand tightly. The merman tending the merking scowled at the sudden movement.
"I can't leave, I already.."
He choked back a moan.
I gotta stay…I gotta do the right thing, I messed up so bad…
Lily suctioned onto his tail, quietly giving his own support even after everything Gajeel had done.
Metalicana grunted and with the help of his aide, lifted himself into a sitting position. He speared Gajeel with a hard stare. "You are the one who brought this danger to the humans. It is now your responsibility to protect them from it."
Gajeel clenched his eyes shut. "But…but they're humans, you said that–"
"They are traveling on our ocean, so it is our duty to protect them from the creatures of the deep, is it not?"
Metalicana nodded to the guards standing nearby. One merman lifted Gajeel by the arm and another thrust a gleaming coral weapon into his hands.
"They will be at your command, my son." Metalicana murmured, leaning back against the coral.
Each merman in the fighting corps hovered in the water, their bodies tense and rigid. Confusion marked their faces, but they stared at Gajeel with eyes full of determination to avenge their fallen king. With a final look to his father, Gajeel raised his spear high above his head.
"For Ishgar and the Seven Seas!"
The answering roar from the fighting corps vibrated through the waters. Lily tightened his hold on Gajeel's tail and Juvia climbed onto his shoulder. Metalicana gave him a soft smile, so filled with pride it made Gajeel's eyes burn.
Spinning on his tail, Gajeel rushed through the waters, the fighting corps close behind. The swirling ball of magical energy hovered in the waters. It pulsed and grew until it was nearly the size of the moving ship. With a grunt, Gajeel spun around a coral shelf and led the merfolk to a raging current. The swift waters stole the breath from his lungs, but Gajeel pushed through, determined to ride the current directly in between the ship and the danger he created.