Chapter Text
Sasuke smiled as he parked by the shore.
He let out a contented sigh as he got off his car and felt the sea breeze.
Visiting the beach always makes him relax.
It was a good day to visit the beach, but there was no one else there. At least as much as he can see. It was understandable since it was a wild beach and there wasn't any house in miles. That was one reason he loved visiting this specific area.
As he walked closer to the sea, he realized he was wrong about being alone in the beach. There was a girl sitting by the foreshore, her back to him, pink long hair, and seemingly soaking her lower body.
Sasuke is now familiar with this girl. It seems besides fishermen, the two of them are the only visitors of this beach. He had seen her a lot of times before, usually in the same place.
Just then, so very suddenly, the sky darkens. It was disconcerting how fast it happened. Then the ground was shaking. And gaping, Sasuke watched as the water quickly moved backwards, as if he was watching changing of tides in fast forward. In front of him he watched, stunned, as the water towered.
'Tsunami' vaguely registered in his mind, but he didn't--couldn't move. He was frozen in place.
He heard a gasp and turned to see the girl scrambling to her feet. Without really thinking about it, he rushed to her and when he reached her, he pulled her backward. But it was too late, and he watched with dread as the water, taller than he had ever seen, started going back just as fast as it had moved backward.
It happened so very fast, but the last thing he remembered before everything went black was the thought that they were going to die, green eyes and the feel of the girl's lips on him.
---
He felt so light, as if he was floating. He guessed he's dead. But then again, he felt sore all over his body as well.
Didn't the pain stop when you die?
Slowly, Sasuke opened his eyes. He was shocked to see the girl's face hovering over him.
"You're awake!" She said, and he didn't know why but relief surged through him. "I'm so sorry." She said next, and he felt a tinge of guilt.
He felt dizzy, he was confused. What has happened? Isn't he supposed to be dead? He didn't know where he was either. It was a bit dark, and he still felt that sensation like he was floating.
Blinking and sitting up, he tried to look at his surroundings more closely. But before he could even take in his surroundings, a very bizarre thing caught all his attention.
Eyes wide, he stuttered. "You... you have a tail..." He told the girl.
She was in front of him, still wearing the same top she was wearing when he saw her in the shore but her lower body... she didn't have legs; instead she had a tail, a red fish tail.
And with a sinking feeling, he realized she was floating in front of him and when she or he moved, bubbles form.
"And I..?" Intinctively, as he realized he was under water, he stopped breathing.
"No, please don't stop breathing!" The girl said, looking worriedly at Sasuke.
"It's okay, you won't drown." She try to reassure.
'This is heaven?' Sasuke thought dubiuosly.
"Really, please breath. I'll explain." She said and she floated closer to Sasuke and sat down beside him. He doesn't really know how he can even sit under water.
He was just shocked.
"I'm a mermaid." The girl started. "We're currently in Aquapora, one of the kingdoms of merpeople." It barely processed in Sasuke's head. But what she said next hit him hard. "And you can breathe underwater because you are turning mer."
"What?" He asked, stupidly.
Sasuke never believed in such things as mermaids, fairies or ghosts. He won't believe no matter how his friends convinced him otherwise, but as he is currently staring right at one and is breathing underwater, it's kinda hard to deny their existence.
The girl continued talking, ignoring his question. "Earlier, when that tsunami... well, that wasn't a natural one. It was made by the trident. It seems one of the princesses had tried to make a tsunami that could, --from what I heard, she wanted and attempted to try and wash away most of the islands around Aquapora." She said softly and Sasuke felt sad, somehow. "Some merpeople hate humans. Because of some... accidents." She trailed off.
"Anyway, I didn't know what else to do to save you so I bonded with you." She said, looking at Sasuke now.
"Bonded?" He echoed.
"When a terraped--a human kiss a mer, he or she will be bonded with her or him and will turn mer." She explained.
"Let me get this straight," Sasuke said, recovering himself. "I'm turning into a mermaid because you kissed me?"
"Technically, you're turning into a merman." She corrected.
"It was the only thing I could do that time, so you would be able to aquarespire--that is, so you can breathe water." She said and just as she did did Sasuke became conscious that he really is breathing water.
"I always saw you by the sea. I know you must love the sea. I couldn't watch you die." She muttered, looking down and --if Sasuke didn't know better-- blushing.
He couldn't help but think she's really pretty right then.
Shaking his head, he tried to go back to the situation.
"Okay..." He said slowly. "So.. so what happens now? I... I'm a mer forever? I won't be able to come back to land?" He asked with a gulp.
"No." The girl said, giving him a reassuring smile. "We can ask the king for a separation ritual. I'm sure he would understand the situation and grant us separation."
Sasuke sighed, feeling relieved. But then he got a funny feeling. He turned back to the girl and saw a somewhat guilty look.
"Is... is there a but coming?" He asked cautiously.
"Just that the king can't entertain us as of the moment. He's busy with trying to restore order. Will it be okay if you stay until tomorrow night?" She asked.
"Stay? Here?" Sasuke asked.
"Yes, mom said it's okay." She said
"Yeah, sure. Thanks." Sasuke said. It doesn't really seem that he had any choice.
And then she beamed at him and he thought really, it was fine to stay.
"What's your name?" He asked her, a bit distracted.
"Sakura." She answered.
He smiled at her. "I'm Sasuke."
"Sasuke, this bond.." Sakura started. "It's this kind of chemical-hormonalemotional connection thing that can kind of muddy your feelings..." She said. But before she could explain further, someone knocked and Sakira stood--float up? Someone peeked in the room and Sakura muttered, 'Shizune.'
She excused herself and he didn't see her until dinner.
Dinner was something Sasuke wouldn't forget soon. It was bizzare to see some more merpeople and to see their food. He really couldn't muster to eat most of them, luckily there were sushi.
After dinner, Sakura accompanied him back to the room which he found out was her room. She said she would be sharing a room with her sister for tonight.
"Thank you." Sasuke said, not really about the room but about everything. Really, if it wasn't for her, he would be dead by now.
Late in the night, Sasuke still couldn't sleep. Floating up, he wondered if he could do a bit of exploring. Just in the house. Sakura had mentioned there were great white sharks that have a taste for merpeople, and he didn't really want to challenge that.
Sasuke moved slowly --he still hadn't had the hang of floating yet-- but he was able to swim in the lower level of the house. It was then that he heard voices.
"That was a risky thing to do, Sakura." Sasuke recognize the voice as Sakura's sister's, Shizune.
"I know... but I just couldn't watch him die." Sasuke heard Sakura.
"But if he did and you were already bonded, you'd face life-long depression. You know what happens to mer who lose their mermate." Shizune said.
"But he's alive." Sakura said. "And we'll be able to do the seperation ritual. The new moon isn't until next week so there isn't a risk of the bond being permanent."
There was a pause and then Shizune spoke.
"The king might also mindwash him, so he wouldn't remember."
"I know." Sakura said. "I guess that would be for the best since the seperation is irreversible and after that, he can never come back here."
Sasuke moved slowly back to his room, mind racing.
He lay down Sakura's shell-shaped bed but it wasn't soon that he fell asleep.
---
Sasuke woke up the next day almost wishing it all have been a dream. When he woke up to the shell-bed, he didn't know if he felt relieved or disappointed.
They ate breakfast in silence (Sasuke still ate only the sushi) and afterwards, Sakura offered to show him around.
It was nothing like any place Sasuke had been in--and he had been in many places. It was like a fairy tale. The kingdom was beautiful with big corals of lively colors, bioluminescent plants, and grand structures you wouldn't think mermade if you didn't know what to look for.
"It must be nice, growing up here." He commented as they float through the park.
Sakura smiled. "Yes. But I've lived here as much as I've lived on land."
Sasuke looked at her in question.
"I'm only half-mermaid. My mother is a mermaid while my father is human." She explained.
This confused Sasuke more. "Your father? But isn't he the one with the greyish tail?" He asked.
"Yes." Sakura nodded. "He bonded with my mom, so he turned mer. Whatever form my mom takes, so will my dad take. So if they're on land, they have the form of human, and here they have the form of mer."
"I didn't know that can happen..." Sasuke muttered.
"It's actually very common. That's what the bond is for." Sakura said and blushing she added, "Being bonded can be equivalent to human's marriage."
Sasuke couldn't help but blush as well.
They float silently for a while more and then Sakura turned to Sasuke with a excited grin.
"I'll show you something." She said.
"Okay..." Sasuke said, smiling as well.
Sasuke didn't know if it was the chemical-hormonalemotional thing she was saying, but Sakura's smile is really contagious
Sakura took hold of Sasuke's hand and pulled him along as she swam away from the houses.
They arrived at a darker, colder, and deeper place. Sasuke didn't know why he didn't feel uneasy. And he realized he trusts Sakura.
Sakura kept swimming until they reached a rocky part of the sea. She smiled as she pointed to a sort of cave and the two of them swam inside it.
It was so dark, Sasuke could barely see Sakura's red tail. He could see a clearing though, there was light just a few more yards away.
But it wasn't a clearing.
Sasuke gaped as he took in the sight before him.
It was hundreds and hundreds of jelly fishes, all glowing. Sakura slowly swam near them, letting a little giggle out.
"Wow..." Sasuke said.
"Beautiful, right?" Sakura said.
Sasuke only nodded, amazed.
"This is my favorite place. You're the first one I showed this to." She said.
There was a pause and then Sasuke said, shyly, "I'm honored."
They stayed there for a long time with Sakura playing with the jelly fishes. It was a sight to see.
When they came back, it was already time for dinner. After their dinner, it was time for the king's audience. Time for separation.
Sakura and her sister's conversation rang in Sasuke's head as they wait for them to be called.
"It's irreversible."
"He can never come back."
"He will forget."
As they met the king, he could feel his eyes scrutinizing him.
Beside him, Sakura started explaining what happened. He barely heard, he was still thinking of the sisters' conversation.
He was taken aback when the king addressed him.
"Do you wish for this separation?" He asked.
And more than ever, the words haunt him.
'Irreversible. Never come back. Will forget.'
Taking a deep breath Sasuke spoke.
"I..."