Work Text:
The burden of being a descendent of the Ryugu is a task unfit for those who are lighthearted.
With the name comes responsibilities unlike any other — keeping up with assigned duties while carrying the Ryugu name with pride. Always holding yourself with grace and kindness to uphold the reputation of your name. Any simple mistakes may cost you.
Finana has tended to the tropical coral reefs for years on end. Even as a young mermaid, she would tail one of the other caretakers, shadowing their duties with a keen eye until she was old enough to do so herself. Most of her life has been dedicated to preserving the reefs, and it is all that she has known in these waters.
Even though Finana has made many friends — an easy task with her gentle nature — there has always been an odd gap in her life. As if there's something… missing from her. She has never been able to pinpoint where it comes from. It simply lingers in her heart, a constant reminder that sits in silence.
A long time ago, Finana had thought that the emptiness was loneliness. That despite her connections and the wonderful friends she had, they weren't actually her friends. A seed of doubt had begun to grow in her mind, twisting her thoughts into believing that they were only there because of her name. Because she was a descendant of the Ryugu.
It took a very long time for her to get rid of all the roots, weeding out each and every last bit of those beliefs.
(The problem was that she had become dependent on those beliefs. And when Finana had finally realized, it had hurt so much more than when she got rid of them.)
Eventually the theory landed on desire. On ambition. On a reason to live. It made sense. Though her life was spent on preserving the reefs, it never felt like it was what she was meant to do. Finana always thought that there was more than just the sea and her duties.
Sometimes it would make her determined to find out what her purpose was, giving her a strong boost of energy and courage.
Other times, it made her linger on the worry of never being able to fill that gap, dwelling on the possibility of living the rest of her life with half-baked ambition and vigor.
Some nights, when the feeling in her chest becomes unbearably heavy and murky, Finana swims to the surface. She does not go near the shore, instead resting on a few rocks that circle a cliff. It's as close as she can get to being on land without having to ask for legs.
Her voice becomes her outlet. Sometimes she sings old lullabies, their origin unknown but the melody clear in her head. Occasionally the melody forms itself, and unique songs escape her lips, never to be remembered again.
Finana sings because it eases the weight in her chest. She sings to bring peace to herself. No one else is around to hear her songs. It is simply her and the empty vast waters. A song for the sea and sky.
But one night, she has a visitor.
The dragon that rests atop the cliff is… a curious one.
It is a new addition to her nights, one that she hadn't even noticed at first, not until she heard its soft snores before she had left to rest.
It does not interact with Finana, content with sleeping whenever she sings. Occasionally, it'll already be at the cliff when she surfaces that night. Sometimes, it takes a few moments before the dragon arrives, as if guided by her voice.
It becomes a nice change for once, finally having some company during the night.
Oddly enough, the empty feeling in her chest ebbs away whenever the dragon is near.
Finana finds herself singing for the dragon. She leans towards lullabies more often than not, but in the times that she creates her own melodies, she swears that she can see the dragon huff in amusement.
Occasionally, the singing gets replaced with a one-sided chat. Even though the dragon never responds to her, it never looks annoyed or angry whenever Finana speaks her mind. Usually, she talks about her day, or some trivial gossip that's been floating around in the seas.
One particular night, she tries to explain the odd feeling in her chest, about her dreams and ambitions. How it feels empty and cold — how even though the sea is her home and her name is her fate, it doesn't feel right.
"It's like I'm lacking something," she trails off, staring at her dark reflection in the waters. "But I don't know what."
"Why don't you do something else?"
Finana hears the dragon's voice for the first time, and it scares her so badly that she lets out a scream and dives right back into the waters. She can hear the dragon's hearty laugh even under the surface, and rises back up when it dies down.
"I'm sorry!" she immediately exclaims, her face flushed red with embarrassment. "It just surprised me!"
The dragon chuckles, its blue and purple eyes staring at her in the darkness.
"Apology accepted. But really, if you don't think that what you're doing now is what you're meant to do, then do something else. There's no harm in it."
Finana dwells on the dragon's words. A little bit of hope surges, but it's quickly squashed down. "My family and friends though… surely they'll miss me. A-And my duty! I'm a Ryugu! I can't just disappoint them by leaving!..."
There's a growl of discontent, and Finana looks up to see the dragon stand from its perch, wings flapping as it rises in the air. She blinks, and it disappears from sight.
Mere seconds later, a gust of wind shakes the waters, and Finana watches as the dragon precariously stands on a few larger rocks near her. The waves don't cease, instead seeming to grow stronger. The moon shines bright.
"Don't let your name define you," it growls, teeth bared as it leans in closer to stare at Finana. "Live your life how you want to live. If it means betraying duty, then do it. There's no point in living half-heartedly when what you want is within reach."
Finana freezes in shock, intimidated by the sheer size difference and at the dragon's sudden viciousness in such a topic.
She stares back into their eyes. For some reason, it reminds Finana of herself.
"Then let's make a promise," she suddenly declares, swimming even closer. "I'll come to the surface and pursue what I want, but you have to be my tour guide."
The dragon balks, blinking rapidly and losing their composure. "I- You what?!"
"I mean, it makes sense, doesn't it? I've never been on land, and I'm sure you've seen many sights flying about. Here," Finana lifts an arm out of the water and holds out her pinky. "We'll swear on it."
The dragon stares at the extended appendage unnervingly, until it sighs and slouches. "Fine, fine. Gimme a moment."
Finana watches as its form begins to glow, shrinking down smaller and smaller until it's human sized. She sees a tail flicker out from behind them, two small purple wings atop their head and short twin braids resting on their shoulders. They're in a crouched position on the rocks, the hand keeping them steady in between their legs much larger than the other, sharp nails clutching tight with purple scaly skin.
A cute dragon girl is now in front of her.
"Pinky promise, right?" she asks, holding out her other arm. "Come a little closer, I can't really move."
She snaps out of her thoughts and swims over to hook their pinkies together. The closer she is, the more Finana can't help but stare.
"What's your name?" she asks blankly, too immersed into how the dragon's eyes shine in the moonlight.
"Selen Tatsuki. You? I know you're a Ryugu, but…"
"Finana." Oh, she has little fangs.
"Nice to meet you." The dragon pulls away first, groaning into her palm. "I can't believe I'm agreeing to be a tour guide… Just wait until Elira hears about this—"
"You're really cute!" Finana blurts out, slapping her hands over her mouth immediately afterwards.
Selen stares at Finana like she has two heads, startling so strongly that she loses her balance. "Huh? Whoa, wait— SHIT!"
A resounding splash echoes in the night air as Selen falls into the waters as gracefully as a flailing person could land. She surfaces with the most deadpan stare Finana has ever seen on someone, and she can't help but begin to laugh.
"Hey! Don't laugh at me!" Selen exclaims. Finana laughs harder.
For once, Finana feels complete.
After a long process of explaining her reasons for wanting to take leave, Finana finally has permission to go on land. She says goodbye to all her friends, telling them that she'll be back before they know it, and swims towards the shore without looking back.
The magic that gives her legs kicks in as soon as the waters are shallow enough, and she crawls out onto the bank of sand. It takes a lot of strength to try and stand up, her legs feeling like jelly as she tries to take her first few steps.
Immediately, she loses balance and feels herself falling face first.
Finana never hits the ground though, a pair of strong arms catching her in time. She looks up to see familiar eyes of blue and purple. Selen smiles at her with a wide grin, and Finana returns it.
"So, where to, tour guide?"