Chapter Text
I'll tell you a tale of the bottomless blue
And it's hey to the starboard, heave-ho
Look out, lad, a mermaid be waiting for you
In mysterious fathoms below
Fathoms below, below
From whence wayward westerlies blow
Where Triton is king, and his merpeople sing
In mysterious fathoms below
🐚
"Ah, this feels nice after a long, stuffy day," Prince Izuku said, feeling the wind. "And the sun makes things so much more lighter. Don't ya think?"
"To damn bright for me," Katsuki groaned. "Why do we have to sail this early in the morning?"
"It's not that early, and besides, I like sailing the ship this early in the morning?"
"And hear these pruds ramble about mermaids?"
"It's a sea shanty, Kachan," Izuku corrected. "It's just how they pass the time during long days of sailing. Mermaids are just simply part of the song."
"Ugh, when we both spoke about being pirates, I don't think this is what I meant." Katsuki muttered to himself.
"You mean you being captain? Sorry, Kachan, but Captain Might gave this one to me as an early birthday gift." Izuku explained while teasing. "Come on, we should be able to celebrate it, even just for a little while."
"But this is a decoy.."
"I don't get his real one until I am 21," Izuku chuckled. "He said this could help me for future sailing."
Katsuki rolled his eyes as Izuku climbed onto the rope, looking out onto the sea with a goofy smile. Katsuki can't believe these two were supposed to get wed in the following days, but what can he do?
🐚
Heave-ho
Heave-ho
Heave-ho, heave-ho, heave-ho
In mysterious fathoms below
🐚
Katsuki groaned and bumped into a sailor, resulting in him dropping his smoking pipe down into the sea.
The pipe slowly drifted into the sea and landed between two coral reefs. But a pair of hands took it away, and his red and white blotched tail swam away, looking at the newly acquired item in his hands.
🐚
"Where is he?!" Screamed the King.
"W-we don't know your majesty," stammered a royal guard. "We haven't seen him after his training."
"What?!" Enji called out. "You mean you lost track of my son!"
"We didn't mean to!" Gulped the other royal guard.
Enji growled, glaring at the guards, aiming his trident at the two. But before he can incinerate them, a trumpet is heard from the entrance.
"Your Majesty, Lord Kouki, and his lovely daughter, Lady Momo, have arrived."
Enji groaned and sat down on his throne. "Send them in."
The guards scurried away now that Enji's attention was on Lord Kouki. The man whose daughter was bethroed to Prince Shoto, but with such bad luck, the prince was nowhere to be found.
"How embarrassing," Enji groaned. "To think I taught my youngest son some manners. Where is that damned boy?!"
🐚
Shoto looked around as he entered a nearby ship, hoping for peace. Or, well, look for human stuff.
It was something that he had done for such a long time. How he managed to keep this from his father is a mystery, even to Shoto, but he has a nice collection he is willing to keep. No matter what happens to him.
So, his entering sunken ships that his father had purposely sabotaged made sense. It was a hunting ground for human stuff, and Shoto was willing to learn and collect in any way he could. There was an object that he recently found. It was an odd silver-like object that looked like a mini trident but probably had no magic like one, but it still captured Shoto's eye nonetheless.
"It's so small," he whispered to himself. "Like Father's Trident, but maybe not as magical as his and maybe less dangerous as well."
Shoto sighs as he swims lower, hoping to see any other items before returning home. He often ignores the looks of deep water fish as he continues to explore, as they fear his father, knowing if they try to harm him, it will be their last.
Shoto decided to swim inside one of the sunken ships, picked new human stuff, and saw a reflection of himself. It was unusual to see a reflection this deep beneath the sea, and Shoto liked it despite not knowing why humans needed such a thing.
But it wasn't long before a growl of a shark caught his attention and lunged towards the prince at such speed that it broke the mirror, and blood slowly drifted above them. Shoto didn't have the time to think about what just happened as he swam away in an attempt to escape, but he could hear the growls and chomps of the shark behind him, relentless and ready to eat.
But it wasn't Shoto's first encounter with an aggressive and hungry shark. He knew how to deal with rouge-aggressive animals, as it was part of the harsh training he endured. So he found a nearby broken wooden log and cut it down to trap the shark underneath it.
Shoto panted to himself as he swam higher, seeing the light shining past the sea.
He had a friend to meet, after all.
"Denki!" called Shoto as he rose to the surface, looking around.
The Seagull gasped in shock as he grabbed a telescope to see Shoto. "Oh! Merman at the port! Merman at the port!"
Shoto rolls his eyes and swims forward, surprising the Seagull when he takes the telescope away from his face.
"Wowza! You mermaids know how to swim fast, huh?" Denki laughed. "Well, whatcha got for me today? You know I am here for any human discoveries."
"Yes, I have collected a lot of them this time," Shoto explained.
Denki hummed and rummaged his hands into Shoto's bag, taking out the miniature trident. "Oh, this, this I know very well."
"What is it?" Shoto asked, lifting himself.
"These are called Dinglehoppers," laughed Denki. "This is how humans manage to have pitch perfect hair, with no complications! Like so!"
Shoto watched as Denki used the newly discovered Dinglehopper on his feathers, creating a puffed-up hairdo. He laughed as Denki examined himself, smiling.
"You look nice."
"Why, thank you." Denki beamed. "What else do you have for me?"
"This odd looking intrusment." Shoto answered, giving it to Denki.
"Oh, a Snarfblatt!" Denki called out. "It's a small intrument, and once you take a blow, you can hear beautiful music!"
Denki blew into it, and seaweed and sand blew out.
"Eh, it still needs to be cleaned before use." Denki chuckled, giving it back to Shoto. "Great for marriage, don't you think?"
Shoto's eyes widen at the mention of marriage. "Oh no. I was suppose to meet up with my fiance today!"
"Oh really? Do you want to get the snarfblat?" Denki asked.
"No, but thanks you, Denki." Shoto sighed and grabbed his stuff. "I'll see you soon!"
Shoto sank down and started to swim as fast as he could toward his kingdom, knowing he could be in trouble for being so late. How could he forget such a thing? Marriage was such an essential thing for the kingdom that it was surprising that Shoto forgot.
As Shoto rushed towards his kingdom, he was unaware he was being watched.
🐚
"Go, go, young one," laughed a man from the shadow, watching Shoto swim away. "Go run to your father, young Shoto. Return to the wretched man you call a king and, even worse, a father."
The Merman laughed as he grabbed his bubble. "Oh, look at you. Growing up to be such a fine young boy. I'm not surprised. He wouldn't let his favorite little prince become a monster like me."
The Merman's cyan eyes glared at his bubble, almost ready to pop it. But he backs away, looking at Shoto, hiding his stuff in his room before leaving.
"Such secrets you hide, Shoto," he laughed. "I wonder what happens if you were to made to submit? If you break? Oh, will that day be swell? My sweet little eels, I hope you can keep your eyes on him for much more. I think we have an interesting case."
🐚
Shoto hid a yawn as he sat down at the dinner table, drinking some seaberry juice. He didn't want to be here, but if he missed one more dinner, who knows what would happen to him? So, he surrendered in silence and watched how Enji talked with the Lord.
Luckily for him, Fuyumi convinced his father to let this go until Kouki left. Oh, how the stars align in his favor.
"So, Shoto," started Kouki. "What plans do you have for my daughter?"
"To keep her protected and love, and give her anything she needs." Shoto answered, looking at Lord Kouki.
"I like to hear that," Kouki smiled. "I told you I find a good man for you, Momo. A man with promise."
"Surely I don't deserve all your praises," Shoto blushed. "I am still thinking about it."
"As am I," Momo admitted. "And I promise to do the same with you, Shoto."
"AH, see, this is what I like to see," Enji boasted happily. "And when should we have the wedding?"
"Hmm, perhaps this week?" Kouki suggested. "I want this over as quickly as possible."
Shoto and Momo let out a small gasp before looking at their fathers in surprise. They knew these two were about to wed but in a week? They thought they had more time before the wedding.
"Father, I think it's too soon," Momo objected. "We are not at marrying age, and I thought we agreed that it'll be a year."
"Well, that was before I chose a husband for you, my dear. And look, I have found you a husband, and I changed my mind." Kouki answered. "A week from now, we will have the royal wedding."
"But," Shoto also started to object but was shushed by Enji.
"That is a spledidi idea, Lord Kouki," Enji complimented. "I will make sure I will plan this wedding to your standards."
"I am happy that we agree."
Shoto looks over at Momo, who shares the same expression of worry.
"Toast!" Cheered Enji, lifting his cup of seaberry wine. "To the marriage to Prince Shoto and Lady Momo!"
The men toast in happiness with their children with the looks of sadness.
🐚
"You have some nerve to be late to that dinner, Shoto," Enji lectured. "But since today has brightened because of the marriage, I will not punish you this time around. But mark my words, Shoto, if this happens again, the things I could do to you will be more severe."
"Yes, Father," Shoto sighed. "It won't happen again."
"What could you be possobly be doing that you got so distracted?" Enji started to question.
Shoto decided not to answer, but that was all Enji needed.
"This again, Shoto?! You and this stupid obession with human stuff! I swear everyday, you act like that nutjob of a mother! Collected human stuff!! Stuff from those horrible humans, humans that would murder our kind without a second thought! Do you know that Shoto?"
"Of course, it's all you talk about," Shoto argued. "How humans are the reason Mother went insane! I have heard it all, over and over again! But what if you are wrong?"
"We are not talking about this, Shoto," Enji hissed.
"No, since you want to start it. You can't keep blaming humans for your actions! You decided to harm them, and they barely knew we existed as a species. Can't we just leave them alone?"
"No! Why would I? They will learn never to infiltrate my seas again! Now go, you disrespectful brat!"
Shoto nods and swims away. He tried to keep his anger in check, but Enji swore he heard a small scoff when Shoto swam.
🐚
The following day arrived, and Momo was ready for wedding planning, but unsurprisingly, Shoto wasn't in his room. But Enji excused it as a morning training thing, and Shoto will be back by noontime, much to Kouki's dismay. But Momo knew it was a lie, considering Enji's teeth gritted angrily.
So Momo spent her time drinking seaberry tea in the seaweed gardens; it was beautiful and made her think about some other things, but when a shadow flew over her, it caused her to look up to see Shoto swimming with a bag in his hands.
"Shoto? I thought he was training?" Pondered Momo, looking up at him. "Where is he going?"
Momo looks up at him and starts to follow Shoto against her better judgment. She knows it's wrong, but if she were to marry Shoto, she needed to take the first step into learning about her new fiance and try to understand it.
Momo watched Shoto slowly glide across the orange corals and toward the underwater revenue. Her eyes widened as she saw Shoto disappear into a small hole covered in vines.
"What is that?" She whispered to herself. "Looks quite private."
"Shoto!" called out older brother Natsou. "Ugh, I promised that man I would look after him, but once again."
"Natsou," Momo whispered, mentioning Natsou over. "Over here."
Natsou looked down and saw Momo. He looks away and swims down to her, looking at the vines. "Lady Momo, what are you doing here?"
"I saw Shoto, and he went inside that small cave," Momo whispered. "I don't know why."
Natsou looks over at the small cave entrance and looks back at Momo. "Should we find out?"
"I'm worried, so yes, please?"
Natsou nodded and carefully led her into the cavern, going through the short tunnel before light shone in, and the duo gasped as they saw the grotto walls full of human stuff, with Shoto sitting on a rock, staring at one of his items.
"Maybe he's right." Shoto sighed sadly, turning over. "Maybe there is something the matter with me."
"What?"
"I just can't see how a world filled with such wonderful things could be so bad?"
🐚
Look at this stuff; isn't it neat?
Wouldn't you think my collection's complete?
Wouldn't you think I'm the boy, the boy who has everything?
🐚
Shoto swims up, fixing his new collection, looking at his collection with a smile. He didn't notice that Momo carefully swam forward and around the collection.
🐚
Look at this trove, treasures untold
How many wonders can one cavern hold?
Looking around here, you think
"Sure, he's got everything."
I've got gadgets and gizmos a-plenty
I've got whozits and whatzits galore
You want thingamabobs? I've got twenty!
But who cares? No big deal; I want more
🐚
"What more could he ever wanted?" Natsou scoffed. "He already has enough because of his existence already."
"Hush," Momo shushed as she swam closer.
She watched as Shoto stared at a strange box and miniature versions of a dancing human couple with a quiet smile on his face.
🐚
I wanna be where the people are
I wanna see, wanna see them dancin'
Walking around on those - what do you call 'em? Oh - feet!
Flippin' your fins, you don't get too far
Legs are required for jumping, dancing
Strolling along down a - what's that word again? Street
🐚
Shoto laughs as he swims up, feeling the small sunlight on his face again. He loved it, much more the cold, dark sea, a sight that he was used to but ultimately grew tired of. It was a wish that Shoto didn't know he had until he started to ponder it, and now that he wished it, he wanted it.
🐚
Up where they walk, up where they run
Up where they stay all day in the sun
Wanderin' free - wish I could be
Part of that world
🐚
"Part of the human world?" Momo whispered to herself, slowly examining the items around him. "....is that why he was late? He was collecting these humans items?"
"But why?" Natsou questioned. "Our father forbade us to even go to the surface, and Shoto wants to disobey him?"
🐚
What would I give if I could live out of these waters?
What would I pay to spend a day warm on the sand?
🐚
Shoto sighed as he lay down on the sand, but a huff of disgust made him turn around, pouting. The constant thought of his horrified father corrupted his mind, and he didn't even want to think about it—the lectures, the hurtful statements, everything that made Shoto feel small.
🐚
Bet'cha on land they understand
Bet they don't reprimand their daughters
Bright young women sick of swimmin'
Ready to stand
I'm ready to know what the people know
Ask 'em my questions and get some answers
What's a fire, and why does it - what's the word? Burn?
🐚
Shoto looks back up and swims up to the small hole that allows any light to enter his grotto, reaching his hand out.
🐚
When's it my turn?
Wouldn't I love, love to explore that shore up above?
🐚
But it was all in vain. His hand could only feel the cold air. Empty and alone. Just like Shoto. Defeated, he slowly sank onto his rock, looking back at it again.
🐚
Out of the sea, wish I could be part of that world
🐚
Shoto lays down and closes his eyes. He wanted to imagine being with the humans, but a small shadow interrupted his daydream, and as he opened his eyes, Shoto saw an angry Natsou looking at him in disapproval.
"Natsou?" Shoto gasped as he raised himself up. "How did you find me?"
"You can thank your fiancé for that," Natsou answered.
"I'm sorry," Momo shrank to herself. "I saw you, and I wanted to follow. Just for us to chat and then I found this place and I just somewhat brought Natsou along."
"You brought him along?"
"And is that a problem, Shoto?"
"Yes," Shoto answered. "You guys wouldn't understand what's going on with my mind. And sure, I never told you because you would try to make it about yourself."
"No, I wouldn't." Natsou huffed.
Shoto rolled his eyes. "Just don't tell anyone. Not even Fuyumi."
"But you know she has been covering for you, and she doesn't even know you are doing this." Natsou pointed out.
"But I can't. Fuyumi may have my back, but father knows how to make her speak too," Shoto reminded. "I don't want to bring her into this entire mess of mine. If Father finds out, I would rather have it just me have the fall out of it."
"You are sweet," Momo grinned. "Don't worry, Shoto, I'll be making sure that I will keep your secret."
"...Fine, I'll try to," Natsou conceded. "Let's just go home before Father throws one of his little tantrums."
"I need to clean this up first," Shoto mentioned, looking at some of the items on the floor. "I want this to look clean."
"Right now? It's not like no one is going to see it," Natsou scoffed.
Shoto ignored his older brother and started to clean up his grotto, making sure everything was in place. During the quick clean-up, Shoto heard a muffled boom sound, but the sound created colorful lights that he had never seen before. As he watched, more colorful lights were combined with the booms, and Shoto couldn't help himself.
"What to check that out?" Shoto asked.
"Right now? You are joking, right?"
"Why not?" Shoto asked. "It will only for a few minutes, Natsou."
"But we need to go," Natsou reminded. "Father will flip on us if we don't come back!"
"My father will be worried for me as well," Momo added. "I can't disobey him like you can."
Shoto rolled his eyes. "Fine, but I'm going."
Shoto flicked his tail and started to swim higher, ignoring Natsou and Momo's calls and cries. Shoto listened to the booms that called his name. It was his time, and he would finally reach his hand to feel the nice human air again.