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The sea.
It was beautiful, yet dangerous at the same time. The shimmering ocean and its depths inspired countless tales. Some spoke of its mysteries and terrors. Others, its serene beauty. There was a kingdom below its surface that the human world wasn't aware of. It consisted of mermaids and other sea creatures.
On a shore, there was a village with marinas and ships. In the village taverns, pirates told impressive tales of their journeys across water. By the marinas, sailors either chatted with each other or organized crates.
Standing by one of the ships was the local village girl, Catra. She was an adventurer at heart, but the tales of the sea unnerved her. Some of them centered around the disappearance of people and vessels during storms.
"Catra, what's not to love about sailing?" Scorpia said. "The wind in your hair, the salty air, the water..."
"And deal with storms as part of the package?" Catra replied. "I prefer solid ground."
Adora smiled. "It wouldn't hurt to try once. And since you're worried about storms, we have a plan for when it happens."
Catra crossed her arms. "If it goes wrong, I'm blaming you two."
The three friends boarded a ship. Catra leaned against the railing. As the vessel glided across water, she glimpsed a figure beneath the surface. It appeared to be following the ship. Then, it vanished. The sun rose higher into the sky. So far, no storms. She chatted with her friends, unaware someone was watching from a distance.
By early afternoon, the clouds gathered, darkening the sky. Catra didn't have a good feeling about this. Within several minutes, thunder boomed. The next thing she knew, everyone on the ship was rushing back and forth. Some were taking shelter. Others were trying to steer the ship and adjust the sails.
Glimmer watched the vessel sway back and forth. She knew her mother wouldn't approve of her getting close to the human world. Because, as Queen Angella often said, humans were monsters. A huge wave knocked the ship over. A young woman with brown hair and tan skin fell into the water.
"Catra!" A female voice screamed. "I'm gonna get you, hold on!"
"We have to get the others to safety first, Scorpia!" Another female argued.
"She's going to drown!" A third voice said. "We can't leave her to die!"
The other humans continued panicking. Glimmer dove underwater, searching for the young woman. Up close, the woman was gorgeous. Angular facial features, a dusting of freckles, and a toned physique. She wore a red tunic and black boots.
Glimmer grabbed the woman by the arm and ascended toward the surface. She swam to a shore and set the woman on the sand. As soon as the brunette awakened, she coughed out water, wheezing.
The woman sat up. "Where am I?"
Glimmer approached, resting her elbows on the sand. "Hi."
The woman glanced at her. "Who are you? And did you save me?"
"I'm Glimmer. And yes, I saved you."
"I'm Catra. Wait, are you a mermaid?"
Glimmer lowered her lavender tail into the water. "Yes. You don't have a problem with it, do you?"
Catra huffed. "As long as you don't sing and lure us toward a rock."
"That would be a siren. Which I'm not." Glimmer fidgeted with her hair. "I've never seen a human up close before."
"I've never seen a mermaid before." Catra moved closer. "Let alone one whose hair sparkles in the sunlight. You're beautiful."
Heat bloomed within Glimmer's cheeks. "Thanks."
For an hour, or two, Catra and Glimmer chatted, getting to know each other. They talked about anything, including their lives and childhoods. Soon, they parted ways into their respective worlds. Catra, to her human village. And Glimmer, to an underwater kingdom. The brunette was walking to her cottage in the town when she bumped into Adora.
"Hey, Adora," Catra said.
"Oh, you didn't drown. Our friends and I were thinking something happened to you," Adora said.
"A mermaid saved me."
Adora's eyes widened. "A mermaid? Are you sure it's not a siren or a dangerous sea creature?"
Catra smiled. "I'm sure. Also, she's beautiful. Her hair is sparkly."
"She didn't sing or anything, did she?"
"No."
"Okay. At least you're alive and not at the bottom of the sea."
Catra let out a chuckle. "Oh, Adora, always the worrywart."
Adora cracked a grin. "I know, right?"
After the conversation, Catra went about her day. By sundown, she entered her cottage and plopped onto her bed. Her mind wandered to Glimmer. She wanted to see her again. Already, she was thinking of their future meetings. Would it work out in the end? She was a human. Glimmer was a mermaid. Their respective worlds likely had preconceptions of each other.
The following day, Catra made her way to the shore. There was Glimmer, waiting by the rock. The mermaid's hair sparkled, as though there were stars within it. Glimmer swam closer, smiling. Catra's heart skipped a beat.
"Hey, princess," Catra said.
"I was wondering if we'd see each other again," Glimmer said. She moved onto the shore and grabbed Catra's hands. "I'm gonna try a spell. Close your eyes."
"It's not gonna hurt, is it?"
"No. It'll be helpful."
Catra closed her eyes. Glimmer began whispering an incantation. Several minutes later, Glimmer spoke again.
"Open your eyes," Glimmer said.
Catra's eyes fluttered open. "Am I supposed to feel anything?"
"Come into the water."
Catra tilted her head. "You expect me to swim? I've never swum, and I don't like being in the water."
Glimmer guided Catra into the water. "You'll see."
It didn't take long for them to plunge underwater. Instead of holding her breath, Catra was breathing. Fishes glided around the swaying corals. Small crabs scuttled across the bottom. Glimmer led Catra through the coral-covered caverns. Streams of light spilled into the underwater world.
It was a breathtaking sight to behold. Maybe the ocean wasn't as scary as Catra thought it was. And she got to spend time with a stunning mermaid princess. Speaking of whom, Glimmer turned her around so they were facing each other. She stroked Catra's cheek.
"How do you feel about the water now?" Glimmer asked, grinning.
"I enjoyed our little adventure," Catra replied.
"We could do it again. Or I could find a way to explore the human world."
"And how would you do it?"
"There's a spell to turn mermaids into humans so they'd walk on land. My mom didn't approve of such a spell."
They made their way to the surface. Glimmer's lips met Catra's in a soft kiss. Catra paused in surprise before melting into the kiss. She was already looking forward to their future meetings. Perhaps someday, they could find a way to be together, as different as they were.