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Ivo flicked his tail to push himself forward, a strong current pushing behind him as he did so. The ocean flew past him as he swam; schools of fish darted out of his way while other Mers gave him curious glances, but didn’t dare stop him. Not when the news of a pod of Orca Mers being decimated had spread through the five oceans and all the seas. Ivo wouldn’t be surprised if fresh water Mers had heard the gossip as well.
He had heard the news from a passing pod of Dolphin Mers. Unlike other Mers, they had no qualms with dealing with Ivo. They were just as intrigued by humans as he was, making them oddities as well. However, unlike Ivo, dolphins were never exiled due to their love for humans—everyone knew dolphins were strange, so that detail didn’t matter.
They had informed him that the entire Robotnik pod had been wiped out. The reason was unclear: maybe a virus, perhaps an enemy pod. There were far too many probabilities and winding vines of gossip for Ivo to unearth the reason for their demise.
At first, he had dismissed the news.
“They banished me. I’m not their family.”
“Ivo, are you sure? You don’t want to know what happened to them?”
Stone had stared at him with sympathy boarding on pity. Ivo tried to ignore him, but the Shark Mer knew him too well. He did want to know, even if none of his pod would have searched him out if his death had gotten back to them.
Decision made, Ivo set out on a two day journey to the last location where his former pod had been sighted.
He hated leaving Stone behind, however, he would be equally irresponsible if he brought his mate along. Stone was too heavy with their child to be brought along. Besides, their son was too young to make the journey without being a burden.
At the thought of their first born, Ivo smiled softly to himself.
When the little shark-orca had been born, Ivo had been nervous. Would he be a good father? Would his child come to resent him like he did his own parents?
Soon enough, Ivo learned he didn’t have to worry about that.
Mostly because there was simply not enough time to worry when he had to pry their son’s jaws off everything. Stone had never mentioned how badly Shark Mers teethed. If Ivo dared to look away, little jaws would either be wrapped around a piece of metal or Ivo’s own tail. There was now a small, but similarly circular, bite mark to the one Stone had left on his tail so long ago.
What he hadn’t expected was for their son to ignore the name he had been given, insisting on choosing his own. He wanted to follow in the Shark Mer tradition.
“What is your name, little sharkling?” Stone had scooped up their son, running his claws through black hair. He had taken after Stone’s body shape, but had Ivo’s colorings, with far more white spots than Ivo had.
“Metal!”
Ivo had rolled his eyes, but had agreed on the name with how proud the boy looked. If it made him feel more connected to Stone, then Ivo wouldn’t say anything against it. However, that didn’t stop Ivo for hoping that their next child would permit themself to be named. He was secretly hoping for a girl—he already had a few names picked out.
Stone wouldn’t be due for another moon cycle, but Ivo was still concerned about leaving his pregnant mate alone with a small child. He had left them plenty to eat, but he knew how finicky Stone had gotten with his taste in fish as of late. Why he demanded only red urchins was beyond Ivo, but he wasn’t one to deny his mate, especially not when he was giving Ivo the family he had always craved.
Which made him doubt the entire journey.
Why should he travel to see the very Mers who had kicked him out? At most, all he was going to see was their dead bodies—most likely picked apart by scavengers. Orca Mers were inherently nomadic, so it wasn’t as if they would have left much behind for him to take, either. He supposed this whole trip was for closure and nothing else.
He continued to swim for the rest of the day, nobody stopping him. A quick stop to catch food, and he was on his way again.
By the time he had reached his destination, the ocean had fallen into darkness. The moon tried to breach the thick layers of water, but to no avail. Reaching for his belt, Ivo pulled out a black, metal stick. Flicking a switch, he smirked as light poured out of one end. He had found the tool on the body of a human deep in his cavern. He used it sparingly, not sure how to power it again once it died.
The light shined against the sandy bottom of the ocean before it came across barnacle ridden metal. Advancing closer, Ivo took in the large, sunken ship his pod had decided to take residence in their last days. He had been surprised to hear they had stayed there—the matriarch had despised anything relating to humans.
He took one lap around the ship, taking everything in before he found an entrance. As soon as he entered, he spotted a body.
Sighing, he quickly took the light off his fallen brethren. He distinctly remembered playing with the Mer when they had been children—it was hard to forget the humorously shaped spot on the back of the Mer’s tail.
Moving away from the carnage, he swam through the corridors of the ship. More and more bodies revealed themselves to him, each one bringing memories back in full force. While many of the bodies had been picked at by bottom feeders, he could still identify them. By the time he made it to the heart of the ship, he counted thirty-three dead orcas.
The large room at the center of the ship revealed the body of the matriarch.
Along with Ivo’s grandfather.
Gerald Robotnik’s tail had been slashed at the bottom, leaving him to crawl across the wooden floor of the ship. His dorsal fin had been severed from his body before his neck had been slit. Grimacing, Ivo looked away. He and Gerald had butt heads several times before he had been banished, but even he didn’t wish that kind of fate on the old Mer.
One more glance around the room, Ivo shook his head.
There’s nothing here for me.
He made his way out the other end of the ship, taking his time to peer into the other rooms. Not to find any more fallen kin, but for anything he could bring back for Stone and Metal. Just like he and Stone, Metal loved shiny things. So much so, he had gone as far as to try and steal items from Ivo’s stash. Little guppy was getting too sneaky, which made Ivo both proud and annoyed—he blamed Stone while Stone chuckled and said the boy got it from Ivo.
Lost in thoughts of bringing Metal back a present, Ivo nearly missed a stream of bubbles rushing into a small room.
Narrowing his eyes, he flashed his light towards the crusty door. It was ajar, the filament dusting the floors appearing to have been moved by it.
Somone’s still here!
Ivo didn’t have to look as he pulled out one of his guns and began creeping towards the door. His light went in first as he poked his head inside. It appeared to be a human’s nest with a bed in the corner and bits of furniture scattered around. However, the fresh marks on the floor near another door gave away whoever was hiding.
With his gun at the ready, Ivo called out.
“Come out here! If you do, I promise not to hurt you. Much,” he mumbled the last part. There wasn’t much love left in his heart for his pod, but even he could muster up the want for revenge if the killers were right in front of him.
The door to the small nook opened slowly, a tiny, pale hand gripping the edge. Blinking, Ivo didn’t register his arm dropping until the cool metal of his gun tapped his hip.
Blue, fearful eyes stared at him as a small Orca Mer ventured out of the nook. Her skin was deathly white as it glowed in the light. Long, blonde hair flowed around her head like a halo as she swam out to be in the middle of the room. A delicate, blue cloth was draped over her shoulders, which she clutched at with one hand.
Meanwhile, her other hand was holding something completely different.
Ivo blinked as he stared at the odd Mer shoved into the young Orca’s hip. His black hair was spiked with streaks of red that matched the tentacles he had instead of a tail. Little tentacles curled nervously as the light shined against his darker skin.
Meeting blue and then red eyes, Ivo didn’t know what to say.
“Who—who are you?” The little girl asked. She pulled the Squid Mer closer, almost to shield him. However, by the looks of her, Ivo knew something was wrong with her. Skin too pale, ribs sticking out—she was sick.
“I’m Ivo,” he grunted.
“Are you from another pod?”
“No.”
Silence hung in the water as they took each other in. Ivo knew who she was—well, not who she was, but how he was related to her. His uncle had mated with an orca with the same colored hair as the girl, meaning this girl had to be his cousin. However, he had no idea how she had befriended a Squid Mer. The matriarch would never have allowed another Mer species to join them.
“What is your name?” He asked.
“I’m Maria, and this is Shadow.”
The squid narrowed his eyes at Ivo, who was wondering why half of the Mers he was meeting didn’t believe in normal names.
“Maria,” Ivo spoke slowly, trying to decern how to ask his next question without traumatizing the girl. “What happened here?”
Instantly, her eyes began to well with tears.
“They—” she hiccupped. “They killed everyone.”
Shadow grabbed her hand with both of his as he nuzzled into her side. Ivo rubbed his temple. He wished Stone was here. The shark was a natural when it came to comforting children.
“Who?” He asked gently.
“The sharks,” she sniffed. “Great-grandma said they wanted something and I needed to hide. Then they came and everyone—”
“Maria,” Shadow mumbled as the girl turned and hugged him to her chest. Even though she was trying to squeeze the life out of him, he didn’t appear to be bothered. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her, his red tentacles coming up to caress her tail. “It’s all right.”
“What kind of sharks?” Ivo pressed. Shadow sent him a hard glare. But Maria answered feebly.
“They were grey. With spots and small stripes.”
Whale sharks.
The matriarch should have known better than to strike a deal with them. Young bulls who wanted to push around any other Mer they could spot, all looking to make a name for themselves. What they could have promised a pod of Orcas was beyond Ivo, but they had faced the consequences of their own actions.
“Is there anyone else alive?”
“No.”
More tears fell from her eyes, mixing into the water seamlessly. The sight of two lost Mers yanked on Ivo’s heartstrings. It was most likely due to the fact he had become a father that caused him to make a choice he would never have made before meeting Stone.
“Grab what you want, you’re coming with me.”
“W-what?” Maria yelped.
“Why would we do that?” Shadow hissed.
“Because I’m your only living relative,” Ivo sneered.
“I’ve never met you,” Maria cocked her head to the side. She didn’t seem suspicious, more curious than anything.
“I was kicked out of the pod years before you were born.”
“Why?”
“I’ll tell you on the way.”
The two shared a glance before Maria nodded and moved away from Shadow. She darted towards the nook they had been hiding in before pulling out a small sack. Slinging it over her shoulder, she offered her hand to Shadow, who quickly took it again. Meeting Ivo’s eyes, she nodded with determination.
“Let’s go.”
The journey back to his home was much more eventful. Especially since he discovered that two children couldn’t match his speed.
“Please, cousin Ivo, could you slow down?” Maria panted as she hauled Shadow behind her. The little squid must be younger than Ivo had thought as he struggled to keep up with either of them. Holding in a groan of frustration, Ivo stopped completely.
Hands on his hips, he took the pair in. Maria’s cheeks were flushed with exertion while Shadow glared back at him while trying to regain his breath.
They were already on their third day of travel. He was supposed to have returned a day ago. But, with their speed, it would take another day for them to reach Ivo’s cavern. Clenching his jaw, Ivo let a stream of bubbles out of his nose.
“Come here,” he huffed, opening his arms. Neither child moved towards him. “I’ll carry you.”
With warry expressions, Maria and Shadow moved closer to him before he carefully scooped them up in his arms. He frowned when he felt how light Maria was—an Orca child should weigh much more than that. As for Shadow, his little tentacles wrapped around Ivo’s skin, making him shutter. Holding them close to his chest, he set off.
By the time he arrived home, he had two little, sleeping heads laying on each of his shoulders while his arms screamed in pain at holding the same position for so long. He barely noticed the shimmering lights of the cavern as he tiredly swam through the entranced.
Everything was as he had left it, albeit with more bite marks.
The cavern was quiet as Ivo swam towards the middle, where the natural skylight allowed moonlight to pour inside and illuminate his mate and child.
Stone was wrapped protectively around Metal, who hugged Stone’s round belly. The little shark was nuzzling the taught skin, almost as if he could hear his future sibling. Ivo couldn’t help but smile as he watched them.
When he learned Stone was pregnant with Metal, he had freaked out. The first few days, he wouldn’t even let Stone leave their nest with how anxious he had been. He had only gotten worse as time went on; Stone’s belly had grown and the baby hadn’t been gently with his wriggling inside Stone’s belly. Ivo had spent hours rubbing Stone’s belly to soothe their baby, holding his mate close as he whispered sweet nothings into his ear.
Ivo felt a stab of guilt for remembering things so fondly—Stone had been in pain due to Metal’s movements, but Ivo would still cherish the memories.
He had been ecstatic when Stone had informed him that he was pregnant again. Somehow, his belly appeared bigger than last time. Stone was more exhausted as well, needing more food as he lounged and urged the new baby to calm. Metal would pout and watch Stone sleep, but would perk up again when Ivo mentioned that he would have a sibling to play with soon.
He must have been staring intently because Stone’s eyes blinked open as he let out a loud yawn. His hand instantly passed over Metal’s body without conscious thought as he looked up at Ivo.
“Welcome home, Ivo,” Stone whispered sleepily, rubbing at his eyes.
“Glad to be back. I brought you a present. Two in fact.”
Stone’s eyes finally zeroed in on the two small Mers in his arms as alarm flashed across his face.
“Where did you find them?” He kept his voice quiet so not to wake anyone up.
“They were the only survivors from my pod. Maria is my cousin, and I have no idea where she got Shadow.”
A soft frown marred Stone’s face as he nodded slowly.
“What do you want to do with them?”
“I’d like to put them down,” Ivo huffed, drawing a quiet chuckled from Stone.
“Here, I’ll take them.”
Swimming closer, Ivo deposited Shadow into Stone’s awaiting arms first. The shark cooed at Shadow’s coloring as he ran a claw through the boy’s spikes. Shadow curled towards Stone’s chest, his little tentacles latching on quickly. Metal mumbled as Stone gently adjusted him to fit Shadow next to him.
Next, Ivo laid Maria on the other side of Metal so he was between her and Stone. Ivo wasn’t shocked when her arm came up to wrap around his son; she was incredibly physical with Shadow. He watched as Stone looked over each child, his gaze loving.
“Is this all right?” Ivo whispered. “Do you want to keep them?”
“Only if you want to,” Stone glanced up to him, allowing Ivo to make the final decision.
“Until they’re old enough to fend for themselves.”
Stone smiled. Ivo had said the same thing about Metal, but they both knew he would let them stay as long as they wanted.
“I wasn’t expecting for us to gain so many children in one night,” Stone teased.
“Don’t get used to it. I know you want an army, but you’ll have to work for it, my trusty barnacle.”
Sharp teeth flashed in the moonlight as Stone laughed gently.
Ivo couldn’t help but match his expression.
How he had ended up with a mate, let alone a mate as understanding as Stone, was beyond his comprehension. No other Mer would associate with Ivo, too fearful of his obsession with humans. But, then came Stone.
An annoying Shark Mer who wanted to take a bite out of his tail had ended up being his better half and the mother of his children. Instead of shunning his inventions, Stone actively asked questions and took an interest. Rather than be offended by Ivo’s insults, Stone would let them slide off his back and send a bit of sass back at Ivo. He was an incredible hunter and caretaker of their son—there was nobody else in the oceans Ivo would trust.
Even now, he had known Stone would accept Maria and Shadow into their nest with no hesitation.
“I love you,” Ivo breathed out. It had taken many moons for him to admit it, but now, the words came easier as he stared at Stone in the moonlight.
“I love you, too, Ivo.”
Leaning down, Ivo captured Stone’s lips in a passionate kiss. He was careful not to cut his tongue on sharp teeth, but wasn’t surprised when Stone began nipping at his lips. Lust began pumping through his veins before he forced himself to pull back.
“When we don’t have three kids in our nest,” he mumbled against Stone’s lips.
“It’s going to be four soon.”
Perhaps Ivo should stop knocking Stone up if this was the punishment.
A clawed hand wrapped around his as Stone yawned, his teeth on full display as his eyes blinked sleepily.
“Join us?”
“Of course.”
Ivo would need to widen the nest with how many Mers were now sharing it. He settled down on the other side, with Maria pressed up against his belly. Both his and Stone’s arms fell across the children protectively as he gazed at Stone’s face. The shark was already drifting back to sleep, his chest moving slowly.
Reaching out, Ivo placed his hand on Stone’s belly.
He couldn’t wait to meet their daughter.
Quickly, he felt his own eyes falling shut as he wrapped himself around his family.