Author's Notes

Well... I guess I've written my first official AU fic! (I guess kind of AU lol) This is a different future of Valentia, one where there's peace with no signs of turmoil, and mermaids fill the ocean floor. Sounds like a nice future to me. :D Obviously this isn't canon, but wouldn't it be nice if it was?

The ending may be considered as "rated T for a reason", so you've been warned!

Treasure of the Deep

Over the horizon, the rising sun poked its head into view, shining the first light of day onto Valentia.

That meant it was time for Saber's daily swim around the Novis Greatport.

He did it for a few reasons, but one of them was to reflect on his life. In his generation, the countries of Rigel and Zofia have experienced peace to a degree that has not existed for centuries, and that meant less dangerous jobs for the 22-year-old mercenary. While it was nice to not have to worry about his life so often, the pay was considerably less for jobs with no risk.

And so, he'd sometimes resorted to helping out around the harbour to make ends meet. Mainly this constituted of lifting crates or organizing shipments, but on occasion he'd earn a greater pay for hopping into the ocean and helping guide the ships into the harbour during stormy weather, pulling tethering lines. It took great effort and concentration to accomplish such a task, however, hence another reason for the daily swim to strengthen his body and mind. Lately, though, he's also been in a bit of a slump due to the lack of exciting work in the last few years, so the swim did his mind good by giving him something different to think about.

So, on that particular morning, after he ate a light breakfast and fastened his coral ring onto his finger; the ring had been a keepsake of his mother's before she died of illness; he set out into the ocean blue.

Generally, it could take approximately 10 minutes to swim around the port a couple of times, so he would usually explore the open ocean for a bit after a few laps to make the swim more interesting. Today, though, he decided to start his swim in the ocean instead, and swam farther from the Greatport than ever before, just for a figurative change of pace.

A literal change of pace occurred, though, when Saber accidentally bumped into something out in the ocean with him, and his progress had halted. He treaded water uneasily; could it have been a shark or a whale? A whale would be fine, but a shark could be dangerous. He always kept a small dagger on him at all times, but a large shark wouldn't be affected much by what was essentially a glorified knife. Regardless, he pulled it out and circled around, hoping to find something before something found him.

What he did not expect, though, was a young woman to eventually emerge from the ocean.

As she thrust herself out of the water and into view, Saber took the time to assess her appearance. She was a work of beauty, much better looking than most women he'd come into contact with, even noblewomen. Her hair was a natural shade of red, though not as intense as the coral on the ocean floor, and it was long enough that it covered the top half of her torso, exposing her midriff. She looked to be of a delicate nature, due to her slight figure, but as she began to tread water with him, he could see that she was stronger than she looked, for she looked to not be having any trouble keeping herself afloat; in fact, she was doing better than he was.

She must be an adept swimmer, he thought.

"Well, hello sir!" the girl greeted him, and she smiled sweetly as she spoke. Saber noticed that she smiled with her eyes as well, which lead to the smile looking more genuine. "It's not often that we get visitors from Novis over here! In fact, I don't think I've seen another person for years now!"

Okay, this one is definitely off her rocker, he sighed to himself, wondering how he met a person like this out in the ocean. "For years, you say. Well, I find that very hard to believe," he smirked, but the girl wasn't offended by his obviously snide remark.

"It's true!" the girl chuckled. Saber found her laugh soothing for some reason. "By the way, my name... is Celica. What's your name?"

"Saber, like the sword," he answered back. She seemed to appreciate that fact that he answered her for some reason. "I'm a mercenary."

"Well, Saber, it's a pleasure to meet you. If you've got some time, maybe you'll hear my story," the woman offered, and Saber considered what she was saying. He was in a rut due to the peaceful conditions of the world, and this girl's story could be interesting, if not a little out of the ordinary.

So he decided to take her up on her offer.

"Sure, why not. A fresh face to talk to would do some good for the both of us I'm sure," Saber said, and he nodded his head towards Novis. "We'd better head back to port, though. I don't know about you, but I certainly can't stay out here forever."

The woman gasped, almost as if she had forgotten something. "Oh, I'm sorry! You can only swim for so long, can't you? Yes, let's go to Novis. It will be nice to see the port after so much time."

Saber decided to ignore the comment and the two of them started swimming back to the port. Now, Saber considered himself a pretty good swimmer, but Celica was ahead of him quite quickly, and with considerably less effort expended on her part as well. He pondered how she did it. When she was barely within sight of the mercenary, she turned her head and, noticing Saber wasn't keeping up to her, swam back to meet him with great speed.

She seemed troubled that she left him behind.

"I'm sorry about that. I guess I got carried away!" Celica explained and, without warning, latched onto his arm. "I'll let you ride with me. It's the least I can do for offering to keep me company."

"I can assure you lass that I'm perfectly capable of..."

Before he could finish his sentence, the girl began to swim towards the port in a wave of bubbles, with the mercenary holding on for dear life. While he felt a little embarrassed at being ferried by the smaller woman, he respected her strength, and especially her attitude of not being afraid to speak her mind, even if some of the stuff she said was off. She possessed a real strength of character, and he was humble enough to accept her help, even though he didn't need it.

What did bother him, though, was the fact that instead of bare skin or swimming attire, he sometimes felt a scaly, slimy texture whenever he grazed the woman's skin.

He hoped that perhaps she had simply been in the sea for too long.

Well... he was technically right. She had been in the sea for a long time. Her whole life, in fact.

To his astonishment and amazement, the girl, Celica, whom he met in the ocean... wasn't a girl at all.

She was a mermaid!

So that explains the scaly texture, Saber thought to himself.

It had become obvious when the two of them reached one of the less used dock entrances. He climbed the ladder with ease, but she needed help. When he hoisted her onto the wooden dock, he was greeted with a large tail that started just under Celica's bellybutton and enveloped the entirety of her lower body, including her legs... well, if she even had legs. It was probably best not to mention it at the moment.

"Well... I must admit that this is a surprise," Saber stated, taking in the full appearance of his new companion. Despite the comment, it was clear from Celica's bright expression that she felt no shame over her appearance, which Saber took note of. It only served as another proof of her inner strength and pride for her species. "I had thought that the merpeople were just legends, but here you are, a living example. I guess I'll put a bit more stock into what you've been talking about."

The girl splashed some water onto her tail to keep it moist as she smiled at the curious man. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything sooner. Some people have hunted for mermaids in the past, so I wanted to assess your character first. For some reason... your presence calmed me. Although we rarely make contact with humans, the merpeople have the ability to partially read a human's heart condition, and while you're a mercenary and you look rough, I can tell you're honourable... but I mean that in a respectable way, not in a naive way. I hope you don't misinterpret my words."

"Er... none taken?"

After answering, the man sighed to himself and scanned the horizon around the harbour. How many more merpeople were there? Was there a hidden society of them simply hidden farther from the shore? As he pondered these things, he eventually glanced back at Celica, who had her back turned towards him as she tied up her hair into a ponytail.

It was only then that he realized that she appeared to be topless.

What? Why isn't she wearing anything to cover herself? He wondered to himself, and he groaned into his hands, covering his face. Sure, she's not facing me at the moment... but if she turns around, what's to stop me from looking? Of course I'd like to watch the view, but...

Saber continued to war with himself for a few minutes before Celica finished her ponytail and turned to face the mercenary, clearly unconcerned with her appearance. Against his male instinct, he recoiled away from the sight Celica was providing, confusing the mermaid. "Saber?" she questioned him, "is there something wrong? Why won't you look at me?"

"How can a man look at you when you've got your..." he started, but when he actually took a glance at Celica, he noticed that her chest was not actually bare, unlike what he had initially thought. Her breasts were covered by two clam shells that seemed to magically stick onto her body, and while she wasn't lacking in that department per se, she wasn't endowed either, leading into it not looking strange on her. Celica's hair had originally covered the upper half of her torso, so that was why Saber hadn't noticed anything until she changed her hairstyle. Regardless, the man's cheeks were uncharacteristically rosy, and Celica certainly noticed it.

"Oh! So that's what you were worried about!" Celica giggled, enjoying that fact that she was able to fluster the hardened mercenary. "You don't have to worry about me. Us mermaids always make sure that our pearls stay in their shells." She stopped giggling after saying that, and simply smiled at him. "I appreciate that you thought about me though, even though I'm quite different than you are."

She then moved herself (which took great effort with no legs) over to the mercenary's side, and she took his hand, which lead to a surprised Saber. "I just hope that..."

Instead of finishing her sentence, Celica's face drooped in sadness, and she turned away from Saber now. "In my city at the bottom of the ocean, I'm expected to marry a prominent merman of my family's choosing; an arranged marriage, if you will. But I... don't want that. However, I don't have a choice in the matter."

Saber put the pieces together pretty quickly. "So you wanted to see the outside world before you were confined to the duties of a housewife, then."

Celica nodded in agreement. "Exactly. We aren't allowed to meet with humans, but I figured if I met one, at least I could have an exciting story to tell before I'm tethered for life." With a sigh, she continued, "I have no issue with marrying a merman; I just wish I could choose my mate for myself instead of having one chosen for me once I reached the age of 18 yesterday. Regardless, I know that I have must go back, but..."

As she spoke, a large wave smashed into the dock, and the impact caused Celica to lose her balance. Fortunately, though, she landed directly into Saber's lap, safe in Saber's strong yet gentle grip. If Saber had not been there, she could have been washed farther down the dock, and it would not do her good for her bare skin to scrape against the rough wooden planks.

From a distance, the scene looked incredibly romantic, a showcase of two lovers enjoying each other's company in a warm embrace.

And that's exactly what it looked like to the merman watching from underneath the dock.

"Celica! What do you think you're doing?" he yelled, and the two unlikely friends turned their heads towards who was speaking to them. The merman looked to be in his sixties, judging by his wrinkled, wise face, and his greyed hair and mustache, but he still looked to be very strong for his age. Despite the angry look he possessed, Saber sensed that the man could be caring in certain circumstances. However, he also carried a trident as a weapon, and Saber wanted no part in getting stabbed by it. "You're to be wed today to the great Lord Alm today... why are you here gallivanting with humans?"

"Who are you?" Saber called out, not letting go of Celica. "I see no reason why she has to be confined to the ocean for her whole life."

"I am Mycen, Celica's grandfather," the merman answered, and he stroked his chin. "And they are not my rules. They are the rules of her father, the king. They're for her protection... or so he says. Overprotective? Maybe. But, I know I'd rather see my family safe than dead."

Saber understood what Mycen meant. "You may not see the world, but you'll be alive, right? Sounds boring to me, but I get your drift."

Mycen then shook his head with his arms crossed. He seemed conflicted. "However, I would give any excuse to just let Celica do as she pleases. Lord Alm... he is a fearsome merman. He's tyrannical, and I know for a fact that he's abusive. I cannot leave her with him and still sleep soundly at night. I'd fear for her safety and happiness for the rest of my life."

Celica looked worriedly at Mycen as he spoke. It's quite likely she knew of all of this already... and yet, based on what they were talking about, she still planned to fulfill her duties, even at the cost of her health and happiness.

Saber reacted before he even thought about what he was about to do.

"Celica..."

"Yes?"

Saber then removed his mother's precious coral ring from his finger and placed it on Celica's own finger, which lead her to gasp in surprise. There was no denying that she was flattered at the gesture, though, as an incredibly bright smile lit up her face.

"Celica... will you marry me?"

Mycen raised an eyebrow at what Saber was doing, but instead of getting angry or lashing out, he closed his eyes and concentrated for a few moments. When he was satisfied with what he found out, he opened them, smiling at his granddaughter. "I've read his heart, Celica... I have no doubt that while this man has absolutely no idea what he's doing, he'll treat you with respect and kindness. And while absolutely anyone would be better than Lord Alm, this man is certainly a trustworthy one, and I could sleep soundly if you stayed with him."

Saber was unsure whether that statement was a positive one or not. It didn't matter though, as even though Celica didn't verbally express her consent, her facial expression of trust and gratitude clearly articulated her feelings towards Saber. She certainly found nothing wrong with living with this man for the rest of her life. She already knew that he would treat her well, and they'd most likely eventually fall in love.

After coming to that conclusion in her mind, she snuggled deeper into Saber's embrace in contentment.

"Nevertheless... with my only granddaughter now spoken for with another, her arranged marriage with Lord Alm is null and void," Mycen declared happily, and he nodded respectfully at Saber. "Of course, if you prove me wrong, I'll cut off your eel if you know what I mean. And I don't want to do that, as I'd love to have some great-grandchildren to visit with once in a while."

"Grandpapa!" Celica shouted to her grandfather in a teasing way, awakened out of her daydream. Meanwhile, understanding what her grandfather meant, and what that meant as far as her wifely duties were concerned, her cheeks grew a darker shade of red than normal, pondering how Saber would deal with it once the situation came up.

EPILOGUE

After everything was settled, Mycen performed a short ceremony that deemed Celica and Saber worthy of marriage, which included their first kiss as husband and wife. Once they said their goodbyes, Mycen left the two of them alone on the dock, and unsure what to do now that Saber finally understood the seriousness of what he just did, he silently carried his new spouse (in a princess hold, no less) to his home and laid her on the bed, as none of the chairs could hold her properly. When he was certain that she would be fine there, he went to the wood stove and began to prepare a meal for the two of them.

"I guess I'm married now," Saber chuckled to himself. This had certainly been a strange day. "Hey, Celica, I know your grandfather means well, but I don't know how in the world he's getting any grandchildren. After thinking about it, I'm okay with a celibate marriage. We're different species; it's not like we can..."

When he entered his bedroom, he found his wife warmly smiling at him, but with her face completely red from embarrassment. Initially unsure as to why, Saber's mouth dropped when he saw that his wife's mermaid tail had magically disappeared and, in its stead, were a pair of thin, graceful bare legs.

And her shells were gone too.

"Well, Saber..." Celica said coyly, her smile now a mischievous grin, "you were saying?"

THE END

Author's Notes

Well... how was that? I didn't think that my first FE15 fic would be one of my strangest! Please don't guest review!

I really don't know where I got the idea of mermaids, or WHY I got the idea of mermaids, but I couldn't get it out of my mind, so I rolled with it. I hope people appreciate that I'm trying something different here!

Honestly, I believe the developing relationship between Saber and Celica was portrayed very nicely in FE15. They started off as simply allies, but then they eventually grew to trust each other, and he's even one of the few main characters in Celica's route who's important and gets dialogue throughout the whole game. At one point he even felt betrayal over her actions, enough to verbally articulate it, which is more than most of the cast that was travelling with her. If she wasn't already destined for Alm, it would have been perfectly logical for them to become a couple, at least based on the dialogue, and if you ignored the age gap; Saber's apparently in his thirties in-game, so I changed it to 22 in this fic. I also lengthened Celica's hair so it covered her breasts. :p

Speaking of FE15, I finished it, (not the last optional dungeon, but the main quest) and it's one of my favourite FE games now. I've heard how FE2... let's just say you needed an acquired taste to appreciate it. FE15 seems to have kept the good parts while adding even more great stuff, like cut-scenes, supports, and even some great original characters that weren't in FE2. I'd highly recommend it to any Fire Emblem fan, even to newcomers to the Fire Emblem series, and it's clearly the best 3DS FE game of the three that have been released. You won't regret playing it!

Now, there was obviously some influence from Disney's The Little Mermaid for this fic, but a large influence also came from the anime Nagi-Asu: A Lull in the Sea. This is a romance anime that features the conflict between the people of the land and the people of the sea, (they aren't merpeople though) but then how they eventually grow to respect each other to save their world from an eventual ice age. It portrays relationships (including one or two "forbidden" relationships between the two classes of people) very well, and I highly recommend it to any anime fan who would enjoy a show like this. Catch it on Crunchyroll!

I was supposed to write an EphraimxMyrrh fic next, but I just had this idea, and I couldn't ignore it! So now I'll write the promised fic, and then time for another update to my multi-chapter fic A Glimmer of Hope! See you guys again!