I do not own "Skip Beat" or its characters.

I've tumbled an idea like this over in my mind a couple times. I've mentioned in other stories that I feel most comfortable writing things heavily immersed in magic. This is going with the idea that Kyoko gets to go somewhere like that, the world I all but walked in through my own childhood. This is technically traversing the world I write about in my original work, but I'm doing everything I can to keep it from infringing on the actual story as much as possible. It's best not to get your stories tangled up needlessly too much with outside sources (I wonder if it would technically make this a cross-fic? I haven't published it yet though... shrugs). I hope that you all enjoy the little peek into my world. Let me know your impressions, and I'll do my best to get Kyoko back home by the end of this tale. I wonder how it'll turn out.

As always, enjoy.

It's dark.

Kyoko could feel herself sinking, her body weak and barely able to hold her focus through hazy eyes as something tugged her down. Deeper. Deeper. It was so dark under the water.

It hurts.

The water pressure was too much, squeezing her body, pressing down on her and disturbing what little brain activity she had left.

Tsuruga-san.

Her hand reached in the direction she assumed to be the surface. Was that up? She wasn't sure anymore. Her eyes stung, but she couldn't tell if she successfully produced tears or not. She was surrounded by water already after all. Perhaps the ocean was created by tears. It would explain all the salt, right? Maybe it was the tears of mermaids. That would mean she contributed to something magical, right? It wasn't so bad when she thought about it that way. Quietly, she found herself embracing that thought. The darkness embraced her completely.

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Ren felt uneasy as soon as he noticed Yashiro hang up the phone, his body quivering ever so slightly. Going over to inquire about the call, his heart dropped as Yashiro looked over to him quickly, eyes wide and watering and face far too pale.

"What is it?" Ren asked worriedly. Yashiro averted his gaze, but he knew it would come to light sooner or later. At least they had just finished work for the day. There was no telling how Ren would take this news.

"It... It's Kyoko-chan. She was filming. They... they're not sure what happened, but suddenly she just went under water. They haven't been able to find her. They say it's likely that she got pulled under by a current or something."

"What do you mean they don't know what happened?"

"Ren-"

"How can they not know what happened to their own actress put under their care? What kind of irresponsible and incompetent people...?" The actor's fists clenched tightly at his side before he stormed over to his bag, fishing out his phone. It couldn't be. It had to be a trick. She couldn't disappear just like that!

Burn

Kyoko coughed and hacked, feeling liquid pour from her mouth. She blinked her eyes open, letting them adjust to the bright and blurry world around her before focusing on what she had just spit up. Relief poured over her as she found it to be clear instead of red. No blood in her lungs. At least that was a relief. Her throat burned and her whole body ached, especially her head.

"~~~^~vv~~^^V~. ^~~v^!~v^~~^!" What is that? Talking? She rolled to look in the direction of the sounds, blinking through blurry eyes and a pounding headache. The first thing she noticed that she was no longer at the ocean. It looked like there were trees all around as she lay on the warm earth of a shoreline. She pushed her mind into action, taking in her surroundings. Trees. Grass. Bushes. Flowers. Water, with more trees and land beyond it. A lake? How did she end up in a lake from the ocean? 'Focus.' She searched for the voice she heard again, finding someone close by her at the water's edge, a young man without a shirt and strangely pointed ears. Elf? Fairy? Demon? Sparkling hair like beams of light, mossy green eyes. Corn? Was it possible? Was she in the fairy realm? She wanted to call out to him, but she was so weak. She couldn't move. Her body and throat burned. All she could do was cry in stilted sobs. She felt so helpless.

"~^~~vv-~~^^" the fae spoke, his tone pitching upward in the end, possibly in a question. He was talking in a soft and smooth tone, but Kyoko couldn't understand him one bit. It must be some other fairy. Corn would have talked to her in her own language without a second thought.

"I'm sorry," She choked out between sniffles as her body shook beyond her control, wishing she could move to hide her pitiful appearance, "I'm sorry but I can't understand you." She hiccuped and sobbed pathetically. 'Tsuruga-san.' She found herself wishing he could be here with her. A capable person like him could probably figure out what to do. If he was here, she would feel so much more secure in a strange land full of demons and who knew what else? Corn might have been a better choice, she realized once she gave it a second thought, but the desire to have her senpai there wouldn't waiver.

"Mage. Yes?" Kyoko blinked through shaky breaths as she heard her language spoken somewhat choppily. Her tears calmed as she looked up to the boy demon. She noticed now that his pale blond hair was long and unruly, a short ponytail tied at the base of his neck with metal pegs dangling from it decoratively. Just above his ears were stiff wiry hairs that seemed to shift about occasionally. Wide black pupils shrunk from light exposure, baring onto her as he slid out of the water to sit on the bank beside her, a shiny scaled tail of ivory trailing back into the lake under him. 'Mermaid!' Kyoko realized with wonder. No, before that he had known her language. Well..., perhaps that was to be expected of someone that could traverse such great lengths between waters.

"You speak Japanese?" She asked him hopefully. The boy frowned and considered her words for a moment. Perhaps she should have talked a little slower. He seemed to only have a small grasp of the basics of the language.

"Many languages. Requirement of duty." Duty? Requirement? Maybe this wouldn't work out so well after all. The mer-boy contemplated something for a moment before reaching out and slowly urged her into sitting up. Her body ached and burned, causing her breaths to come out short and fast as she shivered and pushed through to do as the mermaid prompted. "Pain recedes. Need time. Movement helps." He explained in clipped sentences. Kyoko gasped and nodded quietly as her vision swam and her stomach tumbled unpleasantly. "Water beasts. Very dangerous. Foolish girl." Kyoko felt herself stiffen in agitation. Why was she being insulted all of a sudden?

"Are you saying this is my fault? I was minding my own business, doing my job!" She rounded on him and the mermaid jerked backward from her, mossy green eyes widened in shock as his hands snapped up as if to hold her rolling anger back from him. She only gave a brief glance to the little bit of extra webbing between his fingers, not quite reaching his second knuckle, and his nails were a little more claw-like than a human's. His skin glistened with a slight ivory shine, looking almost oily. 'Like a fish... I suppose that makes sense.' She thought with an unhappy frown.

"Apologize. Misunderstanding. Unwit-... unwit-... not intention." He frowned as he tried to come up with he words needed, eventually going in a vague and barely acceptable phrasing instead when the proper vocabulary escaped him.

"Exactly! It was a misunderstanding! Now that that is cleared up... how did I get here? This doesn't look like Japan." She asked as she started to look around her surroundings again. The mermaid looked a bit uncertain, then surprised, then uncomfortable and disturbed.

"Magic. Water holds very well. Unstable. Not... your world."

"So I'm really in the fairy kingdom then?" Kyoko rounded back on the boy, startling him as he inches backward on the lake edge, hands waving about as he shook his head in the negative.

"Fae. Far. Not really, though. Er..." he considered his words for a moment before his eyes flicked to something behind her and grew impossibly large. What little color was in his face seemed to tint blue before he sprung away backwards, doing a back-flip into the air and diving headfirst into the water at lightening speed. Kyoko felt a chill as she realized that reaction could only mean bad news. Snapping to look behind her, she saw what looked like an angry current of wind in the vague shape of a human form, leaves and grass and little clumps of dirt buzzing like a swarm of viscous bugs within the shape. It was coming right at her, and she felt frozen with her fear and lingering fatigue as it descended upon her, Kyoko's own heart beating erratically with adrenaline as the figure swooped right up to her before pausing. She could almost swear she saw a face within the buzzing pieces of nature. It turned this way and that, taking in her appearance before the buzzing slowly faded, and then the pieces of nature fell silent and still before her, littering the ground in a motionless heap. Kyoko felt herself release a breath she couldn't recall sucking, let alone holding, quickly scooting away from the pile of nature in case it decided to kick back up again.

"What... What was that?" She gasped out, finally feeling function in her limbs again as she rose a shaky hand to clutch over her heart. She heard a soft splash and whipped her head around to glare at the top half of a blond boy's face. "What was that?" She repeated, this time in demand for answers. Timidly, the mermaid glided back toward her, though only barely raised his head enough to reveal his mouth to answer her.

"Nature spirit. Mother's soldiers. Balance. Order. Dangerous."

"And you just abandoned me to fend for myself?" Kyoko screeched indignantly. The mermaid flinched backward before rising with a vengeance, his body seeming to be boosted upward by he water in a show of power as he glared down at her.

"Cannot... Er... ah! Cannot defy Mother! Order! Balance! Mother!" Kyoko frowned disapprovingly as she crossed her arms.

"You can't defy your mother, huh? Not even at the risk of an innocent life!" The mermaid only seemed put off, rolling his eyes as he flung his arms about the area wildly.

"Mo. Eth .ER!" He pronounced the syllables insistently. "Celestial! God! Powerful! Mother! Nature Mother!" He insisted. Kyoko fell silent as her mouth fell open.

"Mother Nature?" Her squeak seemed to please the mermaid, a firm nod and a tiny smile tugging at his lips as he crossed his arms authoritatively. "Mother Nature is out to get me?" His tiny smile fell before he started gesturing wildly again.

"Disturbance. Investigate... far from home? Pulled here?" She supposed he must be asking about what had brought her here, the suspicion likely being that had been what attracted one of Mother Nature's very own soldiers to come investigate the area... and her. "You left alone. Not an issue." He waved his hand at her in a shoeing motion, causing Kyoko to frown and fidget uncomfortably in her clingy soggy clothes. Now that the danger had seemingly passed, she was quickly becoming hyper aware of how uncomfortable wet clothes could be.

"Well, how do I get back home? How did I even get here?" She could feel a slight bite in her tone, but the mermaid didn't seem bothered by it, swimming over gracefully and settling back on the bank of the lake.

"Magic in water. Very unstable. Unpredictable. Gates form and deform often." He explained with a simple wave of his hand. Dread settled in her gut at this news.

"I'm going to guess that I can't go back the way I came." She stated carefully. The mermaid actually looked apologetic as he shook his head, then smiled reassuringly.

"Other gates. Sturdy. Consistent."

"Okay, where can I find one of those?" He dropped again in uncertainty, looking away from her with a hint of shame.

"Not here. Not duty of mine. Er..." he paused to think of his words again. "I fight. I regulate. Heavy magic flow these waters." He explained, sweeping a hand back to the expanse of the lake. He only knew if the gates, but there wasn't a lot of expertise due to his lack of need for knowledge on them in his territory. Kyoko frowned and looked down at her dripping clothes pitifully. She was lost in some strange land, by herself, with no one she could... Kyoko's head snapped up as realization struck her. This was a magic world! She had just been dragged into the magical waters of this world by some... water beast, and then fished out by a mermaid! Surely there were fairies! Surely her fairy prince would be here and could help her get back home! She looked to the mermaid with determination and ferocity, the boy shrinking away from her wearily in response to her quick and jerky movements.

"Where can I find fairies? I need to speak to the King! No, the prince! I need to speak with prince Cornn!" She urged. Silence stretched between them as Kyoko waited eagerly for his response, but the mer-boy only looked startled, confused, and uneasy. "I'm a childhood friend of the fairy prince Cornn! Do you know where the fairy capital is?" She insisted. The mermaid slowly turned to look where a river mouth fed into the lake. Pointing in that direction, he looked to her wearily.

"Getan Fairy city. Er-"

"Alright, a fairy city. It's just up the river?" She asked eagerly. The mermaid twisted his face in an uncertain frown as he nodded.

"Closed off race. Not very welcoming." He explained slowly. Kyoko didn't mind it. If she was right that Cornn was there, everything could easily be fixed. She started off eagerly, doing all she could to ignore the way her soaked clothes felt like they were coiling around her. Moving around would also help her dry off as she went.

The mermaid was following her up the river. She wasn't sure what to make of his attention. He had been somewhat helpful so far, but was there any need to follow her? She was uncomfortable in her clothes, weary of her stalker, her muscles ached, her head was pounding, and her stomach was simultaneously twisting into knots while biting at her for food.

"Day long swim." She snapped her head to face in the direction of the mermaid clinging to the root of a massive tree on the river edge. He was staring up at her with concern, and she wondered what made him care so suddenly. "Three day walk." He spoke as their eyes connected, and Kyoko blanched as that information set in. Three days? Her stomach growled loudly in protest and the silver-grey eyes of the mermaid flicked down worriedly, as if he were afraid something would burst out from her stomach. Kyoko flushed in embarrassment as she hugged her middle. Water rose up and seemed to deposit the mermaid onto wet land as he looked around their immediate area. He seemed to find what he was looking for, pointing to a nearby tree with small round fruits, most being soft pink in color, while others still looked fairly green and unripe. "Food. Watch for bugs and thorns. Make camp. I return with protein." He stated before diving back into the river. Kyoko frowned lightly after him. Protein? As in meat? Was he getting fish? Cannibalism?!

Even if he was offering his kin to her for sustenance, Kyoko knew it would benefit her to accept, even if it made her feel uneasy. She wouldn't get far if she didn't get proper nutrition, and apparently she had a three-day trek ahead of her. She would need to make sure to repay the favor somehow. It would be no good to be in debt to a magical being.

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.

Kyoko barely managed to get a camp set up, though she could hardly say she was the one to accomplish it. She gathered all the kindling and firewood, only to be instructed on how to clear an area and set up the fire by her strange new friend. Who would have thought that a water creature could be so knowledgeable on how to construct a camp fire?

After the construction, she was faced with a new dilemma, getting the actual fire going. She made an absolute fool of herself, trying to make a fire by rolling the end of one stick into another. Wasn't this how it was supposed to work? The heat of the friction was supposed to start embers then burst into flames?

"Why not use magic?" The mermaid asked her, looking at her oddly.

"The most I can accomplish is curse dolls." Kyoko huffed with a frown at her still cold and unlit pile of sticks. Night was closing in fast as the sun dipped below the tree line. Forests grew dark so quickly, Kyoko realized. The mer-boy gave her an odd look.

"Corrupted magic? Dark magic? Both with simple easy ways start fires. You neglect studies, huh?" He asked her somewhat accusingly.

"What makes you think I know magic? I barely know curses!"

"You a mage! What kind a mage only knows curses?" He retorted with an exasperated throw of his hands in the air.

"I'm not a mage!" Kyoko defended with a huff. The mermaid fell silent as he looked to her skeptically. "I'm from the human world. I'm human!" Realization flashed in his eyes as he studied her, silver-green eyes shining slightly in the darkening light of the forest, flicking up over her form.

"Mage blood. Unaware." He hummed lightly before scooting closer, the dirt and grass rustling as he pushed himself around on dry land. Kyoko watched him with concern as he rearranged her sticks and started working on the fire with a ferocity that she couldn't really call human. She watched as he pulled the tie out of his hair and rubbed the edge of a metal tag down the length of a metal peg, creating sparks. Her eyes widened with wonder as the kindling caught fire and soon spread to the small twigs, then the sticks and dead branches as he tossed them in.

"You had a fire starter this whole time?" Kyoko asked, clearly frustrated and annoyed as the mermaid tied the strange accessory back into his hair.

"Mine. Not its intended purpose. Still works. Be thankful I help." He huffed and turned to grab a fish. Kyoko pouted and grumbled out a short word of gratitude, not quite sure what to make of his startled expression and the subtle twitch of his ears. Did he really think she wouldn't say her thanks? Kyoko pulled back in shock and disgust as the mermaid simply chomped down into the raw and unprepared fish. Blood dribbled down his chin and the crunching! She was almost sick just from seeing such a thing.

"You... eat fish?" She asked through her woozie state, focusing on getting her own fish cooking instead. That got her another odd look from her companion.

"What else I eat? Protein important. Fish good for protein."

"But it's fish! And... and you're a fish!" She exclaimed. One of his eyebrows raised at her, as if she were rambling nonsense.

"Fish eat fish. Natural. Also, not a fish." He huffed as he pointed to himself and rolled his eyes. Right. Mermaid. Whatever. "Herkan."

"A what now?" She snapped her mouth shut with a click as he looked at her again, his eyes squinting lightly as he licked the blood off his lips. Oh..., was that an extra pair of canines tucked behind the first? They didn't look sharp like a shark's, but still threatening and able to do some damage.

"Not mermaid either. Humans ignorant stupid. I am herkan. Not cursed being mermaid." Kyoko stared quietly for a moment as she processed this. Mermaids were cursed beings? And...

"What's a herkan? And how are they different from mermaids?" She asked, feeling a bit giddy to learn about the different kinds of fae. The herkan looked unhappy, perhaps insulted as he looked over her before he sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Mermaids cursed mages, drowned by humans for magic. Pitiful existence. Herkans created by mother. Purpose to watch over magic water. Feed on water beasts. Apex predators." Kyoko went pale as she absorbed that information. If he fed on whatever dangerous beast pulled her into this world, wouldn't that make him even more dangerous?

"Are there... a lot of those water beasts?" Kyoko asked softly, poking at the sizzling fish on the fire.

"Not a lot. Decent amount. Most in bigger water bodies. Uncommon in this area." It only reassured Kyoko a little. She probably wouldn't ever see oceans and lakes the same way again. She supposed that was a given after nearly drowning, though.

Silence stretched between them as she finished cooking her fish, using some of the sour-sweet fruit from the tree to add a little extra flavor. The mermaid -or... herkan she supposed- watched her with interest, looking down at his half-eaten bloody raw fish. Kyoko giggled as she held out her work.

"There are a couple others left, if you want this one." She offered. "Consider it my thanks for saving my life and helping me out." His hesitancy turned to eagerness nearly instantly, accepting the fish and chomping into it with vigor. The fins on his tail and hips flared out as he wiggles about, the dirt and grass under him making scraping sounds that had Kyoko cringing. "Is it okay for you to be up on dry land like this?" She asked worriedly as she prepared the other two fish. The herkan nodded and took a bite out of the head of the fish he was eating. Kyoko tried not to show her distaste.

"Uncomfortable. Too hot. Dry. Not deadly though, as long as I keep moisture close." He shrugged and waved his hand to show he could draw droplets of water to his body before taking another hefty bite into his cooked fish. He seemed to be enjoying the food at least.

"So... herkan, can I ask you something?"

"Name Diss. Ask what you like." Kyoko stares at him, quietly telling herself not to make any comment on the strange name. The fairy prince was named 'Corn' after all. Diz wasn't too odd in comparison, right?

"Alright, Diz"

"Diss!"

"Er... Di~ss" she stretched it out awkwardly, gaining an eye roll from the fae. "Can I ask why you're helping me? I imagine saving me is just a result of you taking care of the water beast, but you're even coming with me to the fairy kingdom." She pointed out. The herkan looked a bit troubled as he nibbled quietly on one of the fins of his fish. Letting out a sigh, he looked in the direction they've been traveling, toward where the fairy kingdom should be she supposed.

"Many changes. Kingdom... not anymore. Herkans have old bonds with dark and water mages." She decidedly ignored the bit about mages for the time being. The part about the kingdom sounded worrying. Kyoko frowned as she considered his choppy sentences. She was having to make a lot of assumptions due to his minimal vocabulary.

"The fairy kingdom is gone?" What about Cornn? The king and queen! What happened?

"Changed. Royals abandoned. Bitterness. Strained relations with belino birds." Kyoko frowned in confusion. That hardly made any sense at all. it sounded like there wasn't a bunch or ruins in place of the kingdom, though. "Will not find prince Kuon there." Her eyes snapped up to Diss, wide and searching as he stared down and fiddled with his tail. "Cast aside. Mixed heritage. Left. Happier away from shallow getan fairies."

"You're following me because you think I'm making a mistake."

"Like lamb in lions' den. Old ancestor bonds. Can't leave without warning first." He sighed. Kyoko fidgeted as she nibbled at her food. She didn't know what else to do. She didn't have ties to any other magical creatures, as far as she knew anyway. Apparently she had some magic heritage somewhere, though she couldn't even begin to figure out how this boy could tell. He seemed pretty confident about it, almost insistently so. "Also, helpless like baby. Bad karma sending out on own." Kyoko felt her jaw clench lightly in annoyance but tried to control her anger. 'Tsuruga-san would give one of those smiles, if it were him.' she noted quietly, forcing her lips into a pleasant grin as her eyes squinted shut.

"I see. Thank you for your concern." she stated slowly. This was hard, smiling through her anger. She felt so offended, but it would be no good to respond with animosity to all the herkan had done to help her. "I think I will be okay from this point on. The city is only a couple days walk from this point, right? I don't want to make you feel like I'm your responsibility or something." The green-eyed boy assessed her for a moment before giving a slow nod of understanding. Reaching up, he pulled the little tangle of metal pegs from his hair and held it out to her. Kyoko accepted it quietly, looking up to the boy with confusion.

"Even when you say you fine, not sitting well in me. Take care, dark mage. Not show weakness in front fairies." he gave a quick final warning before scooting back toward the water. Kyoko got up and came over to his side, gazing down and watching as he paused to look back up to her.

"At least let me repay you by taking you back to the water." she offered. It was a bit strange to see such a mature-looking boy reach up to her like Maria did when asking to be picked up. She pushed the thought away as she squatted down and lifted the herkan. He was fairly heavy. Kyoko wasn't sure if she should be so surprised. His tail was so long that the tail-fins still brushed the ground as she waddled over to the water and tossed him into the river. His head popped up again a second later, gazing up at her as he easily swam against the water's current.

"Stay safe, little dark mage." he called after her, seeming to still be a bit worried. Kyoko waved as she headed back to her little camp. She needed to get a decent nights sleep if she wanted to make as much progress as she wanted tomorrow.

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Well, that's that. Let me know your thoughts and impressions if you like, even if it's that you hate it. I'll be cut off from the world for a couple weeks, but I promise to see you all soon.