Above The Ocean Waves

By The Chuckinator

Chapter 1: Catch Of The Day

Noctis Lucis Caem grinned as he reeled in another fish. The night was young, and he was enjoying his favorite pastime: fishing. His two friends, Ignis Scientia and Gladiolus Amicita, were relaxing not far from him. Gladio uncrossed his legs as he sat up in his chair.

"Noct, you're rushing. Ease up on the line." The prince looked at his friend and smiled as he did what Gladiolus said. "It's going to get dark soon," Gladio continued.

"Just a few more minutes," Noct told him. "I haven't caught many fish."

"Indeed," Ignis pointed out. "This hardly seems like the best fishing spot. Perhaps we should move further inland."

The three friends were currently on vacation in Altissia for the week and had taken the boat out that day. Noctis looked at the sky from where he stood and smiled; the sun was starting to dim behind the mountains, creating a majestic sunset that lit up the sky. It was a beautiful sight. A dolphin jumped out of the water nearby and made a splash as it dove back under the sea, causing waves to rock the boat.

"It's so peaceful out here," Noctis commented. "Don't you two agree?"

"The ocean is a magnificent place," Ignis replied. "I agree with you." He started the boat up and Noctis reeled in his fishing line; the prince sat down and looked at the ocean as Ignis started driving.

"Do you want to fish near the city or should we head back to Altissa?" Gladio asked.

Noct thought about it. He looked at the sky and noticed the sunset. It woudn't be long before it got dark but perhaps he could catch another fish. He grinned before nodding.

"I'd like to fish near the city," he told Gladio.

"Very well," Ignis responded. He steered the boat towards the entrance to Altissia before slowing down. The water started to become shallow as they neared the shoreline and they stopped. Noct cast his reel and waited, hoping for the catch of a lifetime. "Have you ever heard of Merpeople, Noct?" Ignis suddenly asked.

Noctis nodded. "They're supposedly creatures that live underwater: half human, half fish. Aren't they a myth, though?"

"There have been people claiming to have seen creatures like mermaids and mermen before but some of the claims have been false. I would surmise them to be mythological; however, the ocean holds many secrets, does it not? Bismark is real, after all."

The prince gave a hum of acknowledgement and felt a tug on the line. A grin flashed across his face and he began to reel in the line. "I think a fish just bit!" He exclaimed.

The line tugged again. Noct drew the line in some more and a fish struggled against the bait as he pulled; eventually, he had caught it. He pulled the fish into the boat and examined it.

"That's a big one," Gladio told him.

"Yeah," Noctis replied. "I'm going to try and catch one more; then we'll head back to the hotel." He cast the line back into the water and waited. Noct hummed and looked at his watch; it was 6:45 pm. "When we get back, let's cook the fish for dinner."

"An excellent idea," Ignis commented, clapping his hands together. "I'll make us a fine meal."

Noctis smiled and waited for a bite. He yawned, stomach growling, and started to reel in the line.

"Doesn't look like I'm getting anything," he said. "Well, I guess we better..."

The fishing pole suddenly jerked, and Noct yelled. He almost fell into the water but Gladio ran over, wrapping his arms around the boy's chest and holding him in place.

"The hell's going on?" He yelled.

"I don't know!" Noctis exclaimed. "Something's got the..."

The pole strained and started to snap. Something hit the side of the boat, causing it to rock violently. Waves surrounded them as Noctis tugged on the fishing pole, straining to hold on. He and Gladio were thrown back as something surfaced from the water, flopping onto the boat. Waves drenched the three friends and the sudden weight nearly caused the boat to capsize. Then, everything went silent.

"What hit us?" Gladiolus asked, looking around.

Noctis coughed up some water. He struggled to stand and held the side of the boat for support. Instead, he found himself touching something else. Looking down, his eyes widened.

"Guys...you need to see this!"

As Gladio and Ignis stood, they stared in shock. There, flopped onto the side of the boat, was a fish tail. The tail led up to a waist, which in turn was the upper half of a human on the deck.

"I don't believe it..." Ignis muttered in amazement. "It's a mercreature. A merman."

The merman's body was stunning. His tail was long and wide with light blue scales, which was split into many segments with yellow coloring on the tip. Multiple fins lined the tail and Noctis noticed the same colored scales on the man's back as well as the shoulders and upper arms. His ears were pointed, with blue scales on the outer ear. The hair was a gorgeous blonde. His eyes were closed and the merman was obviously unconscious.

"He's beautiful," Noctis heard himself say.

"Noct, check to see if he's still breathing," Gladio said. "We need to get him back into the water."

Noctis leaned down and put an ear to the man. He sighed in relief as he heard a heartbeat and saw the steady rise and fall of the chest.

"He's alive," Noctis told them. "Here, help me lift him."

He put his arms underneath the head as Ignis rushed over and held the man's tail. Together they began to lift the merman. Suddenly, the man's eyes snapped open and stared at Noctis. Noct gasped in surprise as he gazed into shimmering blue eyes. They were the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. The two stared at each other for a long moment before those eyes widened in horror. The tail started to flail around, hitting Ignis in the face and knocking his glasses off.

"Calm down," Ignis said. "We're trying to..."

Arms shoved the two as the merman jumped from their grasp, tumbling back into the water. Noctis ran to the side of the boat.

"Wait!" He yelled, arm outstretched, but the merman dove underwater and swam away.