Syrena

Summary: The merpeople are feared by humans. They hunt humans for food, destroying ships and killing hundreds of people. Yuuri was taught to fear them, until he met Wolfram.

Hello everyone! This is just a short story I thought up a while ago. I don't think there's been a mermaid fiction in KKM, so here it is! I say "mermaid fiction", because I don't want people to think I'm going to copy Hans Christian Anderson story or, god-forbid, Disney. This will be dark, sexy, violent, and sad.

Also, this has been classified as an Alternate Universe. As such, the characters may act a little different from their canon environment, that's because they are in a different environment, but their core personality traits will be maintained to the best of my skill.

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Syrena – Childhood

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This is a story that has been forgotten; forgotten in the sense that with the advent of technology, science, and apathy, there is no longer a place for stories such as this. There is no place for so-called fairytales that are meant only for children's bedtime stories. They are believed to be fictional, superstitions and primitive. They are remnants of a time when people were simple, knew little and didn't have the luxuries of now that allow people to become more "enlightened". A story like this is considered a fancy and from a time that people forgot.

But this is a true story. It is true because this is a story that embodies the truest of human emotions – love, hatred, jealousy, obsession and utter joy. Its truth lies in its raw emotion and wisdom. It is a story of two people, a young human prince and a little merboy. Their love was forbidden, it was deemed unnatural by both their families and by their societies. They were natural enemies, meant to kill and feed from each other. They were monsters to each other, abominations that threatened their existence. Or so they were taught to believe. But none counted for the power of childhood innocence and happenstance. None counted for the storm and the fishermen that would bring them together as babes, thus beginning a years' long romance that followed the two into adulthood and culminated into something frightening and beautiful.

Our story begins in a beautiful country, on a stormy spring night. In this country, there was a kingdom ruled by the Shibuya family. In this kingdom, there was a castle in which a harried king paced frantically outside the royal bedchamber, while his wife, the Queen, struggled through the pains of childbirth. Her terrible cries echoed through the vast marble hallways of the palace. All the servants and guards listened carefully; waiting for any orders for their assistance of anything should go wrong. Their beloved queen was such a treasure to all, such a kind and joyous woman. Hearing her in such pain and being helpless to aid her was difficult for them. Her last pregnancy had been a trial, the doctor had even said for her not to have another child. But Queen Miko wanted another child, lonely now that her son had become a youth, and preferred to be with his father hunting instead of with her.

Now her husband, King Shouma, wished she had listened to the healers. He wished he had been more forceful with her. He was happy with their son and heir, Shouri. The boy was his father's pride, everything he could want in a son. They didn't need another child.

The sounds of the raging storm outside the castle soothed the king. He listened to the sounds of the rain pounding against the great windows. He looked outside and could see the great waves crashing against the cliff upon which his castle sat. The beaches were completely flooded up to the boardwalk that lined the city. Lightening flashed across black clouds bathing everything in electric blue light for an instant, long enough for King Shouma to see the worry lines on his face reflected in the cool glass.

The sounds of the storm were joined by the weak cries of an infant. Shouma turned around just as the door behind him creaked open, the healer Gisela stood in the doorway, silhouetted by the warm light from inside the bedroom. Shouma didn't linger on the calm and tired face of the healer; instead he looked at the small, squirming bundle in her arms.

"Is that…." Shouma whispered in awe, reaching hesitantly for the little bundle.

Gisela smiled brightly and obligingly handed over the child to his father.

"A boy, your Majesty. A beautiful, healthy boy."

"A boy…" Shouma breathed, taking the child eagerly into his arms. The child wriggled at the movement, face scrunched up, and eyes blinking at this new object that entered his young blurry vision. Shouma gazed in wonder at the little life in his arms; His second son.

"My son," Shouma cooed, stroking away thing tendrils of black hair - the royal black hair of the Shibuya Dynasty. "My son."

"He is named Yuuri," Gisela said as she watched father and son bond.

"Yuuri…" Shouma murmured. The name suited him. "The Queen picked that?"

"Yes, your Majesty," Gisela nodded.

Shouma smiled. "Sounds like something she would pick."

"He is named for the month in which you two were married," Gisela explained. "It holds a special meaning to you both."

"It does," Shouma said, barely paying attention to what the healer was saying. He was too busy taking in the beauty of his second son, Yuuri, named for the month of roses, summer and hope; a fitting name for such a sweet child. Shouma' eyes scanned every detail of the round little face, memorizing every wrinkle, curve and color. The babe's cheeks were tinged pink and stained with tears from his first breaths. His eyes were dark and big, staring into Shouma's soul with uncanny astuteness. Little swirls of dark hair framed his face. The child wiggled his pointed nose when Shouma brushed a calloused finger over it, full lips pouted for a split second before the child let out a tiny sneeze. The surprised look on the infant's face made Shouma laugh aloud, enthralled by his son's shock at his first sneeze.

The baby reminded him so much of his wife.

Shouma looked up at the healer with worry. "The queen…is she alright?"

The king was immediately filled with relief when Gisela smiled reassuringly.

"She is exhausted, but she is fine. The delivery went through with nary a hitch. Would you like to see her?"

"Yes, yes." Shouma said as he sped past the healer, holding tightly to his dear son.

The room was permeated with the scent of medicines and incense. Candelabras decorated the room providing light for the healers as they worked. Soiled cloths and fresh linens littered the room. Souma sidestepped a basin filled with hot water.

In the center of the room was the bed upon which lay the exhausted Queen, Miko. Shouma approached the bed slowly, taking in his wife's haggard, but strangely peaceful, appearance.

She heard him draw near and slowly opened dark eyes and smiled at her husband. Her smile only grew more when she saw him holding their newborn son.

"Darling," She said.

"Love, how are you feeling?" Shouma asked, worry written all over his face.

"I am tired, but I am fine now that our son is born," She said weakly. She tried to push herself up from the bed to see better, but her arms gave out and she fell back onto the pillow with a gasp.

Shouma shifted baby Yuuri to his other arm and petted her sweat soaked hair with his free hand.

"Don't move," He commanded gently. "You must rest."

"Come sit by me," Shouma immediately sat down carefully next to his wife. She smiled and reached out to grab their son's tiny fist. "Isn't he beautiful, Shouma?" Miko asked, stroking the tiny finger with her thumb.

"He is very beautiful," Shouma agreed, giving the child a small hug.

"I sent the maids to get Shouri," Miko said. "He'll be happy to see his new baby brother."

"He has always wanted a little brother," Shouma said absently, staring into the stormy eyes of his son.

"Shouma," The sudden seriousness in Miko's voice made Shouma look up from his child. Her face was trained into an uncharacteristic frown as she looked at him.

"Our son was born during a hurricane," She said with a mixture of wonder and reverence as she gripped the child's fist. "You know what that means,"

Of course Shouma knew what it meant. Hurricanes were of the gods that brought destruction and renewal to the land. It was the moment when sea and earth met and become entwined in each other, when the powers of the universe and the gods met and created something powerful and dangerous. A child born during a hurricane was believed to either bring about tremendous change or destruction. It depended on what the sages predicted with their gold plated instruments. Whatever the case, Shouma hoped it meant good fortune for their kingdom. But the ways of the gods and the world were tempestuous and fickle.

"A child as sweet as this could only bring goodness to our kingdom," Shouma said with more confidence and optimism than he actually felt.

"I hope so, darling," Miko said. "He is my world. Both my sons are my world. I would never wish any harm to befall them."

"It won't, love. I promise you,"

Miko opened her mouth to respond but was interrupted when a young boy of eight burst into the room followed by his exasperated nanny and two maids, demanding to see his new baby brother.

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At the same time, far away beyond the shore of the kingdom, deep under the tumultuous waves and violent lightening. The water was calm, save for the occasional flashes from the surface and the muted tympani of the thunder. In an under water cave, illuminated by precious gemstones, another birth was about to take place. A birth that was vastly different from the human miracle of childbirth.

A merwoman, for she was mated and too old to be called a mermaid, watched anxiously as the opaque placenta-like cocoon quivered and jerked as her newest offspring showed the first signs of life. The birthing season for merpeople was short, just a couple of weeks out of the spring and hers was the last to be born. The other merwomen had already hatched their young and moved on to the vast kelp forests where they would raise their young in relative safety. Out here in the underwater caves was no place to raise young merchildren. There were too many places to get lost or run into predators who reveled in the supple tasty flesh of young merpeople. The caves only served as closed off and isolated places to keep their eggs.

"Come on, little one," She urged, rubbing the membrane with her webbed hand.

She started when a particularly loud thunder tore through the water. Everything was always louder under the surface. The cocoon twitched at the tremendous sound. She immediately cooed and soothed the frightened child within.

"You can do it," she said. "You don't want to stay in there forever, do you? All the other children have gone. You don't want to be alone, do you?"

The egg only twitched, the dim outline of a fin smacked against the walls of the placenta.

"Don't be alarmed. I won't leave you. But we must leave soon or the others will leave us. You want to meet your cousins, don't you? Everyone is waiting."

The squirming shadow inside stilled. The merwoman became worried. She placed both hands on the egg, willing all her strength into the little body inside.

"I know you're frightened," she whispered soothingly. "The storm is loud and fierce. But you are strong and smart. You can face any challenge if you put your mind to it. This is just one of many, my dear. You can do it."

The child inside moved. She held her breath. As if spurred on by its mother's words, the little merchild renewed its efforts to be born. She watched as little claws tore at the thick membrane. A little tail swiped and swung to force the little form through the skin.

"That's it! That's it!" She cried in excitement. "Harder, love! Try harder. Use those strong claws I gave you!"

She clenched and unclenched her hands. She desperately wanted to help her child. But law dictated that she must let it force its own way out. This was a test.

"You can do it! You can do it!" She chanted over and over again, urging the child, encouraging it to prove its worth as a member of the noble merpeople.

She gave a great yell of joy when her child's sharp little claws finally broke through the tough egg. A little hand burst forth waving around violently and tore a great hole in the membrane for the rest to follow. Another hand pushed through, followed by arms, a head, neck, shoulders, torso and finally the prettiest silver tail she had ever seen.

She reached out to catch the struggling merchild as it fell from the safe confines of the egg. She gathered the little child into her arms, cooing and cuddling, looking on proudly at her new baby.

And what a lovely baby it was! Silver scales covered its body, from the tip of the tail to the neck, and framing an angelic face. Blonde hair, rare among the merpeople and identical to his mother, floated in little tendrils around the small face. The child blinked up at her curiously, stretching a little hand out to pull at the shell beads in her hair.

"I knew you could do it," She said proudly. "Such a wonderful child. My child."

Upon closer examination of the infant, the merwoman was delighted to see she had a son. Sons were rare among the matriarchal merpeople. Only every few years was a male merchild born to their people, making reproduction slow and arduous. Her little son would be well prized among her people.

The child opened his eyes and she was even more elated to find that he had the greenest eyes she had ever seen! Most merpeople had red or black eyes. She was delighted that she would be granted good fortune during her motherhood. Green-eyed children brought good luck and happiness to those they loved.

The lightening crashed above her. Despite their depth, she could hear the storm clearly. She was filled with awe and apprehension when she realized that her son was born during a hurricane. Hurricanes were bad omens among the merpeople. Those born during one were thought to be bad luck as well. Her happiness dissipated. Her special son would still be tainted by the circumstances of his birth. She hoped his maleness would make up for it.

It didn't matter, she thought to herself. She loved her son anyway, nothing would change that. She would raise him to be a good merman, worthy of his people's pride.

Snuggling the little merboy to her breast, she made her way back to the kelp forest. She swam in a hurry, eager to get out of the lonely underwater caves, thoughts of her son and his birth rattling at her mind.

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The little baby boy wiggled as the High Priestess anointed him with the sacred oils. He was more interested in the bright colors and glittering lights that engulfed the royal reception hall. Queen Miko held onto her rambunctious child tightly, trying to keep him still while the priestess recited the rites. She felt no ill will toward her child for she shared in his impatience and boredom at the stuffy affair. She was as eager to show off her pretty son as any new mother, but the queen had little patience for the pomp and politics that ruined what should have been a lovely evening with friends.

Yuuri let out an indignant yelp when the High Priestess tapped his forehead with the scepter that he had tried vainly to grab at.

"In the name of the Great One and the Gods who serve him, I name thee Prince Yuuri of Shibuya, son of their Majesties, King Shouma and Queen Miko," the High Priestess said over the soft whimpers of the child. "May your days be filled with happiness and prosperity as the gods have smiled on you this day."

"Hush, child," Queen Miko whispered to the wriggling baby, trying to go unnoticed by the disproving nobles. "We're almost done."

"Miko," Shouma said sternly between pressed lips. "Keep him quiet!"

"I'm trying!" She whispered back hotly as Yuuri's cries began to grow steadily. "Be quiet, child!" She gently rocked Yuuri in her arms to calm him, which much to her relief, seemed to work.

'Finally!' Queen Miko thought when the Priestess reached the end of her monologue. Yuuri was bored and probably hungry. The sooner she could get the child out of there the better.

The High Priestess raised her voice to the audience. "I present to the honorable nobility, His Royal Highness, Prince Yuuri of Our Divine Family of Shibuya! May he live forever!"

As if on cue, Yuuri let out a tremendous scream that echoed through the great hall. Chandeliers quivered and people covered their ears as the high-pitched squeal tore through the air, informing everyone that his Royal Highness had reached the limit of his patience.

This left the King and Queen standing on the dais sheepishly as the queen held a squirming, crying baby. Both felt unusually small when the nobility turned indignant glares upon them.

"Get that child out of here!" Shouma hissed in embarrassment.

Queen Miko rushed off the platform, not letting any maid take her son, and scurried out of the hall. Only when she got into the main corridor, did she let out a hearty laugh and ruffled her son's hair, thanking him for getting her out of that terrible place. Thanking the gods for her hilarious and no-nonsense son.

Yuuri grew into a sweet young boy after that. Having made his statement to the rest of the nobility, it was unnecessary for Yuuri to be in the center of attention of anyone other than his parents. Yuuri delighted everyone in the castle, earning many friends with his bright eyes and sweet smile. He would Garden with his mother, play dress up and read stories with her that his brother no longer did. Yuuri would go out into the woods and play with his father, be given his first training sword made of wood, his first pony to ride alongside his brother, and generally enjoying the pleasures of childhood.

Queen Miko was in love with her son. She often neglected her duties to go and visit her son during all hours of the day, stealing him from his nursemaid and taking him on walks along the beach. Miko learned very early on that her son was drawn to the sea. The boy would go still in her arms and just watch the ebb and flow of the tides for as long as she deigned to stand there with him. When Yuuri became old enough to sit up, Miko would bring a blanket and set him upon it. Yuuri would then immediately begin to play in the sand, grabbing at whatever little crabs and shell were within his reach. Miko also learned that Yuuri would stick anything in his mouth if it was small enough and so she had to keep her eyes on him at all times.

Things became more difficult when Yuuri learned to walk. The second Miko's arms grew tired and she sat him down on the sand, the young prince would stand up and waddle as fast as he could towards the water, giggling and oblivious to the potential dangers. Miko, or her handmaiden, would chase after him and sweep him into protective arms. Yuuri would then proceed to throw a terrible fit uncharacteristic of the gentle child. Unless he was released promptly, Yuuri would continue to scream until they carried him back to the palace.

When the sage had spoke of Yuuri's birth, he predicted that Yuuri would inherit the traits of the sea. He would be a gentle, kind and helpful being one second, and then in the next could become a terrible force of will and strength that would devastate those who stood in his way. Miko would see the truth in the sage's words when she would tell Yuuri it was time to go home for diner, and the child would wail when she picked him up from his toys of shells and sticks. Yuuri was as tumultuous, and unpredictable as the sea.

The sage had warned them that Yuuri had bonded to the sea during the storm; his soul was forever tied with the ocean and its powers. This would prove true as Yuuri's fascination with the sea would grow as he matured into a boy of six years. Yuuri would run away from his tutors and nursemaids, whenever he could, and play on the beach far away from the watchful eyes of the staff and his parents. He would disappear for hours on end, playing in the waves and sand, ignoring the desperate cries of his attendants as they searched for him. Yuuri would always return eventually and when asked where he had been, the child would always reply "I was looking for something."

It was on a family outing that Yuuri would find what he had been looking for. It was a warm summer afternoon, the royal family had decided to go out to the beach during a rare moment in which they could be a normal family. Miko had prepared a basket of delicious foods with her own hands for this event. Her husband brought along fishing poles and bait to teach his sons how to fish. Yuuri, and his older brother, Crown Prince Shouri, carried little buckets for collecting seashells and other treasures they might find.

The family chattered excitedly as they approached a rocky outcrop near the shore. The rocks held little pools filled with small fish and crustaceans, as well as many shells to add to the children's collection, it was also shielded from the powerful winds, making it a perfect place for a family picnic. Shouma and Miko carefully set out the blanket while the two boys rushed towards the tidal pools in search of adventure.

The two boys wandered about the rocks, climbing and jumping from one place to the next, playing games with the waves and collecting shells to add to their already huge collection in the nursery. Shouri walked away from where Yuuri waded in a small pool to harass a flock of seagulls. The older boy laughed as he ran through the flock sending the bird into the air, flapping his arms like them in the hopes that he may too gain flight.

Yuuri wasn't interested in such things. His love was for the water and the secrets it held. He climbed shakily among the rock pools, disregarding any dangers that may be there. Yuuri smiled every time he picked up a colorful shell and placed it in his little bucket. He climbed further and further up the rock barrier, high enough to see out into the ocean. He wished that he could go out farther. He wanted to see more of this fascinating world. His storybooks and nursery rhymes told him of a magical place beneath the surface, with sharks, whales, and mythical creatures known as mermaids. Yuuri loved mermaids and read everything he could about them. They were the most beautiful creatures in the world and could heal all illnesses with one kiss. They were the best singers and knew all the secrets of the universe. Yuuri would have loved to meet a real mermaid. He had so many questions and, maybe if they became friends, they would let him go under the water and visit them. He was sure that their magic would make it possible for him to survive under water. That would be fantastic.

Yuuri sat on a warm rock and let his imagination run away. He sat there on that rock for a long while dreaming of great ships and magical creatures. He conjured magnificent adventure after magnificent adventure all involving in one way or another, a mermaid – or the occasional sea dragon that he, as the brave sailor of yore, would conquer with a single swing of his mighty sword. He would be known as a great warrior and sailor, not only conquering his enemies on land but at sea as well.

Yuuri was so caught up in his daydreams that he nearly missed the strange shimmer in the water. He caught the glint of what seemed like scales out the corner of his eyes. Coming out of his dream world, he looked closer into the water, beyond the outcrop of rocks right where the water became too deep for children to swim in. He saw the huge fin of a fish. But it was unlike another fish he had known.

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With a flick of his tail, Wolfram swatted the empty turtle shell over the makeshift net, scoring a point for his side.

The other merchildren cheered as their team gained the lead on their made up game. It was one of those rare moments that Wolfram could enjoy the company of other merchildren and not feel awkward. Wolfram rarely played with merchildren his age, finding them immature, superficial and far too skittish for his liking. No one ever wanted to go on his adventures to the "super-shallows" as they named it, where the humans liked to swim – if they could even call it that. The human's awkward kicking and paddling looked nothing like swimming to Wolfram's young eyes. It just looked embarrassing.

Wolfram had wanted to venture out on his own today, but in an attempt to draw his interest away from the shore, his mother forced him to go with her on an outing with the other merwomen and their offspring, for a relaxing day in the reef. Read; boring.

Well, it wasn't entirely boring. Wolfram was more than happy to show off his athletic skills at their games of tag and this new game that one of the merchildren claimed he had seen when he explored with his father along the shore. Valla-bowl or so he said it was called.

It made Wolfram happy that he was proficient at a human game. He found it to be more challenging and exciting than the simple merchildren games they played.

He had just swatted the next ball over the net when a great shadow cast over their playground. The stern calls from the merwomen perched nearby and the frightened yelps of his playmates made Wolfram eyes roll when he turned towards the looming mass. His irritation turned to fear when he noticed the large fishing net trailing behind the fishing vessel.

"Wolfram!" He heard his mother shriek. "Get down!"

Wolfram obeyed and ducked into a nearby nook, under a large rock, just was the ship passed over them, well out of the way of the nets. Fishing nets were a terrible danger to merchildren. They were too young to have grown sufficient claws that were sharp enough to cut through the heavy nets. So they had to swim and hide as fast as they could, lest they get caught and drown. or worse – be caught and then sold by the humans.

He watched the ship pass over them in fascination. He would have loved to have the chance to see what was above on the ships. He had only been to the surface to breathe air and all he ever saw was a vast landscape of sea and sky, never any great ships or skippers that his mother told him about. He had never seen a human before. They were the stuff of scary stories and funny tales from the grown-ups. He would love to meet one someday. Just to see if they were really as monstrous as his mother had told him.

As one can see, Wolfram was a merchild seemingly immune to fear. He had been that way since his hatching. His mother and the other merwomen didn't know what to do with him sometimes. He ignored their warnings and trailed after the humans or explored their sunken ships with nary a hesitation. As a matter of fact, the more scary stories they told him, the more warnings they gave him, the more Wolfram wanted to see the shore and the humans. Danger be damned.

He watched in awe as the ship passed over, a great hulking shadow that blocked the sunlight. The net, now filled with fish, dragged behind it, the various cables and ropes groaning under the weight. Wolfram recognized the school of fish from a just few minutes before when they had swum through their playing field.

"Oh no!' Wolfram heard one of the merchildren squeak. "Our ball!"

As soon as she said that, Wolfram saw their turtle shell float past him, caught on the net. He groaned when he remembered all the effort that had gone into hunting the turtle and cleaning its shell. Wolfram hated turtle, but his mother told him to never waste, so he made the merchildren eat it for their lunch while he found some crab to munch on as he scraped it clean.

"I'll get it," he announced without thinking.

The merchildren gasped.

"No you can't," said one. "You'll be caught!"

"It's too dangerous," said another. "You'll get in trouble!"

"Of course I can get it!" He snorted, now that he had said he would, his pride was on the line. "I'll just cut it off and it's done. No big deal."

"Don't do it!" They cried.

"It's easy," he said haughtily. "I'm not a coward like you guys!"

"Then show us!" said one of the merboys, a brutish type that Wolfram disliked intensely.

"I will!" he said and crept out of his hiding spot.

He stopped for just a moment and looked to see where his mother was. She had resettled on the rock with her friends, chatting as if a dangerous ship hadn't just passed over their precious children. Such was the way of life of the merpeople. One learned early on that one's self was the most reliable person to have around. Merchildren who couldn't survive on their own to an extent were discarded by the community. Their life was too dangerous ad tumultuous to coddle every merchild. It was strictly the strongest who survived and the strongest offspring required very little supervision.

When his mother's attention was elsewhere, Wolfram crept out of his hole and stared at the wake of the ships path.

"Scared?" the brute merboy sneered. Wolfram glared at him

"No! I can't very well chase after them if I don't know which way it went!" he huffed.

The brute merboy pointed in the direction of the ship. "It went that way," He drawled.

Wolfram hissed at that other merboy and quickly swam after the ship. A swell of excitement quashed his fear. The ship was heading towards the shore, towards the humans!

Cheri proudly watched her son swim around with the other merchildren. The boy had grown so much in the past few years into a bright and vibrant merchild. She watched him do flips, barrel rolls and sprints through the bright blue water. This was their summer dwelling. The water was warm and bright. The currents were gentle enough for young fins to swim about without help. The fish were small enough for merchildren to practice hunting skills on their own. It was perfect.

Cheri sat with the other merwomen on a huge, coral covered rock just below the waves. They combed each other's hair while they gossiped and kept a watchful eye on their children, but still kept their distance. Merchildren needed to learn quickly to fend for themselves. Merpeople rarely traveled in groups unless it was during migration or mating season. Even though this was the safest area of the sea, one could never be too cautious about a shark that may wander into the shallows looking for an easy snack – and a young merchild was easy enough prey.

Cheri called out to her son when a great ship passed over and he was the last one to find a hiding place, choosing instead to stare in fascination at the lumbering vessel right where he floated. Cheri had been gifted with probably the most rambunctious and reckless child in history. The merwomen teased her endlessly about her constant trailing of her son's activities, chasing him around and dragging him back screaming from whatever thing that had caught his interest, usually it was something that had to do with those damned humans. Last time it was a ship the merpeople had brought down for a feeding. Instead of eating like the rest of them, Wolfram wanted to look at the paintings and statues that had fallen overboard. Cheri had to bodily remove the boy from the bowls of the ship, lest he get dragged down with the wreck. But of course, Wolfram wouldn't budge unless she helped him carry several of his newfound toys to their grotto.

Cheri sighed in relief. Today, Wolfram seemed content to play with the other merchildren, far away from any humans. She would never understand the boy's interest in those horrid creatures. They were enemies of the merpeople, that's all he needed to know. Who cared how they were able to live on land and they didn't? The humans were the bane of their people. They polluted the ocean, poached them for their scales to make medicine and decorations, blocked the sun with their fat ships and poisoned the water with their waste. They were disgusting and should be avoided at all costs.

Yes, Cheri was happy that Wolfram was far away from any…..

"Cheri?" one of her friends spoke up from where she sat.

"Yes?" Cheri looked at her friends and then noticed that the other merwoman was looking at the group of merchildren curiously.

"I don't see your boy anywhere," The other one said. "Where did he go?"

Cheri followed her friend's gaze. She quickly scanned over the bobbing heads and tails of the merchildren seeking out the unique head of blond hair. She gasped in worry when she failed to locate her son. She followed the merchildren's gaze where the ship had disappeared, a sudden dread growing in her stomach when she watched the distant blur of the ship and what appeared to be the glittery shine of a tiny tail flapping after it.

"Gods!" She cried out in frustration and briefly contemplated just letting the boy go. But her motherly instincts – and her son being the last of her clan's legacy – forced her to get up and chase after her exhausting child.

Wolfram congratulated himself on his cleverness. In the mayhem of the dozen or so merchildren, Wolfram managed to sneak away while his mother was busy talking with his aunts. For his mother's sake, he had made an effort to interact with the other merchildren, but found their company lacking. All they wanted to do was play games with the fish and seals, hunt for shells and other mindless things. Wolfram was above all that. He wanted to explore the reef. Go where few had gone before. He didn't want to stay confined to the small clearing the merwomen had marked out for them. He knew every corner and hole in that reef and didn't care to examine it again. His interest lay with the surface.

Today was the day. Wolfram would finally be brave enough to rescue their turtle shell and simultaneously break the surface of the ocean and see where the humans dwelled. He would often follow underneath their great ships – when his mother wasn't paying attention – and listen to the fascinating noises from above. Merpeople didn't have musical instruments like the humans, only their voices, which were the most beautiful voices in the land, but they didn't intrigue Wolfram the way the humans instruments did. He would hear the sounds of flutes and violins well into the night. He dearly wanted to see them for himself.

And they had fire! Or that's what one of the older merchildren had told him. The humans possessed this strange thing called 'fire' that they used to light the night sky. Wolfram would watch in awe as the sent little fireballs into the sky that would burst into an array of vibrant colors across the black sky and shine through the murky waters where he hid. Wolfram desperately wanted to see their airborne fire up close.

He was well aware of the stories his mother had told him of the humans. They were frightening creatures who preyed on young merchildren, stole their scales and sold them to these things called freak shows. They hunted his people for their healing abilities, fins, and for sport. He was told to stay away from them, but he couldn't. He didn't know why he could never stay away from the humans. He was drawn to them like they had something he needed but didn't know what. It was a pull that he felt every minute of every day of his young life to the point that it nearly drove him mad.

Well, today he would find what it was that bade him to go near the human world and all its dangers.

Wolfram smiled when he reached the waters just beyond the shore. Here the water was a pale blue and crystal clear, he could see for miles around him, here the fish were smaller and more colorful. It was warm and the current was slightly stronger as it hit the swells of sand underneath.

Wolfram hesitated. Did he dare go farther? This would be the closest to the shore he had ever been in his life. A sudden fear struck him. What if the humans really were as monstrous as they had told him? What if the second he stuck his head above the surface they shoved a spear through his eye?

Maybe he should go back…

Wolfram shook his head. No, he wouldn't! He would prove to the other merchildren that he was brave enough to go near the humans' ships and rescue their toy. It was worth the adventure and he wouldn't have to make a new shell.

He followed the ship to a dock where there were other ships waiting. He stayed a fair distance away, just enough to see the ship's path.

The water became more shallow and crowded, with sea creatures and various objects dropped into the water to hang from the ships and docks. He carefully weaved through the various obstacles with ease, always staying behind the ship, and eyes trained on the turtle shell toy caught in the algae covered nets.

Finally the ship came to a stop in front of the largest dock. Wolfram heard the muffled cries and shouts from the humans on the ship and those ashore. He dared to swim up to the hull of the ship, trying to get into a position to retrieve his toy.

Wolfram looked up at the surface just mere feet above him. He could see the shadows of humans walking up and down the dock from the ship. He watched in curiosity as they greeted each other and pointed at the large net of fish.

A loud thump and the sound of ropes straining distracted Wolfram from his observations. He gasped in horror when the net began to rise to the surface. The fish trapped inside wiggled frantically as they were hauled to their doom along with Wolfram's shell.

Wolfram hurriedly grasped for the shell and tugged as hard as he could, but it was caught fast in the ropes. He would have to cut it out. He wasn't sure if his little claws and teeth were sharp or strong enough to break through, but if he could get just a little tear he could force the shell through the hole.

Nodding at his own plan, Wolfram swam up towards the shell. He would have to work quickly if he didn't want to be seen, or caught, by the humans. Not wasting another minute, he braced himself against the writhing net and began to chew at the ropes, biting down the panic as he drew ever closer to the surface and the voices of the humans grew louder with every second.

He managed to chew through one rope and immediately tried to wiggle the shell lose. He cursed when the hole was still too small for the large shell. He blew a stream of bubbles in annoyance and quickly chewed through another rope.

Wolfram was so focused on freeing the shell that he neglected to keep track of how close he was to the surface, until he suddenly broke through the water and the sun burned his delicate skin. He gasped at the blinding light and recoiled. The surprised shouts of the humans surrounded him. He looked around in a panic and met the shocked stares of the humans.

For a moment Wolfram's mind was blank. The only coherent thought he could muster was that he really wanted his mommy right then. The humans with their strange baggy skins and two scaleless legs underneath them, pointed at him angrily. Wolfram clung to the turtle shell, too shocked to think about fleeing. It wasn't until one of the humans smiled at him and picked up a smaller net and walked towards him, that he finally regained his senses and took off into the water, the angry shouts fading behind him.

Wolfram was so intent on fleeing as fast as he could, that he didn't pay attention to where he was going, which was further into the shallow, near the beaches where the humans liked to spend their time. All he thought about was getting as far away from those nets and angry humans as fast as possible.

Wolfram came to stop in front of a man made rock barrier. His mother had told him of these things. They were built by the humans to stop the sand from eroding. Wolfram hid at the base of the rocks, catching his breath and cursing the humans for taking his shell. His fear was replaced by anger when he thought of all the work that went into the shell. Not only would he not have a shell, but the other merchildren would think he had chickened out and ran before he even tried.

Pouting, Wolfram sank to the bottom of the rocks, glaring out at the waters where the docks were. He thought of how he could get out of this and save some face when he heard the sounds of humans above him. He immediately crouched down even further but relaxed when it was obvious he was well out of their line of vision. His ears perked up when he heard two higher pitched voices above him. One yelled and the other responded just above Wolfram. Wolfram's adventurous side was piqued. He had never seen small humans before. Maybe those were some now!

Figuring since he was there anyway, Wolfram cautiously rose to the surface. Mentally bracing himself, he poked his head above the water and was pleased that the sun didn't burn him here as much as it did back at the docks. He scanned the beach and saw two humans seated on a red piece of fabric talking quietly to each other. He looked towards where he thought he heard the voices. He saw two little humans walking along the beach. One was bigger than the other and running after a flock of seagulls, yelling and laughing. The other smaller one walked quietly behind him, swinging a container of some kind and occasionally picking up little shells along the beach.

He watched as the smallest of the two climbed on the rocks and sat down in front of the many tidal pools. The little human waded into one of the pools closest to Wolfram. The boy turned around giving him a full view of his face.

Wolfram immediately felt the consuming pull towards the human. He had never felt such a wave of emotion towards another being, a human for that matter. It was like a switch going off, like an epiphany to his childish mind. The second he laid eyes on the pretty child, he couldn't tear himself away. He greedily took in the features of the child. Black hair framed rosy cheeks, a small nose, full lips, dark eyes that stared right at him…

Wolfram gasped when he realized the child had noticed him, but instead of the fear he felt at his discovery with the ship humans, this time, he stared even deeper into the large black eyes. The human child stared back at him with a curious and surprised expression, but like Wolfram, there was no fear, only curiosity.

Wolfram sank a little into the water when the child hesitantly waved at him and then began to approach him, carefully climbing over the rocks to get closer. Wolfram watched the little child grunt and oomph over the wet, slippery terrain to get to him. Wolfram panicked, unable, or unwilling, to disappear and hide when the child got closer. His fears dissipated when the little human smiled widely at him when he stood just a few feet from him.

"Hello," said the little human.

"Hello," Wolfram said hesitantly, he knew little of human speech, so he only mimicked what he assumed was a greeting.

"I'm Yuuri," said the little human, Yuuri, pointing to his chest.

"I'm Wolfram," he replied, doing the same.

"Where did you come from?" Yuuri asked, tilting his head to the side cutely.

Wolfram was surprised, he thought that humans couldn't understand their tongue and neither could they theirs, but he understood Yuuri perfectly. Maybe the humans were teaching their young the merpeople's language?

"I'm from way over there," Wolfram said, pointing in what he thought was the general direction of his home.

Yuuri looked to where he pointed in confusion and then broke into giggles. "You're silly. You can't live out there!"

Wolfram was a little incensed. "Why not?" he said with a frown.

"Because there's nothing but water there," Yuuri explained, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Kids can't live in the water. You'll drown!"

"I don't drown!" Wolfram crossed his arms indignantly. "I live under the water! It's the land I can't be on! What a silly idea!"

"How can you live under the water?" Yuuri asked, confused.

"I go up for air once in a while and then go back under," Wolfram explained.

"Doesn't it hurt?"

"Does what hurt?"

"Holding your breath," Yuuri said. "I can hold my breath for a minute and then my chest and head start to hurt, but my older brother Shouri can hold his for two whole minutes! We have contests to see who can hold theirs the longest and he always wins."

"Well, it doesn't hurt me," Wolfram said. Really, this was a strange tiny human! Didn't he know anything? "I can stay under for over an hour."

Yuuri leaned forward, eyes wide with awe. "Really? That's so cool!"

Wolfram smiled proudly of his superior breathing skills. "Really. When I'm older, I'll be able to stay under water for many hours like my mother, when my lungs grow bigger." He added.

"It would be so neat to swim under water for hours," Yuuri said wistfully, sitting back on his heels. "I've always wanted to know what's under the surface. I only know what's in these tide pools." Yuuri gestured disdainfully at his surroundings. "I know all of these pools. I've been down on this beach everyday since I was a baby with my mother. Now I want to see what's in the ocean, like, giant starfish, whales and even sharks!"

Wolfram crinkled his nose. "Starfish are boring. Giant starfish are even boring-er. Whales make pretty songs but they are slow and get in the way a lot. And what kind of crazy person wants to meet a shark? They're vicious, horrid creatures that eat little merchildren like me!"

"Sharks are cool!" Yuuri insisted. "They're big and have lots of teeth that grow back every time they lose one and they're the best hunters in the ocean!"

"Second best," Wolfram sniffed. "Merpeople are the best hunters." He stated with childish arrogance.

"Yeah," Yuuri conceded easily. "But I'll never meet a-" Yuuri froze when a sudden realization dawned on his little child mind. Free of adult-like suspicion and rationality, his innocent, imaginative mind was able to make a connection to the mysterious boy that appeared out of the water.

"What?" Wolfram said hesitantly. Not liking the way the strange tiny human suddenly went quiet as his eyes grew nearly three times their size.

"Are….are you a…mermaid?" Yuuri asked in a whisper, as if he spoke some forbidden word to his new friend.

Wolfram immediately tensed. He didn't mean to stick around this long or say so much. But he couldn't help the strange attraction he felt to this tiny human sitting on a rock. He was the first human Wolfram had ever seen up close and the only one who didn't scare Wolfram or cause his instincts to go on hyper-defense. Yuuri was…nice.

"Ah….well…" Wolfram stammered, slowly backing away from the rock where he had propped up on.

Yuuri followed him, moving forward on his hands and knees. "Are...you?" He wasn't going to let the pretty blonde boy get away without an answer.

"Well, yeah," Wolfram said without thinking. If Yuuri already knew of their kind then what was the point of lying? How else would he explain his appearance?

Yuuri spoke so quietly even Wolfram's acute hearing had to strain. "Can I see your tail?"

Wolfram thought for a moment. It was a simple enough request and Wolfram saw no harm in it. He carefully slid himself up onto the rock, slightly apprehensive as this was the first time he had ever come this far out of the water. He pulled himself onto his stomach and watched as Yuuri's eyes grew as big as saucers when he curled his tail upward out of the water.

It was the most beautiful thing Yuuri had ever seen. Wolfram's tail was brighter than any star in the sky, shinier than any gold or jewels the young boy had ever laid eyes on. It was a myriad of pale purple, blue and dark green. The gauzy fins that trailed down the sides sparkled in the sunlight as tiny droplets of seawater trickled down like clear pearls.

Yuuri reached out a hand cautiously, he longed to run his hand own the fins, to see if they were as smooth as they looked.

"C-can I….touch it?" Yuuri breathed, barely able to form words in his awe.

"Ummmm…yeah, sure," Wolfram shifted so that his tail was a little closer for Yuuri to reach.

Yuuri tentatively brushed his fingertips along the side of Wolfram's tail. He gasped and nearly yanked his fingers back when he made contact with the shimmering scales. They were smooth…and hard as steel. He flooded the gauzy fins over his fingers carefully, feeling their weight and running his fingertips over the veins that sat just underneath the strangely skin-like fin.

"It's so…shiny," Yuuri said, running his fingers over every available section of scale and fin, unaware of the tiny tremor going through Wolfram when his fins were touched ever so gently. It was the same way his mother would stroke him to sleep. Wolfram could feel his eyes getting droopy from the rhythmic stroking.

All too soon, Yuuri realized what he was doing and immediately withdrew his fingers. He still continued to stare wide-eyed at the little merboy, a thousand different thoughts were running through his mind. He couldn't believe it! An actual mermaid! He had only heard the horrific stories used as cautionary tales from his nurses to stay away from the deep waters. In his mind, merpeople were vicious animals that should be exterminated. But his child-like mind and unnatural draw to the sea kept the conditioned fear from having any hold on his young mind. The stories only made Yuuri want to explore them, to find these so called monsters and see if they were really as bad as he was told.

So far, it looked like the old stories from his nurses were grossly misinformed. Surely, this tiny little merboy in front of him couldn't capsize ships or tear the flesh from bones! Wolfram looked like the cherub dolls Yuuri saw in the market square, all blonde curls and big green eyes set inside a perfectly heart-shaped face. Surely he couldn't be dangerous!

"Can I see your legs?"

"What?" Yuuri said, jolted out of his thoughts. Wolfram had slid back into the water, with only his naked torso visible above the dark blue water.

Wolfram reached out and tapped Yuuri's booted foot. "I want to see your legs. You saw my tail. It's only fair."

A perfectly logical request. "Umm…okay."

Yuuri unfolded his legs and stretched them out before his new friend. Wolfram didn't have the same awe-struck reaction to Yuuri's clothed legs and Yuuri did to his fin. But the little merboy did reach out carefully to tug at Yuuri's brown trousers.

"Is this what you call skin?" Wolfram asked, tugging harder at the material.

"No," Yuuri said, catching his balance from Wolfram's harsh tugging. "It's my pants. My skin is underneath them."

Wolfram frowned in contemplation. Pants? He always thought that the strange colored materials that draped off humans were their skin. They were always wearing it, so he thought it must be some kind of protective covering, like crabs and their shells.

Wolfram lifted the hem of Yuuri's trousers and saw that the other boy was right. There was something underneath the cumbersome, rough pants. There was soft skin, much like the skin on his chest and arms. It was pink and warm from the hot sun. Wolfram slipped his fingers under the fabric to feel the skin and pressed down.

"Ouch!" Yuuri jolted back a little.

Wolfram looked up. "What?"

"You're fingernails are scratching me!" Yuuri whimpered.

Wolfram immediately withdrew his fingers. Yuuri noticed for the first time that Wolfram had very sharp nails. They were the same color as his own, but they tapered out into sharp points.

"Sorry," Wolfram mumbled, but continued to push Yuuri's trousers back to get a better view of his leg.

Yuuri leaned back on his hands to get more comfortable while Wolfram continued to examine him. He was giddy with delight at having found a nice mermaid! He couldn't wait to tell his family. Even better, Yuuri considered himself having made a new friend in the process. There were few children his age to play with and Shouri was often away during his lessons. Little fantasies of taking his new mermaid friend home to live in their pool danced through his head while he watched Wolfram explore his legs and feet, poking and pulling at his toes.

Wolfram was also thinking of his new discovery. A real life baby human! He couldn't wait to tell the other merchildren back home. They would be so impressed by his bravery! And maybe they would realize his cleverness for once. Wolfram liked Yuuri, the boy was nicer than the other merchildren Wolfram was forced to put up with on a nearly daily basis.

"Hey, Wolfram?"

"Yeah?"

Yuuri shifted shyly in his spot. "Do you want to go home with me? I can put you in my parents' pool and you can stay for a while. I have lots of questions to ask you and maybe once they see you, they'll understand that merpeople aren't bad."

Wolfram thought about it. He would get to see where the humans live! Think of the stories he would have when he got back to the colony! He'd be a hero!

A tiny voice inside his head that sounded suspiciously like his mother told him to swim away for it. They were humans. They were dangerous creatures that hunted his people for their scales and sold them into slavery when the opportunity arose. They couldn't be trusted; they were the enemies of the merpeople.

But Wolfram thought Yuuri was harmless – nice even. A little human wouldn't - couldn't do anything to hurt Wolfram. And besides, Wolfram had claws and teeth. He could easily fight of this pudgy human who didn't even have claws.

Wolfram was about to answer Yuuri, when a sudden shout from behind Yuuri made the two children turn to look at Yuuri's mother running frantically towards her son, pointing behind him and shouting, followed closely by his nurses and his father and brother.

"Yuuri!" His mother shrieked, reaching out and grasping at the air as she drew nearer. "Yuuri, get back now!"

"Mama?" Yuuri was confused and a little frightened. He had never seen his mother so hysterical before. Her hair and skirts trailed behind her as she struggled over the sand to get to her son.

"Yuuri!"

A splash sounded behind Yuuri and the screams of his family grew even louder. He slowly turned around to where Wolfram was, to find that his new friend was gone and in his place was the very monster of the sea he had been warned against.

She was covered completely in scales, her eyes were blood red, her hair fell in blonde tendrils down her exposed breasts, long fingers – longer than any human- were splayed out on the rock as she hoisted herself high into the air, snarling with long needle like teeth at the startled boy.

Yuuri was so in shock that he didn't even move when the angry merwoman drew her hand back and extended her claws to strike him. He only knew enough to curl in on himself and hide behind his hands when she let out a terrible snarl and brought her hand down.

But the blow never came.

Instead, there was a terrible shriek from the creature. Yuuri mustered enough bravery look between his fingers to see an arrow lodged in the merwoman's shoulder. She fell back into the water with a great splash and a howl. Her cries were overshadowed by the much louder and more hysterical cries of his mother. Yuuri was swept up into a pair of arms and carried away back towards the shore, jostled and dragged along as his mother struggled over the large rocks and tidal pools, taking care not to fall in lest hey become the creature's next meal.

Yuuri wasn't put down until they were far up shore, where the sand turned into grass. He was set down on the ground and was taken by both shoulders and shaken as his mother yelled down at him.

"What were you doing?" She cried, eyes wide with fear. "You stay away from those animals! You stay away from them! Do you understand me, Yuuri! Mama said to stay away from them. They were going to kill you!"

"B-but Mama!" Yuuri croaked as she continued to shake him and then crush him into her bosom. "I was just walking with Wolfram!"

"That thing was using her child to lure you in!" Miko seethed, turning to glare back at the creature who was gathering her own child into her arms and glaring back at the queen. "Disgusting! Awful creatures! Why won't Shouma just get rid of them! They're such pests!"

Miko looked down at her son, staring him into submission with her hazel eyes.

"You listen to me!" She hissed. "You never go near those creatures, Yuuri! Mama forbids it! Never go near them! I will not let you step foot on this beach again!"

Yuuri's eyes widened in horror. "No, Mama! I love the beach! I want to stay!"

"No, Yuuri!" Miko said resolutely. Though she loved spending time with her sons at the shore, if merpeople were coming this close to the beach, then it was no longer safe for her children.

Yuuri didn't know what to do. The merwoman was scary, but he still loved his days at the beach. It was an accident! What about Wolfram? He finally met a real mermaid and now he could never return to the shore again?

"Mama!" Yuuri started.

"No, Yuuri," Miko cut him off. She picked up her youngest son and carried him back to the palace, where Shouri and Shouma waited for them while Yuuri buried his face in her neck and cried at no longer being able to visit his beloved ocean or see Wolfram again.

* * * * * * * * * * * * S * * * * * * * * * * * *

Wolfram was dragged harshly through the water behind his mother who had a firm hand on his wrist. He tried to pull away so he could swim himself, but her grip only tightened painfully while she continued to curse the dreadful humans.

"Horrible! Disgusting!" She hissed, bubbles floating up from her mouth with every word. "What were you thinking, Wolfram? You could have gotten caught or worse; killed! Stupid boy!"

"I was just looking, Mother!" Wolfram tried to explain, but was cut off by another rant.

"Just looking? Just looking? You could have been killed! They're humans, or did you forget what I've told you? They pollute our water and they hunt us! They put us into slavery in their wicked sideshows! Is that what you want Wolfram? To be some human's pet?"

"No, Mother!" Wolfram protested, not liking the idea of slavery at all. "I-I just wanted to prove how brave I was! I just wanted to see one up close like the scouts!"

"The scouts," Cecilie sneered. "Are grown merfolk, trained to find new and better places for us to live and feed. They don't go near the shore because it's fun! They go because the colony needs them to for survival!"

"I…" Wolfram looked down in shame. "I just wanted to see..."

"Why, Wolfram?" Cheri asked after a moment, completely baffled at her son's recklessness.

"I….I wanted to see a human…and he seemed nice so I didn't think it was dangerous."

"Oh, Wolfram," Cheri sighed angrily. "They could have been using their child to lure you into their trap! I wouldn't put it past them."

Cheri looked down at her son, who was staring at the fish that passed them by as they made their way back to the colony.

Her tone was absolute. "Wolfram, you are never allowed to go near the shore again."

Wolfram didn't say anything; he looked back sadly at the disappearing shelf as they went into deeper, safer, waters. He couldn't get the image of the human buy, Yuuri, out of his mind. He had never felt so drawn to another creature before. Not even to other mermaids. Cheri forbidding of returning to the shore filled him with sadness, but he swore in his heart that someday, he would find Yuuri again.

* * * * * * * * * * * S * * * * * * * * * * *

Chapter one of my new story, named after the mermaid from POTC: On Stranger Tides.

I hope you all enjoyed this introductory chapter. Things will move at a greater pace?