The Sky's Eternal Sunset

Say You Love This Mermaid

Deep down in the restless waters

Sometimes it's hard to breathe

Without you here, I'm incomplete

And it's been such a long time

Since I could call you mine

Hoping you still believe in me

I'd follow you across the ocean

Mermaid - Sarah Hudson

(⁠｡⁠♡⁠‿⁠♡⁠｡⁠)(⁠｡⁠♡⁠‿⁠♡⁠｡⁠)(⁠｡⁠♡⁠‿⁠♡⁠｡⁠)(⁠｡⁠♡⁠‿⁠♡⁠｡⁠)(⁠｡⁠♡⁠‿⁠♡⁠｡⁠)

They are reminded sternly by Shera that the scuba equipment they are using is very expensive. So please please please take very good care of it. But more importantly than that, they need to take care of each other. The ocean is a dangerous place.

㊗️The gear can be replaced and so can the cameras,㊗️ she says. ㊗️But you can't be. So look out for each other?㊗️

♈Yes, ma'am,♈ Remus nods then looks to the others. ♈We will.♈

㊗️Tell your little mer friends the same㊗️she insists. ㊗️Safety first. Fun later.㊗️

♈Yeah, you try telling that to a Marakihau teenager,♈Remus snorts while elbowing Riku who laughs in agreement.

Sora shifts impatiently in his scuba gear while looking over the edge of the Highwind .

He's ready to jump in, but the Marakihaus and Roxas aren't there yet. That gives Shera plenty of time to school them in proper technique and remind them to check their displays often. Once they have all their cameras in place, they can return to the boat for their fishing equipment.

Do they have their diving knives? Of course, they do. And what about--

♓We got it, mom,♓Kairi huffs with annoyance. ♓We're not going off to war, you know?♓

㊗️I know,㊗️ she says just as a series of splashes signifies the arrival of their guests. ㊗️Just trying to keep you safe.㊗️

Sora looks over the edge again to find Skuld waving at him and clicking. Hermod and Strelitzia are there too. He scans the nearby area looking for the last member of their group, hoping he didn't change his mind.

That familiar spiked dorsal breaches the surface far off, making a beeline for the boat at those lightning speeds Roxas is a fan of. He comes to an abrupt stop with a sharp turn, his head popping out of the water a good couple of yards away from the Marakihau pod. He shoots Sora an acknowledging nod when their eyes meet.

♏Looks like everyone is here,♏ Riku says, counting them all. ♏Skuld. Hermod. Strelitzia. And Roxas, of course.♏

♈He really came,♈ Remus hums with surprise. ♈Huh. Alright. Let's head down to the reefs then.♈

They put their regulators into their mouths and make sure the buoyancy compensators are half-filled. They place their hands on their masks to keep them firmly in place. Then one at a time, they take a big stride right off the deck and into the deep water with a splash. Then all of them give Shera the okay signal and dive down with their finned friends.

The mer are a wonder to look at normally but underwater they're even more amazing. The way their bodies undulate and their fins push them forward with such force is awe-inspiring. It's easy to forget how much muscle there is to them. No wonder they have to eat as much as they do to keep that great strength up. Several times the mer have to double back because they're so much faster than their human cohorts.