I watched from the water as another girl slightly younger than me walked along the shore. She was wearing a green knee length dress and light brown sandals, her long brown hair blowing in the ocean breeze. I didn't let her see me. Not yet. I would show my self when the time was right. At least, that's what I told myself. There ware no people around, who would come to the beach on a day like today? It was really the right time, but I was shy. She had been raised by humans, right? How would she react to me?
If it had been a thousand years ago, she probably wouldn't be shocked. Back then, her kind and humans intermingled freely, so she would have known of me as well as Hokuaonani and Kastha.
But it was now, in this time, so I had to reveal myself to her. I started singing. It wasn't one of those wordless, enchanting melodies that the Maren used. I wasn't any good at those, anyway. It had actual lyrics, a set melody, but it was in a language I was sure that she had never heard before.
She noticed my voice as soon as I started. She started looking around, trying to find the source of the song she had heard. Part of me hoped that it wasn't too late to just go back home, pretend the world didn't need her. But the slightest thought of home made me remember why I was here in the first place. My voice grew stronger and my head came out of the water completely. I started to swim to shore.
As soon as she saw me, I knew that coming to find her hadn't been a mistake. Her eyes weren't filled with disbelief or a 'you've gotta be kidding me' look. She looked only curious, not threatening in the least. It wasn't what I was expecting, not what she said to me.
"Hello. What's you're name."
At first, I was too shocked to speak. She had reacted the exact opposite of the way a human would. Maybe she really was Jessenia after all. I finally spoke.
"I'm Itterrani. You can just call me Rani," I said, pulling myself out of the water.
"Hi, Rani. I'm Rozi," she replied. "If you don't mind me asking, what's a mermaid doing here?"
"Looking for you, if you're really who I think you are," I said, bringing myself up to a sitting position.
Rozi looked puzzled. "Who do you think I am?" she asked.
"Princess Jessenia of the Realm of Earth." I replied simply.
"Wait," She said. "You think I'm this 'Princess Jesina of Earth'?"
"Princess Jessenia," I corrected. "And I'm pretty sure you are her. Judging by the way you reacted to me."
"How could I be royalty?" Rozi asked. "I'm just an average under-popular-not-a lot-of-friends high school girl!"
"You don't have to be." I said calmly. If she kept yelling as loud as she was, we were going to be discovered soon. How could I explain to Mom that I was found out because the Princess of Earth was loudly denying her throne? "Take me to your parents. They should understand," I said. If she wouldn't accept it coming from me, she might if it came from her guardians.
"How are you gonna come with me? Last time I checked, A mermaid on the subway isn't normal." She stood there defiantly. There goes the polite girl I had met a few minutes ago.
"Hang on a sec." I said. I focused hard, and my tail split into two legs.
"Oh, god, you've got to get some clothes on, fast." she said. I looked down. I was naked.
"Damn it," I swore under my breath. "Last time I go to land without clothes. You've got anything I could use?" She nodded quickly.
"I brought a spare pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt in case I got splashed." She brought a gray pair of sweatpants and a green sweatshirt out of her bag and gave them to me. I dressed quickly and thanked her. We started walking towards the subway station. On the way, I explained everything to her.
"So basicly, there are four realms. Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind, also known as Air."
"So, basicly the four elements." Rozi whispered. I nodded.
"Yes. Right know, Wind is at war with the other three Realms. Most of the Earth Realm has been destroyed, But my mom had heard news a few years ago that the princess had survived the First Attack twelve years ago, but she didn't want to come find you until it was absolutely necessary to Fire and Water's survival. A person of the Earth Realm should grow up on land, right? Not in the water."
"Why is the Wind Realm attacking everyone else?" Rozi asked.
"Only the Wind Realm themselves really know, but I suspect it's because they think that they're better than the other three and therefore think that they should rule us. But that's just my opinion. And no one listens to a fifteen-year old princess. I'm not technically an adult until I'm seventeen."
"You're a princess?" she asked, coming to face me. I nodded.
"Princess Itterani of the Water Realm. Most people who know me don't know that I'm the princess, though. I like being treated like a normal person instead of royalty. Then I can hold a conversation with a person without them being self-conscious. It's never fun when they are."
We reached her house. At least I thought it was her house. But then, Rozi sharply turned right and I struggled to keep up. We came to another building that was hardly noticeable and ran up a flight of stairs.
"Mom, I have someone who want's to see you." Rozi called. A woman with long brown hair walked into the room. I looked closely. She didn't look anything like Rozi, apart from her brown hair.
"Yes?" she asked, brushing her hair out if her face. I stepped forward.
"Excuse me, but do you have any idea who I am?"
At first, her face scrunched up in a look of confusion, but then it turned to realization, and finally, shock.
"Itterani ii hutru?!" (Princess Itterani?!)
"Da u yunituru fuder inteko drein, Kerishin." (It's nice to see you again, Kerishin.) I said, smiling. "Kide u falsa hiero inteko ashienka g Hiisu Eithad." (I'm glad that you've survived the First Attack.)
"Dasi u badrtu Jessenia?" (Is this about Jessenia?) she asked. I nodded.
"Deipa, dasi u." (Yes, this is.) I said, looking over to Rozi, who had lost interest in our conversation and now was watering the plants by the window. "Derlu hani hossan, shi hessa hani derli." (We need her, and she needs us.)
"Gornu. Hessa u dituy vi." (No. She's not ready.)
"Hessa U dituy. Kide jjufaj da." (She IS ready. I feel it.) I said. "Inteko u astu grei ktuyze." (you are just overprotective.) Kerishin didn't have a reply to that.
"Hey, what are you guys talking about?" Rozi asked, interrupting our conversation.
"Rozi," Kerishin started. "There's something I have to tell you."
"What it is, Mom?" Rozi asked nervously. I could tell that she knew what was coming.
"I'm not your real mother. Your real mother died twelve years ago in an attack from the Wind Realm." Kerishin admitted. "I was the one put in charge of protecting you when we were attacked. We are the only two people from the Earth Realm that survived."
"Are you saying that I'm really Jessenia?" Rozi asked, her eyes widening. Kerishin nodded.
"You are."
With that, Rozi ran out of the house, slamming the door on her way out.
"Oh, great. It'll take forever to find her." I said, still starring at the door.
"I know where she's going." Kerishin said, putting a hand on my shoulder. "And she'll be back. She runs off like this a lot."
I sighed. I didn't have time to wait for her to come back.
"You want something to eat?" Kerishin asked, bringing out a platter of food. "Human food is better than you think."
I sighed and sat down, taking some food from the large plate. At least I won't be hungry while I wait, I thought as I took a bite of the sandwich.
------------------------------
I'm also posting in FictionPress.com, and I have a few fan fictions at FanFiction.net. on FP, I'm Haily Honshin, and on FF, I'm Haruka Hoshine.
