Traitor's Song

4. A Whole New World

Jimin managed to climb up the rocks after Henley. He was still confused by everything that was going on, and thought for sure that he was dead. It was the only way to explain what was going on. When he managed to make it to the ridge above where he had washed up, he looked at the palm of his hand again to study where his palm had glowed. A connection. What did Henley mean by a connection?

"Can you please explain to me what is going on?"

"What did I say about acting clueless?"

"I'm not trying..."

His words stopped short when he took in the city before him. It looked so much like the city he knew, but it was different in other ways too. The whole scene seemed to have a different energy to it. It was the same city in a new dress. Henley paused in her walking when she noticed Jimin wasn't following her, looking back at how stunned he looked.

"Come on. Stop standing there and gaping about..."

"I don't..."

She grabbed his hand, moving to tug him after her.

"You surely must have seen the surface before."

"I have, but this is...this is different."

A small dash of light zoomed past him and then soon zipped all around in front of his face. Jimin reached up his free hand to swat at it. Henley stopped walking to tug Jimin's other hand down after he had made contact with the light.

"Stop swatting at Hobi."

"What's a Hobi?"

"Hobi is my fairy friend's name," said Henley with a sigh. "Surely you've seen fairies before."

"Yeah in cartoons," said Jimin as he watched the glittery yellow light flit about in front of him for a moment more before landing on Henley's shoulder. He watched as it leaned over to whisper something into her ear, causing her to smirk.

"Hobi says you definitely are a fish out of water."

"I...I still don't..."

Jimin moved to free a hand from Henley's grasp to put it to his chest as he looked about the place. Surely he had to be dead. Surely he had to have drowned and this was how his mind was coping with things. The light of Hobi flashed about in front of his eyes for a minute until it hovered in front of him. Jimin turned his head so that he could focus on it as the other's radiating face focused in on him. Before Jimin even realized it, the fairy glowed even brighter and soon a human looking man stood in front of him dressed head to toe in a screaming yellow hoodie with matching pants. Yellow and white converse sneakers were on his feet. His sandy brown hair was tousled by the sea breeze.

"He seems odder than the merpeople are rumored to be," remarked Hobi as he turned to look at Henley.

"Would you keep your voice down?" she hissed. "And you really have to take human form now?"

"My wings were sore after being swatted by mister graceful here."

"Sorry?" Jimin said softly.

Hobi turned his head to look at Jimin again, looking him up and down for a moment before nodding his head. He moved to follow after Henley as she started to drag Jimin after her again with the hand she was still holding.

"You're supposed to be more careful, Hobi," said Henley. "What if you're spotted?"

"Relax. Fairies aren't that sought after," he said. "We just flit about all bored. This is interesting though."

Hobi walked alongside Jimin, still studying him up and down. Jimin didn't like it. He felt like he was some sort of bug under a microscope. After another minute or two, they reached the parking lot. At least the cars looked the same as Jimin remembered them. He tried to take a deep breath as he stood there, slipping into the backseat as Hobi got in the passenger seat next to Henley in the driver's.

"Why did I have a tail?" Jimin asked once they were all shut in the car. "And what's all this stuff about a connection?"

"Did your merperson get a concussion or something?" asked Hobi as Henley started to drive.

"No idea. I think he's trying to be clueless to be flirty."

"Really?"

Hobi swiveled in his seat to look at the other again.

"What's your name?"

"Park Jimin," he said. "And I'm not being clueless to be flirty. I don't have a flirty bone in my body."

"That's what a flirt would say," mumbled Henley.

"The last thing I remembered before showing up here is...is..."

Hobi frowned when he saw Jimin's words fail him. Reaching a hand into the backseat, Hobi laid a hand on his knee.

"Hey...don't do that."

Jimin reached up a hand quickly to wipe a tear from his eye before it fell down his cheek, quickly nodding his head. Hobi retracted his hand only to unbuckle himself from the passenger seat. He then started to move to try to clamber into the backseat while Henley still drove.

"HOBI! Are you trying to get me a ticket?" Henley asked, swerving slightly on the road when Hobi accidentally hip checked her face. "You couldn't turn back into a fairy to do that?"

"Nah. Too much work," Hobi said as he eventually managed to sit down beside Jimin in the back.

"And making yourself a contortionist wasn't?"

Hobi smirked at Henley's comment before slipping a hand into Jimin's to hold it tightly.

"Why are you crying?"

Jimin felt the tightness in his chest again as he turned his head to look at Hobi. The other genuinely seemed to be concerned for why he was feeling the way he was.

"I tried to drown myself," said Jimin silently, "And I ended up here."

Hobi was silent after. Henley - who could hear everything as clear as day in the front seat - went silent too. Her eyes flicked to the rearview mirror to look at the two of them in the back for a second before focusing on the road again.

"I know they claim merpeople are lost souls, but this is a new level of woah..." said Hobi, breaking the silence first. "I mean, this changes everything we know about merpeople..."

Jimin felt his eyes moisten then, turning his head away from Hobi. None of this made sense, and his head hurt. He moved to lean it against the window as Henley continued to drive. Hobi dropped his hand from Jimin's; his mind obviously turning.

"Don't cry," said Hobi finally when he saw the tears trickling down Jimin's face. "You're not alone. You're now connected to one of the kindest, most generous souls I've ever met, and me by association."

Jimin nodded his head, but didn't say anything. He closed his eyes, wondering if he just kept them shut if all of this would go away. Hobi shifted to wrap an arm about Jimin in a half hug.

"We'll help you figure it all out," continued Hobi. "Don't be sad."

'He's just as miserable as me,' thought Henley. 'I thought merpeople were supposed to be content when connected. I wonder when the good fortune is supposed to start kicking in...'