A Miraculous Mermaid Tale

Chapter 23: Master Fu

As he slowly woke, Gabriel pondered his dreams from the previous night. Before falling asleep, he knew he and Nathalie had made it to an island. But from there, he struggled to remember what was real and what wasn't.

Based on the things he said, he was fairly certain that his conversation with her had been a dream. She'd looked so different, the light of the sun behind her almost magical.

It was then that he'd finally understood the otherworldly beauty of mermaids.

But it was only a dream. It had to be, considering what had happened next. The faint memories of a kiss lingered in his mind. After that, his dream had shifted to something about multi-colored seaweed and butterflies.

He opened his eyes, greeted by the light of the sunrise. Sitting up, he winced as yesterday's soreness caught up to him. Swimming would be a struggle today.

After some time, he managed to stand, catching sight of the teens resting nearby.

Focusing his attention on the shore, he saw Nathalie sitting in the sand.

"You're up early," he said as he approached.

She turned her head in surprise. He couldn't help but notice how the light framing her was similar to his dream. Momentarily dumbfounded, he almost froze.

"I couldn't sleep," she replied.

Shaking his head slightly, he sat next to her with another wince. Duusu and Nooroo were curled up and asleep in her lap.

"Surely you got some rest."

"A little." She looked down at the kwamis. "How do you feel?"

"Alright, just a bit sore."

A fleeting smile came to her face. "I'd imagine." She hesitated briefly. "How much do you remember?"

"I believe I remember arriving here, but not much besides that. Though I did have a variety of dreams."

"About what?"

He wasn't going to tell her about the first bit; he had no idea how she'd react. "Butterflies, I think."

"That's odd."

This whole time, she hadn't looked him in the eye.

Was it possible that it hadn't only been a dream?

"Nathalie?"

She met his eyes, gaze curious yet hesitant.

"Did something else happen yesterday, after we arrived?"

"What do you mean?"

"You've only now looked me in the eyes."

She turned away. "I'm just . . . distracted."

He needed to know what had happened. It seemed more than likely that whatever it was had been his fault. "I remember something else."

She stayed silent, and he took that as an indication to continue. "Was there-"

Duusu suddenly darted up from where she was apparently sleeping, eyes wide. "Good morning!" she squealed.

They both stared at her for a moment.

"Forgive her," Nooroo grumbled drowsily, grabbing Duusu's arm and pulling her away.

"No, wait!" Duusu protested.

"We should prepare," Nathalie said, abruptly standing. "Tikki said we'll arrive at the guardian's cave today."

Gabriel frowned as she walked away. So it had been his fault. It didn't help that he didn't know what he did.