The Pirate and The Merhog

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"I have to save him before he drowns!" Aleena said before she immediately dived underwater to only find Jules drowning while he was losing oxygen before he started to black out, Aleena quickly swam over to catch Jules. When Aleena grabbed Jules however, the power of her pendant sealed within Jules reacted. Her and Jules glowed as the pendant's power flowed through both of them. Jules opened his eyes and was shocked to see Aleena and that he was able to freely breathe underwater as a hedgehog. "Aleena...? Wait why am I not drowning...? Oh great now I'm sinking!" Jules said as he was slowly sinking when Aleena swam over to Jules and grabs him. "You helped me last time now it's my turn to help you get back up." said Aleena. As soon as she grabbed Jules, she and Jules felt that power flow through them. Without thinking, they thrust through the ocean water like two fish racing against the current. Jules suddenly let go of Aleena and started swimming through the water at a speed Aleena couldn't believe. "Wait up, Jules!" Aleena said to Jules while try to catch up to him. 'How's this even possible!? He's a hedgehog, yet he can swim faster than any whale or shark I've ever seen. Not even my father can swim this incredibly fast!' Aleena thought to herself. "Did you say something about your father?" Jules asked as he suddenly appeared in front of Aleena.

"You're a lot faster than my father including most of the sea animals down here. How are you that fast?" Aleena asked Jules while they were both swimming. "I'm literally the fastest thing alive on land...with my brother being my only rival. My super speed somehow was converted into my newfound ability to breathe underwater and swim at super speed." Jules said as he easily answered Aleena's question. "Unbelievable! And how were you able to hear my thoughts about my father?" asked Aleena. "I don't know maybe Telepathy?" replied Jules. "That might be the case and by the way did you happen to find a golden pendant with a royal seal embedded in it earlier today?" asked Aleena. "That was yours? I'd return it, but it went into my body and hasn't come of me since. It's as though it wants to stay as part me and never leave." Jules said to Aleena.

"Jules, this is very serious! Do you understand what this truly means for you...and by extension your brother too?" Aleena said as she was questioning the light blue male hedgehog. "Is that a bad thing?" Jules asked Aleena. "I don't know all of the details but my father is the one who knows more about it." Aleena said to Jules. "You mean King Leonardo?" Jules said to Aleena. "You're reading my thoughts again!?" Aleena shouted. "It must be the power of the pendant that linked our minds. I wonder if I can read your private fantasies too." Aleena blushed crimson and said "Don't joke and tease me that way, Jules!"

"I'm just kidding" Jules said as he chuckled a little bit. "You should probably head back now...everyone is probably thinking that you're dead now." Aleena said to Jules. "But you said your father has a better understanding of this power that's now part of me. He could help me understand and use it better. Let me meet your father please." Jules said as he asked the beautiful purple Merhog kindly. Aleena blushed again, but at the thought of bringing a man to her castle to meet her father the king. "Alright, I'll take you to my father but be mindful that most of the merfolk never saw a Mobian at Atlantica before." Aleena said to Jules before they both continued swimming.

A two hours later, thousands of feet under water...

Aleena guided Jules through her city while Jules was amazed at what he was seeing, some many on the surface could only dream to see and experience. It was an advanced underwater civilization. The merpeople looked at Jules with awe and amazement. They had never seen a surface dweller before, let alone one who could breathe underwater and swim at a speed they never seen before. Aleena was seeing the admiration Jules was getting, but also from the other female Merhogs.

"I don't have luck with females back on land. In their eyes, I'm a good-for-nothing and a useless nobody. On ships, I'm the one who does the work that no one else wants to do. My brother helps when he can, but the captains makes that difficult by keeping him busy with other tasks." Jules explained to Aleena in a sad tone. "You did get me out of the fishnet in the afternoon earlier today and I wanna thank you for that." Aleena said to Jules while trying to cheer him up. "I didn't want your father wanting to send his entire army after me and my brother for not letting you return home. To pirates and those on land, you and your merpeople are legends and worth more than gold. That's why that other pirate ship was trying to so hard to capture you." Jules said to Aleena.

"But you did the right thing and everything worked out at the end. By the way Jules maybe I'll see you tomorrow once I figure out away to not get seen by your Captain which might take awhile." Aleena said to Jules. "I can always come and see you. With my speed, it won't take long to reach you. That is if that's OK with your father and  if you're not already in an arranged marriage to another royal Merhog. I wouldn't want to cause an incident." said Jules. "I'm not in arranged marriage." Aleena said to Jules when she revealed that she's single. "But I'm sure that my dad is okay with it, Jules." Aleena said to Jules until she soon realized something and said. "Actually I think I know a way to see you at the surface. You see I have magic powers so I can give myself legs to walk on land."

"You can give yourself legs!? Do the other merpeople have this ability?" asked Jules. "No. It's restricted to only those within the royal family. It's believed that such an ability would be misused and abused if given in the wrong hands." said Aleena when she explained it to Jules. "That's understandable." replied Jules. "There you are, Aleena!" said the Sea King when he swam his way to his youngest daughter and saw a pirate with her. "Dad, I know went back to the surface again luckily I didn't get injured this time and this light blue hedgehog was actually the pirate I mentioned to you but I forgot to mention his name earlier." Aleena said as she explained to her father King Leonard the Sea King. Leonardo listened to Aleena's explanation as Jules just stood there quietly. He didn't want to do anything that would embarrass Aleena or infuriate her father, especially with that glowing golden trident he was holding in his hand. Her explanation confirmed his words from earlier.

"Jules found my pendent but it went into his body and hasn't come of Jules since which explains why Jules' super speed somehow was converted into his newfound ability to breathe underwater and swim at super speed." Aleena said after she finished her explanation to her father. "It's permanently part of Jules as it completely fused with him. It also means that you both are linked and bonded together, making Jules a part of our royal family. Your pendant chose him as your suitor, Aleena." The Sea King said as he explained to his youngest daughter. "Her suitor?" Jules asked the Sea King. "You're her betrothed." King Leonardo said to the light blue male hedgehog. Aleena's face started turning red as she blushed dark crimson and said "Jules, It means that we're engaged and we'll get married one day..." Jules' eyes widened in complete shock when he heard that from the royal female purple merhog "Wait! I'm now Aleena's fiancé!? I'm engaged to a princess now!? But I'm not a prince or anyone of importance. I'm just a low status pirate boy who has no one but my brother who loves me. I'm a nobody. Surely there's someone better for her than a good-for-nothing like me." Jules said in a saddened tone.

"I tried to once but...it didn't go well with the last guy." said Aleena as she swam up to Jules. "What do you mean?" asked Jules when he turned to Aleena. "My pendant fiercely rejected the Merhog who tried to court me. It found him unworthy and...it threatened to kill him if he didn't remove himself from my sight. All of the potential males in this kingdom kept their distance after that incident. But it didn't do that to you and maybe it was after you helped me escape." Aleena said to Jules after she finished her explanation to him earlier. "Well, I couldn't let anything happen to you. I didn't want you being forced to my captain's prisoner and trophy. Regardless of whatever punishment I would have faced if he found out, at least you would be safe and free." Jules said to the beautiful purple merhog princess. "That's why the pendant chose you, Jules." The Sea King said to the light blue male hedgehog.

"If anyone asks you where you've been this whole time don't tell them anything when the captain is around or you'll have to come up with a good excuse." Aleena said as she told that important information to Jules. "I can trust my brother Charles. But the other person is a fox named Amadeus Prower who knows of your existence as he's already seen you. He was the one I knocked out earlier. My brother warned and threatened him with death if he reported you to the captain." Jules explained to Aleena that the mobian fox was his friend and a fellow crewmate.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Jules. I'm really glad I got to meet you." Aleena said as she smiled a little bit before she swam over to Jules and hugged him gently. "Met me? We're bonded for life Aleena. Hopefully you give me a tour of your kingdom when I come to pay you and your father a visit. I can't say how your people will handle finding out that your betrothed is a surface dwelling pirate." Jules said to Aleena. "I'm sure everything will work out in the end." Aleena said to Jules with a smile on her face before Jules swam back up to the surface.

Leonardo and Aleena saw Jules thrust with a mighty blast through the water out of the castle and out of the kingdom at super speed. "Incredible! I've never seen anything like him before! He truly has untapped potential and will go far with the right training and teacher." Leonardo said to his youngest daughter while he still in shock and awe. Aleena smiled at her father the Sea King and said "I think so too, father." as she held on to her father's hand.