Forever Tide: My True Identity

Chapter Three

Prove it... Those two words sealed my fate. Slowly I walked between my parents each gripping my hand tightly. I thought for a minute that Mama was going to cut the circulation off to my finger tips, as we neared the boat I noticed that she had started to drag her feet. I think she was terrified that I would go under and never return.

Standing on the edge of the dock I was nervous. What would happen when I dove into the sea? Would something come up out of the deep and swallow me up, or would I all of the sudden sprout gills and fins? Would this be the last time that I stand on this dock? So many questions ran through my head before I was ready.

“Mama, Papa I love you. If I grow fins, or get swallowed up I want you to know that I love you and that I always will.”

“Oh Em, please don't baby. I am not ready for you to go, I want you to stay here forever.”

“Mama if I am meant to be in the sea then I am meant to be in the sea, and there is nothing that any of us can do about it. We have to let this happen. Just know that no matter what happens in the next few minutes I will always love you.”

“I love you too baby I will never stop loving you, even if you turn green and sprout gills, I can't loose you forever.”

“Thank you Mama. Papa I need you to be strong and take care of Mama if something happens to me, okay. I love you both.”

With my love and goodbyes I leaped off the dock letting the cool calm sea envelope me. I was greeted instantly by the cool nose of Trixster. He was waiting for me, as he always was. I had always wondered why he was a part of my life. Maybe he knew what I was.

'I have always known princess.'

'Trixster?'

'Yes. Princess it is me talking. Your taking this well, I am pleased.'

'I always knew I didn't belong here, and now it gives my love of the sea a true reason. I am happy that this is who I am.'

'I am glad, do you want to explore. You know that you do not need to come up for air if you swallow the water and then breathe out your body is equipped to pull the oxygen out of the water. You have always been able to.'

I followed his instructions and let me tell you it was the weirdest thing. As I breathed in I could feel my lings changing, they took in the water and instead of choking or drowning my body absorbed the oxygen just as Trixster said that it would. My whole body tingled as my mind and body fought over who would win. My mind was telling me that this was wrong, that I needed to go to the surface, while my body was thriving with being used to its full potential.

I swam with Trixster for what seemed like an eternity, yet all too soon he was telling me that he had to leave, and I may not see him for a while. It was then that I decided I would head on up to the surface and let Mama and Papa know what I discovered.

“Mama, Papa! I can breathe, I can breathe underwater. It was scary at first but I could do it! Trixster helped me, he talked me through everything. Did you know that I would be able to understand the sea creatures? It is like I am one of them.”

I looked up at Mama's face, and saw that she had been crying.

“Mama, why are you crying. I thought this would be happy I finally know what I am.”

“Baby I am happy. I am happy that you can breathe, I am happy that you can communicate with the creatures, but you were gone so long I was afraid that I had lost you.”

“Lost me how long was I down there?”

“You were down there for three hours Emi, it is almost dark I thought for sure you mother was going to make me call the coast guard and I had no idea what I was going to tell them. Now let me see did you get your fins? Or gills?”

“No gills Papa I don't think that I need gills, my body is made for being above the sea just as much as below it. And no fins either do you know why?”

“No I don't but sweetie why don't you take a look behind you I think that they may be able to answer your questions. They look rather official.”

I turned around to see two huge Dolphins. They both were just looking at me, their heads tipped slightly to the side, one ever was wearing a bit of a smirk. They seemed to be waiting for me.

“Uh hi, who are you?”

“Not shy are we my princess.”

“Nope, now who are you?”

“I your highness am Rictor, I have been assigned to be your guard. This here with me she is Sanshea. I brought her in case we encounter any opposition on our way to your fathers kingdom.”

“My father's kingdom? He is alive?”

“Yes your father is alive, I was actually hoping that we could get going tonight. We have a little ways to travel, and your father has been waiting a long time for you to be here.”

“Tonight? But I just found out I was a mermaid. I was hoping that you were here to answer my questions. I am not ready to say goodbye to my family yet.”

“You just found out you are a mermaid, what do you mean?”

“I mean that until a few hours ago I had no clue who I was. I just thought I was a strange child.”

“This is unexpected. Did you know what she was?”

“Yes her mother, and I both knew. We tried to rescue her mother but we were to late she had been injured badly.”

“Why is it that she is just finding out?”

“Her mothers wishes, we were instructed to wait until just before her 16th birthday to tell her.”

“You mean that she has grown up with no knowledge of her heritage, and that was my queen's wishes?”

“Yes she said that in order to protect her she must not know what she was.”

“Well I guess we will have to wait a bit then. I can not bring you into your fathers kingdom if you have no knowledge of the mere culture. Do you have somewhere that we can stay?”

“I have a cave! The water outside is deep enough for you and Sanshea, and during high tide you can come inside.”

“Alright, let me call your teachers, and then lead the way to this cave.”