the little mermaid | jellal fernandes [discontinued]

Chapter 7- Weakness

"Ah... she's in love," a stony voice speaks from the darkness.

Cackles are heard next- inhuman cackles, high pitched and mocking, sounding so foreign. The sounds belonged to two pairs of bulging yellow eyes in the dark; their white, canine teeth revealed next as their smile stretches all the way to their eyes.

"In love with her little prince," the individual spat- pure hatred in her tone, bright and burning. It made the two minions simultaneously flinch, backing away.

"I won't kill her... no," it chuckled, before a set of glowing, blue eyes emerged from the dark. "I will take everything she has away. Then kill her family while they're weakened by her death, all for my beautiful revenge..."

*

"Don't step a fin out of line," I mocked, voice deepened and gruffer to match Gramps. "if you do, I'll know immediately."

I sigh to myself. Complaining and whining won't help anything, and I knew that. But a question remained in my mind: Do I listen to my grandfather? Or do I defy him and go my own way, like I have done so many times in my life?

I shake that thought away, putting it off for later. With a quick swish of my scaly tail, I speed up my swimming towards my cave, a second home of some strange sort. The sort that hides you from the rest of the world, where I can sing without needing a filter on my words.

I push the so-called cursed seaweed away and enter.

The moonlight shone exactly through the large cracks- making the metal gleam and gems sparkle- giving the rest of the tools a dull, white shine.

I move towards my newest item that I had found- casted away on some rocks, new since there wasn't any algae growing on it yet. Books would always fall apart quickly- the pages fading away and the cover would separate from the rest.

This one's pages were particularly white- written in a language I didn't understand. The cover was made of a soft, tough-looking material, colored a deep brown.

I run a finger over the spine, lost in my own thoughts.

Amica crashes into me.

I yelp, dropping the book as it floats to the floor. "Amica! That's the second time today-"

"I'm sorry," she sobs into to my bare, (s/c) stomach. "I'm so sorry. They... they cornered me near the back of the palace, the royal guards... and oh they were so scary, (y/n)... with their tridents and armor... and- and scary eyes..."

A strong wave of both anger and pity washes over me.

Intimidation shouldn't be used on such a sensitive, worrisome creature such as Amica. They pressed information out of here, using fear as their weapon.

"I'm sorry," I whisper softly, only able to offer intangible empathy and a warm hug. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you."

"Oh, it's not your fault," she blubbered, pulling back and wiping a fin over her face. Her eyes were red and puffy under her large, pink upper eyelids. "I'm such a weak little creature... constantly seeking out protection and hurting people."

"Don't say that," I warn. "Master Makarov was going to find out anyway. And the longer we would wait, the more angry he would have become in the future. I'm glad it's over."

"Are... are you going to listen to him?"

I sigh. I've been asking that same question myself, Amica. "I don't know. I don't want to give Jellal up. But-"

"He doesn't deserve you!" Amica suddenly spits out angrily, wrenching away from my grip. My mouth falls open. "he doesn't deserve you when all he's done is hurt you! (y/n), all he's done for you is disappear and break your heart!"

Amica seemed to realize what she said when she saw my frozen expression.

She wailed again. "I only make things worse, don't I? I... I get nervous and I start blabbering my stupid mouth off..."

"But you're partially right," I half-whisper, looking down at the sand under my tale. The grains were colored a dark teal in the night, compared to the day, when they were glowing gold and bronze. "he has hurt me. But... deep in my heart, I know he has a reason. A good one, I'm sure. It's just... him disappearing... I can't imagine him doing that, I guess. It's so unlike him."

The pink sea turtle says nothing.

"That's why I have to believe that it isn't his fault," I continue to confess. "and if it isn't his fault, then I want to see him again."

Some sort of empathy leaked into Amica's blue eyes.

"Love makes you do crazy things, you know? Even when it comes to a human," I murmur, my voice strangely vulnerable. There were very little things, more precisely, people, that made me confess my inner, deepest thoughts. That made me sound so fragile, the chains and bars around my heart gone. Jellal was one- and Lucy, two.

"IN LOVE WITH A HUMAN?!"

A voice blunders, and my face goes white. In less than half a second, I face the intruder, only to find nothing there.

"You...! You... reckless, stupid child- oh, when the Master hears this-"

My pale face looks down to see a raging Kelton. In an instant, my mind fills with relief. I can handle an angry crab, but not one of my grandfather's servants.

He looked like he just got through a hurricane of my possessions here- a ring wedged through two of his tomato red legs, a button peeking out of his shell, his claw stuck into a small keychain plushie, where the cotton inside was now floating up through the water.

Amica positively shrieked, made a beeline for the nearest exit, and hit her head against a cave wall and fell unconscious.

We stared at her in disbelief, before Kelton seemed to snap back to his thoughts and what he overheard from our conversation.

"(y/n), you stupid child," he repeated angrily, but I couldn't take him seriously with the second ring around his neck, looking like a choker. Fashionista Kelton, coming your way. "I knew your father had to put a tighter leash on you. You... you're up to no good, young lady!"

I raise an eyebrow at him, unaffected by his threats. "That is for me to decide, not you."

That seemed to anger him even more. "You're grandfather will hear about this-"

"Oh no, please don't!"

Amica comes to the rescue to dutifully hold my snappy tongue. "If you do, god knows what will happen to (y/n)! She'll- she'll get send to the dungeons, or worse, executed-"

A dark feeling sets itself in my stomach. Kelton seems to notice too, and he exhales loudly, bubbles popping.

"I don't know what to do with you, (y/n). You're always getting yourself in the most... unique sort of trouble."

I smile tiredly. "I know."

"And who... is this Jellal?"

I open my mouth, ready to answer with millions of words building up at my throat, ready to spew out at once. Charming, perceptive, slightly tsundere- but they all drowned the moment they popped into my head.

I opened my mouth to answer.