Fins Are Forever (JaDine Fantasy AU)

Attina

James smiled as he parked by the shore.

He let out a contented sigh as he got off his car and felt the sea breeze.

Visiting the beach always makes him relax. It was a good day to visit the beach. But there was no one else there. Well, at least as much as he can see. It was understandable really, since it was a wild beach and there wasn't any house in miles. That was one reason he loved visiting this specific beach.

As he walked closer to the sea, he realized he was wrong about being alone in the beach. There was a girl sitting by the foreshore, soaking her lower body.

James is now familiar with this girl. It seems besides fishermen, the two of them are the only visitors of this beach. He had seen her a lot of times before, usually in the same place.

Just then, so very suddenly, the sky darkens. It was disconcerting how fast it happened. Then the ground was shaking. And gaping, James watched as the water quickly moved backwards, as if he was watching changing of tides in fast forward. In front of him he watched, stunned, as the water towered.

'Tsunami' vaguely registered in his mind, but he didn't--couldn't move. He was frozen in place.

He heard a gasp and turned to see the girl scrambling to her feet. Without really thinking about it, he rushed to her and when he reached her, he pulled her backward. But it was too late, and he watched with dread as the water, taller than he had ever seen, started going back just as fast as it had moved backward.

It happened so very fast, but the last thing he remembered before everything went black was the thought that they were going to die and the feel of the girl's lips on him.

---

He felt so light, as if he was floating. He guessed he's dead. But then again, he felt sore all over his body as well. Didn't the pain stop when you die?

Slowly, James opened his eyes. He was shocked to see the girl's face hovering over him.

"You're awake!" She said, and he didn't know why but relief surged through him. "I'm so sorry." She said next, and he felt a tinge of guilt.

He felt dizzy, he was confused. What has happened? Isn't he supposed to be dead? He didn't know where he was either. It was a bit dark, and he still felt that sensation like he was swimming.

Blinking and sitting up, he tried to look at his surroundings more closely. But before he could even take in his surroundings, a very bizarre thing caught all his attention.

Eyes wide, he stuttered. "You... you have a tail..." He told the girl.

She was in front of him, still wearing the same top she was wearing when he saw her in the shore but her lower body... she didn't have legs; instead she had a tail, a fish tail.

And with a sinking feeling, he realized she was floating in front of him and when she or he moved, bubbles form.

"And I..?" Intinctively, as he realized he was under water, he stopped breathing.

"No, please don't stop breathing!" The girl said, looking worriedly at James.

"It's okay, you won't drown." She try to reassure.

'This is heaven?' James thought dubiuosly.

"Really, please breath. I'll explain." She said and she floated closer to James and sat down besides him. He don't really know how he can even sit under water.

He was just shocked.

"I'm a mermaid." The girl started. "We're currently in Aquapora, one of the kingdoms of merpeople." It barely processed in James' head. But what she said next hit him hard. "And you can breathe underwater because you are turning mer."