Fool || Kimcinda Mermaid Tales AU

Chapter 1

"Shit!" Lucinda swore as she dropped the potion bottle, only to realize she was in the water and the bottle wouldn't shatter. She sighed as she grabbed it and put some more sea bunny slime into it. She had woken up here, in what she assumed was Tavari's cave, it was pretty roomy with shelves and a few small places to sit. There was a kelp wall which acted like a curtain that led into a room that she made her own and there was one also at the entrance, big enough for her but too small for sharks. She had woken up with her very own dark purple and orange tail. Zane, a coal black crab and Tavari's former assistant, explained the things she had missed. A mermaid by the name of Aphmau had gotten mixed with Tavari and eventually led Titanus to him and was ripped apart. "Good Riddance" she had thought, but now she was stuck as a mermaid. At least until she could figure out the potion to turn her back into a human, Zane helped her out a ton, getting things that she couldn't get in small corners and such. She assumed it was to make up for helping Tavari. She had been living underwater for a month, or that's how long it was when she was awake. She had no clue how long she'd been gone when she was unconscious, Zane told her it had been maybe 2 months but even he wasn't sure. Lucinda consulted the potion book for ways to turn human, which had some sort of water repelling spell on it because it wasn't wet and decided when she left she would take it with her to study, it had some interesting spells and potions in it. She wished she had her wand, she felt naked without it.

"Do you need any other ingredients?" Zane asked, clicking his black pincers as if ready to grab something.

"Zane you've been a big help, but please take a break. We were out all night trying to find bioluminescent algae" Lucinda said.

"You think it'd be easier to find, since it glows in the dark" Zane complained.

"You know it only grows in deeper parts of the ocean, you should know that of all crabs." Lucinda pointed out. She put a cork into the potion she had been making and put it away into a chest they'd found in a shipwreck, it would be a big help later.

"Of course I do! I was just saying it's frustrating. I don't have a big tail like you do so I can't swim as fast"

"Then why don't you ride on my back?"

"Because that's weird! Why can't you carry me with your hands?"

"I have to pick up ingredients and anyway I need my hands to help me turn. I'll carry you in my satchel next time you big baby."

"Okay, thank you." said Zane. He clicked his pincers and began "You know, we still need one more ingredient. Besides the algae"

"I know, and I've been putting it off. And I was thinking maybe HE still has some old stuff lying around." Lucinda admitted and began to search the shelves.

"You've looked countless times, you know if you don't want to do it I can go up to the surface myself and-"

"No, I'm not going to let you go out alone after the last time." Lucinda said, the last time Zane had gone out alone to get some sea-herbs close to shore she had to save him from a seagull that had dived down. "We'll leave tomorrow, the sun's going down and sharks like to hunt at night." Zane blinked slowly, a gesture similar to nodding, since his body is also his mouth and he can't exactly nod. Lucinda swam towards the entrance to the small cave that was hidden by kelp. "I'm going to bed, we should get an early start tomorrow." Lucinda said "Goodnight" and disappeared.

"Night" Zane called and watched her as she went into the kelp. He then leaped onto the counter where he used a basket from a shipwreck to sleep, with algae that made it soft. Lucinda's room had no bed or anything, she had to get used to sleeping while floating since she couldn't exactly sleep on a bed. Lucinda missed her friends, Zane was nice and really helpful but she missed training Hailey, her apprentice. Hailey was only 16 while Lucinda was 25 but she was determined and strong, she usually ran their potion shop while Lucinda made herb runs. They lived above the shop as roommates and Lucinda taught her how to use potions and such. Gene was her main supplier and sometimes sent Sasha or Zenix in, they were highway robbers and usually gave her the most valuable herb they "found" for a good price, they also often donated to the nearby orphanage since them and Dante, Genes brother, were orphans and they didn't want those kids to go through what they did. One christmas, Gene despite his young age, dressed up as St. Nick and gave out presents which he had robbed from a spoiled brat who was yelling at his parents about getting one less christmas present than the year before. Lo, who kept an eye on the ladies in town as his job as a bartender with Logan, the town grump, and usually served Lucinda and Hailey when they went out. Ivy was her usual buyer who had good gossip about people and town, she was the one who introduced Ivan to Lucinda. Lucinda liked Ivan as a friend but he did always seem to be kind of possessive and controlling. At least he was nicer than Tavari, they had met on a night similar to the last one they had met. She had been hearing rumors of mermaids and since she heard the tears were valuable she set out to find one. She had taken the small boat into the middle of the ocean and dove into the pitch black cold water. Lucinda had called out with a bubble head charm on and swam through a reef until she had found Tavari. She sighed, she couldn't believe she fell for his lies and tricks, she felt like an idiot for trusting him. But why did her heart hurt at the thought of his death? You can't exactly stop loving someone after you spent so much time with them only to find out they were using you. The cave was dark and quiet as she finally drifted into a restless sleep. An ominous shadow illuminated by the full moon passed by the entrance, quiet as a mouse. Unnoticed by the two sleeping inside.