above and beyond

Chapter 1

Gloria has never exactly fit in with the others, though she makes attempts to not be a complete loner. Her fascination with humans, and what goes on above the surface of the water, is not something that most people share, and sometimes, she loses herself in conversations without thinking, and never realizes until it's too late that she has dominated the conversation entirely, and that whoever she's talking to isn't actually all that interested in what she has to say.

For the most part, she doesn't mind, though it does get lonely, at times. However, she doesn't feel any less lonely when someone does listen to her, and eventually, she begins to realize that she is always going to feel lonely, as long as she is confined to the ocean, because the companionship that she wants, she is only going to get from humans.

Gloria doesn't know why that is. She can't pinpoint the exact moment her obsession began, stretching back for as long as she can remember, but somehow, she has never satisfied with her life, and the closest she can get to any sense of satisfaction is admiring humans from afar. As a mermaid, that is all she can hope to do.

At the very least, though everyone thinks she's weird, her mother tries to be supportive of her peculiar interests. She has never discouraged her from them, always telling her that she wants her to follow her dreams, and that she should do whatever makes her happy.

"But," she always finishes, "there's only so much you're able to do, and without legs like theirs, you're only ever going to be able to admire from afar."

Of course, Gloria knows that, and doesn't need her mother to remind her of that every time. For whatever reason, their worlds are completely separate. From what she knows, mermaids and mermen are regarded as the stuff of legends in the human world, and mostly believed not to exist at all. And her kind do nothing to convince them otherwise, living completely separately, and entirely secretly.

Even if she were to get close enough, she knows that she is not supposed to try to befriend one. She is not even supposed to interact with them, so while her mother encourages her a bit, she warns her even more, and those warnings are completely understandable. No matter how much she supports her and wants her to be happy, she can only follow her dreams as long as following her dreams does not risk exposure for their entire society.

Without legs like theirs, you're only ever going to be able to admire from afar.

What her mother doesn't know, at least not yet, is that she has been trying to find a way to make it all work, to correct that slight problem, and to make it so that she can meet humans, so that she can be a part of what they have, all without ever exposing the others. If she had legs, if she were not a mermaid at all, then there wouldn't be a problem. She could leave and she could walk on land, alongside humans, passing for human.

Some might write it off as an impossible dream, but Gloria already knows that it isn't. Nessa is known throughout this part of the sea for her beauty, and she is beautiful enough that most completely overlook her eccentricities. Gloria goes to her out of curiosity, wanting to know if it's true that she's a witch, and if it's true that she knows how to do impossible magic.

Magic isn't entirely unheard of, but it's rare that anyone possesses such ability, and usually, it is confined to the royal family, where they only ever use their abilities in dire situations, or for small party tricks, wowing the crowds with proof of their powers, without actually using them for anything major. It's so rare for someone common to be able to perform magic of any sort that Nessa is a bit of an oddity. Most don't believe that her powers are genuine, but Gloria wanted to see for herself.

Nessa may be the closest thing that Gloria has to a friend now. At least, she is more than willing to hear her out, not put off by her fascination with humans, and made curious by her outlandish request.

"I want you to find a way to turn someone...well, me, really...into a human."

The first time she says it, she expects Nessa to laugh at her and send her on her way. She doesn't expect her to take the request seriously, or at least, if she does, she doesn't expect her to entertain the idea for even a moment. When she makes the request, she doesn't think Nessa will actually begin to look into it, but that is exactly what happens.

Magic is mysterious, something that only those who possess it can even begin to understand, and Nessa doesn't have a family with a background of magical abilities, or many resources to help her figure it out. She is entirely playing it by ear, so it's been a long time since Gloria asked for her help, and still she is not sure if it's something she can fully manage.

"I can do a little bit," she says one day, "but it's complicated. There are so many strange loopholes involved, and the transformation wouldn't be permanent. Well, there might be a way to make it permanent, but..."

Gloria doesn't understand enough to offer much help, but the fact that there are signs of hope are enough for her to keep stopping by, encouraging Nessa and entertaining her with stories of what she's observed or learned about humans, what she's found while exploring. She waits as patiently as she can for progress to be made, but as more time passes, she wonders if it would be alright if she could try it as it is now.

If she were to be turned human even temporarily, she could at least see what it was like. Even if she had to turn back in the end, she thinks that at least knowing would be better than not, and maybe trying it out would give Nessa the insight she needs to fix it. The only problem Gloria can think of is how sad she will probably be when her time runs out and she has to return to her true form. She has a feeling that once she has felt what it's like to be human, she will never want to return.

When she isn't stopping in to visit Nessa, she spends most of her time swimming alone, searching for lost human treasures, or, if possible, ships. She is supposed to keep her distance, but she has managed to get close before, close enough to watch what goes on, and close enough to see the humans for herself.

One afternoon, she is not able to resist approaching such a ship. There seems to be a party going on on board, so she wants to stick around and watch for a little while. As long as she is careful, she can avoid being seen, and she is always careful. There is a window low enough that she can peer through it after pulling herself a bit above water, and that is where she watches.

That is the first time that she sees the prince, and immediately, she is infatuated.