above and beyond

Chapter 2

His name is Leon, Prince Leon. She hears him called that enough times to know for sure that that's him, and she likes the name, thinks it suits him even though she hardly knows him well enough to figure out something like that. Really, she doesn't know him at all, but from watching him like this, she almost feels like she does.

Gloria isn't so stupid that she doesn't realize she's falling for him. She always knew, somewhere in the back of her mind, that a day like this would come. After spending so many years fascinated with humans and completely disinterested in her own kind, she knew that she would fall in love with a human someday. That was another reason to push Nessa to find a way to change her, so that true love would not pass her by. Now that she is staring at Leon, she wonders if he's the one she's been looking for, if she should try and rush Nessa a little bit harder.

It's hard to tear herself away from this ship, but eventually, she knows that she is pushing her luck, and she needs to leave. Gloria takes one last good look at Leon, handsome and confident, a bright smile always on his face, and turns to leave. As she is swimming away, she feels warm all over, imagining the way he smiles, imagining him smiling at her like that. She doesn't know him, but she wants to, and she wants to have the chance to love him.

The storm is sudden, kicking up out of nowhere and quickly overpowering the ocean. Far enough below the surface, Gloria is always unaffected by such things, but she realizes that the ship would not be. She quickly turns back around, returning to where she's come from, and just in time. Though she doesn't know what has happened, she knows that the ship is struggling on board, and that someone is standing too close to the edge.

The wind hits this person just right and they plummet into the water. Without thinking, Gloria charges to them, swimming as fast as she can manage against the current, braving the storm. She loses sight of the ship, but she does not lose sight of Leon, and when she reaches him, he's already unconscious, forcing her to try and hold his head above water as she drags him with her, trying to get him to safety.

~X~

The shore is not so far away that it is impossible to reach, but it is a long journey, and she's exhausted by the time she has Leon on solid ground. He's still out, and still so beautiful that she can't help but stare at him, touching his face with her hand. She realizes with a start that she's touching a human, a real life human , and that she would be in so much trouble if anyone knew she was here. If he wakes up, he'll see her ; she needs to get out of here before that happens, but...

The only think that snaps her out of her daze, staring at the man in her arms, is the sound of people calling out. Leon wakes up suddenly, his eyes opening, his mouth falling open in surprise. Gloria panics, but he smiles at her, gently and peacefully, before passing out again. This time, she wastes no time in scooting back into the water, letting the tide take her before the people running along the beach can spot her. As long as they find him, he should be safe.

~X~

She doesn't know him well enough to love him, but she wants to. More than ever before, she knows that up there is where she's meant to be, that her ocean home is just a distraction and that what she really needs is waiting for her, wherever Leon may be. She doesn't know how she's going to find him again, but she's going back up there, somehow.

"There are a lot of weird specifics," Nessa says. "It can be done, but more than likely, it'll just come undone. In order to make the spell permanent, there are a few things you can't do, and things that you have to do."

"I can do it," Gloria replies. "Even if it's only temporary, I need to see him again. Then if I have to do it again-"

"That's the thing, though, one of those specifics I mentioned. The spell will only work on you once, so if you aren't able to get it to stick, then you're done," Nessa says. "Are you sure you want to go for it, even knowing that?"

"What are my conditions? I can make this work," she insists.

"You'll lose your voice, for one thing. If the spell sticks, it'll come back, and everything will be like it was, except you'll have legs. But if the spell doesn't stick...well, there's also a risk that, once you come back down here, you won't ever get it back." That alone is daunting, but Gloria just nods, urging her to continue. "You can write, if you have to, but you can never tell this Leon fellow what you are. Specifically, he's your goal; you can't tell your goal the truth."

"My goal," she repeats. That seems fitting. "Can I tell anyone else?"

"If you have anyone you can trust, then there's no problem. It just can't be Leon. Once the spell sticks, then you can tell him, but not a moment before."

"So how do I get the spell to stick?" asks Gloria.

"This is the hard part. You'll have four weeks before time runs out. In that time, you've got to make him fall in love with you. The only way to stay is to get a kiss from someone who genuinely loves you. If you can do that, you keep the legs and get your voice back."

"That does sound hard..."

"Magic is a very mysterious force. I've been trying and trying to figure out why that's the way it is and work around it, but so far, no luck. If you really want to rush things, I won't stop you, but you need to very careful," Nessa warns her.

Gloria's mind is already made up. Leon is her goal. She doesn't know him yet, but she will, and she will get her kiss from him, and she will be able to stay on land, where she has always belonged. No matter what, nothing is going to change her mind now.

~X~

In the end, she only leaves a note explaining herself to her mother, not sure how to say goodbye. Once that is taken care of, she returns to Nessa, and the two swim out close to the shore, where she will perform the spell. She gives Gloria one last chance to change her mind, but Gloria does not, still as determined as ever to go through with this, still determined to reach the life she has always dreamed about.

Soon after, she blacks out, and when she comes to, she is laying on the shore, alone. Nessa is nowhere to be found, and when she opens her mouth to call out for her, no sound comes out. Looking down in disbelief, Gloria discovers that her tail is actually gone.

Shakily, she stands on her new legs, ready to teach herself how to walk.