Wishes
Michiru flattened herself against the coral wall of the
mer-palace. She could feel the tiny skeletons scraping the tender skin
of her back, her heartbeat throbbed steadily in her ears. She took
the chance to look down the long corridor again, there was no one
there...yet. 'Where was he? Maybe around the corner?' She took a deep
lung full of water and swam out toward the door. 'There he is.' Her
fist reflexively clenched around the handful of tiny shells she had
gathered earlier. She peeked again at the guard that was patrolling
exactly where she wanted to be. She lifted her hand and tossed the
myriad of little shells down the hallway.
The skittering echoed through the water, but it would have
been hardly discernable to a human ear, but for Michiru it had the
desired effect. The guard whipped around to follow the suspicious
sound. Michiru had to smother a laugh as she shot out of her hiding
place, behind a cultivated kelp bed, and out the hole concealed behind
it.
Once free, she shot up away from the castle and out into the
great blue beyond. She was almost to the castle boundaries when
one of the guard dolphins swam over and began to squeak a greeting.
Michiru grabbed his mouth and held it firmly while she rummaged
through the contents of her little carry sack. Finally she found what
she was looking for and stuffed the fish into the dolphin's smiling
beak.
She was trying to leave again when she was bumped hard from
behind. It was another of the dolphins.
'Oh you want some too?' she asked the newcomer. The dolphin
seemed to nod and Michiru tossed her some fish.
'Now go.' Both zipped off.
Michiru smiled after them and then turned to be on her way.
She swirled in the water 'I'm free, free to do as I like. No one knows
where I am.' As she thought about her home, she frowned. It really
wasn't as if anyone cared where she was, as long as they assumed her
to locked tightly with the harem quarters. Michiru loved adventures.
When she was eight she had a discovered the way into her father's
library. At fifteen she had found a hole in the walls outside the
concubine's quarters - and she'd made good use of it since then.
When she reached her desired destination, she sank to the
ocean floor. The other day a storm had passed through and hopefully
had churned the sandy bottom and brought up something interesting. She
had heard that some mer men spent their time searching for land people
things, but what Michiru sought was things that made music. If she
could strike it and hear a chord that echoed through the surrounding
water, she put in her bag to take home and hide in her treasure box.
She already had several shells that made the most beautiful sounds
when blown. Michiru thought she saw something shiny and reached for it.
As she searched the sandy bottom, the afternoon slipped away.
Schools of tiny silver fish darted in and out of the light.
There was a rush of bubbles as Michiru broke through their numbers. A
powerful kick sent her sailing through the warm liquid. The water
embraced her and several fish swam close to her. Overhead a shadow
blotted out the sun. Michiru froze; she quickly glanced around her,
only to find that many of her aquatic friends had deserted to her.
She looked up again and her blue eyes widened as the shadow slowly
clarified. A conical snout, torpedo shaped body, and powerful tail
propelled the Great White shark through the water. The only thing that
that marred the perfection of the powerful body was a long scar that
ran the length of the flank. The mermaid laughed with delight as she
recognized her friend and before rose to meet him.
Michiru spent a little time with the old shark. He was nearing
seventy. She knew it was getting late and she needed to return to the
palace. A ship began to pass overhead. Michiru looked up at it. She was
surprised when a moment later the old shark turned and fell in behind
the aft section. It was then that she noticed the large hunk of meat
that trailed in the water. She could just barely see the silver of the
hook glinting in the dim light. 'No!' They were trying to catch him.
Michiru shot up to try to stop her friend, but he had already taken
the meat. It took him a moment to realize that something was wrong.
He tried to descend but was brought up short as soon as the rope
tightened. Had Michiru been thinking clearly she would have realized
that the sharp serrated teeth of the great white would soon make short
work of the rope fibers, but instead she tried to get close enough to
help him. The shark was thrashing wildly by now, trying to free
himself. In the struggle he whipped around quickly and Michiru had the
breath knocked out of her by the impact his tail. As she paused there
trying to suck in more water, a net came down from the ship. Before
she knew it Michiru was hopelessly entangled and being drawn up toward
the blinding light.
--------------------------Aboard the Sea King---------------------
The captain stood on the deck. The wind ruffled his white hair
and he let out a laugh of pure joy as he filled his lungs with the
tangy air. He loved being at sea. He enjoyed everything about
it - traveling, the freedom, the squalls. Well, maybe not the last
one, but he really did enjoy being out on the waves.
He sighed and looked up toward the rigging where his
17-year-old cabin boy was scampering to the top of the mast.
'That boy. He's always into something.' He watched as the lad easily
navigated the ropes. Once comfortable, he would stay up there for
hours even though the wind was fierce there and it would nigh blow
another man off into the sea. His attention was drawn back from the
sky when a couple of his men ran past him.
"Hey, Cap'n they caught somth'n!" The captain followed his
crewmen over to where to of the sailors were dragging up their net.
"That'll teach the bloody shark who's a charge 'ere"
"Yeah, we'll cut 'im frum gills to guts, tear out'is innards
and then skin 'em."
"Y'know shark skeens bring in good money, real good money."
The net was deposited on deck. The sailors looked at their catch with
great disappointment.
"'E ain't very big."
"Wait a bloody minute, that ain't no shark."
"Well hell, it sure ain't ."
"Looky here." The sailor laughed as he dumped their find onto the deck.
Michiru gave a pained cry a her arms and tail landed with
bruising force.
" I think we jes caught ourselves one of them fish ladies."
"Well, looky here, mateys? We done caught our selves a
mer-maid."
"Gawd's eyes. I never did see such a thing."
"Yeah, Ain't she purty."
One of the sailors grabbed Michiru's arms and yanked them back
displaying her for the rest of the crew. Her long sea green hair fell
forward over her naked breasts, but it afforded her little modesty.
One of the pale globes was cruelly pinched and Michiru had to bite her
lip to keep from crying out.
"She sure looks like a lady right here, but I wonder if she
still be a maid t'all."
The men all laughed. "Mebe you can find out later t'night
Pete."
From her vantage point Haruka could see the sailors were
excited. She could hear little of their conversation, but she assumed
that they had finally caught that shark that had been following the
boat to scavenge. She had hoped that their attempt would be
unsuccessful, but it looked as if they had dragged something up
although it looked awfully small to be the shark. For now she would
ignore them; it was actually safer that way. If a fight ensued Haruka
couldn't begin to imagine what would happen when her true gender was
discovered.
Alexandra Haruka of the ducal house of Tennough had run away
from home five months ago. Her final act of defiance before she left
had been to cut off her long blond hair. He father had been pretty
angry and tried to lock her in her room. He hadn't really meant it.
It was just a last ditch effort to try to control his strong - willed
only child. Unfortunately for him, Haruka had had enough and so she
simply climbed out her window and down the oak tree. She headed for
the carriage house where she had shed her voluminous skirts and then
tightly bound her chest so that the soft feminine curves gave way to
angles that would proclaim her a boy. The final touch had been the old
clothes she had appropriated from a stable lad. That night Alexandra
had disappeared, replaced by a handsome youth with penetrating teal
eyes. For the first time that she could remember, Haruka had been
happy.
'What was that?' the girl's attention was idly drawn back to
the thing 'A body, perhaps? 'She could make out the top of a woman,
but she couldn't sea anything else. Well, it wouldn't be the first
time such a gruesome discovery had been unwittingly dragged to the
surface, but the 'body' seemed to be struggling. Haruka suddenly
felt an undeniable compulsion to leave the relative safety of her
perch and see what was going on down there.
With a grace born of experience, Haruka crawled through the
rope and then slid the rest of the way to the ground, landing on her
feet. She moved toward the crowd of men and elbowed her way to the
front. It was actually very difficult because no one seemed to want to
move. Haruka was shocked by what she saw. There was a mermaid, a real
live mermaid.
The girl hung limply in the grasp of two of the men. She had
lovely dark aqua hair and delicate, beautiful features that even the
mass of hair in her face couldn't hide. Suddenly the girl looked up
and Haruka found herself lost in unbelievable blue eyes. She wasn't
sure if was because the girl had so recently been pulled out of
the water or if it was because she was truly crying, but there were
two suspicious tracks of shimmering liquid spilling down the mer-girl's
face. Haruka's heart lurched and she stepped forward, but she was
knocked out of the way as the group of men brushed by her.
Two of the crewmen had the girl's arms in a tight grip; they
were dragging her across the deck. Haruka winced as she say the
mermaid's tail being rubbed against the sand roughened boards. This
couldn't go on, Haruka wouldn't allow it. She needed to find the
captain. She turned heading toward his quarters.
---------------------------Captain Room----------------------------
"What?!?"
"Boy, I said exactly what I meant. That mermaid is worth a lot
of money back in England. As a curiosity. Do you have any idea how
much people would pay to see such a thing?"
"Sir, she's meant for the water. What if she doesn't survive
the trip?"
The captain's eyes took on an unholy light, "Then her value
will be even more! There is probably some doctor out there who would
love to dissect a real live mermaid- even if she's dead. We'll all be
set for life."
"How can you say that! You're party to a murder. That is a
living being out there and she deserves to be..."
Haruka was cut off as the captain's hands clamped around her
upper arms and jerked her forward. She could smell the alcohol on his
breath; no doubt he'd already been celebrating his good fortune. Haruka
had to hold her breath to stave off the smell as he spoke directly
into her face.
"Listen, boy, you know I give you a lot of leeway here. It's
partly because of the fact that you saved my life during that bad
squall, but as for the resht of it ...well, you're the best damn cabin
boy I've ever had, but don't you go interfer'n with this. You jest go
back to your duties and forget about thish mermaid. Okay?" His fingers
dug into the flesh of her arm.
Haruka knew it was no use arguing with the man. She had once
respected him, but looking into his liquor-glazed eyese, she sadly
realized that was over. She was wise enough, however, to realize that
any further perceived disagreement on her part would be met with some
sort of retribution.
"All right." she said, the captain relaxed his grip and leaned
back in his chair, once again reaching for his port. Haruka took one
last look at him before she left, heading for the galley.
------------------------------Later---------------------------
Haruka crept down into the hold. There was a tiny bundle
clutched to her chest and a skin of diluted wine hanging at her side.
She followed the strong fishy odor. There, in a corner behind some
boxes of cargo, lay the mermaid. She stirred when the light from
Haruka's lantern flooded the previously darkened space.
"Are you hungry?" Haruka asked in a low tone. The girl looked
confused. Haruka pantomimed the act of eating, but Michiru's eyes only
slid down to the chunk of bread and then averted to the floor. It
wasn't working; the mermaid simply wasn't going to eat. Haruka took a
closer look at the mer-girl and realized that she was dying. Her lips
were chapped and broken. Her scales no longer shone lustrously. The
rise and fall of her chest was irregular as she tried desperately to
breathe. Suddenly Haruka couldn't stand it any longer. This beautiful
creature with the haunting blue eyes was going to die so that a few
men could make a profit from her body. If there was anything that
Haruka was familiar with, it was the horror of being at the mercy of
greedy men. Her father had always assured her that once she married
that she would feel differently, but Haruka knew better. Most of those
men who had asked for her hand had wanted her father's money and
position in society and the others had merely wanted her physically.
Either way Haruka wasn't interested. As Haruka looked at this delicate
creature she felt a gentle stirring in her chest and she knew that
she could not allow the mer-girl to die.
"I'm going to help you get out of here." She whispered, more
to herself than anyone else, but the mermaid looked up at her with
eyes suddenly sharpened by intelligence. Haruka could have sworn that
she understood.
Late that night, after most of the other crewmen had drunk
themselves into a stupor while rejoicing over their catch, Haruka once
again stole down into the hold. She brought with her a sheet from the
captain's bed. Michiru was curled up on the floor, shuddering. Haruka
laid a hand on her arm. Michiru jumped.
"It's okay. It's just me. Here, let's get you on this."
Michiru was reassured by the husky whisper. She rolled onto her
side and helped Haruka ease her tail onto the sheet. It was perfectly
suited for in the water, but on land was extremely unwieldy, not to
mention heavy. It was doubtful that Haruka could have lifted her by
herself, but then, that was why she had brought the sheet. Once
Michiru was ensconced on the cool cloth, Haruka commenced dragging her
across the ship's underbelly and to the steps. Once they reached the
stairs, they worked together to get the mermaid up them, mostly with
Michiru dragging herself and Haruka pushing from behind. It was a
feat was accomplished for the most part in silence. They worked in
almost perfect concert, as if they had done so before in another time,
another place.
Once out of the hold, Haruka gently pushed Michiru against
the wall and went to make sure that the lookout wasn't nearby. Michiru
leaned against the door panting in exhaustion. When Haruka returned,
she pulled Michiru to the side of the ship and lifted her upper body
over the side. Michiru used her hands and tail to push herself the
rest of the way over. She soon found herself plummeting headfirst into
the cold water. Once back in the soothing embrace of the sea, she sank
to the bottom - to rest.
Haruka watched her disappear over the side; surprised at the
painful tugging of her heart as the mer-girl vanished from sight. She
blinked her eyes a couple of times and then let out a sigh 'What was I
thinking?' Haruka stood there breathing in the salty night air for a
moment longer, then she turned to go back to her own room to sleep.
---------------------------Noon the next day-------------------------
"Eh, Boy! Come're."
Haruka looked up from where she was swabbing the deck. She
took a couple of cautious steps toward the group of sailors; she held
the mop in front of her in case she needed it. She looked into the
hard-eyed leader of the group.
"Boy, where's the fish girl?"
"You mean the mermaid?"
Of course, that was all it was about. All she had to do was
play dumb. She slowly relaxed her stance. It was a mistake. Two of the
men had grabbed her in an instant.
Haruka panicked and began to struggle away from them. Their
firm grips held.
"Don't hurt 'im" one nervous little crewman pleaded.
"Oh we ain't goingta hurt 'im mate."
"We're jes gonna kill 'im"
"Yeah, he likes the fishes so much, we're just going to
let 'im sleep wi' 'em
"Loike 'e's been want'n to since 'e seen those pretty bubbies
on the fish-girl."
Haruka cried out as a heavy hand knocked her across the deck
toward an open side of the ship. Four of the men lifted her up and
hurled her slender body into the sea. The impact with the cold water
made a dim impression on Haruka's fading senses, but after
that...nothing.
The next thing Haruka was aware of was the rather large
dragonfly perched on her nose. Her blue green eyes crossed for a
moment as she tried to focus.
"Ugh," she murmured and shooed the bug away. Her head throbbed.
'What happened?' She opened her eyes again. She was lying in the shade
of a willow tree next to a small lagoon. The water was a deep blue
color and a tiny waterfall fed it. 'What a beautiful place! How did I
get here?'
She suddenly noticed that the cloth that had bound her breasts
was undone and lying by her side. Someone had brought her here.
"Oh, good. You're awake," commented a musical voice.
Haruka looked around to see who had spoken to her. There was
no one there; a chill passed up Haruka's spine.
"Who's there?"
"I'm over here - in the water." Haruka looked over into the
lagoon; there was the mermaid she had helped aboard the ship. She
simply stared, stunned.
"You talk?"
"Of course." Then the girl's eyes slid away. "But not to them."
Suddenly Haruka's memory came back and she saw the crew, angry
over the loss of their prize. She remembered the pain of being
struck. "What happened to me?," she wondered aloud.
"Somebody threw you overboard. "
"How did we get here? That's not salt water, is it?"
"No, this island is set on top of a freshwater spring. In the
center of this pool is an underwater tunnel that connects with the sea
and so I can swim right up into the middle of the island. This has
always been one of my favorite thinking spots."
"It's a beautiful place. I wonder why no one else has ever
come here before."
"Probably because this island is so well protected. It's
surrounded on three sides by sharp rocks. Most ships would be
shattered on them if they tried to approach it.
"You brought me here?"
The green haired girl nodded.
Haruka was sure that she probably would have died without the
intervention of the mermaid. "Thank you for saving my life."
"No, thank you for saving mine."
"So you undressed me, huh?" Haruka pulled the edges of her
shirt together and began to button it. Her cheeks had taken on a light
pink tinge.
"Yes, I had to, you'd ingested so much salt water. You couldn't
breathe properly with that cloth in place. Are all of your females
forced to wear such things?"
Haruka thought about her corsets and how they smushed,
pinched, and lifted. "Actually, we have much worse."
Michiru winced.
"What's your name?"
"Haruka...well, not really. Haruka is my middle name. My first
name is actually Alexandra, but I hate it. So I go by my middle name.
My mother loved to travel and I was born far away from England. So she
named me Haruka because it means "distant."
"That's interesting. My name means rising or full."
"What *is* your name?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, it's Michiru."
"Michiru." Haruka rolled the word on her tongue, savoring it.
She looked again at the mermaid. The girl's eyes had dark
circles under them with traces of bruises and cuts still marring her
porcelain skin. Her own head began to throb as the blood began to slam
its way across her skull. It would probably be a while before either
of them recovered from that ordeal. A sudden surge of tiredness washed
over her and her eyes began to close as she yawned.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I just can't seem to keep my eyes
open any longer."
"I understand. I'm going home, but I'll be back in a couple of
days."
Haruka just barely heard Michiru before consciousness departed.
Inside her soul gave a joyful leap, 'She'll be back!'
------------------------------Three Days Later--------------------------
Haruka was exploring, so far she'd found that the island had a
plentiful food supply, which was good considering her insatiable
appetite. She was attempting to maje her life on the island a bit more
homey, she'd already built a makeshif hammock for sleeping in.
She smiled to herself. 'If only father could see me now.'
"Haru-ka!!"
The cry startled her, but only for a second. Michiru had returned.
Haruka took of toward the island's center, where the beautiful
mermaid waited. Sure enough perched on a rock near the edge of the pool
was Michi. The mer-girl's eyes lit when she saw the blonde tomboy.
"You are here, I was afraid that I'd made you up"
Haruka smiled at her. "Yes, I know what you mean, I thought maybe it
had all been a dream, but then I'd pinch myself."
Michiru laughed. "You look much better"
"I really feel much better."
Their eyes met and they were both quiet for a moment. It
was Michiru who finally broke the silence.
"I brought you a present." She reached into a bag that was
around her waist and fished out a fork.
"Here," she proclaimed proudly presenting it to Haruka.
"What's it for?"
Michiru suddenly looked disappointed. "I was hoping that you
would know."
Haruka couldn't stand that sad look in her new friend's eye.
"Oh, I do and I can use it, Thank you." Haruka flashed a
smile at the girl. Michiru beamed back. It was the beginning of a
beautiful friendship.
------------------------------Three Weeks Later------------------------
Haruka kicked off her weather worn breeches, her white shirt
quickly following. After removing her undergarments, she stepped into
the lagoon. A soft breeze flowed over her naked body. She walked to
the water's edge and dipped a toe in. Its sun-kissed warmth beckoned
her and after a hard days work gathering coconuts, a bath was
definitely in order. She began to wade deeper into the lagoon, gently
scooping water up and pouring it over her sweaty skin. She was taken
by surprise when with a strong splash Michiru surfaced in the middle
of the pool.
"Haruka!...oh." The beautiful mermaid froze when she took in
the state of her friend
The water came to just below Haruka's knees. Little rivulets
ran down between her breasts and across her belly. 'She's magnificent.'
Michiru noted wryly to herself that Haruka was beginning to tan all
over. Water clung to her nipples and the shimmering droplets framed
her well-toned thighs. Michiru flicked her tail and that one movement
took her to Haruka's side. Almost in a trance she reached out and
placed her hands on Haruka's slender hips and then slid them reverently
down the sides of her legs. "They're beautiful." She breathed. Haruka
gasped softly at the feel of Michiru's hands on her. Worshipfully she
ran her fingers over the taut lines of Haruka's thighs and cupped her
palms around Haruka's knees. Michiru was enchanted by this body that
was so different from her own.
This close Michiru noticed for the first time the patch of dark
blonde curls at the base of Haruka's belly. She reached out a curious
finger and ran it over the slit and tiny nubbin hidden there. Haruka's
hips jerked forward and she cried out in surprise. Haruka's grabbed
the wrist of Michiru's questing hand.
"M-Michiru, don't!"
Michiru jerked her hand away. "Did it hurt?" she asked
concerned.
Haruka's head was thrown back and she was breathing hard.
"No, it didn't hurt...It felt very very good."
"Okay, I'll do it again."
"No! I mean we can't."
Michiru was confused "Why?"
"Because we're both girls."
"I'm not really a girl." Michiru reminded her lifting her tail
from the water and waving it for added emphasis.
"But we can't get married."
"Well, of course not."
"Good. You understand."
"Haruka, I don't understand. If this feels good then why don't
you want me to touch you?"
Haruka had retreated back onto a rock ledge. Her arms were
wrapped around her breasts to hide their puckered nipples. She was
looking at Michiru with an odd expression on her face. Michiru was
suddenly embarrassed and she turned away from the other girl.
"I'm sorry I interrupted your bath." She gasped out, barely
able to contain her tears as she dove under the water and disappeared.
Haruka watched her go, feeling sad that she had hurt Michiru's
feelings, but still very shaken up inside. Michiru's touch had set her
on fire and awakened many feeling that she wasn't quite prepared to
deal with yet. Sighing, she slid back into the water and waded to the
small waterfall. She stepped under the flow and let the cool water
rinse away the day's grime. Her fingers sifted through her blonde mane
and she worked the sweat soaked strands apart with her fingers. She
just need some time to think this through.
Michiru was thoroughly confused. Her father was a powerful
merman and powerful mermen usually had harems; her father was no
different. Michiru was one of the most beautiful of his offspring, but
her mother was not one of the head wives. She was actually happy she
was not counted among the favorite royal children. If she had been,
she would never have been able to disappear so often and that meant no
Haruka. Because of her beauty, she would most likely one day be given
to another mer-prince to cement a treaty in a far off ocean. Michiru
had always accepted her fate, but now her mind rejected the idea. She
wanted to stay with Haruka. As for them both being female she had
heard enough whispering in the palace to know that two females could
mate. She knew for a fact that her mother had a lover.
The next morning dawned bright and early. Haruka gathered a
few mangos and went to the water's edge. She hoped that Michiru would
show up. After yesterday, she felt that they needed to make amends.
'Honestly, I overreacted.' Of course, Michiru wouldn't understand
being embarrassed about being naked. She didn't wear any clothes and
she was unashamed of her body. From what Haruka could see there was
absolutely no reason that she should have been. As for the
pleasure... 'You wanted her to, you LIKED it,' an annoying voice in
her head shouted and Haruka scowled as the errant thought skittered
through her mind.
"You're still angry."
"What?"
"About yesterday." While Haruka had been focused on her inner
struggle, Michiru had appeared and was watching her solemnly.
Haruka sighed, "I'm not angry."
Michiru folded her arms on a rock and set her chin on them.
"You look angry."
"Here, try some of this." Haruka changed the subject and
handed her a sliver of the mango. Michiru took the piece of orangy
fruit. She inspected it thoroughly and then sniffed it.
"You eat this?"
"Yes. Try it."
Haruka watched somewhere between amusement and irritation as
Michiru squenched her eyes shut and flicked her tongue out to
delicately lick it.
Flavor exploded in her mouth. "Mmm, sweet."
Michiru quickly consumed her portion and looked at Haruka
again.
"You want more?"
"YESS!"
---------------------------London, England--------------------------
The Duke of Tennough paced in his study. 'Where was Alexandra?'
He hadn't seen his daughter for almost half a year. His investigators
had tracked her to the nearby wharf and from there she had vanished.
Of course, it wasn't a woman that they remembered seeing but rather a
lad of maybe sixteen. The duke had made sure not to reveal that Alex
was his daughter. It might have endangered her life.
He had sent a few of his trusted servants out to the taverns
frequented by seafaring riffraff. A few ships from the Orient had just
returned and perhaps someone had seen Alex. The Duke stared out into
the darkening twilight; all he wanted was to have her home.
--------------------------The Island-------------------------------
It was night and Haruka lay on the rock ledge of the lagoon.
The water came just to the edge of it and Michiru was sitting with her
back against the stone. They would sit like this and talk together
late into the night. The evening sky was clear. Overhead it looked as
though someone had covered the world with midnight blue velvet, then
tossed handfuls of sparkling diamonds into it for good measure. The
view was spectacularly enchanting both human and mer-person hearts
alike.
"Haruka?"
"Yes."
"How many wives does your does your father have?"
"He's only had one that I know of - my mother, but she's in
heaven now."
"You lost you're mother? I'm sorry, how sad! But your father
had no other wives? At the same time, I mean."
Haruka suddenly understood. "No, in my country men only take
one wife."
"But what if the man loses his wife, like your father?"
"Oh. A man can get remarried if his wife dies. I guess father
just hasn't met anyone he really likes yet."
Michiru was quiet for a moment taking all this in. "Haruka,
have you met anyone special yet?"
"What?"
"I mean, do you want to get married to a man?"
"Me? No, I don't want to wander around in a big frilly dress
at the beck and call of some snooty lordling. I'm like the wind, I
won't ever be tamed."
'Haruka in a dress?' Michiru shook her head to clear such
silly thoughts. She had seen such a thing once. One of their
scavengers had found one in a ship wreck and brought it to the palace,
everyone had taken turns looking at the odd contraption with its
layers of fabric and under frame. Michiru considered a dress very
impractical. If Haruka had been wearing such a garment when she had
been thrown overboard, she would have been dragged to the ocean floor.
And it was doubtful that Michiru, in her weakened condition, would
have been able to free her in time. Her friend would have most likely
drowned. Michiru shivered despite the warm night air. Her hand crept
up and touched the fabric of Ruka's breeches, feeling the reassuring
heat of the skin beneath. She was comforted by the simple connection.
Haruka was leaning back on the rock and looking up into the
heavens.
"The stars are so beautiful here," she observed.
Michiru looked up, then nodded her agreement.
"I never really noticed them until I met you."
Haruka reached out and combed her fingers through the silky
curls on Michiru's head.
"In my country there are a lot of legends and traditions
surrounding stars - especially falling ones."
"They fall?!" Michiru gasped. She looked at Haruka
suspiciously, but she could see no sign of trickery on her friend's
face.
"Yes, my nanny told me once that if you wish on a falling star,
and then do a good deed, that what you wished would come true."
"Really?" That sounds nice."
"But there was a catch."
"What's that?"
"You mustn't tell anyone your wish or it won't come true."
Michiru nodded, her face alight with child-like wonder. Haruka
smiled at her.
"Did you have any traditions like that where you came from?"
"Yes, they said if you went and petted the sea cucumbers that
something bad that was supposed to happen to you wouldn't."
"Did you ever do it?"
Michiru's lovely face wrinkled in displeasure "No, I could
never think of anything that could happen to me that was worse than
having to pet them."
Haruka laughed softly.
Michiru caught a glimpse of something silvery out of the corner
of her eye. There was something streaking across the deep blue of the
night sky. An excited twitch of her tail propelled Michiru out of the
water. One of her hands was levered on the projecting ledge and with
the other she was pointing.
"Haruka! There's one. A falling star!! I see it. Look!!"
"So it is," came Haruka's amused reply.
"I should make a wish, right?" she said excitedly to her
friend.
"Especially since this is your very first shooting star."
Michiru's gaze flickered from the sky above to Haruka's face.
The moonlight reflected off the water and bathed them both in soft
light. Smiling eyes met and the gazes held. In that moment in her
heart of hearts Michiru wished that she could be human so she could
spend the rest of her life gazing on those beloved features.
"Your Grace! Your Grace!" We've found your daughter!" The
little man was out of breath
"She's. been... a..a sailor since she..." he began to try to
catch his breath.
The Duke was excited at this new information
"Delwood, get it together man, what the bloody hell is a
'sailor senshi'?"
"Sorry, your grace. I mean to say that she's been a sailor
since she ran away. She signed on board the "Sea King" as a cabin boy.
One of the crewmen from the vessel said that he and his mates
recognize the description."
"But you didn't tell him that..."
"No, your Grace, of course not."
"Good, good. Where is this fellow? I'd like to question him
myself."
-----------------------At the Rusty Anchor-----------------------------
"Yeah, I member 'im alright. Scrawny lad. Had hair like straw."
"Yes, that's him."
"Ye say this boy's yer son."
"He's my child, yes. Do you know where I can find him?"
"Is there a reward fer this infermation, governa'?"
" If you can reunite me with my ...son, I can guarantee that
there will be a rather large reward."
"Well, I reck'n we can do that." The sailor's face lit up with
a grin and he elbowed the man sitting next to him. The whole exchange
made Delwood uncomfortable, but the Duke wasn't paying attention to
anyone. His only thought was of finding Alex.
-------------------------The Island---------------------------------
Haruka was sitting on the edge of the water - naked, her legs
trailing in the water. She was waiting for Michiru. They had became
more physically comfortable with each other and Haruka decided if
Michiru was unashamed of her own nakedness that there was no reason
for her to be, either. She and Michiru had found themselves discussing
everything personal. They were intimate in every way - except one. She
remembered that sultry day when she had discovered just how responsive
she was to the touch of the mer-princess. She had often thought back
to that day and fantasized about what might have been.
She threw her hand over her eyes and groaned. 'Bloody fool,'
she thought to herself. 'You really ruined that chance. Who knows
if you'll ever get another one.' She rolled onto her side and looked
at her present for Michiru. It was a beautiful flower she'd found
growing on the south side of the island. She'd never seen one like it.
It looked like an exotic variety of tiger lily. The petals held a soft
pinkish hue and there were tiny speckles on them. Michiru would love
it...if she ever got here. Suddenly Haruka heard the telltale splash
as her friend surfaced in the center of the pool.
"Haruka, I'm sorry I was late, but we all had to appear before
my father today and..." She trailed off when Haruka sat up. Michiru was
never able to control her response to Haruka well enough to suit
herself. A flush rose high over her cheeks and she fumbled for words.
"and I wa-..was late."
Haruka grinned at her. She now knew Michiru still found her
attractive. "Michiru, I have a present for you." Michiru approached
her, checks still pink and her blue eyes averted. Haruka reached out
and tipped her chin until their gazes met, "This is for you." She said
tapping the flower against the bridge of Michiru's nose." Michiru
gasped in pleasure.
"Oh Haruka, this is beautiful! I've never seen such a thing
and nobody's ever given me anything like this before. It's lovely."
She whispered the last part, stroking the petals gently. Impulsively,
she lifted out of the water to plant a kiss on Haruka's cheek, but at
the last second Haruka turned her head just enough to make their lips
brush. Michiru gasped softly and her questioning gaze flew to Haruka's
teal eyes. In answer, Haruka cupped Michiru's face tenderly and placed
her lips over the mer-woman's trembling ones. Michiru responded
whole-heartedly and lifted out of the water, pressing closer to
Haruka. Michiru felt a tingling low in her belly and suddenly she
wanted more. She needed to kiss Haruka's secret place. Somehow she
knew it was what Haruka needed too.
She slid her hand down across Haruka's taut belly and trailed
her fingers across the blonde curls between Ruka's legs. Haruka moaned
softly and lifted her hips to follow the gentle caress. Michiru kissed
her belly button and moved up to her breast, gently stimulating the
swollen buds. The husky moans coming from Haruka only served to excite
Michiru more. Haruka couldn't stand it any longer and was twisting in
Michiru's grip. Perspiration shone on her tan skin as she reached for
the culmination of pleasure she knew hovered just out of her reach.
Meanwhile, Michiru was sending the first probing licks into Haruka's
wet center.
Haruka writhed on the cool stone as Michiru laved her beautiful
sex, concentrating on Haruka's pleasure bud. A few strong licks took
Haruka to the edge and a gentle swirling motion pushed her over.
Michiru's insistent hands kept Haruka from squeezing her thighs
together and the feeling of being spread made Haruka's first climax
even more intense. She arched her hips up and bucked with the spasms
of completion, her strangled cries echoing off of the rocks above.
Michiru smiled at Haruka's dazed expression and left a long
gentle caress down her lover's body as she slid back into the water.
She wasn't exactly sure what to do now that they'd taken this step.
Haruka's eyes slitted open.
"Mi-chiru" she called softly.
"Right here."
Haruka looked up and saw Michiru in the water. She grinned and
slid in beside her. Her arms went around the mer-woman's torso
"I enjoyed that. So how do mer-people..?"
"I don't know!"
Haruka was surprised by that.
Michiru was blushing furiously
"You don't know?" The blonde repeated after her lover.
"They don' tell you until you get married."
"Oh." By this time Haruka was flushing as well. "Um, okay, just
come here. She pulled Michiru close and began kissing her shoulders.
Michiru hummed softly with pleasure. Haruka leaned down and whispered
gently into a little shell pink ear.
"I love you."
All Michiru could do was give a little gasp and burrow closer
to Haruka. Tail and legs entwined beneath the water as the two curled
together resting their heads together, swaying softly with the ripples
that buffeted their bodies. It was dance, simple with its rhythm, but
ever so precious to the two hearts of those caught in its insistent
pull.
-------------------Aboard the Duke's ship the "Talisman"---------------
The Duke stood on board the bow of his ship with the three men
he had had found at the tavern. The seamen were starting to make him
very uncomfortable. He had made his ship ready and departed the next
day, but he hadn't had time to secure a full complement before leaving,
so he would have to row to the island with this bunch of characters.
"You're sure that this is where the Captain put him off?"
"Oh yes, your Grace. It was 'ere, it was. The boy said 'e
wanted to go to that island ov'r there."
Delwood made a face "Why on earth would la-...lord Alex want
to go there?"
"'ard t'say governa' 'ard t'ay what goes through a boy's
mind."
"Very well let's go gentleman. I'm anxious to find my son."
It was too humid to move. Haruka lay in her makeshift hammock.
Her clothes had been plastered to her body with sweat so she had
discarded them in favor of just her small cloths. Haruka was just
drifting off into dreamland.
"Haruka! There's a ship. It's coming into the bay. WAKE UP!"
Michiru was severely agitated.
"What?" Haruka asked in a tired voice.
"A ship!"
Haruka was on her feet in a second. She jerked her clothes and
raced toward the inlet as fast as she could. Sure enough there was a
ship on the horizon. She could tell that it was no longer moving. They
must have anchored just off shore and were rowing the rest of the way
in smaller crafts.
She scanned the waves for a glimpse of a rowboat. Finally she
sighted it about 200 yard off shore. She blinked and looked again.
'It couldn't be...' but as the boat came nearer she was sure of it. It
was her father...and those ruffians from aboard the other ship." What
was her father doing with them and how had they found her?
Suddenly she saw one of the men grab her father from behind.
"No!" she screamed. She saw her father's head go up when he heard her
cry. The sailor took the opportunity to wrestle her father's purse
away from him and then pushed him out of the boat.
The other two crewmen tossed the fifth person in the boat over
board and them began to row away from the island. Haruka raced into
the water, but just as it hit her calves she saw the rowboat teeter
precariously and then flip over entirely. She thought she caught a
glimpse of green hair. 'Michiru'
The three other men spluttered to the surface and then began to
swim toward the island. The other person the evil sailors had pitched
from the boat had already reached a place where he could stand and was
moving toward her.
Haruka finally though recognized the man who was splashing
through the surf. He looked like the very model of a little
bespectacled Englishman - who had been dunked several times in cold
seawater.
"Delwood?" she asked in an uncertain voice.
"Lady Alexandra?"
The sailors interrupted them as they crashed through the waves
bent of getting rid of Haruka for good. One of them, a small wiry
man, reached the shore before his companions. He launched himself at
Haruka with a dagger clutched in his fist. He let out a feral cry as
he hurtled toward his intended victim.
Something that had lay long dormant in the back of Haruka's
mind began to awaken. She stepped to the side just as the man sailed
past her. She didn't quite step far enough and the dagger sliced her
upper arm. It was the pain that brought Haruka back to her senses. She
spun on the balls of her feet and delivered a powerful kick to the
fallen man's ribs. When he rolled over with the dagger still clutched
in his hands, she grabbed his arm and twisted it, placing her foot at
the juncture if his elbow. She yanked upward neatly breaking it. He
screamed in pain as she relieved him of his knife, then calmly slit
his throat.
She felt comfortable with the blade in her hand. She turned
back to her other two pursuers. One of them had veered off and was
heading for Delwood, the other was still moving toward her. He was
raging at her, intent on breaking her neck.
"And when we finish with you, we're gonna get that fish-girl
of yers and when we get done with 'er she'll wished she never laid
eyes on ya."
Haruka weighed the dagger in her hand. 'Yes, with enough
force...' Utilizing skills that she couldn't remember ever having
learned Haruka threw the knife at the man coming at her. The metal
sparkled in the sun as it whistled through the air before embedding
itself in the man's chest. He dropped stone dead at her feet.
The last man had decided that he had better take care of the
younger 'male' before he killed the bookkeeper. Haruka braced herself
to meet him head on. He crashed into her, his beefy hands wrapping
around her throat. He was just beginning to squeeze when thunder
roared over head and he went limp. Haruka rolled his dead weight off
of her and looked up to see Delwood standing with a tiny derringer in
his hand.
"It's good to see you well, Lady Alex."
Haruka smiled at him "It's good to see you, too."
They both remembered the Duke at the same moment and looked
out into the water, frantically scanning for some sign of him.
The duke gasped, flailing as the undertow dragged him out
toward the rocks. He wanted to call for help, but he merciless waves
only knocked him back beneath the water's surface. He had to help
Alexandra. He had to fight.
Michiru swam in the direction that she had last seen Haruka's
father. The strong flicks of her tail propelling her further, faster
than any human. She knew that they had to be very near the rocks, but
at this point she didn't care. She saw an object in front of her and
she reached out and was gratified to feel her hand close on a fistful
of fabric. 'She had him!' She dragged his body back against her own
and tried to free him from the current he was trapped in. She suddenly
realized that she too was caught. There was no way she could free
herself. All she could do was wrap her arms around the older man and
try to get his head above the water.
The duke broke the surface and promptly coughed up a lung full
of water and then began sucking in precious air. Beneath him Michiru
was fighting her element with all of her might, but the waves were
pushing her into the dangerous rocks. She wrapped her body around the
man's and braced herself for the pain. When it came it was worse that
she had anticipated. The barnacles cut ragged chunks out of her tail
and slit her tender sides. Blood was pouring from the wounds and the
salt water burned as it poured into the open gashes. She tried to swim
but she was caught on something. Michiru marshaled the last of her
strength and miraculously tore free of all that held her, propelling
the Duke and herself away from the rocks and toward the beach.
Haruka hardly even noticed when the second tiny boat came
ashore. It was filled with some of her father's most trusted crewmen.
They had not cared much for the men that the duke had left the ship in
the company of and so they had followed at a distance, but they were
now all watching the waves for some sign of their beloved leader.
Haruka was beginning to panic. Where was her father? Where was Michiru?
Suddenly she saw her father's silver head surface a few yards
from shore. She and the other men ran toward him.
"He's been hurt!" she heard someone call out.
'Oh God, surely not!' They grabbed the sputtering Duke's arms
and helped him get to his feet.
"Are you hurt, you Grace?"
"No, I'm fine, just had a bit too much salt water." He said
laughing softly as he looked out at the salty liquid that had nearly
claimed his life.
Any rejoinders his crew might have had was cut off by an
anguished wail. He spun around to see his daughter cradling a body to
her own. Blood poured freely into the water from the neatly bisected
tail. He blinked at what her saw, but there was no denying that for
the first time in nearly thirty years of sea faring he was indeed
seeing a mermaid - and she was dying.
Haruka gathered Michiru to her. The bloodless lips and pale
face terrified her.
"Michiru! No," she sobbed "Don't leave me again." The words
were wrenched from her soul. "I love you darling, please don't go."
"H-haruka," the voice was so faint that at first Haruka thought
she had simple imagined it, but an icy hand touched her cheek.
"Don't talk." Haruka shushed her.
Michiru ignored her "Haru-ka, I love..you." Her eyelids slid
shut for one last time and her breathing stopped altogether.
"Noo!!!" Haruka knelt in the bloody surf cradling Michiru's
body.
All of the men stood on the beach. They didn't fully understand
exactly what had happened, but they all felt a deep pain in the region
of their hearts. Every one was so caught up in the agony that radiated
from what seemed to be their very soul, that no one really noticed when
it was that the blood began to flow back into the mermaid's body.
Suddenly a wave rushed in from the sea, but instead of water it was
made of a silver energy, that surrounded the dead girl and lifted her
from her lover's clinging arms. Haruka, terrified of losing contact
with Michiru forever, made a desperate grab for the body, but the
light carried the girl up and out a few feet from shore. Haruka heard
a roaring and the silver energy encased the lower half of Michiru's
battered body. It was the power of a one selfless act, the
manifestation of a single honest wish. It was all of that and
something more; something eternal. It surrounded the mermaid and
organs rearranged, scales were replaced by sleek skin, fins
restructured into dainty feet with coral pink toes. With a final
flash the light gently deposited Michiru back into the shallows at
Haruka's feet. Suddenly her chest heaved and her beautiful blue flew
open.
Michiru looked down her body where her tail had so recently
been and then back into Haruka's eyes. She was crying steadily, but
she managed to whisper softly to Ruka.
"Look, my wish came true."
At that Haruka broke and tears flowed softly down her cheeks.
With a fierce look of concentration on her perfect features Michiru
pushed away from Haruka and tried to get her new legs to respond.
After a few aborted tries Michiru rose and took her first teetering
steps, right into Haruka's open arms. Haruka cradled the fragile body
that held the beloved soul she loved so dearly. Tears streaked down
their faces. Haruka couldn't stand it any longer; she gently tipped
Michiru's chin up and claimed those soft lips with her own. Michiru
arched in her arms trying to meld herself to Haruka. Her hands made
fists in the material of Haruka's shirt.
The sodden Duke watched this with wide green eyes. Here was
his daughter locked in a passionate embrace with a beautiful naked
FEMALE sea nymph. He flashed an uncomfortable half-smile at Delwood
and did the only thing he could think of. He advanced on Haruka and
Michiru. Haruka looked up her eyes still slightly glazed from her kiss
with Michiru, but still alert enough to be wary. She rose, placing
Michiru protectively behind her. She was surprised when her father
enveloped her in a bear hug. He whapped her on the back a couple of
times - hard. The impact jarred her injured arm.
"My son! My only son, you've finally returned to me."
Haruka smiled wryly. Her father loved her, but he still had
his aristocratic pride. She returned his embrace.
"Father."
-----------------------Three months later ----------------------------
All of London heard about the demise of the Duke's only
daughter Alexandra. She had apparently taken cold and passed during
the harsh winter. Everyone wondered who stood to inherit the dukedom.
All of the town was promptly delighted and scandalized when they
found out that the Duke's daughter had a twin brother, who had been
kidnapped at birth. The young man had just returned to England with a
beautiful bride. Some said she was a princess from some small far off
principality - obviously she was from some backward county, she had
green hair! The Duke held a grand ball in honor of the new Marquis
and Marchioness and coveted tickets were jealously sought. The Duke
invited most of the gossipmongers and dowagers he knew would be sure
to spread the romantic tale through the ranks of London society.
Haruka stood at the door to her bedroom.
"Are you ready yet, Love?"
"Just a second!" she heard Michiru's musical voice call from
the direction of the closet. Suddenly she appeared, pulling on
lavender gloves.
The breath left Haruka's chest in a rush. "Oh my."
Michiru spun around showing off her new dress. "Do you like
it?"
It took Haruka a couple of seconds to regain her breath 'Did
she like it?' She loved it! The dress was in the perfect shade of
lavender to complement her aqua hair. Speaking of Michiru's hair, it
was pulled back from her face and she had woven violets into the thick
locks so that the flowers framed her face. Haruka's favorite part of
the outfit was the neckline which was off the shoulder and which
dropped to a line of ruffles that would very now and again give Haruka
a glimpse of Michiru's soft breasts. Breasts Haruka had caressed not
three hours before. It was rather obvious to her that Michiru wasn't
wearing a corset, not that she really needed to. Maybe later she could
see what else her 'wife' had chosen not to put on.
While Haruka was admiring her dress, Michiru couldn't help but
note what a handsome figure her lover made in her dark blue long coat
with it's yellow brocade. Haruka had on a white shirt with ruffles at
the neck. The collar was fastened with a blue stone. She was also
wearing a navy cummerbund and tight fitting blue breeches that
emphasized her slender hips. The two stood still for a moment
drinking in each other's appearance.
"Well, my love, shall we?"
Michiru beamed into Haruka's teal eyes. "Yes, let's."
Haruka took Michiru's hand, giving it a warm squeeze, before
placing it in the crook of her own elbow. They turned together and
descended down the steps into the ballroom.
Finis
Author's notes: I worked really hard on this one, I hope you
enjoyed it. For those of you who like fanfics
to tie into the Sailormoon Universe in some way, I'm
going to do that in the sequel.
Also, In a few weeks I'm going to need a new editor.
I write only about Haruka and Michiru.
I do sometimes delve into the world of hentai so that's a
concern. If you are interested, please email me.
Dedications: To Haruka and Michiru lovers everywhere!!
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