Umi no Uta

Kuroi sat up from his bed of moss, stretching and giving a small moan of pleasure as his joints popped. He ran his hands through his dark green hair, brushing the annoying light green moss out of his eyes. He gave a small smile, looking around the cave in which he lived with his older sister and her life-mate.
The light filtered through the breaks in the undersea cavern, illuminating the blue jewels on the walls. The jewels twinkled slightly, awakening themselves up from their dormant states. Kuroi smiled as the light blue light started to shine throughout the cave, kicking himself off his bed with a strong thrust of his tail. He grabbed his sash, tying it around his waist before kicking off to join his sister and brother-in-law at the makeshift table for breakfast.
Shiroi looked up as her green-haired little brother approached, a sad smile appearing on her face. She looked over at her mate, Dasatsu, who was recalling equally depressing memories of their parent’s death, of their first encounter with Kuroi…and of all the hardships the young merman went through.
“Good morning, Shiroi! Good morning, Dasatsu!” Kuroi greeted cheerfully.
“Good morning, Kuroi. Did you sleep well?” Shiroi asked politely, handing the youngling a shell of breakfast.
“Yes, it was really easy to sleep last night, thanks!” He replied, happily eating.
“So, Kuroi…” Dasatsu began, freezing Kuroi mid-munch. “Tomorrow is your seventeenth cycle day…is there anything special you’d like to do?”
Kuroi blinked and swallowed. It wasn’t often that Dasatsu acknowledged him…and he never acknowledged his cycle day! He swallowed his nerves before answering. “Um…no...Not that I know of…why, Dasatsu?”
Dasatsu smiled. “Just wondering if you had anything special planned.”
Kuroi shook his head. “No, just planning on exploring the area some more.”
Dasatsu and Shiroi shared a look. Shiroi spoke this time. “Well, just be careful, love. Remember to call if you see anything suspicious or any strangers.”
“Yes, Shiroi.” Kuroi replied obediently. He was used to this conversation…about being careful. He had only called for help once and was answered by an elder…but his guardians always seemed fit to remind him every morning about caution. He sighed inwardly, wiped his mouth and gave a small smile. “I’m off now! I’ll see you both for dinner!” He grinned and kicked off, heading out of the cavern towards a place that no one knew about…
Shiroi sighed and looked at her mate. “I don’t know, lover. I really don’t. He’ll be an adult in three more cycles, what’re we going to do with him?”
Dasatsu shook his head. “Something will come up, love. Something will appear.”

Kuroi swam quickly towards his area, the only place he had solace from the other people of the Orden Clan. The other younglings always teased him about his dark hair, his tail, his skin tone, his shy attitude, and many other things that weren’t even real. He tired of it, but Shiroi and Dasatsu didn’t know how bad it got. Kuroi finally gave up and confronted them with a proposition. Kuroi stayed away from their play spots if they left him alone. They agreed, but told Kuroi that he couldn’t play anywhere else but the far regions of the clan’s territory. Kuroi agreed, and the others hadn’t seen the youngling since.
Kuroi shook himself out of his memories and froze; staring into the area he called his own. Someone else was there…
He stared in fright at the stranger who floated lazily above his play area. The youngling gasped quietly, swimming slowly down towards the bottom of the area, hoping the movement wouldn’t call the stranger’s attention. He didn’t recognize the shape of the dorsal fin on the other’s tail, nor did he recognize the sash that was tied around his waist.
Kuroi froze for the third time that morning as the strange merman turned towards him. He began to shake with fear, watching the stranger with large, fearful, dark eyes. The other began to swim slowly towards the youngling, but stopped when the scared Kuroi began to swim backwards, to swim away.
The other looked at Kuroi contemplatively before making the universal hand signal for peace, as well as clicking out a peaceful message. Kuroi clicked back a message of distrust, causing a look of sadness to come over the other’s face. Through clicks alone they spoke, the stranger asking to stay for a while in Kuroi’s area. Kuroi reluctantly gave consent, though not after a fight. When he did, the other flashed a beautiful grin in Kuroi’s direction, scaring the youngling into a rapid dash for the nearest coral cave.
The stranger followed; shocked that he scared the poor youngling so badly. He went to the entrance of the cave in time to see the Kuroi’s tail go up a small hole in the top. Sighing, he curled up just inside the cave, drifting off to sleep, hoping to talk to the other again…and get the other to actually talk instead of using signs and clicks…
Kuroi, on the other hand, could see everything, though no one could see him. The coral up here was like a one way mirror, allowing him to see out, yet no one to see in. He watched the stranger snooze and tried not to whimper. Kuroi curled up, again trying not to whimper in disappointment, watching the other and his area forlornly. He watched in horror as a dark shape began to make his way into the crevice. This time, as the menacing shape of the merman made his way towards the two, Kuroi did let out a little whimper, causing the stranger below him to jerk awake and look around.
The newcomer noticed the sound and the movement, quickening his pace towards the two others. His sultry voice drifted to the two, causing Kuroi to shiver and the stranger to sit up very quickly.
“Akusuko…”
The younger stranger grinned. “Father! How long have I been here?”
“All afternoon, little one, you’ve been here all afternoon. Did you have a nice nap?” The elder was drifting lazily in front of Kuroi, watching Akusuko with amusement.
“Oh, the nap was nice. Company wasn’t that great, he ran off when I first got here. Don’t know where he went too, though…” Akusuko pouted.
The other laughed. “Oh, I’m sure he’s around somewhere. Dientte was meeting with the elder from Orden today. We’re negotiating our new territory until we migrate once more. So…you will probably get to visit here more often.”
“Really? That’s great!” Akusuko sat up with a grin.
The other chuckled once more. “Love at first sight, Akusuko? You’re sounding like a youngling again!”
Akusuko pouted once more, tackling the older one. “I barely turned adult. Give me a break! Besides, you and papa fell in love like that!”
“I fell in love and earned all my mates that way, little one. Now, are you done thoroughly scaring your little friend and ready to come home?”
Akusuko stretched. “Yes, Father. Let’s go home.” The two of them swam off silently. Akusuko quickly turned around, though and waved back towards the coral cave. “Bye! Hopefully you’ll let me see ya tomorrow!” He called before vanishing.
Kuroi waited another hour before swimming home. He had a lot to digest.