Aquata Cove Ch. 86

The stranger looks up, sees man with white skin, a subtle tan about him from good access to sunlight. The man has short hair, as well as a fuzzy chest and a layer of hair on his stomach, abs covered with a thin layer of fat. A thin layer facial hair covers his jaw as his eyes look into the stranger's eyes. This man has absolutely no hue of color, whatsoever.

"... Who are you?" The stranger asks. The man doesn't answer. His face is almost blank, with only a little bit of subtle emotion on his face.

"I am something that is supposed to exist."

"... Why do you keep saying that?" The stranger asked, "I don't understand at all."

"He was never supposed to disappear." Says another voice. The stranger turns, and sees another man. This one is slimmer, his skin very smooth, hair that is short and is also devoid of color, showing from platinum hair.

"You... You were... Someone else." The stranger said, "Who are you?"

"... I am someplace you are supposed to go." The new male said.

"I was lost." The man said, "I... Don't know if I can ever come back."

"I tried to be lost." The male said, "I could have been found so long ago, but all I wanted was to disappear at the same time as you did."

"That's something... No one can let happen..." The man said.

The stranger looks from one person to another. It's only just the two of them, and who are they even talking to? Each other, or the stranger?

"I... This doesn't even make sense." The stranger said, "I am scared... I'm confused, neither of you are telling me what I want to know."

"That is the wrong question." The male said.

"You asked me who I was." Said the man.

"And you asked me who I am." Said the male.

"You answered," The stranger said, "But I still don't understand you."

"You're the one who won't be clear." The man said. "Even I have some kind of clue what you're supposed to be."

"I already know." The male said. The stranger turns to the male.

"Then... Who am I? What am I supposed to be? Where do I go?"

"... Bond." The male said.

"'Bond'?"

"Bond?" The man asked.

"You are the bridge between me, and him." The male said, "I tried to remove you, because I am hurting so much." He said blankly. "I did not want you anymore."

"Hurting... Bond..." The stranger said, before bowing his head sadly, before he sees two silhouettes at his feet. A shadow of a humanoid figure, and a merfolk figure moving about in the deep sea of solid glass beneath his feet. The man and the male are there two, now with some sort of hue in their image.

"Who am I?"

()()()

Merrick swims along through the upper part of the ocean, reflecting all that's happened, and smiling as he was able to give a proper goodbye to his pod this time. As he swims, his senses quiver as he feels a different presence.

-Wnngg wnngg, wng wng- Comes a strangely robotic sound.

He turns, and gasps, seeing a single, golden merfolk looking at him at a distance, neither female nor male. It stares at him with radiant eyes, with a curved, leaf-shaped helmet of a head hiding whatever face it has. Its tail is layered in plates of gleaming gold with its tail fin glowing as a fin of light. Instead of forearms and hands, it has long, sharp spires positioned at its sides.

Merrick's stomach sinks as he drifts backward. 'No... Is that the Ningyo?' He thought.

"I... I understand." He said out loud to it, "I overstayed my welcome. I am no longer with my pod, I am going to the land now." The armored merfolk does nothing, before its sharp, jousting blades for arms now hold up, its eyes flashing to him. "No, please! I am not with my pod!"

The Ningyo makes several more metallic sounds at Merrick. His arm goes over his shoulder, his fingers wrapping around his harpoon.

"Stop." Says a whisper as a strong hand stops Merrick's hand. "Do not take your weapon. You are the accused one. Challenge it, and it will strike without quarter." Merrick sees Kaiken in the corner of his eye, "We must be relatively close to Atlantis if it is here so soon..."

"What do I do, Father..." Merrick muttered. Kaiken draws out his own trident, and swims in front of Merrick. He holds it facing the Ningyo, so that its flashing eyes can see it for what it is, as a badge of identification as a Triton.

"It is giving us a warning..." Kaiken said as the Ningyo continues to issue its robotic sounds at them, "If you were with the others, it would not be so hesitant... It is trying to decide if you are worth punishing..."

"Can Mother not reason with it?" Merrick whispered.

"As I taught you before, the Ningyo do not take counsel. Not ever." Kaiken answered. The Ningyo's spires ease down, as its sounds come to a stop, "... I think it is releasing you. I must go, or it will remain."

"Yes..." Merrick said, almost too scared to look away from the golden merfolk, reminiscent of a Weeping Angel, minus the wings or fins, and made of a precious deep-sea metal rather than cement. Kaiken beats his mighty tail to swim away, also keeping a close eye on the Ningyo, while is still faces Merrick.

"Eh-eh-eh-eh..."

"HH!!" Merrick jumbles, and gasps, feeling the mystical bleating of a Capricorn, drifting softly beside him, before turning to the aquatic sentinel staring at him. Merrick leers as he puts his arm around the sea-goat, while it propelled itself forth.

"How many times have those kind have scared Arnaav away, I wonder..." He muttered bitterly, keeping in mind just how emotional and loving Arnaav's parents are every time he goes to see them.

()()()

The faded lion lies motionless, as the air seems so cold around it, its mane completely gone except for a thin layer of its old fur. His tail twitches as he tries to move a paw when it glimpses a sparkling butterfly in the distance, but is too weak to even get up.

The lion's arm rises, however. A shining white panther with fins on its arms and a fish-like tail waves up and down as it nudges itself under the lion's limb, before attempting to drag it away from the spot.

The panther pushes itself and the lion forward, making their way to one of many wide beams of yellow light. The sea feline growls as the lion can barely move its own legs, hearing the clanking of chains left behind from those who tore the lion's wondrous mane clear off of its own head.

The swimming panther finally comes to the sunlight, putting his paw onto the shine and feeling its warmth as it drags them both into the spotlight. The panther bites onto the lion's neck, and pulls it into the wide spot of warmth there.

Panting, the panther sees the lion rests his head down, his body looking so shallow and barren, its body littered with red slashes and lines. It's not much, but at least the sunlight can ease the hurt, if only a while.

Just as those blue eyes cast away, he feels a heavy paw on his front leg. The lion whines low as he pleads with his tired and withered eyes, his arm shaking before sliding down to the floor. The panther sniffed before drifting around, and snuggling to the front of the lion's body. The poor lion closes its eyes in a slow blink as the scaled tail curls around them.

The sunlight feeds the lion's pelt very subtly, easing its cold sadness as it feels the beautiful panther rest onto him.

()()()

Merrick faces the house's backyard, naked except for his sea equipment, before he enters through the glass sliding door. He sighs as he puts down his harpoon into its usual spot in the corner, before unbuckling his items, one my one.

His crown of sharkteeth placed on the top hook of the set-up where he keeps his gear, along with the two belts of teeth, and his armguards of sea shells, most of them broken and will need replacing. He takes off his belt and places it with the others, before finally removing the rope of thorn-like teeth that Brishen gave him, and put it together with his other things.

Merrick glances at his cellphone, before turning it on. There are 7 missed calls, 6 text messages, and 3 voice mails.

=Rajani=

Are you doing ok, Merrick? I haven't heard from you since we ran into you at the hospital. I'm worried about you, lets meet up for some FroYo, yeah?

=Harold=

Have you seen Belinda? She was supposed to pick up our kid from daycare, but I had to get him.

=Yuri=

I hope you're doing ok, Merrick... Well, ok-ish. I'm making your favorite for dinner tonight. Please hang in there.

=Donna=

Whenever you get this message, the next trial date is set for next Wednesday. I don't know if you'd still want to come, but I just wanted to let you know...

=Nick=

Hey Merrick, were are you, man? it's like 2 hours, your supposed to come in today! call me back

=Syrinx=

Merrick, please call me back! Don't go anywhere, just please let me talk to you, I don't want you to snap like I keep telling you! Tell me where you are so we can talk, pls!

"Mm..." Merrick reads them all, before going into his the voicemail, tapping to listen to them, before holding the iPhone to his ear.

["Hi, Merrick, it's Donna... I really hope you're doing ok, because I'm not..."] Says a whimper, ["I'm trying to help Adam with therapy, but his diaries are starting scare me. I know I shouldn't be telling you about this, but... Please call back so I can talk about this... I want to talk to you..."]

["Hello, Merrick Piscien, my name is Fred Terrence, I'm calling to confirm your appointment for your catering options? Please call me back at your earliest convenience. Thank you and goodbye."]

["Hey, Merrick, it's Nick. I heard about you goin to the sea and all... Look man, I know we're friends and all, but you've been missing alotta work for the past couple'a'months. I don't wanna fire you or nuthin, and I get you're going through a lot right now, but I'mma need to sit down with you, and talk to you about your employment at Lovers. I need to know where you gonna be about this. Call me when you get the chance, man. Bye."]

Merrick feels a purge of guilt as he listens to these recordings, before pressing his thumb on the red icon. Moments later, he finds himself in the shower, washing the salt and sand off of his body, deep in thought about all of this. He takes a very deep sigh as he looks down into the tiles.

It has to have been at least a week since he left, maybe even two. He just up and left, he only told Yuri's father that he's leaving, and he just vanished, not even caring what anyone else might say or think.

"I just..." He says lowly to himself, "I wanted to be alone... I didn't want everyone looking at me like I'm some kind of victim or ticking bomb..."

Merrick sits down on the tiles as the hot water continued to rain down on him.

"Father was right, I'm running away... A Triton must never run away... Donna says we all have moments of weakness where we just break, and we need time to ourselves to heal... But I feel like I'm being selfish because I want to shut off from the rest of the world..."

He puts his face into his arms, "I'm letting people down, Father..." He mumbles, "Yuri goes to so much trouble... Jamal can't stop trying to cheer me up... Nick has been far more lenient than he should be about my job... Everyone keeps asking me how I'm doing, and I just want them all to stop... Is it really not that obvious?"

Once clean and dry, Merrick walks into the living room, and nears the kitchen. He feels himself smile as he sees that little white and orange kitten crunching away at his little dish. Sally is probably out front as always, waiting for Jamal to get home, while Roxas is probably in Yuri's room or hunting outside.

Merrick looks to the kitchen as he walks in. He takes his apron hanging on a hook, and ties it around his waist, otherwise nude. This reminds him of all those other times Adam and he had the house to himself, and Merrick would be Adam's naked chef.

Merrick takes out a frozen chicken breast, several fresh vegetables, and the canister of all-purpose flour.

'You are a Triton. You were never meant to be weak...' Kaiken's voice echoes in Merrick's psyche, 'You were given strength to carry those you hold close. You may not receive mercy, for you must be the one to give it...'

Merrick sniffs as he fights a tear of exhaustion, before turning on the flames of the stove, and grabbing the cutting board.

~~~

Jacob walks along the hospital corridor, until he sees Yuri waiting for him, holding a very hard box of certain items.

"There you are," Yuri said as he comes to her, "Did you bring it?"

"Had to slit a few throats, but I got it." He said holding up the plastic case.

"Dark." She commented as she took them, and opened it up, and taking one of the small bottles, "Is this the vaccine you described?"

"No, the third bottle on the right."

"Oh." She puts it down and picks up the correct vial, "What are the other ones?"

"Prototypes and variations." Jacob said as Yuri takes a tray with smaller items, and both of them enter into Adam's room, "You sure you want to do this?" Jacob asked, "That vaccine is only an experiment, but if anyone finds out it's being used on a patient off the record, we can both get into serious trouble!"

"I won't tell anyone if YOU won't." Yuri says as she takes a syringe, and pokes the needle into the rubber spot of the lid, into the Thalassactin substance.

"Yuri, for all we know, this might just make him worse! I wished you'd at least let me have some proper testing done, it might not even work with his bloodtype!"

"I know all that, Jacob." Yuri told him, "But... Agh, you haven't been around the two of them." She looks straight into his eyes, "Merrick is breaking everything around him, both in and out, and Adam is letting himself die because he can't remember anyone." Yuri sighs and looks at him again, "Ordinarily... Yes, this would never be an option for me. But I can't stand just going by the book anymore."

"... Alright..." Jacob nodded. Yuri then pulls the tab of the syringe, extracting the transparent, opalesque fluid into it, looking quite unlike most of the vaccines she's handled over the years in the hospital. She then goes to Adam, who is still asleep, wiping his arm with a cold disinfectant swab, before she injects the needle into Adam's vein.

"I just want you to know," Yuri says after administering the chemical, "I am very sorry for dragging you into this, having to... Heh, basically giving me an illegal drug, right?" She says while disposing the used needle.

"Heh... Was it really my matter to begin with?" Jacob said, shrugging it, "It's an artificial compound, but it came from Merrick to start, right? I mean... Now that I think about it, do I really have the right to complain about it?"

"... My thoughts exactly." Yuri said with a nod.

~~~

Merrick walks through the halls of the hospital, his heart pounding as he goes... A pounding heart. How long has it been since he last felt that? He goes to the receptionist, holding a thermic lunch box as he comes to the nurse.

"Hello, my name's Merrick, I'm here to see Adam Bryant in the comatose wing."

"Alright, let me just check a few things here for ya." She said as she types a few things. Merrick glances to the side, and sees the children's ward, with the movie playing. He can hear it's Moana, at the part where the lava demon, Te Ka looks at Moana herself, holding the shining green stone, before bidding the ocean to part and allow Te Ka to cross.

The lava monster screeches before it starts clawing its way over to her, right before everything goes into slow motion. At that moment, reality focuses on Merrick's attention as he listens to the calm, Hawaiian melody of the movie, the soft voices caressing him like Umiato's hand to his cheek.

"~I have crossed the horizon to find you~" Merrick sniffs as he she sings softly. Te Ka roars silently as she charges... "~I know your naaame~... ~They have stolen the heart from inside yooouu~" Merrick's chest feels a deep hurt as he watches. Those men... The ones that attacked Adam... They took away the only thing Merrick had left to cherish in this world.

"~But this does not define yooouu~" Moana is consumed in ash and smoke, before Te Ka towers before her, so filled with rage and hate. Merrick trembles as his eyes flood all over again, glimpsing himself as a giant, fish-like water titan, starring down at the tiny human figure with his fury.

"~This is not who you aaarrrreee~" Te Ka pauses with a look of confusion and curiosity, letting her arms down while her fiery flesh cools into black rock. Merrick huffs as he feels a deep impulse inside him, seeing his monstrous self before an image of a male, instead of Moana, "~You know who you aaarrre~"

Merrick sees himself as this demon of water, even as the green heart is placed at its core, he can only imagine the colossal creature shattering into an infinite whirlwind of scales and water drips, flaying out in waves of fragments into the sea and sky, flashing and spinning into smaller shards, ultimately shrinking smaller and smaller until he can imagine Merrick's own face in Adam's chest, with those arms around him, one hand on hos blonde hair, and the other on his back,

"Alright, just come with me, honey." The nurse said. Merrick snapps out of it, suddenly realizing the enormous and floral Te Fiti is now holding Moana and Maui in her hand. "You ok, honey?" The nurse asked.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine." Merrick said, wiping his eyes real quick, "Just thinking of something..."

"Ok, honey... Follow me." She said gently before she takes Merrick away. As they walk, Merrick can see the sky outside clear itself of the clouds, little by little.

'Why did I run away...' Merrick thought, his eyes feeling hurt all over again, 'Why did I have to ask Mother to make a ring... I could have just as easily bought a ring from anywhere... I could have protected him...'

'You ran away from your mate. Would you deny him any longer?' Kaiken's voice asked.

'Compassion for all... Is a precious and elusive gift.' Umiato's voice chimed.

'I was so scared, Brother. Please do not hurt again.' Savarna's voice pleaded.

'Thank you, A-Adra Merrick... I will not forget this...' Arnaav's voice reminded him.

'I screwed up...' Merrick thought as they near Adam's room, 'I need to see him again. I need to tell him I'm sorry...' Merrick keeps himself calm as he walks with the nurse, until he comes, once again, face-to-face with the patient's window to the room.

"Adam has had his medication recently, so he probably won't be wake for a little while." The nurse tells Merrick.

"That's fine." Merrick muttered quietly, before she knocks on the door, and peers in.

"Adam?" The nurse said, "You have a visitor."

"Ok..." Merrick's insides dive as he hears his voice. So low and tired...

"Go right ahead, dear." The nurse said.

Merrick comes in, carrying his carrier as he walks. "Hi... Adam..."

"Mmnnhh..." Adam stirs as he lays on the bed, peering as he can sense someone walk into the room, "Hey..." Adam squints as he tries to look at the figure, but the sunlight is blinding him.

For a very brief moment, the stranger blocks the sun, and Adam can make out a handsome blonde man, before the sun has his dizzy state lulled again. But this time, Adam can feel his face feel weird. The depths of his cheeks and his jaws are being pulled up as a small smile appears on his face.

Merrick sniffs as he sees that subtle smile come onto Adam's mouth, taking a seat next to him. Adam looks to him, the sunlight still making it very hard to see. "You... Ok, Adam?" Merrick finally asks.

"Tired... My head feels really heavy..." He answered. He almost wants to ask this man if he can pull down the shades, but the sunlight feels delightfully warm, he doesn't want to turn that off. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.

"I brought something for you." Merrick says, drying his eyes, finally finding it easy to breathe, for the first time in so many suns. Adam hears a clink and clunk sound, before his nose picks up a very hearty aroma.