Happily Oumeno After! (Oumeno Fairytales)

The Mischievous Merboy (Prologue)

      Six-year-old Princess Himiko was standing on the beach, watching the sunset with her stepsister, Tenko and their friend, Angie, both who were the same age as Himiko. The three of them enjoyed sitting underneath the warm glow of the setting sun as they watched the sky turn pink, and the ocean glitter with golden sparkles. 

   "Nyeh...isn't it beeaaautiful?" Himiko sighed dreamily as she gazed wistfully at the open sea. 

   "Yes! It is Atua's greatest work of art!" Angie exclaimed. 

   "I could watch the sunset aaalll day," Tenko said. All three of them sighed deeply as they sat and continued to stare at the ocean. 

   "I wonder if there are mermaids in there," Himiko wondered out loud. 

   "Hmmm..." Angie and Tenko said, tapping their chins in thought. 

     "Mermaids are so cool!" Angie exclaimed.

      "Yeah! They're really pretty!" Tenko agreed. Himiko stood up, entranced by the lulling ocean waves. "Himiko? What's wrong?"

   "Nyeh...I wish I could be a mermaid," Himiko murmured longingly. "I wanna live in the sea. I bet it's so beautiful in there."

   "Nya-hahaha...I bet you'd want to marry a merboy, too," Angie teased with a mischievous grin. Tenko made a disgusted face.

   "Ewww! Himiko, you wanna kiss a fish boy?!" she said. Himiko blushed. 

   "Nyeh! I never said that!" she exclaimed, crossing her arms at Angie. 

    "I was just teasing you, Himiko," Angie giggled. "Besides, mermaids and merboys probably don't exist, anyways. It sounds wonderful, though!"

   "Well, maybe a mermaid will come if you blow a conch shell," Himiko suggested. 

   "Where are you gonna get a conch shell?" Tenko asked, tilting her head. Himiko pointed at the ocean, where the waves were getting darker and rougher.

   "Nyeh...where else?" she said.

   "Ooo...I don't think you should go in there, Himiko," Angie warned. 

   "It's okay. I'll be careful," Himiko said.

   "I-I agree with Angie, Himiko," Tenko said, standing up. Angie stood up with her. "It's getting darker and the water looks a little dangerous now." Himiko looked back at the sea. She had to admit her friends were right. She turned back to them.

   "I'll be extra careful, I promise," she said. "I'll stay close by." Angie and Tenko exchanged nervous glances.

   "O-Okay, Himiko," Tenko said. "Be extra, extra careful!" Himiko nodded, then carefully stepped into the water. The warm waves licked at her feet. Himiko closed her eyes, feeling the inviting ocean swirl around her. A cool breeze fluttered through her hair. How could something so wonderful be so dangerous? Feeling more relaxed and unaware of the rough waters around her, Himiko ventured out further into the sea.

   "Himikooo! That's too far!" Angie called out, but Himiko didn't hear her. Himiko was completely mesmerized by the ocean that she forgot what she was looking for. She dipped her head underneath the surface, marveling at the underwater world around her. Colorful fish swam by. The coral shimmered brightly beneath the rippling waves. The sea anemone swayed gently like underwater windchimes. So entranced was she by the world around her that she didn't realize how far out to sea she was venturing until she found herself caught up in a ferocious undertow. Her body was being flailed around so much that she lost all sense of direction. Himiko opened her mouth in terror, trying to call out for help, but all that came out were bubbles. Back on the beach, Angie and Tenko were waiting nervously for her to come back.

   "She hasn't come up, yet," Tenko said worriedly. Angie looked up at the sky, which was growing darker as menacing storm clouds began to loom over the sea.

    "We have to go in there after her," she said. 

   "B-But I can't swim!" Tenko said fearfully. 

   "Then I'll go in after her," Angie said. Right before Angie went in, they heard Himiko scream. 

   "HELP ME!!!" she yelled desperately. Angie and Tenko saw in fear that Himiko had drifted far out into the sea, her head bobbing wildly against the waves. She was getting closer to the storm. Angie dove right in the water and swam towards Himiko. The water was so rough and becoming darker, however, that Angie couldn't see around her. It was no use. If she kept swimming, Himiko might never be rescued. She and Tenko had to look for help from a grownup. She swam back to the beach.

   "Himiko!! Where's Himiko?!" Tenko screamed as rain began to pour and lightning and thunder crashed all around them. "Did you find her?!"

    "No!" Angie yelled back. "We have to get help!!" 

   "But we can't leave Himiko!!" Tenko shouted, gripping Angie's shoulders.

   "Tenko, we can't do this ourselves!" Angie said. "If we do, we might di-"

   "DON'T SAY IT!!" Tenko cried. "There's no way Himiko is going to die!!" As they argued, Himiko was trying desperately to keep her body above the surface, but the churning waters from the storm mercilessly beat her into the deep, dark depths below. Himiko grew tired, and she began to sink. The water engulfed her as the storm above raged over her. This was it. This was the end for her. The very thing she was mesmerized by was going to kill her. Her vision began to fade as she felt life leave her body. If she hadn't been about to experience the permanent embrace of death, she would have been excited to see someone reaching out to her with their hands and wrapping them around her waist. 

   "I got you," came a faint voice. She could barely make out the person's face. She felt herself moving fast, like flying through a smooth current. She didn't understand what was happening. She didn't realize when she rose  above the surface, nor did she realize when she was finally back on the beach, away from the raging sea. She didn't even realize Angie and Tenko rushing over to her, making sure she was okay. She did, however, notice a peculiar tail that she had seen so many times in fairytales dip back into the water before she passed out. Angie and Tenko were so busy trying to resuscitate Himiko that they didn't notice a little boy watching them from behind a nearby rock.