The Sentiment Beneath The Surface ~Aarmau AU~

~Guilt~

Aphmau's POV

*Play Song*

"Heavens no Aphmau, absolutely not!" Mother exclaims, her raven hair roaming aimlessly around her head in the crystal water. (HEY CRYSTALS!)

"Why not?! I've always been stuck in here! Ever since father......" I stop there, both my mom and I wearing the same sad look.

"There is a reason, Aphmau! You can't leave this palace and you know it!"

"Why?! I actually never knew the reason besides being an Ultima! There has to be something besides that!"

"There isn't, and being the one and only Ultima is a responsibility that you must live up to! And I haven't been seeing much of that lately!" Mother yells, her voice not affected by the water around us at all.

"I don't care about 'the responsibility' or the training! I just want a life!"

"Aphmau I'm sorry but you do have a life, and this is it!"

"UGH I HATE YOU WHY DID YOU HAVE TO DO THIS TO ME JUST LEAVE!" I scream at her, silencing her. 

At my hateful words, my mother's face wavers with obvious deep hurt.

I turn away from her, concealing the gathering tears in my eyelids.

"You'll thank me one day, and when that day comes, you will understand." And with that, she flees the room, her posture unmistakably showing misery.

There was a meager bit of regret and guilt in my heart, but anger overtook those feelings.

I'm leaving, tonight. 

********************

I seize my cloak, shrouding it tightly over my body, flipping the hood over my head.

I grab one of my history books and throw as hard as I could against the window, shattering it into suspended pieces. 

I swim precariously out of the broken window, looking back at my palace momentarily before tightening my cloak around me and start my swim towards the surface.

Sylvana's POV

She said she hated me....

She didn't mean it, right?

It's not her fault.....

I'm haven't exactly been the best mother....

It's just been hectic since Poseidon died....

Ugh just thinking of him makes me feel as if I'm being stabbed over and over again.

I've been at wit's end trying to keep this kingdom stable and I can feel it starting to eat away at me.

Aphmau's complaining doesn't help.

I hate that I must isolate her because of her powers, but it's for everyone's good.

Sadly, its at Aphmau's current expense.

"M'lady, there is a sighting of Pirates in our domain, and they are approaching the palace." One of the palace guards's states, not without a frightened expression.

What....no....

We just got back on our feet...

Now, this?

I take a steady breath, concealing all hurt and emotion as I remember my duty to my people and kingdom.

"Prepare the armada and every single merman or mermaid who can fight."

"This ends now."

Before I can finish my sentence, the entire door to the palace explodes on itself, revealing an extensive crowd of pirates, all armed and using breathing potions.

They were lead by one tall, sculpted pirate, who had a very similar resemblance to...

The pirate who escaped that night......

The leading pirate then gestures the large army of pirates to charge.

Just something about the leader's eyes caught me off guard..... 

His eyes.......gleamed of enchanted emeralds.

Have a nice day my crystals!