The Captain watched the mermaid fall to the deck. He watched as her eyes rolled around and couldn't seem to focus on anything. His body moved on its own, and he found himself at her side in an instant. Her skin felt unnaturally cold to his touch.
"(Y/n), you have to stay with me. (Y/n)!"
She didn't look at it him. It's like he wasn't even talking. Her eyelids fluttered as she seemed to look everywhere but at him. Her face was completely devoid of expression.
"Please, love. Just look at me. Everything is going to be okay, just look."
No matter how much he pleaded, she didn't glance his way. Her eyes did seem to find something to focus on, and when Arthur looked, he saw it was the Leviathan charm that hung around her neck. The Captain noticed that her skin was red and blistering where the charm usually rested on her chest. He reached out to touch the glowing metal, but it was so hot that he only burned his fingers. Then he watched in horror as the whole thing disintegrated into nothingness.
"No! (Y/n), love, open your eyes! Please!" Arthur gently stroked the mermaid's pale face as her eyes slipped shut. It was cold.
He pressed his ear against her chest and listened for a heartbeat. It was there but faint. The Captain's mind reeled as he tried to think of what to do. He refused to let it end like this. His own heart began to beat sluggishly, and he knew he was running out of time. That's when Arthur remembered something he had seen Cook do to revive someone who had almost drowned. He himself had never attempted it before, but he didn't have time to think about it. The mermaid wasn't breathing, and her heart was slowly giving out.
Arthur placed his hands on her chest and began pumping the way he had seen Cook do it. He tried to keep his pace even and steady. After a little while, he stopped to give her a breath of air before going back to his pumping. It was hard work, but he didn't care. If it was going to save her, he would keep doing it for the rest of his life.
"What is he doing?" he heard Francis whisper.
"He's trying to save her," Antonio replied.
The Captain heard some footsteps and felt a hand on his shoulder. "It's too late, Arthur," Francis said. "You're wasting your time."
"Get away from me."
"But Arthur-"
"GET AWAY!!!" Arthur glared with the intent to kill at the blue eyed pirate captain, but didn't stop pumping the mermaids heart. "This is your fault! This is all your bloody fault!!!"
Francis didn't have anything to say to that. He stepped back through the crowd that was beginning to form to stand by Antonio. The two watched tight-lipped as the crews of both ships gathered in a circle around Captain Kirkland and the mermaid. No one said a word as he continued to try to save the person he loved. Beads of sweat were beginning to form on his face, and his breath came in ragged gasps, but he didn't stop.
"Cap'n...yer gonna kill yerself."
"'E's crazy dat one."
"I ain't never seen 'im like this b'fore."
Arthur ignored the voices. He didn't care about what they were saying. All he cared about was keeping the mermaid alive because without her, there was nothing else. It didn't even occur to him that it she died, he would as well. The only thought in his mind was her. She was everything.
"Dang it, Bro, I thought you'd be able to keep things in order while I was gone."
That voice was the only one that made the Captain turn. The crowd parted, and he watched as a soaking wet Alfred strolled up to him like nothing was wrong. Apparently, his younger brother was under that impression until he saw what Arthur was doing.
"How...did you...?" Arthur asked between pumps.
"After I got swept off deck, the ocean just got really calm. It was like the ware was pulling me to the surface," Alfred answered in a daze. "You don't think...Was it her? Is that why she's like this?" The Captain didn't need to answer. "Dang it, (y/n)!" Alfred dropped to his knees. "You weren't supposed to do that! You were supposed to get better."
"I need...your help..."
Alfred glanced toward Arthur with sad eyes. "Yeah?"
"I can't...keep doing this..." Arthur gasped. "You're...going...to have to..."
"I-I...I don't know if I can."
"First mate...doesn't refuse...captain's orders."
It took Alfred a moment to figure out what was going on. "Wait, you're making me first mate? Are you sure?" The Captain nodded, and Alfred returned the gesture. "Okay. I'll do it. I'll do it for (y/n)."
He took over Arthur's job of pumping and breathing, and Arthur sat on the deck to catch his breath. A twinge of jealousy poked his heart when he watched Alfred out his lips on hers, but he inwardly chided himself for it. The boy was keeping her alive. The Captain should be nothing but grateful. He could just imagine how the mermaid would scold him for being so silly at such a time, and his heart clenched in pain.
Time went by, but Arthur couldn't keep track of how much. It could have been five minutes or an hour. All he knew was every minute brought him closer to the inevitable end of his journey. He watched in silence as Alfred struggled to pump the mermaid's heart at a steady rate as sweat dripped down his face.
"I'll take over," the Captain told his brother.
"No...I can...keep going," Alfred managed to get out.
"You'll need a miracle to keep going."
"Did somebody ask for a miracle?!?"
The strange voice boomed around the remaining passengers of the Queen Lady. A small ripple formed next to the ship in the otherwise calm ocean, and it grew bigger and bigger until a huge figure erupted out of the water. Water sprayed all over the deck as the whole ship bobbed in the figure's wake. The Captain wiped water out of his eyes before staring up at the gigantic man standing next to the ship. He had bits of seaweed stuck in his dark curly hair and a starfish clinging to the stubble on his face. Bright bronze armor gleamed in the sun as the man brushed bits of coral off of his red cloak.
"The god of the ocean?" Arthur wondered out loud.
"Hmm? Oh, you mean me!" The god was about as tall as the main mast and had to bend over to look at the Captain. "So, I hear you're looking for a miracle. What can I do you for?"
Arthur couldn't believe it. This was exactly what he needed. "The mermaid. I need you to change her back to normal."
The god glanced over at the unconscious mermaid and shook his head. "Can't do it," he said bluntly.
"What?"
"Look at her! She's dying! It's not worth saving a dying person, don't you think? That boy doesn't look like he can keep going much longer. Just let her go."
Despair crashed down on Arthur's chest. His situation must have truly been hopeless if even a god refused to help him, but he wouldn't accept it. He wouldn't take no for an answer. He had come too far to give up now. The words were almost out of his mouth when someone else spoke up.
"I'll go next."
The Captain turned around to see Antonio kneeling beside Alfred. Francis still stood back a ways, but a shocked expression adorned his face. No one had expected this. The curly haired pirate took Alfred's place and began pumping the mermaid's heart. Everyone watched in silence for a moment before a commotion broke out.
"Me next!" James yelled as he stepped forward.
"Then me!" Squeaker called.
"I want to try!" Peter cried as he pushed his way to the front.
"I want ta go as well!" Cook said.
"It's me turn next!"
"No, it's me turn next!"
"Yer all too weak! Ah'll be goin' next, seaweed arms!"
"Not if someone else beats ya to 't!"
"Yer all goin' t' 'ave t' wait till after me!"
Both crews on deck argued over who would keep the mermaid alive next while Antonio pumped. Arthur faced the god with a new resolve. If they refused to let her go, the god was going to have to do what he asked. The huge man watched the commotion on deck with interest, and a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. He noticed the Captain watching.
"You really plan on saving her." It wasn't a question.
"Yes, I do," Arthur replied without hesitation.
"It takes a lot of magic to save a dying person, especially since you want me to change her back into a mermaid. It's going to cost you."
"Name your price."
"That's just the thing." The god sighed. "None of your mortal possessions are really that valuable to me. Gold? Have tons of it. Food? Never hungry. Women? They can't breathe underwater."
Arthur narrowed his eyes. "Then what is it you want?"
"That's a very good question. If you come up with something I like, I'll save your little mermaid. She's kind of a cutie, isn't she? Maybe I'll just keep her for myself." He laughed.
The Captain really didn't want that to happen, so he had to think fast. He had nothing valuable in his possession except for his ship and whatever gold was still left aboard, both of which he knew the god would not want. There was nothing else of value Arthur owned. Then he had an idea. It was a crazy idea, but sometimes crazy ideas worked the best. If he didn't have anything valuable, he would just have to convince the god what he had was valuable.
"I have something to give you in exchange for your help," he said loudly. Everyone became quiet to see what was going on.
"Oh really? Let me see it."
Captain Kirkland raised his arms. "This."
"Your ship? I have hundreds just like it sunk at the bottom of the ocean. Pass!"
"You misunderstand," Arthur said with a cocky grin. "I'm not giving you my ship. I offer something of much greater worth. In exchange for your help, I'll give you my life."
The god's eyes went wide, and then he laughed. "Oh! That's funny! You humans with your ideas about noble sacrifice! It's so corny!"
"I'm afraid you still misunderstand." That got the god's attention. "I offer you my life as a mortal. There must be times when you grow bored of your immortal life, bored of the responsibility that shackles you to the ocean. You must long to see the rest of the world."
"Interesting," the god mused. "Go on."
"I'm offering you the chance to go and see those things, to leave this life behind. Being mortal gives each day meaning and purpose. Time will no longer slip through your fingers like an endless stream of sand. You will be able to grasp it and make something of it! Make something of yourself!"
"No, no, no! You mustn't go on!" the god cried. "I can barely contain my excitement! You have no idea how long I've dreamed of this! Being a god is so boring!"
"Then you will save her?"
"Yes, yes. But wait. I need someone to take over my job." The god snapped his fingers and began to shrink. He landed nimbly on the deck next to Arthur and smiled. "You can do it!"
Captain Kirkland was taken aback. "W-what?"
"It's perfect! I'm sure you'll do a great job! Pirates love the sea!" the god said excitedly.
"But-"
"It's not even that hard! You just have to kinda keep the peace. Make sure no one is trying to attack my pet Leviathan, keep the ocean clean, sometimes whip up a storm here and there, stuff like that."
"But-"
"You'll do great! I can feel it in my gut!"
"But what about (y/n)?!?" Arthur finally burst out.
"Oh! Right. Stand back everyone!" the god called as he walked toward the unconscious mermaid. He had Antonio step aside so he could place a hand on her forehead. A bright greenish blue light glowed beneath his palm, and the air smelled strongly of sea spray. "There. She should be fine now. Just watch."
The words were barely out of his mouth when the mermaid began changing. Her legs glowed with a bright light as they started to join together and slightly elongate. Her feet grew longer and flattened out into a fin. When the change was compete, the light faded to reveal a gleaming blue green tail where her legs had once been. It was so long since Arthur had seen her this way that he thought she looked kind of strange, but she was still as beautiful as ever.
"Ta-dah! You better put her in some water before she dries up," the god said.
There were plenty of volunteers to carry the mermaid below deck to the storage room that still held her bathtub. Then Captain didn't like putting her in there, but it was their best option at the moment. She would soon have the whole ocean to swim in anyway. It pained Arthur to think those thoughts. He tried not to as his crew, along with the crew of the Spanish Armada, cleaned up the debris strewn on deck and attempted to salvage the sails. A strong hand placed on his shoulder startled him out of his thoughts.
"Are you ready to become immortal?" the god of the ocean asked with a big grin.
"I suppose I'm as ready as I'll ever be."
"I like your attitude! Now, this shouldn't hurt a bit."
Arthur wasn't sure whether to believe him or not, but it was too late to go back on his word. The god's eyes began glowing, and something flowed into the Captain through the god's hand on his shoulder. It wasn't painful, but it wasn't pleasant either. He felt as if something very large was being forced into his body where it shouldn't fit. He also felt extremely powerful. His fist clenched unintentionally, and Arthur could feel the ocean stir in response.
"There! All done!" The former god smiled at the new one. "I'll need a name now that I'm mortal, huh? What should I call myself?" He thought it over for a few moments. "I like the name Rome. I don't know where I got it from, but I like it." He held out his hand to the Captain. "This is one of your human customs, right?"
"Yes, it is," Arthur said as he shook Rome's hand. "The name is Captain Arthur Kirkland. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"The pleasure's all mine!" Rome said as he shook Arthur's hand vigorously. "I should probably tell you that I need a ride to shore. Could you do that for me, Arthur old pal?"
"I'm sure it can be arranged."
"I think your crew wants to talk to you too."
Sure enough, when Captain Kirkland turned around, he saw his crew gathered on deck. Many held things in their hands like they had been working and stopped. Some were still sitting on the masts or coming up from below deck. All of their eyes were on their captain, but Arthur didn't know what to say. He met Alfred's questioning eyes and sighed.
"I suppose this is the end of the line for us."
Shouts of unhappiness followed his statement.
"I have other responsibilities now, and I can no longer be your captain. I appoint Alfred to take my place. He will make a bloody good captain, I'm sure of it."
"Big Bro..." Alfred murmured.
"No! Cap'n! Wait!" James pushed his way through the crowd toward Arthur. "We want t' go wit ya! If ya won't stay 'ere, we'll go wit yew!"
"Yeah!" cried Squeaker from the crow's nest. "We want ya t' be our cap'n, sah!"
Shouts of agreement came from the rest of the crew leaving the Captain speechless. He hadn't expected such loyalty from his men. His eyes met Alfred's again, and the boy nodded. The corner of Arthur's lips tweaked up into a half smile.
"You have to stay, Uncle." Peter came forward and grabbed the front of the Captain's coat.
He had forgotten about Peter. There was no way he could leave. "Are you sure you want to work under the god of the ocean?"
The crowd roared.
"It will not be easy."
They roared again.
"You won't be able to live a normal life."
"No one cares, Cap'n," James said, speaking for everyone. "As long as yer the cap'n, we'd sail t' the end o' the world n' back."
"I don't think you have that much time," Captain Kirkland said softly.
"You could just give them all eternal life too, you know," Rome suggested.
The Captain looked out at his crew. "Are you willing to sail forever with me as your captain?"
The shout that came from the men was the loudest one yet.
"Then I grant the crew of the Queen Lady immortality as long as they work under me." Arthur felt the magic course through his veins and make his words true. He could tell from the faces of the crew that they had felt it as well. "Now, we need a working ship."
The Captain snapped his fingers, and the whole ship came to life. Sails repaired themselves, ropes coiled into neat piles, broken barrels and crates became as good as new, the holes in the side of the ship were filled, and water disappeared as if it had never been there. Arthur thought he was getting pretty good with this whole magic thing, although he could tell it took a tremendous amount of his energy to use. He wouldn't be able to do it all the time, but on this occasion it had been worth it. The Queen Lady looked as good as it did on the first day that he had seen it, if not better.
"Prepare to set sail!" he ordered.
"Arthur." The Captain turned to see Francis and Antonio watching him. "We'd like to apologize," Antonio continued.
"Not that we have anything to be sorry for," Francis huffed. "You sunk both of our ships!"
"Be nice, Francis."
"Humph!"
"You're free to join my crew," Arthur suggested with a smirk.
"Um, no thanks," Antonio said quickly. "We just need to get back to shore. You can let us off wherever you're letting him off." He pointed at Rome.
"As if I would work for someone as unmagnifique as you!"
"I can toss you off my ship and have the Leviathan eat you if you would like."
Francis made a quick escape after that with Antonio close behind. Arthur let himself chuckle at the pair before looking out at the ocean. His quest was compete. Becoming the god of the ocean must have severed his heart-bond because he couldn't sense any of the mermaid's magic surrounding his heart. He was free. It was almost laughable. There was once a time where he had wished to be rid of her. Now it was quite different.
Alfred appeared beside the Captain with a small smile. "It's all over, huh?"
"Yes, it is."
"Are you sure you want me as your first mate now that you have to put up with me forever?"
"I wouldn't have it any other way."
Alfred didn't seem surprised by his brother's answer at all. "Yeah, me either."
~000~
I struggled my way back to consciousness with a strange fierceness. I wasn't actually sure as to why I had to be awake. There was just a small part of me that said it was important for me to be conscious. My eyes fluttered open, and I found myself sitting in a bathtub that had a thin layer of seawater at the bottom. At first I was confused, but I soon remembered everything. The storm, Alfred falling, the charm disappearing. I remembered, but it didn't explain why I was in a tub. My mind raced, and my heart nearly stopped.
Was everything I remembered a dream? Was it some sick joke my head was playing? Was I actually on my way to be sold?
The possibilities swirled around until I started to feel sick. I should have felt ecstatic that I had my beautiful tail back, but I felt nothing but dread. If my memories weren't real, I would have lost more than what any tail could ever mean to me. Without meaning to, I thought of all of my friends and the different people I had thought I met. Peter, James, Squeaker, Alfred, Christov, Lanham, Cutter, Cook, Ojigwa, Ninya, Vladimir, Yao, Kiku, Ivan, and Arthur.
Tears welled in my eyes. I didn't bother to hold them back as they spilled over. The real Arthur wasn't the same as the Arthur I had loved. I loved a figment of my imagination, and now I was left with nothing. My sobs grew louder as my heart grew heavier. It was the sickest twist of fate life had thrown at me after getting me caught on this pirate ship to begin with. I screamed. I screamed and screamed until I couldn't find the strength to continue.
The door to my little room opened, and Arthur stepped inside. He seemed different than the Arthur I remembered. The Arthur I imagined. "What's wrong? Why are you screaming?"
"It doesn't matter," I muttered.
"You scared the bloody daylights out of me and the crew."
"Sorry. It won't happen again."
"What's the matter, love?"
"Just leave me alone!"
I buried my face in my hands and let the tears flow. This was cruel. A sick, twisted joke. I couldn't believe fate was horrid enough to do this to me. To make matters worse, I felt a warm hand rest on my shoulder and another touch the side of my face. I flinched from the touch, but I couldn't escape. The tub and my fin kept me from getting too far.
"(Y/n)? What's wrong, love? Shouldn't you be happy that you're back to normal? You can go home now," Arthur whispered softly.
"W-what?" I uncovered my face to look into his emerald eyes. They were the same as I remembered. "Arthur?"
"Yes, princess?"
"So it wasn't a dream?"
"What are you talking about?"
I explained everything. It came out in one big rush, but I didn't care. I told him how I thought the whole trip was a dream and that I had been in this tub the whole time. I told him how scared I was that I had made everything up and that the person I loved wasn't really real. I went on and on until he laughed. It wasn't a mean-spirited laugh, just slightly amused.
"You have quite the imagination, love."
"So I noticed."
"You did sleep through a few things though."
He filled me in on everything I missed. I listened as he told me about pumping my heart for me and meeting the god of the ocean. He told me about exchanging his mortality to save me and how he became the next god. I was happy to hear that everyone wanted to stay and sail with him as he watched over the ocean, and I was excited to hear that he made Alfred his first mate. It was all more than I could have hoped for. Almost a real happy ending.
"We're in the Sea of Gamn now," he explained. "We just left Wend to drop off Rome, Antonio, and that bastard Francis."
"Isn't this where you found me?"
"Yes, it is."
"This is where I have to go, isn't it?"
He didn't answer for a long time. "Yes."
"Will you carry me?"
Arthur reached into the tub and lifted me out of the shallow water. I wrapped my arms around his neck like the time we had to escape from Francis' ship. We had come full circle. He carried me out of the room and down the hall to the stairs. Everyone watched as we moved across the deck toward the starboard rails. I tried not to look to directly at anyone. I didn't want to cry again.
"(Y/n)." I turned to see Alfred standing beside us.
"Oh, Alfred, I'll miss you so much." I reached out and hugged him. "Take care of Arthur for me. I'm sure you'll make a wonderful first mate."
"I'll do my best," he whispered. His voice cracked on the last word.
"(Y/n)!" Peter arrived next and looked at me with sad blue eyes. "I know you can't stay, so I came to say goodbye."
"I'm sorry, little one." I placed a hand on his head. "Grow up to be big and strong, okay?"
"O-okay."
I looked over Arthur's shoulder at the rest of the crew and waved. "Goodbye, and thank you." It came out in a whisper that I was sure no one heard.
"(Y/n)." Arthur looked down at me with an expression that was enough to break my heart. "(Y/n)..." He couldn't seem to find the words.
"It's okay. Please don't be sad." I touched his cheek gently. "We mermaids live a long time. I'm sure we'll see each other again."
He nodded. I tried to smile for his sake before leaping out of his arms and into the water. It was cool, salty, and comforting. I didn't realize how much I missed moving in the sea. My fin worked perfectly as I glided in the blue depths. I knew which way I had to go to get home, but my body wouldn't move. Before I knew it, I was swimming for the surface. My head broke the water, and I spun in a circle. There it was. The Queen Lady was still floating on the small waves in the exact same spot where it was before. I was afraid it would have set sail already, but it was still there with most of the crew watching me from the railing.
"Arthur!" I cried. I could see him still standing where I left him and called again. "Arthur!"
He stepped up onto the railing and jumped. He didn't even hesitate. The odd thing was that he landed on top of the water like it was solid earth. Apparently, that was a perk that came along with being the god of the ocean. He walked the distance between the two of us. I felt odd with him towering over me, but I couldn't stand next to him even if I had legs.
"I don't want to leave," I said softly.
His eyes widened. "What?"
"I don't want to go. I want to stay with you."
Without a word, he knelt down and offered me his hand. I didn't know what he was up to, but I took it anyway. He pulled me out of the water with little effort. As my tail passed out of the water, I felt a slight tingling sensation, and looked down to see a pair of legs standing on the water instead of my tail. I gasped and looked at Arthur, who was smiling softly at me. He opened his arms, and I leapt into his embrace.
"I love you. I love you."
~000~
"An' that's the story." The pirate sets down his empty mug as he wipes beer foam from his scruffy face.
"What happened next?" one of the men asks. The three had sat transfixed for the last several hours listening to the pirate's tale while he drank several more mugs of beer.
"What do ya mean what 'appened next? That's all there is t' that story."
"But there has to be more!" exclaims the man with blue eyes.
"Suppose there is, but that's another story fer another time." The pirate stands from his table and turns to leave. "The weddin' was perrty nice though. Don't suppose ya landlubbers would want t' 'ear about that, would ya?"
"Yes! Tell us!" the blue eyed man begged.
"Ya better tell 'im or 'e'll never shut up about it," another of the three mumbles.
"Okay, okay. Well, it was maybe a fortnight or two later when-" The pirate stops speaking as the storm outside takes a turn for the worse. A loud, wild shrieking could be heard outside as the wind races through the town. The pirate cocks his head to the side as if listening and sighs. "That be the Cap'n callin'. Best be on me way. He don't like t' be kept waitin'." He hurries his way across the bar.
"Wait!" calls one of the men before the pirate could get out the door. "At least tell us your name!"
Everyone in the pub waits to hear his answer. "Me name, eh? Ah remember when she first asked me me name. Wasn't wearin' a belt an' me trousers kept fallin' down." He chuckles to himself. "Me name is James. Yep, just James."
And with that he steps out into the storm.