Photo above is your mothers ring. It means From Land To Sea.
"That'll be £12.50 please" the lady at the counter gave you a clear fake smile.
You returned the fake smile and then handed her the exact amount trading that for the ticket. "Thank you" you spoke and then turned and walked away quickly.
You walked away with the flow of people down the long walkway to the aquarium exhibits, loud chatter and happy shouts surrounded you and made you nervous, your head dipped trying to shrink yourself away from all the people. The aquarium was rather expensive, but to you it was completely worth it, the ocean and its creatures always fascinated you since a small child and you often came to the aquarium to get away and forget your troubles.
*Flashback*
You were young, 6 years old, you were playing in the sea waiting for your friend to appear, you had known him for a very long time, most of your life you had come down to the beach to play with him as your house was just on the beach. You had originally saved him when he got caught in some fishing netting, you snuck out some of your uncles heavy duty scissors that he had left behind when he was helping your mum make good improvements, and cut him free.
This was before your life became troubled and painful. You splashed about for a bit waiting for your secret friend, you told no one about him like he asked, well signalled as he couldn't actually speak, and in return he gave you friendship which you highly desired as you didn't have any other friends.
A splash behind you made you jump and turn smiling to see him smiling back "Hey Mpfh" you waved at him. You could never remember his name no matter how hard you tried, so whenever you got one of these flash back his name would just come out like you were underwater. You didn't actually know his name so whatever it was you called seemed to work, it was only so you had something to call him by. He seemed to like it as he smiled to you every time and gave you a wave. You distinctly remember the time you tried to guess his name, you were laughing for hours with his reactions at each name you yelled at him until you found something that he liked. He didn't, smile only gave you a small nod in approval.
You jumped on the spot a few times before you jumped on to him wrapping your arms around him he titled himself onto his back and held you against him, floating on the surface of the sea. You relaxed you head against his chest and smiled, he was the same age as you, since you asked, he can answer yes or no questions with the shake of his head, or numbered questions where he used his tiny webbed hands to give you an answer. He couldn't speak but he could defiantly understand everything you were saying.
You felt drips and opened your eyes to dark shade above you, Levi had lifted his tail over you and was making the sea water drip down onto your face from the small fluke, giggling you splashed water in his face and then pushed away from him before ducking under the water. He followed you under and grabbed you with his webbed hands before he started to tickle you, bubbles from your giggles rose to the surface as he then grabbed you and brung you to the surface so that you could breath.
*Flashback end*
You smiled at the memory, you couldn't remember Levi's face only that you would both play in the sea together, and that he was a merman. Thinking about that, the aquarium you were currently at had recently acquired a new merman, that last of its kind they say. But you couldn't see it.
The first exhibit was a jellyfish bowl, every few seconds the lights inside would change colour which made the clear graceful creatures change colour with it. You'd always love the jellyfish back home, although it hurt when they stung. You'd always love to tempt fate and boop them on the soft outer dome.
You moved around the exhibits, taking your time at each one. Eventually you came to a fork in the path that had one side roped off, there was a shrimp tank next to it so you stood there next watching the small creatures move through the coral. You were desperate to go into the roped off area of the merman pen but you were too nervous to go against the rules.
"Mummy why can't we go in there" you heard the voice of a young boy and tuned to see him pointing to the roped off area.
"Because the merman is extremely dangerous. He's already killed two divers only sent in there to clean his tank" his mother explained.
You heard the young boy gasp and then jump behind his mother afraid "I don't like it" he murmured.
"It's alright honey he's stuck in his tank he can't get to you" he mother have a small laugh at her sons behaviour.
You knew the story of course, you researched it the moment it came of the news, researchers had found a merman that has gotten stuck in fishing nets, the last of his kind, and so they brought him here, to the aquarium, to heal him and preserve the species (or atleast try to). However the merman was highly aggressive so they could never actually open it to the public.
You were unconsciously fiddling with your ring while in thought, it was a very special ring that sat on your finger. It was the gift your mother gave you on her death bed back in your birth town by the sea, the ring meant the land and the sea and it suited you perfectly the meaning and the ring. After she died your dad took you in, your parents were divorced and he was the next care giver that you cold live with. Even though you argued that you wanted to be with your uncle, he couldn't legally gain custody and you were too young and was just ignored.
You father lives in the city, far away from the sea and you had to leave before saying goodbye to your secret friend, which upset you and made you feel extremely bad since he had no idea what had happen to you. You often imagined him coming up to the surface of the water looking and waiting for you but you wouldn't be there, you would never be there again.
Your hand slipped and your ring dropped from your finger to the floor, it rolled away from you and past the rope of the merman exhibit then down the dark corridor.
"No, No, No, No, No" you mumbled shortly in panic and went to chase after it before stoping at the rope.
You fidgeted nervously fiddling with you fingers again. No one would notice if you went to get your ring right? You sighed and then ducked quickly under the rope hoping to god that no one saw you, your nerves putting you on edge. You then dashed down the dark corridor your footsteps echoing with each stamp.
Your eyes widened once you reached the exhibit and you stopped in your tracks with amazement, a massive tank with beautiful corals stood before you nothing seemed to be in it but you couldn't be sure as you couldn't see the other side of the tank it was so large. Blue light from the sun sparkled down through the water giving the room and blue warm feel, it put you in a trance.
That was until a gold sparkle caught your eye. Your ring. You glanced around the large area for any sight of people, to make sure that you wouldn't get in trouble, before creeping forward and then reaching out to grab your ring.
However just before your fingers met the gold ring a massive bang against the glass above you made you jump backward and fall onto your but in surprise. Your eyes flicked up and met deep steel, and some how, familiar eyes stare back at you. His hair was styled in an undercut and he looked mostly human, apart from the navy blue fin like ears and the long also navy blue and black fin that followed down his spine. He had gills on his neck that flapped in the water as he breathed, his upper human body moulded into a long navy, black, and glowing white tail. Webbed hands pressed firmly up against where is had banged the glass keeping him from sinking without using his fins and tail too much.
You both just stared at each other, he seemed extremely familiar to you but you couldn't figure out where from and it began to nag at your brain. You thought he looked curious but you could quite tell from his stony face, you glanced back down to your ring which rested against the glass of his tank. You watched as his eyes looked down to your ring as well before he lowered himself down level with the ring on the floor. It was then you noticed that his tank went well below the floor level that you currently stood on.
He then began lightly tapping on the glass with his long nails and webbed hands, you stood quickly while he was distracted, however this caught his attention as his head shot up away from your ring and made eye contact with you.
You had to get your ring back, so you crept forward, him watching every move, once you reached the ring you picked it up and placed it back on your finger where it belonged. You showed the merman nervously and awkwardly giving him a smile, his eyes widened with what you thought was fascination before he looked at his own hand and then looked back to yours.
You brought your hand up close to the glass to let him see, he did the same and you both touched the glass in the same place. You gave him a proper smile and a wave which he copied without thought straight after.
He then did a little spin and straightened up, showing you his beautiful tail it was much larger and more impressive than your old friends and was clearly much more developed as he was much older than your old friend but still seemed like he was around your age, he repeatedly squashed and fanned his fluke which caught your attention and you couldn't stop staring at the beautiful colours. You did a cart wheel and he then copied as best as he could in the water by doing a little flip backwards.
You were watching closely as he gave you what you assumed was a 'wait there' signal with his hands, you smiled and nodded before he quickly span around and swam to the far back of the tank and out of view.
"Well, Well, Well look what we have here boys" you tensed at the familiar voice.
You slowly turned around in your place still tense, stood in front of you with wide smirks was Kieran and his two thick heads as you called them. They walked towards you quickly in a few long strides, Kieran grabbed you by the scruff and then forced you backwards into the glass sounding a loud thump which echoed.
You felt pain shoot through your back on the impact "I don't suppose you have any pocket money to hand after spending it on this stupid place, so how about we have some fun." Kieran lifted his hand and then brought it down hard catching you on the cheek and sending you to the floor.
They all laughed as you tried not to cry from your place on the floor not wanting to give him the satisfaction. Kieran then brought his foot back aiming to kick you, however before he could a loud bang on the glass behind you made the three of them jump back afraid.
Your head flashed up, the merman had his hands pressed up against the glass his face was contorted onto anger and it was then that you noticed the sharp teeth that lined his mouth. He let out a loud screech and continued banging on the glass when the bullies started to laugh and taunt him.
However they had stepped back far enough for you to be able to make an escape through a staff door, so while they were distracted you dashed as fast as you could towards the door. You could see the merman follow you, as you ran, with the simple flick of the tail. You heard the surprised yells and then stamps as the three thick heads began chasing you. Once you reached the door and threw it open before rushing inside and slamming it behind you.
"Go around!" you heard Kieran shout.
You reached the the top of the long stair chase with burning legs and realised that you were now in the outside animal management area, where they cared for all the creatures.
It was now night time, but you didn't have time to bask in the evening moonlight as Kieran and one of the thick heads erupted from the door behind you making you set of at a run again. You dashed forward on the slippery floor and then jumped up onto the wall surrounding the tank for a bit more grip, as it was dryer than the surrounding floor, but just as you reached the other side of the tank, the door burst open making you start, slip and fall backwards which made you smack your head against the floor.
You felt cold water engulf you as you began to loose consciousness while sinking into the deep merman tank.
*3rd person POV*
Levi clicked his tongue when (Y/N) went out of view and through the staff door, the stairs were so close to his tank that he could hear her footsteps running up toward staff management bit, where they first placed him into this tank. There was nothing he could do for the girl as he couldn't walk on land like she could.
Levi, agitated, swam back and forward in his tank until a loud splash above made him snap out of his agitated thoughts. Looking he saw (Y/N) drifting down through the water of his tank, knocked out and with a small trail of blood coming from the back of her head, with a small flick of his tail he grabbed her and brought her to the surface so that she could breath. With a cough she expelled the water from her lungs and began steadily breathing again but was still unconscious.
Levi settled her on his chest and used his tail to float around on the surface of the water on his back so that (Y/N) didn't drown. Running footsteps could be heard above him and he growled not looking away from the girl in his arms, he turned and swam away from the edge holding her tighter against his body. Blood from her head began to trail them and run down his skin which would usually disgust him but not with her.
"Levi... rescued her?" Eren spoke clearly confused
"Ahhhhhhh no way I have to document this"Hange screeched trying to dash away for his note book.
"Don't you think we should get her to a hospital first" Armin asked the frantic woman.
"I'll call an ambulance you get her off that fish" Mikasa spat and then walked away.
Levi hissed at the insult when Erwin spoke stopping him from doing anything drastic "ok Levi hand her over".
Levi hugged the girl even closer and hissed even louder trying to threaten the large man "Levi we can't help her if you don't hand her over" Erwin continued trying to reason with the merman.
Levi's face showed how he was deep in thought, as Eren held out his hands to retrieve (Y/N). Levi responded by flicking a load of the freezing water at him, soaking him through to the bone. "Levi will you give her to Hange?" Erwin asked sensing the problem was that he was extremely possessive over the girl and wouldn't hand her over to a male.
Levi was very over protective over a girl he just met, he couldn't understand why, he was like this over some random city girl, when trained professionals would just be attacked and even killed by the stone faced merman. But right now he was witnessing Levi's stony exterior soften and become calm when around the girl.
Once again Levi was in deep thought about his suggestion before finally nodding and reluctantly handing her carefully over as sirens surrounded from and ambulance.