Fresh Air

Chapter Six

He carefully swam on and Rosette focused on not getting water in her mouth or in her eyes.

They finally made their way to a sandbar and he made sure she was steady on there before smiling at her.

“A sandbar? Special,” she said laughing and looking around.

“No, it’s what’s next to the sand bar. Take a deep breath and don’t let go of my hand,” he said looking at her. She sighed and took his hand once again. She took a deep breath before diving under. She opened her eyes as Neptune pulled her down and she saw an amazing coral reef. It was really colourful and she smiled as a turtle swam by. She watched different fish swim by but soon ran out of air and swam back to the sandbar where she stood up and Neptune broke the surface next to her.

“So?” he asked.

“It was amazing. I’ve never seen a coral reef before. I didn’t even know there was one around here,” she said, now all smiles.

“I don’t think any humans do, which is why I wanted to share it with you. It could be our little secret,” he said smiling.

“Oh believe me, Neptune, there are a lot of secrets that are kept between the two of us,” she said patting his shoulder.

“I guess you’re right, but still, please don’t.”

“I won’t, don’t worry. I have no one to tell anyway. So is that it? I’m kind of tired.”

“Oh, sure, would you like me to swim you back to shore?”

“No I am okay.” She dived under the water and Neptune smiled before following after her. They made their way to shore and Rosette rang out her hair as she made her way out of the water. Neptune followed behind her and just sat on the beach as he watched her pick up her clothes.

“I guess this is good bye,” he said rubbing the back of his head.

“Not yet, the Prince just got married, that means there will be fireworks tonight. Come back at nightfall and I will watch them with you. Let you see something amazing from my world,” she said. And he smiled. He knew she would grow to like him.

“Sounds great,” he said.

“You don’t have to have such a large smile, I still think the merman and human thing isn’t going to work. But as friends, I can see that,” she said then waved before running off. Neptune smiled and then cheered as he dived back into the water and did summer salts all the way down to the bottom of the ocean. He laid there and just smiled until the light from the sun was blocked. He looked up and saw a shark had swam into view and was circling around, this was not good.

He carefully swam away but the movement caught the shark’s senses and he turned to face Neptune. He stopped and eyed a cave nearby that was just barely big enough for him. He looked at the shark one more time before swimming as fast as he could to the cave.

Sadly the shark was faster and managed to swim after him and bit his tail. Neptune punched the shark and it realised him and charged after him again. The teeth of the shark caught up to him and managed to give him a few cuts before he found a way to get into that cave and was safe.

Neptune sighed and looked at his arms. They were cut up and he knew he had some cuts on his face and chest. He then took a look at his tail and grimaced. It hurt a lot and was pretty damaged, swimming was going to have to be put to a minimum and he was not going to be going fast. The whole bottom of his fin was pretty much shredded.

The ocean grew darker and he knew Rosette would be expecting him soon. He checked to see if the coast was clear and it seemed shark free so he swam off as fast as could, just in case the shark was lingering.

He made it to shore just as the last rays of sun was fading on the horizon and he sat down on the sand and laid back and tried not to focus on the pain. The salt water had stopped the bleeding but it also made the pain more intense.

“Neptune?” came a voice off to his right. He sat up and turned his face and Rosette gasped and quickly made her way over to him and kneeled next to him.

“What happened to you?” she asked gently touching the side of his face.

“Shark attack,” he said wincing as she brushed her fingers over a cut.

“Does that happen often?”

“No,” he said, “I mean I see them a lot but I usually out swim them.”

“Your fin!” she said noticing it for the first time as the water rolled off of it, “how could you swim like this?”

“It wasn’t easy.”

“Will it be fixed, like can the cells rebuild themselves?”

“It can, but this is too bad, I doubt it will ever be the same.”

“I am so sorry, Neptune. Do you want me to bandage all your wounds? I can go get something to help before the fireworks begin.”

“Oh, s-sure, thanks,” he said. Rosette nodded and quickly ran off. She returned with some bandages and sat next to Neptune and began to cover his cuts.

“So, how will the other merpeople take you?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, will they still accept you? I know people can be cruel up here, how are they down there?”

“They are pretty accepting. I think everyone will just feel sorry for me. But I feel I will feel like a freak. I mean I can’t swim as fast I used to, and just look at it,” he pathetically lifted his fin then let it drop down on the sand.

“Well you aren’t a freak. You’re special. But it really does look painful,” she as she as finished with the bandages.

“It is just kind of dull now.”

“Well that’s good at least- Hey, couldn’t you ask King Triton to help? I mean he was able to give his daughter legs, maybe he can fix your fin.”

“He’s the King, he wouldn’t have time for me.”

“If he’s king, then he should make time for you. But regardless I’m sure everything will be fine,” she said leaning back on her arms.

“Sure, so when are these fireworks suppose to happen?”

“Soon, I hope. It’s getting a bit cold. Aren’t you freezing?”

“No, I’ve lived all my life out here.”

“But that was in the ocean.”

“The ocean is a lot colder, and I don’t wear, whatever you’re wearing.”

“They are called clothes.”

“Right, those.”

“Hey, have you ever wished you could be human? Like Ariel did.”

“I don’t know. I’ve always wanted to know what it was like to walk.”

“It’s not that fun. Especially when you do it all day up and down the palace, your feet get so tired.”

“How can feet get tired?”

“They start to hurt and it begins to feel so good when you sit down and prop your feet up.”

“May I…” he pointed to her feet and she nodded and moved so her feet were on his lap. It was weird to feel scales on her feet but she ignored it and watched him observe her feet.

“What are these?” he asked pointing to her toes.

“They are toes, they help keep balance,” she said wiggling them. He then picked one up and started brushing the sand off it until she started squirming.

“What?” he asked dropping her foot and looking at her.

“Nothing, just that tickles,” she said. Neptune smiled.

“Oh does it?” Rosette was about to pull her feet away, knowing the look he had just had, but he was faster and grabbed her ankles before tickling her feet. She burst out laughing and tried to get free but his grip was too strong.

“Ah! Stop it!” she yelled before laughing some more. He finally dropped her foot and she immediately pulled them to her and hid them under her skirt.

“You are really ticklish,” he said laughing.

“Only on my feet,” she said glaring slightly at him, “which you wonderfully discovered.”

“Yep,” he said just smiling.

“You aren’t ticklish are you?” she asked scooting closer to him and he went wide eyed and gulped.

“You wouldn’t want to hurt me any more now would you?” he asked with a slightly shaky voice.

“Fine, play that card. But I will tickle you eventually.”

“Does that mean we’ll be friends for a while?”

“I guess. I mean I have taken a liking to you, so I guess your little swim did the trick. Also I have to make sure you’re okay with your new injuries.”

“Thanks,” he said smiling, “that means a lot to me.”

“But please make sure you take care of yourself.” She said leaning forward and looking at him seriously.

“I will, I promise you.” She nodded and leaned forward and kissed his cheek.

Boom!

“What was that?” asked Neptune looking up at the sky as Rosette pulled away.

“That was a firework,” she said. He looked up in awe as the sky lit up with more.

They sat there on the beach and watched the fireworks. Rosette just watched, she had seen them many times before, while Neptune was in total awe at the display. He had never seen anything like this before under the surface. He never knew humans could create something like this.

They continued to sit there even once the last firework went up. Neptune kept hoping more was going to come but it was over.

“I think it is all done,” said Rosette causing Neptune to jump and look at her.

“Right, well I must say I think you beat me. That was better than any coral reef by a long shot,” he said smiling.

“Eh, I’ve seen them plenty of times before, I had never seen a coral reef though, so I think you win,” she said.

“Fine, we’ll call it a draw,” he said. Rosette smiled and nodded.

“Well I better go in, it is getting a bit chilly and I have to get up early to work,” she said moving to get up but Neptune grabbed her arm.

“I just want to say thank you for coming with me today. I don’t really have many friends so this means a lot to me,” he said not looking at her. She put a hand on his cheek and turned his head so he was looking at her.

“When I first met you I really did not like you, I thought it was weird, but now that we’ve spent some time together, well, you’re a good guy…er…fish…er,” she said.

“Whatever,” he supplied and they laughed.

“So please take care of yourself. Now are you sure you’ll be fine with that fin of yours?” she asked looking at it.

“I’ll be fine,” he said. She nodded and waved good bye before heading towards the palace. Neptune watched her until she was out of sight, and with one last look in the air he dived into the water and swam home.