Advertisement 2

Band: THE KIDDIE, heidi., UNiTE., Kameleo, Gotcharocka, Moran, Matenrou Opera, Dio - Distraught Overlord, CLØWD, Purple Stone, Yusai, Lost Ash, Shounenki, Crimson Shiva, LACK-CO., Garak's

Pairing: Sorao&Jun, Yoshihiko&Kiri, Kohsuke&Nao, Lin&Sana, Haku&Mio, Hikaru&Yui, Daisuke&Kouichi, Takeshi&Takashi, Jui&Jun, Tero&Toya, Soan&Hitomi, Ivy&Vivi, Sizna&Sono, Iori&Kou, Keiya&Fuma, Gaku&Orochi, Saku&Yoshi, Mikaru&Syu, Kei&Erina, Dye&Sai, Rei&Kou, Nao&Eiki, Tokiya&Natsuki, Higiri&Milk, Narumi&Juri, Nagi&Rumina

Rating: 17+

Genre: comedy, parody

Warnings: -

Note: How does adawinry see each pairing? Take the trip to the bathroom as an example. Again.

 "Save water, bathe with your girlfriend!"

* * *

Jun: Shinobu, Shinobu, Shinobu!

Sorao: I'm coming! Man, you're so impatient...

Jun: If you weren't so slow, I wouldn't have to be impatient!

* * *

Yoshihiko: Kiri-chan~

Kiri: *throws drumstick at Yoshihiko*

Yoshihiko: *dodges* You could just say "no".

Kiri: It didn't work yesterday.

* * *

Kohsuke: Naohisa, I have a question.

Nao: No.

Kohsuke: *takes a bug out of his pocket* I'll throw this under your shirt.

Nao: ...I'm going to buy the bubble bath.

* * *

Lin: Sana, Sana~

Sana: *laughs hysterically* No.

* * *

Haku: *stands in front of the shelf with bubble baths* Should I take the flower scented one, forest scented one or the sea scented one? Or maybe orange or strawberry? We didn't use the cherry one in a while, but the lavender scented one sounds nice and we didn't try it yet. But Ryosuke complains about his lower back pain, so maybe the aloe one? Or maybe something sweet? Cocoa, cola or bubble gum? Cinnamon is more fit for the winter...

Mio: *got so lost in his thoughts that he can't hear whatever Haku is talking about*

* * * 

Hikaru: I want to ask you, if...

Yui: No.

Hikaru: I know you'd say that, so...

Yui: *smacks his head*

Hikaru: Hey, I didn't ask in the end!

Yui: But you wanted to.

Hikaru: . . .

* * *

Daisuke: Can we take a bath together?

Kouichi: Okay, but don't make bubbles.

Daisuke: . . .

Daisuke: . . .

Daisuke: . . .

Daisuke: Oh. Okay.

* * *

Takeshi: *sits in the bathtub with a fried chicken*

Takashi: *shrugs* *gets into the bathtub and eats some chicken with Takeshi*

* * *

Jui: *pulls Jun to the bathroom*

Jun: Junichi! Last time I tripped and fell and you fainted and it wasn't yay. Do you really think it's a good idea?

Jui: I'll make tomato miso, if you agree.

Jun: ...you won.

* * *

Toya: *hugs the bathtub*

Tero: I get the idea, but all you needed to do is ask.

* * *

Soan: *hugs Hitomi from behind* Are we going to take a bath together, Hito-chan?

Hitomi: Sure, but maybe leave the undressing for when we get to the bathroom.

Soan: *undoing the last button from Hitomi's shirt* Don't question me, Hito-chan.

* * *

Vivi: Toshi, put down the pasta. We're going to take a bath.

Ivy: Can I bring my pug-shaped sponge?

* * *

Sono: CAN YOU GET THIS SQUIRMING CAT OUT OF THE WATER?!

Dura: Meow!

Sizna: No?

* * *

Iori: Kou?

Kou: *looks at Iori*

Iori: *already undressed*

Kou: I like that idea~

* * *

Keiya: Fuma, listen...

Fuma: *takes a picture of Dora* Will you let me be seme?

Keiya: What. No.

* * *

Gaku: And then we'll wear those fluffy bedrobes from Keiya and Fuma and... Are you listening to me?

Orochi: *fell asleep*

Gaku: . . .

* * *

Yoshi: *does a frontflip on his way to the bathroom*

Saku: I'll pretend I understand...

* * *

Mikaru: SYU, ARE YOU FUCKIN' READY?

Syu: I'M READY FOR FUCKIN'~

* * *

Erina: *clings onto Kei* Kei-chan~

Kei: *eats gummies* No.

Erina: But.. But Kei-chan!

Kei: *puts gummy into Erina's mouth* No.

Erina: . . .

* * *

Sai: *pretends to be a princess*

Dye: You want to encourage or discourage me?

* * *

Kou: I wanna be a flower~

Rei: What does it have to do with it?

Kou: Lily?

Rei: Aah... Okay.

* * *

Eiki: *trips on the tiles*

Nao: *sighs* Normal.

* * *

Tokiya: Do you have to drink coffee even in a bathtub?

Natsuki: *takes a picture of coffee*

Tokiya: I have no questions about that...

* * *

Higiri: Why is the water white?

Milk: I poured some milk in it.

Higiri: What.

* * *

Narumi: I poured the raspberry bubble bath, lit up the candles, turned on romantic music and you...

Juri: *higging plush Minion* I really cannot bring him with me?

Narumi: *heavy sigh* Why do I even try so hard?

* * *

Rumina: *he didn't even see the commercial, because...*

Nagi: *...watches vistlip's live DVD for the hundreth time*

* * *

The end

Under the Water

Band: Moran, Matenrou Opera and Versailles in the background

Pairing: Soan&Hitomi, Ivy&Vivi and Sizna&Sono in the background

Rating: 17+

Genre: AU, fantasy, romance

Warnings: violence

Note: Hitomi as The Little Mermaid, Soan as a prince, Sizna and Sono are fish, Kamijo is a psycho and only Ivy and Vivi are just normal humans.

Storm. Big waves were hitting a ship, which started to sink. The crew tried to stop the crisis, but they couldn't do it. Handsome young man in blue coat and white shirt, already wet with sea water, grabbed rudder just before a moment, when a ship almost hit the rocks. But he couldn't change direction completely. He didn't know that the ship had actually hit one of the rocks lightly, which created a hole in the port side through which water began to pour onto the deck. And by the time the crew discovered it, it was too late.

Everyone got into the lifeboat, except for the young man. He came back for the dog that had been left on board. The animal was terrified. The man found it and gave it to his companion, but then the ship hit the rocks again. The lifeboat's ropes broke and it fell into the water, throwing one of the men right into the ocean, but fortunately he was saved by his crewmates.

Unlike the youngster in a coat, who fell into the water, when floor broke under his feet. When he reached the surface, he saw only burning wood and not even a single man. Trying to escape the rubble, he didn't notice the rubber falling from about. It hit him in the head, making him uncounscious. He fell in the water again, sinking slowly. He hit the bottom of the sea and then some days later it gave back his cold body to the seaside.

And then I woke up abruptly. The same dream again, the same since years. I sat up, breathing hard and my head really hurt.

What were these night visions? I had this dream for the first time, when I still was a preschooler. The older I was, the more recently it appeared. Dad said that maybe these are memories of my previous life. But is it possible for me to be a human in my past life?

Oh, right. I'm not a human. You know fish, right? Right. Humans too. And when you match these two creatures, you have me, my family and every Atlantis' citizen.

Yes, I know that humans think that Atlantis is just a legend et cetera. But it's better like this. At least they mind their own business.

"Young master?" I heard my butler's voice.

He was a seahorse. A very mean seahorse...

"What happened, Sono?" I asked and he sighed.

"This dream again?"

"Yes."

"Eat something and you'll forget about it" Sono patted my shoulder with his fin.

I shook my head and swam to the dining room.

I won't forget about this dream. I can't forget about something, about which I've been dreaming since childhood.

"Hi, Hitomi" black-white fish smiled to me, when I sat by the table.

I looked at it. In fact, the fish was my dear friend Sizna. He was nice, not like Sono. He was only a little too loving older brother towards his younger sister, Dura.

"Hi, Sizna" I mumbled, putting some algae salad on my plate. "Where are my parents?"

"Your father swam to the shore to make sure, if rumors about the storm are true" replied Sizna, chewing some algae. "And mrs Manako swam somewhere with her friend."

"Storm..." I mumbled, looking at algae between my chopsticks. "I had this dream again, Sizna."

"Oh" Sizna almost spat his algae. "Dura-chan had a bad dream too today. She dreamt of Sono in a dress, chasing her around."

"Hey!" Sono overheard us as always and materialised beside us.

"It was just a dream of a little fish, easy" Sizna laughed. "What are you going to do today, Hitomi?"

"I don't know" I put chopsticks on the table and sighed. "I feel a little off today, in fact."

"Is it because of this nightmare?" asked Sono.

I nodded.

"What nightmare?" my younger brother, Tooru, sat down beside me.

There was a big age gap between us, so for now he was a little annoying kid. But he was my annoying brother, so I loved him.

"The one about a storm. I've told you about it once" I explained, fuffling his blue hair.

"Oh, I remember" Tooru laughed, put the salad and algae into his bowl, then he started to eat fast. "Mum told me that dad swam to check, if there is any chance for a storm and that if she hears that you left home, she's going to pluck the scales from your tail."

"I want to swim around a little, because I don't feel right" I announced to him.

"So you want to have your tail pluckedl?"

"I want my head to stop aching" I replied.

I haven't been used to pain. I felt pain rarely and some people were telling me that something is wrong with my pain receptors.

"Do, what you want, but I wouldn't make mum mad" Tooru smiled brightly, showing his white teeth and one hollow after he lost his last baby tooth recently, then he swam to his room.

...how he finished his breakfast so fast? This kid is always an enigma for me.

"Young master, you can't..." started Sono, but Sizna interrupted him.

"Be quiet, Sono. Hitomi wants to swim to the surface and Hitomi will swim to surface" Sizna smiled and patted the seahorse's head.

"Sizna!"

"What?"

"Ugh, nothing..." Sono rolled his eyes.

I'll probably never understand these two...

* * *

When I left home, I realised that ocean really wasn't calm this day. Sizna and Sono swam with me. Sizna was talking about Dura non stop, Sono tried to persuade me to come back home. But my head hurt more and more, and on top of that my heart started to beat so fast that I thought I'm going to have a heart attack.

I reached the surface. I saw a black, ominous-looking sky and a turbulent ocean surface. The storm was real. I was about to dive back in, when I saw something that made my heart hurt so much that I couldn't breathe for a moment.

Ship! The ship from my dream! For Poseidon's, Neptun's and every god of seas and oceans' sake!

"What's going on, Hitomi?" asked Sizna, pulling my shirt. "Hitomi?"

I didn't listen to him. I was staring at a youngster in a blue coat, who at this point  ran away from the lifeboat.

Dog! He's looking for a dog! I knew he was looking for a dog!

"Young master, wait, what are you doing?!" called me Sono, but I was already swimming as fast as I could towards the ship.

This ship is going to hit rocks! He's going to die!

"Hitomi, watch out!" I heard Sizna's scream and that's why I jumped off the boat in the last moment, before it crashed me. I grabbed some brown-haired, confused youngster's sweater and threw him to his friends.

Dad won't be mad. He told me a long time ago that we should live with humans in peace. But he'll be afraid that people from land are going to eat us like some exotic meal.

I swam further. I saw this youngster just after he was hit by the rudder.

"No!" I screamed and caught him.

He looked at me and lost his consciousness.

I surfaced and looked for the lifeboat. It was already quite far away. I swam to it and handed to humans their lost friend.

"Who are you?" asked some petite, big-eyed, blonde-haired boy.

I smiled to him and dove into the water.

I heard a scream, someone tried to follow me, but...

"You don't have to. He's a merman."

"Mermaids aren't real, Ivy."

"They are. We’ve just seen one."

"You swallowed too much salt water..."

My head stopped hurting. Heart too. I felt relieved, calm and happy.

"What have you done, master?" Sono was frightened. "Humans saw you!"

"My dream was a vision" I announced. "Vision, Sono. I  h a d  t o  save him. It was his and my fate."

"But this kid in sweater saw your tail" Sizna pointed out. "Don't you..."

"I heard them talking about it and they don't believe him" I shrugged and came back home.

* * *

"Hitomi!" I heard my mum's voice, when I had a nap after this rescue mission.

I opened my eyes, a little anxious. She was staring at me, frowning and splashing water with her tail.

"Hitomi, Sono told me that you saved a human" she announced.

I sighed.

"Have I done something wrong?" I asked and then my dad swam into my room.

"Manako, darling. Don't be so harsh on him" he said.

"I didn't even start scolding him" my mum pointed out.

"So don't start" replied dad. "Do you know,  w h o  he saved?"

"No matter, who he saved, it's a bad situation!" shouted mum.

"Relax, Mana" mumbled dad. "Our son saved a human prince."

Mum blinked and looked at me.

"A prince?"

"I don't know anything about that" I announced.

"Do you see? Prince saved another prince" dad summed it up.

I didn't say that I'm a prince and my home is a castle, right? No? That's because I don't like it too. Well.

"So if a king of humans learns about this accident, we can tell him that we exist?" asked my mum.

"I'm not too sure, but they'll be grateful at least" replied dad.

"What about the second boy?" I asked.

Parents looked at me, surprised.

"Did you save someone else?" mum was surprised.

"Yes" I nodded.

"Did he see you?" dad looked at me firmly.

I nodded.

"It can be a problem" said mum. "What do you think, darling?"

"We'll see" dad scratched his head. "Hitomi, don't swim too close to the surface, until I learn more about the second boy and what is he going to do about that knowledge."

I agreed. I felt that I didn't have any other option.

* * *

"Master Hitomi, I don't like, what you're doing" said Sono, nervously flapping his fins. You have to come back to the castle, young master! Your parents..."

"Rules are meant to be broken" Sizna interrupted him.

Good boy Sizna, you'll get a worm.

"Don't worry, Sono" I said, laying down on some big, flat rock, sticking out a little above the surface. "I'll be okay."

"Master" Sono grabbed my shirt. "Master, humans. Humans!"

"Shut up or they hear you" Sizna covered his mouth and I slipped off the rock to prevent humans from seeing me.

Wait... Isn't that this prince I saved? And his friends...?

"I really saw a merman, Vivi" said Ivy. "You saw him too."

"It couldn't be a merman, Ivy" mumbled Vivi. "Mermaids aren't real."

"I saw him too" admitted the prince. "But everyone keeps telling me I had hallucinations because of hitting my head."

"And they're right" said Vivi. "You just hit your head. Ivy got scared too and imagined everything."

"I wasn't scared!" shouted Ivy. "I mean, I was, but I'm telling the truth."

"I believe you" the prince laid down on the sand. "I can even wait here for this merman."

"Well, he was handsome, in fact" Ivy thought for a moment.

Vivi nudged him in his ribs.

"What?" Ivy looked at him.

"What about me?"

"You're pretty" Ivy ruffled his hair. "So-san? What are you looking at?"

"I thought that..." the prince leaned and almost saw me, but I was back in the water already. "I saw something. Or someone."

"A mermaid?" asked Vivi meanly.

"I'm going to make a merman out of you too" said the prince. "I'll catch you and splash! You'll be under the water."

"Don't do that, please" Vivi cried a little.

"So don't be mean" asked him the prince.

"Sorry..." said Vivi. "So, are we going back to the castle?"

"Of course!" exclaimed Ivy. "There's pasta for dinner today, we can't be late!"

And happily, pulling Vivi's hand, he ran to the castle, not even noticing that the prince stayed.

The young man pulled up his throusers, took off his shoes and entered the water.

Is he walking towards me?

No, I don't think...

"Master" Sono pulled my hair. "He's walking towards us. Towards us. Us!"

"Be quiet, Sono" growled Sizna.

We were swimming back, but the prince didn't give up even, when his trousers were already wet. And even, when he stopped feeling ground under his feet.

I couldn't swim away. I would make too much noise. Besides that, fear was paralizing me. And not just fear...

The prince dived and looked at me, already under the water. He glared at my tail, then he gave me his hand.

"RUN AWAY, YOUNG MASTER!" yelled Sono. "RUN AWAY, IF YOU WANT TO LIVE!"

"Shut up, Sono" Sizna smacked his head.

I gave the prince my hand and he pulled me to himself, then he swam towards the seaside. In this moment I thought that I'm stupid. What if he's going to sell me to the circus?

The prince sat on the seaside and I sat in front of him, still in water. I didn't want to let my tail dry out.

"So I was right" said the prince. "You're a merman."

"That's right" I confirmed.

"My name is Soan" he introduced himself. "What about you?"

"Hitomi" I replied. "Do you want to send me to the circus right now?"

"No way!" Soan laughed. "You saved me. What kind of person I would be, if I sent my savior to the slavery?"

"Humans are like this..." I mumbled and realised that Sono is pulling my shirt. "Sono, stop."

Seahorse glared at me and let go of my shirt reluctantly.

"Is this your pet?" asked Soan.

"DON'T CALL ME >>PET<<, YOU BIG MONKEY!" yelled Sono, trying to bite the prince, but Sizna stopped him.

"He's my butler, Sono" I replied.

"He seems to be angry. Did I say something wrong?" he asked.

"You called me a pet" growled Sono.

He was quiet for a moment.

"So... Did I?" Soan looked at me, at Sono, at Sizna and at me again.

"He explained this to you" I replied, a little confused.

"Oh..." Soan laughed hysterically. "Erm... Hitomi, you know, there is one thing..."

"What?"

"I didn't hear anything" he explained.

Oh, right. He's a human. They're deaf.

"I'm sorry" I smiled apologetically. "You called him a pet."

"Oh. Is it bad?" Soan looked at still annoyed Sono. "I'm sorry, Sono. Forgive me."

Sono snorted and didn't say anything.

"Did he forgive me?"

"Of course" I poked the seahorse's fin. "Sono is a friendly fish, right?"

Sono glared at me and snorted once again. Sizna just shook his head.

"Can I ask about somethig?" Soan looked at me firmly.

"It depends, what do you want to ask about" I replied.

"Why did you save me?" asked Soan. "I'm glad that you did that, but... Why were you there? Why did you save someone, who's a different species? You talked with my friends and my crew. Weren’t you scared that they're going to discover, who you are?"

"I didn't think about me, when this happened" I admitted. "I thought about dreams I had since my childhood."

"Dreams?"

"More like nightmares. About your death" I explained. "Besides, you also risked your life for someone, who's a different species. You came back to save a dog."

"How do you know that..." Soan froze for a moment. "Wait a minute. Have you really dreamed of it?"

"Yes. Since forever" I confirmed. "You probably don't believe me."

"I believe you."

"Why?"

"You know, I'm talking with half-fish" Soan pointed to my tail. "I wouldn't believe a human. But you're a magical seaborn creature, so why not?"

"Well, in some way it's nice" I said. "But I think I have to swim back."

"Already?" Soan looked disappointed.

"If someone sees me, they can be not so tolerating like you" I explained. "I prefer not to risk."

"You're right" Soan nodded. "Will we meet again?"

"Someday, for sure" I smiled friendly. "See you later, prince."

"See you later" Soan got up and I dived.

"You're going to get yourself in trouble someday, young master" growled Sono, waving his fins agressively. "You can't trust humans that much."

"Why?"

"Because they're humans!" shouted Sono.

"Don't judge him just because he's one of them" said Sizna. "Seahorses aren't always mean just because you are."

"Hey!"

I laughed and swam home. I had to sleep. I had too many adventures recently.

* * *

Laughter. The man in golden-red outfit stood with his weapon pointed at me and was laughing like a psycho.

"If I can't have you, no one can" he said with an emotionless voice and pulled the trigger.

"Hitomi!" I heard Soan's voice, who ran to me and pushed me away.

I smelled metalic scent of blood, but not pain.

He shielded me.

I sat up on the bed, breathing heavily. Soan, why would you risk like that? And why for me? I didn't save you to be a cause of your death!

I fell on the bed again. Protect him, Poseidon. Protect him from everyone, who looks like a man from my nightmare...

I sighed. It seems that I can't fight with fate.

* * *

Soan has been sitting on the sand and looked like he was waiting for me. I was a little surprised. I was the one, who’s supposed to be waiting for him.

"Did something happen?" I asked, swimming to him.

"I hoped that I'm going to meet you one more time" he replied honestly, smiling fondly. "You’re not mad at me, are you?"

"Absolutelly not, I was just surprised that you're here" I explained. "I thought that I have to wait for you."

"For me? Did something happen?" asked Soan.

"I had another nightmare" I announced. "I dreamt that some strange man wanted to shoot me, but..."

"But?"

"You shielded me. You did it and..." I couldn't tell him that he died.

"I sacrificed myself for you? Typical me" said Soan. "Are you worried about me?"

"I saved you. I don't like the idea that you're in danger again" I explained.

"It's nice" Soan smiled. "You're worried about someone you don't know. You're really nice."

Soan leaned on the sand and looked into my eyes.

"I just wonder about one thing. Can you turn your tail into legs?" he asked.

"What about you? Can you turn your legs into a tail?"

"I can't."

"You have your answer" I shrugged. "I can't visit your world. I'm sorry."

"But my world can visit you" said Soan.

"How?"

"I can show you" Soan opened his bag and pulled out a book.

It was weird. Pages were white, not green and signs weren't forged, but put on them with black ink. But there were also pictures on pages.

"What is this book?" I asked. "Is it magical? Can I learn white magic with it?"

"Nah, it's just the atlas of the world. I thought that you're going to like it" explained Soan. "I noticed last time that you didn't want to leave water, so I guessed you probably can't. So I brought a piece of my world to you."

"You're a great observer" I praised him. "Do you have more of such books?"

"Yes, I have a los of atlases" Soan nodded. "Should I bring them too?"

"It would be nice" I smiled fondly.

I was interested in these books. If they were showing real places, it was probably some kind of human magic.

* * *

Surface land seemed to be fascinating. Books had pictures, humans made dishes in completely different way and animals were even more awesome than ours.

"Good boy" I patted Maa-kun's head and gave him a bisquit. "Is it really liver flavour?"

"Dried liver" replied Maa-kun, chewing a bisquit. "I can't even compare it to fresh liver."

"But you like these bisquits?"

"Of course! I love them!" replied Maa-kun entusiastically, waving his tail.

"I'm curious, what he replied" said Soan, sitting on the blanket.

"That it doesn't taste like fresh liver, but he likes it anyway" I explained, making Soan laugh.

"I'm glad you got along" he said and started peeling some red fruit with a small knife.

"What's that?" I asked.

"An apple" replied Soan, giving me a slice. "Taste it."

"Thanks" I nodded and bit it. "Sweet."

"Fruits are sweet because of fructose" explained Soan. "I have clementines and strawberries too, if you want. Well, clementines are a little sour."

"Why?"

"Probably because of vitamin C" Soan peeled a clementine and gave me a slice.

"You didn't use a knife to do it" I noticed.

"It has such a thick skin that I don't have to" Soan gave me both fruits. "You see? Apples have thin skin. Do you want strawberry, by the way?"

"Is it tasty?"

"It's the best fruit in the world" he said, giving me one.

"Don't you have to peel it first?" I was surprised.

"Nah, you can eat it, everything in strawberries is edible" Soan smiled brightly.

He was right. It was delicious.

"Oh gods, a mermaid!" we suddenly heard.

We turned around abruptly and I felt cold sweat on my skin. It was this man from my dream. He's going to kill Soan!

"Run" Soan snapped me out of my thoughts.

I nodded and jumped into the sea, before the man running towards us managed to catch me.

* * *

I've been avoiding Soan for a month. I wouldn't forgive myself, if something happened to him just because I met with him, but...

I missed him. I missed our conversations, atlases, fruits and Maa-kun. But especially I missed Soan himself. I think that I had a crush on him. And I didn't mind it at all.

"Hitomi?" dad sat down beside me, when I was reading a book on the sofa. "Sono told me that you befriended a human."

I froze. Why my butler can't keep any secrets?

"He told me, because you stopped talking to him suddenly. Did this prince hurt you? Should I declare a war with humans?" asked dad.

I shook my head.

"Someone saw us" I explained. "This person was a man from my dream and..."

"Dream? About this ship?"

"The other one. More... Drastic" I replied.

"Drastic?"

"So... I mean, the prince died in it. Because of me" I whispered the last words.

"Oh" dad went silent for a moment. "He got your attention, didn't he?"

"The prince? A little" I confirmed.

"Humans are fascinating for me too" dad looked forward, just like he just remembered something. "That's the reason why I married one of them."

I blinked.

What?

"What are you talking about, dad?" I asked, confused. "Mum is a mermaid."

"She's a mermaid now, but it doesn't mean she wasn't born as human" explained dad. "Her ship was wrecked, everyone died. She was the sole survivor. She was young, younger than you. And badly injured. But under our magical care she got better."

"And magic turned her into a mermaid?"

"There was no other option. Humans can't breathe underwater" continued dad. "But she never missed the surface world. She never liked her species."

"Why? Humans aren't so..."

"They're not" dad interrupted me. "Not everyone is a good person, Hitomi. And they don't understand that someone is different than them. Mermen can have pink tails and no one would make a problem out of it, but humans will bully others for even trivial things. And we're not even the same species as we are."

"So humans are bad?"

"They're different than us" replied dad. "They have other priorities. Other way of thinking. I just want you to be careful. If your nightmare is going to happen, what then?"

"I am careful. That's why I stopped swimming there" I replied.

"Be careful around this stranger, Hitomi. But don't ignore the prince" dad smiled fondly. "If you like him, if you trust him, don't end this friendship. Just be careful about others. They can hurt you."

"Or even kill me" I mumbled to myself.

* * *

"It was Kamijo" explained Soan, when I met with him again. "My annoying cousin. He's obsessed with mermaids. He won't give up so easily."

"I understand" I nodded.

I looked at Soan. Something bothered him. I could see it.

"Something happened?"

"I thought that I'm not going to see you again" he admitted. "That you got scared and you won't visit me ever again."

"I'm sorry for worrying you" I said. "You're angry, aren't you?"

"No. I understand you. I would panic myself" he laughed a little hysterically. "It would be typical for me."

"Are you panicking often?"

"A lot!" he cried. "Well, in fact, I started to worry that something happened to you."

"Why?" I didn't understand his way of thinking.

"We're friends, aren't we?" Soan smiled fondly. "I don't want to lose contact with you just because I have a crazy cousin."

"Right" I smiled back to him, but I was really worried about him.

I knew that Kamijo has going to put us in trouble.

* * *

Our friendship with Soan was flourishing like flowers in spring. Or something like that. Did I use this metaphor well? Anyway, I felt like I've known the prince since forever. And I wanted to be his friend, to be close to him and, to be honest, him himself too.

I was falling in love with him more and more. I loved his soft smile, bright and deep eyes, which were piercing my soul, and his even deeper voice. I wanted to listen to him for hours, even if he was reading some boring book about how to use some things.

And there was also his cousin. He was coming to the beach, just to check, if I'm here. If he found me there, he was chasing me and tried to kidnap me. Once he managed to catch me, but I pushed him away and Soan punched his face. I tried even to talk to him patiently, but I was left just with proofs that humans really have other priorities than mermaids. And I didn't like it at all.

* * *

I was on my way home after meeting with Soan, when I heard a loud splash. I looked up and looked around. I saw Maa-kun, who was falling down towards the bottom of the ocean. He had to fall from the ship and lost his consciousness, when he hit the water surface!

I swam to him and embraced him with my arms and then clouds of dust rose up around me. I felt something wrap around me, and after a moment, holding Maa-kun tightly to my chest, I realized that I was in a net.

I was thrown aboard a fishing vessel along with the dog, which regained consciousness and began wheezing and growling.

"This dumb asshole threw me into the sea!" Maa-kun splashed water from his fur. "Master is going to wipe the floor with his face."

"Dumb asshole?" I repeated, having hope that he's not talking about...

"Excellent" I heard a voice and then it was no one other than Kamijo, who walked to me.

He grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him.

"I knew that this trap will work."

"Don't touch him!" Maa-kun tried to bite Kamijo's calf, but the crew pulled him away. "Let me go, I have to tear apart his arteries!"

"Stupid dog" murmured Kamijo.

"Have you really risked his life to kidnap me?!" I yelled at him, furious.

"It's just a flea-bag" Kamijo shrugged.

"I don't have fleas!" denied Maa-kun.

"Let's go back!" ordered Kamijo. "To the castle! We have, what we need!"

"Aye, captain!"

Just perfect...

* * *

Kamijo brought me into the cell and chained me to the wall.

"Wait here, I'll be right back" he said, stroking my cheek.

I gritted my teeth. It was this cell. The cell from my dream, which I've been dreaming about for months. Or I should say, having nightmares about.

I sighed. My tail started to dry up. What will happen, if it dries completely?

Kamijo came back after half an hour and covered me with a blanket.

"I don't want you to get cold" he said. "And now listen to me, little fish, because I have some offer for you."

"What offer?" I pretended to be interested.

"You're going to be my lover" announced Kamijo. "Or I'm going to send you to the circus. There's also an option of killing you, if you're going to be too rebellious."

"I'm going to be your own curtisane only after my death" I growled. "I have my honour."

"I can take it from you easily" Kamijo smirked.

"And how do you want to do it, if I don't have legs?" I didn't understand, how he was going to screw me.

"You still have mouth" replied Kamijo and turned towards the door. "Think about it, if you want to be still alive."

And then he left.

...

What did he mean?

* * *

I didn't realise that I fell asleep before I woke up. Scales on my tail were almost dry. They even started to change colour.

I heard noises upstairs and some loud footsteps. Someone was running downstairs, someone else was chasing them, something broke. What's going on there?

Footsteps, these from stairs, were coming closer to my cell. Kamijo?

Gate opened abruptly and just as I thought, this horny aristocrat stood in the doorway.

"My stupid cousin is here" Kamijo grabbed my shirt and picked me up. "He's here with his sidekicks. What is your relationship with him, exactly?"

"We're just friends" I replied.

Because we were. Even if I had a crush on him.

"Do you want to be more than friends with him?"

"..."

"Answer me!"

"..."

"So I'm right" Kamijo threw me against the wall, which made me a little dizzy and nauseous, after I hit my head. "That's why you don't want to sleep with me. You chose him."

Kamijo pulled out his gun. He had golden-red clothes.

I knew, what he's going to do.

"Kamijo, no!" I yelled. "Wait!"

"Wait?" Kamijo started to laugh like a madman and pointed his gun at me. "For what?"

Right. If he shoots me, Soan will be safe.

"You're right. If you want to kill me, just do it now" I said, closing my eyes.

"Of course I want to" announced Kamijo. "If I can't have you, no one can."

His voice was emotionless. He pulled the trigger.

Door slammed against the wall.

"Hitomi!" I heard Soan's voice, who ran to me and pushed me away.

I smelled metalic scent of blood, but not pain.

He shielded me.

Damn it!

"Soan!" I leaned over him and pressed wound on his chest. "Look at me, Soan. You can't die, okay?"

"Hitomi..." he said, grabbing my hand. "Am I seething things or... Your tail..."

Soan coughed with blood.

"Legs..." he said louder.

I looked at my tail and... didn't see it.

I was a human covered with a blanket.

"It dried up" I realised. "It dried up!"

I tied a blanket around my waist and got up, picking Soan up.

At first I had trouble with keeping my balance, but then I started walking forward. I passed confused Kamijo, who probably didn't have any more amunition, because he didn't shoot again. And he didn't even try to stop me.

* * *

I ran upstairs clumsily, almost tripping all the time and almost falling from them. I hit my knees hard many times, but I had to save Soan.

"It's you!" I heard Ivy's voice. "Vivi, that's this merman!"

"He has legs" Vivi pointed out.

"And he can't use them properly. Come on, we have to help him" Ivy ran to me and took Soan from my arms.

He threw Soan's arm over my shoulders and my arm over his.

"Grab Soan from the other side, Vivi" said Ivy.

Vivi just nodded.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"To the sea" I replied.

We started to run. Leaning against Ivy's shoulder, it was easier.

* * *

On the beach I saw my dad, who also had legs and was running too. When he saw me, he stopped abruptly.

"For Poseidon's sake, Hitomi!" he shouted, then he ran to me.

He took injured prince from me and checked his pulse.

"He's still alive. Damn it, I tried to dry this stupid tail for two hours! We should go now."

Then he looked at Ivy and Vivi.

"Oh, right. I totally forgot about you two" he said. "Tell the king and queen that I'm taking their son under the water for some time. Humans can't save him."

"And you can?" asked Ivy.

"Of course, it's not a problem at all with our magic" my dad smiled brightly, putting Soan on the seaside. "Hey, prince? Blink, if you can hear me."

Soan blinked.

"Good. You can feel a little weird, but it'll take just a moment" my dad warned him and waved his hand over Soan's legs.

Crack! Soan's trousers broke immediately.

The prince had a tail. In a shade of blue so bright that it was almost white.

Ours returned in the moment we touched the water. I didn't even notice it.

"I told you, Vivi! Mermaids!" Ivy clapped his hands, excited.

"I have mindbreak, I think..." said Vivi.

"See you later" I saluted to them and jumped into the water with my dad and Soan.

* * *

Soan was sitting in the bed, reading one of our books. I swam to him, carrying dinner for him.

"Strange" he said, looking at a tuna salad.

"What's strange?" I asked. "Don't you like tuna? Should I give you something else?"

"No" he shook his head. "I just thought that, you know. Mermaids don't eat fish, because they have fish tails."

"Stereotypes" I laughed. "Do you like our cuisine, by the way?"

"Of course" he nodded. "Even if I feel like I'm eating sashimi all the time. But I don't mind."

I sat down next to him on the bed.

"Soan?"

"What?"

"How did you know, where I am?"

"Maa-kun led me there" explained Soan. "He came back to the castle with wet fur and has been freaking out, until I decided to follow him. My dad wanted to take him to vet already."

"Your mum wanted to do it too?"

"No, she wanted to call an exorcist."

We both laughed.

And then we were silent for a moment.

"Why did you protect me?" I asked after a moment.

"Really?" Soan put the bowl on the night stand. "I understand that women are oblivious. But another man? Please, come on."

"Wait, are you..."

"I fell in love with you, Little Mermaid" Soan laughed shortly. "I can be your prince Eric, Ariel."

"Ariel is my father's name."

"You're kidding, aren't you?"

"I'm not."

"Oh, Neptun" Soan kissed me briefly. "You're not going to stop surprising me, Hitomi. And one more thing..."

"What?"

"I don't want to go back to the surface" he announced. "Unless with you by my side."

"You have to stay here for now" I reminded him, taking his hand. "And then we’ll see."

Soan smiled fondly, which made me realise one thing - whatever we decide, we're going to be fine. We just have to be together.

The end

Beauty and the Beast - Black-white Melody

Band: Moran, mentioned Matenrou Opera and Versailles

Pairing: Soan&Hitomi, Ivy&Vivi and Sizna&Sono in the background

Rating: 17+

Genre: romance, fantasy, AU

Series: "Beauty and the Beast"

Warnings: magic, violence

Note: Kirei (Hitomi) has to escape from hunters and meets Yajuu (Soan), who doesn't want to be involved in any interactions with other humans.

____________

Kirei - Belle

Yajuu - the Beast

We should start with the fact that everything happened in some normal village with normal citizens... Okay, maybe not all of them were. There was a lake near the village and mermaids lived there. They loved to seduce their neighbours from the surface land. And my mum was among them.

They call us "mutts". And, to be honest, people usually don't like us. The reason is that humans are often obsessed with us.

"Kirei!" I heard and I saw the ideal example of what I was thinking about just a moment before.

Kamijo, my crazy admirer. He didn't care that I was a man - all that mattered to him was my mermaid genes. He wanted to fuck me and enslave me, in any order.

"What do you want, Kamijo?" I sighed, when he embraced me with his arm.

Well, I have to stop reading a book for now. I closed it and looked at my admirer. I wonder, when he's going to learn the word "no".

"Kirei, Kirei, my dear. You'll marry me, won't you?" Kamijo smiled radiantly and I looked at the sky and wondered, if I'm gonna be struck by lightning, if I'll look for long enough.

"Kirei, are you even listening to me?"

"Not really" I replied honestly. "Can you let me go? I want to read."

"Are you really doing this bullshit again?" asked Kamijo, looking at me with disgust. "You should stop."

"You're the one, who should stop" I got up and smacked Kamijo's head with my book. "No means no. Find yourself a woman."

"I don't want a woman, I want you" Kamijo hugged my legs. "You're so... Perfect~!"

I broke free and went back to my home. Why is he so stubborn? He even followed me, but I just didn't care about him.

* * *

I woke up in the middle of night, hearing some noise. My frightened mum burst into my room.

"Kirei, wake up" she said, covering me with a blanket and giving me a basket. "You have to go."

"Go?" I asked, when she took me out the back door. "But why? What happened?"

"They want to burn all the mutts at the stake" she said, helping me onto my horse, Horase. "Go."

"What about you?"

"I can handle it. Run away!" she shouted, slapped the horse's bum and ran back home.

Oh, so that's why Kamijo was so annoying recently. He probably tried to protect me, because he knew that if I were his boyfriend, he would do everything to safe my life. And lives of others mutts probably too. Well, I'm too proud to be a private prostitute for this naive aristocrat. I'd rather die than let him touch me.

I've been riding through the forest and I reached... a castle. I blinked. A castle. In the middle of the forest. So close to our village. How?

I looked around. Maybe there is some wizard, who's just playing with my mind? Or a fairy? Or some other creature?

I jumped off Horase and opened the gate, then I walked into the palace's garden. As I was coming closer to it, it seemed to be more and more abandoned and in a bad shape.

I left Horase outside and walked into the castle. I was surprised, because there was a fire in the fireplace. So it's not abandoned, fine.

"Good evening. Is anybody here?" I asked, but nobody answered.

I walked to the fireplace and sat in the armchair, because I wanted to warm up. Then I felt someone's eyes at me, so I looked in that direction. I saw a table and a teacup, which was staring at me.

Wait.

A teacup...

I looked at it again. Yes, it really was staring at me. It was blinking. And smiling.

I thought that I'm experiencing hallucinations. Kirei, it's because you're tired. Teacups don't blink and don't stare.

"Good morning" I said, looking at the teacup and it... chuckled.

"You have a funny expression" it said with girly voice. "You should say >>Good evening<<. It's dark outside already."

I froze and smiled hysterically.

A TEACUP IS TALKING TO ME.

"Dura! Don't scare our guest" a kettle scolded her.

A kettle.

A KETTLE.

"I'm sorry, dad" mumbled Dura.

"I hope that you didn't panic, mister" said the kettle.

Nah, I didn't.

I'M JUST TALKING WITH A PORCELAIN.

"I think that silence means you scared him" said the candlestick, climbing on the tea table. "I'm Ivy and I'm the butler. And I promise you don't have to worry about anything, mister! They're not dangerous. They're just a chef and his adoptive daughter. By the way, he's obsessed with her."

"Ivy!"

"Easy, Sizna" Ivy smiled brightly. "Or our majordomo is going to scold us for being too loud."

"Of course you're too loud" a mechanical clock climbed onto the table.

"This is Sono, our majordomo" introduced him Ivy, then he patted a little broom in a shape of some bird, laying on the table. "Vivi, wake up. You don't have to pretend anymore."

The broom sat up and rubbed its eyes.

"I think I fell asleep" it said with a high-pitched manly voice. "Good morning, mister."

"Good evening, it's dark outside" corrected him Dura.

"Stop talking" Sono waved his >>arms<<. "If you wake up our master, we're going to have a problem and this youngster will be torn apart!"

"Now you're the one, who's screaming" noticed Sizna.

"By the way, what's your name?" asked Ivy, smiling friendly.

Trinkets. I talk to trinkets and porcelain.

Yes.

It makes sense.

"Kirei" I replied.

"Oh, how pretty" Ivy jumped from excitment. "Are you lost?"

"I ran away, because people were hunting my kind" I replied.

They looked at me suspiciously. Well, I should stop being so shocked. I mean I'm...

"...I'm a half-mermaid. A mutt."

"That explains a lot" Ivy nodded.

"What?" asked Vivi.

"Why he's so beautiful" explained Ivy.

"Ivy!"

I blushed and sat in the armchair. A candlestick is complimenting me...

At this point, the heat from the fireplace and the exhaustion finally got me and I fell asleep.

* * *

I woke up, hearing footsteps. I managed to notice that someone covered me with a blanket, when I fell asleep, before someone's hand didn't clench on my shirt and I didn't hit a wall next to the fireplace.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?!" screamed... the monster, who was clenching his fingers on my shirt.

I'm sorry for using such peiorative words, but when you wake up and see some two metres tall, covered with black fur beast with horns, tail and big cat claws, how can you call it then?

"I hid from humans, who wanted to kill me" I explained, trying to stay calm.

"I'm going to be the one, who'll kill you" growled the beast, glaring at me. "Tell me the truth. Why are you here?"

"I told you already that I just hid from humans."

"I don't believe you."

"I wouldn't walk into some monster's castle otherwise" I said and he dropped me, then grabbed my leg and started dragging me across the floor, walking in an unknown direction. "What are you doing?!"

"I won't let anyone callin me a monster" replied the beast.

"So tell me your name" I said. "I'm Kirei."

"Is it really a name or your ego is so big?" the beast snorted. "I'm Yajuu. And you're going to sleep here."

He threw me into a cell and closed the gate.

"Good night."

"Good night" I replied, when he turned on his heel and left.

I sat against the wall. Out of the frying pan into the fire, like they say. I stopped being confused, why Sono was was overdramatic.

I sighed. I wonder, if he'll let me out someday?

I cuddled on the floor. When I thought that it's cold, suddenly some blanket hit my face.

I looked up. Yajuu glared at me and left the cell again.

I covered myself with a blanket and I tried to sleep. It was so uncomfortable that I fell asleep only after a while.

"Knock knock" I heard suddenly, waking up.

Ivy stood behind bars, smiling friendly.

"I see that Ya-san wasn't happy that you visited us, Ki-san."

"He wasn't" I sat up. "You can even say that he was furious."

"He's like that sometimes" Ivy climbed through the bars and jumped on some lift, pulling it down.

Gate opened immediately.

"Let's go."

"But Yajuu is going to throw me into the cell again."

"Don't be silly" Ivy laughed, jumping on the floor. "But you shouldn't do this thing again."

"What thing?"

"Don't call him a >>monster<<" explained Ivy. "He doesn't like it."

"I managed to notice it already..." I mumbled, following him.

Ivy lead me to a chamber. I was right with saying that this castle looks like it's abandoned. It was. Besides Yajuu and these living things, there was no human here.

I laid down on a bed and looked at the ceiling. I should run away. But where to? To the village? That is out of question.

I closed my eyes. This bed was so comfortable...

"Do you want some tea?" I heard suddenly and sat up.

I saw Sizna and Dura.

"Dad, he probably wants to sleep" said Dura.

"In his daily clothes?" Sizna was confused. "Kirei, you should change into pajamas. Vivi, find some for him."

"Of course" Vivi opened the closet and pulled out some aristocratic nightgown.

I picked it up and when everyone had left, I put it on.

I laid down in the bed. I could finally sleep now.

* * *

I woke up in the morning. I walked to the window and saw that it was snowing.

"Nice weather, right?" asked Sono, walking to me. "Yajuu hates it."

"He doesn't like winter?"

"He hates it" repeated Sono. "Ivy told me that he wants to show you around the castle. But firstly you have to eat breakfast."

I changed and went downstairs with Sono, straight to the dining room. I realised, how hungry I was. I haven't eaten anything since I finished food prepared by my mum.

I sat at the table and started eating, when I felt someone's eyes on me. I looked up and saw Yajuu.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he asked, trying not to kill me.

"Sono led me here" I replied.

"Who let you escape?"

"Ivy."

"I'm going to kill him" Yajuu shook his head and grabbed my hand. "Now we go."

"But wait!" I yelled. "I wanted... I wanted to apologise."

"For what? For calling me a monster, sneaking into my castle or eating breakfast in my dining room made by my cook? Or maybe for sleeping in one of my beds?"

"You used too much >>my<< in two sentences" I scolded him.

"And you spent too much time here" growled Yajuu. "Go away or I'll throw you into your cell again."

"Then I prefer to leave into the unknown than staying here any longer" I announced, pushing Yajuu away, then I ran towards the front door.'

"Ki-san, wait!" Ivy tried to catch up with me, running on his short, candlestick's legs. "Ki-san, stop!"

But I stopped listening to him already. I mounted my horse and rode in the direction I had been heading before stopping at the castle.

It started snowing.

And then I realised, why Ivy was trying to stop me.

Wolves.

They had to have their own territory around the castle. And there were about ten of them.

"Horase, time to turn back" I said to my horse. "Go!"

I drove towards castle. It was snowing heavily.

I heard howling.

I drove to the gate and shook it.

It didn't want to open.

"Ivy!" I called him and at this moment one wolf bit my shoulder and pulled me away from my horse. "Open the gate, please!"

I kicked one wolf and then I kicked another one. There was too many of them.

"Get off!" I heard along with the gate opening.

Wolves froze.

"I said, get off!"

Wolves looked at me and ran away. I looked at Yajuu standing in the gate and fainted.

* * *

I woke up in the bed, feeling some cold cloth on my head.

"Oh, Si-san, Ki-san is probably awake" I heard Ivy's voice.

"Kirei is alive!" exclaimed Dura.

"Be quiet, he doesn't have to get a migraine just after returning to the world of the living" growled Sono.

"You're talking like he was dead" mumbled Sizna. "But he's been alive all the time. He eas breathing, he was just unconcious."

"Exactly" Vivi nodded.

I opened my eyes. I saw the only person, who had been silent, leaning over me. And it was Yajuu.

"Sorry" he said quietly, taking a wet cloth from my forehead and washing it in the bowl standing on the night stand. "It's my fault you're hurt. The only thing I'm able to do is making humans my enemies..."

"I'm not fully a human" I admitted.

Yajuu looked at me with curiousity.

"My father was a mermaid."

"Oh, so you're a mutt" Yajuu smiled slightly, putting his paw on my forehead. "Well, your fever is gone finally. I thought it would never pass."

"Thanks for scaring off these wolves" I smiled to him.

"I don't like, when they come too close to the castle" replied Yajuu. "Kirei, right?"

"What?"

"It's your name, isn't it?"

"Yes, I'm Kirei."

"Forgive me, Kirei. I forgot already, how to be a human" he smiled apologetically.

"You were a human?" I was surprised a little.

"I was a bad human" replied Yajuu. "I was much worse, in fact. That's why I look like this right now."

"Your servants also weren't just talking rubbish, right?"

"I used to eat pasta!" cried Ivy. "And I'm never going to eat it again..."

"You're going to eat pasta again, little pug" Vivi patted his... shoulder?

I sighed.

"Yajuu?"

"What?"

"It's a curse, isn't it?"

"You're right."

"Is there a way to lift it?"

"It is" confirmed Yajuu. "But you can't do it."

"Why?"

"You're a man. Only a woman can do it" explained Yajuu, getting up. "But maybe I don't know about something?"

"If we're talking about my gender, you're right, unfortunatelly" I confirmed.

"So the only thing I can do now is waiting for her" announced Yajuu, walking towards the door. "Sleep, Kirei. You're going to feel better."

"You're right" I yawned, rubbing my eyes and covered myself with a quilt. "Good night, Yajuu."

He froze suddenly and sighed.

"Good night, Kirei" he replied finally and left.

* * *

Some days later, during which Yajuu tried to be nice, I woke up in the middle of the night. After a while I realised that I can hear a melody. Someone has been playing on the piano.

I got up, streched and put on my dressing-gown. I walked out to the corridor and went towards the music. It was quiet. Really quiet.

This melody led me to the left wing of the castle. I walked upstairs and opened the door to one chamber.

Yajuu was playing the piano. He looked so calm that his humanity seemed to be back just for this moment. His fingers were touching keys, his eyes followed every move of them. To be honest... His eyes were beautiful. Even if he was a monster, they were the only part of his body that stayed human.

The melody was melancholic and sad, full of longing for the past, probably to days, when Yajuu didn't look like a scary creature.

Yajuu finished the song and sighed, then he closed keys with a loud slam and got up. He turned around, noticed me and... got embarrassed like I caught him red handed, while he was doing something bad

"Oh, it's you" he mumbled, embarrassed. "Sometimes I play... You know, because I'm bored."

"It was beatiful" I said, walking to him. "Really."

"You think so?" he asked.

I nodded.

"Thank you."

"Can you teach me?" I asked, making Yajuu freeze.

"What?"

"Playing on the piano. I've always wanted to learn, but we couldn't afford it."

Yajuu glared at me, like he wanted to be sure, if I'm not joking.

"We can start tomorrow" Yajuu smiled fondly. "Now we have to go to sleep. How are your wounds?"

"Fine. They almost healed" I replied.

Yajuu turned around and waved his paw.

"Good. Good night, Kirei" he replied and went towards his bed.

"Good night, Yajuu" I replied, leaving his chamber.

...from what direction I came here?

"Did something happen, Ki-san?" asked Ivy, appearing beside me.

"I don't remember, where is my room."

"Well, not good" said Ivy. "Follow me, I'll lead you."

Ivy led me to my chamber. I jumped into my bed and fell asleep soon.

* * *

The next day Yajuu took me with him to the first piano lesson.

"First, you have to know that if you don't feel instrument, you won't do anything correctly" he said, sitting me down on the chair. "You have to feel that you and the piano are one. Pour your soul into it. Name the melody."

"How can I do it, if I don't have any music sheets?"

"Do you really think that what I played during last night, was from music sheets?" Yajuu laughed, grabbing my hands. "You have to be best friends with the instrument first. Then you can read these sheets."

Yajuu's claws pressed my fingers, which pressed the keys. I heard loud bing.

"What do you feel?"

"What do you mean?"

"What do you think about keys?"

"They're cold. But your hands are warm" I replied.

"Hands..." Yajuu laughed, sounding almost hysterical. "They're paws, not hands. Anyway, try to press every key in a row. First white, then black."

I did, what he told me. It was amazing.

"Did you feel it?"

"Music?"

"Music."

"I felt it."

"Exellent" Yajuu pulled out the music score. "So now we can start with something easy."

It was easy, but only for him. I made as many mistakes as my classmates during caligraphy lessons.

"Don't worry. It was just your first lesson" Yajuu stroked my head.

I sighed. I didn't believe that I'll be as good as him.

But I learned a lot during next lessons. I practiced this song for two weeks and I could play it almost perfectly.

"See, Kirei? You just need to believe in yourself" said Yajuu.

I looked at him. He looked so nice during these lessons. Just like the fact that he was a beast was completely unimportant.

"How are your piano lessons, Ki-san?" asked Ivy, walking beside me, when I was coming back to my chamber.

"Good. Why do you ask?" I looked at him, curious.

"Ya-san hadn't been so happy for years" explained Ivy.

"Really?"

"Ivy is right" Vivi flew to me and sat down on my shoulder. "Yajuu likes you."

"He likes me?"

"Yes, strangely. He doesn't like people" said Sono, catching up with us finally. "And no one likes him."

"So we won't be surprised, if you tell us you don't like him too" added Sizna, standing with Dura on the cupboard.

I had to ask myself. Do I like Yajuu?

"I think I have a soft side for him" I said.

"Wow, soft side" Dura jumped. "Do you hear, daddy? Soft side!"

"Dura-chan, don't scare him" Sizna scolded her.

"Okie-dokie" Dura sighed.

I returned to my chamber and laid down on my bed. I closed my eyes.

Are "soft side" good words for what I'm feeling?

Or maybe it's not just a "soft side"?

* * *

"Almost perfect" Yajuu sat down beside me and grabbed my hands, just like during our first lesson. "Here, I'll show you, how you should do it."

Clink, clank. The melody slowly flowed from under our fingers. It was so beautiful. So lively. And Yajuu's hands were warm like the summer sun on this winter day.

"See? Perfect" Yajuu smiled fondly. "Try to do it yourself."

I tried once again and I succeeded this time. I didn't make any mistake.

"Congrats!" exclaimed Yajuu and clapped his hands. "By the way, can you sing?"

"A little..." I admitted.

I've always been shy about it.

"Here, it's lyrics" Yajuu pointed on text with his claw. "If you want to sing, you can do it."

"I don't know, if I can play and sing at the same time" I said.

"I'm going to play. Just sing" he said and started playing.

At first I was singing just queitly, but then I felt the rhythm and somehow managed to sing a little louder. And in tune with the melody.

I looked at Yajuu. He had an expression as if he was deeply analyzing something.

"Do you want to see the ballroom?"

"Ballroom?"

"Yes."

"Don't you think that we should wear some elegant clothes, if we want to go to the ballroom?" I asked, pointing on Yajuu's rags and my village clothes.

"True" Yajuu nodded. "Vivi will find us something. Let's go."

He grabbed my hand and pulled me with him.

And it was the moment I realised that I would follow him to the edge of world.

* * *

I got a suit with golden ornaments from Vivi and Ivy opened the door to the ballroom for me. It was wonderful, even if a little dusty and seemed to be not used for a long time.

"You know, Kirei" I heard Yajuu's voice behind me. "I understand now, why they named you like this."

I turned around. He was in a blue suit with white ornaments. He tied his long black hair into a pony tail. I smiled and he grabbed my hands.

"Can you dance?"

"I can. I went to dance lessons in our village" I told him.

"Wonderful" said Yajuu, still holding my hands. "I don't have to worry that we'll hurt each other."

I realised that he really wants to dance with me. And I agreed.

I felt his warm body close to mine. His fond look on me. I saw my reflection in his eyes. Deep, black eyes, which made me calm. Until they suddenly narrowed.

Yajuu stopped abruptly, hearing some noises. I stopped too, catching his arm not to trip.

"What was that?" he asked.

"I have no idea. Maybe your servants?"

"I doubt it" he replied and then balcony doors opened wide.

Kamijo appeared in the treshold.

"Kirei! I came here to save you!" he announced, holding a crossbow in his hand. "For beautiful roses' sake, what the hell is that monster?!"

"Don't call me a monster!" yelled Yajuu, walking towards him. "And get out of my castle!"

"I won't leave without Kirei!" Kamijo pointed his weapon to Yajuu.

"Do you want to go with him, Kirei?" asked Yajuu.

I shook my head.

"See? He wants to stay."

"You brainwashed him, you beast!" shouted Kamijo.

"I didn't brainwash anyone. And for sure I didn't break into someone's house. Get out, before I'll stop being patient" announced Yajuu.

"Kirei is mine! I won't let him go with such a beast" growled Kamijo and released an arrow.

Yajuu jumped away, so arrow just scratched him, then he lunged towards Kamijo, knocking him off. Then he picked him up and threw away through balcony doors, which he close immediately.

"Do you know him?" asked Yajuu.

"Yes. He's just an annoying womanizer, who also happens to like me" I replied.

But then we heard glass breaking.

Before Yajuu could turn around, Kamijo managed to shoot from his crossbow through the broken window. It was an impulse. I jumped in front of Yajuu and shielded him with my own body.

Arrow pierced my chest. I felt strong pain and fell to my knees, even if Yajuu tried to catch me.

"Kirei!" he called my name and I was sitting on the cold floor, feeling taste of blood in my mouth.

"You beast!" I heard Kamijo's voice. "You killed him! You brainwashed him!"

"I didn't shoot at innocent people!"

"You're not innocent!"

"But he is!"

My vision was blurry. I saw Yajuu knocking Kamijo down once again and tying him with curtain rope. Then he ran to me and picked me up.

"You're going to be okay, Kirei. I promise" he whispered, but I saw tears in his eyes.

Even if I almost couldn't see anymore.

"Yajuu..." I smiled weakly. "Yajuu... I... fell in love with you, you know?"

"What?" Yajuu looked at me in shock.

"It's weird, but... I think I love you" I said quietly and closed my eyes.

I couldn't leave them open anymore.

I still felt warmth of Yajuu's body and heard his voice for next few seconds.

"Kirei. I fell in love with you too. I love you unlike anyone else. I love you more than myself. Don't die, I beg you!"

And then the world went black.

* * *

I woke up on the floor in the ballroom, hearing some voices. I opened my eyes. I saw a little girl, who had black hair tied with a white ribbon. She also had a black-white dress and shoes and green eyes.

"Oh, you're awake~!" she exclaimed happilly.

I knew her voice, but...

"You're scaring him, Dura. They just revived him" I looked up.

I saw Sizna, but he wasn't a kettle. He was a tall, slender man. He had short, brown hair and small eyes.

"Sizna?" I asked, then I was suddenly hugged.

"Ki-san, I can eat pasta!" exclaimed Ivy, who had long brown hair, chubby face and happy eyes.

He wasn't as slender as Sizna, but I wanted to feed him with onigiri.

"You're going to break his ribs, Ivy" murmured black-haired, shorter than Sizna and Ivy man.

His nose was like an eagle's beak.

"Don't be mean to Ivy, Sono" quietly said blonde-haired young man with big eyes and petite body.

"Kirei?" I heard from my right side and looked up.

And, to be honest, I froze.

I recognised him because of his deep, black eyes. He was as tall as this blonde-haired youngster, probably Vivi, but... Yajuu was handsome, not so fragile and cute like him. His hair were shoulder lenght, he was slim, muscular and I almost forgot, how to breathe at first. His voice sounded much different than in his beast form. It was deep like a well in my village.

"I was wrong. You are the one, who broke the spell" Yajuu took my hand and helped me get up.

"But I died" I reminded him.

"The Sorcerress revived you just after she lifted the curse" explained Yajuu and kissed me gently.

I heard Ivy and Dura crying with joy and Sono whining about it. But I didn't care.

We moved away from each other. Yajuu smiled fondly. Ivy took Vivi in his arms and kissed him, making him embarrassed.

"What? I haven't kissed him for years" said Ivy, when he saw Sono's scolding look. "You should kiss Sizna too."

"I won't show my feelings in front of other people" snorted Sono, making Sizna laugh.

"Gods, my head" I heard a voice behind me.

We turned around. Poor Kamijo was still tied up.

"Where's this monster?" he asked, when Yajuu walked to him to untie him.

"I killed it" he replied, untying the ropes. "Why do you ask?"

"So can I take Kirei with me?" he asked, looking at me. "Wait a minute... Didn't you die?"

"I died" I confirmed.

"So, are you a ghost?" he asked and I thought for a moment.

"Exactly" I nodded, thinking that it's the best conclussion. "Go to our village and tell everyone that I'm dead. And ask my mother to come here. I want to say my goodbyes, before I go towards the light."

"Of course" Kamijo got up from the floor. "So, goodbye. And I'm sorry once again."

"Goodbye" we replied.

"I'll show you the way, mister" said Sono, taking him from the ballroom.

"Did he really... believe you?" Yajuu was surprised.

"He's never been too smart" I shrugged, making Yajuu laugh.

* * *

Kamijo kept his promise. My mum arrived to the castle some days later. She jumped into my arms. She accepted me and Yajuu. She told me it's important for me to be happy, no matter with whom.

And no one called Yajuu a monster ever again. Well, maybe a demon. In the bed.

The end

The disastrous effect of alcohol

Band: Moran, mentioned Matenrou Opera, Versailles/Jupiter, D=OUT

Pairing: Soan&Hitomi, mentioned Ivy&Vivi. Sizna&Sono

Rating: 17+

Genre: dark comedy

Warnings: alcohol, violence

Note: "I like you, but you completely change after alcohol, Kami."

 He was sitting at the table and staring at his drink. He sighed and looked at his watch. Soan has been gone since an hour. Hitomi knew that the drummer probably was talking with someone again. He could also look for some friend, but he didn't feel like it. He's been thinking too much about everything lately. He felt some inner emptiness.

Suddenly he felt the familiar sharp scent of perfume. Someone sat down next to him and at that moment he was staring stubbornly at him.

"Are you gonna ignore me, Hicchan?" he asked after a moment. "Why?"

"Because you're drunk, Kamijo" replied Hitomi. "Should I remind you, what happened last time, when you were drunk and we were alone?"

"Don't be silly, Hicchan" said Kamijo, grabbings his arms. "You always ignore me, when you just simply notice that I drank even just one glass of sake or wine."

"Okay, so I'll remind you, Kamijo" Hitomi shoved Kamijo's hands off his shoulders. "You tried to kiss me and you didn't want to stop. At least it's good that you chose me, not some other person, because they wouldn't be so clear-minded and strong like me and they could  just kick your peanuts. I like you, but you completely change after alcohol, Kami."

"Oh, Hicchan..."

"You also use this silly short form of my name only after alcohol" Hitomi stood up. "I'm gonna find Tomofumi."

"No, sweety" Kamijo grabbed his wrist and pulled him. "You'll stay with me."

"You smell like whiskey" Hitomi frowned. "Let me go."

"No" Kamijo leaned over him. "First, you'll give me a kiss. Second, you'll give me yourself."

"And this is exactly the behaviour I talked about" Hitomi tried to free himself, but he only felt mild pain, when his wrist cracked. "Kamijo, let me go."

"No" repeated Kamijo, embracing him. "You're only mine today."

"Kamijo" growled Hitomi, before Kamijo kissed him.

Hitomi pushed him, stood up and wanted to go, but Kamijo grabbed him again.

"You won't escape" said Kamijo. "You're staying with me. And you'll go with me now."

Kamijo grabbed Hitomi's shirt and pulled him. Hitomi broke free, Kamijo tried to grab him again, but...

In fact, for Hitomi everything that happened next seemed to be in slow motion. He saw Kamijo falling on the floor, heard the table Soan had jumped on him topple over and watched the three beautiful right hooks aimed at the singer by the drummer with a little fear.

"Soan!" Sizna grabbed his right hand. "Stop!"

"So-san, enough" Ivy grabbed his left arm and pulled him off Kamijo with Sizna.

"Hitomi-kun, are you okay?" asked Vivi, really worried.

He put a hand on Hitomi's arm.

"I just feel a little dizzy" replied Hitomi.

"I'll kill him, revive him, then kill him again, then revive him and..." Soan was still trying to get away from Sizna and Ivy, but fortunately the completely sober musicians didn't let him go.

Meanwhile, Kamijo sat on the floor confused with blood trickling from his big nose and staining his shirt.

"What is going on here?" they heard a queit voice behind them.

All five turned around to see Hizaki slightly dazed with alcohol. The guitarist looked first at the bloodied Kamijo, then at the pale Hitomi, then at Soan's abrasive ankles and sighed.

"Again? Ah, Yuuji."

Hizaki walked to Kamijo, picked him up and, walking with him towards the bathroom, told him in a sweet voice, how he would take care of him at home, and when he did it, he would punish him.

"Do you think that Kamijo will get a punishment, which will be what I think it will be?" asked Ivy, letting Soan go.

He thought that Wakugawa wouldn't follow Kamijo for punching him again.

"I don't want to imagine it" said Sizna, frowning.

"Are you okay, Hitomi?" Soan walked to Hitomi and looked at his eyes. "What has he done to you? Did he hurt you? Or broke your arm? Or punched you? Or scratched you or something?"

"He kissed me. I'm going to brush my teeth for a month" Hitomi wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "I like him, seriously, but I don't want to see you in the berserk mode again because of him."

"Did I scare you?"

"You scared all of us" said Vivi.

"Nonsense, it was awesome!" yelled Ivy, who started to act normal again. "So-san suddenly ended his conversation with Kouki, turned around, did such a beautiful slalom between the chairs, bounced off the table and jumped on the Kamijo! Then I started to fear a little, when the blood spilled so much, but looking back on it...

"It's been a few minutes, Ivy" noticed Sizna.

"...that was brilliant" the bassist concluded, grinning brightly. "At least we know Hi-san is safe. What alcohol can do to a person? Terrifying. If I behave like this one day, you have full permission to hit me with a shovel. Or a tripod."

"We will remember" Hitomi smiled slightly. "Tomofumi?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you" Hitomi hugged him. "Now come on, you have to get that whiskey smell off me."

"Good idea" said Soan. "I'll call a taxi."

When both of them left, Kouki walked to Sizna, visibly confused.

"Soan seriously punched Kamijo?" asked Kouki.

"So you already know?" Sizna smiled a little. "By the way, have you seen Haine?"

"Who?" Kouki was confused.

"Sono. Matenrou Opera's vocalist" explained Sizna.

"Ah, Sono! Recently, it seems that he thought that the mop is a microphone stand and the table is a stage" replied Kouki.

Sizna sighed and went to look for Sono. Why he had to fall in love with the alcohol lover? But at least it only has a disastrous effect on him, he doesn't pose a threat to those around him. And you won't be punched by a furious drummer for dancing with a mop on the table.

The end

Nando mo furete

Band: Moran

Pairing: Soan&Hitomi, mentioned Ivy&Vivi

Rating: 18+

Genre: romance

Warnings: some erotic scenes

Note: Sometimes you just want to take a bath, sometimes you want to relax, sometimes you want more.

 Soan entered the bathroom and smelled the bubble bath. He looked at Hitomi, who didn't notice him, because he was diving in his mind like in the water from the bathtub. The drummer smiled.  He took off his clothes and went into the shower. Cool water ran over his body. Judging by the fact that even the turning on the tap and the sound of flowing water didn't wake Hitomi from his thoughts, the vocalist turned off completely.

Bare, wet feet left footprints on the floor as Tomofumi made the distance between the shower and the bathtub.

Hitomi trembled when he felt cold Soan's body who suddenly hugged him - warm because of hot water.

"Tomofumi? What are you doing here?" Hitomi was confused.

"I'm taking advantage of your thoughts, Hito-chan" Soan smirked, still sitting on Hitomi's hips.

Soan's hands slid over Hitomi's warm body. Tomofumi closed his eyes. He didn't have to see Hitomi. He knew his body so well that he knew when his fingers would find a scar from reckless playing with fireworks and when he would find a scar that was left after his unfortunate fall from the scene at the beginning of his career.

Suddenly he felt Hitomi's hands on his cheeks and then his sweet lips on his. He kissed him back, pulling Hitomi to him. Soan liked the way Hitomi was kissing him. There was always more passion and desire in the vocalist's kisses than in his.

Soan's hands wandered over Hitomi's shoulders and back, then slid down onto his thighs. In fact, Tomofumi didn't know another person with legs such sensitive to the touch. The drummer just gently brushed the inner side of Hitomi's thighs with his fingertips, and the groan that he heard close to his ear indicated that he had achieved the desired result.

"You like it, don't you?" asked Soan.

"You know it" whispered Hitomi, kissing the drummer's neck.

Soan sighed and then he stopped breathing for a moment, because Hitomi bit his skin.

"I can hear Ivy's laugh already" he said, when Hitomi pulled away from him.

"Don't worry too much about it" Hitomi leaned on the bathtub. "Just don't drown me."

"I'll try" mumbled Soan, kissing Hitomi's lips.

* * *

There was silence in Moran's rehearsal room as always in the morning. Sizna sat with a mug of coffee, Hitomi was correcting the lyrics, sipping his water, and Soan set up drum cymbals.

Ivy looked at Vivi, who had fallen asleep with his head on bassist's lap, and looked at Tomofumi. A scarf with blue and golden patterns covered the drummer's neck. Ivy thought for a moment about it. Why he protects his throat in July?

Ivy kissed Vivi on the cheek, then stood up and walked to Soan.

"You can't handle a cold, So-san. Right?" he said, playing with his scarf. "I understand that Okinawa has palm trees, but it's July."

"Have you tuned the bass already, Ivy?" Soan asked, taking Ivy's hand and loosening his grip on the scarf.

His skin was still too sensitive for a bassist to play like this.

"No" Ivy replied, taking his hand away. "But judging from your slightly pink cheeks, Hi-san was playing the vampire again, right?"

Even Soan's murderous glare and Hitomi choking on water didn't stop the bassist from chuckling maliciously. Ivy patted Tomofumi on the shoulder and went to tune the bass.

Soan sighed. Maybe Ivy was crazy, but he was also a very good observer. Unless it was about Sizna. What was happening in the life of the guitarist, he probably didn't understand himself.

The end

Sweet strawberry

Band: Moran

Pairing: Soan&Hitomi, mentioned Ivy&Vivi

Rating: 17+

Genre: romance

Warnings: some erotic scenes

Note: "Isn't chocolate an aphrodisiac, Hitomi? Just like strawberries?"

"Hitomi?" Soan stood in the kitchen's doorway, looking at vocalist messing around, while wearing an appron. "What are you doing?"

"I found a recipe for chocolates with strawberry filling" said Hitomi. "I didn't really figure out how to make the filling yet, so I'm melting the chocolate for now."

"I see... I guess..." said Soan, then he sat on the table, took one strawberry and dipped it in the chocolate.

He liked strawberries. They were sweet and reminded him of one of their music videos.

"Hito-chan, why can't we just eat the strawberries?"

"Because it's boring. I need something new" said Hitomi, mixing the chocolate.

"Boring?" Soan got off the table, took another strawberry from the bowl and approached Hitomi. "We could always do this."

The drummer dipped the strawberry in the melted chocolatte and put it into slightly confused Hitomi's mouth.

"Was that boring, Hitomi?" he asked, with a mysterious spark in his eye.

"Tasty" answered Hitomi.

He wanted to say something more, but Soan closed his mouth with a kiss.

"You're right - said Soan, when he moved away from him. "Tasty. Now follow me."

Soan grabbed Hitomi with one hand, the pot with chocolate in the other, then he sat the vocalist on the table.

"What are you planning, Tomofumi?" Hitomi asked, when Soan dipped the strawberry in the chocolate.

"Isn't chocolate an aphrodisiac, Hitomi?" Soan bit off a piece of the fruit, then put the rest of it into slightly open vocalist's mouth. "Just like strawberries?"

"It is" agreed Hitomi, crossing his legs and leaning on the table. "Are you going to feed me?"

"Maybe?" Soan sat on the table. "I'm doing good so far."

"If you think so" Hitomi softly grabbed the fruit, put it in the still liquid chocolate, then put it into Soan's mouth. "Then I'm gonna feed you."

"I like that idea" said Tomofumi, wiping chocolate from Hitomi's lips with his finger, then leaned over him and kissed him.

That was expected to happen, though they didn't think about it. The table wasn't strong enough to support the weight of two adult people and both of them found themselves on the floor, surrounded with pieces of the broken table.

"We destroyed the table, Tomofumi" noticed Hitomi, chuckling.

"Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine" Hitomi shook his head.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

"So, follow me. We'll take care of the table later" Soan helped him get up and lifted him up. "We're going o the bedroom."

"You're going to the bedroom. I'm carried there."

"Don't talk back to me, Hito-chan" said Soan, leaving the kitchen.

* * *

"Know what, Heiichi?"

"What?"

"At least they didn't try that on the sink."

"What? The sink?"

"Mikaru and Syu once tried. Then they had to move in to my place for a week, because their bathroom, half of their flat and neighbours' flat got flooded."

"Do we know people, who aren't that horny?"

"Si-san has only a cat."

"And Sono."

"What?"

"Sono. Matenrou Opera's vocalist. You didn't notice?"

"No?"

"Who am I with...?"

"With me?"

"Well, actually... Toshi, what are you doing? Toshi!"

The end