The Voice

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She didn't go very far.

Aeralie sat outside the Rip Tide Palace, knees to her chest, back against the wall, looking up at the far off distant surface.

Course Icadora wasn't asking for such an extreme price to spite the daughter of her brother. Aeralie knew that. Everything Kazimir had ever told her about her mother claimed her to be a kind, intelligent powerful mermaid who was not in the habit of making fun of serious situations.

Whatever had caused her exile was between Icadora and the king but she wasn't one for playing games. And even if she were, Kazimir and his mother were close – extremely close, even with him living at the palace – she wouldn't mess around when he was in such danger.

But that price...

Was that the only thing she could give for the chance to walk on land and get Kazimir back? Surely there had to be something else, anything else.

Her voice...

That was her power.

The thing that set her apart from others.

Even compared to other sea-sirens or sky-sirens, she was powerful. She could move whole fleets of ships if she so chose to. It was why she and Kazimir had always made such a good team. With her power to charm and his ability to move the water to his will, few matched them when they worked together to meet the demands on the ocean.

Aeralie had often suspected that – even if Kazimir weren't Icadora's son – her father would dislike him regardless because he was born with so much power, that power obviously stemming from his mother.

She looked towards the flowered archway again.

Could she really do it? Could she really give up her voice for a pair of legs?

She looked down.

Kazimir would.

She knew without a doubt he would give up his command of water to go on land and get her back. But that was in his nature.

She closed her eyes, then got up, staring out at the great expanse of ocean before her, before turning and swimming back into the palace.

When she reached the circular hall again, she looked around and a small squid floated passed, one tentacle pointing to the diamond corridor. She nodded to him and swam down the glittering hall that ended in a small room, which was eerily quiet.

She hovered by the door, looking in at the white walls and bright light that shone through the windows.

The only thing in the room was a marble pedestal, with nothing on top.

Icadora was by the pedestal, not looking at her and Aeralie fidgeted and continued to fidget until her aunt said, "You can come in, you realise?"

Aeralie swam forwards, looking at the pedestal, trying to figure out what her aunt saw on the surface that was so interesting but no, there really wasn't anything there.

"So have you changed your mind?" Icadora asked, finally looking up.

"There isn't anything else I can give?" Aeralie asked, looking at her.

Thankfully her aunt didn't seem irritated by her double-checking.

"I'm afraid such wishes come with heavy consequences," she replied.

Aeralie looked down, the finally nodded." Alright," she said, looking up, "Alright. Let me be the one to go up there and get him back. Give me the chance, please."

"The chance to see humans up close?" Isadora asked, raising an eyebrow.

Aeralie looked away, the nodded, choosing honesty. "That is part of it," she admitted.

"Well, at least you're honest, I understand that," Icadora said.

"So... what do I do? How do I—"

"Just stay over there," Icadora said, pointing a few flicks back. Aeralie moved back as told and waited.

Icadora in turn folded her arms, looking down at the pedestal again.

"I am going to give you something else to help you along – but again it comes with a price," she said.

"Another thing?" Aeralie asked, frowning, raising an eyebrow. "What else do I need?"

Icadora looked at her in surprise. "Understanding," she said, as if it were obvious.

Aeralie looked blankly at her.

"You don't honestly believe you can just go up there and understand everything the humans say, do you? They have a completely different language from us. Not only that, but there are hundreds upon hundred of languages, none of which imitate any of our own."

Aeralie stared at her.

She had never really considered that. She had been close enough to hear people talking, but not so close as to ever make out words. She'd always just assumed she was too far away and never thought about the fact that, yes, she actually didn't understand them. Not a single word.

"But you have to get something for me," Icadora continued. "I need you to find a Heart of the Sea."

Aeralie's head snapped up and she stared at her. "What?"

"Years ago, a human in that palace came into possession of a Heart of The Sea. I tried to get it back but, sadly, failed. I have not had a chance since. It is still in that palace, somewhere. If you are going to go on land in my place, you must try and find it."

Aeralie gaped at her.

Was this it? Was this why she had been banished. She had failed to retrieve the Heart?

Aeralie's hand unconsciously moved to her own Heart, her fingers touching the amethyst jewel that pulsed reassuringly at the touch. For a human to come into possession of a Heart – that which connected someone to the sea – and for her to fail to get it back... Aeralie could almost see banishment for that... almost.

"Do you think I will be able to?" she asked.

"I am asking you to try," Icadora replied, "If you fail, you will not be punished. But I will ask you to try. It was lost years ago but it should still be down here in the ocean rather than up there with them."

"I... I will try," Aeralie promised.

"Alright then," Icadora said, "I will give you legs and understanding for the price of your voice and the possible retrieval of a missing Heart. Now... I need you to sing."

Aeralie was quiet.

She didn't want to sing. She didn't want to lose her voice.

Icadora didn't rush her. Aeralie was glad her aunt clearly understood her resistance and the need to take a few minutes. It was never easy giving up a part of yourself.

Finally however, she took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and began to sing.

It was as if wind, not water, wrapped around her. It crept down the back of her throat, forcing the water out, seeping into her lungs, filling them in a way that only happened when she was at the surface.

Strange sensations began to tap around her throat, at her voice box.

Snip. Snip. Snip. Her voice was cut from her, one string at a time.

Until suddenly, though she knew her throat was using the muscles needed to create sound, and she could still here the sound of her own singing... the singing wasn't coming from her.

She opened her eyes and instantly clapped a hand to her mouth, tears springing up.

Her voice, a glittering ball of light, sat on top of the pedestal, shimmering, still singing, echoing now there was no body to contain it.

"Now," Icadora whispered, holding her hands together, "Become a human."

When she separated her hand, blue electricity erupted from them and when she aimed that power at Aeralie, it was like the force of all the ocean crashed into on her.

It threw her upwards, wrapped around her, squeezing and pulling. She stared at her hands as the shimmer of the skin faded away.

The sprawling length of her hair shrank until it only reached the small of her back and the violet in the locks faded until it was pure blonde.

And then her tail changed.

She let out a silent cry as she watched her fins shrink into nothing, followed by her tail dragging itself in two, changing shape, shrinking then adjusting as feet formed at the bottom of ankles, toes uncurling, nails forming.

When it was finished, she started to sink. She didn't know how to make herself tread water and she was too tired, collapsing to the floor, head bowed.

"I have not taken away your ability to breath underwater – least not completely. You can hold your breath longer than other humans," Icadora said calmly as she swam passed, muttering something to one of the squid who waited by the door. "We will get you as far as the beach then you shall be on your own. A victim of a shipwreck that has washed up on their shores."

The squid returned, followed by a few more, carrying a gown.

"You shall dress as someone who belongs in a royal household – it is more likely that way that you will be taken to the palace. I shall make sure you are found by members of the palace and no one else attempts to take you away."

She drifted over to Aeralie who was too dazed and weak to really pay attention. Lifting her arms when guided, her shell top was removed, leaving her completely naked until a strange item of clothing was tugged up over her legs and up to her hips, covering her lower half followed by the gown that was pulled on over her head. Her arms were slid into place and the back was laced up, not too tightly.

After that, Icadora pulled her up by the arms and led her out, Aeralie following like a rag doll, too tired to move.

As soon as they left the palace, they shot upwards, the added weight of Aeralie nothing for Icadora's powerful tail. Cold air struck them as they broke the surface and Aeralie had the vaguest notion of the shore in the near-distance.

She seemed to only blink and they were there, Icadora pushing her up onto the beach, shoving her far as she could so she wasn't completely covered each time a wave broke against her.

Aeralie lay there.

It felt nice to be on land, her cheek pressed to the cold sand, the icy water pouring over her.

She didn't realise when she fainted.

She just knew that, the next second, she was waking up in a bed... and there was no water around her.


~~~~

Next Up: Thursday

Music By: Ori and the Blind Forest OST - 09 - The Spirit Tree (feat. Aeralie Brighton)

See, all the way over in Japan and still posting XP I mean, no idea what time it is and if it's still Monday but still!

I have maaaainly been in shopping areas so far. Was gonna go to an aquarium this evening but I was just SO tired for some reason. Tomorrow, hmm, who knows, maybe I'll go to an onsen. Then the day after, it's Mt Fuji XD

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