Chapter 5

Zayn leaned over too close to the edge and toppled over the shelf. He landed among Louis' treasures, tangling himself in beads and other jewelry. Louis and Liam spun around quickly, scared that their secret hideout was found.

"Zayn?!" Louis gasped, spotting the small crab hanging from a necklace.

"Louis, what are you- how could you- what is all this?!" he asked, motioning towards the entire cavern as he untangled himself.

"Um, it's my, um, collection?" Louis offered, scratching the back of his neck, nervously.

"Oh, I see. Your collection..." Zayn trailed off, before erupting loudly. "IF YOUR FATHER KNEW ABOUT THIS-"

"You're not gonna tell him, are you?!" Liam interrupted, swimming in front of his face.

"Please Zayn! If you tell, my father will kill me!" Louis pleaded. Zayn rolled his eyes.

"Louis, you need some rest. Come with me, I'll take you home."

Zayn held Louis' finger gently in his claws as a strange shadow appeared over the ocean.

"What do you suppose..." Louis trailed off, looking up curiously, before swimming out of the cavern and up towards the surface. He emerged from the water, shaking the droplets from his fringe. He stared in awe as bright lights were shot from a huge ship and illuminated the sky. Zayn and Liam poked their heads up to see what the commotion was.

"Louis, you shouldn't be her-" Zayn was cut off by the sight of the ship. His eyes grew wide in fear. "Jumping jellyfish!"

Louis, entranced by the sight, swam forward towards the boat. He was too hypnotized by the sight to hear Zayn's protests. As he reached the side, he climbed up a small ladder, just above a small opening where he could see the deck. He peeked his head over the edge and saw many humans, dancing, singing, celebrating. Louis was brought out of his trance by someone sniffing. Louis looked over and saw a large furry creature sniffing the floor and heading his direction. Louis ducked his head before the monster saw him. He heard the sniffing stop and lifted his head to investigate. The monster stared at him, panting with his mouth open. It licked Louis, kindly, on the cheek making the merman laugh.

"Max? C'mere boy!" one human called. Louis hid slightly as the monster named Max ran off. Louis smiled, until he noticed the human who was now playing with Max. Louis gaped at the handsome figure of a boy, maybe around his age, with curly brown hair and sparkling green eyes.

"Good boy," the human laughed, showing off his dimples. Louis sat in awe, until he heard someone squawking his name, "Hey Louis! Quite a show, eh?!"

"Niall!" Louis whispered, "Be quiet! They'll hear you."

"Oh, I gotcha," Niall landed next to Louis, "We're in an exploration. We're out to discove-" Louis clamped his hand over Niall's beak. "Quiet!" He released his friend and turned back to the dreamy human.

"I've never seen a human this close before," He sighed, propping his elbows against the edge of the ship, "He's very handsome, isn't he?" Niall scrunched his face in distaste.

"I don't know. He looks sort of hairy and slobbery to me." Louis rolled his eyes, and pointed Niall's head toward the human, "Not that one! The one with the sparkly green eyes."

Suddenly, the music was silenced as a skinny, older human waved his arms to gain attention.

"Silence!" He shouted once more. Once all the sailors were quiet, the older human stood next to the handsome human, who sat on top of a barrel loosely hugging his right knee.

"It is now my honor and privilege," the older human continued, "to present the esteemed Prince Harry with a very special, very expensive, very large birthday present." He motioned to a large figure covered with a tarp, and all the shipmates cheered.

"Nick!" Prince Harry, as Louis now knew the handsome human as, nudged the older human in the shoulder, "you old beanpole, you shouldn't have!"

Nick rolled his eyes, rubbing his shoulder and straightening his clothes, "I know..."

He held out his arm as two sailors removed the tarp, "Happy birthday, Harry!"

The sailors gaped in awe at the large marble statue of Prince Harry, clad in medieval armor and kneeling. Harry arched his eyebrows in shock. Max growled while Harry smiled embarrassedly, rubbing his neck as he stood up to take a closer look.

"Wow, Nick," Harry complimented, hiding his dislike in the statue, "it's um... it's really something."

"Yes, well I had it detailed myself," Nick stated, proudly, "though I had hoped it would be a wedding present."

Harry threw back his head, letting out the laugh he was holding in.

"Aw, c'mon, Nick don't start!" He walked toward the edge where Louis and Niall were hiding. The duo hid themselves by leaning against the side of the ship, as Harry took a seat against the edge.

"You're not still mad that I didn't fall for the prince of Glomera, not are you?"

"Oh, Eric," Nick groaned, "it's not only me. The entire kingdom wants to see you happily settled down with the right partner!"

"They're out there somewhere, Nick!" Harry shouted, looking out across the ocean, "I just- I just haven't found them yet."

"Well perhaps you aren't looking hard enough."

"Believe me, Nick, when I find them, I'll know," Harry insisted. Louis smiled softly, hearing the young human talk about love.

"It'll just hit me, like lightning." To punctuate Harry's statement, the sky lit up as a stroke of lightning brightened the night sky. Above, a sailor yelled to the crew below, "Storm ahead! Secure the rigging!" Harry and the other shipmates took action, securing the ropes to the mast. The captain held tight to the wheel, but the wind and rain blew him back. Harry lunged at the wheel, steering back on track. The wind and rain rocked the ship so much that it flung Louis and Niall off the ship. Niall blew away in the wind, calling after Louis, who was surged underwater by the large waves. Louis swam back to the surface just as a blast of lightning lit the main sail on fire. He gaped as the fire began consuming the wooden ship.

"Abandon ship!" The captain yelled. The crew hurried the prince into a row boat, and dropped into the ocean. The ship lurched suddenly, launching the rest of the crew into the water. Nick flailed in the water, until Harry seized his arms and pulled him into the rowboat. A barking sound above made Harry's head snap up.

"Max!" He called, before diving into the water and climbing back up the ship. He found Max by the wheel, the exit blocked by the burning mast. "Jump Max!" Harry commanded, holding out his arms.

Just as Max leaned over the edge, a large wooden pole fell behind him, launching the pup into Harry's arms. Harry ran to the edge, but his foot fell through the floor board, tripping him and causing him to throw Max overboard. Nick pulled Max into the rowboat and looked up. Harry was struggling to pull out his foot, when he suddenly remembered the amount of gunpowder in the bottom of the ship.

The sailors could only watch in horror as the ship exploded into pieces. Louis gasped, then dove underwater, into the wreckage. When he surfaced in the middle of the burning debris, he spotted the prince, passed out and leaning against a staff for support. But as Louis swam closer, the prince slipped from his support and began to sink.

Louis dove underwater, grabbed Harry by the arms, and pulled him back up for air.

~~~~~~~

As the dark clouds began to disappear, Louis lay against the sand, next to an unconscious Harry. Niall landed next to Louis and looked at the prince curiously.

"Is he... dead?" Louis asked, hesitantly.

Niall shrugged, "It's hard to tell." He flew over to the prince's foot and pressed it against his head.

Niall frowned, sadly, "I can't make out a heart beat." Louis looked sadly at the prince's face, then noticed his parted lips and rising chest.

"No look!" Louis exclaimed, "He's breathing!" He brushed aside Harry's fringe, lightly stroking his face.

"He's so beautiful," Louis whispered softly. Liam and Zayn were splashed onto a rock nearby just as Louis began to sing.

"What would I give,
To live where you are,
What would I pay,
To stay here beside you,
What would I do to see you,
Smiling at me," the sun began to part from the clouds behind Louis. The prince slowly began to wake up while Louis held his face softly with one hand.

"Where would we walk,
Where would we run,
If we could stay all day in the sun," Harry's eyes fluttered open and he caressed the hand that was stroking his face. All he could see was a beautiful person, the sun making their feathered hair look bronze and blue eyes shine, singing to him.
"Just you and me,
If I could be part of your world?"

A barking noise snapped Louis back to reality as Max bounded down the beach. Louis floundered back to the water just as Max reached Harry and distracted him by licking his face. Louis dove into the water and swam behind a large rock, just as Nick found Harry and Max. Harry wiped the slobber from his face and blinked quickly at what he just saw. Max barked at the water, wondering where Louis went.

"Oh, Harry!" Nick cried, "I thought we'd lost you!"

"There was- Someone was- and they were-" Harry stuttered, stumbling. "Singing. They had the most beautiful voice."

Nick chuckled, shaking his head, and helping Harry walk steady, "I think you've swallowed too much seawater."

Meanwhile, Louis was peaking over the edge of the rock, blushing slightly after hearing how the prince thought his voice was beautiful. Zayn, on the other hand, was panicking slightly.

"The king doesn't have to know! You won't tell him," He pointed with his claw to Liam, who shook his head obediently, "I won't tell him. I will stay in one piece."

Louis rose, slowly from the rock, singing softly, "I don't know when, I don't know how, but I know something's starting right now, watch and you'll see, someday I'll be, part of your world!"

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Taylor cackled from behind her magic bubble as she watched the prince stare longingly after the human prince.

"I don't believe it! It's too easy!" She threw her hands in the air dramatically, as she continued to laugh, "The child is in love with a human. And not just any human- A PRINCE!"

She rubbed her hands together as she chuckled evilly, "His daddy will love that. King Triton's headstrong, lovesick son would make a charming addition to my little garden."

She turned towards the entrance of her cave, laughing maniacally at the shriveled forms of mermaids and mermen that were trapped with her forever.

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I'm sorry I don't update this story often. But I swear I'm going to continue this story I won't just end it for no reason. Please vote/comment/follow? Love you guys xxx