Part of Your World

His amber hues glimmered with amazement as the show ended. He hadn’t believed his brothers when they talked about the new display at the aquarium. After all, there were rumored mermaids before, but they had all been humans with an extraordinary ability to hold their breath, decorated with makeup and costumes.

But this.. This was different. This was real.

The way she had moved in the water, elegant and graceful, something that couldn’t be replicated by someone who wore the tail as a costume. Her skin seemed to shimmer, hues of the ocean flickering beneath the lights. Her hair was long, a deep purple like the depths of the ocean at night, floating around her in the water as she greeted the children that had run up to the glass. They were as amazed as he was. After all, she looked nothing like the mermaids in movies or illustrations. The beautiful mermaids who were depicted to be like humans with the addition of a tail instead of legs.

No. Her beauty was unexpected. Different. Ethereal.

Leviathan walked closer, his hands shoved in his pockets, his gaze never leaving the mermaid even when people bumped into him. Mumbled apologies were barely processed as he watched the way she moved through the water. The way the light hit her skin. He could see now that it shimmered because her skin was made of scales, the blue partnered with a soft pink that made up the dress she wore. Her purple hair shifted to reveal the blue fins that made her ears. Her gray eyes sparkled with amusement as her deep blue lips curved into a smile, her palm pressed against the glass as a young child waved at her.

After a few moments, the children were called away by their parents, guided to different parts of the aquarium. He watched as she moved back from the glass, still smiling despite the flicker of emotion he just barely caught in her gaze. An emotion he knew all too well. Loneliness.

A slight frown graced his pictures as she swam around her tank. How many times had she gone through this? Seeing new people, only to watch them walk away? How many times had she been left behind? How many times did she smile through the pain?

Now that she thought no one was watching her, the corners of her lips dropped, her gray hues darkening like storm clouds on the horizon. The loneliness was etched into her features as she settled down onto a rock, her fingers fiddling with the ends of her hair. As Leviathan moved even closer, his lips curved into a wry smile, the music playing in the aquarium reaching his ears above the chatter of the crowd. ‘Part of Your World’ from Disney’s The Little Mermaid. The irony.

He stood quietly in front of the glass, the original amazement in his ember hues replaced by sadness. He knew what it felt like. The stifling loneliness that not even the nosiest places could change. The type of loneliness that made you feel as if you were at the bottom of the ocean, with no one to hear your voice. A warm sensation on his cheek surprised him. When had he started crying?

The Avatar of Envy let the tear fall, his eyes fluttering shut as he pressed a trembling hand against the glass. The cool surface of the glass steadied him, forcing him to take a deep breath. The faintest sound of moving water caught his attention, and when he opened his eyes once more, he found himself looking into a curious gray gaze.

He blinked in surprise. The mermaid who had been sitting on the rock just moments before was now floating in front of him, her palm pressed against the glass, just in front of his. She tilted her head as she took in his features, and he gave her a small smile, using his other hand to wave in greeting. Her eyes sparkled with excitement, the ends of her tail flicking as she parted her lips to speak, only to hesitate. Would he understand her? Leviathan noticed the doubt that shadowed the excitement on her features, and did his best to give an encouraging smile. He didn’t know how to reassure her. He wasn’t like Satan or Asmo, who knew exactly what to say in any situation. So he settled for speaking the truth.

“I’ll be able to understand you.”

The moment he spoke, doubt filled his mind. Could she even hear him through the glass? Could she understand him? Or was he making a fool of himself, in this crowd of humans who merely wanted to see something they had never seen before? He looked down, his cheeks tinted pink as embarrassment welled up within him. Just when he was about to pull away from the glass, a soft and melodic voice reached his ears.

“I’ve never seen someone cry for me before. Thank you...”

He lifted his gaze, amber hues meeting gray once more, as they stared at each other in awe. He saw the hope that swam in her expression. The hope that maybe there was finally someone who would never leave her behind. His gaze softened, the same hope welling up within him as he leaned forward, his forehead resting against the glass. A smile tugged on the corners of his lips as she mirrored his movements, a clear longing etched into her features as her eyes fluttered shut. Determination filled his gaze, his fingers curling into a fist against the glass.

Someday… I’ll make it possible for you to be part of this world.