That night as Adrien was studying his maps he heard the sound of glass breaking in the other room. He walked inside to see that the tank had fallen over, breaking and spilling out Marinette who was shivering.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

She backed away when he reached out to her.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you."

She knew she shouldn't trust him. He was a pirate after all and yet... Maybe it was because he spoke so gently to her or maybe it was because he had such wonderful green eyes, but she believed him. He put his hand behind her back and his other under her tail, he lifted her up and carried her to his room. She put her ear to his chest and listened to his heart beat. He laid her on his bed, she looked at him, her eyes as deep and blue as the sea, her hair shining like star dust, her skin as white and perfect as a pearl, and her lips as full and red as roses in bloom.

"Such beauty." He said cupping her face and gazing at her. "You are truly the most beautiful creature I have ever seen."

Her cheeks turned red and her eyes had a glitter of light in them. Those eyes seemed very familiar, where had he seen them before? Chloe had blue eyes but hers weren't like these. Every time he looked into Chloe's eyes he saw exactly what everyone said she was, poise and perfection. But these eyes, the ones he were looking into right now were filled with love and compassion something he had seen only in one other pair of eyes. His mother's, hers were green like his but they held the same warmth and comfort.

"Do you have a name?" He asked. She nodded. "Will you tell me?"

"Marinette." She answered.

"Your name is almost as lovely as your face." He said brushing her cheek.

"Do you have a name?" She asked.

"Adrien." He said standing up "Adrien Agreste." He bowed. "At your service my lady. Though strangers refer to me as Captain Noir."

"I am not your lady." She replied. "I belong to no man."

"My aren't you the feisty one. Tell me are all mermaids like this?"

"No." She said. "Most mermaids are ruthless and dark creatures who kill without mercy."

"And yet you are nothing like how you describe them. Why is that?"

"You do not believe me?"

"I've seen what those mermaids can do but you had a chance to take my life and you didn't. Why?"

"I don't know, however I am now regretting my decision."

"Now don't get upset I told you that I wouldn't harm you."

"Only because you need me to find the fountain of dreams." She said. "I'm sure once you find it you'll kill me."

"Perhaps."

"If you must kill me please make it quick and do not leave me to suffer."

"I'm not going to kill you." He sighed. "I can't! Not after you spared my life it's the pirate code. And besides how could anyone harm someone with such beauty."

She blushed again.

"Then what do you plan to do with me?"

"I don't know but I swear I won't harm you." He vowed. "Do you like my bed?"

"I'm sorry."

"My bed, the thing you're sitting on. Do you like it?"

"Yes." She answered. "It's very warm and soft. This doesn't really look like the beds I'm used to."

"What kind of beds does your kind sleep on."

"We usually sleep on beds of sand or seaweed or kelp. I sleep on a bed of sea flowers that grow in an underwater garden."

"You can sleep here instead of that tank. If you want."

"Where will you sleep?"

"I'll find a place. My pillow is soft and there's a blanket if it gets cold."

"What's a pillow and a blanket?"

"Oh boy...See this white square." He said pointing to his pillow. "It is something soft you rest your head on while you sleep." He gently pushed her down to the bed and placed her head on his pillow. "And a blanket is supposed to keep you warm." He pulled a red blanket over her.

The softness and warmth of the bed, pillow, and blanket caused her to get sleepy.

"Tell me about the ocean." He said. "What's it like down there?"

"It's beautiful." She said snuggling into the pillow. "There are so many fish, crabs, sea turtles, and other creatures. Some of them light up in the dark but they live in the deepest part of the ocean so deep that if you manage to get there it's pitch black."

She yawned as she continued to speak.

"And there are so many different types of coral and sea flowers. There's rainbow coral and fire coral which stings you if you touch it." Her tone sounded sleepy. "And there are lotuses that glow like underwater lanterns."

"Sounds amazing."

"Yes but there's no sun or moon or stars and it's always cold down there. There's music but we can't dance like you can."

"Are merpeople immortal?"

"No, we age and die like you humans do, when merpeople who's intentions are good die they turn into guardian angels and watch over their loved ones forever." She said.

"What about the um...bad ones."

"Those who are selfish and hold no good in their hearts turn to sea foam when they die."

"Sounds a lot better than rotting in hell." Adrien said.

"I know that my parents are watching over me."

"Your parents?"

"They died many years ago when I was only three. Unlike humans, merpeople remember the first few years of their lives although we're still as helpless as human children are at that stage."

"Interesting."

"We used to live in this beautiful cove and we would sit on the rocks to watch the sun rise and set in the mornings and evenings, and the birds fly over the clouds and the stars in the night sky. But then one day a group of pirates came and attacked us. My father died trying to fight back and my mother hid me somewhere just before she was killed."

"I'm sorry. Must've been hard growing up on your own."

"I wasn't alone, Master Fu found me and took me in."

"Who's he?"

"The oldest and wisest sea wizard in the world. He's more powerful than anyone, he travels on both land and sea using his power to help others and he managed to do all that while raising me for sixteen years."

"Where is he now?"

"Who knows? He pops in and out of different places at different times. If he knew where I was right now boy, you'd be in trouble."

That was the last thing she said before drifting off to sleep. Her brushed a lock of hair out of her face and laid down on the floor to sleep.

...

"Captain Hawkmoth! Sir!" A man wearing a hat with a pigeon feather said running toward his captain.

"What is it now Mr. Pidgeon?" He asked irritated.

"My pidgeon just saw a ship go by, but that's not all."

"Yes it is because your voice is annoying." He said taking a sip of his wine.

"But hear me out, the ship it was your first one." He said. "The one that was stolen by that boy. He's now the captain of it sir."

Hawkmoth gasped and spat out his drink. "He's...what?"

"A pirate captain sir, he calls himself Captain Noir and he's looking for the fountain of dreams."

"Ha! Foolish boy! He'll never find it."

"But they have a mermaid."

He slammed his fist on his desk and faced him, his eyes drilling into him. "How? How does he have a bloody mermaid?"

"I...I...don't know sir. But now that they have her they will surely find it."

The man dressed in gray glitched his teeth and his face turned red as he struggled not to lose his temper. Then he calmed down and grinned. "You mean we will surely find it, when we steal her."

"Steal her?"

"Yes. Set a course to wherever that ship is going and assemble my men."

"Aye-aye captain. But what if this mermaid has fangs and claws like the ones we encountered. I mean Marinette looked harmless but-"

"Marinette? Did you say Marinette?"

"Aye sir, that was the creature's name."

"The pirate who made a mockery of me and Fu's precious foster daughter. Oh this is just too perfect." He said laughing.