Chapter start

"How did this happen?" Error said softly, breaking the silence.

The boys had just fallen asleep, curled up together on the sponge, as Error got to work healing Reds tail.

Red was laid out on his stomach as Error gently, working with a broken shell and thread, began to carefully stitching the wounds.

When the other spoke Red sighed, pain flashing in his eyes as the makeshift needle threaded into his flesh. "I... was afraid you'd ask that..." he murmured, head bowing slightly. Error razed a brow at this. "If you don't want to say, then don't. I won't pressure you."

Red looked over his shoulders at him with a grateful gaze. "Thanks... I just..." he sighed. "I lost someone I... cared for.... to the ones that attacked me... that's all I want to say about it." His eyelights darkened.

Error nodded. He knew all to well of anger, pain and revenge. What to much of it can do to the mind. Fear has that same effect. Dragging people into its inescapable darkness and delusion.

As he finished up the wound he was working on, a question popped into his head. It was to Reds fear. His reactions to Error.

"What were you so scared of me when we first met?" Error asked, breaking a soft silence.

Red turned his head and gave a look to Error along the lines of Are you serious and Why would you ask that.

"You're a, ya know..." Red sloppily gestured to him from the angle he was in. Error razed a brow, confused as ever. "A what?"

Red just stared at him, making Error rather nervous. "Ha...have you been living under a rock this whole time? You really don't know what you are?"

Error tensed at this. He honestly didn't know. He didn't know anything on this world.

But Red does! He's a local.

Error decided to put it as simple and as blunt as possible."I'll be honest. Me and my boys are new to this... situation. Let's just say I know nothing about our kind. So please explain."

Red sighed, shifting as the needle poked at a bruised spot. "Well... ok. I guess I'll explain if you really don't know."

"For starters, there are four kinds of mer. FishTail mers, SharkTail mers, WhaleLords, and Odd. FishTails are the kind I'm under. There is a large variety, meaning a lot of different species. We're usually flashy and colorful and live in large groups of our same or similar species. I am a Flame Angelfish mer. But there are different kinds of angelfish mers out there. Like Sun angels or calico."

Error glanced over the shimmering vermilion scales of Reds tail. Taking note of that he nodded Red on.

"SharkTail mers are what you and your boys fall under." Errors eyes widened slightly. "Your kind don't have many species. But what you lack in diversity, you gain in reputation. SharkTails are feared through out the reef because they take after sharks. A few species are know to eat mer like me. That's the reason why I freaked out on you. I thought you were going to eat me or something." Red blushed slightly in guilt and embarrassment. "But it's obvious now why you didn't or won't."

Error razed a brow as he finished up the final wound. "Why?"

Red again gestured to Errors tale. "You're a Nurse Shark mer. One of the most gentle and calm species out there. Your pups, their not tho. I... I think their Zebra Sharks? Another nice species. So I'm not surprised you cross bred with a mate or adopted them. Your two species are know for that kind of stuff."

Error was slightly stunned by this information. The boys being a different species is understandable, they may not be his biologically but where still his no matter how different, but him... from a gentle species? That was almost laughable.

"WhaleLords and Odds aren't really mers. More of a creature like a mer? Odd usually have eel tails or tentacles or even crab claws. Their rare around these parts, living mostly in the shadow vines where you got these fruits, but I'm sure you'll see some during the Migration or on the Breeding Grounds. WhaleLords are just giant mer that live deep in the ocean. They don't get the actual size of whales but are still bigger than mers."

Error tilted his head slightly as he listened. When Red finished Error pulled away, snapping the last thread. "I'm done. Don't move to much, you might rip a stitch. And what is the Breading grounds and Migration?"

Red sat up and fully turned, looking very relieved the stitching was done but also shocked by the question. "You don't know what the Migration is? Is this the first time you've been in the reef?" Error could only nod at this for it wasn't completely a lie.

Red pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing again. "Ok, the migration is during the Boil. You know what the Boil is?" Error shook his head. Red scowled before chuckling. "Of course not!" Red slipped into a slightly more comfy position and started to explain.

"Once a year, the sun gets closer to the water, and the water starts to get warmer. When that happens, mer of every kind and fish alike move deeper into the water to this large valley called the Breeding grounds were, as the name states, mers breed." Error cringed slightly at the last part.

"We MUST go there. There isn't a choice. Because if we stay in the reef we'll die." Error stiffened at this, before frowning. "How exactly?"

Red sighed. "It's not called the Boil for nothing. The water here is so shallow, that it starts to boil. It kills everything by cooking them from the inside out. It's a horrible way to die. For guppies especially, since their so small they die a quicker yet more painful death. That's why mers with guppies leave early."

Error glancing at the boys, shaking at the mear thought of this happening to them. He turned to Red and gripped his shoulders. "When does this boil happen? When should we leave?!"

Red shrank back, putting his hand up to calm the other. "Whoa there Error, it doesn't happen for another month. So don't worry." Error seemed to relax at this and let him go. Red sat up and look at him sheepishly. "I... was going to leave in the morning, to not cause you trouble. But it seems like you need a bit of guidance. So if it's ok with you, I can stay with you in till the Migration and after we reach the breeding grounds if you want. So... can stay you?" Red flushed slightly, looking down as he fidgeted with his hands.

Error smiled softly at the offer. A feel in him said the other wasn't just wanting to stay to help, but to be help himself. "Of course. I was going to let you stay for a while any way. And I think the boys need to socialize with more than just me. I can only teach them so much..." Red looked up at the taller and smiled.

"Thank you."

They finished the conversation with a little small talk before they both decided it was getting late. During that time Error started and finished a mat out of the sea weed husks.

Error laid out the finished mat for Red to sleep on before curling up around the boys.

That night, Error found it hard to fall asleep.

And even harder to keep his eyes off Reds sleeping form.

___
Lil A/N.

Nurse shark. How Errors tail looks.

Adult Zebra shark

Baby Zebra shark. How null and Voids tails look like.

Flame angel fish. How Reds tail looks like, just longer and skinnier.

I'm working on fan art so don't worry yo pretty little faces~.