A Sea of Spells

I once said I'll never leave.

I once said I couldn't leave when the girl who haunts my every dream is out there all alone.

I once said I'll always be content in the deep sea, but look at me now.

I once said I'll always go where she goes.

And now that's how it will be.

"I'm leaving the caves," I stated firmly mornings afterwards.  "My home is no longer here."

"You speak of this place as a home, but was it ever a home for your heart's true home always lied in the hands of another you secretly always desired?"

"I.. I can't leave her all alone when she is like that," I told Keth Zykrula honesty, "I must make sure everything will work out smoothly."

The Keth hold an item hidden in seaweed behind them, "You should take this if trouble ever reaches you..." I was given my spell book.

My eyes widen, my spell book!

I missed you!

"Keth Zykrula oh thank you!  I'm glad you gave this to me," I grinned.

"I'm giving you this even though I know all what awaits.  Wouldn't it be wise to not help, but still it makes me want to help you even more." Zykrula laughed dryly, "A girl like that who dreams will never be contained in a world like ours, so she must have more and find life's true purpose," those words caught me off guard.

I stared at Keth Zykrula who smiled sadly.

I turned to look and ask my question, but there were no words I could muster.

The Keth sighed, "I know what you are doing and I won't stop you, but I will warn you that nothing good will come from this."

"I must be there with her," I decided, "And she needs this.  She won't stop until she is satisfied."

"Oh?" Zykrula cocked her eyebrow, "And what will happen once she is satisfied then what?"

I frowned, "I don't know..."

"When I ask you some time ago, if you were going to leave I meant to fulfill your destiny, life's purpose for you, but you're chasing a mer who is in love with one who'll never be you.   You state you are leaving the caves, but you only go where your heart lies.  When someone is in love, they do outrageous things and when looking back you will only be filled with much regret." The Keth spoke a few last words, "Farewell then, my 21st child..."

I got the spell book and put the page I previously ripped out days before back inside.

I swam up and kept going shallower and shallower.  It was then my head popped above the water.  I saw the land and stood on it, there I saw Levy-- a human with legs-- waiting for me.

Now how did we all get here?

Let's back up a bit, shall we?

~~~

It was the eve before, Levy stood there dreamily as she told me about her desire to see and visit the surface.

"He's looking for me," she whispered, looking out the window.  "He's looking for me, Alehkzir."

I stared at her in confusion, "Who is looking for you?"

"Lehz, he wants to see me.  The human." Levy then offered me a giddy smile, "Did you know that human is a prince?  That changes nothing how I feel, but..." She raised her arms up, "His name is Lucino."

"Oh.." I looked away sadly, "Wait, how did you know this?"

Levy pressed her lips in a thin line, "I stated I have been traveling to the surface to see him.  I overheard him telling his advisor that he wanted to find her.  He wants to find me, get to know me, and then he said maybe marry me," she laughed lightly, "Lehz isn't this amazing!" She threw her hands up smiling.

I stared at her blankly, "Now wait a minute how's that going to work out, you can't just show him you.  You're a.. A mer Levy and far as I'm concerned they only know you as the ones who sing their ships to rumble!" I exclaimed, putting my hands on her shoulders trying to get her to understand.

"And second you can't just marry him, you don't even know him." I faced the other way, crossing my arms.

Through the corner of my eyes, I saw her frown and raise her eyebrow, "What?! Who says, besides he told his advisor he is looking for the one who saved him.  He said all of that together." She nodded putting her hands together.

"Levy I..." I pressed my mouth together, "I don't want you to leave."

She blinked, "You don't?  Change can be hard but we all have to go through it."

"You're making a decision without property thinking about it!" I exclaimed.

She softened her eyes, "I don't get it what's up with you.  Ever since that happened, you've been all over the edge." Levy sighed softly and sat down next to me, "Did you know, he also said my voice is beautiful?  Can you believe it?  He told the advisor, I just can't believe that he remembered it."

"Only the foolish would be able to forget a beautiful voice like yours.  And if he doesn't then there is something absolutely wrong with him," I state, as if it was obvious.

I mean it was.

"You know you are such a wonderful mer, that's why everyone is jealous of you.  Even if they say snide remarks that displeases you, that's the only reason they do." I told her with a small smile.

Her eyes softens taking it my words.  She giggled with joy as her thoughts began to be filled with him again, "He loves me.  Isn't that great?" She exclaimed, rolling over in excitement.  "Lehz, I want to officially meet him."

"Meet him?" I shut my eyes, "But how will you do that as a mermaid?  You said yourself you can only get so far and cannot explore any farther.  You and me and about almost everyone here has a tail unlike him.  Like this you cannot and will not be able to." I told her firmly.

Levy lowered her head in sadness, "I... I hadn't thought of that." Her hopes seem to die down, but just before I heard her voice, "Wait!". She looked at me with an expression on her face I never seen before.

It was beautiful.

"What if I became human, that way I'll make him be mine.  Then I'll get to see him and once I get to know Lucino that is when we will get married.  Ah I can just imagine it," She sighed dreamily, "and then we will have one chi-"

That's when I interrupted her.

I shook my head, "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" I crossed my arms, "Slow down." I put my hand up, "How will you even be human?  You are my closest and more than just my best friend.  You're incredibly amazing and I love you, but you must slow down." I told Levy calmly.

"I just... I just always wanted to go there, even if we didn't meet... I still would want to." She told me softly, "if only there was a way."

I twiddled my fingers nervously, and rubbed my nails together.  "Well we can't always do everything.  Besides if you go, so do I!  Whose gonna protect you, me of course.  You never know if they find out and make you pay for all of their lost sailors!" I exclaimed, grinning hard.

Suddenly she looked at me, eyes widen, "You..."

"Uhh?  Yes me?" I looked in almost confusion, "I mean of course I'll come with you, I'll never allowed so that you're so far away."

Levy shook her head and pause, "Wait a second, don't you do music!  You're a magic wielder and you body collects magic.  Remember that spell book?" She clapped her hands together, "What if one came make me human?  Find one and maybe we can both go!"

I stared at her and widened my eyes, "Levy!  I can't just do that," I turned away, "Remember Keth Zykrula has it and I'm not getting it back anytime soon.  I tried and tried."

"Aww come on, pleaseeeee?!" She asked, with her hands together.

"But she forbid me from ever touching it again!" I exclaimed shaking my head, "Plus a spell like that will be so complicated it would require so much to be given in return.  And special things.  Before were just pranks and tiny spells that were fine."

"What do you mean I thought before you said some spells require something but I only seen that done once," Levy turned to me.

"Since as you said I have magic inside me I use that magic to do complicated magic on myself or pranks but if I do something on others or for you it will require something.  With the pranks I just exchanged their hair or forms for it before giving it back.   But with this, I'd never take something so precious of yours that you'll never be able to have again..." I trailed off, shaking my head in dismay.

Actually that was I like, I would if I get to keep it forever.

"Look I don't mind.  Whatever it is, I'll do it." She told me proudly.

I sighed, "But what about Lysandria's wedding and your brother?" I shook my head and laid my head on her shoulder.

I had to convince her not to somehow.

But she mindlessly said, "It will be okay.  I'll do this." I nodded, "Now all you need to do is get the spell book and bring it to me.  And besides remember when I was grounded and you snuck in without father finding out, it is just like that." She laughed at my refusals that were still going on.

"Nobody crosses Zykrula though!" I exclaimed, shaking my head with my eyes completely shut.

I opened one eye to see Levy's defeated, heartbroken face.

And I knew what I had to do.
...

Once when Zykrula was nowhere to be seen, I ripped out a page of the book that stated transformation.

Human to mermaid, it stated.
Mermaid to human.

But when I read the requirements to this spell, I widen my eyes.

I can't allow her to do this.

I shook my head, no!

Human Transformation:

A mermaid's tail will tear apart as if a knife is cutting your tail in half and in its place will be legs of a human.
Above the surface, a Mermaid's tongue cannot work.  They cannot speak the same way they do under the sea. 
         And every step as a mere human will feel as if a knife is stabbing their fins-- at the bottom of their feet as if it is cutting the tail in half.  But if and only if the mermaid's lover chooses another to wed instead, then they shall die the sunset before the next and only will seafoam remain in their place.
   
I became nervous at once.

I cannot show her, there is too much pain and risks involved.

Not to mention, her voice, her beautiful voice will no longer be there.

The consequences were far too great.

But when I told Levy everything she stared off in the distance before saying, "Okay, I'll do it."

I stared at her in shock, "What?! What about your voice?  And... And you will be in too much pain for me to bare!" I yelled, refusing her request.

"I'll have my looks, look at my pretty face!  Besides I'll just have to use body movement to express myself," she stared at me firmly, her eyes staring at me intensely.

"I won't do it.  I'm not going to make you go through all that pain!" I cried out feeling the ocean almost smother me for not saying one of the other reasons as well.

"But where is love without pain?" She asked me softly.  "You'll always have to make sacrifices when you're in love."

Her happiness.... Her happiness would never be here.

That's when I think end up convincing me.

I looked at her and sighed, "How could you love him?" I whispered hoping for one last answer before anything in hopes she realized what I truly meant by the question, for I didn't ask how could she love him s human she just meant.

It was how could she love him instead of me. Still, I proceeded to do the spell.

I read ancient words using my magic on here.

She closed her eyes and at first she cried out in agony, biting down her lip to try and numbing the pain.  Then she continue just to close her mouth and hold her breath.

I continue to chant, "I'm sorry.  It doesn't hurt to much does it?" I would ask every so often.
Her scales on her tail-- so beautiful and wonderful-- began shrinking and we're almost done tearing apart.

The scales along her abdomen, her breasts, shoulders, neck, and arms began disappearing as well.

She was pressing her mouth together in a thin line very tightly.  Her eyes were still closed.
Then at last, her tail was no more.

The little mermaid was a mermaid no more, but now a human.

I held her close to me and instantly swam for the surface no matter what.

As day break, I collapsed on the sandy hills of the surface with Levy.

Her outfit that she wore back home in the water that consist of elegant, but soft material that had pearls decorate it so nicely was now sticking to her newly human skin.

She sat up and look at me with a look that made me become filled with so many thoughts.

"It's really late still.  I say I'll help you walk and then in the morning, we can explore," I decided.

I stood up, in a human form and reached out my hand.  She took it, gladly.

She took a step and widen her eyes in pain.

I hated this.

She suddenly held onto me for support, I didn't mind in the very least. 

And another step.

Her eyes widen.

She took a deep breath and mouthed, "I'm okay.  Embrace the pain."

Then about thousands on steps later, she was finally walking without limping too much.

She still hang onto me, but I enjoyed that.

I smiled at her.

"Let's find somewhere to stay and then you can sleep.  I," I gestured to the sea, "Have to do something but I'll be back before dawn."

She gave me her brightest smile that made me become filled with joy.

And that decision costed everything I care about to be at risk... Forever

//Legend here, okay so this is where I am going to stop for now.

I will publish the remaining sometime soon but I want to put a gap between the human and ocean chapters.

Also this chapter explained everything and Alehkzir is now swimming back to her because they wanted to go to the cave to say goodbye.

Also if you couldn't catch it, Keth Zykrula is the one who basically is the caregiver, kinda in the process of birth and would be like a "mother" or "father" but isn't a specific one of the entire clan\\