Love as Pure as Water

"A mermaid," he muttered. It made sense. What other reason could there for someone to be this far out into the remote ocean?

"No," he said, shaking his head and correcting himself. "You're a sea bishop. Right?"

"I am," she acknowledged. "You're...much calmer about this than I expected. Have you already met one of my kind before?"

"No, I've never. But pretty much anyone sailor or pilot that crosses the oceans knows a few rumors, here and there. I hear bits and pieces about all of you aquatic mamono."

"I know the basics, I think," he said, clearing his throat. "You're basically priestess mermaids, right? And you have...ocean magic. Or something. Right? Is that how you brought me back?"

"That is correct," she nodded.

Thomas looked at her curiously. "You had human legs. That was magic, too?"

"Yes. I can take a human form, but it takes a great deal of energy to maintain. That's why I was so tired."

"I'll say," Thomas nodded. "You looked like a newborn deer, finding its legs for the first time."

"Hey!" Alana huffed. "It's not like I have legs very often! It's difficult, okay? You wouldn't see me making fun of you for not being able to swim as well as I can!"

"Sorry!" he laughed, running a hand through his hair and falling backwards onto the sand. The heat of the sun had cooled significantly, and he sighed contently.

"I wasn't trying to be mean," he explained. "I guess it's all just...sinking in. My plane crashed...I died...and then I was resurrected by a magical mermaid. It all sounds so surreal."

"If it makes you feel any better, I think you're taking this very well," she said softly, swimming closer to him. She let her human half fall forward, lying face-up on the beach along with him, her tail submerged in the waves.

"In most of the tales I've heard about humans being stranded," Alana explained. "They are often distraught, or angry."

"Mm," he hummed absentmindedly. "Maybe I'll start screaming and crying later. Personally, though, I think I did enough of that during the crash. And, you know...I died, and all. Being stranded doesn't seem like such a big deal when you compare it to that."

"That's a very healthy way to look at it, I think," Alana smiled.

"If I had life insurance, I wonder if they would let me collect," he thought aloud.

"Probably not," she said, smiling sadly up at the sky. "Even if they would, there's no way to prove it."

The two watched the sun fall deeper into the horizon. The air grew cooler as night began to creep forward. They lay there for several minutes in peace, the only sounds being those of the waves. Their peaceful moment was interrupted when his stomach rumbled loudly, reminding him that, while he had surpassed mortal limitations with his resurrection, his body still needed to have its needs met.

Thomas laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head, taking the opportunity to stand up and stretch out. As peaceful as it was just being next to Alana in the waves, he couldn't lie down forever. It was time to take stock of the situation.

"So, Alana..." he started, arching his back and twisting around, "Any idea where we are?"

"I'm sorry," she said, rotating to look up at him. "I'm not very familiar with human geography. But I know that we're north of one of your...republics?"

Not very helpful. But to be fair, that's about all he knew, too.

"What were you even doing out here?" he asked. "I'm certainly not complaining, but this place feels remote, even for you. Don't sea bishops usually live in communities with lots of other species?"

"Oh, no, I don't live out here. I guess it might sound kind of silly, but I come here to...get away from it all. This place is so quiet, so calm...I like to meditate here, study on the wisdom of Poseidon, practice a hobby or two. There aren't many places that I can find this kind of peaceful solitude."

"Poseidon," he repeated. "That's your goddess, right?"

"Yes," Alana affirmed. "She is the patron goddess of the oceans. Her desire is the health and well-being of all who love the oceans - and those who fall into them. As her bishop, I work to spread her ideals and further her goals."

"I see. That sounds like a very noble goal, Alana."

She smiled and took a breath, starting to say more, but Thomas cut her off by holding up his palm.

"I'd love to hear more about you and Poseidon, but I think it's time we turned our attention to the situation, here."

"Of course!" Alana gasped, hand flying to her chest. "I'm sorry! I should have realized sooner, I just-"

"It's okay," Thomas smiled. "You have nothing to apologize for. You saved my life, remember? Let's stay calm and work this out, together."

"O-of course," she breathed. "You're right. I'm sor-" Alana stopped herself before she could finish, clearing her throat and speaking with a calm tone.

"Thank you. I'll do whatever I need to in order to help."

"Much obliged," Thomas nodded. "Well, let's start by taking inventory. What do you know about this island?"

He turned around and placed his hands on his hips, eyes scanning back and forth across the little islet. It wasn't much, but it could definitely have been worse. A few dozen palm trees grew along the island, and many of them were mature enough to have coconuts. That alone could be his salvation - coconuts were practically a godsend to the stranded. Tropical ferns grew along the grassy center of the island. Dead, dry foliage was scattered here and there - good kindling material, but he would need a way to ignite it. There were also a few small rocks strewn across the island randomly. Surely, he could find a use for those.

"I don't know much about the surface," Alana admitted. "I come ashore with legs sometimes, but I generally stay near the beach. You shouldn't have to worry about food, at least. I can easily get more than enough for the both of us from the sea floor."

"That's comforting," Thomas nodded, still considering his options. "I guess that just leaves shelter, and I guess a fire. Going to need a way to signal any potential rescuers, after all."

"I'm afraid that I can't really help you, there," Alana frowned. "I'd come ashore and help, but..."

"Save your energy," he nodded again. "I'm no expert, but I think I can handle this. I can think of something you can do that would be incredibly useful, though."

"Of course!" Alana said excitedly, the small fins on her head flaring outward. "What is it?"

Thomas couldn't help but smile. She was adorable - the ways her fins perked up like that, it reminded him of his old cat, his ears perking up whenever he wanted to play.

...when he realized that he still hadn't said anything, he coughed and turned away to hide his embarrassment. She tilted her head at him curiously - again reminding him of a cat.

"Right!" he coughed. "Uh, so, providing that it didn't fall out, there should be a big, olive green bag in the plane. It'll say 'Emergency supplies', in big red lettering, so you can't miss it. It's waterproof, so could you try to find it, please?"

"Of course!" Alana said eagerly. "Just leave it to me, I'll be back in no time!"

"I guess this means you might save me twice," Thomas chuckled. "I'll have to see if I can think of a way to pay you back. Anyway, if you don't see me when I come back, just shout, alright?"

"Alright. Good luck, Thomas."

"You too, Alana."

**********

Fortunately, Alana managed to find the emergency bag without any trouble, and it was still in good condition. When she gave it to Thomas, he took out the survival knife inside and set to work obtaining cuttings of palm fronds. By planting a few pieces of dead wood in a vaguely tent-shaped fashion, he placed the fronds upon the frame of the shelter, and attempted to bind them to the pieces of wood with bits of string from the emergency kit. It was more difficult and time consuming than he expected, and he worked well into the night as he constructed the makeshift shelter.

Meanwhile, Alana delved under the water to forage for food. She returned within ten minutes, holding two, large yellow fruits that resembled a crossbreed between a zucchini and a banana.

"Talua fruits," she explained. "They're vaguely magical. They grow in shallow, tropical waters, especially in reef areas like this one. I know it doesn't look like much, but they're incredibly dense with nutrients."

Thomas took the offered fruit gratefully and sat down next to her, sharing the quick meal in silence. He expected a bland flavor, with an awkward texture to match. But when he took the first bite of the fruit, he found that it was surprisingly sweet. The taste reminded him of some fried bananas that he had tried in Jamaica, a few years back. He hungrily devoured the rest of the talua fruit, realizing how hungry he truly was.

Thomas continued to work into the night, suppressing many a yawn, until the shelter was finally in a state that he could call 'roughly passable'. As he lay his back upon a bed of cut ferns, Alana departed to rest somewhere on the ocean floor, promising that she would return in the morning.

With the soothing sound of the waves not far off, and the comforting assurance of Alana's return, Thomas had never fallen asleep so easily in his life.

**********

"Tell me more about Poseidon," Thomas suggested, pausing to wipe his brow after depositing another load of wood and dead foliage next to his shelter.

The midday sun was beating down upon him harshly. He sat down in the meager shade that his shelter offered, but it wasn't quite as helpful as he wanted. Alana sat in the surf, curled up like a snake as she watched him. Her tail fin crested out of the water, absentmindedly swaying back and forth.

"More than a thousand years ago," Alana started. "Poseidon was a very different goddess. She was aligned with the Chief God's Divine Order, not with Maou. I'll spare you the ancient history lesson, but suffice to say, Poseidon grew...dissatisfied with the Divine Order. She started clashing with her associates, contesting their ideas, voicing her dissent. She disagreed with much of what the Order had to say, seeing most of their policies as pointless, if not downright malicious."

"Hurricanes and tsunamis, for example," she continued. "Why should she create these? To keep the human population in check? What was the point of that, she started to wonder. Were the humans truly such a problem? What were her storms accomplishing, if not needless death? Upon Maou's ascension, Poseidon began to see the truth. The members of the Divine Order were not acting the way that divine beings should. They were stubborn, uncaring, and illogical."

"Contrary to the popular myth," Alana said, clearing her throat, "She was not seduced by Maou, or anyone else, for that matter. Poseidon left the Order and joined Maou's cause by her own free will. In her eyes, she saw it as an opportunity to repent for her actions. She would no longer promote death and destruction, but life, and creation. When Maou's great spell took effect, Poseidon met with a group of her most loyal followers. She tasked them with aiding her new goals, and imbued them with her power. Those ancient mermaids ended up becoming her first priestesses. And what was once a religious group ended up evolving into an entirely different subspecies of mermaid - the sea bishop."

"I never knew that," Thomas admitted, tugging at his collar. "I never really gave any of the gods or goddesses much of a second thought. Maybe there's more to them than I gave them credit for."

"Besides," he continued. "Any divine being that can admit they were wrong, and try to change that? That's promising. Your Poseidon sounds alright, in my book."

"Hearing that makes me happier than you realize," Alana smiled warmly. "For a long time, I've felt...lost, at times. I just feel so...small. Like it's impossible to make a difference, like I can't really live up to Poseidon's expectations of me. So hearing that...it really does mean a lot to me. Thank you, Thomas."

"Oh, uh..." he chuckled nervously at her heartfelt reply, and started to rub his neck. "You're welcome?"

Alana nodded contently, her tail fin bobbing up and down with her. "So what's the next stage of the plan?" she asked.

"I went and used some of the rocks around here to make a fire pit," he explained. "Should have plenty of fuel to make a signal fire, now...and lighting it won't be an issue, thanks to you recovering the survival kit. I think that's all of the immediate problems solved, so now I guess we just...wait."

"Alright," Alana said.

They said no more for a short while. Eventually, an idea struck Thomas, and he stood up, tugged off his shirt, and joined Alana in the surf.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, blushing and averting her eyes as he sat down next to her. "You're...you're um...I mean, aha..."

"I felt like joining you," he explained. "Besides, the water's great. Should help me cool off faster, too."

"T-that's true," she said, turning to glance at him. Her gaze ended up lingering longer than she intended. She had seen humans before, of course. She had met all manner of aquatic mamono and their husbands during her travels across the Caribbean. But she had never seen a man so...close. So personally. She found him fascinating - the lightly tanned skin, his gentle muscles, his broad shoulders...his upper half was similar to her own, and yet, incredibly different.

Thomas didn't seem to notice, being content to shut his eyes and lean back, basking in the comforting water. The rhythmic, rising and falling of his chest caught her attention, and she watched him breathe for a while.

"Can I touch you?" she asked suddenly. Thomas opened his eyes and looked at her in surprise.

Alana clasped her hands over her mouth in shock. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to say that, I really didn't, it just kind of slipped out! I've just never really seen a human so close before, so I just-"

"Sure," Thomas laughed. "Do as you like."

Alana let her hands slip down, and started to reach one of them towards him.

"T-this seems weird," she said hurriedly. "Are you sure this okay? I mean-"

Thomas rolled his eyes and reached out with his own hand, grasping hers and placing it on his shoulder. The sudden movement made her give an excited squeak.

He felt...strange. But it was the good kind of strange, the curious satisfaction felt when exploring something new. She spread out her fingers, and began to smoothly run them across his upper body, pausing whenever she felt a subtle change in sensation.

...she liked doing this, she realized. It was an experience shared only between them. To Alana, most things in her life had been done for others - for the sake of other couples, for communities, for Poseidon. She had very few personal possessions, able to carry all of her belongings in a single satchel. And while she had no claim of ownership over this small island, she felt something of a personal connection here. And this experience? This was something personal, something new, and it was just for her.

It just all felt so...what was that word Thomas had used? Surreal.

"So?" he prompted. "Do I live up to your expectations?"

"So strange," she muttered. "Sorry, not you. I just meant...this whole situation."

Alana withdrew her hand and nodded sagely. "A week or so ago, I was visiting an underwater town, a few dozen miles from here. And I can remember wanting to come back here again, but...the feeling was stronger than usual. It was almost like...some invisible force was calling me back here. And I just...I had no idea. No idea that any of this would happen."

"I was on the beach when I first heard it," she continued. "Your plane, I mean. And when I saw you falling down, crashing into the water...I suddenly realized that I was drawn back here so that I could save you. And when you came back, when you started gasping and coughing...seeing the effects of my powers like that, on such a close and personal level...I don't know. It was like I found something in myself that was missing, like I fulfilled a part of my destiny."

Thomas frowned and looked at the sky. "I'm not sure if I believe in destiny."

"I'm not sure I do either," Alana smiled sadly, moving over next to him and leaning her head against his shoulder.

"Not even Poseidon has the power to cause random plane crashes," she giggled. "But even so, I'm glad that I was here. I'm glad that I got to meet you, Thomas."

"I'm glad you were here, too," he grinned. "I've never really had any good friends before. I'm glad that I met you, too."

"I've never really had a good friend, either," she admitted. "I'd be honored to have you as my first."

Thomas raised an eyebrow at her.

"N-not like that!" she protested, pushing herself away. "Don't look at me like that, you know what I meant!"

Thomas laughed heartily at her reaction, which made her cross her arms and pout.

"I love the way your head fins stick out like that when you get worked up," he sighed. "You seriously remind me of my old cat, its adorable."

"A-adorable?" she asked, her annoyance gone. "You really think that?"

"I do," he affirmed. "Actually, would it be alright if I touched your fins? I did let you go first."

"I...I suppose that it's only fair," she said, doing her best to keep her voice neutral.

His hand approached her lowest fin first - slowly, as if waiting for her permission. She nodded at him, allowing him to reach out and gently stroke the lower part of her tail.

"Your tail," Thomas muttered in surprise, "It's so much smoother than I expected. Your scales aren't rough at all."

"T-that's very flattering," she laughed nervously. "Thank you."

Thomas continued to run his fingers along her tail, gradually going lower until he reached her tail fin. He looked back and simply admired her body for a while. It was an impressive work of nature - powerful and muscular, strong enough to propel her through the water, yet also it was also beautiful and feminine, adorned in colorful scales. He brushed the exterior of his fingers against the membrane of her tail fin, which made her shiver.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked, stopping immediately.

"N-no, it's fine," she assured him, shaking her head. "I just wasn't expecting that. You can keep going."

He nodded and moved up to the fins at her waist, which were by far the largest. He very gently pinched one of them in between his thumb and index finger, massaging it with his fingers. They felt mostly similar to her tail - soft, smooth, and a little bit squishy, so he moved on after a few seconds.

The smaller pair of fins on her wrists, however, were quite different.

"These ones feel different," he exclaimed softly. "They're even softer, somehow."

"W-well, yes," Alana stammered. "My tail and hip fins are built for power, to help my control my movements through the ocean. The ones on my wrist are more for precision movements. They also help me...sense things below me. I guess that's a good way to explain it."

He began to run one of her wrist fins through his fingers, and the sensations made Alana squirm and giggle.

"T-That tickles!" she protested, half-heartedly trying to push his hand away with her own. Thomas laughed with her, and pulled his hand away.

"A sensitive spot," he concluded. "Duly noted."

The pair smiled at each other, eyes locked. After a moment, their smiles faded, and each of them found it more and more difficult to find a reason to break the eye contact. Thomas fell into Alana's hazel-colored eyes like a whirlpool, pulling him in closer and closer to her. And Alana felt herself unable to pull away from him, giving no protest as he inched a little closer towards her.

He started to reach his hand towards her face, but hesitated.