#Kyrie's growth is done for now. Ending size roughly 360ft

[awkwardgtace]

Finding The Old Songs

day 31 free space. TBH Had a few ideas for this day. I finally settled on continuing the merpeople day so more Kyrie and Melody as he's getting bigger. There's some pretty dark themes mentioned here.

Finding The Old Songs

Byssal spent most of the next few days and nights going between Kyrie’s current den and their hunting grounds. He’d gotten far more than needed, at least he hoped he did. He dropped the most recent haul of fish down, careful of his own hands. He didn’t want to take the risk that he’d be grabbed again. He froze as the last fish fell in and he heard a quiet whimper.

“Tides above,” he seethed. 

He dove in and found a mer about half his height curled in the corner. They looked up at him in fear. Byssal looked around, the fish had landed all over the cave, with Kyrie off to the side. His massive tail was creating small currents as it moved. He was blocking the smaller entrance and kept an arm near the mer. They started to chirp more frantically. Byssal silenced them with a single motion. Kyrie’s chest heaved, but he stayed asleep.

Byssal swam close to the mer and inspected them. Their arm was bleeding, that couldn’t be a good sign. He grabbed their hand and started to bring them out from Kyrie’s shadow. He froze as the form around him shifted. Kyrie had already gotten a bit bigger, but he shouldn’t be growing anymore. He was bigger than any other deep sea mer. 

“No, no, no,” the other mer whimpered. 

Byssal didn’t know how to react to their cries. They should be safe. His faith in the guppy he raised fell as his tail was grabbed by sharp teeth. He couldn’t bring himself to move even as the large tongue tasted his tail. The strange feeling made him twitch. He gave an experimental tug, but the teeth holding him didn’t budge. He heard an annoyed chirp from the mer holding him hostage.

“Not food,” Kyrie grumbled as he let Byssal go. 

Byssal swam back down to the other and took shelter. He wasn’t sure it would be best to immediately run. He put himself between them and Kyrie, at least he’d be able to do something. He just watched as the now impossibly big pup seemed to grope around in the cave, as if he couldn’t see. His eyes widened when one of the pup’s hands found a cropping of fish and picked from it carefully. Even when shoved in his mouth Kyrie seemed to be carefully tasting each one.

Byssal pushed his curiosity aside and grabbed the other mer. He had to hope that the fish would keep Kyrie distracted from the scent of blood. His hopes were dashed again when the mer was pressed against his side as a large hand grabbed them. Both he and the other mer were pulled down and held in front of Kyrie’s face. The empty eyes watching them felt terrifying. 

Kyrie pulled the other mer free from his hand. Byssal squirmed, but he was held too tightly. He knew he could try a spell, but he couldn’t bring himself to hurt the pup he raised. Kyrie brought the other one up to his face and started to smell them. He moved his hand almost too quickly, freeing their injured arm. Byssal watched as Kyrie brought them even closer and licked them. He was stunned as the wound closed in front of his eyes.

“Safe,” Kyrie said. His eyes still looked empty as he finally brought both his hands up to the opening. First he pushed Byssal through, then the other mer. Before they could run off Byssal grabbed them. He watched from above seeing even more care as Kyrie was grabbing fish one by one. He shouldn’t be this hungry.

“Why were you even in there?” he asked the other. They were trying to pull free, but he just glared at them.

“I needed a place to hide. There was an opening down at the sea floor. I-I just thought I’d be safe. Then that monster grabbed me and kept me trapped. I-I,” they couldn’t speak anymore. 

Byssal let them go and stared down at his pup again. Kyrie was devouring all the fish, but without a second of frenzy. Even the deep sea mers he’d spoken to said they had blind frenzies during growth periods. Those weirdly empty eyes turned up to face him and he flinched. There was something different in them. He shook off the feeling and left Kyrie behind.

Byssal went off to find the only siren nest he’d heard about that was left untouched. He couldn’t wait for this growth period to end before starting his search. He had to rely on the rumors surrounding a strange cave system. He found the one, it had a strange scent wafting from the entrance. It seemed to stir something in him, but he ignored it. He dove into the ancient paths. He had to move quickly, if Kyrie kept growing he might break free.

Byssal swam through more and more strange tunnels. He hadn’t seen ones like this before. He found the first entrance that he couldn’t fit through and grimaced. He pressed his hand against the top preparing to try and dig his way through, but the wall felt odd. He followed the strange feeling of the wall to the ceiling. He pressed against it, lifting the stone and revealing a tunnel bigger than the biggest mers he knew existed. He nodded to himself before swimming into the darkness.

He flinched as the stone hiding the path closed behind him. He tried to dig his fingers beneath to lift it, but it wouldn’t budge. He knew he had no options and swam ahead. He kept a hand against the tunnel, a feeling that something could swallow him up encompassing him. The darkness felt like it would never end, his ability to see was getting worse. He knew he wasn’t meant to be in the darkest depths, but this darkness was different.

The wall started to change again as he continued forward. He paused, trying to figure out what felt off. He ran his hands back and forth shuddering as the feeling clicked in his mind. The grooves felt like scales. The idea of something making a tunnel this big pushed him to pick up his pace. The tunnel widened more as he made his way through. The strange feeling of scales getting worse. Once the lighter waters came to view he dashed out, relieved to escape the strange tunnel.

Byssal turned around and swam back slowly. He wanted to see the outside of the path he took. His blood ran cold as he saw the remains of gigantic tails resting against the exit. For however long it felt like scales, he was moving between behemoth sized fins. He swam further back, some instinct he never knew existed made him feel worse. There were massive skeletons attached to the dead tails, bigger than any mer he’d ever seen. He bumped into something and cut his arm, turning in shock. A sharp tooth the length of his arm was behind him.

“What the…” he murmured. He swam around the sharp teeth to get a better look at the scales. His eyes widened as he found a spot with clearer light shining along the reflective surface. “These are like Kyrie’s…”

Byssal dug his fingers under the old scale and pulled one off. The feel was like the ones Kyrie shed as a pup. He dropped it, that was a problem for later. Byssal swam away from the remains of the giant mers and started to look for a way down. A shadow passed above him and he froze staring up. The form didn’t look familiar, it had to be a new human thing. He stayed frozen until the shadow was gone.

Byssal shook off the feeling of dread that had nestled itself in his gut and swam down. The sirens always kept their nests close to the sea floor. There had been a time humans would kidnap the young for their voices. He had to find openings throughout the large tails. They almost acted like a barricade. He felt worse as he found teeth marks on bones through his path.

After what felt long enough for the tides to change he made it to the ground. The place was as bright as a coral reef, something that shouldn’t happen as deep as they were. There wasn’t damage from the time of attacks in this nest. He felt like he’d invaded someone’s home.

“The sea should have been kinder to you,” he whispered. “I’m sorry I can’t leave your nest in peace.”

Before he could do anything the shadow was over him again. He turned to face it only to have something smothering him. He panicked, casting a spell on himself that should have shocked the thing. It didn’t do anything. He didn’t want to die from some overgrown fish. Something warm and strange ran over him before he was suddenly in open water.

“Sorry little mer,” a loud feminine voice said. He shivered, he’d never heard anything quite so loud before. Slowly he looked up, finding a mouth moving away from him. Eventually empty eyes were staring down at where he had been left. “I couldn’t tell if you were another stray fish to wander in.”

“What are you?” he breathed. He swam back as the water around him moved. A hand blocked his path, he was miniscule compared to it. He stared into the eyes, the clouded color faintly familiar. The hand forced him up to their face. Those teeth were impossibly large. This thing couldn’t leave the bite marks he’d found on his way down. He reached for the cut on his arm, blood would only make him seem more like prey. It was gone.

“Do you speak?” Her voice was louder now and he shuddered. “I suppose it is about time…”

“What are you?” He was panicking. He didn’t think he wanted to be here for whatever she meant.

“Hmm? The ocean hasn’t told you? I suppose it’s not you then. Leave, little one.” 

Byssal was thrown back as the humongous mer moved. It was like the currents he’d found as a pup a long time ago. He was sure he’d be swept away and lost far from his goal. The other merely shifted to lay on her back again. The hand he’d been supported by disappeared, sending him straight back towards the tunnel. He had to swim with all his strength not to be sent careening to the odd darkness.

“Wait!” He shouted. The shadow from before appeared overhead. He could see now the thing he’d assumed was part of the nest’s wall was the mer’s arm. He swam over to the other and stayed just above her face. He wasn’t sure she’d hear him at this distance. Cloudy eyes didn’t even spare him a look. “What are you?”

“I thought I’d sent you off, little one,” she sighed. The way the water left her gills made the current around them move. He was facing a force of nature, she could be the ocean’s spirit embodied. “You don’t need to know anything about me, I am merely a guardian of this place. Leave.”

“I’m not leaving, this is a siren’s nest right?” he asked. 

The cloudy eyes still didn’t look at him, he felt like a river fish in the ocean for the first time. She moved faster than her size would suggest. Gripping him in a hand that could and did hide him entirely. He saw nothing, but the dark flesh around him. He felt more than heard her growl, it shook his bones.

“So you’re here for something after all,” her voice was louder than before. He didn’t realize she’d been speaking softly. She growled again and he started to struggle. He tried to think of a spell he could use, but most of what he needed had been spent hunting. “I will keep this place safe, you won’t destroy it.”

“I need something from here!” he cried out. He couldn’t tell what was happening around him. There was nothing, but the fingers holding him tightly. “If this is a siren’s nest I have something to find!”

“This isn’t any nest, it’s the nest. Where young sirens came to learn. I won’t let you destroy it or steal from it. No matter what it takes to stop you.”

The fingers around him tightened. His chest was heaving, he never expected to feel trapped like this. Hand’s maybe half his size were ones he prepared for, not ones that held him so entirely. He started thrashing, but the fingers holding him didn’t budge. He almost thought he felt water move around him, he realized he was right when the fingers opened before sharp teeth.

“I need it for a siren!” he shouted as loud as he could. He knew it would be pointless, whoever this was had taken over the siren’s nest as her own. The mouth before him closed and those eyes still wouldn’t look at him. He was pulled up and he felt the water pulled toward her as she checked his scent.

“It’s faint… I can smell it slightly. Who is this siren?” she asked. Her voice was still too loud. She let him go, but grabbed his sides between two claws after. They were the same dark green Kyrie’s had become.

“I’m not giving you information on her.” Byssal bared his fangs. He may not be a danger to this monster, but he wasn’t going to lead her to Melody. He wouldn’t let her or Caprice die.

“Her… now things make sense. The ocean can’t feel her though. I should have known when the time changed.”

The mer let him go and returned to laying on her back. He stared down at her, blue hair similar to Kyrie’s new color. He spun around, the massive tail had scales like his too. At least from the parts he could see. He shivered, the image of this mer moving more than she already had was something he never wanted to see. She shut her eyes as she seemed to think.

“What do you mean things make sense?” he asked. The cloudy eyes stayed shut, he was getting curious how she seemed to know exactly where he was.

“The ocean can’t feel sirens anymore. Not since she had to send them away.” The mer opened her eyes again, they looked different, almost glowing. “You said she… the siren is a woman?”

“Does it matter? I won’t take you to her!” He growled, the gigantic mer laughed around him. He almost couldn’t believe what he was seeing, or hearing. 

“I don’t need to go to her, you’ll bring her what she needs.” 

She moved quickly again, this time shifting more than she had yet. She left the ground she’d been relaxed on and Byssal saw what he feared. The massive tail left the ground as she started to swim up. It was terrifying as the whole ocean seemed to move with her. Her tail moved and he was pulled with the current. He tried desperately to stay steady as the tail flicked forward and back.

Byssal couldn’t keep himself steady. He was thrown into the skeletal remains behind them. He hadn’t realized just how high the mer had pulled him. She didn’t even seem to notice what she did. If she did she didn’t care. The current continued to try to pull him from where he’d managed to hide. He squeezed his eyes shut, the water was more violent than the worst of the storms he’d weathered.

“You’ll have an easier time now, bring anything you take back,” her voice echoed around him more. He slipped his eyes open and looked around, he couldn’t see anything of the impossible mer anymore. He did see an easier path back to the bottom of the nest. A shadow passed over him, he flinched before looking above. She’d moved over the cave system he’d entered through.

Byssal nodded before finally swimming down to the nest. He didn’t see anything obvious, but that was the weird part. After the way the current was from the other mer this place should be a mess. He started to search through each carved out den he could squeeze into. Nothing special besides some kelp or seaweed, maybe even moss from the surface on the ground. Byssal was losing hope in finding a way to teach Melody the old songs. 

“There’s a deeper spot, you’ve missed it so far,” she chuckled. He turned to look at her and she wasn’t even facing him. 

“How do you even know where I checked?” he yelled. The cloudy eyes were looking past him in only a moment.

“I can feel the way the ocean changes as you move. I can feel how the water flows in the cavern you’re missing. It’s the way I see. I learned it quickly once I’d been left on my own.”

Byssal had been telling himself that her eyes were because she shouldn’t have been this high in the sea. Knowing he was wrong, that she received the same treatment as Kyrie, made him angry. Abandoned for the sizes they thought she could reach, although she’d definitely grown larger than anyone would guess. Giving up a blind mer no matter the size was unbelievable. They were more in tune with the current, they kept their pods safe. 

“So you pity me?” she said. Her voice had a tone of annoyance.

“No, shocked that anyone would abandon you. The way you feel currents, it’s usually coveted,” he said. He heard her gasp, the smile of the huge face staring at him was almost reassuring. The large teeth were still intimidating. He briefly understood just why the two humans acted with so much fear usually. He turned to search for the cavern she mentioned. “It’s where I usually rest. The way out is there too.”

Byssal listened, swimming to the spot that once held the mer. It felt like a trap, easy enough for her to keep him without lies though. She didn’t move and he did find a cavern. It was bigger than he knew sirens were able to be. He placed a hand on the edge, shivering at the feeling of scales. He took a moment to float there, unsure if he was being led to her young. He dug his claws into the scales and swam forward. There was no option, he wasn’t getting out of this if she tricked him.

The strange tunnel slowly let out into a large cavern. He never would have expected something like this in a nest. It went down deeper in the water, as deep as the trenches he and Pelago had visited. He shivered as the temperature dropped. When he neared the bottom he found spots that looked big enough to hold someone his size. The way the rocks sat, it was clear they’d trap him with just enough room to reach out one of his arms. He picked up his speed.

At the bottom was what appeared to be an altar. There were stone slabs leaning against some sort of podium encircling it. Each had some strange script he couldn’t read. He slowly approached one and the current seemed to grow fierce. As he forced himself closer, the current started to die. Then, as if the ocean itself wanted him to grab them, the current reversed and all the tablets moved. He barely caught them as they were thrown by the water.

Byssal held them tightly as he swam back up. He tried to read the tablets, but the text just seemed to swim in front of his eyes. He had to hope this was what he needed and kept swimming. The opening of the tunnel appeared and he almost lost the tablets as a current pulled him out. He tried to control himself, but he couldn’t avoid being dragged out and right into the grip of the other mer again.

“You bring them back or I’ll find you, they belong here,” she growled. Her voice was loud again, making him flinch. 

“How long do I have?” he asked.

“Until the siren no longer needs them.”

Byssal almost screamed as she started to move with him. The way the water moved while in her hand felt wrong. He almost wanted to try and swim out, but the current around him would just throw him to the floor. The huge fingers curled over him. He couldn’t fathom what made her do that until the water around him was gone. It pulled him down with it, he would have left with it if she didn’t grab him.

The air whooshed past him as the massive arm moved. He was dropped just a bit above the water. He fell down, looking back to where he expected the huge face. All he could see was her arm going back down to the water. He stared at the rock, it was high enough no one would be able to jump over it. He understood then, leaving without a word.

“Good luck, little one,” her voice was just a whisper as he swam off. He smiled a bit, he had to reach Melody next.

—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Melody stayed inside while Pelago sat near the edge of the cliff. She had been waiting for Byssal. He hadn’t shown up in days and he promised he would check in. Pelago said he was going to hunt farther out to protect their usual hunting grounds. Melody knew it was a lie, she could see the fear in her eyes. She took a deep breath before sliding open the glass door..

“Pelago, has there been any sign of him?” she asked. Pelago jumped, Melody took a seat next to her on the cliff. It was terrifying to be out here, but she didn’t want to make Pelago wait alone.

“Melody, let’s go back inside. I hadn’t realized how long I was out here,” Pelago said. Melody leaned against the human form mermaid. Pelago started to stand, but she grabbed her hand and made the woman freeze.

“We should wait a bit longer…Pel.” Melody bit her lip, she knew the others called her that. She hoped it was ok that she did too. The hand she held was pulled away and she knew she had overstepped. She opened her mouth to apologize, but slim arms wrapped around her.

“Thank you Melody. Just a few more minutes, then you can show me more of those show things.”

Melody nodded and leaned into the hug. Pel was more supportive than anyone else she had ever met. Even her own parents were reluctant to be near her. She’d lied to herself for years, but there was a reason only Caprice came to see her. Her voice terrified them, what she could cause in their lives terrified them more. She knew they blamed her for a lot of things, especially Caprice. The arms around her tightened.

“What’s wrong guppy, you’re crying,” Pel asked. Melody shook her head. 

“Nothing, just thinking about things. I hope Byssal comes back soon.” Pel rubbed her arm.

“You know, he’d be happy if you called him Byss.” Melody jumped and Pel started to laugh.

“I don’t… I can’t I mean…” Melody looked away and tried to pull away too. She couldn’t call him that. 

“Just think about it.”

Melody gave a shy nod and leaned back into Pelago. The two sat and stared over the water. She kept picturing a head of blue hair popping up and grabbing them both. She knew Pel would wait inside if she asked, but she couldn’t do that to her. She didn’t like being in the house either. Every noise she heard made her think claws were about to tear her home apart. She used to think the noises were him coming to check on her.

She tensed as the water changed. She had grown used to the sight, a merfolk was going to appear. She tried to hide her fear, it could be Byssal, it had to be Byssal. Green began to crest the water and she could feel her fear disappear. It was him and he was alive. Pel kept saying Byssal would be safe, but even she relaxed as he appeared.

The huge merman seemed different. He acted almost scared. He finally looked at them and for a solid minute he seemed ready to run. She didn’t know what could be making him act like this and it was more terrifying. She carefully pulled Pel’s arms off her. They should just leave. Byssal finally reached them and dropped strange stones behind them. She turned to watch them, a strange sound from them.

“Byss, are you alright?” Pel asked. Melody knew she stood up, but the noise of the stones kept her focus. She climbed to her feet.

“Pel, I’m fine. Things were… odd. I don’t think Kyrie is,” Byssal said. 

She stopped hearing him as the noise of the stones grew louder. She stepped towards them, she couldn’t make the sound stop. There was something about the sound that felt almost familiar. She stepped forward again. She thought she heard her name but the stones grew louder. She had to be near them. Something shadowed them, but a dome of water appeared protecting her and the stones. There might have been a shout, but that wasn’t important.

She took another step, the stones almost sounded like they were speaking. She shook her head, it wasn’t speaking they were singing. She took the last step, finally standing in front of them. They were huge compared to her, but they started to shrink down. They stopped at nearly her height. There was something on them, it looked like music notes. Something about them was wrong, other than the fact they were moving.

Melody reached a hand out to them and the swimming on the stones stopped. While it was still she could read what was there. Songs she felt like she knew, notes she’s written all her life. She didn’t think before she touched them and the music only grew louder. She didn’t feel in control of herself as her mouth started to move on its own. She started singing. It didn’t feel like it was her voice.

She was somewhat aware of the large hand landing near her. She didn’t care, she moved to the next stone. A new set of notes and a new song she felt as though she already knew. She sang this one more consciously. She had to sing, she had to know the songs. There was a slam of something huge and a shout she knew should worry her. She didn’t care.

This song, it wasn’t done, parts were missing. She had to leave it and go to the next. She kept moving from song to song with a slam behind her. It always seemed as though she were a second away from being a part of that slam. She wasn’t sure what was happening, but the songs were ending. She felt like she had to find the right ending. As her voice began to taper, fingers wrapped around her. She screamed as she was pulled from the tablet.

“By-Byssal?!” Melody cried. Byssal’s eyes were glazed over like he wasn’t actually conscious. He growled and the hand she was in tightened. “What’s going on?”

“Melody!” Pelago shouted. She turned to the mermaid, finding her held firmly under a hand. Byssal could crush her like this. He could crush both of them. “Byss let her go! Whatever was happening, it's over now!”

Melody tried to get Byssal to loosen his grip, but his fingers wouldn’t budge. She froze in her struggles as something huge started to come up behind the entranced merman. Empty eyes appeared as Byssal’s grip tightened around her. 

“Enough,” the deep voice growled out. She knew that voice, at least she used to. Kyrie was big, too big. He was even bigger than when she last saw him. One of his hands seemed almost as long as Byssal. He grabbed the arm holding Pel and pulled it back. Byssal growled, but didn’t let Melody go.

“Kyrie, don’t!” Melody yelled. 

The empty eyes locked onto her and he released the arm he was holding. He reached for the other with another growl escaping him. Once he grabbed it he pulled the arm down to the ground and held it steady. He reached forward with the other hand. The shadow made her shiver as she tried to think of an escape.

“Byss, Kyrie, you need to stop!” Pelago yelled. “Let her go! What’s wrong with both of you!?”

Kyrie’s claws dug into Byssal’s fingers. She heard Pel scream again. All of this was awful, all of it was her fault. She dug her own fingers into Byssal’s skin. She opened her mouth to call out to them, but the sound of the stones distracted her. The unfinished song played in her head.

“How do I make this stop!?” she shouted. The only one who could answer was Pelago and they both knew there was nothing. 

“Keep singing…” something said. It sounded close to her mother and reminded her of the night she learned about her voice. The world seemed to freeze as more of the songs from the stones played in her mind. 

“What the fuck would singing do now!? All it’s done is ruin my life and the lives of the people around me!” 

She thought she heard people call her name, but that didn’t matter. If she never chose to sing, Caprice would never have been hurt. He would have been an athlete. Kyrie wouldn’t be willing to hurt his family to get to her. Pelago wouldn’t be watching the people she cares about hurt each other. Byssal wouldn’t be about to do something she knew he’d regret. 

“Sing… Sing…Sing…Sing…Sing…Sing…Sing… Sing…Sing…Sing…Sing…Sing…” 

More voices chanted in her mind. Suddenly she wasn’t being held in a tight grip, but standing at a podium. Walls towered around her that seemed to go on endlessly. She could barely see the silhouettes of people lining them. All she could hear was the sound of chanting. Dozens, hundreds, maybe thousands of voices in unison.

Melody covered her ears and shut her eyes, but the chanting grew louder. She fell to her knees searching for help. All she found were the two who’d been tormenting her locked away in stone cages. They reached out for her, their claws just inches away. Her body ached with the feeling of something crushing her. The scent of blood flooded her senses. The cacophony of voices grew louder demanding she sing.

“What would that do!?” she cried again. She thought she heard Pelago screaming her brother’s name in the midst of the chanting. The demands for her to sing grew even louder. 

“Mel! Let her go!” Caprice’s voice called. He can’t see what’s been happening. She needed to stop this. He appeared in this strange place she was in, getting grabbed by one of the mermen. She stared in horror as his face began to contort in pain.

“Stop!” 

“Sing or they die,” someone whispered. She looked for the speaker, and met only with the stones from before. She curled in on herself as the strange songs grew to match the chanting.

Her heart was racing. The eyes of the people surrounding her began to glow. The chanting picked up speed and volume. All demanded she sing. She didn’t want to, she was tired of what it caused. As Caprice screamed and a cry from Pelago broke through the endless noise, she shattered. She opened her mouth and slowly started to sing Slowly, she let her voice go louder.. She was putting her entire soul into the melodies. Begging for something to save them from this. The endless walls disappeared and she returned to the reality of people she trusted crushing her.

She couldn’t stop singing once she’d started. Every song she’d left unfinished joined with the partial songs from the stones. It was like some secret part of her soul had opened. She heard the cacophony of voices join with her own. A symphony across time of the things she always somehow knew. She was set down on land as the two mermen came to their senses.

Byssal’s eyes were filled with horror and Kyrie’s with shame. She just kept singing. She felt arms wrap around her, Caprice’s voice in her ear. She couldn’t stop singing. Every note, each beat had to come from her. If she stopped she’d die, that much she was confident about. It wouldn’t be from the merfolk or humans. Something ancient would destroy her. She’d crumble to dust.

As the song reached its end, the unfinished melodies from the stone finished in her mind. She had to start each over now her voice was the only one. She swore it had been hours before she finally let her voice go quiet. She fell to her knees with her body in horrible pain. She sat in silence as whispers flooded her mind. 

Songs she never knew, but somehow always knew. Ways to defend herself, to control with her voice. She could guide others, send them away, do horrible things if she wished. She was a siren, she could do anything. The stories, legends, myths, history, everything connected to her. She was part of something more.

She looked around and for a moment, a single moment, she was in that strange place again. Surrounded by people she couldn’t make out, glowing eyes staring at her. After a few seconds, glowing smiles joined the eyes. Every silhouette dove at her revealing a flash of color on their forms. As each one reached her they seemed to fade into her. She never realized she’d been missing something until that very moment.

“Melody…” Kyrie’s voice was still deep and strange. He looked at her like she was fragile, she had been. Not anymore, not now. The terror she felt that day would never come back. He’d never be able to do that to her again. “I…”

“The fuck have you all been doing to her!?” Caprice yelled. She looked at him, but he felt different. It was like she couldn’t reach him anymore. He grabbed behind her and lifted up her hair. It had grown longer. “Her hair doesn’t even feel like normal hair. What were you doing holding her like that!? Growling at her? Why the fuck are you even here?! I left because you said you wouldn’t be coming here and you fucking did this!?”

“Cap,” she whispered. Her voice was hoarse for the first time in her life. Each set of eyes locked on her. She wanted to cry, there was fear in the eyes of Pelago and Byssal. It reminded her of her parents after that night. She was losing everything again, taking things from Caprice. Her voice would always be a curse.

“Caprice, we didn’t…” Pel started. Melody hated the look of fear in her eyes.

“I grew… I lost,” Kyrie had to pause for the word. “I lost control. Came here and…” 

He chirped as he struggled to find the words he needed. Byssal opened and closed his mouth, he didn’t have an explanation. Something in her seemed to break once that happened. She cried, but not a single noise escaped her. She finally lost her voice at the one time she desperately needed it. She wanted to go back to before all of this happened. 

“Melody…” Kyrie murmured. He picked up a hand to bring it near her, but stopped. It made her cry harder. 

Her voice could only cause pain. She hated it. Byssal raised his hands, but just stared at them. Pelago stopped looking at her, stopped looking at anyone. Everything was falling apart again. She destroyed everything by letting herself forget what she was. She had people who cared, a life she didn’t hate, could laugh again. Caprice even seemed happier than she’d seen him in years. She was ruining it all.

“Mel, why don’t we go inside?” Caprice whispered. He sounded scared too, she’d done this. She ruined everything. She kept trying to speak, but the words wouldn’t come out. 

“Caprice, I think-” Byssal started.

“Shut up, I don’t know what you’ve been doing to her, but it’s not continuing.” 

Caprice was doing it again, giving things up for her. He lost his dreams because of her. Now she was taking the people he actually felt understood him. The people who encouraged him to be himself. The seal on her voice shattered as her pain reached new heights. The silence was replaced by a piercing and shaky wail.

“I’m sorry!” she croaked. The small words started a flood she couldn’t stop. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know why I was singing. I won’t anymore, please don’t hate me Pel, Byss. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry! Caprice I’m sorry, I did it again I’m so sorry. Kyrie I’m so sorry. I won’t again. Never again. I promise, please don’t go.”

She buried her face in her hands as her tears continued. Some part of her was terrified to see how they’d act. Caprice’s arms around her tightened, but she couldn’t make herself face him. She stiffened when she noticed the shadow over her, but didn’t do anything. She wasn’t scared anymore. Whatever happened she knew she could keep them safe. She could get them away.

She closed her eyes and tried to pull away from Caprice. She did need to get away, but to stop from doing anything worse. She just kept mumbling apologies, she had to make sure they knew it would never happen again. She gasped when two fingers pressed at her side. The feeling was almost electric and she leaned into it. They were from Kyrie, the only one who could dwarf her so easily.

“Little siren,” Pelago whispered. She was terrified of the horrible things she’d hear. “You shouldn’t be sorry, you didn’t do anything.”

Melody tensed. She hated when people lied about the damage she caused. Caprice had done it before, pretending he’d given up on his dreams for no reason. Her dad told her one night, drunk and angry that the closest to a son couldn’t be an athlete after everything. The huge fingers started to leave and a small whimper escaped. She couldn’t explain the relief when they pressed against her more firmly.

“Mel, you should lay down. Let’s go inside, it’s gonna be ok,” Caprice soothed. She shook her head, he was lying again. He always lied to protect her. He’d lost everything it was her fault and she did it again. He’d even started to like Kyrie before this. Talking about how maybe he wasn’t so bad. She made him seem dangerous, she was the problem. She started shaking, she had to fix this.

Melody had a new wave of tears as Caprice’s arms left her. He’d finally stop lying for her. He’d say the truth. Fingers wrapped around her, ones that had just been about to crush her. Byssal lifted her off the ground with more care than she felt she deserved. She almost made him do something he’d never forgive himself for. He almost hurt Pel…

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. Byssal set her in his palm, but she just curled up more. She didn’t want to see fear anymore, she was tired of seeing people she wanted to be close to so afraid. “I’m so sorry. I won’t sing again. I’m sorry.”

“Melody,” Byssal said. His voice sounded strained. She felt awful, he probably wanted to kill her for what she’d done. “I… I never meant to hurt you. I had brought the tablets to help you and then I… Don’t apologize to us.”

She looked up at him, he had tears in his eyes. Somehow he felt like someone who would never cry. He started shaking as he lifted his other hand up. She leaned against the fingers curled around her to try and keep her balance. She gasped as shadows were cast over her. A larger hand had grabbed the one holding her, steadying it. She watched Kyrie’s huge form move to look into Byssal’s face.

“I don’t… I almost… I,” Byssal’s voice was full of pain. She didn’t want him to be so upset. She’d been the reason anything happened. She couldn’t find the words to say, sorry wasn’t enough. ”You and Pel I…”

“Byss, it’s fi-” Pelago tried.

“It’s not! I almost killed you both!”

Byssal had shouted this time, she had to cover her ears from the noise. His hand moved quickly and she was left behind. A scream caught in her throat for the second she was in the air. She landed on another hand, the skin warmer than she was used to. She stared up past the claws finding terrified eyes staring back at her. She was almost scared to move, like he’d run away once she did.

“Kyrie let go,” Byssal grumbled. She watched him shake his head. He slowly moved his hand back to the ground. The deep green claws disappeared as his hand stopped. He stopped looking at her, but she didn’t move.

“No running,” Kyrie murmured.

“Byssal you oversized tuna!” Pelago shouted. Melody flinched, smiling as the hand she sat on flinched too. She looked over at Pelago, Caprice had already gone to check on her. She had some bruising where her skin met her scales. “Were you going to run again!? I don’t know what just happened but you weren’t you! You had that same look that others get when they’re under a spell. Kyrie, you were protecting her and me. Don’t you go running either.”

Melody finally started to move. She should leave so they can talk about things. Then she’d just go back to staying inside. Caprice could keep going with them. It would be fine. An angry chirp from the mermaid froze her on the palm holding her. Kyrie curled his fingers over her a bit, but quickly flattened them again.

“Melody, we’re just as lost as you are on what happens with sirens. Those things did something to you. Byss, that mer you talked about. I think we need to talk to her.” 

As much as Melody wanted to argue, the stones started again. Images flashed in her mind as the songs played. Things that didn’t make sense. Something important. Hands were on her shoulders as she blinked away the images. She had to go wherever those things wanted her to be. She had something to do.

“Mel?” Caprice asked. She looked in his eyes, he’d hate what she had to say.

“She’s right… I think we all have to go,” Melody whispered.