[Den Lille Havfrue] LIFE END

Den Lille Havfrue
Loss of Life

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Selvom jeg er til at blive støvet grøn, vil jeg altid elske dig af hele mit hjerte.
Når jeg opløses i havet og himlen, vil jeg altid våge over dig.

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You didn't completely understand the meaning behind the message that Lukas had given you, but you realized one thing: you were running out of time. It had been five days since you washed up onto the beach where Matthias had found you, and each day you became a bit weaker. You had always known that a magick powerful enough to turn a mermaid into a human would come with some other kind of price, but you continued to dismiss the idea.

You sighed and looked over toward the large wooden door that separated you from the man you loved. Matthias had been called over by his boss who had some very urgent news, and the two were discussing in private the state of affairs for Matthias' country of Denmark. Matthias had been on-edge for the past few days, and it made you worry as well. Lukas had tried to explain to you about the state of the world's economy, but it made no sense to you.

"Matthias is very weak right now. The people in his country are unhappy because things they need are becoming too expensive. When the people are unhappy, the country becomes sick."

[Then why don't the humans with lots of money in other countries help them out?]

Lukas looked away from the question you had hastily written in ancient runes, biting his lip gently before shaking his head. He looked into your [eye colour] eyes with sincerity and stated, "... Humans don't think like that. They don't recognize at times that their country is suffering. And even if they do, some just don't care."

[But why?]

Lukas looked at you, his eyes seeming to search for an answer he couldn't reach. At that moment, Matthias' boss opened the door slightly and ushered Lukas into his office. You barely caught a glimpse of Matthias. His cheery expression was gone and he looked worse than when he had entered the office. Your heart felt like a knife was being stabbed through it. You couldn't bear to see him suffer like that. You heard several shouts coming from the office before Lukas stormed out through the doors. He grabbed your arm roughly, causing you to whimper softly, as he dragged you down the hall and out the front door of the building. When you stepped outside, you shook off his grip from you and glared at him with a look that read "What the hell is going on?!".

... But when Lukas turned to face you, you saw tear stains making lines down his cheeks. You reached to try to dry the tears with your sleeve, but he pulled away from you.

"Jeg beklager... Jeg er så lei meg ..."

You watched with eyes full of concern and question as you saw Lukas run from you. He never looked back at you, not even once. You didn't even completely understand what he said.. You tried to piece together what little knowledge you had of the Norwegian language. I'm sorry ... Why? You didn't understand. Why was he apologizing? What had been said in that office? You turned and saw Matthias exit the large building. His face had regained most of its colour and he looked a bit healthier than he had previously. Matthias was better, that's all that mattered.


---

The next day was a very busy day for Matthias. He was constantly rushing about his home, going to shops, and consulting with the other nations. He had tried to get Lukas to come and spend time with [Reader] while he was busy rushing around, but Lukas refused to answer his phone. Lukas seemed really upset about the decision that was made yesterday, but he wouldn't admit why. When Matthias tried to ask him why he didn't support the decision, he turned quiet and looked away muttering about some ancient law concerning love. Matthias knew there would be no "love" involved with the decision, but that's how it always was. How it always would be. Such was the life of a country.

Don't you love, [Reader]?!

That was the last thing that Lukas had said before storming out of the office. Of course he loved [Reader]. She was very special to him. She was beautiful, charming, and sweet. She didn't talk excessively like most young women, and she always looked up to him. He could have been the worst person in the world, but he felt like [Reader] would still have respected and cared about him. But the decision that had been made was not one of "love". Matthias knew that, to a country, a title such as this did not mean "love" was there. An alliance was an alliance in whatever form it took. He did not need to "love" his allies, he only needed the legal documentation. He was still free to love [Reader]. Everyone would win.

---

That evening, Matthias had called the fellow Nordics to his home to make an announcement about the special alliance ceremony that would take place tomorrow. You smiled. You listened to Tino chat excitedly to Berwald about what the announcement would be. You waved to Mister Lundi who continued to try to pry the large bow tie off from around his neck with his beak. You were excited. Every one of your friends, aside from Lukas, was in attendance tonight to hear the big news about Matthias and his country of Denmark. Finally, Matthias took his place in front of everyone, eyeing every one of them before clearing his throat.

You were only half-listening to what Matthias was saying. His words seemed to get lost on their way to you. You felt a bit dizzy. You would need to go to sleep early tonight. You were happy that Matthias was this excited about something. He really seemed to be feeling better. You could just get lost in his shimmering blue eyes. You noted the way his jaw stretched when he talked so excitedly about whatever the ceremony would entail. Finally his attention turned toward the front door opening slowly before he rushed over and escorted the last guest in.

The last guest was only about as tall as Matthias' shoulders, and she wore a blue dress that reminded you of Lukas' outfit. In fact, everything about her reminded you of Lukas. The way her platinum blonde hair fell over her royal blue eyes. She even had a floating curl by her ear that was just like Lukas'!

"Everyone, you should all know Lukas' sister, Kari. Well, the big announcement is that her and I are getting married tomorrow! They're calling it the "New Kalmar Union [Excluding Sweden because he's scary]"!" Matthias laughed at his own joke as his arm snaked around Kari's waist, pulling her close to him. She struggled a bit under his grasp, but eventually just gave up and proceeded to glare at him through the corner of her eyes.

Tino jumped up and cheered, "How wonderful for you, Meester Denmark! I am so happy for you two! How cute! Don't you think, Sve?" Berwald eyed Matthias and Kari and nodded slowly before snaking his own arm around Tino's waist before turning to look into the trembling man's eyes.

Denmark laughed heartily, "Well, well! Looks like we're gonna have to make sure Finny catches the bouquet!" Everyone laughed and raised their glasses to the "happy couple" as you sat upon Matthias' couch.

Your face was frozen in a forced smile. You looked over toward Mister Lundi who had sat perched upon Emil's shoulder. He had stopped trying to remove his bow tie and was instead watching you with his beady eyes. You got up from your seat on the couch as the cheering group of nations moved into the kitchen to refill their glasses with more beer. You ran to the door and grabbed the shawl that Tino had given you, throwing it over your shoulders as you ran from the house. Mister Lundi followed you and, after yelling at you to slow down, finally perched himself upon your shoulder as you made your way down the rocky cliff to the sandy beach. You grabbed a handful of small pebbles and proceeded to walk out across the rocky getty until you reached the end.

You could smell the salt in the air and it reminded you of home. You pictured your sisters' smiling faces as you all shared stories about the strange humans you would see laying about the beach. You sat upon the rocks and threw a pebble into the water, listening to the gentle plop it made as it sank below the surface. Your eyes slowly darted across the ocean where you saw a long tusk protrude from the water’s surface. You smiled sadly as you reached down to place your hand upon Spyd’s head, his eyes looking up at you in worry.

“[Reader]? What’s wrong? You seem so sad…”

Mister Lundi quickly looked down at the sea below us, “She found out that Denmark is marrying the sister of Norway…”

Spyd jumped away from your hand, his eyes swelling with sadness as he looked deeper into your eyes, “But… the Sea Witch… she had said that… if Denmark marries someone else… [Reader] will turn to sea foam and fade away!”

You and Mister Lundi looked down sadly. You collapsed upon the large rock, pulling your legs up to your chest as your breaths quivered and your lips shook. You felt a warmth coming from your face that you had never felt before and a tugging in your chest that was brand new. It was all over.

---
It was to be a sunset wedding. You dragged your heels up the metal bridge onto the grand ocean liner where the wedding would take place. You looked around to see smiling faces at every corner. Several countries you had met in meetings had approached you and patted your back. Everyone was so happy for Denmark and Kari. You leaned against the bow’s railing as you looked out over the black-blue waves. You sighed as you recalled the first time you had met Matthias. He had been riding in a ship just like this one.

“[Reader]!” Matthias approached you with a glass of champagne. He wrapped his arm around your waist and looked out over the ocean by your side. You turned away, hiding the hurt that you were feeling.

“[Reader]…” Matthias looked over to you, running his fingers through your hair and lightly kissing your cheek. Such an action would normally cause you to blush and gaze into his blue eyes with wonder, but today it only made your heart ache even more. “[Reader], just because I’m getting married to Kari, doesn’t mean we can’t be together.”

You looked up at him in confusion, before slowly pushing him away and motioning toward the wandering eyes of the other countries and his soon-to-be wife. He smiled and bowed deeply toward you, taking your hand in his and grazing your knuckles with his lips in a soft kiss. “I’ll see you after the wedding. We can spend the rest of time by each other’s sides.”

You smiled faintly and mouthed “of course”, thankful for not having to rely on a voice at such a point in time. As he walked away, you felt your shoulders slump.

---
The wedding had ended and you stood out upon the bow of the ship, looking out over the waves as you had done just a few hours earlier. Only now, you knew that the next time you would see the sun would be the last. Kari and Matthias had retired to their honeymoon suite upon the ship. You had seen Norway in the halls and he had turned to you. He whispered softly in magick tongue, “If only you had fallen for someone else… perhaps such an end would have been avoided. Were it I, I wouldn’t have given you up for the world.”

You smiled softly to yourself as you felt the sea breeze upon your face, a voice cutting you from your daydream.

“[Reader]! [Reader]!” You looked down into the sea and saw three familiar faces. You tried to shout the names of your sisters, but were only met with silence from your throat. Rachel tossed an object at your feet, the silver shine of the knife gleaning from under the sheer material in which it had been wrapped.

“Spyd… came and told us everything…” Emma mumbled just loud enough to hear over the waves. She bobbed up and down in the water, her once long beige hair was cut short and choppy. As you looked at your other sisters, you noticed their hair was in a similar state.

“I know. Our hair… We gave it to the Sea Witch to find a way to help you.” Rachel smiled softly up at you, but you could see her eyes were filled with pain and worry. “She… said there was only one way. Take the enchanted knife and stab it through the heart of the man you love. If you let his blood drip upon your feet, you can turn back into a mermaid and come back and live with us!”

You slowly picked the knife from its wrapping, gazing at the intricately carved handle. It looked like a fish tail and a pair of human legs entwined to form the base with a long silver blade. It was beautiful and radiated with a magickal power.

“Please-a, [Reader]. Please… Just-a kill him…” You looked down and saw Sofia, her eyes looking straight into yours as she clasped her hands in front of her chest, as if she was praying to you. “Come-a back and live with-a us… Like nothing even happened…” You looked toward your sisters to see similar looks on all of their faces. You clutched the knife to your chest as you nodded, watching as they waved and swam away.

You just had to kill him.
---
You slowly crept into the honeymoon suite upon the ship, the blade glistening in the soft candlelight on the nightstand. Matthias lay entangled in the crimson sheets as Kari lay to the opposite side of the bed, curled like a small child. You quietly stepped over to where Matthias was sleeping, your dagger pointed straight at his heart.

You would do it. Just kill him. I’ll live.

As you began to thrust the blade down, Matthias squirmed in his sleep. You jumped back in surprise, watching him quietly with the blade hidden behind your back. His face stretched as he smiled, hugging his pillow close to his body. That smile. That cocky yet loving smile. The one you had fallen in love with. With a quiet gasp, the knife fell from your hands and made a soft clang when it hit the floor. Before wasting any time, you ran from Matthias’ room and back out to the ship’s bow.

You looked out across the sea, holding the rail as if you might fade that very moment. You smiled softly and looked toward the horizon, where the sky had begun to become a lighter shade of blue, indicating the rising of the sun was close at hand. You closed your eyes and smiled softly to yourself. You resigned yourself to your fate. Here, is where you would die. But it was also where you first felt alive. You remembered the entire week you had spent by Matthias’ side. The laughs you shared and the gentle touches that might go unnoticed by others between the two of you. Your heart swelled in happiness.

‘Let me die… if it means that he can continue to live on in this world. Matthias has given me more happiness than I ever thought possible in my life. That is enough happiness for me.’

You jumped as you felt a slender hand upon your shoulder, your eyes turning to meet the deep blue eyes of Kari. She broke your gaze and looked out over the sea by your side. She was strikingly beautiful. Her hair gently blew in the ocean breeze as she gazed out over the world.

“I’m sorry,” she said, “that things didn’t turn out differently between us.” She slowly turned her gaze to face you, your eyes widening in shock. “Lukas told me everything. Believe me, I tried to talk Matthias out of the marriage! We could be allied in some other way!!” Her eyes started to brim with tears as she covered her face in her slender hands.

“Bu-But… Matthias was dying… You and I know that… If there had been any other way to save him, surely I—“ You held your hand in front of her mouth, smiling softly to her and nodding in understanding. You could never hate this person. She had saved Matthias. You clasped your hand over hers, digging through your pocket for the little figurine of Denmark you had found all that time ago. You placed it in the palm of her hand and smiled to her.

‘Thank you’ you mouthed. A warmth spread down your cheeks as you reached toward your eye. Flowing water had begun to drip down your face as you held Kari’s hand. Tears. They must be tears… You smiled widely, your tears flowing all the more powerfully. The first beams of sunlight caught your tear, sending a golden light upon your face as your tears glistened. Alive… I’m alive…

“Thank you… Kari” you said quietly, your voice having returned for but a moment. “I am alive.” You smiled as you stepped up upon the bow’s rail, Kari desperately clinging to your hand as you smiled to her. “Life… is a beautiful thing.” Slowly your feet slipped and Kari’s hand lost its grip. You tumbled off the boat, and fell into the waves below.

Kari looked over the rail, her tears falling down into the salt water far below the surface of the deck. She rubbed at her eyes to try to see you, but only saw the bubbly sea foam rise upon the waves. The sun crept into the sky and as the circle of light fully appeared, a beam of white energy shot from the ocean where [Reader] had fallen. The beam of light shot straight through the sky and the clouds, all the way to heaven. Kari wiped at her eyes again, a soft smile coming to her face as the light faded and fell back into the water, the sea foam reappearing upon the waves.

“She received a soul… if only for an instant…”

---

A red sports car pulled up to the beach. A black boot exiting the driver’s door as the figure walked out onto the sand. The sun was just about to rise. The tall figure walked out to where the waves broke upon the beach, lightly running over the sea foam that was left by the waves. His fingers caressed the foam with a motion like one would caress a long lost lover. He sat in the sand, staring out across the waves to the horizon where the sun began to rise.

Matthias smiled, a tear coming to his eye as he sat back in the sand, “Hey [Reader]… it’s me again… You wouldn’t believe what Sve did yesterday! You should have seen it—“