Flashback

"People say Nure-onnas are born from the despair and hatred when a woman is threw into the sea as a sacrifice. The gods answer her pleads and transform her into a monster so she can take her revenge on the men who threw her overboard. Maybe they were monsters in the first place, created from the gods, maybe we were spirits that took form when we came from the Spirit realm. I don't know which part is true, if I had a former life...I don't remember it. All I remember was seeing sea and the moon...with a figure above me that dissolve, a figure of red."

Life as I knew it, begin...in the sea, 600 or 700 years ago.

Brianna or Hirono opened her eyes. A webbed hand reached through the bubble, not able to pop it at the first try but another attempt and the bubble popped. An outrageous long smake tail stretch out of just 3 meters. Her hands were webbed with sharp claws and her ears were webbed as well, she could hear the moans, cries and wails of the sea. The movement of the animals, yokai and dragons that were near by, in fact a whale glided over her and she looked up baffled by the sight, such a large creature that swam through with such grace.

At first she was terrified by the size, but something in her told her not to be scared of it and this large beast didn't seem to take no notice of her.

"I rode on its back. The Back of what I would later find out was a whale." Brianna continued her tale. Her fingers glided over her koto.

"A whale?"

"There these gigantic fish that breathes air and eat fish. They're gentle, lovely like a giant that swim with the grace of a crane that soars through the sky."

She slithering after it, she was able to get close enough to see her reflection in its large black eye. It gave out a large moan that echoed, she touched its skin. It wasn't like her scaly skin, it was smooth. Her skin was pure white as the moon, a very unique trait among the Nure-Onnas, it contrast and made her stood out among the inky blackness that was the sea at night. She followed it upwards to the surface and watched in confusion as it sprayed water.

She brought through the surface for the first time and saw the night sky. The stars sprinkled like a river of stones She reached up wanting to touch it but she just couldn't touch it.

"Then I heard something. I heard singing from a boat."

"Singing?"

"I was curious, back then I didn't know it was a boat. I thought it was another whale that sung differently."

She swam towards the large 'whale'. The surface was smooth, it was weird to her and her hand could stick to the surface of it. The Singing was up there. She climbed up the surface without thinking it and looked underneath a beam. She gasped as she saw these strange creatures dancing on the 'creature' and singing while some were throwing a net into the back ocean water and some were pulling it up, bring fish that she saw swimming up on board, orbs of light were flyin around them, lighting up the whole deck.

I don't own this song, it's called Bink's brew

Bid farewell to weaver's town!
Say so long to port renowned!
Sing a song, it won't be long, before we're casting off!
Cross the gold and silver seas
The salty spray puts us at ease!
Day and night to our delight,
The voyage never ends!

Gather up all of the crew!
It's time to ship out Bink's brew!
Pirates we, eternally are challenging the sea!
With the waves to rest our heads,
ship beneath us as our beds!
Hoisted high upon the mast our Jolly Roger flies!
Somewhere in the endless sky,
Stormy winds are blowin' by!
Waves are dancing, evening comes,
It's time to sound the drums!
But steady men may never fear!
Tomorrow's skies are always clear!
So pound your feet and clap your hands till sunny days return!

They were pulling the fish out of the nets and clubbing them. One of the clubd fish slid towards her, she grabbed it and bit into it. She ate it whole, licking her tongue as it tasted good. She leaned closer to the ship as one of the men were close by, clubbing and grabbing fish, it was a smaller one compare to the other men. A child.

Yo-hohoho, Yo-hoho-ho,
Yo-hohoho, Yo-hoho-ho,
Yo-hohoho, Yo-hoho-ho,
Yo-hohoho, Yo-hoho-ho,

An old man was singing this part, patting the smaller boy on the back.

Gather up all of the crew!
It's time to ship out Bink's brew!
Wave good-bye, but don't you cry
Our memories remain.
Our days are but a passing dream, everlasting though they seem
'neath the moon we'll meet again, the wind's our lullaby!

The rest of the men were singing and she couldn't help but smile. One more clubbed fish slid to her and she grabbed it.

Gather up all of the crew!
It's time to ship out Bink's brew!
Sing a song and play along
For all the ocean's wide!
After all is said and done,
you'll end up a skeleton!
So spread your tale, from dawn till dusk, upon these boney seas!
Yo-hohoho, Yo-hoho-ho,
Yo-hohoho, Yo-hoho-ho,
Yo-hohoho, Yo-hoho-ho,
Yo-hohoho, Yo-hoho-ho.

She let go and fell into the sea holding her fish. She watched underwater as the large creature sailed away. She bit into the fish, devouring it. She heard a very familiar cry and went to the whale.

Few hours later

The sea started to turn light, changing to a wonderful light clear blue aw the sun started to rise. She had fallen asleep on its back, listening to the wonderful song it was making as it communicated with other whales. She opened as it rose to the surface, as its due many times for air, sprouting through its snout. She felt the warmth, it submerge back underneath and that was when she got off. She watched as the titan continued to swim and singing.

"It was breath taking. I swam up to the surface and was taken back by the beauty of the sky. It almost matched the sea.

She was back under water, her instincts were guiding her as she smelled many things. The fish blood from the sharks as they were in a feeding frenzy was enough to entice her but then...She suddenly heard screaming and...she smelled something sweet...something tasty. The Sharks seem to smell the same thing, but they only swam the opposite direction, but she followed the scent.

Her arms stretched out and her tall moved on its own, slithering through the water. Her gills opened up, letting the salty water go through so she could breathe but her nose...smelled something and her mind and body followed.

Her stomach rumbled loudly enough.

"Something to eat...Something to eat.." Her mind mumbled and her speed increased. She continued to swim even as some of the other animals were swimming away or into deeper water. She saw something large in the distance that I could barely make out. She was so focused on the thought of food that she didn't notice that the clear light blue ocean was turning to a hazy, dark blue as if it was night time.

As she swam closer to notice...

"Something large... pitch black against the dark blue night sea." She said in a creepy tone.

She was alarmed by seeing something so large, a figure that was seem to stretch to the Ocean's deep...A giant in the sea...but that's where the smell of coming and her hunger got the better of caution. She broke through the surface and a storm was raging.

"A storm!" Blossom shouted, she was eating some rice, her hands were shaking as she was holding her chopsticks and trying to eat. She gave the puppy some and enjoyed it as it licked it from her hand. She sighed, enjoying the story being told from Brianna's soft voice and the music being played on the koto, perfect harmony.

"Yes...from a umi bōzu."

"Umi Bozu?"

"Yes...it's a giant ghost yokai, the biggest in the entire ocean. They are the ghost of monks and priests who were threw in the ocean, so much rage in their deaths that they transform. Their rage so terrible that it effects nature itself. They're sudden, their wraths rips the sea and there's a horrible storm. Of course I didn't know that at the time, I was just hungry, plus yokais don't often fight, so there was no danger of that."

"What happened next?"

"I ducked under water as that seem the only way to get through the monstrous waves but as I got closer, it was a giant. I could hear the cries of men, who prays fell on deaths ears. I came back to the surface, clinging to a piece of wood from the ship and watched as the ghost tried to sink their ship. Its shoulder and head was the only thing you could see above the waves. Thunder and lighting erupted through the sky, that was the only time I could see its face. Its eyes would flash bright yellow with each lighting strike but other than that, it was like bottomless pits, a bald head like a monk's. The ship's crew rocked back and forth as the waves got larger and more violent that they could capsize any moment. A old man offered it a bottomless barrel, for that was the only way to escape its wrath. The ghost likes to scoop water onto the ship, but if it's not given a barrel, it will smash the ship to pieces."

She watched indifferent to the men's screams and pleads, watched the creature ripped a hole into the hull with one of its tentacle arm, men continued to fall into the ocean. Some were able to stay afloat but others were taken, but a somewhat similar creature.

She continued to watch with indifference as one man was bitten on the neck by this creature. It had webbed ears and hands like hers, even scaly skin like hers but it was a greenish sea moss colored. It's sharp teeth chomped on the man's neck and pulled him under, drowning him. She went under water, watching this creature drowning the man, seeing the blood pouring into the ocean. There were two more but they didn't bother her. They were going after the men that were struggling in the ocean.

"What were they? Why didn't you help them?" Blossom asked. They were now in the Bath House. She had hot water poured over her head and the puppy dog, letting out a loud whimper.

"I really didn't know. You must remember Lady Empress, I was just created and I was a yokai and a hungry one. I felt nothing for the men. Maybe...I did a little but I assume it was hunger. I'm sorry if your opinion of me has lessened." She spoke softly. She placed the bowl down, she down on the ground. She poured almond oil on her hair and brushed it.

"No...never. I'm sorry but...I know you would've saved them now." She finished scrubbing her arms and the puppy. They both went into the hot spring. The puppy whimpered and tried to get out of the water but she continued to wash him.

"Naturally but I did do something that would make you proud."

"Really...But what was taking them?" She placed the pup to the side and watch it in delight as he shake every where, even his little tiny paws.

"Umi nyōbō. Of course I didn't know that at the time. They are ferocious, strong predators of the sea that kill and eat humans for the pleasure of it, not survival. One was even holding a dagger, slitting a man's throat and I was hungrier than ever for that sweet taste. Umi Nyobo always come when a Umi Bozu attacks which is more horrible."

That was the sweet smell that made her hungry. On impulse, her snake like tongue slithered out and wiggled to taste the blood that flowed in the water but it wasn't enough.

Then suddenly, it was gone. The Umi Bozu disappeared and the storm dissolve, leaving nothing but a clear sky. A wreck ship was all that was left, bodies of drowned sailors and dead fish littered the surface. Sharks smelled the same thing and with the ghost and storm gone, they came to feast. That was the day, she tasted her first human.

A middle age sailor who drowned from the wrath of the ghost. Her teeth tore out a piece of his arm and she feast when she saw the little boy, lingering on what's left of the ship a large piece of wreckage, crying. At first, She paid no notice of him and she just turned her back and continue eating. Her serpent tongue hung out of her mouth and towards the ripped off arm, draining his blood.

"Grandpa...Grandpa, where are you?" The little boy cried, he gasped as he saw her, eating one of the crew.

He whimpered as he saw the webbed ears and teeth, holding up a knife and waving at her, "Please...please don't hurt me."

She tilted her head, this was the same little boy she saw, singing turned around baffled by the sound he was making now.

The Little boy whimpered, terrified that he wet himself as she looked closely at him with those snake like eyes.

"Please...*sniff* stay back." He cried.

She struggled as she opened her mouth, "Gather...u-up a-ll t-t-the crew. It's t-t-time to ship out Bink's brew." She struggle with the words.

He lowered his dagger a little and looked at her puzzled, only fishermen and sailors knew this song.

He gulped, still scared, his hand shaking, "Where's my grandpa?"

"W-Wave good-bye, but don't you cry. Our memories remain." She continued to sing, not having such a hard time anymore. She swam away for a minute, grabbing a dead fish and placing it on the wreckage in front of the boy along with something else, a cray bowl that was floating.

The boy cried harder his grandpa was probably dead as the rest of the ship was sinking and nothing bodies were sinking underneath the waves. His grandpa knew how to swim, he only made it because he was placed into a barrel by his grandpa, the barrel broke and he was able to make it on a piece of plank thanks to a crew member before he was killed by an Umi Nyobo. He was alone.

"I wanna go home." He cried harder than ever.

When suddenly the piece of wood shifted. An Umi Nyobo's hand spat on the wood piece.

"No...Leave me alone!" He swung his knife at it as it started to crawl onto the plank with this toothy grin on its face. It was wearing a green soaking wet kimono as it climbed up revealing its webbed feet and scaly legs.

"GRANDPA! GRANDPA! HELP!" He cried out, swinging his dagger at the creature but it just swiped its claw and slapped the dagger away. The old man winced in paw at his bloody hand, "No! Please!" He closed his eyes, ready for the deadly blow. A few seconds passed and he opened his eyes. A tail was wrapping around it and squeezing the creature tightly. The umi nyobo bit and scratched wildly, it was strong but not stronger than a driven Nure Onna. She slammed it into the water, grabbing the wreckage, started swimming fast.

The boy held on for dear life as they swam through a large wave. He coughed several times as he was gasping for air but she continued to swam fast until she was sure they were far away. She stopped to catch her breath.

"You saved me..." He cried, "Thank you, mermaid."

"Gather up." She said as she continued to swim, holdng up on to the wreckage.

End of flashback

"You saved him!" Blossom squealed in delight.

Brianna's head leaned back in the water, her head turned back to look at her, "Of course... liked the singing and...those tears sounded like the whales singing. It made me sad and something compelled me to help."

"It's sad that he lost his grandpa though, what happened?"

Brianna's tail turned back to legs and she stood up, "It took a day to get him back. They didn't sail too far which was great but luckily for him, there was some light rain. The bowl I gave him was big enough to hold water in it for a few hours." Brianna smiled to herself.

"So what happened next?"

"He made it home...gave me the bowl..and started the mermaid legend."

"That's incredible."

"Yes..."Brianna said as they were walking down the hallway, "I lived a long time...sometimes it's easy to forget or for memories to blur together, I've kept that bow and a few keepsakes so that even as time passes, my memory remained fresh and of course that song is still one of my favorites."

"What happened next."

"I believe that is enough for now Lady Empress. You should get back into bed."

"But what happened next. Cmon."

"It's time to rest." She answered as Blossom sat on the futon. The puppy ran behind them and sat on the futon.

"Do I really have to go to sleep. I'm not tired. Perhaps I can help-"

"Lady Empress." Brianna sighed, "You must take it easy."

"Ugh...but I'm fine..."Blossom looked down at her futon, "Brianna, while I was sick...did my Papa come to visit me?"

Brianna shook her head.

"Well, maybe it's for the best, I wouldn't want him to worry."

"Lady Empress, I shall return and if you're out of this bed. I will be cross." Brianna walked out of the room and closed the door behind her.

Bubbles sighed as she left Kasey's room.

"We must send word to the Emperor Lord that his wife is ok."