Chasing Tide (A Merman's Tale And The Human Who Desired Him)

SOULSPLIT.

Chapter: 113.
******

Tide didn't know what to do at this point. None of these solutions favored him in any way. Should he just let him sleep? But, then wouldn't that mean when he reincarnates he will remain as he is now, alone and miserable? What fate is this? His eyes wandered to the DragonRock and he watched the steady beating of the SoulPearl, a smile crossed his face as he remembered the day he had woken up to find him by his bedside, caressing his face, they had shared a kiss and a bond. He will bring him back no matter what and even if he doesn't love him in the end, at least he would have given him a chance at living a happy life, maybe one where he will explore all the beauties of that World he loved so much and maybe find love one that he would bask in for as long as his human life shall live.

"It is the price you should be willing to make, Tideian, remember, love planted with magic weakens with its magic and fades in time so I can not make him fall in love with you even if he reincarnates as a human for if I do then that love will not be real and can not be compared to what you both once shared. If you agree to him reincarnating then you must find a way to make him love you again as much as he loved you while a merman. Surely some things can never be altered even by fate and a hundred reincarnations."

"But, I will remain under the sea while he stays above. How then can I do that, Naga? Remember, my place is beside my Neptune, never above."

"Even your Neptune will not stop your heart from chasing love, my son, listen here..." Naga pulled his hands, plucking fins and cutting strands of hairs from his head then he proceeded to cast magical spells into them as he spoke. "Other than the power of reincarnation, you are as old as any Merdragon ever lived, you have great Pearls in you, use them."

"I don't know how."

"I will show you." Naga smiled and finished with his spell casting. He rose and returned the DragonRock to its rightful place and returned to sit with the Mers awaiting Tide's decision.

"I will do it." He announced to the surprise of both Naga and Nexie.

"Are you sure?" Nexie asked, concerned as she looked toward her friend.

"Yes, I am, he needs a chance at a second life, he deserves all the happiness of the world, I will grant it to him, a chance to chase life anew and to be happy."

"Happiness is never guaranteed to anyone no matter how many times you are reborn, one might encounter a fate far worse than the one they left behind," Naga told him.

"Isn't happiness ours to take and make? Surely, challenges may arise, but he will fight to gain his happiness no matter how high the storm rages."

Naga nodded in agreement to what the Tideian had spoken then smiled and muttered. "He may not return as he once was but some things can not be altered even with many reincarnations."

"I know this, Naga, but I long to be where he is, how can this be?"

"There is a spell called the SoulSplit, it has only been performed once and it failed, never has it been performed ever since, it is the most dangerous spells, Splitting a SoulPearl is equal to death itself and worse, no SoulPearl that has been split would reincarnate if unsuccessful, but if you insist on following after your Alexander then this is the only way," Naga told him and Nexie frowned upon this new information. 

Of course, she has heard of this Spell but it is not advised that any should cast such a spell.

"He could die," She whispered to Naga.

"And if I didn't?" Tide asked.

"Then your reincarnated form will remain in Aquarial by his Neptune side while I send the Split Soul to be reborn as a human, well half-merman, your strength will be weakened and SoulPearl will never reach its full potential, both as a human and as a Tideian, should the SoulSplit be successful, this shall be your fate and if it should fail then you die and will never reincarnate."

"Don't do this, Tide, this is a very bad idea, you will die." Nexie pleaded with her dear friend to cease with this quest of death and danger.

"Is it painful?" He proceeded to ask Naga ignoring Nexie's plea.

"It is as though your SoulPearl is plucked out from within you and torn in half, it will be the most excruciating pain you will ever have to experience and all will be done neither with any healing or soothing magics."

"Please, Naga, stop telling him this, you know as well as I do that he will most likely die from this, no Mer has lived after a SoulSplit."

"But, if he lives, then he will be the most powerful Tideian in all of Aquarial, if the Gods are with him, he will succeed, he is but a Merman fighting for his Love, surely the Gods will favor him."

"That is a stupid thought, Naga, the Gods will not be accounted for our stupid decisions and this is clearly one of them." Nexie disagreed.

"Maybe you're right or maybe not we will never know until we have done it," Naga said.

"I will do it."

"No, you will not!" Nexie rebuked and Tide met his friend's eyes with concern.

"I must." He insisted, eyes pleading into those of the Merfairy.

"Tide," Nexie whispered, voice broken and filled with much sorrow, she knew she couldn't win this battle against him, with his mind set on following his Lover, who is she to try and stop him, but it was far too dangerous a part to tread, how could she not at least try to make him see reasons? But one thing is for certain, no matter how hard she tries, she can not stop Tide from chasing Alexander until he has no more fight in him to give. Only death can keep him from chasing him and it would be the death he can not return from for if he should be reborn he will start from where he stopped. "If you must then you should know that having a Split SoulPearl could cause a rift between your memory flow, you may not remember a lot and will end up making mistakes that could be harmful to your quest and again, Naga and I will be bound to an oath of secrecy, we will not speak of this to anyone even to your reincarnated if you should succeed."

"She speaks the truth, Tide." Naga agreed.

"When shall this be done?" Tide asked.

"When you are ready to join him," Naga told him.

"When my Neptune dies," Tide muttered and both Naga and Nexie nodded even though it wasn't a question. "He has been weak since the death of his daughter, grieved knowing her SoulPearl is lost amongst the ones who killed her, he might give in to death any moment from now."

"No one knows the King better than his Tideian and if you are certain he will rest soon then surely you must prepare for once he breathes his last, you must be with me so I can perform the SoulSplit spell before you join the king in death, and should it be successful, I will have your Soul as well as his be sent to be born as human babies to whom I may not know and how you shall find each other would be entirely up to fate and in your hands, the other half of your Soul shall reincarnate in Aquarial to be with the next Neptune of the Seven Seas and to perhaps aid his Half."

"Aid me?" Tide asked.

"Atana's SoulPearl will return through you Tideian."

"How do you mean? Have you seen something?" Tide inquired.

"Not everything is shown to me yet, but until then, all will be revealed for now, we shall proceed with the SoulSplit, and may the Gods guide your part."

Tide agreed and thus became his fate to this day. A SoulPearl ripped from within a Tideian, one sent to be born into the human world by a woman who is to birth a stillborn and a living baby, Naga sent him forth into the stillborn and he came forth as the second to the first baby, a twin brother whom the D'Aureville thought was dead, a miracle baby they called him. Alexander came as he did, a woman who had waited so long for a child, and her miracle was Alexander, born in the little family of the Rodriguezs, Tide reincarnated and as his fate, stayed by his Neptune side.

A new age.

A new life.

Entwined in one fate, one purpose, chasing one end blindly.