Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was only meant to be a simple hunt.

He spent days, begging his parents to let him hunt for himself. To his surprise and delight, they eventually agreed. Before he could even thank them, Moon swam off into the abyssal darkness of their home waters.

He soared around, cutting through the deep ocean with glee plastered on his face. Large red eyes scanning the never ending dark. He took quick glances at other predatory animals that called the deep their own. Rivals to his hunt, but to challenge them would be meaningless. He was inexperienced and picking a fight to steal prey from another would just lead to him getting hurt. He avoided his fellow sharped fanged, esca owning hunters.

Wandering through the abyss alone was an interesting experience. It felt new and exciting to hunt for himself despite the lack of anything within the darkness. Even with the keen sharpness of his vision, there was nothing of interest in sight. It would be impossible to tell up from down and north from south if one wasn’t used to the lack of visual information.

After much aimless swimming through the never ending black, the novelty of being on his first hunt started to wear off…

But then he saw it….

A small being in the distance, prey.

Moon silently stalked it from behind, eager to feast and boast about his success to his parents. His midnight blue scales helping him blend into the dullness. His purply-pink and yellow scales went dark, not letting out any trace of bioluminescence to give away his presence.

But his curiosity suddenly took hold.

What was this creature?

He had never seen anything like it.

It lacked scales, instead being coated in a weird, hard substance.

A shell, perhaps?

It lacked fins that every other creature he had seen possessed. It had a singular eye on the front of a small protrusion atop its tiny body.

He shook off the many questions about the new creature.

It was small, it was prey.

He would hunt how his parents taught him.

Moon effortlessly cut off its path, letting his head fin drift in front of his face. Esca glowing softly in the eternal black of the deep waters.

…He waited…

…It got closer…

…Wait…

The small creature became exposed by his esca’s light...

Instead of snatching it up and eating, Moon tilted his head in confusion. What he thought was the creature’s eye was just a black void. It still protruded like an eye, but it felt… wrong…

The creature didn’t have the normal reactions to the hypnotic glow of his esca.

It just sat there.

Unmoving and scarily still.

It wasn’t trying to swim after his esca like his parents demonstrated prey would normally do. Too entranced by the light to register the inevitable death that would soon embrace it.

Moon continued to stare, moving his esca this way and that to see if it would follow. The weird protrusion he assumed was its ‘eye’ followed his glow but never moved.

Confused and unwilling to entertain this thing any longer, Moon decided to move on, esca losing its glow, ready to be on his way…

The creature suddenly produced a light of its own, a brief flash flooding the darkness. Moon quickly covered his eyes to avoid being dazed.

Was it a warning?

Was this strange creature going to fight back?

The tiny thing had its own esca?

Was it trying to lure him?

Why did it briefly flash?

Was it hurt?

As Moon was caught up in his many questions, something suddenly tightened around his entire being.

He was constricted. Trapped.

What was going on?!

Moon started flailing around, but his bonds only became tighter.

How?!

How was this puny creature able to restrain him?!

Squeaks and warbles escape his maw, trying to mask himself in a small curtain of bubbles. But it didn’t let go. The bubbles didn’t deter his captor, nor confuse it.

It was relentless.

He should’ve listened. He was too eager to hunt alone. He didn’t understand the dangers his parents warned him about.

He should’ve listened to them.

Fear and pain flooded him as the constraints became tighter and tighter. He couldn’t move. His flailing only made the pain worse, but he refused to give in.

The world around him started becoming brighter. He was being taken into the higher waters.

No, no!

He couldn’t be!

He swore to never leave the safety of the midnight waters he called home!

He was not built for the world above.

He would not survive up here!

Moon’s eyes struggled to adjust to the light pouring in. Once they became used to the harsh blues of the higher seas, he saw what was surrounding him. It was a strange black mesh, similar to the light blue webbing between the digits on his hands, but it had holes. The holes were too small for him to slip a claw through to rip it.

He wanted so badly to rip it.

Tear it to shreds and destroy whatever was doing this to him.

Moon caught a glimpse of the small creature he was going to devour before everything went wrong. It was devoid of any colour, grey and lifeless looking.

No face to be seen, no expression. No glee of snagging prey, no annoyance of his futile flailing and wriggling to escape and be free.

That’s what scared him the most.

His anger became desperation, then fear. He could not escape the strange webbing that he was encased in. But he was driven by instinct to keep struggling.

The waters kept getting brighter and brighter. He was drifting so far from his home.

His parents.

His family.

And as if things couldn’t get worse, Moon felt his scales become exposed, no longer feeling the great ocean around him.

He was above the water, and this terrified him.

His flailing became worse as his nostrils took over his gills for breathing. The sensation of using them was uncomfortable, he never used his nose unless his family traversed though air pockets in the caves that populated the safety of the deep.

But he couldn’t focus of such things when his mind was spiralling.

He was trapped, scared and alone.

Uncanny limbs grabbed the abnormal webbing that squeezed him. The hold was rough and dry.

It felt disgusting!

Hands with no webbing between their fingers lifted him further into the air and onto a strange vessel that floated in the water. He continued to fight and attack anything and everything around him.

“Woah! This one’s feisty!” The creature holding him bellowed.

“Just throw it in the tank! We still have a few hours until we’re expected back! And we still need to check out that coral reef down the coast!” Another voice called out.

“Call the divers back! It’s time we move on!” A third yelled through the air.

Voices of an unknown language echoed around him; he closed his eyes. Not wanting to see these horrible monsters that have taken him.

He was the prey now.

He was in the place that these creatures called home.

Instincts took full hold of his movements, he whipped and thrashed around his arms and tail violently. Each pant for breath betraying his true feelings of helplessness and terror.

Despite his efforts being fruitless, Moon continued to struggle.

He will not die to these alien air breathers without a fight!

The creature holding his bonds was able to keep him relatively still within its arms. It produced horrid noises in its mother tongue. It was clearly pissed, but Moon did not care.

He would not give up.

The arms eventually wrapped around his flailing tail. Snaring it close to their chest. The pain was immense, Moon was losing the feeling in his tail as the crushing grasp cut off his blood flow.

A creaking was produced by the vessel as one of its walls moved out of the creature’s way.

Moon wanted to attack, to bite and to slash. But his tail was numb, and his body was aching from his struggling.

He soon found himself in a dark place. But this blackness held no safety. No promise of being in the waters he was used to.

Gills resuming their role in feeding him oxygen as he was back in the familiar liquid. But there was no room for movement. It was the first time the darkness felt so scary.

 His family will not find him here, he is too far.

He held his own esca in his clawed hands, it shines gently in his palms. The soft glow was the only thing he could recognise.

He was not being torn to shreds yet.

He knew the monsters were biding their time. He will succumb to their hunger eventually.

They taunted him with waiting. Waiting for them to choose the moment he will be flooded with fear once more.

But for now, he pants in vivid panic. Curled up in the small tomb of darkness. Waiting for them to tear him apart and join his ancestors in death…

Sunlight trickled through the water, dancing along the coral, rocks and sand that were all too familiar to the little mer. He sat eerily still within the branches of coral, eagerly watching the water in front of him. His wide, childish eyes watched in fascination at every little movement that caught his attention.

His claws twitched in anticipation, frills pressed against his head fin, watching a small school of silver fish swim by. Sun’s hands darted out from the coral he camouflaged with, snatching up many of the fish. His four tendrils doing the same. Small feelers flying out of their bud like casings, ensnaring more of the fish.

“Look Eclipse! I caught so many!” Sun turned to his guardian, fangs on full display as he smiled.

A larger, fully grown, red and orange mer emerged from behind. No longer hiding his darker scales within the duller coral. Two long tendrils follow, gliding alongside his tail. Yellow tinted teeth exposed as Eclipse fondly returns the gesture. He kneaded Sun’s head frills as they lax from his head fin.

“Nice one little sunshine! You are an excellent hunter!” Eclipse gave Sun’s head frills an affectionate ruffle while congratulating him. He was easing Sun into hunting for himself, and he was passing each lesson with flying colours.

Sun happily munched down on his prey, relishing the victory of a successful hunt. He devours the six small fish he managed to get in his grasp before swimming off.

“Sun! Wait up!” Eclipse called, following Sun as he meandered through the multicoloured corals. Sun was giggling as he initiated a playful game of tag, using the winding branches to his advantage.

Eclipse wandered through the reef, eyes scanning every nook and cranny that Sun could wriggle his way into.

“Where, oh where could the little sunspot be?” He asked out loud as he stalked around, looking for any sign of the mer child.

…

…

…

The longer he went without an indication of Sun, the more a sense of dread started to build.

…

…

…

Sun would start random games like this often, but he never strayed far.

Eclipse poked his head into caves, lifted rocks and gently parted forests of seaweeds. Every glimpse of yellow or red would have his head snap to their location, only for his eyes to narrow or fall as they did not belong to who he was looking for.

Many sea creatures steered clear of him as he scavenged around. He was practically bleeding anxiety and every living thing in the area sensed it.

His searching became more frantic, calling Sun’s name again and again as worry started gripping the edge of his brain.

Where was Sun?

He should’ve found him by now.

If Sun could hear his calls, he would surrender the game immediately to not cause more stress. So where was-

“ECLIPSE! HELP!”

Eclipse froze in his tracks, his name echoed though the water. His head snapped in the direction of more cries of desperation.

Sun was in trouble.

Eclipse chased the calls, noticing bubbles rising in the water. He recognised the patten the bubbles created.

Divers.

He looked down to see three divers fighting with Sun as he thrashed around in a net. They weren’t the friendly diver group that his human friend would sometimes accompany. They didn’t have the large letter markings on their suits.

These were poachers.

Eclipse’s growl thundered through the sea. The three divers all shuddered as Sun froze and stared wide eyed at his guardian. Eclipse casted a large shadow over the group, submerging them in darkness. Large yellow sclera and piercing orange irises skewered through the poachers, pinning them in place.

After imitating his namesake, Eclipse shot down through the water. He snatched one of the divers and dragged them down deep as he ripped their diving equipment off their body. It took much of his strength to pierce a hole in their oxygen tank.

The diver struggled against him, they pulled a hunting knife from their belt and slashed at him. The two engaged in a flailing fight, spiralling though the water.

Eclipse managed to tear many holes into the poacher’s suit, streams of red pouring from each one, before another diver joined the struggle. They shot a fierce harpoon into Eclipse’s side, barely missing his gills. He flung around, eyes wide as the second diver hovered above him, loading another harpoon.

The first diver took advantage of his split-second shock and slashed at his throat. They then shoved the small blade up his gills as he grabbed their face. Screams of agony bellowed through the reef, drowning out distant cries of sorrow.

Full of rage and fury, Eclipse turned the slowly drowning diver into severed limbs and red clouds. In his anger, he charged the second diver, taking another harpoon to the shoulder.

He pushed on, adrenaline and determination fuelled him, and he unleashed the same horrors upon them. His sharp fangs easily sunk into their pathetically soft flesh.

Eclipse’s bloodshot eyes darted around for the final diver. But he couldn’t locate them or Sun as the blood of him and the divers danced around the currents. Shades of red taunting him as his quick search was fruitless.

Sun was gone.

Taken.

He didn’t save him.

Sun clasped his eyes shut. Massive waterfalls of tears spilled as his nostrils took over the role of breathing. No longer in the safety of water, but he held a small hope that Eclipse would save him.

“Where are the other two?”

“Things went south. They’re tussling with a full grown down there. At least this little one was more tractable than the mer the drone scooped up.” The human proudly showed him off in the net and shook it, like he was a trophy.

Sun didn’t dare open his eyes. He knew humans who were nice, friends to Eclipse and him. He didn’t want to forever curse his view of their kind. He didn’t want to look into his human friend’s eyes and see a monster.

If he even did somehow get to see them again.

He felt the haunting presence of the second poacher almost consume him as they inspected his quivering form within the fish net.

“Red and yellow…. nice work! These colours are in high demand! This little guy is the ticket to fortune! At least until the market shifts again…”

Sun didn’t know exactly what the human meant, but he shuddered in horror.

Being able to understand and speak in human tongue (thanks to his human friend) was something he always thought of a blessing.

But now it was a curse.

However, it was not a secret he was willing to give up. He wanted to plead for mercy, but if they knew, their evil minds would only concoct a worse fate for him.

With all his willpower, he stayed silent.

Eclipse frantically searched and searched for any signs of the helpless mer or the cursed monster that took him.

But there was nothing.

No indication of Sun or the poacher anywhere…

His mind was racing. Internally cursing himself out for everything that had happened.

If only he found Sun sooner.

If only he was a little quicker.

If he didn’t let his guard down for those few precious seconds-

The pain was unbearable.

His adrenaline was crashing.

He couldn’t continue like this…

Eclipse reluctantly returned to his cave, leaving a trail of crimson water behind him.

He led down on the flat rock inside, his arms curled around the phantom image of the small mer he took under his wing all those years ago.

Bright and happy memories flashed into his mind. The many different shenanigans that the little troublemaker would get himself into. How he was always too excited when his childhood friend entered their waters. How he would sneak up on them, only to dive into their chest and nuzzle them relentlessly.

His eyes were fighting as best they could to stay open. To not succumb to his deep and dangerous injuries. Blood slowly surrounded him like a blanket, spilling from his gills, neck, side, shoulder and other small gashes the first diver carved out in their panic. Everything hurt and the suffocating thoughts of what was in store for Sun tore at his mind.

Eclipse quietly sobbed to himself, hands shaking around the empty space that was once often occupied by his little ray of hope.

The light in his life.

He could almost hear Sun’s heartwarming laughter and soft words of kindness.

He failed him.

Darkness softly welcomed Eclipse as his eyes finally fell shut…

Sun was unceremoniously dropped into a small tank. The darkness within the room consumed his hope of being saved.

Eclipse was not coming for him.

Sun wheeped into the darkness. Mourning his freedom and the chance to ever see a friendly face again. The water of the tank shook his being to the core. He’s never been in water so cold before…

“Hey, are you okay?” A raspy voice softly filled the surroundings.

Sun was snapped out of his sobs. His wide eyes darting around, but he couldn’t see anything. “Wha- who’s there?!” Sun blurted out in shock and panic.

But he slowly realised the language. It wasn’t human.

A small glow filled the corner of Sun’s view. His head flicked to it, his terror filled gaze slowly turned to one of relief and sorrow.

He wasn’t alone.

A face slowly came into view next to the small source of light.

Another mer.

Their face was a soft grey and dark purple. The two colours patterned in a similar fashion to his own face. Soft red eyes stared back; large white irises greeted his own.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you….” The mer looked away in shame.

“No, no! It’s okay… I thought I was alone…”

Sun gently placed his hand on the glass separating them. Red webbing slowly stretched out between his digits. His fangs softly glistened from the light the other mer produced.

The blue mer met his gaze again. Guilt slowly being replaced with something he couldn’t quite read.

Hope perhaps?

“I like your bulb thingy.” Sun pointed at the esca that dangled from their head fin.

The other mer grew an uncertain smile before their whole body started glowing. Faint purply-pink and yellow pushed back the darkness. Giving Sun full view of them.

Sun’s eyes widened in awe at this mer. He had never seen anyone like them before. Eclipse never spoke of a mer that looked like this. The only ones he knew were bright and colourful like himself. Perfectly adapted for the corals and reef environments he called home. “Woah… how are you doing that?”

The dark blue mer lightly chuckled. Giving Sun a little spin, showing off their bioluminescence. “My scales and esca help me navigate the dark depths of my home waters. I use my esca to lure in prey and catch them off guard. Cool right?”

Sun eagerly nodded in agreement, briefly forgetting about their horrible situation. “Yeah, super cool! Oh! Where I come from, I can use my bright colours to blend into corals and wait for my prey to swim past without seeing I’m there. And then I snatch them up before they can react!”

Sun puffed his chest, proud of his own ways of hunting. This earned him another chuckle from the other mer. “That’s cool too!... But, what’s coral?”

The two exchanged confused glances.

They didn’t know what coral was. It must not grow where they lived.

“O-oh… sorry…” Sun fidgeted with his claws. How could he explain what coral is?

He tendrils twitched nervously as an awkward silence filled the room, drawing the darkness back despite the other’s glow never fading. Sun’s mind was drifting back to everything that happened.

The poachers.

Eclipse.

He could feel the threat of tears swell back into his eyes.

“Moon.”

“Huh?”

“… My name is Moon…”

Sun stared at him, taking in the information. He tilted his head slightly before his face brightened with a large smile.

“Woah, our names match! My name is Sun! Nice to meet you!”

Moon looked at him in shock from his sudden mood change and confusion at his statement. He shook his head, esca trailing around in the tank water. Moon gained a smile of his own. Smaller and softer than Sun’s.

“Yeah. Nice to meet you too-”

“Even our faces are matching!” Sun pointed to himself, gesturing to his own facial pattern.

Moon squinted his eyes, mouth closing in confusion before his eyes widened. Smile coming back as he nods.

“It’s almost like we’re brothers!” Sun exclaimed, his bubbly giggle lifting the weight of their fears for a moment.

Moon’s eyes lit up at the word. “… Brothers…” is all that he said.

But Sun knew he liked it. It was written all over his face.

Sun promised to himself that he and his friend. His brother. Would survive this torment. The horrors that await outside their small tanks. The shine in Moon’s eyes showed he made the same promise.

The two of them will survive this.

And maybe one day. Find a way to escape…

Art for this Chapter:

The bois! (So y'all know what they look like)

Moon, that's not edible!

Sun doesn't know what the drone is

Chapter Text

The sea breeze has always prickled your skin in just the right way. It made you feel alive and free.

You just finished equipping your diving gear, adjusting the heavy, yet welcome weight of the oxygen tank on your back and shoulders. You made sure that the giant lettering of the organisation you work for is clearly visible on your chest. You work for the P.A.M.A. (Protection Against Merfolk Abuse) as both a diver and a first responder.

Today, you were out with a few fellow co-workers on a diving trip at the large and beautifully coloured coral reef that a childhood friend of yours called home.

Eclipse and you have known each other for many years, since that faithful day. Your parents took you to a nearby beach almost every day during the summer holidays while visiting your grandparents.

One morning while running down the beach, you heard the distressed calls of a creature. After running to the source of the noise – much to your parent’s dismay – you found a small mer beached from the low tide. When your parents caught up to you, their eyes widened at the sight of you sat on the beach, mer in your lap and small puncture holes bleeding on your cheeks.

Eclipse had apologized more times that you can count for digging his claws into your cheeks as a kid, but you never blamed him since he was petrified at the time. You proudly wear the near invisible scars as a warm reminder of that faithful day.

Your parents contacted the P.A.M.A. about the situation, as they were the people to call in the event of a mer in trouble. The employees who responded took Eclipse in to nurse him back to health. They found that sand seeped into his gills, making it painful to breathe in water.

Your parents let you stay longer than originally intended for the holiday, living with your grandparents for a bit, as they had to drive home for work. Over the few weeks, Eclipse was under the care of the P.A.M.A. in the seaside village, you visited daily to make sure that he was recovering properly. The employees were overjoyed at your enthusiasm and were always happy to let you see Eclipse – who warmed up to you overtime.

By the time he was ready to be released back into the ocean, the two of you were practically inseparable. The goodbye was heart breaking for you both, but the promise of seeing him next summer was something that meant so much more than the world to you.

Over the next many years, the two of you would always meet on the beach every day that you were able to. Eclipse even learned to speak English so you two could communicate properly. You would’ve learned to speak mer, but your human body did not contain the correct vocal cords to even come close.

In your younger years, this did not deter you, making weird clicks and squeaks that always caused Eclipse to laugh. He made fun of you for it. However, you were never offended, not truly. Just part of your friendly banter.

You fondly looked back on one year where you missed a few days of seeing Eclipse due to being sick. And when you did show up, Eclipse brought you many seashells and small rocks to make you feel better. You did a similar thing the next day, bringing human food for him to try. His favourite meal being a sandwich filled with ham and lettuce you eagerly shared with him.

But there was one day that you will always consider your favourite, no matter what. It occurred when the two of you were teens. One day, Eclipse showed up later than normal. But, to your surprise and amazement, brought another mer with him. A small, yellow and red mer with soft orange frills and tail fin; dawning tendrils and feelers.

That was the day Eclipse introduced you to Sun.

The guppy was scared at first but soon warmed up to you. Having spent most of the day asleep in your arms after your friend convinced him you were safe.

You were snapped out of your warm, bubbly thoughts when a fellow co-worker called your name.

You secured your diving helmet on your face and awkwardly walked across the boat while wearing your diving fins. The feeling of your fins scraping across the wooden deck was something you always liked for some reason.

But you had to push aside your daydreaming, this dive was serious.

A boat belonging to a poaching group was reported to have travelled these waters just barely an hour ago. When you heard that it was the same area that Eclipse lived in, you instantly jumped to join the dive. The thought of your friend and his adopted younger brother being in danger made your blood boil with rage.

“Okay, everyone spread out and search for any indication of poachers in the reef. Make sure to keep the logo visible. The mers that live here will recognise us as friends if they see it.” The team leader, Freddy, eagerly reminded the crew.

The knowledge of merfolk existing became common place many decades ago. But humans being humans, didn’t take it all well at first. Many people would hunt them down, believing they were dangerous.

But when the P.A.M.A. was formed, it quickly became a worldwide organization, dedicated to protecting mers as well as building positive and solid relations between the two species. Over time, word of the P.A.M.A. spread through the ocean. Merfolk now having a general understanding that those who wear the organization’s logo are not a threat and more than happy to help with any problems they may have.

After Freddy’s quick, but serious speech about diving safety and reminders on how to use the communication equipment. The rest of the crew – Chica, Monty and Roxy – all nodded and walked behind you to the edge of the boat.

You mostly tuned out the speech as you have heard it many times. Freddy was known to be very serious when it came to health and safety. Probably due to his home life, as he had a son.

Monty was very laid back about most things, but if something either piqued his interest or pissed him off, he would gain the energy of a wild animal. His emotions becoming the main driver behind his actions.

Chica was very gentle and kind, many mers were naturally drawn to her softness. You remember a small pod of mer children all hugging her arms and legs when doing a routine inspection of a trench almost a year ago. It took a lot of convincing from their parents to let her go.

Roxy always found a way to turn everything into some sort of competition. It always helped to lighten the mood in a serious situation. But she knew when to and not to do such a thing. As sometimes, her competitive nature wasn’t always welcome.

Once you shook the nerves out of your system, you were the first to walk off the boat and into the warm waters.

You drifted your way through the many trees of corals in the area. Each member of the team went in a different direction – there was a lot of ground to cover as the reef was huge.

You could hear the others occasionally talking through the earpiece built into your diving helmet. The helmet itself was advanced, covering your entire face and allowing you to speak freely underwater. Equipped with lights in case a dive required you to venture into dark places or took place at night.

“Has anyone found anything yet?” Freddy questioned through the earpiece.

“Nothing so far…” Replied Monty, relatively nonchalant about the entire situation.

“I’ve come across a few mers, but they haven’t seen anything…” Chica responded with both relief and concern.

“I can’t find any evidence in my search sector…” Stated Roxy. A hint of annoyance within her voice, despite her best efforts to hide it.

You have worked with Team Glamrock the most out of all the main diving groups, as you weren’t part of one yourself – due to your other job as a first responder. Heading out to locations that had trapped merfolk – ranging from them getting stuck on a beach to being found in cages by the hands of poachers.

Freddy called your name, awaiting your own mini report.

“I haven’t seen anythi-”

You cut yourself off as the sight in front of you make your stomach drop. Freddy continued to call you. But it was barely audible as fear took a death grip on your heart.

Blood.

And lots of it.

It was streaming out of a cave in the side of a large rockface, partially hidden by tall corals.

You’ve been to this cave before.

You always came to this cave during your dives to visit Eclipse and Sun if they didn’t find you first. So, the sight of large amounts of blood flowing out of it was extremely painful to see.

You quickly darted inside, still ignoring the increasingly panicked calls of the Glamrock team. “Eclipse?! Sun?! Are you in here?!” You call into the cave, not being able to see due to red water that masked the inside.

You felt the disturbance of the water in front of you. Soon after, a large hand emerged from the red. You quickly took Eclipse’s hand and pulled him close. He was covered in blood and his eyes were barely open. You felt your skin prickle and your chest grew heavy as Eclipse focused his gaze on you. “You have to find Sun… they took him… Please!”

He used all his energy to grasp your upper arms. Trying his best to keep his eyes open.

His worry was tearing you apart, his sorrow filled gaze borrowing into your soul and choking it. “Shhh, shhh, it’s okay Eclipse… we’ll find Sun. But I got to get you medical help first-”

“Promise me you’ll find him! PLEASE!” The sheer amount of terror and pain shaking his entire being was unbearable to watch. You carefully guided him to wrap himself around your form so you can swim him back to the boat.

You got a glance at his many wounds, the main ones that concerned you being a nasty slash to his neck and a few others decorating his limbs. He also had some deep puncture wounds that only harpoons could make – one scarily close to his gills.

The poachers attacked him and took Sun.

Your vision darkened as you started to imagine how much you wanted to beat up whoever did this.

A deeper yearning in your heart just wanted to cradle Sun in your arms and tell him everything was okay. You considered Sun as much as a brother to you and Eclipse did. The three of you were basically family.

Monty suddenly yelled your name down the earpiece, causing both Eclipse and you to flinch. It took a second for the ringing in your ear to cease before you responded. Meanwhile, Roxy was scolding him for making such a loud noise. She was clearly pissed about his sudden yelling.

“Everyone, meet me back at the ship and prepare medical equipment! We got a code red!” You practically shout, just barely able to restrain your voice’s raised volume, but still emphasizing how serious you were.

The others all quickly confirmed their return to the boat. A code red was, thankfully, a rare occurrence. But to say Eclipse was in a bad condition was a major understatement.

You gingerly swim back to the boat, Eclipse curled around you like a snake, clinging to you like a child not wanting to leave their parent’s embrace. Silently sobbing to himself. “I didn’t save him. I’ve failed him… I-I’m sorry… Sun, I’m sorry…”

Eclipse nuzzled his tear ridden face into your shoulder in a poor attempt to keep himself together. You rubbed his arms as you continue to drag him to the boat. Blood still seeping out of his wounds, causing a red trail to follow from behind.

He’s lost too much blood, and time was running out.

He needed medical attention as soon as yesterday.

The swim back to the boat was felt agonisingly slow. Your mind buzzing with all the new information. Your emotions got twisted, torn and turned upside down.

You did your best to wriggle your way through the many coral branches, avoiding any tight spaces to not cause Eclipse further pain. He was eerily silent throughout the entire swim so far. Only letting out shy sobs and mumbles that were near impossible to hear.

His repeating of the words ‘I’m sorry’ was destroying you from the inside.

Your distressed thoughts of what happened, and how to fix it, suddenly slipped through your fingers like sand when the coiled pressure around you became slack. Your eyes widened and snapped to Eclipse’s face; his eyelids fluttered as his jaw slightly hung open.

You quickly picked up the pace. Straining the muscles in your legs to swim faster than you should while carrying a being that was almost twice your size. Your body begging for you to slow down, but your brain demanding it to shut up. “Hang on Eclipse! Just stay with me!”

Eclipse passing out was a bad sign.

Very bad.

Soon, the underside of the boat came into view.

Team Glamrock was already on the ship by the time you got there, medical equipment at the ready. Everyone swarmed around his unconscious body on the deck as his blood slowly stained it.

You pulled yourself onto the ship and ripped the diving helmet of your face, panting from how fast you started swimming when you felt Eclipse’s grip on you go limp.

Chica told you to sit aside and let the others take care of his wounds. And, as much as you wanted to help your friend, you knew it was for the best. Your hands were shaking from your adrenaline starting to crash and you could barely sit up straight, leaning against the wall of the boat to prevent yourself slumping to the floor.

You expected Chica to join the others in patching Eclipse up, but she stayed by your side, letting you lean against her shoulder as your body recovered from the physical and emotional whiplash of the situation.

“What happened to him? What did he tell you?” You can tell by the tone in her voice that she could guess exactly what happened herself. But she wanted to hear it from you.

After spending what felt like an eternity getting your breathing to return to an even enough pace, you go into detail about everything that happened. The blood, Eclipse telling you about the encounter before passing out in your arms, and how Sun was captured by the poachers. She silently nodded along to your explanation, rubbing and squeezing your upper arm to ground you.

Roxy moved past the two of you to the ship’s controls. Turning the boat towards land, punching the engine into top speed as she flicked on the main radio. “This is Roxanne from Team Glamrock! We have a code red! Get a medical team to the port immediately!” She commanded, earning her a swift response.

“A medical team are already on the way. ETA is ten minutes.”

Despite Roxy pushing the boat to its limits, the medical team would reach the port first. Giving them time to prepare to shift Eclipse from the boat to the van and drive him away for more advanced medical care.

You spent the rest of the journey lightly sobbing into Chica’s shoulder.

You wiped your tears and cleaned yourself up before the boat reached land. You shedded your diving equipment to lift at least a physical weight off your shoulders.

Now in your normal P.A.M.A. assigned outfit, you stumbled off the boat and out of the way of the medical crew.

Team Funtime (you are convinced the team’s name derived from sarcasm) hastily made their way to Eclipse, stretcher in hand.

A crowd was gathered at the port, thankfully keeping their distance from the van. The other P.A.M.A. members secured Eclipse to a stretcher and wheeled him into the van before driving off.

Freddy was quickly swarmed by questions about what happened. He did his best to answer everyone while not spilling too many details. The mere mention of poachers sent the crowd into an upset uproar.

You knew those who lived in the village all had a distain for poachers. One time a man was beaten up at the local pub after spilling the fact he thought merfolk were monsters his drunken state. The beating was a bit much, but it just went to show how passionate some were about their disdain for those who spoke ill of mers. (You sometimes wondered where that guy was, and what he was up to now).

Roxy and Monty parted a path to their team vehicle as Chica led you behind them. She could tell you’re still shaken by the events of finding your childhood friend bleeding out alone for hours.

Freddy followed at the back of the group as you climbed into the vehicle. Roxy started the engine and drove the five of you back to base. Only a ten minute drive from the port.

For most of the journey, everyone was silent. The only disturbance being Monty’s incomprehensible mumbling to Roxy in the front. Most likely about what happened with Eclipse. Freddy kept shooting glances in your direction, clearly worried about you. Chica continued to stick to your side like you two were tied together, offering small bits of support. From letting you lean on her shoulder to rubbing your back.

Once you got back to base, you immediately headed for the medical wing. Not slowing your stride as you weaved past other employees down the sleek, bland hallways. In your haste, you almost bumped into many people and doors.

When you arrived, the person at the desk instantly pointed to a room with ‘Urgent Care’ written on a sign above the double doors.

You practically burst into the room and swiftly moved to Eclipse’s side. The room was akin to that to a hospital ward. Most of the fluorescent lighting was absent, keeping the room in a comfortable dimness. Mint curtains cast back to the wall, leaving beds exposed. All but one of the beds being bare and empty helped in locating your friend.

Eclipse was comfortably tucked into a large bed, far larger than the average human’s bed to accommodate his size. Many bandages and dressings covered his body, and IV tubes stuck into his scales.

You gently took his hand as he laid unmoving on the bed. The only indications he was still alive were the slight movements of his chest – much lighter than you would like. And the faint beeping of his weak heartbeat on the monitor – too slow to be natural.

Tears threatened your face as you stared at his unconscious form. “I promise to find Sun. No matter what. I don’t care how long it will take. We will find him.”

You slightly squeezed his hand to give the extra reassurance to both him and you that you will not stop until Sun is safe.

For a brief moment, you felt the pressure returned.

Despite his state, he heard you.

Felt your determination.

He let you know he heard you.

A tear slid down your cheek as you set his hand back down. Letting out a breath you didn’t know you were holding.

You brought a chair to his side and took a seat. As you stared at Eclipse, your mind slipped into wondering about Sun as the slow beeping of the heart monitor echoed.

Until the P.A.M.A. can find leads on the boat that took him. You can only pray for his safety.

Where is he?

Is he okay?

He must be terrified right now.

Is he hoping to be rescued?

Or has he given up hope?

Is he even still-

No.

You don’t let yourself stay that far.

He is alive.

Eclipse is alive.

Hurt, but alive.

You will find him.

He will feel the warm embrace of your’s and Eclipse’s arms again.

Sun will get to see you and-

BEEEEEEEEEP

You head snapped up at the prolonged beep.

It doesn’t stop.

A sharp green line taunting you...

The heart monitor has flatlined.

No, no, no!

People flooded into the room and before you knew it, you got ushered out.

You stared at the double doors, only feeling the erratic rise and fall of your chest as the terror in your being seized full control.

The edges of your view went dark.

Your lungs tightened, your ribs clenched, and your legs buckled.

The small windows in the doors waited patiently for you to use them and observe your friend.

But you couldn’t move.

Everything was too distressing.

The muffled, never-ending beep of the heart monitor is the only noise you can focus on. The voices of the nurses and doctors as well as your own breathing were drowned out by the beep.

A noise that would make anyone grow weak – if it was attached to someone they held close to their heart.

You don’t know how long you stood there for, but you’re pulled out of your frozen state when one of the doctors walked out of the urgent care room. They simply put a hand on your shoulder as the others left the room behind them…

Pushing a large bed down the corridor.

A large lump with a thick black sheet draped over the top.

“I’m sorry…”

That’s all they said before joining their co-workers and exited the medial wing. Leaving you alone.

Your horror shifted into pure sorrow and outrage. You fell to your knees and slammed your fists into the ground.

His injuries were too much.

The blood transfusions weren’t enough.

His body just didn’t have the fight in it anymore.

You wheeped and wailed into the floor. Tears poured from your eyes and stained the tiles as you curled up on yourself. You let everything out and no one dared enter to disrupt your mourning.

Just when you found out you’ve lost one friend… now you’ve lost two.

Art for this Chapter:

Eclipse teaching Sun how to hunt - he's proud of his brother!

The bois as kids

(Basically just what Eclipse looked like when reader first met him. Sun and Moon are just vibing)

Chapter Text

The travel on the poacher’s boat was not as bad as he first thought. Only due to the fact he had a friend.

Sun was having some interesting conversations with Moon. They talked about where each other came from, what they did for fun and other parts of their lives. However, both steered clear of talking about family, the subject was too sore for either of them.

“How do you know they weren’t just tricking you?” Moon snapped.

The topic of the conversation inevitably turned to that of humans. And, trying to keep it positive, Sun started talking about his and Eclipse’s human friend. You.

“I’ve known them since I was a baby! And Eclipse has known them even longer! They would never!” Sun argued back.

Unfortunately, Sun’s efforts to persuade Moon that not all humans were evil and monstrous wasn’t going very well. Which he found understandable given their current situation.

Poachers unloaded the two off the hunting boat, into a vehicle of some kind called a ‘Van’, and then into a building.

Moon spent every second that the poachers were nearby clawing at the glass and screeching at the top of his lungs. But it only served as an annoyance. Some of them smacking Moon’s tank to get him to shut up. He only ceased his protests when the two were left alone again. His hands stung from his feral clawing.

After a long, uncomfortable silence between the two mers, Sun attempts to change the subject. “Ummm… can you do your glowing thing?... I don’t like how dark this room is…”

Sun fidgeted with his hands, even curling his tail in front of himself so he could fiddle with his tail fin. His tendrils wrapped around his body in attempts to comfort himself. Sun flicked his eyes to Moon every now and then, awaiting a response.

Moon stared at him with a sharp glare. But it melted into understanding and sorrow once seeing how nervous he was about asking.

Moon’s body brightened, exposing the room in a dim light. He held his esca within his left hand and moved it to the edge of his tank. Sun gave him and thankful smile before the two started observing the room.

Unfortunately, Moon’s light didn’t offer much, but they were able to spot a few things in the middle of the room. Sun recognised them as metallic in nature by the way the esca’s glow reflected off them. There were flat surfaces stuck in the air by thin legs on each corner. A large one with a smaller one accompanying it.

“What are those things?” Moon frowned at the unrecognisable objects.

“I don’t know… but I don’t like them…” Sun couldn’t shake the feeling that the surfaces standing ominously in the room were a bad sign. Metal objects always felt so alien to him.

The two didn’t get long to ponder the mysterious objects before part of the wall on the other end of the room opened. Harsh, bright lights poured into the area. Moon stopped his glowing as he hissed at the light. Covering his eyes and turning his head away.

This happened multiple times during the horrid journey to where they are now. Sun quickly realised that Moon was sensitive to light, but his eyes could adjust eventually.

Three people wearing masks, gloves and white coats entered. More light flooded the room as they walked inside. They gathered around the structures in the middle of the room.

One of them picked up a sharp, thin object and flicking it a few times with their fingers. “Start with the yellow one.”

The other two nodded before striding over to Sun.

Sun pressed himself into the furthest part of the tank in a futile attempt to move out of reach. One of the humans opened the top of the tank. The other grabbed a pole that was resting against the wall near Sun’s tank, shoving one end into the water. The thin circular end wrapped around Sun’s neck and shrunk, yanking him by the neck up and out of the tank.

Sun whimpered and warbled as the thing dug into his neck. Sun swapped to his nostrils to breathe once out of the tank. But it was still a struggle due to how rough he was being manhandled, despite not fighting back much.

“GIVE HIM BACK! LEAVE HIM ALONE!” Moon roared at them, his anger muffled by the glass as Sun was carried further away and towards the centre of the room.

He was held down by his arms and tail by the two before the third humans moved to his side and held the thin, metal thing in their hand. A larger section under the sharp protrusion with liquid inside of it. Sun wrapped his tendrils around the arms of the humans holding him down as Moon’s pleas to let him go grew louder.

“NO! TAKE ME INSTEAD! PLEASE LET HIM GO-”

“DON’T SAY THAT!” Sun snapped at Moon, looking at him with a sorrow filled smile.

“It’ll be okay Moon…” Sun closed his eyes, letting out a shaky breath, bracing whatever was coming his way.

As long as Moon was unharmed, it will be okay.

He had to be strong for the younger mer.

His younger brother.

Moon froze, eyes wide.

“It’ll be okay Moon…”

How?

How could he say such a thing?!

Those ‘humans’ are holding him down and hovering sharp things over him!

How could Sun be friends with such horrible creatures?!

The one holding the sharp object started speaking their unrecognisable language. “Hmph, the little thing knows what’s good for him…”

They then stuck the sharp object into Sun’s inner elbow, causing a small squeak of pain to escape his mouth.

Moon screamed again, louder than his body would’ve liked, causing a slight pain in his throat.

Soon after, Sun’s fidgets and slight defiance on being trapped on top of the shining surface became weak and eventually stopped entirely.

Moon cried out to Sun.

He couldn’t lose him now.

He didn’t want to go through this alone!

“Quiet down! He’s just unconscious!”

Moon halted his howling when one of the humans yelled at him. He scowled harshly at them, almost hissing hard enough to cause the glass to rattle, his throat was practically begging him to stop.

Moon’s eyes scanned Sun and eventually clocked the slow rise and fall of his chest. His glare faltered into realisation.

Sun was still alive.

He didn’t know what they were doing to him, but the fact that Sun was asleep both comforted and worried him.

But what the humans did next shook Moon to his core.

They turned Sun over to lie on his stomach, and one of them picked up a large, sharp item. They moved it close to the back of Sun’s head, at the edge of his head fin.

Moon’s eyes were glued to the scene before he looked away at the first sight of blood. He cupped his hands over his mouth, stifling his whimpers and sobs. He closed his eyes, but all he could see was red.

They were tearing him apart and he could do nothing to stop them…

He could not stop shaking…

His gills stuttered and he struggled to breathe…

Moon curled up on himself in horror and guilt. All he could hear was ringing and the humans-

No!

Those monsters talking to each other.

“NO! You fucking idiot! You cut too close to the head! It won’t regrow now!”

“Shit, my bad-”

“Hell yeah, it’s your bad! How are we supposed to harvest the scales now?!”

He didn’t know what they were saying, part of him wanted to know. But he also didn’t care. He was engulfed in terror and misery.

He couldn’t protect Sun.

He promised himself that he would do anything for him!

He didn’t know how long he stared at the wall of the tank. He didn’t know when his vision started going fuzzy or when he stopped processing the sounds that surrounded him.

Anything to not see the torture.

…

…

…

Would he be next?

…

…

…

Moon’s spiralling was suddenly interrupted by a splash in the other tank. He turned to see Sun floating limp in his tank.

His head fin missing.

The back of his head coated by some sort of white covering. Slowly turning pink and then red.

“Sun…?”

No response…

“Sun… wake up…”

No response…

“Please…?”

No response…

Moon held his hands up to the glass separating the two, pressing them gently onto the side. Tears puffed his eyes and blurred his vision.

“Sun, I’m sorry… please wake-”

Moon was suddenly pulled by his neck. Up and out of the tank.

He flailed and snapped his fangs.

He couldn’t let them take him away!

Sun needed him!

Unlike previous attempts, Moon’s lashing out actually managed to find results. His teeth sinking into the arm of one of the humans that was carrying him. The human gasped in pain and anger.

“AH! Fuck! You little shit!”

Moon could barely react before a fist went straight into his left eye. Pain flooded his senses. He closed his eyes, trying to ease the pain throbbing in his face.

Moon was soon also on top of the cold metal surface. Harshly held down by two pairs of hands while a third pair brought the same sharp object to his arm.

He flailed and struggled relentlessly.

He needed to stay awake.

He couldn’t defend Sun from these monsters if he was also out cold.

Moon lunged his head as far forward as he could. Snarling and snapping his fangs.

He must stay awake!

A hand pushed his forehead and pressed him down on the hard surface.

“You’re making this a lot harder than this needs to be!”

Hands grabbed his inner elbow, and a sharp pain stung through his scales. Screams escaped his maw as a cold sensation shot up his arm, quickly spreading though his entire body.

Moon could feel his energy leaving him. Whatever that sharp object was, it was putting him to sleep. He pushed himself to keep fighting, but he was getting weaker by the second.

His eyes grew heavy.

He couldn’t fight back forever.

Despite every fibre of his being wanting to stay awake and lash out with everything he had, his eyelids slowly dropped. His body fell limp as he succumbed to the effects of the anaesthesia.

“Don’t make the same mistake with this one.”

The foreign sentence was the last thing Moon heard before he slipped into the grasps of unconsciousness.

The poachers resumed their work.

Eclipse’s sorrow and self-blame clawed at your mind, never letting you rest. It stalked your dreams and twisting them into horrid nightmares. They ranged from Sun’s screams and cries for help as he slipped from your fingers into the hungry maw of never-ending darkness. To Eclipse hating himself for not doing a better job, clawing at his own scales like itchy skin from the stress.

No matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t help either of them.

Sleep did not come for you often, and when it did, it was for only mere hours. Weak and desperate, plagued by echoing sobs and cries.

You slumped on your sofa at home, sinking your depressed self into an oversized sweater. Desperate to find comfort in the fluffy inside of the clothing. The dialogue of the movie you were half watching filled the room, but not your ears.

In what you can only assume as a way of self-punishment, you put on a film that carried the theme of family.

Further reminding yourself of how yours was torn apart.

You never thought about losing Eclipse, especially in such a sudden and gut-wrenching way. Mers had a longer average lifespan than humans.

You would occasionally think of how you would ease Eclipse into continuing without you when you were older.

But now you were on the receiving end…

And you didn’t know how to handle it.

Losing your grandparents was one thing, it was simply their time. They spent many happy years walking the earth before returning to the soil to join the cycle of life once more. Knowing that helped with the pain, it let you fondly look back on the many happy years you spent with them.

But their deaths were natural.

Eclipse’s was an act of malice.

You always took your friend for granted. And now that he was gone, you couldn’t live with yourself.

You didn’t even get to say goodbye…

If only you went to see him more often, spending your free time to venture out to his home and engage in playful shenanigans with him and Sun.

You shook your head, throwing away the spiralling thoughts and taking a sip of your cream coated, marshmallow decorated hot chocolate. Or cold chocolate, considering how long you’ve let it cool on the table.

You didn’t even realise how you were caressing the tiny puncture scars on your cheeks that Eclipse inflicted upon you when you were kids.

The only physical reminder of him that’s left.

Your bosses let you work from home, as well as assigning a team to track down any leads. Giving you a much-needed break from the haunting environment that the base provided.

Team Phantom were very good at their job – scouring the darkest corners of the internet, for any useful information that would help to find and track down poaching groups and bring them to justice. Slipping in and out of group message boards while those there for more malicious reasons being none the wiser.

You thought the ‘Phantom’ name of the team was quite fitting.

You let your mind get lost in the film dancing across the TV. One member of the Phantom team, Susie, messaged you multiple times to let them take care of things and to let yourself rest.

The fact you were mourning the death of a friend was a well-known fact at this point within the P.A.M.A. Many knew you were friends with Eclipse, but they never asked how you became friends in the first place. Especially not now, with his sudden passing.

Everything you did during your rest at home was nothing more than a fuzzy memory, the days stuck out like a sore thumb in your head. It has been only a few days since everything happened.

Heading out for the coral reef after getting the report of a poaching boat within the area.

Finding Eclipse bleeding out in his home.

Sun gone, taken away by those who had nothing but greed and malicious intent fuelling their every action.

Eclipse succumbing to death.

You involuntarily shuddered as the horrid thought brought another, even less welcome one.

How the hell would you tell Sun?

You couldn’t crush his soul like that, even if you did find him.

The buzz of your phone grabbed you and pulled you from the dark memories. You traded your half empty mug for your phone, which was starting to creak under your crushing hold in your attempts to keep yourself grounded.

You lazily settled your eyes onto the phone screen, focusing on the notification.

It was from Susie.

You hastily swiped your phone opened, almost throwing it across the room in the process, and snapped your eyes to the message.

Hey, just checking in to see how you are feeling! :)

Unfortunately, we haven’t found much information matching the description that you gave us of Sun. But I have a good feeling we will hear some chatter soon!

The market is currently… favouring his colours.

And knowing merfolk poachers, they will not be able to keep their mouths shut forever – they love to brag.

We will find him. Fritz, Charlie, Gabriel, Jeremy and I are all working our asses off on this case.

Just keep your chin up. Sun needs you :)

The message was both comforting and harrowing.

Susie didn’t say it, but you knew how to read between the lines. Sun was going to be a victim of mer finning, if he wasn’t already.

Mer finning was similar to that of shark finning, but instead of harvesting the fins and discarding the body (which most of the time was still alive), merfolk were kept in captivity. Their head fins had the ability to regrow rather quickly if removed. As long as there was a part of its stem left.

Poachers took full advantage of this knowledge over the years, harvesting head fins and waiting for them to regenerate, only to repeat the torturous cycle.

You couldn’t bring yourself to respond to Susie’s message. She would send you many of them, mostly checking up on your wellbeing. Sending GIFs and other short videos of cute animals, out of context clips and cooking videos to try and cheer you up. But the most you could muster was the occasional ‘Thanks’ or an emoji.

Some of the cooking videos piqued your interest enough for you to try them yourself. But you never ended up with satisfactory results, always burning the food or missing a step in the recipe.

Too busy being engulfed in your own misery.

Takeout and other lazy meals became a common habit. You would rather consume unhealthy foods than accidentally burn your house down.

You picked up your mug and gulped down the rest of what was meant to be your comfort drink. Movie credits rolled in the background alongside upbeat music. You curled your legs up to your side. The feeling of the hard floor on your heels was distracting and uncomfortable. You hid your feet behind the cushions, seeking warmth as your baggy track pants flattened onto the sofa.

After watching the entire roll of the credits, you unceremoniously threw yourself up on your feet and paced towards your kitchen. Slapping a bag of popcorn into the microwave and staring at it.

A brief moment of peace as you watched the bag spin in the warm light before starting its performance of popping and jolting on the glass plate.

Your corners of your vision blurred as a reminder of your puffy eyes. Sore from the many tears you have shed over the last few days. Your eyes wanted to cry again, but you had no tears left to shed. You have cried so much that you dried out your tear ducts.

You flung the door open of the microwave when the popping died down. Not dignifying the machine with the beeping of its timer hitting zero.

Every time you heard a beep; your mind was thrown back to the urgent care room.

By Eclipse’s side.

The green line on the monitor basically cursing you as it delivered the information of your friend leaving you .

You didn’t want to be there again.

Falling into the embrace of the sofa’s cushions, bowl of popcorn in hand. You scrolled through the selection of films on your TV. Selecting yet another movie with the theme of family.

Perhaps this is your subconscious way of mourning?

Grieving the loss you have suffered…

You grab too large a hand of popcorn and shove it into your mouth, your fingers curling into a poor excuse of a bowl as your face nuzzled into the food. Picking the pieces one by one with your teeth. You felt like a beaten puppy eagerly eating food from the hand of its owner – seeking affection.

The opening sounds of the next film coated the room, this time reaching your ears as you settled into the movie.

Sun slowly opened his eyes. His head felt numb and painful at the same time. As well as strangely lighter than he remembered. He moved a hand behind his head.

Nothing was there.

Instead of feeling his head fin, he felt nothing.

In his sleepy confusion, Sun’s hand reached the back of his head. A weird texture met his claws.

He snapped awake.

Sun frantically looked around, chest erratically rising and falling on his panic. He saw Moon laying on the bottom of his own tank. Distressed in his expression, but sleeping.

Sun couldn’t help but notice that something was missing, but he couldn’t see what in the dark. “M-Moon?... Moon, wake up!”

The other mer stirred, disturbed mumbling faintly escaping his mouth. After more pleading, Moon eventually opened his eyes. A large bruise prevented his left eye from opening properly. The purpling of the swelled bruise almost invisible from Moon’s dark colouring. “S-Sun?... are you-”

“WHAT DID THEY DO TO YOU?!” Sun shrieked.

Moon was shook awake by Sun’s panicked state. “I’m fine… It’s just a bruise Sun. It’ll heal eventually. Please don’t worry about me-”

“NO! YOUR HEAD FIN! IT’S GONE!” Sun’s face filled with tears. Seeing Moon in such a state was awful. Sun wanted to give him a hug, to comfort them both. But the confines of the tanks made it impossible.

Moon’s hands flew up to his own head.

His head fin was gone.

Moon also started to panic. His main source of hunting, his esca.

Was taken from him.

The only thing that reminded him of home.

Gone.

Moon fell victim to his tears, his jaw hurting from the sheer usage it’s been through since the whole ordeal started. Wailing and sobbing with everything he had. His body still weak from being drugged into sleep.

Sun gently placed a hand to the glass wall. His soft blue eyes focused on Moon’s shaking form. He couldn’t bear to see Moon like this. He needed to stop and reassure his brother.

He needed Moon to be okay.

If Moon was okay, he would be too.

“I-It’s okay… it’ll grow back.”

Moon shakily lifted his head to meet Sun’s eyes. “What about yours?” Moon choked on his own words.

Sun remembered how the back of his head felt.

His head fin was gone too.

Sun had to stay calm. Moon needed comfort, so he will provide. “Mine will too. It will take a while but trust me. It will…”

Moon slowly lowered his tail from his face. Red eyes peeking up at Sun, sniffling heavily. “Y-you sure?”

“Yeah. We’ll be okay Moon. I promise.”

There were a few beats of silence before Moon answered again.

“O-okay… I trust you Sun.” Moon slowly moved to the glass, placing his hand opposite Sun’s. Their two hands mirrored each other.

Moon had to believe that his head fin would regrow soon. It was one of his only lifelines. The reminder of home was one of the things keeping him from spiralling into an empty depression.

The two quickly learned to rely on each other for comfort to overcome the horrors their captors planned for them. And Moon clung to the hope that Sun was providing him. That his ‘human friend’ would find them.

As much as he despised the fact Sun had a friend in those monsters, the prospect of being free again was too enticing.

They just had to hold onto their hope. It was one of the few things keeping them alive in this horrid place.

Art for this Chapter:

A flawless guide to writing characters /lh /j

Chapter Text

Keeping track of how long he and Sun had been trapped was becoming harder and harder. The only way Moon knew time was still passing was that they were recovering after the horror of having their head fins removed.

The humans would sometimes appear to check on them, dropping fish into their tanks without a care in the world.

Moon hated the idea of these creatures providing them food. But he reluctantly accepted the long dead fish since he needed the energy to look after Sun. In case of any opportunity that should arise for them to escape.

Moon didn’t recognise any of the fish that they were given to feed on. But he quickly realized that that they were edible as Sun never hesitated to eat them.

The fish were all bland and didn’t taste nice.

Moon was convinced that the dead fish were on the edge of rotting when they got their claws on them, especially since they started to slightly stink up their tank waters overtime.

After having the time to somewhat recover from the panic the two mers shared after waking to find a part of their bodies missing, they were pulled from their tanks for more prodding. Sun assured Moon that they were only doing tests to make sure they were recovering properly since he was able to understand their weird language.

Moon also picked up on a few words. Scales. Harvest. Shut up. Vitals. Recovery. And some that were apparently rude to say, called swear words. Learning all of them from one of the humans that was part of the group that stole from them.

It felt like forever that they were kept out of water and in that weird bright room. Everything was a harsh white, humans wearing long white coats semi-blended into the walls. They force fed them strange liquids that tasted far worse than the half-rotted corpses that would occasionally drift into the dark waters of his home from above.

One of the worst things, however, was that Sun’s head fin wasn’t growing back.

Moon’s has already started to sprout and grow. His esca’s size was that of a guppy’s, only just starting to regain its glowing properties.

His eye also mostly recovered, but it still hurt. The best he could manage was slightly opening it. His vision remained a little blurry, but it was much better than before.

Sun was left with a weird discolouring on the back of his head where his fin should be. A massive and horribly formed scar.

When Sun realised that his fin wouldn’t grow back, he grew silent.

Giving Moon one-word responses and only engaging in conversations when Moon started to spiral. Giving reassurance and comfort.

Despite that, Sun’s voice lost its cheer. Sun’s positivity was probably the only thing keeping him from going insane and hoping for… other ways to escape the torture.

Moon would not stand for this. Seeing Sun collapse in on himself like this was unbearable.

The second Moon had the chance to take revenge on anyone in this cursed place. He would do so with pride.

When returned to their tanks, Moon found that they were changed slightly. A thin layer of sand coating the bottom and some ‘corals’ that Sun said decorated his home waters.

Moon figured that the lazy decoration was meant to try and calm the two, giving a false sense of security. But they only served to give them less space to move around.

Despite the small corals, Sun wasn’t happy with them. Scratching small bits off them and exposing a white inside.

“What’s wrong Sun?”

“They’re fake…”

“What?”

“The coral is fake. It shouldn’t feel like this, and it breaks too easily…”

Moon was pleasantly surprised that Sun was engaging in conversation, even though the topic reminded him of home. Moon turned to the tiny bits of coral poking out of the bottom of his tank. He gently curled his hand around one of the branches. It felt coarse and bumpy. He didn’t know what this texture was, but he knew it felt wrong. The colours were also streaky and messy, he didn’t like how it looked. Part of him wanted Sun to show him what real coral looked like if they ever got the chance.

Three humans emerged from the light escaping the gap in the wall. Moon recognised them as the same three who cut off their head fins.

His anger never burned so bright.

He growled deeply at them. The red of his eyes fading to black as his white pupils became red.

“Since when could it do that?” One of the humans asked the others, hesitantly pointing a finger in Moon’s direction. The other two turned to face Moon.

“Dunno, but I’d love to find out-”

“We’re not here for the blue one. Besides we don’t have the tools for that kind of procedure. Just grab the other one, we have more requests for yellow and red and the head fin is already used up.”

“How are we going to get scales if its fucking fin won’t grow back?”

“Just bring it here and I’ll show you.”

The same two humans from last time approached Sun’s tank. And to Moon’s surprise, Sun slowly approached the top, his expression completely emotionless.

Moon pressed up against the glass wall, eyes wide at Sun’s disturbing behaviour. “Sun? What are you doing? Don’t go near them!”

“…”

Sun’s lack of response gnawed away at Moon’s chest; his eyes would water if he wasn’t currently surrounded by the liquid. Sun used to be bubbly despite the circumstance, somehow holding onto hope and being the light that he needed.

Moon knew he could not manage this alone.

Seeing Sun reduced to a barely responsive mess was soul crushing.

“Oh, would you look at that. The little bastard learns quick.”

The humans opened Sun’s tank, and he turned his back to them. Lifting his arms so they could grab him. The humans were surprised for a small second before twisting their faces with evil glee.

One of the humans put their hands under his arms and grabs his chest, lifting Sun out of the tank. Abandoning the use of their weird stick. Moon watched in stunned silence at Sun cooperating.

Why would he do that?!

Was it to avoid the use of the pole?

Was Sun that far gone?

They laid Sun onto the metal surface again and stabbed his arm with the sharp thing. Sun barely even reacted, the only change being the rise and fall of his chest getting slower as he passed out.

The humans didn’t roll him over this time and Moon hesitantly watched to see what they were planning. They grabbed a new tool, one Moon did not recognise, and started their work.

The tool pinched some of Sun’s scales on his arm…

And started pulling…

It has been over a month since… everything. You don’t know when you started to lose count.

You never went back to base. Just sulking around your house and doing what work you could from home. Ever thankful that your bosses were patient with you. They let you take as much time as you needed, as long as you were able to do some work after the first week of mourning.

The laptop screen casted blue light around your bedroom since you didn’t bother getting out of bed. Not turning on the light or pulling up the blackout blinds that covered the window.

You closed the lid of the laptop and moved it to your bedside table. The heat from the machine was bleeding through the bed covers and was starting to burn your legs. You tossed the covers aside and ignored the stinging of your thighs as you threw on a hoodie and trousers to replace your pyjamas.

You trudged to your kitchen in search for an early lunch/late breakfast. Only to find your fridge empty, scarce of food. Despite how easy it would be to order more fast food, your body yearned for some actual sustenance. Sighing, you slammed your fridge door shut.

You didn’t have the energy to go shopping, but the idea of venturing into town to a café or other small food place felt nice.

You wandered into your bathroom, finally taking the time to freshen up. You brushed your teeth, washed your face and brushed your hair, which took an uncomfortably long time due to the large number of knots it gained while you were lazing around.

You walked out the front door, taking in a deep breath of fresh air, and got comfortable in your car to take a steady drive to town.

Thankfully it didn’t take long for your mind to ignore the depressing thoughts as your focus shifted to driving, occasionally glancing at pedestrians if they strayed too close to the road from either being too engrossed in their phones, trying to hold their kids back or other reasons you don’t care to pinpoint.

One pedestrian caught your eye, instantly recognising him as the guy who got his ass kicked by locals after drunkenly shitting on merfolk for simply existing. If you remembered the news local news report correctly, his name is Dave.

Some of his fellow pedestrians gave him looks of disgust and scrutiny. No one in this town liked the guy so you wondered why he stuck around.

You didn’t immediately realise how you were also scowling at him as you drove past – silently cursing him for briefly reminding you of Sun’s horrible situation and how some people would treat his kind.

After parking in the local car park, you wandered around the open streets of the seaside town. The breeze gave you a sense of relief, temporarily lifting everything off your shoulders. You could never resist the salty air of the ocean, always bringing you ease and calmness.

It helped you pretend everything was okay.

It took a bit of wandering before you chose where to settle for lunch. (Taking you long enough to the point where you can’t pretend your meal is late breakfast anymore). A seaside café that your grandparents would frequent, reminding you of the foods you ate while watching the fake electrical fireplace at the back of the dining area.

The bell chimed as you entered a café near the beach, the salty air effortlessly replaced by the warm embrace of cooked foods, different types of coffees and other typical café beverages.

You checked out the many different foods on display, cakes, muffins, pastries and sandwiches.

The choice came easy to you as you made your way to the counter. “One ham and lettuce sandwich please.”

The cashier nodded and handed the sandwich over once you paid.

You sat down at the table you would often beg to be at to admire the warm lighting of the fireplace when you were small. You set the plate down and took a second to settle in the chair, the small electrical fire was tucked into the wall next to you. Orange and yellow lights danced around the metal chamber they resided in. You took a soft bite out of the sandwich as your eyes became entranced with the artificial flames.

Two figures emerged from the lights. One orange, followed by a smaller yellow companion. They swam through the air, embracing each other before returning to their aerial dance. Gliding around the small fireplace before they split from each other. The orange one sunk back into the other lights, leaving the yellow one alone. Its movements became more fidgety and panicked, bouncing from one metal wall to the other, looking trapped.

You were pulled back to reality when your hoodie pocket vibrated. You took a second to collect yourself and shoved the last part of your sandwich in your mouth. You grabbed your phone and saw a message from Susie. You glanced back at the lights of the fake fire, but the yellow figure was gone.

Shaking off the strange vision, you tapped the notification and read the message.

We found him. Get to base. You leave tonight.

You made a mad dash out of the café, heavily swallowing the half-chewed sandwich in your mouth so you didn’t choke. Not caring about all the eyes glued to you as you flung the door open. Even the bell was startled by your hasty leave, jingling a harsh note that would make you cringe if you were still inside.

Your car quickly came into view, and you jumped into the driver’s seat. You shot out of the car park, your grip almost crushing the steering wheel as you made a beeline for the base.

Moon was curled up at the bottom of his tank, watching Sun’s sleeping form as his thoughts slowly sunk into nothingness. Most of Sun’s arms and chest was covered in the white stuff Moon learned were called ‘bandages’.

The scales that did grow back weren’t his normal red and yellow. Instead, they blended into the sand under him. It reminded Moon of the sand in his own tank, making his body itchy. He scratched himself with his claws and on the fake corals, easing the awful sensation.

Sun had been asleep for a long time, not waking up since he was put to sleep and the humans stole from him yet again.

Moon wished he would wake up, but he knew Sun needed the rest. His scales were growing faster as his body was able to focus on recovery.

But the silence was suffocating.

Moon had tried sleeping; his body wanted it. But he couldn’t bring himself to, not when Sun was so vulnerable.

Why did they torture him like this?

Sun’s done nothing to them!

It should’ve been him instead…

No. If Sun knew he was having those thoughts again, he would be upset. Moon didn’t want to do anything that made him sad, especially since Sun was having such a rough time.

He gently pulled his esca in front of his face. It was getting bigger, almost back to normal. His head fin nearly fully recovered. He tested the glow, almost fully recovered. It was bright, but not what it used to be.

Moon sighed and led back down, staring at Sun again. He didn’t understand why Sun’s head fin wasn’t growing back. His did perfectly fine. Sun even said that it was meant to grow back.

So why wasn’t it?

He felt everything was so unfair. Sun was getting worse treatment that him. It’s like the humans knew that Sun wasn’t as aggressive as he was and were taking advantage of that fact.

A light filled the room from the wall opening again. Moon hissed, eyes shifting to black. He got a reaction out of the humans last time he did it, so he will do it every time they come and dare disturb them. He hoped that his eyes would at least somewhat scare them, he would take anything at this point.

The human dropped food into Moon’s tank and went to leave. Moon slammed his fist into the tank wall, making the human flinch. They turned to look at him. Moon grabbed one of the fish they gave him and pointed at it, then at Sun. Hoping the human would understand.

Their eyes flicked between the two before speaking. “He doesn’t need food, he’s still sleeping…”

Moon smacked the glass again, hissing at them.

Why weren’t they giving Sun food?

He needed it too!

Small groans came from next to Moon, he turned to see Sun waking up.

Guilt flooded him, he must’ve woken Sun up by hitting the glass.

Thankfully, his stirring prompted the human to dump some fish into his tank. Sun groggily took the fish and nibbled on them. The human leaving the two alone.

“Sun? Are you okay?”

…

…

…

Why won’t he talk?

…

…

…

“I’m fine Moon…” Sun slowly worked his way through his food as Moon did the same.

The silence was thick and heavy. It was tense, and Moon hated it. The bland taste of dead fish further souring his mood.

Sun eventually curled up, back facing Moon.

Tears filled Moon’s eyes at this.

Did he do something wrong?

Did Sun hate him?!

Everything came crashing down as Moon couldn’t hold it in anymore. Uncontrollably sobbing into his hands.

Sun sat up and stared at Moon. He’s never seen him so upset before.

What happened while he was asleep?!

Sun pressed his hands on the glass, staring with concern and worry. “Moon?! What’s wrong?”

“W-what did I-… I do f-for you t-to hate me?!”

Sun was aghast at Moon’s response.

He didn’t hate him! Why did he think that?!

“What?! I don’t hate you, Moon! You’re my brother!”

Moon’s crying lessened a bit as he slightly lifted his head from his hands to look at Sun. Large red eyes looked back at him, full of sadness and despair. “Y-you… d-don’t hate me?”

“No… I-I’m sorry if I made you think that Moon…” Sun’s own tears started spilling, tilting his head away so Moon didn’t have to see his upset face.

He felt guilty for making Moon think he did something wrong. Moon always did his best to try and scare the humans away.

Moon was stronger than he could ever be.

All he did was give up and stop resisting, too weak to fight back. “I’m sorry Moon… I should be stronger. I should fight back, like you. But I’m too weak… Not strong enough to defend us-”

“Brother!”

Sun’s head snapped back to the glass. Moon’s hands mirrored Sun’s on the tank wall as he stared with a determined look.

“You are NOT weak! You’ve gone through so much! They keep hurting you, but you are still here! You haven’t left me! That makes you strong!” Moon voice breaking slightly as he talked.

Sun could see it in Moon’s eyes.

He meant everything he was saying.

His tears swelled up more.

“You always keep our hopes up. But… you’ve been… quiet lately… I want to keep our hope, that we will get out of here… I miss hearing your happy voice!” Moon’s eyes filled with sincerity as the edges of his mouth turned upwards into a small smile.

His smile meant everything to Sun.

Sun’s tail and tendrils wagged with happiness, returning the smile.

The two stayed like this what felt like forever, getting lost in the other’s warm gaze.

Their hope was coming back to them and Sun felt a wight lifted off his shoulders.

He didn’t feel so empty anymore.

You were prepared.

More than prepared to get Sun back.

Team Phantom managed to locate the building that the poachers were using as their base through some technical shenanigans that you will never understand.

At base, you and other first responders met up to plan out the raid. The local police were contacted so they were both aware and ready to strike.

You’ve done similar things before when poachers hideouts were found out and exposed by Team Phantom or the other tracker teams.

But the stakes have never felt higher.

You didn’t know what state Sun was going to be in, and the small voice in the back of your head wanted you to fear the worst.

The plan was simple. The police would set up a perimeter and surround the building so no-one could flee the premises. You and the other P.A.M.A. members would follow behind the raid team once they secured the building. The police would deal with the poachers while the P.A.M.A. dealt with any mers held captive and escort them to safety.

The drive in the first responder van was a long one. The poacher hideout was located in the forest, just beyond the outskirts of the seaside town. The entire journey was blocked out as you were barely registering the transition from smooth tarmac to a bumpy dirt road.

Your spinning thoughts held a crushing weight on you as you could not stop worrying about Sun. He was all you could think about, and he was so close now.

You ran your fingers along the side of your cheeks, right where your scars were. If Eclipse were here, he would’ve begged to join the raid.

You’ve told Eclipse about what your job entails, even sharing the darker side of it – what you’re doing now.

“I can’t believe some humans are disgusting enough to do something like that…”

“I can’t believe it either, but that’s why I do this job. To save those who are caught by poachers. Those who need help…”

“It’s brave of you to do such a thing. And I’m sure those you save are extremely grateful for you dedicating yourself to something like that… I wish I could join you…”

“Thanks… but there is a way you can help. If you ever hear or see anything, informing us will help greatly!... I know it doesn’t feel like much, but even the smallest bits of information helps greatly when tracking poachers down.”

“Hahaha!... Alright, I’ll keep an eye out… I’m glad I have you as a friend…”

“Me too Eclipse, me too…”

A sudden jostle of the vehicle snapped you back into reality. Your group came to a stop, everyone jumped out of the van to meet with the police officers. Many police cars dotted around the place, all hidden within the darkness of the trees.

The moon hung high in the sky, casting its light upon the area to expose the crimes taking place here. The stars twinkled, cheering you on as if the universe itself knew what you were going to stop, and was grateful for it.

The police chief walked up to you and the other P.A.M.A. members. “Good, you’re here. We’ve already set up the perimeter.”

“Thank you chief.” You wanted everything to make sure everything went smoothly; you didn’t want any more harm to come to Sun than whatever he’s already endured.

The chief simply nodded as they led you all towards the building.

When the hideout came into view you saw just how badly maintained the outside was. Vines and other plants coating the walls as bits of brick and stone laid on the floor, small chunks and cracks in the walls from which they originate. Anyone who spared the place a quick glance would believe it was abandoned.

But you knew better.

Everyone here knew better.

The raid team was already prepared, some standing idly by the door while others scouted the rest of the building for other exits.

Some of the other P.A.M.A. first responders ventured around the sides of the building to meet with the other raid officers, you stayed with the ones at the front doors.

The police chief’s radio buzzed. “The P.A.M.A. members are here. We’re all in position.”

“Good… Begin the raid.”

The officers in front of you all nodded to each other, you included. One took a bright red battering ram and smashed it against the doors. It took a few hits, but the doors flew open, barely hanging on to their hinges as they curled on themselves from the dents the battering ram caused.

Without hesitation, the officers started shouting as they rushed into the building. Their voices echoed around the darkness. You had to wait until the building was clear, but that wouldn’t take long.

You will reunite with Sun soon…

Art for this Chapter:

You got the bois as kids in Chapter 2.

Now I present...

The bois as babies (little guppies) :3c

Chapter Text

Moon’s much needed sleep was rudely interrupted by the human that he learned the ‘swears’ from. Despite learning the rude words (which was a power Moon would definitely abuse at some point), Moon hated this guy.

Whenever he was around only meant something bad was going to happen.

To Moon’s surprise, the human opened their tanks and dopped in some fish. As much as Moon wanted to jump out and bite the man, he was confused (and slightly displeased) that he was the one giving them their food this time.

He dropped the food in Sun’s tank first, which his brother hungrily snatched up and ate.

After locking Sun’s tank, he then moved to feed Moon. He was tempted to make a snack of the human’s hand instead of the fish.

But deep down, Moon knew it would lead nowhere good – it would most likely scare Sun out of his mind, not to mention that the humans would not be pleased.

Instantly after the human opened Moon’s tank, a loud bang echoed through the building, followed by a few more before being replaced by shouting. Humans in the distance sounded… distressed? Angry? He couldn’t tell.

The human who was about to feed him was pissed.

Sun seemed to be worried, but also a little hopeful. The two mers exchanged glances, confused, scared, but curious about what was happening.

The voices continued to travel around the area – the one feeding them vanished into the darkness at some point. Sun and Moon were on high alert, waiting for something to happen.

It took a while before Moon had the courage to speak. “What’s going on?”

“I don’t know Moon… But this could be our chance! It could be my friend!”

“Your human friend?” Moon gave Sun a scrutinising glare, still questioning the fact Sun was friends with one of those evil air breathers.

Sun looked hurt for a split second before the wall opened. A figure being silhouetted by the light behind them. They looked new, which seemed enough for Sun as he immediately started calling out to them for help.

Moon didn’t trust that this new human would do anything other than hurt them more, so he quickly got to thinking about how to defend himself and Sun.

A thought suddenly struck him. He looked up and his suspicion was proved correct.

The human didn’t close his tank…

Moon smirked as he grabbed the top of the glass and hoisted himself up and out of the tank.

Finally, he could have a hand at revenge…

The endless echoes of heavy footsteps filled the air, occasional shouting from the officers rung in your ears. Your eyes burned as you focused your gaze like a predator hunting for its prey.

You stared daggers into every room as you watched the raid team either arrested whoever they found or dug through every inch of a room for incriminating evidence.

The officers granted you and the other P.A.M.A. members entry once the building was secured.

Your mind was wired into focus.

Determined to find Sun, you moved further into the building, eyes flicking in every direction possible for any sign of him before snapping to a door.

An officer was standing next to it. “The mers are in there. Would you care to do the honours?”

You nodded and walked through the door, entering the dark room before your eyes widened widened at the sound of the familiar chirping and warbling. Your hand frantically searched for a light switch along the wall, wanting to ease Sun’s worries and show yourself.

But the second you found the light switch and illuminated the room; a metal tray met the side of your head.

Distressed chirps and squeaks called out as you back away from your attacker, bringing your arms up as they went to strike you again.

You quickly gathered your bearings, you grabbed the tray and pried if from their hands, making them drop it on the floor before they pushed you into the wall. You were finally able to see their face and the two of you struggled.

Much to your shock and irritation, it was none other than Dave. Knowing his opinion of merfolk, you’re not surprised he had poaching for a job.

You hated that it was him of all people that was in front of you right now.

Guess you have your answer to why he stuck around…

Your weight was suddenly shifted when the officer rushed in and grabbed Dave. He retaliated by kicking his legs around and into your stomach, causing you to lose your balance and fall to the floor.

But before anyone could do anything, sharp teeth sunk into Dave’s ankle as he shrieked out in pain. “AH! You fucking fish! Stop biting me!”

You looked down to see a small, dark blue mer with yellow scales dotting their back chomping down on his ankle. Black eyes and red pupils stared intently at Dave’s leg. Blood seeped out of the wound, between fangs and skin.

He tried kicking his leg out, but the little mer held strong. Dave shifted his weight from one leg to the other, but you managed to grab his other leg before he could kick them.

You quickly moved to the mer, not wanting them to get hurt. They swiftly released their death grip on Dave’s ankle and jump to munch on your right arm.

Thankfully, you were wearing your P.A.M.A. rescue suit. It’s stab proof, which protected you against the bite.

Other officers ran into the room and grabbed Dave’s flailing arms, swiftly arresting him as you rose to your feet and held the little mer close, who was still trying with all their might to tear your arm to shreds.

Dave continued his swear filled yells as he was dragged out of the room. You sighed harshly, wanting the annoyance of Dave’s existence out of your system.

You looked down at the dark blue mer and gently hushed them – noticing their head fin is smaller than it should be. You started gently rock from side to side in attempts to calm them.

Thankfully, they gave up trying to sink their fangs into your arm. You felt them flinch when they see their teeth were unable to rip through your suit. They slowly turned to look up at you, fear replacing what was originally rage. Their eyes now red with white pupils, instead of black and red ones (since when were merfolk able to change their eye colours like that?).

There was a faint purple bruise around their left eye, barely visible. But their eye otherwise seemed okay.

They clearly don’t know you’re a P.A.M.A. member or are currently to fuelled by emotion to not see you as a threat. You continued the rocking as you gingerly shushed and cooed at them, hoping they would calm down.

Your head turned to the tanks at the back of the room as Sun called your name. You can see his flurry of emotions in his movements, distress and panic twisting into relief and overwhelming joy.

You walked over to Sun while keeping the dark blue mer in your arms stable and safe, you notice just how much torture the poor guy had been through.

His arms and chest covered in slightly blood-stained bandages, and his head fin is missing.

It took almost everything you had not to cry…

“Oh my god, Sun! What did they do you?” You questioned out loud with a shaky voice while opening the top of the tank. You expected his head fin to be smaller, like the mer in your hands.

But to see his was gone completely, and that he was wrapped in bandages from the waist up was horrible.

The mer in your arms quickly slipped out of your grasp and dropped into Sun’s tank, embracing him tightly while also being careful of his injuries. Sun was clearly surprised for a second before returning the hug.

You knelt down so you could meet Sun’s face, he opened his large eyes and stared at you with a giant, wobbly smile.

“I knew you would come!” He looked up at you with pure happiness.

You rested a hand on the glass wall near him. “Sun… I’ve missed you buddy!”

Somehow, his smile got wider. He let go of the other mer and launched himself out of the tank and into your arms, barely giving you enough time to react and catch him.

You led on the floor with Sun resting on top of you, he nuzzled your stomach aggressively. You instinctively chuckled, missing his embraces. You let him get it out of his system before sitting up and gently hugging him.

The dark blue mer was watching with wide eyes. In clear disbelief and confusion. Sun turned to look at them, before chittering and squeaking happily. The other mer frowned and looked between you and him; they clearly don’t trust you but seem willing to put up with you, as you assume Sun is explaining you’re a friend.

Sun turned back to you after a little back and forth with the other mer. He was beaming at you with another fang filled smile.

“This is Moon! He… isn’t exactly happy to see you… this is his first experience with humans…” Sun got timid and shy the more he explained the blue mer to you, fiddling with his claws.

Ah, that explains the hostility.

You can’t blame Moon for acting the way he is if this was his first contact with humans. “That’s okay Sun. The two of you are safe now… I’m here…”

You gently bring Sun closer again for another hug. Being extremely careful of his bandaged injuries. He gladly returns the gesture, his tendrils wrapping around your waist as he sighs, fully relaxing into your chest.

You glanced over to Moon and give him a soft smile. “Both of you are safe now… I promise…”

Moon’s glare hardens out of confusion, rather than aggressiveness. Mostly focused on Sun as he looks like he’s about to pass out in your lap. Briefly reminding you of the first day you two met and how he slept peacefully in your arms. Small enough to be the size of a small puppy and barely weighing anything. You thought fondly of how much he has grown.

A fellow P.A.M.A. member’s voice reached you, snapping you out of your slight daydreaming. They were standing in the doorway, watching you and the two mers. “Is everything okay? Do you need any help?”

“Yeah, everything is fine, but there is another mer here…” You turned to look at Moon with interest. “I’ve never seen one with his colouring and patterns before…”

It had suddenly dawned on you that you did not recognise the subspecies of mer that Moon was. His dark colouring and more shark like appearance was not something you had seen before. Not to mention, his head fin had an esca instead of a bulb covering for feelers like Sun had. The esca clueing you into the idea that his kind would dwell much deeper than any other mer species.

“Do you need any help with escorting them out?”

“No. I don’t think that’s a good idea. Moon- uh… the other mer seems heavily traumatised and has already tried to bite me… The presence of others will just stress him out more…” Thankfully, they didn’t question anything. Not the fact you knew Moon’s name, or that he has already attacked you, even if no harm was done.

“Okay, we’ll be waiting outside.”

You sighed, feeling the weight of everything crash down on you. You mainly felt relief that you have finally found Sun.

After so long.

You wanted to cry again, but you must save those tears for later. You’re not technically out of the woods yet.

You got to get the two out of here, fill in your bosses with everything that happened. Get Sun and Moon medical attention…

It was gonna be a long night…

You look down at Sun, he was definitely on the verge of passing out in your comfort. His light purrs and warbles causing him to vibrate slightly. You give his head a gentle rub to get his attention – tickling his head frills with your fingers. He woke from his content snuggling and looked up at you with warm eyes.

God, you’ve missed him so much.

“We gotta go now. Can you convince Moon into letting me pick him up?” You figured it would be best for Moon to have Sun’s reassurances, given his behaviour so far. And you certainly didn’t want to give him anything else to panic over.

Sun nods and turns to Moon, chirping nervously at him. Moon returned a lazy snarl, but more warbles and squeaks from Sun seemed to convince him.

You carefully stood up, holding Sun like a baby as he laid down in your arms. His tendrils shifted to wrap around your arms, seeking as much comfort as possible.

But before you could even think of a way to get Moon with Sun curled up, Moon sprung out of the water and grasped your head, careful not to scratch you with his claws. His tail accidentally smacked Sun, which was quickly followed by an apologetic squeak when Sun chirped out in shock.

Before you knew it, Moon has wrapped himself around your neck and shoulders like a scarf. A scaly and solid scarf that made your head lift to a slightly uncomfortable degree as his tail rested under your chin, the end draping over your shoulder.

You could feel his head resting on top of yours as his arms wrapped around your neck. It was startling to suddenly have Moon so close to your face, but if this made him feel comfy and/or safe, you wouldn’t complain.

Slowly, you made your way through the eerie halls of the should be abandoned building. Outside, you met a crowd of faces outside, each with a different expression of either baffled or amused by the strange sight that you were.

You were coddling one mer in your arms as the other had coiled around you, almost pretending to be some sort of headwear.

You acted like you weren’t the centre of attention and you made your way over to the P.A.M.A. marked vehicle. Moon growled and hissed at anyone who dared look at him, while Sun pressed himself closer to your chest, clearly nervous about all the eyes on him.

Sitting in the back of the van, you carefully manoeuvred Sun in your arms while strapping in your seatbelt. A few P.A.M.A. members joined you as they all prepared to head to base.

One member carefully reached out to take one of the mer kids from you, only to be met with snarling and whimpering from Moon and Sun respectively.

They hastily backed off, not wanting to cause further discomfort, holding their hands up in a surrendering manner.

The growls and distressed chirps ceased as they gained the clearly wanted space from anyone that wasn’t you.

Moon’s grip on your head and neck tightened as the van starts moving. You realised that the movements of the vehicle probably spooked him, which made sense considering what horrible journey he has gone through to get where he is now.

Without thinking, you gently rubbed your nose into his tail to soothe him. You quickly stopped as you felt him flinch before cautiously continuing.

Thankfully, Moon seemed to somewhat appreciate your gesture as he relaxed slightly, the weight of his head on top of your own becoming slightly heavier as a heavy sigh came from him.

Sun was looking up, past your head. Smiling at the sight of Moon not being so on edge, the two exchanging quiet warbles as you served to be a pillar of protection for them both.

Instead of the meeting room that you would normally find yourself in after a rescue, you were back in the medical wing. Your co-workers having the meeting without you.

Thankfully, you were allowed to be in the treatment room with Sun and Moon. Sun was heavily reluctant to leave your side, and Moon was on the brink of attacking anyone that went near him.

You weren’t sure if you could handle being in the medical wing after the events that happened last time you were there, but tending to the two mers was a great way to distract yourself.

At the request of your bosses, you stayed at base while Sun and Moon recovered. Though, you would’ve done so anyways, despite everything that’s happened. You were not going to abandon them.

You spent as much time as you could everyday with them, overseeing their recovery.

After a few days, you remembered how you did the exact same thing with Eclipse when you were kids, bringing a sombre smile to your face at the memory of your friend.

He would be proud of you…

A few weeks in, you were informed that Sun’s head fin would never grow back. It was severed too close to his head, not leaving enough of the stem for it to regenerate.

Many of the scales on his chest and arms were regrowing with a creamy colouring. Apparently adapting their colour to the sand that was in the tank he was shoved into, a desperate attempt at camouflage to hide from his torturers.

You were equally amazed and horrified by how fast Sun’s body was trying to adjust to that terrible environment. Some of his scales kept their original colours, but you weren’t sure if they just didn’t adapt to their new colour, or if they just weren’t taken in the first place.

Moon, on the other hand, was on the way to a full recovery. His head fin already back to its normal size, and the bruise on his left eye was gone. But it would take longer than expected to due to how stressed out he is from everything.

The people treating Moon also performed a few non-invasive tests to gain an understanding of his sub species. They eventually landed on the name of ‘Abyssal Mer’, thanks to him being adapted for deep and dark waters.

Currently, you were sat in one of the ward rooms. Sun and Moon were sharing a bed and snuggling close to each other. Taking a much-needed rest as they slept the entire morning away.

You were sat on the bed, gently stroking the two of them to keep yourself grounded. Your mind kept drifting back to Eclipse. You heart mourned the fact that he wasn’t here to comfort the two alongside you. You knew deep down, the second you got Sun back, he would’ve dragged himself out of the sea, all the way to base just to see him again…

The door opening drew you out of your thoughts, and you were very much thankful for it. Once you realised who has walked into the room, you hastily stood up off the bed and straightened up to look professional.

One of your bosses, Cassidy, chuckled slightly at your attempt to be proficient. “Please, no need for that. I know you’ve been through a lot this past month or so, allow yourself to relax.”

You heavily sighed and sat back down on the bed. You looked back at Sun and Moon, you’re grateful they haven’t woken up from your panicked movements.

Cassidy moved closer and placed a hand on your shoulder. She gave you a supportive smile. “Now, I know this is a little out of your area of expertise, but I have a request for you…”

Curious to what Cassidy was talking about, you turned to look at her. Wondering want she was taking about.

Your stunned silence urged Cassidy to continue. She moved her gaze towards Sun and Moon on the bed. “Since the two are so attached to you. The others and I – mainly DJ – feel it’s in the best interest of everyone, that you’re the one that looks after them in one of our safe houses. Sun has no immediate family, since… you know…” She winced a little at the sore subject before correcting herself. “And we are unable to find Moon’s. We have no idea where the poachers found him, and we’ve never come across his subspecies before. So, tracking down his family will be challenging, if not straight up impossible… We can’t just let them go by themselves; they’re kids…”

Cassidy looked back at you, squeezing your shoulder slightly to reassure you, and maybe herself. Concern laced her voice. “I know you’ve not done this before, but I believe it’s best for Sun and Moon if you are the one who does this…”

To say that you’re shocked is an understatement. It felt terrifying to be asked to do something that you’ve never done before. Working at a safe house was a large task. And judging that Sun and Moon were still wary and disturbed by being around other people, you would probably be looking after them by yourself for the most part.

Adoption was also not an option; merfolk don’t tend to unless the mer in question was very young – basically a newborn. They can be very territorial, so letting another live in their area was something that even the kindest of mers tended to frown upon. It was one of the few things about merfolk culture that you didn’t agree with.

Sun was lucky Eclipse found him as a guppy, you don’t think he would’ve survived long otherwise…

You had to be honest with yourself, you didn’t even think about the safe houses. Not only were they not part of your job at P.A.M.A., but you were too focused on finding Sun to realise Eclipse’s death would lead to him being in a safe house until he was old enough to fend for himself. Not to mention that you didn’t even know that Moon existed until you found him.

However, you felt a sense of responsibility with Sun and Moon. You always considered Sun part of your family; he was like a brother to you. And he and Moon grew a close bond while trapped together.

The idea of looking after two younger brothers sounded nice.

Scary, but welcome.

Despite the many trials and hurdles you would certainly come across being the caretaker of two mer kids, you accepted. No matter how hard it would be, it would be worth it.

You’ll do it for them.

They need you.

Art for this Chapter:

Sun and Moon finally got to hug! Well deserved after everything they've endured.

Chapter Text

You found yourself staring out at the ocean again. A large, yet gentle decline down the hill you stood upon let straight to a private beach, grass transitioned into soft sand before meeting the salty water. The cool breeze you were all too familiar with danced around you, teasing your skin into pricking and forming goosebumps if not for your clothes.

Your name rung out into the air by a chipper voice. “I know the view is great, but you do need to see the inside as well!”

You turned around to look back at another one of your bosses, DJ (You don’t know his full name, everyone just uses his nickname).

Despite being one of the higher ups, DJ was always upbeat and outgoing, a walking source of happiness and support for all P.A.M.A. members, no matter their status. If it weren’t for the fact that you knew almost nothing about the guy, you would consider him a close friend.

Maybe you could ask to hangout outside of work one day? He was an incredibly friendly guy!

DJ was also the leader of the safe house project, which is why he was the one giving you the tour. He was always very hands on when it came to things under his responsibility.

DJ was waving at you, standing in the doorway of a sliding glass door of where you will be living for the foreseeable future. What looks to be a large bungalow harbouring a cozy cottage atmosphere was actually the safe house that you were assigned to.

You made your way over and DJ, he guided you inside for the indoor tour. You internally scolded yourself for letting the enchanting sea view distract you from what you were here to do.

“As you can see, each room has part of the tank sticking into it. It’s to make sure that the little guys don’t feel lonely and can have easy access to what’s outside. Don’t worry though, you can still have your own privacy. The tank doesn’t go into the bedroom or bathroom.” DJ reassured every worry that you had before you could even voice it.

The tank also had its own private areas that you couldn’t access unless in the tank yourself. Each room also had a large hatch so you could get into the tank for things like cleaning and other types of maintenance. DJ also said that Sun and Moon were welcome to climb out of the tank if they wished so they didn’t feel cooped up or trapped. But told you to make sure that they would dry themselves off with the towels, that were placed by each hatch before venturing into the house.

Unless you wanted to clean up the water trails that would be left in their wake.

The house itself was rather spacious, the building felt like it was built around the tank (which in itself was quite large). All the panels that controlled the equipment for the tank were in a spare room. Things like temperature, saltwater levels and cleanliness were all constantly monitored and must be checked regularly. Thankfully, DJ already taught you how to look after each one, going through the motions like he’s done it a million times before.

DJ then meticulously showed you around each room. There was an open kitchen attached to a lounge area. A large table for you to sit at near the sliding glass doors, a large sofa and TV set neatly filling the rest of the space. A wooden coffee table nestled between the two.

The next room looked like a play area. Bean bags and soft cushions lined one of the walls alongside a bookshelf, the lower shelves holding kids’ books. There was also a toy box in the corner, filled to the brim with many types of toys, from plushies to puzzles. It was like a mini daycare!

The books got thicker and less colourful as you scanned further up the bookshelf. Long storybooks filled the spaces, some you recognised as books you read during your last few years at school. Another TV was in here, standing on top of a cabinet. A CD player underneath it on the shelf with some kids’ movies accompanying it. It was clear this room was meant to be for younger mers.

Through a door at the other end of the room was the hallway that led to the front. It was rather empty, only containing a small rack for shoes with a coat hanger above it. The front door led out to a large open grass field which only held a driveway and a garage to park your car.

Going through the other door in the hallway led back to the living room and kitchen. DJ guided you to the back of the room, passing the door to the bathroom as he briefly pointed it out to you. You opened the door to glance into the tiled room, before opening the door to your bedroom. Both rooms were quite empty, only containing the essentials.

“I know they don’t look like much, but they are deliberately left empty so you can decorate them to your hearts content!” DJ gave you a pat on the shoulder as you stood in the bedroom doorway.

You turned to look at him, smiling. “Thanks DJ! I really appreciate all of this!”

“Oh, it’s nothing! I have enjoyed myself with this tour, it’s been a while since I’ve been able to give one in such detail like this! The members I work with are usually familiar with how safe houses work. I have to thank you!”

You could tell the big man wanted to give you a hug but held himself back, his fingers twitched slightly in anticipation. You assumed he didn’t want to overstep any boundaries.

DJ sped walked back to the living room and you swiftly followed. “Now, the only thing I require from you are updates about Sun and Moon’s health and how they adapt to living in the safe house. You can update me as often as you like, but I need at least one update every week or two to make sure everything is going okay. Also, don’t be shy to send me requests, whether it be food or parts you need if something breaks. I’ll respond as quick as I can to anything you ask. Just don’t go asking for something expansive that you don’t need, like a sports car, haha!”

You could tell he was making a joke, but his voice held the slightest indication that someone has tried something along those lines before. And you weren’t going to question it. “I would dream of it DJ! And I’ll make sure to keep you posted.”

You followed DJ out the glass door and walked around the building, taking in the view yet again. DJ definitely had some sort of subconscious preference for the back door, as it was the door he used to lead you in and out of the building. You just chalked it up to him also enjoying the views this safe house offered.

In the distance, you could make out the seaside town you used to live near. It felt nice that you were still in a familiar area, but it was far enough away that you wouldn’t get any unwanted attention, the private land signs that were dotted around the edge of the area definitely helped.

DJ made his way to his car, stopping before getting inside. “Are you ready to bring the boys? They should be healthy enough to be moved over by now!”

You practically lit up at the idea of Sun and Moon finally being able to get out of the medical wing at base. Both of them were getting quiet angsty being held in the same few rooms. You worried it was reminding them of being held captive with the poachers, so you hoped the new and more welcoming environment would help.

You swiftly walked over and sat in the passengers’ seat as DJ started the engine before driving off back to base.

It took a while for the three of you to settle in, but you were all now at home in one of P.A.M.A.’s safe houses. A few different types of corals were scattered around the tank, with the occasional cave and dark spaces built in to sleep or for the mers to get some alone time.

Moon was loving these particular areas; he was definitely missing the pitch black of his home waters. Sun was loving the corals that were thriving in the tank. Moon was also very curious about them, which was natural as he had never seen any before. Sun spent a lot of time talking Moon through each type of coral to the best of his ability.

It was heartwarming seeing the two bond over something so simple.

Sun loved venturing around the tank, all the twist and turns that the space provided, while Moon tended to go one area at a time, slowly scanning though every nook and cranny until he knew the entire tank like the back of his hand.

You also moved in a bunch of your things from home, from your essentials like clothes and your bathroom supplies, to more personal items like plushies and photos of friends and family.

It was a massive change for you, but you could handle it. It was worth it to make sure Sun and Moon were happy.

You and Sun took the time teaching Moon how to speak English. Much to yours and Sun’s delight, he was learning rather quickly. Being able to form short sentences after a few weeks.

One thing you will never forget was when Moon got frustrated about pronouncing words like ‘mischievous’ and ‘comfortable’, he eventually snapped and told you to ‘fuck off’ before climbing back into the tank; hiding in one of the caves until he calmed down.

Although you were shocked at the time he knew how to swear. Curse Dave for teaching him those. It’s something you looked back at for a laugh.

Though not everything was smooth sailing for the three of you…

When you broke the news to Sun about Eclipse, he took it horribly.

He spent most days for a few weeks out of the tank and following you around to the best of his ability, not wanted to be separated from you. Moon despised the sudden chance in Sun’s demeanour (blaming you at first) but started joining in to make sure he could be there for his brother.

Sometimes, the two would crawl into your bedroom and onto your bed in the middle of the night to sleep with you for comfort. You were grateful that they would always dry themselves off with the many towels that always accompanied the different openings to the tank.

Tonight was one of those nights. Even though Sun eventually recovered from his emotional rollercoaster, the two made a habit of sneaking into your room whenever they felt like it.

Sometimes only one of them would sneak in. Most of the time, it was Sun. But Moon would soon follow, not wanting to be separated from him. It was rare that Moon would seek you out himself, but it was nice to see. You took comfort in knowing that his trust in you was growing.

However, this time, you were awake. You had a nagging feeling that they would pull the stunt again as it was almost a week since it last happened. You smirked when you heard the near silent creek of your bedroom door. Shuffling grew closer to the bottom of your bed.

You turned your head to meet a pair of red eyes peeking over the edge, Moon frowning at you. “You’re meant to be asleep.” He snarled playfully.

“So are you.” You sarcastically clapped back, earning a scowl as Sun’s head comes into view.

“Sorry… can we stay?” Sun didn’t dare look at you as he lightly fiddled with the end of your bedding.

“Of course, Sun. Besides, Moon would just climb up anyways…”

As if to prove your point, Moon was already climbing up your bed. He’s gotten scarily good at it. “Damn right I will!”

You chuckled as Moon made himself comfortable, laying on top of you, just to try and get a rise out of you. Sun also made his way on the bed and curling up by your side.

Moon was holding his head in his hands, grinning mischievously. You raise an eyebrow at him. You knew that look, he was planning something.

What was he up to this time?

“Moon. What are you-”

You’re cut off when his face suddenly darted towards yours and he licked your face like a cheeky puppy.

“EW! Moon! You asshole!” You wipe your face with your pyjama sleeve, spitting a few times to get the icky feeling off you.

He snickered at your reaction, squirming slightly on top of you as he giggled his fins off. He just loved getting under your skin.

Sun pouted; eyes flicked between the two of you. Not amused with what happened. Sun batted at Moon before focusing on you and called your name, scolding you. “Language!”

“Yeah, language…” Moon dared to chime in, but you had a plan…

“Oh, you’re one to talk Moon.” You gave a cheeky boop to his little snoot. His eyes blinked in time with the light-hearted poke before going wide.

Sun giggled into his hands while Moon’s brain had to play catch up, staring blankly at you. He then buried his face into your chest with an embarrassed groan, drawing more chuckles from you and Sun. You gave the top of his head and head fin gentle strokes, smiling warmly at him.

“Meanie…” He retorted, muffled by his face still being hidden.

“You know you like it.” You teased. Moon grumbled and groaned as you and Sun waited expectantly for his inevitable answer.

“… Yeah…” He shifted his head to look back up at you, face still half smushed. Only one eye open as the other was squished closed by his cheek.

You lightly giggled at the adorable sight, continuing to caress his head, frills and head fin. He leaned into your touch with a small smile growing on his face.

Sun cuddled closer and snatched your other arm, wrapping it around himself to demand your attention. You answered his cuddly call and pulled him closer to your side, earning a happy chirp. Sun hugged your arm and nuzzled his face into it before using it as a pillow.

Moon yawned a little as he shifted slightly on your stomach, snuggling closer to you. His yawn caused a chain reaction as Sun let out a yawn and then yourself.

“Goodnight you two.” You mumbled. Sun murmured something you couldn’t make out and Moon just huffed before rubbing himself on your bedding to somehow get more comfortable than he already is.

The three of you all settled into a cozy slumber, happy and content with where you all were now.

Art for this Chapter:

Sun's design got a little change due to the events of the story. This is what he looks like now!

Sun and Moon thank you for reading this fic!

Sun: "THANK YOU!"

Moon: *rolls eyes*