Transformation

by Michael Ocheskey

  Thomas thought about what had happened to the two of them and realized that things would never get better between them unless one of them took action. Thomas decided he would swallow his pride and apologize to Captain Orion, if only to attempt to ease the tension between them. Thomas knew that Captain Orion wouldn't attack him again. He would never disobey an order from King Aquarius, but Thomas needed to do something to stop this foolish rivalry which was sure to continue, even if it was only through harsh words and cold stares.

  Lost in thought, Thomas found himself back in his bed before he realized he had left the bathroom and fell asleep almost instantly.

  BLOODSTONE RING

  The following evening arrived a little too quickly for Thomas’ liking. His stomach burned and twisted as his nerves escalated. Thomas sprinted to Dr. Algie’s to get the jewelry. After inspecting it, he thanked Dr. Algie, told him to keep the change for all of the trouble Thomas had caused him, and bolted at full speed toward Alana’s room.

  He'd been rehearsing what to say over and over since last night. He must have run through at least a thousand scenarios for his apology. He kept telling himself that he just needed to be his normal self and stick to the script he'd finally settled on and everything would be fine. She had to accept his apology. Didn't she?

  It took only a few minutes to get to Alana’s room despite the sluggish pace he was moving at. Thomas knocked shyly on Alana’s door. He found himself praying silently, “Please let her be there. Please!”

  The door opened a small crack, “Thomas!” She slammed the door in his face. Thomas stood there dumbstruck. His insides had gone numb.

  Out of all the scenarios he'd gone through, this one never crossed his mind. After her concern for him over his injury, he was sure she'd at least talk to him. Why did she shut him out like that?

  The door opened again before Thomas could uproot himself and walk away. This time Alana opened it all the way. Alana was standing in the ball gown that she'd bought with Thomas. “I’m so sorry I slammed the door in your face.” Alana smiled and batted her eyes. “I had just gotten out of the bath and wasn’t dressed yet.”

  “That’s a beautiful gown.” Thomas bowed in a princely manner. “It looks even lovelier now than when you first tried it on at Eri’s shop. It is strange, though. It seems almost as though you were expecting me.” Thomas gave Alana a knowing stare.

  Alana blushed and gave an impish grin, “Well, Father told me that you might be stopping by tonight, but he didn’t tell me why.” Alana stepped away from the door and gestured Thomas inside.

  Thomas was a little annoyed that King Aquarius had betrayed him when he'd asked that things be kept a secret, but it didn't matter since Alana seemed all the more excited by the news. Besides, he didn't tell her what Thomas wanted, just that he was coming over.

  Thomas wasted no time in apologizing. The moment he was inside the room, the door shut behind him, trapping him so that he couldn’t chicken out. “A-Alana...I-I-I’m s-sorry.” What was wrong with him? Why was he stuttering like an imbecile? “I’ve b-been such a f-fool. One s-second,” Thomas drew his hand back and gave himself one hard slap across the face. “Okay, I’m better now.”

  “What was that for?” Alana couldn’t stop herself from laughing. “I kind of liked the stuttering you. It was cute.”

  “It wasn’t cute. I felt like a mouse begging a cat not to eat him.”

  “What’s a cat and a mouse?”

  “Fine. A kelp begging a whale not to eat him.” Thomas meant to say krill, but his lack of knowledge about the ocean world had reared its dopey head. Despite being a surfer, he never really cared about what was beneath the waves until now. Alana forced herself not to laugh at the ridiculous analogy. “I practiced my apology to you all day today so it would be perfect, but then I got so nervous that I....”

  “Ssshhh,” Alana put her finger over Thomas’ mouth. “I’m glad it wasn’t a rehearsed apology. It means more to me that it was sincere, even if you did bumble through it.”

  “Alana, I am probably the world’s biggest fool.” Thomas grabbed Alana’s hand in both of his. “I love you. I’ve loved you from the first moment I saw you. I’ve been stupid. So worried about what everyone else would think and what they already thought that I completely forgot what really mattered. It doesn’t matter what they say about us. All that matters is how we feel about each other. I want to be with you forever, even if the world doesn’t feel the same way. Eri and Dr. Algie helped open my eyes and got me to start thinking more about us than them.”

  “I should thank those two, then.” Alana mused.

  She had gradually inched closer to Thomas as he confessed his love and was now pressing gently against him, her lips only an inch from his. Her breath was intoxicating as it brushed against Thomas’ lips. The scent of her shampoo filled his nostrils and pushed everything except Alana from his mind.

  “I love you now and forever, Thomas. I’ve loved you from the moment I heard your heart crying for help in the ocean currents. The moment my lips touched yours as I drained the water from your lungs and breathed for you I felt a connection that I couldn’t explain. It was like I had found something I had thought could never exist. Like I'd thought I was whole my entire life only to discover my missing half.”

  Her lips pressed softly against Thomas’ and time stopped. It was as though nothing existed anymore. Everything around them had gone a dark purple color, yet they were shining red like two solar flares. As they kissed, the color around them gradually alternated from purple to white, red, blue, green, yellow, pink, and a crystal clear. It continued to change like a strobe light, yet the color emanating from their bodies remained a burning red. They were so preoccupied that they never noticed the strange phenomenon and when they broke apart everything was back to normal.

  “Alana.” Thomas took her hand and walked her outside the palace and into the garden on the grounds. He reached the fountain of a mermaid with water pouring out of her mouth and admired it for a moment. The fountain mermaid seemed to be singing her joy to the world. There, he knelt in front of Alana, “Alana, would you be my wife? Will you marry me and love me forever as I swear I will you?”

  Now it was Alana’s turn to be dumbstruck. Lost for words, she nodded and held out her left hand. Thomas took the ring and earrings from inside his pant pocket. He slid the ring on her finger and stood up, holding out the earrings. Alana removed the earrings she was wearing and took the gift from Thomas.

  After she had put them on, she looked into the mirror of rippling water from the fountain. The earrings were elegant. They were golden, with a mixture of very small pearls and red gems in a circular pattern, the red and white wrapping around each other like a braid. Thomas didn’t know how the jeweler had taken pearls and his blood and created such a fine design in such a small earring, but he was grateful that it looked ravishing on Alana.

  Alana then took a close look at her ring. The ring was a delicate candy cane of gold with silver stripes on the band. The cup for the gemstone contained a large, red, rectangular gem in the middle with four very small, rectangular sapphires on each corner.

  “It’s so beautiful! And the earrings too!” Alana had finally found her voice. “What is this gem in the middle? It looks kind of like a ruby, but it’s a deeper scarlet.”

  “I was hoping you’d ask me that.” Thomas showed Alana the underside of his arm where he had his blood drawn from. “It’s my blood. I had Dr. Algie crystallize my own blood and he brought it to the jeweler for me. I told him what kind of jewelry I wanted, gave him my money, and he bought it for me since the jeweler would never have sold any jewelry to me or make any at my request. He wants me driven out of town.”

  “It’s so beautiful.” Alana was positively glowing. The only part she had seemed to hear was the part about it being his blood. “But why your blood?”

  “Because I wanted to give you me. This way, even when we aren’t by each other’s side, I am always with you.”

&nb
sp; “That’s wonderful! I love you so much, Thomas.”

  After giving a little time for her words to sink in, Thomas changed the subject. “Oh, that’s right! We’ve got to come up with a better name for me than Thomas.”

  “What do you mean? I like your name. It’s exotic.”

  “It’s also very strange. I’d like to have a name that associates me with Atlantis. In ancient times on the surface world, a person would change his name if something happened that completely changed who he was as a person. It was a sign of new beginnings. Since I will soon be an Atlantian merman, I think it would suit me to change my name from Thomas Cornell to something more Atlantian.”

  “I still think you should keep your current name, but I'll humor you if it is a tradition on the surface world. Take your time selecting a new name, but for the time being, I’m still calling you Thomas.” Alana stuck out her tongue playfully, “Oh, I’ve got to tell Father. No, we’ve got to go tell Father. Come with me. I want both of us to tell him the news.” Alana grabbed Thomas’ hand to hurry to her Father, but Thomas pulled her into his arms instead.

  “That can wait for a little while, can’t it?” Thomas panned his eyes up and down Alana’s gown. “You look so lovely in this ball gown. It would be a shame not to put it to good use.” He then bowed to her and held out his hand. “Would you care to dance?”

  “I would love to.” Alana curtseyed and stepped into Thomas’ open arms. They danced in the garden for a long time, dancing to an unsung melody that flowed naturally between them. When they finished, it was already dinnertime. They raced to the dining room to find King Aquarius and tell him the news.

  Without knocking, they burst through the doors, causing King Aquarius to spill his goblet of wine all over himself.

  “What’s going on here?” King Aquarius seemed furious until he saw Thomas and Alana holding hands in front of him. “Oh, you’ve made up. Isn’t that wonderful. I’m so glad. Maybe now things can get back to normal around here.” He then spotted the red glint coming from Alana’s left hand. Thomas realized what King Aquarius was looking at and tensed up.

  The king's face was expressionless. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking. Thomas braced for the worst. The king never showed signs of disapproving of the relationship between him and Alana, but this development was probably not what the king had in mind, at least not so soon.

  King Aquarius jumped to his feet and charged toward Thomas. Thomas drew back, afraid of being attacked. Even Alana seemed shocked by her father’s reaction. It wasn’t at all what she had expected. She jumped in front of Thomas to protect him, but she got assaulted by her father too. Well, perhaps assault wasn't the proper word. Alana was gripped tightly with one arm while Thomas was gripped tightly with the other. King Aquarius had them both lifted into the air in a tumultuous bear hug and was spinning in circles.

  “I can’t believe you did it, Son. I’d have thought you’d at least wait until you had completely turned into a merman. I’m so happy. We’ve got to set the wedding date as soon as possible. Invite the entire city. We’ll have the wedding a week from today. I’m so happy.”

  “Aqua, please,” Thomas choked, “You’re suffocating us!” King Aquarius dropped them both quickly. After catching his breath, Thomas continued, “I’m glad this makes you happy, Aqua, but we can’t be married in a week.”

  At hearing this, both the king and Alana gave Thomas a piercing look.

  “I mean,” Thomas continued, trying to avert danger, “We have to wait until I’m a complete merman. I don’t want to get married when I’m still not whole. Besides, what would we do for a honeymoon if I can’t leave the confines of the city? I’d like to be able to get out of Atlantis for a little time and have our honeymoon somewhere exotic.”

  Alana’s expression lightened at Thomas’ explanation. “You do have a point, Honey. It wouldn’t be much fun for us to be stuck inside Atlantis on our honeymoon. Especially since most people won’t approve of the marriage.”

  “Nonsense,” King Aquarius piped in, “I’ll just make an announcement and everyone will have to accept the marriage.”

  “I’m afraid people’s hearts don’t work that way, Aqua.” Thomas spoke boldly, despite speaking to a king. “You can’t change the way a person feels by making a proclamation. I’d prefer to show the citizens that I’m worthy of Alana by my own power. I’d like for them to come to see me as I really am instead of as some surface dweller and a potential threat to Atlantis. The only way for that to happen is for me to earn their trust, and trust doesn’t happen in a day. I’ve already earned your trust, Alana’s, Dr. Algie’s, and Eri’s. Someday, I hope I can earn everyone's trust by simply being me.”

  “Spoken like a future king!” King Aquarius belted with joy.

  “K-k-king? Me?” Thomas went as white as a ghost.

  “Of course,” Alana began stroking Thomas’ hair. “You are marrying a future queen, which would make you a future king. You don’t have to worry. I’m here with you. You’ll learn how to deal with political affairs in time with my help. As for acting like a ruler, all you have to do is be yourself. No one likes a king who is pretentious. Just be yourself and the two of us together can rule efficiently.”

  “I guess you’re right,” Thomas laughed insecurely.

  Being king was something that never crossed his mind. How could he have been so stupid as to forget that? Still, it didn't change anything. Nothing would scare him away from Alana's side. He'd simply deal with it when it came.

  The next day, Thomas and Alana headed to Eri’s to tell him the good news. On the way there, as they passed the main gates of the palace, Thomas ran into Captain Orion. He looked almost as good as new due to Dr. Algie's advanced healing techniques. The skin showed no signs of being burned, but it did look a little red like the fresh layer of skin beneath the surface layer. It would probably be a few days before his normal skin color returned.

  “Captain,” Thomas was set on apologizing, even if Captain Orion didn’t accept it.

  “Oh, it’s you. Get out of here.” Captain Orion turned his back on Thomas and grunted.

  “I’m sorry, Captain,” Thomas pressed on while Alana stood shaking her head rapidly in warning. “I never should have insulted you like I did. Loyalty and dedication like yours are a rare gift. I admire you’re willingness to protect the royal family. To tell you the truth, I was jealous of you.”

  “Jealous of me? What do you mean, Surface Dweller?” Captain Orion turned back to Thomas with a mixture of suppressed rage and curiosity in his eyes.

  “Yes. I’m jealous of you,” Thomas continued. “People see your loyalty and dedication. They recognize you and respect you for that. I was jealous because it appears that no matter what I do, earning the respect of the people of this city is impossible. The entire city, except four people, think of me as some horrible monster sent to destroy them all. I can’t even try to speak to them because they just shun me.

  “I’ve seen how people treat you and I became jealous. I wish I had even a quarter of the respect people show you. It was a rather lonely existence not being accepted by anyone, and not being able to speak to Alana out of fear that the rest of the city would hate me even more for it. You can understand my jealousy, can’t you? If I didn’t have Alana, I would be utterly alone. My feelings for her were the only thing that kept me from an emotional breakdown during that lonely month.”

  “I...I understand.” Captain Orion’s eyes had softened somehow. “I understand more than you know. I used to be just like you. I was never very smart and I was an outcast from society as well. It wasn’t until I joined the royal guard that I discovered a purpose in life. I am also sorry that I was so hard on you. I think, deep down, I was also jealous of you. It took me so long to gain everyone’s trust and become the king’s Captain and chief bodyguard. I was jealous that you, someone who should have died based on our laws, was able to gain the trust of King Aquarius and ascend to a level of respect it took me years to reach. And
you did it even before you had regained consciousness.

  “You may know that King Aquarius had us investigate you while you were in your coma, but I bet you didn’t know this. King Aquarius confided many times with me after we found out about your airplane rescue. He was always talking about how noble and brave you were. He even hinted that he wouldn’t mind it if you married his daughter. It infuriated me that you could gain the king’s trust so easily, without even being conscious.”

  “I didn’t know any of that.” Thomas looked down in thought. “I guess mutual jealousy can be one of the most dangerous weapons in existence. Again, I’m sorry.”

  Captain Orion swallowed as if he was trying to get a large rock out of his throat. “I’m sorry too, Thomas, for hitting you.”

  “Oh, speaking of that, are you alright now? I’d heard you were struck by lightning.”

  “Yes, I’m fine. Dr. Algie has a highly developed medical facility. He was able to treat me so that there was no scarring, even from where my armor melted to me. I should also apologize for that. I accused you of electrocuting me which I know was a really foolish thing to say.”

  “That’s totally fine. I’m not sure what happened because I lost consciousness the second you hit me, but it is understandable to suspect me of it considering it happened at the same time you hit me. Let’s just forget the past. I hope we can be friends, or at the very least, stop our foolish quarreling. What do you say?”

  “I think we can do that. I can’t say anything for friends at the present moment because, to be honest, I’m still a little jealous of you.” He glanced down at Alana’s left hand. “Especially now that Alana’s wearing your ring.” Alana blushed furiously as he concluded, “Well, have a good day you two.” Captain Orion waved the two of them off, looking slightly disgruntled

  “That went better than I expected,” Thomas told Alana when they were out of earshot.