Awaiting Destiny

by M. Schaefer

  “Mom …it’s time to wake up,” she whispered softly.

  In that instant, blue light exploded from the stone like a bolt of lightning. It shattered the glass into a million tiny pieces that dropped harmlessly to the floor like a shower of rain. Shocked, Destiny turned her face away and threw her hands up to brace herself for the torrent of water, but strangely, nothing happened. She slowly turned back not believing her eyes. The water moved mysteriously, sending diamonds of lights dancing on the walls… yet it remained in the perfect shape of its shattered container. Her mother continued to lay motionless inside. Destiny fought down the feeling of panic, letting out a deflated sigh that left her feeling hollow and exhausted. She came all this way, hoped for so much… only to fail, now.

  The thought crushed the breath from her lungs and Destiny buried her face in her hands, trying to stifle back the sobs that were trying to erupt.

  Then, suddenly, she heard a sparking and popping noise. Destiny tentatively looked back through tears, at the water. It was alive with bursts of blue, exploding like tiny firecrackers falling in the night sky. It was slow at first and then turned almost constant.

  Destiny watched in slow-motioned awe as her mother slowly started to stir to long lost life. At first her long pink curls started to drift and sway around her slim body, no longer held still by magic. Destiny leaned closer to the glowing water when suddenly she felt her chest constrict. An odd pounding almost took her breath away… but strangely, it didn’t hurt. She could hear it now, slowly at first… then rhythmic and hard. Then she knew she would remember this moment for the rest of her life. Her mother’s heart had started to beat again after fourteen years. She could sense its first beats. Her hand went unconsciously to her heart. Her mother was alive!

  King Dolphinum and Professor Seamore rushed forward, crunching through the broken glass. Her grandfather put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “I am proud of you, Granddaughter. You have done your part…But now… it is out of our hands,” he said, in cracking voice.

  Princess Shelleen’s ghostly pale skin started to blossom with color, her lips turned from pale blue to the dusky hue of a soft summer rose. Her white cheeks flooded with color and her chest heaved like she was struggling to catch her breath.

  Destiny watched, her own heart beating wildly in her chest. It had worked! After all this time! She had found her!

  The moment of elation was instantly replaced with as horror as her mother’s body started to writhe and twist, contracting in what seemed like tormented agony. It happened so fast it was like watching a movie on fast-forward… only this was real.

  Princess Shelleen’s eyes fluttered without opening and her hair suddenly started to grow. Her pink, spiral curls twisted on their own like sprouts shooting to the sun in mere seconds.

  The mottled spots on her tail and fins darkened and spread across her beautiful, red scales with the fury only a cancerous disease could muster. Her face, so young and girl-like…so much like Destiny’s own, seemed to mature and change. It was if all thirteen years had suddenly caught up with her in a single instant in time.

  Destiny had an incredible urge to run but watched helplessly, unable to turn away.

  “What’s happening?” she screamed, in gripping panic. “What do I do?”

  She turned to her grandfather and Professor Seamore, who both stood staring in helpless, fascinated horror… like they themselves had become frozen.

  “DO SOMETHING!” she screamed, hysterically. Maybe she was too late…maybe the cure didn’t work! Panic ripped at her heart.

  Kincade came up behind her and put his arms around her, squeezing her gently but firmly. “Have faith, Destiny,” he whispered in her ear.

  She wanted to listen to him! She fought for control of her emotions and clenched her eyes shut, unable to bare the heartbreak and pain on her mother’s face any longer. She took a few deep breaths, squeezing Kincade’s hand in a vise-like grip. Her heart felt as if it would explode at any second. The room started to spin and her legs felt as if they could no longer hold her weight. She was thankful that Kincade was holding her up. She would, for once, welcome the blackness as it came. She felt her legs start to buckle when suddenly the soft voice of a woman beckoned her gently from the haze of blackness that started to encompass her.

  “Destiny…” The voice called, trailing off in a soothing, musical tone. “My beloved baby….”

  Destiny was afraid to open her eyes. Was it her imagination? Could anything sound so impossibly lovely?

  “Open your eyes, my love,” the angelic voice cooed.

  Destiny steadied herself, squeezed Kincade’s hand and opened her eyes to the glow of the most radiant smile she had ever seen. It was her mother. She was alive! The water was calm again, bathed in steady blue light, but no longer sparking and boiling. The pain she had seen on her mother’s face a moment ago had been replaced by an expression of sheer love and happiness…and she was looking at her.

  Destiny let go of Kincade’s hand. Her rubbery legs firmed up and she took a dazed step forward, her senses reeling. Her mother had been completely transformed in a matter of minutes. Destiny stared at her beautiful face, afraid that if she blinked, she may disappear. It was different then it was a moment ago… more mature, like she had suddenly aged. The diseased black spots on her tail had faded; leaving only new looking scales a shade darker that sparkled like rubies against the velvety blanket of her tail. Her pink hair draped about her body and down to the tip of her tail which was now shiny and healthy.

  “Destiny is no matter of chance, my love…I knew we would someday be together again. I am so proud of you,” Shelleen said, holding out her small hand.

  Destiny’s heart was in her throat as she tentatively reached through the water to touch her mother for the first time in thirteen years. As their fingertips touched, the brilliant blue beam of light started to slowly fade back into the stone. As it dimmed, the magically held water cascaded down around them like a melting waterfall until at last they sat hand in hand, on the step, with no barriers between them.

  Destiny swallowed hard, trying to move her heart back to its correct position before she could chance uttering a single word. There were so many things she wanted to tell her, to ask her… but as she opened her mouth it all seemed to flood out in one single, strangled sob.

  “There, there, my sweet crab muffin,” Shelleen cooed, stroking the tears from Destiny’s cheek. “I promise everything is going to be just fine. You will see.”

  In that moment, locked in the warmth of her mother’s embrace, all her hopes and dreams were coming true, Destiny could not doubt it.

  A smile crept across her face as her mind exploded with all the pent-up things she wanted to tell her…but, in that very instant, for some reason the first thing that came out was, “Mom, …you called me a crab muffin.”

  A soft squeeze and musical laughter was her mother’s answer. It was enough.

  “Destiny?” Shelleen whispered into her hair, as she gently stroked it. “Tell me of Jacob? Is your father well?”

  Destiny couldn’t see her mother’s face, but she could hear the worry in the question and felt her mother tense, waiting for her to answer.

  “He is fine, though I think he has missed you very much,” she answered, thoughtfully.

  Destiny felt the relief flood from her mother’s body in the force of her hug. She wanted this moment to last forever, but she saw her grandfather and Professor Seamore anxiously waiting next to her. So, with every ounce of strength she could muster, she pulled away, grinning and nodding in their direction.

  Her grandfather stepped forward, tears glistened in his beard like they were caught in a spider web.

  “Daddy?” Shelleen breathed, shock spreading across her face.

  His expression held a thousand words as he nodded and reached down and picked her up like she was just a little girl, cradling her in his arms, her tail beating softly in the air.

  “I’m so sorry. .Oh… Shelleen, …Ple
ase!..Please forgive me,” He begged quietly, his tears now dripping from his beard like a spring shower as he spoke.

  A pained look spread across her face then quickly disappeared. “I love you, Daddy. I forgive you,” Shelleen said, tugging gently on his wet beard, playfully.

  Destiny heard Professor Seamore join in choppily, “Please…Your Majesty…I must …insist you…put Princess Shelleen down…immediately.” That was followed by squeals of delight from her mother and mock yells by her grandfather. Destiny stepped back by Kincade, who had faded like a quiet spectator into the shadows.

  Destiny threw a dazzling smile at him, excitement beaming from her eyes.

  “Kincade? Can you believe it? My mother is alive!” she said, giddily. “I think you should hold my hand, so I don’t float away.”

  “Destiny ..I highly doubt that’s necessary. We haven’t even been underwater for quite some time,” he replied, sounding convincingly serious.

  She wasn’t sure if she could get used to him calling her by her actual name. She puffed out her lip and turned up her nose in a mock pout. “Well, never mind then …Your Stiffness.”

  He slipped his warm hand around hers. She answered with a little shove with her free hand. “Seriously though, Kincade, …thanks for everything. I am glad you were here with me.”

  His face flushed a deep crimson. He shuffled his feet and bowed grandly. “It was my pleasure. Not to mention the most amazing thing I have ever seen. EVER!” he said, with a shrug.

  “Yeah.” Destiny agreed softly, glancing back at her mother, who was still smiling at her even though Professor Seamore was examining her with his stethoscope. “Amazing.”

  Her mother was trying to argue how great she felt but the professor was not taking any chances and ignored her pleas.

  “We must move… her immediately… to the exam room,” Professor Seamore demanded rather loudly. “Kincade, go… find Dr. Tunabit and meet us down there at once!”

  “Of course, sir.” Kincade said. He turned without hesitation and rushed from the room.

  “But, Seamore…Daddy?” her mother whined pleasantly, pinching the professor’s cheek lightly. “I feel absolutely wonderful. My black spots have gone. Why not let me spend some time with Destiny first?”

  Destiny was impressed, but they weren’t having any of it. “Ho, ho, ho,” her grandfather laughed. “I see your charm wasn’t frozen out of you. Pity.”

  Shellen rolled her eyes, pouted and blew Destiny an impish kiss, giggling merrily.

  “Very well…off to the torture chamber,” her mother said dramatically.

  Destiny was surprised that the secret news had traveled so quickly. Within an hour, the narrow hall outside the exam room was filled with anxious visitors awaiting any scrap of news they could get. Professor Seamore and Dr. Tunabit had her mother in there for what seemed like forever. Uncle Bay paced nervously back and forth and Aunt Oceanna wrung her hands fretfully, though with perfect poise and posture, of course. Pearl and Mrs. Waverly cackled happily like nervous mother hens, sitting in the corner.

  A greenish merman wearing what looked like a huge snail on his head arrived and after a brief conversation with King Dolphinum, who stood guarding the door like a round bulldog, turned on his heel and came to stand by Destiny and Kincade.

  “Ahh, Little Lass,” he said. “I knew I would be seein’ more o’ ya!”

  “You did?” she asked confused, looking at Kincade for help. He just sat there dumbly, however.

  “O course! I’m Mertin. I delivered yer special delivery package not more than a few days ago. Course you were sleepin’ at the time…snorin’ up a storm, too. Ya had o’ glop of sumthin’ stuck to yer cheek,” he continued, pointing at his own greenish cheek for effect.

  “Oh! It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mertin,” Destiny said, a little too loudly, wishing he would shut up!

  “Did she have an old hat on, too?” Kincade asked teasingly, and she flashed him a dirty look.

  “Indeed she did,” Mertin added with a nod, absently pushing the snail back on top of his head. “I made another special delivery to the same place about thirteen years ago. A tiny squirmy thing, she was,” Mertin said, with a twinkle in his green eyes.

  “You mean… me?” Destiny asked in surprise.

  “Hardest delivery I ever had to make. I always hoped to see ya again, Princess..Your mother, too,” he said with a wink. “I was her bodyguard when she was a lass, though I had a hard time keepin’ her out o’ trouble. Finally gave up! Had to retire and become a mermailman. Much quieter, though I miss it some.”

  The door finally opened and Dr. Tunabit stepped out with a solemn look on her face. All eyes turned to stare at her. She was tall and lean, with ebony skin and hair. Her hair was pulled into a tight bun, but even such a severe style could not detract from her soft features. She had a no-nonsense air and sharpness to her voice that Destiny suspected could make even her grocery list sound important. Silence swelled as if everyone in the room held their breath at the same time.

  “I have my patient’s consent to inform you all of her medical condition,” she said, matter-of-factly, as she rifled through the pages of a medical chart. “First, I must say that this is the first such documented case of long term freezing, so I can only compare her health to that of a normal 32-year-old mermaid.”

  “Get on with it!” King Dolphinum yelled impatiently. Destiny figured that he probably had held his breath long enough and didn’t want to pass out before he got the answer. Dr. Tunabit looked down her nose at him without flinching, obviously ignoring the outburst. “I believe Princess Sheleen is quite healthy physically… however, it is possible her heart has suffered some damage. I don’t believe anybody’s heart could be frozen with such sadness for so long and ever fully recover. But, I do believe, with proper care, it will continue to mend. Therefore, I will discharge her into her daughter’s care,” she said with a hint of a smile on her full, purple lips. Then added as if she realized they would invade the exam room at any moment, “She is dressing and will be right out.”

  Everyone in the room breathed a sigh of great relief with the news. Destiny could barely contain her excitement. Her mother was okay! They would be able to do things together…as a family. Would her dad believe it? She couldn’t wait to see him.

  The door opened again and Princess Shelleen practically leapt from the exam room and threw herself into Bay’s arms. “My baby sister…Is it really you?” he asked. The happiness on both their faces was contagious and soon everyone was laughing and hugging and talking all at same time.

  It was much later that King Dolphinum spoke up in his natural booming voice that drowned out everyone else’s. “I believe a celebration is in order! We will move on to the palace and announce the news to all of Mertopia!” he yelled.

  Cheers erupted from everyone but the Princess, who softly spoke, “I love each of you very much and I will return to celebrate… but my heart pulls me home to the Seadancer. I must return to Jacob with Destiny… at once.”

  She saw disappointment flit across her father’s face, but he smiled graciously and nodded. “Yes, Shelleen. I understand,” he said, thoughtfully. Destiny smiled at him. She knew letting her go must be hard. She was proud of him.

  Chapter 10

  Homecoming

  It seemed like many hours of tears, hugs and promises of a quick return, before her new family grudgingly kissed them goodbye. Destiny found herself waiting on the bull’s eye for Manta and Kincade to arrive. She was giddy with the idea that she was actually on her way home to her boring life on the Seadancer…with the little addition of her mom. She knew she was forever changed by the excitement of the last few days, but she longed for the familiar comfort of her own bed. She could use a vacation!

  Destiny’s happiness was laced with concern hovering at the back of her mind. She didn’t want her dad to be shocked into a heart attack or anything. On the bright side, perhaps he would be so distracted at the sight of her mom that he would comple
tely forget about putting her on restriction…for the rest of her life.

  Destiny couldn’t help but giggle at her mother’s giddy excitement. It was rather infectious as Shelleen swam in wide circles above her, twirling and flipping in the current like a playful, dancing dolphin. Her long pinkish hair swirled in the current like wispy strands of cotton candy.

  “Come on, Destiny!” Shelleen called winsomely, speeding by. Destiny felt the soft wake from her tail wash across her body like an underwater breeze. Oh! How she wished she could swim like that, too.

  She did her best to join in, leaping off the rock, kicking up a storm of tiny bubbles with flailing arms and legs. She wasn’t going very fast, but she was pleased with the colossal amount of noise she was making. It at least made her look like she was getting somewhere.

  Shelleen turned sharply, flipped and came up directly underneath her, tickling her stomach in a fit of giggles, as she rushed past.

  “No fair!” Destiny complained, laughing. “Kincade says I am slower than a frozen sea slug because I don’t have a tail.”

  Shelleen did a graceful summersault and floated up next to her, effortlessly beating her tail to keep a creeping pace.

  “Of course you have a tail, Crab Muffin,” she said teasingly. “It is quite lovely.”

  “Really? You saw it? What color is it?” Destiny asked sounding more hopeful then she meant to.

  “Of course, Silly! You were born with it.” She waved her finger. “Ahhh, ..but if I tell you the color… it will ruin the surprise!” Shelleen said excitedly, her eyes beaming like she had a juicy secret she really wanted to tell.

  “Please!… Please!…Please tell me.” Destiny begged dramatically, enviously watching her mother’s scarlet scales glisten in the filtered light.

  “Is it red like yours?” she asked hopefully. “Blue? Green?”

  “How about a bargain?” Shelleen asked, coyly. “I won’t tell you now, but I do promise to teach you how to rediscover it, so you can see for yourself!” Shelleen said, clapping her hands like a child with a really wonderful idea.