As I ate pork in the restaurant we'd gone to, taking a break from the crowded aquarium, I was lost in thought. Almost dreamily, not paying attention. I'd seen the most beautiful sight of my life, and I didn't want to forget it. I was cementing it in my mind.

We'd entered the Kuroshio Sea exhibit, featuring one of the largest tanks in the world. It was much more massive than I could have imagined. We were in awe of it, the people below it dwarfed by its sheer size. The first creature my eyes locked onto was the biggest ray I'd ever seen. I didn't know they came in that size. It had to have been bigger than me, able to swallow me whole. It casually went by, floating off somewhere else. My jaw dropped.

"I need to bring my family here," Keitaro said quickly.

There were so many people in there, but it didn't matter. The tank and fish inside were so massive, that they seemed to be mere dots compared.

"Let's go-o," Tetsu exclaimed. My hand went up to the bow on my head as I shrieked a little, as he hurriedly pushed my chair forward just like yesterday. We were running like children.

"And there he goes," Natsuko laughed.

He navigated through people, saying excuse me. They easily parted the way for us. We got up to the tank and were in awe. It was so large, it was as if we were inside. Another ray came up from below, lazily ascending far above us. We watched its progress. I looked over at Tetsu, and got caught in him.

That smile of wonder. Almost distracted, maybe unaware he was doing it. His mouth half open, grinning so wide. His eyes so curious. Fish came from the right, and he jumped a little, seeing them come into view. His mouth closed, but he was still grinning. His eyes darted upwards, and he gasped, his head turning to me. He pointed, and I followed his finger.

Above us, impossibly, was a whale shark. So massive, that it filled me with unexpected fear. The weight of that animal. My mouth opened. The shark turned slowly, going on its mysterious way. I jumped back in my seat as a wall of brown filled my vision.

"Wah, its passing right in front of us. I want to touch it," Tetsu gasped, waving his hands in front of the glass. The whale shark went by, for an impossibly long time. It seemed never ending. I tried to count how many human lengths it was, but couldn't comprehend it. Enormous fish followed it, probably each one more than half the size of me. Such creatures were in the ocean? Seeing them on this scale was terrifying.

But, Tetsu wasn't afraid at all. He watched them like old friends.

We counted three whale sharks in the tank. So many other smaller sharks that were still huge. Countless fish of varying types. And the rays. I had to say they were my favorites. They passed by languidly, elegantly. Their bodies flapping like wings. They slowly flew behind schools of fish, coming out again, independent of any current. They were mere shadows and then came closer, almost sneakily.

I found myself watching Tetsu more as time went by. His joy. The rest of the room was dark, to showcase the animals in the tank. The light coming from it illuminated him, like an otherworldly creature himself. He'd point things out to me from time to time, and I'd follow. But, for the most part, I watched him after a time. How happy he was.

This had been what I'd wanted from the start. Remembering that Japan's largest aquarium was in Okinawa. Knowing this would be his favorite spot. The anticipation. Now it was here, and it was everything I hoped for and more.

A large fish went upwards, its whole body undulating in the effort. So pretty. A larger ray swam with a whale shark, and we compared their body size. We wondered how the aquarium fed such large animals. What did that look like? We could only guess.

He wondered if the animals in the tank were friends. I had to admit I didn't know. One would hope that in such close proximity, they would be.

He took my hand, and we watched the spectacular under water world together. The more I watched him, the more I thought he looked at it with longing eyes. Like he wanted to be in there.

Those eyes. Combined with what I'd seen at the beach as he swam in sunset like a fish himself. Watching him now. It made me wonder if he was actually a mermaid, and he just wasn't telling me. It was impossible, but...

His character on stage, Aurelia, is a mermaid. He'd created her to be one. The "mermaid" in Mermaid Orchestra. The story of a sea creature who'd eaten a woman and taken on her human face.

I was so enchanted, that I wondered if it could all be true, and maybe he was just the most clever liar in the world. I began to try to imagine it. Him swimming in there among the whale sharks and rays. Undulating with the fish, swimming just as beautifully. At home, calm and relaxed. Him in a long, golden kimono, his fish tail trailing and powerfully propelling. His impossibly long hair loose, a black streak flowing behind him, bunching around his face as he turned directions with the school of fish. His smile, as he twirled his body around a whale shark, greeting one of his oldest friends.

Now, as I ate lunch with everyone, I couldn't get that image out of my head. His graceful swimming that I'd seen at the beach, translated beyond the glass of the aquarium. I wanted it to be real. Somehow real.

Maybe I was too carried away, having seen that awesome sight of that huge tank. Letting my imagination run away with me, but...

Yami stuck his chopsticks in the air. "Hear me out. Let me know what you think."

Eight faces looked up at him, many mid-chew. The seafood here was just too good. Hardly anyone was talking. It was local fare, just like they'd wanted to eat the other day. So fresh, and the dishes a little more fancy and complex than we'd planned. Tetsu was eating a whole fish, eyeball staring up at him and all. I wondered if he'd eat the eyeball. He looked like he was in heaven.

Yami cleared his throat. "I know we're not a visual kei band, and we won't be going forward. I don't know what genre of music we'll choose, either. But, I've been thinking lately about our theme for the tour. Our theme for our part of the show."

Keitaro was already nodding, putting his own chopsticks down.

He went on, seeming to hesitate, but only for a moment. "I think the aquarium we just went to was beautiful. You could have heard a pin drop in that large room with the whale sharks. Everyone's rapt attention. It made me think. What if we tried to do something similar?"

"We can not put an aquarium on the stage, nor can we appear under water. My poor viola," Shizue interrupted him. "I like the idea, though."

Yami shook his head. "It wouldn't be anything like that. But, there's lights, right? We can create the effect of water reflections. Bubbles, the sounds of waves. Is that too outlandish? I know we're just the opening act. I wouldn't want to interfere with anything Yellow Lizard is doing."

Keitaro's fingers were on his chin. His eyes were squinted a little. "I don't think that would interfere. We're incorporating a large screen into our show. What if we put a video of a large aquarium on it for you? We can use light to simulate the water, too. I think it's a beautiful idea."

My mouth opened. It was perfect. Like Yami was reading my mind. I jumped in before they could say anything further.

"I want Tetsu to be a mermaid," I blurted out.

"Whaaat?" Yami grinned at me. "That was quick."

"Yes, with a tail and everything. A Heian era mermaid."

"Heian?" Tetsu made a inquisitive noise at the back of his throat. His hand went on my knee, completely forgetting about the fish in front of him. "We'll have to get the costume made. It'd be elaborate. Oh, but... The tail. How would I dance with that? I wouldn't be able to move on stage-"

His eyes went wide. He squeezed my knee.

"Huh?" I asked, so quiet. Had I said something wrong? It had to be a terrible idea. He wouldn't be able to move on stage. He wasn't dancing in water. Now that I thought about it, it was a stupid idea. I shouldn't have said anything. I opened my mouth to say so, but he was quicker.

"Sana!" he gasped, his hand going over his mouth. The grin he had was bigger than the one he'd had at the aquarium. "You can be a mermaid! It's perfect! You can stay stationary the whole time and sing!"

My jaw dropped. I couldn't believe it.

"Heyyy," Yami was smiling, too. "That's not a bad idea. How pretty would that be? The big screen playing video of the ocean, and Sana singing opera dressed in a mermaid costume? I know we're not visual kei, but we're having visual kei ideas. Hey, Tetsu? Have you ever considered going all the way? You like elaborate costumes and theming. It's not a giant leap."

His face pinched a little. "I don't really enjoy rock and metal music. Sorry."

Keitaro was already shaking his head, a knowing smile on his face. Half the table was having the same reaction. "That's a common misconception. Visual kei isn't only full of rock and metal music. A large part of it is, sure. But, it's about what you choose to wear and present yourself. That's what the name means. You can play any kind of music you want."

"And you can be whoever you want, too. There's so much freedom. There's really no walls," Shizue pointed out. I knew exactly what she meant. This made Tetsu bring his hand halfway to his mouth. He understood what she'd meant, too. I grabbed his other hand, and he looked down at it, stunned by her words.

"I'll consider it," he said in finality.

Yami's fist went into the air in victory.

The other members of Lyra started discussing the show, giving ideas of what kinds of songs we could do, considering the theming. With me as a mermaid, there were thousands of possibilities.

How did I end up being the mermaid? I admit I was a little sad, not being able to see Tetsu as one. But, how would this work? Would I be sitting down somewhere? It still gave me feelings of not wanting to do it. Having to be sitting, so awkward, as everyone else moved on stage. Would people still think there was something wrong with me? Such as, why is that singer stationary, and the other musicians aren't? Where would I be sitting? Would it be noticeable that it was created for me?

No, I still didn't want it. It didn't sound pretty to me at all.

I realized my breath was going quicker, harder. I had to get myself under control before they noticed. I slowed it down, concentrating. They all seemed so taken with the idea already, though. Talking about things they could put on stage, like coral pieces. Creating a whole world.

How much would I really be singing? They were making it seem like I was going to be the star. But, that wasn't true. Tetsu was the showcase. I wasn't supposed to be involved with the stage much at all. When did it turn into this?

"Sana, are you okay?"

Sawai-san, sitting on the other side of me. Tetsu's head snapped to me, immediate concern there. Oh no. I was causing a problem. That's the opposite of what I wanted. Everyone was so happy again, discussing the tour. I was worried too much. Getting worked up.

If they were making me the star, and I got sick, how would they perform?

"Sawai-san, get his inhaler," Tetsu said quickly, his hands going on my shoulders. His hands started touching my face, checking me over, the back of his hand going from my forehead to under my jaw, checking my temperature. His hand dove into his pocket, getting out his cellphone.

"Don't call emergency," I said quietly. Small tears were coming. Oh no. Why did I always do this?

"I'm not calling emergency services, darling, I'm checking your device. Do you feel sick?" So gentle.

"I don't want to make a big deal." My throat was so choked up, like a child crying at the dinner table. Over what? Something so stupid.

"It's not a big deal. It's okay." A familiar beeping came from his cellphone, my device giving him a reading. He pressed his lips inside his mouth, nodding at it. It must have been a tolerable one. "Is your belly hurting? I know this meal isn't one you usually eat." His hand was on my shoulder again. I was staring down at my knees. Everyone was looking at us. Blush bloomed on my cheeks.

"I'm embarrassed."

"No-o," Shizue said somewhere to my left. "No, there's nothing to be embarrassed about." Everyone else murmured in agreement.

"It's not a big deal at all," Yami assured, somewhere to my right.

My inhaler appeared in front of my face, but my hands went up, shoving it away. Instinctual. I didn't want it, but I knew I needed it. Making a bigger problem. My face dissolved into tears, and I sniffled, not believing I was doing this here. What was wrong with me? I'd been so happy over the course of the last few days. We'd had a wonderful, magical time at the aquarium. Now, this? What was wrong with me?

"Come on, I'll take you to the bathroom. We can do your inhaler in there. I want you to feel better," Tetsu said calmly to me, taking my hands away from my face. I hadn't noticed I'd covered it up.

"Okay," I squeaked.

He got up, and pulled my seat way out. My hands went over my face again, knowing everyone in the packed restaurant must be looking at us now. He got me up hurriedly, and transferred me to my wheelchair. As we went by, I heard people shoving in their seats for us. Even more of a big deal being made.

As we entered the bathroom, it dawned on me. Why I was crying.

It burst out of me. "It's just, the whole time..."

Tetsu squatted in front of me immediately, his whole attention on me. His beautiful face, flushed with color in his worry. His pretty eyes all consuming, my whole world. "Yes, baby?" He asked, so gentle.

"This wh- whole time in Okinawa, I haven't really thought about being in a wheelchair. I was happy. But, we started talking about the tour, and how I'm di- different, and- and how I can't walk, and- it- it-" I collapsed in my tears. As I was speaking, I knew it was true. It was completely the truth.

"Oh, honey... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry... I wasn't thinking. That was my fault. I thought it would pretty that you'd be in a mermaid costume. That's all. I'm sorry..." He hugged me tightly, pulling me close, balancing me on himself. If he weren't holding me, I'd have fallen out of my wheelchair, that's how far forward he pulled me in his desperation.

It wasn't his fault. It was the way everyone else was carrying on. I shook my head, holding on to him tight. "It's everyone else. It's not you. I don't- I don't want to be the star of the show. I don't want to be involved much at- at all, because, what if I get sick? My song can easily be replaced if I do, if I do one song- and-" I coughed, just coughing so much.

"Oh- oh, Sana, let's get your inhaler, and then we can talk about it, okay? Does that sound okay?" He was rushing to get my inhaler out of his pocket. "You're panicking, but I understand that. You're going to be okay."

I nodded. He pushed me back into my wheelchair completely, and offered me my inhaler. I started to wheeze, taking my two puffs. After a big struggle, I handed my inhaler back to him. He put it in his pocket. His smile was back, impossibly.

"I think one song would be lovely," he said, that smile so bright. "I think that's an excellent idea. I admit, I think they were getting carried away. I'm the star of the show, right? It's supposed to be about me!" That grin. He was joking. Trying to get me to laugh.

I tried for him, giving a small one. His hand went up to my hair, mussing it like he'd been doing lately. I loved it. It made me feel so loved every time, this quick thing with his whole hand on my head.

Before I knew it, he was kissing me. That familiar warmth. His lips, too big for mine. He rubbed my back, further relaxing me. I realized my tears had stopped.

He parted from me. "I'm going to tell them I'm the main focus. That they better arrange the show around my performance. Does that sound good? I don't want you to have to worry anymore. I want them to listen to your concerns."

I shook my head. "I don't want to let them down."

"Ohh, baby." He took me into a giant hug again, his chin on my shoulder. "You're not letting anyone down. I promise. They need to realize that they're not the only ones planning the show. You're a part of planning, too. What you want should be important, too. They shouldn't force you to do things that you don't want to do."

The small tears were back. My voice became foggy. "I want to do it, but I just don't think I can- I just-"

"Ohh, ohh," he soothed me. "It's going to be okay. You do what you think you can do. I'll handle the rest of it. The whole original idea was a duet between us. As the two singers involved in this, we're a team. Carrying each other. Right? We're in this together. I'll carry you anywhere you want to go."

His words. My tears overflowed again. Oh no.

"Baby," he tsked, making that lovely sound I love. "Babyy, it's okay. You're safe."

I nodded into his shoulder, letting him know I knew. I'd be safe, as long as he was with me. We were in it together, it was true. Never apart. We'd be together on stage, too. It was the most comforting thought I'd ever had.