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Despite everything, Sayaka just could not bring herself to slit Prince Kyosuke's throat. Not even with her life on her line, not even when it was a choice between this, and an eternity as sea foam. She raised her blade to his neck, but that was as far as she could take it. From then on, she couldn't move a muscle. Just stood there, hand trembling, blinking back tears and biting down on her lip.
He still looked so beautiful, even after all of that. Even after the million ways he played with her heart. Ignoring her, pushing her away once he found a lovely princess to be his fiance, and then the two of them making her maid of honour for their wedding, to rub salt in the wound. He probably had it in his mind that he was doing something kind to her. Of course, she couldn't speak up. He had no choice but to make an assumption.
Right beside him was his new wife. A woman who he always looked so damn happy to be around, in a way that he never did for her. The image of her at the wedding was frozen permanently in Sayaka's mind. Hitomi in her white dress, dancing away and looking like an angel. Sayaka could never compete with something like that. Even if she could still speak, even if she had made it clear to Kyosuke that she was the one who had saved him from drowning those many months ago. Hitomi was just an unbeatable lady. Refined, polite, and so beautiful. Skin smooth and hair soft and silky in a way that Sayaka's seabound heritage just could never compete with.
They just looked right together. The beautiful princess and the handsome prince. Even when they slept, they were a perfect picture of a fairy tale couple. It was clear to Sayaka that she had no other choice. If she couldn't bring herself to kill them, if even she had to admit that they were truly perfect together, then she had to be the one to die tonight.
She stumbled her way out of their bedroom. Even with months of practice, she never quite got the hang of walking around on two legs. Swimming had always been much more intuitive to her, as far as movement went. Surely a sign that this fate of hers was always set in stone. She probably never stood a chance to go and live out her life up here on the surface. This world just wasn't meant for her.
Sayaka walked on, slowly, until she finally made her way out onto the beach. She took in a deep breath, letting the heavenly scent of the salty sea fill her lungs. As far as final moments go, there were worse ways to go out. Not everyone got a lovely view of the rising sun over the horizon, the sky a wondrous mix of pink and orange, reflecting off the sea. The calming sounds of the ocean crashing against the shore soothed her nerves. The cool early morning winds blew into her hair, and felt so pleasant on her skin.
Yes, as far as final moments go, this wasn't too bad after all.
She took her first steps forward, ready to touch the waters again, and face her fate as sea foam.
When suddenly, a voice called out from behind her.
"Surely you're not just gonna give up like that?"
Sayaka turned around, shocked at the sudden reveal that she wasn't alone after all. Who said that? She gasped as her eyes fell on a mysterious lady standing before her. Someone who she had never seen before in her life, who she could not recognise at all, but who nevertheless had an eerie familiarity to her.
This lady had hair as red as the flame on a candle, long and flowing down her back. Her eyes were slim and sharp, the eyes of a hawk, the eyes of a hunting animal. She had on a long coat, almost as scarlet as the brilliant red hair on her scalp. Paired up with the smirk on her face, and it gave her an air of self-assurance which very few people truly possessed.
"Throwing away your life just like that? Resigning yourself to your curse? Come on now, that's a dumbass move. Someone like you's worth more than that. You can do better."
"Who are you?" Asked Sayaka, stunned at this lady's frank way of speaking. Maybe she had just been spending too much time with the Prince and his court, but she was used to people speaking with more courtesy than that.
And then it hit her. She was speaking again. After months of silence, her voice lost when she traded in her legs, it was a shock to suddenly hear herself again. What was happening? Did the lady in front of her had anything to do with it? And if so, what power does she possess to allow her to do this?
The lady hummed. "Well, I have many names and titles. Many roles to play. But for your purposes, I am 'an alternative'." She arched her fingers, and walked forward.
Sayaka blinked. "An alternative?"
"To your current fate," continued the lady. "Here's the skinny: my goddess had heard through the grapevine that your Prince's god's got his eye on you. He's seen your suffering, it hurts his heart, and he's hoping to give you a second chance once you drown yourself in the ocean."
"He did?" Sayaka felt her heart lighten a little at this new information. The fact that a god was willing to give her another shot… She'd surely agree, and try her best the second time round.
The lady shook her head and folded her arms. "Don't look so happy at that. There's a catch with this one. There always is with gods like him."
As she explained, the lady fished out something from her long coat. An apple. She cleaned it up a little, and then took a big bite on the side. "He's looking to make you a servant. Someone who could earn a brand new soul for yourself after about," she counted on her fingers, "three hundred or so years of servitude to him? Give or take?"
Sayaka's faint smile completely fizzled out. And as if that wasn't bad enough, the lady had more to say. "You'll be reliant on his followers too. His followers have to be well behaved, so as to shorten your sentence. If they ever misbehave, if they ever sin against him, then that's extra years of servitude for you." She swallowed her big apple bite, and chomped down again. "He's got a lotta followers too, just saying. It's gonna functionally be servitude for all of eternity."
"So now what do I do?" Asked Sayaka. Her eyes stung with tears. If this was the fate awaiting her, what was she supposed to do then? it all seemed so pointless. Now she couldn't even die in peace. "What now?!" She asked again, louder, months worth of repressed anger bubbling up to the surface. It scared her a little, how much she was feeling now. But she just couldn't help it. She'd been hiding it all away, pushing it all down, in a silence mandated by her curse. And now that she had her voice back, all that emotion couldn't help but boil over.
The lady looked like she was going to say something, but Sayaka cut her off. "What could I do now? The love of my life had gone with another, I had lost my way back to my old home and way of life, and all that awaits me now is a watery grave and an eternity of servitude! Tell me, what can I do? Is my life just doomed to misery then? Even my afterlife?"
And before she could continue crying, the lady placed a firm hand on her shoulder. "Relax. This is exactly what I came here to stop."
The red-haired lady smiled, and brushed a thumb over Sayaka's tears. "You see, my goddess heard of this plan, and sent me down to save you from your fate. With her, you'll be given a fairly decent position. A warrior for love and peace, you'll be sent down to correct the wrongs of the world. To fight the evils that plague this realm."
Sayaka blinked. "Is that so?"
"Every word I say is true. In fact, she had asked me if I would like to train you specifically." The lady perked up at that, and took one final bite out of her apple. She really polished that one off. Ate it up like a starved wolf. "And you know, it's not usually my style to train newbies. But I like your pretty little face, so just this once, I agreed."
Despite just getting her voice back, Sayaka could not find the right words to say. Just stood there, mouth agape. Was this all really happening now? Hearing all of this all at once, it just felt so unreal.
"Hello? Earth to Sayaka?"
"Oh, well…" Sayaka took in a deep breath, composed herself, and looked back at the red haired lady. This was all so much to take in.
If she had another way out, it would be an easy no. This was a lady with some clear magical power, a stranger who called her by her name, despite her never sharing it. Sayaka was well-acquainted with such magical people before. That was the sort of power the sea witch who gave her her legs possessed. When she contracted with him, she had this idea that she would never regret it at all. But well, that didn't turn out to be the case. After getting burned by the powerful, it was only natural to grow more cautious.
But well, what paths did she have now? If what the lady said was all lies, then she could go out with the knowledge of what was awaiting her. But if she spoke the truth, then she was damned with uncertainty no matter what. It bothered her, even made her a little angry, how the only tool she had in her arsenal now was blind faith.
"If I do join you and your goddess, I'll make sure to train as hard as I can. That's a guarantee from me," Sayaka said. "But if it was all lies, you'll have hell to pay."
The lady smiled, folding her arms behind her back. "That's what I'd expect from you. My goddess is, fortunately, a merciful, kindly one. One who would never trick those who she views as downtrodden. So really, I doubt that there would be much of a problem with her, so long as you keep up with your end of the bargain to help out in fighting against evil."
That was a noble enough goal. She'd only learned a little bit about Kyosuke's god, but what she'd heard hadn't been very pleasant. He seemed like a god who worked best when he had control over everything, with very little room to deviate from his plan.
The lady reached into her coat, and pulled out a second apple. "Want one?"
"I would like to know your name first," said Sayaka.
"Kyoko," she dropped the apple into Sayaka's hands. "Now, shall we go?"
It was a leap of faith. Truthfully, Sayaka had no idea what to expect from agreeing to that. But emotions were running high, and she made a choice in a snap. So, with an apple in one hand, and Kyoko gripping her other, she headed off into her new life. Blind, but with her heart fluttering and her spirit high in a way that it had not been in a very long time.
Hopefully, there's no way she'll ever regret this.