The Dragon Fish

“A… A transforming human fish?!” Minoru gawked as he shot a finger toward the magical girl as he trembled on the ground.

“I’m not a human fish, stupid mortal!” Azurillia pouted as proudly placed a hand on her chest. “Born from an emerald pearl, I am the princess of the Emerald Sea known for my beauty and grace! The currents obey me and my magic knows no bounds in this world of—”

Her words trailed off as she started to hear snoring coming from Minoru. The young boy was leaning against the bed, having been bored to sleep by her long explanation.

Gritting her teeth, the sapphire princess struck her tail forward and wrapped it around Minoru’s ankle before pulling him up into the air, dangling upside down.

“Ah, let me go!” Minoru declared as he waved his limbs in the air, trying to break free. Azurilia crossed her arms as she stared directly into the young boy’s eyes.

“Sheesh… can’t you at least respect me a bit after I allowed you to catch me?” She asked with a disappointed sigh.

“Let me catch you?” Minoru let his arms hang below him as he pondered the thought.

“Of course. Did you really think you managed to pull me out like a common fish?” Azurillia shook her head in disappointment. “Mortals… they’re all the same.”

“C-could you please put me down?” Minoru pleaded as he felt all his blood draining to his head. Azurillia took in a deep breath but obeyed as she whipped her tail up and released the startled boy. As he fell upon his feet, Minoru tumbled backward and plopped down on the bed.

“Why did you allow me to catch you?” He cautiously asked as the blue-haired girl gazed around the room with her hands held behind her back.

“You seem interesting,” she stated plainly. “Your life’s orb has a strong aura radiating from within and I couldn’t distinguish what caused it.”

“Life orb?”

“You don’t know much, do you?” Azurillia mocked with a playful smirk.

“I’m… new here,” Minoru sheepishly confessed as he tried to avert her gaze.

“Alright, listen up,” the princess’s eyes flashed blue as she locked upon Minoru’s, causing his eyes to light up with a similar blue glow. The room around him suddenly was filled with a vibrant assortment of colors that seemed to be emitted from several objects in the room. He and Azurillia had especially powerful auras surrounding them with a blue one from the princess and a white one from Minoru.

“What you’re seeing right now is the essence of spiritual magic,” Azurillia explained as Minoru stared around in amazement at the flowing aura similar to how tea dispersed into a hot cup of water.

Azurillia clapped her hands together, causing a bright light blue orb to appear centered around her chest. “This here is my life orb. It regulates my magic similar to how a heart controls blood. Usually, the life orb is located near the center of a living being. You, however…”

The princess then pointed a finger at Minoru, causing him to glow brightly in a white aura. “It’s everywhere. Every inch of your body seems to be your life orb.”

“So what does that mean?” Minoru asked, both confused and a bit scared by what he was seeing. Azurillia’s eyes flashed again, causing all the colors to disappear as the room returned to its natural lighting.

“It means you have my interest,” she smiled as she tapped a finger on her chin. Her devious expression sent chills down the young boy’s spine. “I want to stay with you, Minoru, for as long as it takes to discover what makes you so special.”

“W-what if I don’t want you around me?” Minoru inquired. Azurillia giggled, taking slow steps forward and leaning in close to him until their faces were only inches away.

“You don’t want a cute girl following you?” She teased. Minoru stared back in silence, unsure of how to respond. The dragon fish princess scoffed as she turned back around and stood in a mocking stance.

In an instance, her body suddenly shifted into a long blue serpent, similar to the miniature dragon fish but much larger and with large fan-like fins that replaced the forearms of a dragon fish. She circled around in the air as if she was swimming in the water before her sea-dragon-like head stared at Minoru, letting out a misty breath.

The young boy stared at the majestic creature with widened eyes as a turquoise aura emitted from Azurillia’s body in pulsating waves.

“As the princess of the Emerald Sea, I can grant all your wishes if I desire to do so,” she stated as her scales glistened under her own radiating light. “Whatever it is you want, I can help you achieve it.”

Minoru stared into the beady black eyes of the enormous dragon fish, unsure what to make of her words. He lowered his head as he stared down at his hands.

There wasn’t anything Minoru really wanted. He was never a person who had any real aspirations or material goods. Even his bedroom was empty except for his school necessities and gifts from his family and friends. However, one thought did stand out in his mind. Slowly, Minoru raised his head back up and met the eyes of Azurillia.

“I just want to be with Saki,” he declared with yearning confidence. The sea-dragon-like creature stared at Minoru in silence as she floated in the air. Letting out an amused giggle, Azurillia transformed back into her human form with a white folding fan in her hand as she gently waved it near her face.

“What an intriguing request,” Azurillia smirked as she sat on the brown drawer next to the glass bowl. “Most humans desire something larger, unobtainable by their standards.”

“Can you grant my wish?” Minoru asked with pleading eyes. The princess smiled as she snapped her fan close.

“If you allow me to stay with you, I will help you with Saki,” Azurillia declared as she held her other arm out in front of her. A smooth black ring appeared in the palm of her hand. She tossed the ring forward and it slowly glided through the air before gently landing in Minoru’s hands.

“This is a contract ring,” Azurillia explained as Minoru observed the obsidian-like bracelet. “Upon placing it on your wrist, a deal will be set in place between the two of us. Because I am lending you my abilities, the ring will declare me as the contractor, ensuring that you cannot use my own powers against me nor betray our agreement.

“Of course, the ring also prevents me from breaking my promise. If I am to do so, half of my life orb’s magic will dissipate and a portion of it will be transferred to the contractee, which is you.”

Minoru pondered over the agreement in his head while Azurillia stared at him with her right leg crossed over her left. Without further hesitation, he slid the black bracelet over his left hand. Immediately, the ring contracted to fit snugly around his wrist before glowing a bright orange. It then abruptly flashed white before disappearing from his forearm completely. The young princess shot up from the drawer and stared at Minoru in shock.

“Is… is that it?” Minoru asked as he gently touched his wrist, expecting the bracelet to be invisible but felt his skin instead. Azurillia shook her head slightly as she placed a finger in front of her lips in confusion.

“That’s not supposed to happen,” she declared as she darted around Minoru, trying to find traces of the ring on his body. “The contract ring should have been affixed on your wrist until the end of our agreement.”

As Azurillia grasped Minoru’s wrist and held it up, a bright flash suddenly erupted near her head. The contract ring suddenly appeared around the dragon fish girl’s neck as it glowed orange temporarily before fading into its original obsidian black form.

“What’s this?!” Azurillia shouted in surprise as she shot her hands up around the ring. She frantically pulled at it, trying to remove the bracelet but it remained permanently situated around her neck.

“Get this thing off of me!” She screamed at Minoru, causing the young boy to snap out of his confused daze as he stood up from the bed to help.

“W-what should I do?”

“I don’t know! Maybe there’s a latch on the back!” Azurillia declared. Minoru gave a quick nod and ran behind her as she lifted her blue hair to reveal her nape.

“It looks the same,” Minoru told her as he looked at the ring. He placed the tips of his fingers on the back, trying to feel for any possible unlocking mechanisms. An orange circle suddenly glowed on the ring where Minoru had touched it.

“I think I found it!” He said with a relieved grin. However, his smile soon faded as the same orange symbol appeared on the back of his hand, burning orange before cooling into a black tattoo.

“D-dragon fish, what is this?” Minoru asked as Azurillia turned around to face him. As her eyes landed on the symbol, she let out a disbelieving breath.

“How could this be?” Azurillia collapsed onto her knees as she lowered her head in disgrace. “I became the contractee of a mere mortal.”

“What does that mean?”

“Our roles have simply been switched,” Azurillia muttered in a defeated tone as she glared at Minoru. “My abilities have been limited to your life orb’s potential…”

“Is there a way to fix this?” Minoru asked concerningly, sparking an idea in Azurillia’s mind as her eyes lit up.

“The sooner I can grant your wish, the sooner I can get out of this stupid contract!” She realized with an elastic smile. However, just as she found the solution, Azurillia transformed back into her small dragon fish self in a blue flash, and with a soft splash, she plopped into the glass bowl.

“Already?!” She gasped at her sudden transformation. “Mortal, why is your magic so limited?!”

“It’s not my fault…” Minoru said defensively. Azurillia let out a pouting grunt before she faced the wall away from the young boy.

“Don’t bother me anymore! I’m going to sleep! I’ll figure out this mess tomorrow,” she grumbled the last bit under her breath.

Minoru sighed, tired from the dragon fish’s dilemma on top of the long night. He switched off the lights, leaving only the faint moonlight to dimly illuminate the guest bedroom. Nestling himself under the crisp white bedsheets, Minoru finally rested his head on the soft pillow, feeling his muscles relax on the comfortable mattress.

Just as he was about to drift to sleep, Minoru heard a soft knocking on his door. The door creaked open slightly, revealing Saki standing there in a flowing white nightgown with a black cardigan draped over her shoulders.

“Minoru, I can’t sleep…” She whispered in a frightened tone. “Is it alright if I stay with you?”