"Waaahhh!! W-what do I, hic, do? hic, Lord Leviii!"

After hearing a very long story with every stop in the middle of every phases, Levi finally able to brought everything pieces by pieces. In fact, when he hinted this stupid Nereid into using the eye, he didn't know anything. Except for the location of his little Mermaid, he didn't know what going on outside of his cave.

And even if there's something going on out there, Levi will not care. However, it seems that he have to this time.

"Your son? If I remember correctly, his name is Alpheus?" Looking down at the clinging Nereid,  he corrected his word. "His name was Smee now, I supposed."

Seeing how this stupid Nereid nodded, Levi sighed. 

That name, and from how Thetys narrated what's happening to that person now named Smee, Levi can't help but scratched the back of his head.

He thought that, this world won't get any ridiculous than what he witnessed from the other two realms– Gaia and Dyeus.

Oh. And according to Thetys, they were all heading towards that thing called Rainbow Bridge. He didn't know that thing existed before and he was really being apprehensive right now. His silver eyes grew anxious, unconsciously he touched his chess.

Clicking his tongue, Levi never felt this useless before. Though, he knew where his little Mermaid is, he didn't know what her current condition and situation are. 

That's why, he needed to help this stupid Thetys in order to help himself. 

Sighing, he called out. 

"Thetys."

Looking up the cold man who still wear his usual indifferent eyes. Thetys somehow grew anxious. Her fluffy eyes that were still producing crystal tears looked at Levi expectantly.

"Let go." Levi ordered. And Thetys obediently loosen her arms that was tightly hugging his leg, and swim in front of him.

"I can't hold on much longer, I need to sleep again." Speaking straight to the point, Levi then raise his arm towards Thetys giving her something. "Bring him." 

A pure white snake crawl out from his sleeves towards Thetys.

"You know what to do." With a serious and commanding tone, the man gazed at the little Nereid, with his menacing silver eyes. Telling her not to mess this up again.

Thetys eyes regains its life, she stopped crying as she made the snake encircle her whole body, since she's so small and there's nothing for the snake to cling into.

Seeing the back of her lord that was slowly drifting back towards the dark cave, Thetys became serious and saluted the man in response from his order.

"Yes. Lord Levi, leave everything to me and sleep well!"

Levi looked back sneering as she saw the Nereid smiling widely with joy as if saying that he better not wake up again soon.

Disregarding Thetys' reaction, Levi went to his cave quietly. 

He sighed as he put his hand over his chest, feeling the hollowness inside. There no beating heart, only an empty space that should be where his heart lies before.

He needed to get his heart back, immediately.

Thinking about a certain celestial, Levi felt his head ache. He does not want to meet that woman again. But he does not have any choice, he can only rely on them for the time being.

He reach out from his sleeves again and another white snake slid out of it. It encircle its body in his forearm and lay its head on his hand snuggling and rubbing its head on his palm. Then it looked at Levi with the same silver eyes, it's iris shrinking in a great extent.

"Deliver my message to them. I'm sure that woman is with that guy. Tell them 'to hurry up, and I need 'it' asap'."

Rubbing the head of the snake, Levi finally let it go. The snake wiggle its body forwards. No matter how you look at it, the snake was heading towards the wall of the cave. When it finally reached the wall, it did not bump to it. But instead, the snake shatters into hundreds peices of scale that disintegrated into the ocean waters.

Heaving a huge yawn, Levi gazed out the entrance of his cave. His dropping eyelids were heavy and we're almost closing. He then curled up his lips in kind of lazy smile that hinted many hidden intents.

"... Thousands of years already past... You made me wait for so long... You better be ready Reed..."

Letting out another yawn. Levi finally closes his eyes, while thinking of any possible way to punish a certain someone after knowing she forgot her memories again.

'...second time... I need a huge compensation for this...'

...

...

...

"...a little Nereid, huh. Do you know her, little Alana?" Ursula asked as she digested Reed's stories about her dream. It was kind of interesting, Ursula knew about that. That news spread throughout the whole seven seas and the Realm above. The Red Queen attempt to used that incident to instigate war between two Realms. It was quite the sensational.

Of course, Reed only told her the whole story about the Terran massacres. But about the thing from Reed and Echo's past lives and the octopus in Korea– all of that was discarded. It would be weird to speak that one to the old witch.

"No. I couldn't even remember her face. Maybe she's to small for me to remember. But really, she's really small." 

Amused by her answered, Ursula shook her head, thinking that her little student never changes. Despite the large hole in her memories, she still didn't forget to dissed her friend. 

"Oh. So, how about the man you called Levi?"

Shaking her head in dismayed, Reed denied knowing the man. She knew that Levi person was Echo. Her dreams took her to see many truths that she didn't know before. 

But as always, she threw all those thoughts away. Her mentality doesn't have enough capabilities to think about that deep subjects. So, she locked them all away again.

"That's the first time he appeared in my dreams. But if my memory did not fail me I saw him before." That's the truth. In fact, if Reed didn't learned that Levi was Echo, that Levi guy will just get buried inside her movie library.

Tapping her cheek in deep ponder, Reed pouted her lips looking to the side. Ursula just stared at her, she didn't speak nor make a sound. She was intrigued though, where could her stupid little student met that man, when he was sleeping very deeply when her student just woke up.

"Mmmnnn... It was at that friggin Labyrinth, I supposed." Reed said in wonder.

"Labyrinth, you say? Describe it to me." 

Staring at the old witch, Reed saw how serious she is. 'I wonder what's wrong with that labyrinth. Right! As if! Everything is wrong inside that f*cking Labyrinth!!' she thought fuming.

"Well, it was one of the Mysteries, according to this generation's trends. After I woke up, that labyrinth lay bare for me as a trap! I don't know how long I've been trapped there but that man in white robe help me get out when I was trapped with inside that strong illusion."

Looking at her in disbelieve, Ursula can't help herself but laugh out loud. She can't believe it, she's really stupid! What will happen if she manage to recover all her memories and found out that she and Levi were the one that created that Labyrinth. Though it's understandable that she lose her memories but, she still got lost! Now that she mentioned her being lost, Ursula wonder how many times her little student lost her way to her desired destination, before she found my island.

'I bet she was wandering lost in the road when she stumbled my island.'

"So, what are your plans?" Seriously, Ursula just couldn't help but worry about her student's well being. Ursula didn't know how much memories she recovered by now, but seeing her, Ursula was certain that she only knew the surface of this world's knowledge. She didn't even know her name for crying out loud.

"Well, I planned to go explore the Rainbow Bridge. I am curious about it. That so called bridge never appeared before. And what's more peculiar about it, is that it seems to go over a foggy ocean region which doesn't exist before. I know about Phorcys' Boundary, but it was not the foggy region. I saw the map and they were located at opposite direction."

Ursula agree with her, she did thought that those places were weird. However she didn't ponder about those things, and in long run she have forgotten about it. But that location...

Sighing, Ursula observed her little student. She can't help but lament the fact that she was directionally challenge and can't even read maps. If she did, then she may have found the answer to the peculiarity the moment she saw the location of that Rainbow Bridge.

"Little Alana, stick with me for three days." Ursula said with resolute tone.

But despite the seriousness of her voice, Reed stared at her teacher bewildered as to why she wanted her to stay.

As if a certain guess flash in her mind, Reed quickly move back and stay towards the other end of the pond. Water splashed everywhere as she move swiftly, wanting to get away from the old witch quickly.

"Y-you...d-did you feel so lonely that you'll force me to stay here with you?" With a black face and a wavering resolve, Reed confront her teacher.

Hearing what she said, Ursula face turned black like the ink she discharges. She slammed one of her fat tentacles into the water, spraying Reed face with plenty of water.

"Don't be absurd, Your Majesty. This old witch just wishes you to be well equipped when you venture out that sea alone once more."

Reed shivers and cold sweat run down her face, as she listen to Ursula's explaining things to her, with a sudden changed of tone– to a polite and humble one and even addresses her as her superiority. 

Goosebumps appeared all over her arms and Reed could only rub them. 

...

...

...

So, Reed stayed in the Witch's Island for three days. Reed can say that she learned a lot. And by the way, she learned from her esteemed teacher that her sculpted sand sculpture turned out to be the legendary sunken city– The Atlantis. The Capital of the Great Oceania Empire. 

Yup, that's what Reed learned from the old witch. She's really an old witch. Ursula gave Reed lectures about everything she should know about the political affair of Oceanus.

You can say that the whole Ocean Realm, is just like any other. There are empire, kingdoms and countries. But unlike how they are on the Earth, the political power here on Oceanus were basically controlled by one empire– the Oceania Empire. This empire control the entire seven seas. 

And the emperor– of course, it was non other than Reed– or she is now called Empress Alana– the sixth daughter of Triton, the former Emperor and Alana's father. 

From what she heard, Reed actually have six sisters. Triton, her father don't have any son, not even one. And when Reed heard the names of her sisters, Reed immediately went laughing hard out. Of course she got hit by her teacher in the end. But that didn't quell her laugher.

Aquata, Andrina, Arista, Attina, Adella, Alana, and Ariel. Does it ring a bell. Read the last name and you'll know why Reed laugh. 

Before, she encounter the Finding Nemo and company, now she learned that she belongs to Little Mermaid crew. Thinking about it, Reed can't help but shout internally while laughing hard.

Reed: "Lol Author, why don't you gave me a favor and add this series to Disney fanfic."

Lazy Author who just finished another webnovel: "..." Shut up, I don't even know how to categorized this series since this author didn't just plan to included Disney movies!

So, there it is. However, apparently thousands years ago, a war broke out. This war led to the disappearance of the whole royal family, leading to an empty throne. This brought another dilemma and crisis towards the Ocean Realm. 

Unfortunately, the old witch didn't tell Reed anything about the war. Why it happened, how it came to be, how large it was. Ursula threw all those information as classified. The thing that Reed was the curious about, the thing Reed wanted to know the most, Ursula refused to speak it all out.

You know what she said?

"Think about it yourself!"

What a cruel teacher~

Reed didn't learned just about that. From Ursula's lectures Reed concluded one thing– the war was tremendous that it ended the age of Giants within the Ocean Realm.

In Earth, if there's the Stone Age, Bronze Age, Iron Age and etc. In Oceanus, there's the Age of the Creation, the Age of Titans, the Age of Gods, then the Age of Giants. 

Reed was born at the beginning of the Age of Giants decem millenniuum ago. Right, when Reed was informed of it, Reed didn't think about herself first but the old witch in front of her. 

"...teacher...when did you say you were born, again?"

Reed received a huge lump in her head from that question. From that she learned to never question a woman's age again.

More so, after the royal family disappeared, all ocean inhabitants went on hiding. They don't have any capacity to defend themselves from other Realms now that the protectors were all gone. 

Right, their all gone. That's why the Age of Giants ended. The Royal family have the responsibility to protect the entire ocean world, while the Guardians protect the protector. Those Guardians were the proud Family of Sea Serpents and they serves the Royal family from the birth of new beginning– the end of Age of Titans and the beginning of reigns of Gods– until now.

Every royals have their own Guardian that serves as their body guard and companion. Partnership was determined by soul compatibility, in shorter terms only fated pairs could form a pact of guardianship. It can't be forced nor anyone could choose their own pairs. And Alana, the sixth princess was luckily paired up with the strongest Guardian every known in history– Leviathan, Levi for short.

Alana was powerful too, though. So, no one was there to interject their pairing. However, in contrast to the hard working and serious looking Leviathan, Princess Alana was known for her carefree personality who like adventures so much. She was a low key princess who didn't dwell on politics very much and in fact she almost never came back at the Perlsea Castle– the castle at the middle of the capital city.

So, with all the royals gone, the family of Sea Serpents disappeared too. Even the well known, and terrifying Kraken disappeared as well. Thereby, for people at the surface Realms in this generation, those creatures were now basically just a mythical legend that could be found in stories and historical facts. And only common fishes– edible, ornamental, and those predator style– that doesn't seems to have their own sentients could be seen swimming around the ocean

When Reed was listening to all that, she just keep on nodding her head. She seems agreeing but in fact she was already sleeping away to her dreams. Which gave her another huge lump at the other side of her head.

Now she looked like she grew horns.

Those three days were very much like a torture for her. Reed lean more on being artistic, and she doesn't like studying very much. But reading is another matter, which Reed love so much. More over, politics was out of her scope, and Ursula knew about that.

That's why she just gave her advices, no, she ordered Reed not to go towards the Capital. Near or far, even swimming at the capital's direction was out of question. 

This made Reed scratched her cheek. She always get lost, who knows where she will find herself next. Nevertheless, she still nodded her head. 

Still, Reed didn't fail to asked Ursula about one thing. It was very important, especially for her, a fan and a lover of Disney movies.

"What happened to Ariel, teach?" 

Hearing Reed speak out that name, Ursula's tentacles can't help but twitched in agitation. But seeing how her little student looked at her with so much expectation, like a little kid waiting to hear a bedtime story. Ursula just resigned herself, and thought that, 'this is much better than having her little student knew about that incident'.

"Her? What do you want to know?" 

Reed felt the change of Ursula's emotion, in fact she saw it. This is one of the positive effect of the 'Thread of Connection'. When Ursula inquire her about her question, a faded black thread appeared behind her back. It was a very thin thread, so thin like those thread used to for sewing clothes. If that black thread didn't  gave off ominous and dangerous aura, Reed will not notice it. 

Then she felt chill, she instinctively bow her head looking down her body. And she saw the same thread, but unlike Ursula. That black thread was tied to her throat, it seems tight. And if the person at the other end of the line knew how to control it, Reed knows for sure this thread could decapitate her head easily. She was certain, this thread could kill her. Because she can, she can touched those thread. With a strum of her finger, she could do many things. 

That's why, Reed paled in speed visible in naked eye. She trembled and her body turned cold. She lifted her hand and touched her neck. She tried. She touched the thread, traced it with her fingers. She tried getting it off her neck but she fail. Instead her fingers were cut. 

"What's wrong?" Ursula waited for her little student to buried her with bunch of questions. But she never heard Reed utter even one word.

So, she checked out her student, only to see her being weird. She looked like she saw something she was not supposed to see. She acted peculiar, she touched her neck, and her fingers suddenly bleed.

She was worried. She didn't know what her little student was seeing now. She might be a powerful witch but Reed was still different. All those who bear the heart went thru immense transformation.

'What is she seeing?'

After, staring at her bleeding fingers. Reed lifted her head and gazed seriously at her teacher.

Their eyes met, Reed aquamarine eyes no longer carried her childishness and innocent disposition. They now looked fierce and sharp, and was darker than usual. 

But almost immediately, Reed breathe out mouthful of air and slumped her back lazily at the edge of the pond. She closed her eyes, and opened them half closed. Through her half lidded eyes, she stared at Ursula again. 

Ursula gasped, witnessing Reed changed within that minute. This...she felt like she saw her little princess from those thousands of years ago.

The fierce princess who killed without batting an eye. A silent killer that didn't let out a dangerous intent. Not even an aura or pressure that a person who has killed thousands have.

Undoubtedly, what her little student discovered was very important. 

Right it was shocking. When Ursula heard what Reed said, all her tentacles went rigid and turned stiff.

"Teacher, it seems that your wrong. I'm not the only one who survive. It seems that our youngest, Ariel is still living happily above the surface."

...

...

Author's Note:

I notice, I seems to like the word thousand very much.