Where the journey is close to reach it's end at last. But mermaid's warning implies a threat ahead.

Creator's POV:
-

but before we start, a little announcement. i decided that all the times me and cffap me will appear but only react to some scenes and our appearance is not necessary, all reactions will appear in the end of every chapter as some kind of bloopers. but if the icons are necessary to show something i can't describe with english human words, you'll see icons during the chapter.

(maybe ya can help me to remember next time describe things with their normal sentence. i would be grateful and glad to get help from the cute reader beans who reads that message right now *pat pat*). does those news sound ok? of course, if ya like it when we pop out of nowhere during the narration, ya can say to not change anything. straight to the story now! *claps hands*

No one's POV:
-

"So... is this what happened to the past me and my brothers couldn't remember after you made us forget?" Geno asked with crossed arms and looking down.

What he heard, he needed a lot of time to analyse it. But he was agitated. And angry. Memories that were taken away 14 years ago weren't an easy burden to deal with after hearing them. The way he forgot was irritating him from the time he heard. Even if he had see the reasons why CQ did what she did.

Right now, he could barely give any excuses for her actions. Opposite him CQ was sitting and looking at him with obvious guilt in her eyes. She looked down too and sighed.

"I was desperate. I couldn't think of any other way to keep you away from the danger. How to make you not feel scared and desperate."

"Ignorance is a bliss huh?" Geno murmured wryly and raised his head looking at CQ with anger. "You could have tell us anything! Give a message! Something! You can't guess how many times I thought if there was anyone else in our life! If we ever! Had! Parents!"

"Calm down Ge-!"

"We weren't ready to face the issue you were carrying. BUT DO YA KNOW FOR WHAT I WASN'T READY?! LIVE THE DAY I LOST MY BROTHERS! Where, WHERE WERE YOU WHEN THAT HAPPENED?!" Geno bursted more of his anger and hit his foot down to the dark floor. CQ looked down again. And then she turned her back.

"You have all the right to stay angry with me. But because I never gave you a sign that I exist, this doesn't mean I wasn't watching you. I've told you before that the sea birds and animals were telling me about everything you were doing. And... and the day they informed me about the destruction... the pirates caused... I..." CQ stayed silent clenching her fists.

"Are they truly dead?" Geno asked with a stuttering voice. "The animals must have find them if... if they are alive... somewhere." CQ kept her silence, thing that made Geno angrier. "ANSWER!" He screamed. And instead of an answer, CQ left a sob.

"They never found anythiiing!" She cried and dived to the solid -that was turning to liquid magically- ground.

"WAIT!" Geno screamed as he was getting up and gasped for air.

"Shhh..." Alter did calmly placing his hand at Geno's shoulder who pressed his hand at his chest, shutting his eyesocket. He was used to that thing happening, with Geno waking up abruptly and shocked. He was making sure to stay close to him and prepare to help him relax. Then after relaxing he would wait for him to talk if he wanted.

And everytime Geno would open his mouth and reveal what he was seeing. Alter was a good listener and if it needed he could be a good advisor too. Like for that dream Geno saw just now. Comparatively, it was the shortest one he had seen, it didn't had to say any story. It started with argument and ended with tensed negative feelings.

"... Then she dived, dissappeared." Geno said looking down with crossed arms. He stayed silent for a minute before speaking again. "What should I do, how do I have to act towards... Mom Alter? I understand the reasons why she did what she did... but I just don't feel I can forgive her." He said. Alter raised an eyebrow, hearing that question but didn't answer immediately. He looked up thoughtful for a while.

"... God Has plans for anyone we're not expecting and allow things to happen. Good or bad nobody knows what's coming for them. Every bad or good thing that comes has it's purpose, they're appearing to test us. And then we make our choices. And all choices, good or bad  except from results they can have also consequences. Think about your dad. The situation he was into because of your mom's past, that found her eventually, was difficult. But even though it was none of his business, willingly he sacrificed himself to save you all four. He did a very difficult choice in a bad situation." Alter paused for some seconds here, taking a deep breath and closing his eyesockets.

"Think about your mother's feelings. Look from her perspective. Do ya think she enjoyed the moment making ya forget? Then abandoning ya? Did she even want any of those? No. She took a very difficult choice she thought she would never think about doing to her children, just to save you and keep you away from the danger. And it had a lot of consequences. But mentally you three weren't ready and you were very little then. If you wanna be mad, stay for a while. But don't hold it. That is important. Negative feelings are eating us whole if we keep them in us. Don't keep your mother with the guilt and the sadness. She truly, truly regretted her actions. Give her one more chance at least. Or else she will take it very personally and think she's not worth for anything, that she does everything wrong. Forgive Geno. Forgiveness is important. And generally, forgive to be forgiven." He said and pat Geno's shoulder, who looked up to him. His kind smile made him feel his mood getting fixed a little.

"... I'll see." He replied.

The last but not least dream he saw after that one, started with Geno seeing an unexpected guest. Once he opened his eyesocket, 10m. distance he saw his mom and a green-haired woman with a green tale. Morganna. The second time he was seeing her. The 2 seemed to argue.

"Why do you even bother wishing for forgiveness from that filthy son of yours? Besides the next day he's going to simply die!" Morganna said sarcastically with a smile full of white sharp teeth. Geno felt an ugly shiver running down his spine. But Morganna's speech had continuance.

"Not only you abandoned your three sons live by themselves, in a village ocean knows where, you made them forget the past. And hold up, there's more! The abandonment didn't save them! The pirates killed the 2 youngest sons, the first one barely escaped from devil's teeth. And although he's weak and pathetic, yet, you're putting your hopes to him that he will 'save the seas'. I seriously wonder if the Soulless Hybrid had ate something weird the time he was predicting the future. Come on CQ, more than the fact he looks weak, does your son looks like he even wants to save the world? It's his choice after all, which seems to be no." Morganna said still smiling with a raised eyebrow.

CQ looked at her, affected by her words from the beginning until the end. But although she was looking away, in the middle and after of Morganna's words, when the mermaid finished, after some seconds she raised her head and looked at her determined and serious.

"Geno might have forgot because of me. He might have lost his family, his brothers and together with it hope to see them again. But he's much stronger than what he looks like. Than what you see. The wounds he has, doesn't make him less fast or stronger. He's very smart. And if he seems small in the body, he's big in the soul. Because he's determined." Morganna rolled her eyes after CQ finished.

"Wow, that was sooo touching. I could cry right now." She started sarcastically. "But again, answer me this CQ..." Morganna paused. Suddenly, her head turned towards Geno, who flinched seeing her creepy expression. The darkness that was all over her eyes had turned to a thin snake iris, leaving the rest of the eye a white-grey, with blue veins 'decorating' it, mess.

And then she suddenly dashed towards Geno.

"Is your son determined enough to face me?" She screamed and stretched her arm to grab Geno, who only covered his face with his arms upon his panic. He felt Morganna's hand grabbing his neck and clenching violently. Geno fought to take a breath choking hard, with his eyesocket widen up.

Reflexively he tried to take Morganna's hand from his neck who not only was clenching hard but also her nails were piercing, making his neck bleed. But that didn't last for more than three seconds. The very next moment suddenly, a loud scream of pain echoed through the infinity. When Geno opened his eyesocket he saw Morganna thrashing about to the floor holding her hand that seemed... burned?(!)

"Geno! Are you ok?!" CQ asked approaching him and stood next to him looking at Morganna as surprised as Geno.

"HOW?! THE SYMBOL OF SIREN'S POWER IS AGAINST ME?! WHY CAN'T I TOUCH HIM?!" Morganna screeched like pig that goes to slaughter. "Unless... unless... someone has the symbol, they have the power to keep the sirens, even the mermaids away!" She clenched her teeth. "You marked someone CQ, don't you? That someone stays close to him and I can't get him! A pirate?!!!"

Geno didn't like how Morganna was acting, her insanity. He clenched his shaking fists scared. He could feel his neck hurting from Morganna's tight grip. His soul was beating aggressively in his chest. The very next moment weird looking shadows started appearing from nowhere. They didn't seem to have specific form.

But Geno soon saw them like hands with long claws. From above, left and right those hands were approaching slowly, opening and clenching, moving their fingers with specific target: him and CQ. None of them were going for Morganna. The dark of her eyes was covering them completely again. She seemed enraged. And even more insane and scary in Geno's view.

"I DON'T CARE! I DON'T CAREEE!!!" She hissed and black saliva started running from her mouth. "I WILL NOT WAIT FOR YOU TO JUST COME! I'LL KILL YOU, I CAN RIGHT NOW EVEN IF YOU'RE IN A DREAM SON OF CQ AND I'LL DO IIIT!!!

"GENOOO!" CQ screamed seeing the hands opening ready to grab Geno. But like with Morganna, everytime the hands were approaching Geno and literally barely touching him, they were getting away from him twitching and spasming.

"NO NO! STOP IT! WHOEVER IS CLOSE TO HIM STOP IIIT!!!" Morganna screamed. You could think the anger has limits. But God, Morganna's limits had break and the anger was growing more and more. CQ turned to look at Geno, who although was miraculously protected like that, he was terrified.

The cloud had dissappeared from his right eyesocket, leaving it uncovered. Not caring for the hands CQ approached avoiding them and placed her hands at Geno's shoulders. He turned to look at her. CQ looked behind her one more time and holy sh*t, Morganna was approaching with high speed!

"Geno! You need to wake up!" CQ said shaking him from his shoulders.

"THIS IS NOT A DREAM ANYMORE! SHE'S GOING TO KILL US!"

"It's still dream Geno! But except that she can violate your dreams, she can also harm you and die in the reality! Wake up Geno!"

"No NO! B-BUT IF I LEAVE SHE'S GONNA HURT Y-!"

"You don't have to worry about me." CQ said unexpectedly calmly. "I can get out. But it's not important to worry for me as I said. After all, I've done a lot of mistakes in my life. Again I'm really sorry Geno. For everything I did to you. For not being able to be close to you." CQ said and suddenly pushed him abruptly.

"MOOOM!!!" Geno screamed as he was falling backwards. CQ had her back turned after she pushed him. She didn't even turn hearing him screaming. The floor swallowed Geno, which from solid became liquid. Darkness covered his view for moments and then...

Alter, who was sitting at his desk and reading all this time Geno was sleeping, once he started hearing him squirming and murmuring, turned his head to look at him a little worried. But when he saw him holding his neck and fighting for air he got up absolutely worried and kneeled next to him. He had never seen him be like that.

For many minutes he was looking at him, shaking him sometimes from his shoulder in case he was waking up that way. And murmuring prayers at the same time. Especially that one, when Geno took his hands from his neck. They were filled with blood. He was bleeding somewhere from his neck.

"MOM!" Geno finally screamed suddenly as he was waking up abruptly, after 2 minutes of anxious struggle. Sweat was running from his face. He pressed his hands on his skull and started shaking it left and right fast.

"Geno?!" Alter said flinching by seeing him waking up like that and screaming.

"No no. Mom, why? WHY?!" Geno kept talking absolutely panicked and shut his eyesocket.

"Hey, hey!" Alter tried to keep Geno motionless but the smaller was moving violently and fast. At some point he managed to hold him from his wrists. But Geno started moving harder then. His strength was making it very difficult for Alter to hold him.

"DON'T APPROACH ME!!! DON'T! NO!" Geno screamed with his eyesocket still shut.

"Look at me Geno!" Alter said raising a little bit his voice for Geno to hear him. Geno's response was to start letting something like a whimper but with no tears running down his face.

"No... stop..." He said more quietly, still panicked.

"Look at me." Alter said more quietly and relaxed his grip a little. Geno didn't resist but kept shaking. After many seconds he opened a little his eyesocket, only to see Alter's calm expression. He opened it completely and looked at him still with fear from the dream.

"A... lter?" He whispered.

"What happened Geno? What did you see?" Alter asked very calmly letting his wrists. "Can you tell me?" Geno's look fell on Alter's wrist. And he saw the symbol.

"HOW?! THE SYMBOL OF SIREN'S POWER IS AGAINST ME?! WHY CAN'T I TOUCH HIM?!"

"... someone has the symbol, they have the power to keep the sirens, even the mermaids away!"

"... You marked someone CQ, don't you? That someone happens to stay close to him and I can't get him!"

Once he saw it he remembered those words. He lowered his head, pressed his fists on his feet and started shaking even harder. But he didn't stay like that for long.

"Gen-?" Before Alter could finish, Geno wrapped his arms around him and buried his face on his chest. He clenched priest's cassock still shaking whole. Alter raised his hands looking surprised at the smaller. He stayed motionless for a while. But then he sighed and pat his head.

"There there." He said quietly.

"This dream... was a mess... T-Thank you..." Geno murmured.

"Huh? Why that?" Alter asked raising an eyebrow.

"I-It'll sound crazy at f-first b-but... you saved me from getting killed." Geno replied stuttering. "A-And no, I don't mean it with the way I was just... dreaming I would die..." Geno unwrapped his arms around Alter and turned his head, touching lightly with his fingers somewhere at his neck.

Alter's irises dissappeared. Bruises like someone was choking him (yep exactly) around Geno's neck were showing clear. But the worst were 3 nail marks that were bleeding to the right of his neck. The blood had stained his jacket and shirt. This is what was causing the bleed Alter saw.

"... I almost died for real."

"I don't think you did this yourself accidentally in your sleep. Only pointy claws would do those holes. And you weren't holding your neck but like you were trying to take something off your neck. Were you dreaming that someone was... choking you?" Alter asked confused and worried. Geno nodded.

"But how? How those bruises and injures came if you were just drea-?"

"Priest Alter? I-Is everything alr-? JESUS CHRIST WHAT HAPPENED?!" Alter turned his head and to the opening he saw Michael standing with widened up eyes from shock.

"Relax Michael." Alter said simply.

"S-Should I call Doctor Ramirez?" Michael asked.

"HELL NO, DON'T YA F*CKING DARE CALL THAT DOGFACE BASTARD!" Geno screamed. But by that he felt his neck hurting more and groaned.

"Yes son, please go call him." Alter said nodding to Michael, who dissappeared running.

"Are ya serious?!" Geno complained turning to Alter. "I don't want that filthy doctor touch me! Especially with those claws of his!!!" He kept talking and at the same time frowning from pain.

"Don't worry Geno. Don't look that Ramirez has long claws. He's a careful and excellent doctor." Alter said.

"But ya have healing magic!" Geno replied. "I saw ya once healing. That time Michael got some small scratches after tripping. If you can heal, I don't need Ramirez!" Alter lowered his head intertwining his fingers in front of him. His mood all of a sudden changed.

"About that..." He started, looking away.

"What's wrong?" Geno asked raising an eyebrow(?).

"Well... yes, I do have healing magic but..." Alter paused closing his eyesockets. Suddenly Geno facepalmed lightly.

"Wait no, ya know what, it's ok Alter. I forgot ya have your still broken arm. You don't have to heal me if-"

"Oh nah, that's ok. Lemme try. Stay still. Until Ramirez comes." He said and stretched out his left arm, close to Geno's neck. He took a deep breath and soon Geno felt something tickling his neck but in a nice way.

Healing magic was flowing from Alter's hand, it seemed beautiful, Geno was seeing it like a green mist but together with something like green fire that wasn't burning but it was cool and cold. Geno liked cold. His look stayed there for some seconds before raising his head to look at Alter.

"Thanks Alt-" He didn't finish his words. Alter's eyesockets were flashing, sometimes staying for a little bit longer but then flashing again fast. And also Geno saw his hand shaking lightly. He started getting worried.

"N-No it's fine Geno." Alter said smiling with difficulty and closing his eyesockets. He had started sweating. Geno looked at him even more worried.

"That's enough." They heard a calm but rough voice. Only Geno turned and to the opening he saw Michael with Ramirez, who was holding a suitcase. He approached and grabbed Alter's wrist. He lowered his hand and the healing magic stopped flowing.

"You know that your magic is problematic, especially your healing magic. And with your still broken arm, even more." He said coldly, giving one quick look at Geno's neck.

"I'm... not going to ask how the hell that happened. At least you managed to close the holes a little and stop the bleeding. Even that is helpful. But it needs to get decontaminated and patch it to make sure it won't get infected. And Michael, go get some water for Alter." He said again.

As Michael was going for the water Ramirez opened his suitcase and took out a small bottle, three white little towels and patches. He opened the bottle, put the towel to the opening and let some kind of liquid wet it. Then, holding the towel tried to approach it at Geno's neck. Who obviously moved as much as he could away from him.

"F*ck no, stay away from me with that thing dog face!" He said. Ramirez lowered his hand, with his other free hand, did this thing:

with clenched teeth and looked again at Geno even more grim and angry.

"Listen here. I could just send Michael to hell after telling me that I have to take care of your wounds. But I can't do that because of Captain and I don't bring objections to him. Now shut up, stop acting like an annoying grumpy little sh*t with attitude of a five year old and stay still." He snarled calmly yet with a little bit raised tone.

Geno looked at him surprised and gulped lightly. He never had the chance to change any word with him and that first contact was confirming the few information and observations he had about him. Ramirez was the most serious and grumpy pirate in the ship. His relationships with almost everyone were kinda cold.

Even though he was in this crew nearly 4 years. If he was talking with someone, he would be laconic with his words. And almost everytime he would talk abruptly. He was capable to keep his face neutral in many serious situations except if someone was being annoying towards him in any way.

Then he would show anger and annoyance. His sarcasm was murderous. Everytime he would start facing a situation like that he would only raise his eyebrows at first, breaking his casual, grim, grumpy expression a little that wasn't breaking with anger (because he literally seems angry and serious all the time).

Almost nothing else could break that face. Things that were characterising him also was that he was never laughing nor smiling even a little. Even if something funny was happening to someone else in the ship. The only thing he was doing was to facepalm with the stupidity of the one who was doing something for anyone else to laugh.

With Dave he had the worst relationships, especially from his first day in the ship. And that started because another bad flaw Ramirez had was that he was hating kids and teenagers. The slightest mistake poor Michael would do, would cost him to hear the doctor barking, snarling and shouting at him with the result making him cry.

And making Michael cry Dave wasn't accepting that. Many times they would argue, roaring and barking to each other and in the end many times, if someone wasn't stopping them, start fighting and beating up each other. Until Captain would stop them himself.

Slowly, however and with Captain's words Ramirez stopped being so aggressive with Michael and had a little bit more patience. Still with Dave they weren't doing well and never did. The reason why, Geno never had the chance to learn or didn't really care to know.

But despite anyways that he was like that, Ramirez had some good relationships and wasn't cold with everyone. With Michael ok, he learned tolerating him and even not shout at him. Captain Reaper surprisingly he was respecting him deeply. Not because he was just the Captain and was forced to obey him.

But without sarcasm and very calmly he was listening to him. The reason why there was this respect, Geno didn't know, didn't learn, didn't care. With Alter the doctor was also fine, no problems or keeping distances. But only one thing he didn't want from him and he had made himself very clear, from Alter's first days in the ship.

When most pirates were not treating him very well yet. It started when Alter approached Ramirez wanting to be friendly, start a normal conversation. Just that. But before he could even speak:

"Godless. Dare to start any conversation with me about God and I'll throw you in the sea." He said sharply. That answer surprised Alter a little. But he smiled with understanding.

"*sigh* Your opinion and choice. Understandable."

Religion stuff, BIG no. But Ramirez was easy to talk about almost anything else. And that almost anything else, with only one person he was doing it very freely. The only person he was never aggressive and grumpy, the pirate he would almost immediately stick with when the crew had break or free time, was the cook of the ship.

Aldo. His bestie. How it came and a grumpy bloodthirsty-looking Sepherd monster like Ramirez came to get along so well with a, shorter one head nearly, skinny beaver monster like Aldo in the first place, Geno never could figure out and again actually, didn't care to know. But indeed, those two were literally inseparable.

When Aldo was gesturing, Ramirez was looking at him carefully, paying more attention to him than what he would ever give to anyone else in the ship and replying normally, because he was understanding sign language.

*more relationships and stuff we'll see 'em another time. and back to the narration! *claps hands**

"Screw this. If you insist this much to stay away from me, just take the towel and press it at the wounds yourself. But it will sting badly." Ramirez warned, with his hand in the air, holding the towel and waiting with a bored expression for Geno to take it. Geno took it and waveringly placed the towel at the right of his neck.

As Ramirez said, indeed it was stinging badly. He clenched his teeth and for a moment took the towel from his neck. But Ramirez shook his head left and right and his expression itself was saying no. He didn't move however to press it at his neck. Slowly Geno pressed it again and this time it hurted less.

"Enough, take it from your neck." Ramirez said after a minute. Geno did so and Ramirez looked carefully at his neck. Holding the second little towel he approached it to Geno's neck who instinctively tried to get away again.

"It's alright Geno. Let him." Alter said smiling and nodded. Somehow, Geno trusted his words and stayed motionless. Ramirez very gently and carefully, wiped the blood that had stayed at his neck. Then he took a patch and placed it above the wounds covering them. It stayed.

And as he was wiping with the 3rd towel his head, because when Geno woke up and pressed his hands (that had touched his bleeding neck) at his skull, they stained it, Geno admitted it to himself. Ramirez was actually very careful and his moves, you could barely feel them. It was like he didn't even have claws!

"You're lucky I didn't sew it. I could do that also." Ramirez said coldly and got up. He opened his suitcase to put in the stuff he took out. But he took out something else. It was a small bouquet with... rotten flowers? Herbs?

"Now what is this?" Geno asked confused. But it was smelling nicely.

"Magic mushrooms." Ramirez said sarcastically rolling his eyes and snorting. "Valerian and lavender."

"And why do I need those exactly?"

"Their smell will help you relax. The beats of your soul even after minutes are still fast. That can also be because I gave you again a good scare."

"Wait. How do ya know that my soul-?"

"I don't have my ears for decoration you know. Yes I can hear your beats from where I am and even further." Ramirez said bored and threw the bouquet at Geno who caught it. "I also smell a lot of fear. The dream must have been very bad to keep you still with it." He closed his suitcase and walked towards the opening. But he suddenly stopped and stayed motionless some seconds.

"MICHAEL!" He suddenly barked and the very next moment a gasp and a thud were heard. After some seconds to the opening, Michael appeared holding with both his hands a small metallic cup. He was shaking, probably because of Ramirez bark.

"Y-Yes Doctor Ramirez?" He asked. Ramirez gave one look at the cup.

"I could almost be surprised you didn't drop more than half of the water to the floor and your clothes." He only said and walked outside, patting however one time and quickly boy's head. "And don't keep the bouquet, you'll return it!" He completed.

"Here priest Alter." Michael said and gave him the cup. Alter turned and placed his hand at Michael's head, stroking it. Although he seemed very tired he smiled to him.

"Thank you son." He replied and drank the water. "You can go now if there's something else you have to do." He said then and Michael, seeing the priest smiling, he did the same too, turned his back and got out of the room. After some seconds Alter turned to look at Geno serious.

His irises weren't flashing but they weren't white, their normal color. More pale and grey. The beautiful snow white sparkle they were usually emitting wasn't here. The more bright the irises were for a skeleton, the more beautiful (dunno i'm just saying crap to make information in this pirateverse).

It was sign about the state the monster had. How often it's happy or sad, what psychology and emotions shows more often, if it's tired or has a lot of energy, how young or old it is. The brightness is also connected with the health and magic of the skeleton. How much HP and physical strength it has for the first.

For the second, how strong the magic is and how much energy it takes from it. About that, important role plays for the body to not have deep scars, nor wounds that causes pain. In that case or the magic will not be strong enough, or it will waste more energy than what it should.

Or in the worst situation be uncontrollable when the monster is under pressure or shows intense destructive emotions, such as anger. From what Geno concluded because of Alter's broken arm, the second was happening. He lost energy very fast. But he had to make sure.

"What happened... when you were healing me?" He asked, looking at Alter worried. Alter sighed and shook his head left and right.

"... Some of my powers needs less energy and it's easier to use. And other like healing magic is draining me faster than what it should. And because my arm is still broken it's more difficult for me."

"What else Ramirez meant when he said your magic is problematic? What other problems it brings and why?" Geno asked. Alter looked down wrapping his arms around him.

"... I really don't feel ok talking about it." Even though that answer troubled Geno, because Alter usually wasn't having trouble to talk, he didn't pressure him. Besides he still seemed tired.

"It's ok." Geno said.

"And I'm sorry I can't talk more about it." The other replied. He took a deep breath closing his eyesockets. Then he looked again at Geno. "So. What didja see in your dream? From where these wounds came?" Geno described all the dream. When he finished, he looked down and wrapped his arms around his (magic) tummy.