Keitaro should have drowned that day, but he didn't; someone saved him, or so he believes. And when he finds her again, albeit injured herself, the least he can do is return the favor... that is, if he doesn't die from embarrassment first.
What the Water Gave Me
is a fanfic by "RunicMagitek" based on 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim.
Taking place in an Alternate Universe, the story follows Keitaro Miura who has recently and miraculously survived drowning alongside his entire fleet in a naval battle. He finds himself returning to the beach where he washed up to understand how he survived and comes down there every day for a week. Then one day, he discovers an injured mermaid by the name of Natsuno washed up where he was found himself. A bond quickly grows between the two from that point on.
Not to be confused by the other What The Water Gave Me which is a How to Train Your Dragon fic.
Warning: Any spoilers for 13 Sentinels will be unmarked on this page.
Tropes
- Action Pet: BJ proves to be very good at warding off the pair of unnamed officers, skittering around their feet and pinching them to buy Keitaro time to flee.
- Adaptational Species Change:
- Natsuno is a mermaid in this fic. And it's revealed that all of the female pilots from 13 Sentinels are her podmates in this AU.
- BJ goes from a robot to Natsuno's crab companion.
- Alternate Universe: The setting is more fantasy as opposed to 13 Sentinels's sci-fi focus. And while all the characters from 1945 are human like before, everyone else from the other eras (and all of them female) are reimagined as mermaids.
- Bathtub Mermaid: Natsuno ends up spending several chapters recovering from her wounds in the Kurabe house's bathtub.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Natsuno is every bit as sweet and bubbly as she is in the original game, but also proves to be a very effective hunter who saves Keitaro from the pair of officers and eats one of them offscreen.
- But Now I Must Go: The final chapter has Natsuno departing to return to traveling with her pod, but not before sharing a heartfelt goodbye with Keitaro and her new friends. The two promise to eventually meet again, a promise fulfilled when they reunite after the war ends.
- Cheerful Child: Chihiro appears in this AU as Keitaro's energetic little sister as before. And she's absolutely psyched to be able to meet and befriend a mermaid.
- Composite Character: Yuki in this AU is mostly based on her adult 2188 version, being Natsuno's mother, but is also an Action Girl like her teenage self.
- Deliberate Values Dissonance:
- Natsuno is very physically-affectionate, often nuzzling or hugging Keitaro more than any human would - all while triggering his very repressed hormones. It doesn't occur to her that humans would reserve such behavior for more intimate relationships.
- Natsuno talks very flippantly and nonchalantly about how mermaids eat humans to Keitaro, a human. The rest of her pod seems to share this mindset when Tomi talks about devouring an overboard sailor before appearing.
“Hey, no worries!” She nuzzled into his cheek as proof. “I wasn’t going to eat you, silly! I’d rather sink my teeth into some idiot who falls into the water and freaks out and struggles like crazy.” She cackled. “Oh, that never gets old! Way tastier, too!”
He stared at her. I’m not sure which is more unsettling: the fact she thinks I wouldn’t put up a fight or that she likes eating humans. - Fantasy-Forbidding Mother: Natsuno implies that Yuki doesn't want her going near humans despite Natsuno's deep curiosity for them, and so wards her daughter off by saying Humans Are Bastards.
- Gory Discretion Shot: One of the officers is dragged below water to be devoured by the mermaids, with only a small wisp of blood being left in sight.
- Hate Sink: Keitaro finds himself being hounded by a pair of military officers who start harassing him over accusations of illegal smuggling. Their interactions show that the two officers are, at their core, a pair of bullies that abuse their privileges.
- I Am a Humanitarian : Natsuno confirms herself that mermaids are willing to devour humans, mostly as a response to perceived danger, and says so rather casually which disturbs Keitaro (albeit for Black Comedy).
- Interspecies Friendship: Along with Keitaro, Natsuno also bonds with both Tamao and Chihiro.
- Interspecies Romance: Between Keitaro (human) and Natsuno (mermaid).
- Kindhearted Cat Lover: Keitaro is discovered washed ashore at the beginning alongside a basket of kitties. It's revealed later that the mermaids rescued them along with him, and are ecstatic when they see one of the cats happy and healthy in the humans' care.
- Large and in Charge: Yuki is the leader of the mermaid pod, and is described as being "twice the size" of Natsuno, making her giant next to the other mermaids.
- Mama Bear: Mermaid Yuki is as protective of Natsuno as she is in canon. And the moment she (incorrectly) suspects that Keitaro must have kidnapped Natsuno, she rushes at him as if prepared to bite his head off.Yuki: "“Tch, he needs a whack upside the head for laying a finger on you. And if I ever see you drowning again? We’re not saving your dumb human ass, got it?”
Natsuno: “Mom! Is that really necessary?! Don’t scare the poor guy over me disappearing for a day.” - One-Gender Race: The only merfolk that appear are female.
- Our Mermaids Are Different: Natsuno is a classic fish-from-the-waist-down mermaid with a lot of scales and fins adorning her human half, as well as webbed hands, claws and pronounced fangs. At first she doesn't seem to speak, only talking through animalistic chirping, yet understands human speech and gesturing. It's later revealed that she can talk when underwater due to how a mermaid's voice travels and can communicate to Keitaro when they're both submerged. She also travels as a member of a pod, has healing properties in her saliva that help mend a cut on Keitaro's forehead, and mentions mermaids dissolving into seafoam when they die.
- Pay Evil unto Evil: Natsuno clarifies that mermaids only eat humans if they pose a threat to her and her pod (i.e. they're "bad guys"). This comes to fruition when she and her pod save Keitaro and Co. from a pair of officers that assault Keitaro, and she pops up later feasting on one of the officers' legs.
- Rescue Romance: Natsuno rescues Keitaro from a shipwreck at the beginning of the story and returns him to his hometown, but without him ever catching sight of her. He returns that favor when he finds her washed up on the beach and wounded, and brings her to Tamao's house to treat her wounds.
- Secret-Keeper: Tamao inevitably discovers that Natsuno is being harbored in her bathroom and, after understanding the circumstances, does everything she can to help Natsuno recover from her injuries.
- Shipper on Deck: Tamao is quick to notice the fondness Keitaro and Natsuno have for each other and begins teasing Keitaro for his obvious attraction.Tamao giggled. “My! Aren’t you an affectionate one? Hard to picture those violent tales stemmed from such a lovey-dovey yokai.” Then she shot Keitaro a sly look. “And I’m sure you absolutely loved that attention.”
- Single Woman Seeks Good Man: Natsuno admits that from what she observed of Keitaro, he seemed kinder than most humans she's encountered or been told about and has wanted to meet him face-to-face long before she rescues him at the beginning of the story.“Mom always said humans were nasty creatures, who would sooner rip off all my scales and fins before tossing me back in the ocean to rot. We needed to keep our distance for our safety. If your kind knew how and why you healed so fast? They’d drain us of our blood and spit without a second thought.” She rested her hands on his chest while regarding him with kind eyes. “But I didn’t feel that way with you. Not when I’d follow you around from dock to dock, hoping to see what you’d do next... and definitely not now. While everyone was munching on the human buffet, I got to save you.”
- The Speechless: Subverted; Natsuno at first doesn't seem to be able to talk, only make animalistic chirps and purrs at Keitaro. But then she manages to submerge the both of them and it's revealed that she can talk, albeit only when underwater.
- Talking Animal: BJ the crab can speak, but only when underwater, similar to the mermaids.
- We Will Meet Again: About a year after Natsuno departs with her pod, she and Keitaro reunite at a boat festival, months after the war has come to an end. The series ends with the two watching a firework display together like Keitaro had promised Natsuno in an earlier chapter.
