Maid of the Wave

There are moments in everyone's lives that really define what's ahead of them, or what they're meant for at the present time. Moments that aren't so big to anyone else might be twice as big to the person next to them. Occasionally those life-defining moments might start a chain or be a part of a chain of moments from one person to the next. This chain may permanently link someone to you, or strengthen the bond you already have with someone linked to you; or take a turn for the negative and completely sever the ties you have with someone already linked to you, or who could possibly become linked to you.

For Claire, the first moment wasn't the day she realized everyone hated her for reasons that weren't entirely her fault. Nor was the first moment the day she found out everyone was convinced she ate the dreams of children and butchered civilizations. The first moment was just then, when she had an epiphany. An epiphany is often defined as a moment of self realization- where you found out something big about yourself you'd never known before. In some cases, though, an epiphany is when you're hit home with something you already knew but for some reason chose to ignore, or didn't really acknowledge. Claire's epiphany was that the only reason she was ever hated was because of the color of her tail. Ignorance can be ignored, but ignoring it doesn't make it leave and the ignorance that surrounded her was overwhelming.

It felt it could not be combated, could not be changed, and it was so powerful that it ruled her life. No one turned to look at her, no one sneered or cried strings of profanities at her. No one made a mockery of her presence at the very moment of her banishment, but somehow she felt…maybe it would be better that they did. Maybe, it would somehow make her feel better if they did respond to her, rather than pretend that she didn't exist.
Heidi and Naomi only watched after her speeding figure, the only thing recognizable after a while was her purple tail and it's quick motion as she moved to evacuate her scene. The choice between your friend and your home isn't as easy as it would seem, and it was that choice that kept the two girls standing still. When you can't make a choice in either direction, it usually seems logical to just stand still.
Standing still was exactly what they did, except that Heidi pushed some of her brown curls back over her shoulder and Naomi guiltily swished her golden tail.

Claire didn't bother to pack her belongings, and she didn't bring anything with her on her way through the ridiculously small tunnel that led back out of the hidden location where the city nested. If she hadn't been so upset that she considered taking some of her precious belongings, maybe they wouldn't fit through the hole with her. That would have caused quite an issue in her melodramatic exit strategy. As it was the caudal barely made it through unless she curled it in that peculiar 'U' shape that many other Methonians could only do with their tongue (which, incidentally, she could not.)

For the past ten or so years, Claire so firmly believed that if she'd left it wouldn't matter to her. At least, it would matter in a way that made her happy. Now as she find herself gliding through the still water inside the dark entrance to her home it did matter to her, and she felt quite unhappy. If her heart could've moved anymore than it had already, it was when she saw the abandoned list on the jagged rock that stood out of the ocean floor. A few hours can go by like a few hundred years if enough happens to you in between, and the red string that she'd just finished tying to the edge of her throne seemed ancient history now.

Claire outstretched her arms and made like she was going to hug an old friend and with a spark of happiness lighting her soul she headed straight for the rock. She hit something nearly as hard as a rock or it seemed like a rock, at least, when the side of her face smacked it and the sound cracked in her ear. Her brown eyes twitched on impact, and she let herself stay in that position for an undocumented amount of time. After realizing her arms were deadweight beside her and her tail had lifted higher than it was before, her brown eyes rolled upward to the face of her wall.

When a hardened pair of red eyes stared back and blocked her line of vision to the rest of the face, Claire had to back herself up and return to an upright position.

"Your tongue is sticking out."
The first words she'd hear from him would be etched in her memory forever more. She sucked her tongue back through her teeth, and just stared at him. The stare wasn't so much in awe and it didn't indicate any emotional response to his presence. This being said, her stare still resembled that of a rabbit caught in a trap. It was a stare down of pride and prejudice, to see who would speak their case first. Who would break the silence once more encased in fragile glass after his initial demonstration of his excellent skills of observation.
Claire won, though had it not been for the doting dutiful personality of the Captain it's entirely possible the outcome could have been different.
"The Kingdom doesn't end until you go up—" he brought two fingers together and pointed upwards, then directed them into an arch- "and over. I'm here to make sure you make it."

Claire huffed, thoroughly defeated but in feigned disbelief, "You're the captain of the guards, shouldn't you be in the castle testing your father's food for poison, or something? Leave me alone."
He crossed his arms behind him and glowered at her, until she was forced to twitch under his magnified burn. The staring contest was back on, and the both of them tossed maturity and grown up tactics to the wind. The conversation didn't need to be spoken, because it was already as clear as the water around them. From the moment he crossed his arms, to the adjusting of her hip the two of them were in a debate that she ultimately lost.

Her arms dropped to her sides, and her brown eyes downcast, "Listen, I'm leaving, okay? I just wanted to have a few last memories in this place. It was my favorite in the world, you know?"
No response, no sympathy, but she didn't really expect it, either. She swam her way upward, making up for the slow pace of her tail with her arms.
She thought it was over, and she was almost right.

"Wait." He beckoned. She stopped, and rolled her eyes, then she looked at him agitated.

"I've been banished? Made to leave? Forced to depart? Vacate? Withdraw? Skidaddle? Does any of this ring a—" he interrupted her sarcastic defenses by tossing the tablet through the water and into her waiting arms. Another moment of silence fell between them and she hugged it close, he watched the gears in her head turning to come out with something witty to say.
Unfortunately, the wittiest thing she could find came out in a sign of gratitude.
"That's for remembering who I am." Was all he had to say to force it out of her.
"Thank you." She whispered, then with her chin pressed to the cold stone she swished her way out.

Methone carried on like it did before, the only thing that really changed was one less in the population. Despite the blatant hatred spewed towards this member of society, no one really noticed that it was gone. Evidently the hatred was as blind now as it was then, and no one even knew or missed what they'd so strongly emotionally abused. Given it had been a few minutes, but when the royal family was done speaking the buzz of excitement died down to a day like average. Like the King never even spoke.

"It's absolute Bogus." Heidi muttered while staring out of the window of the humble abode she shared with Naomi and at one point Claire. "This isn't how it's supposed to be, you know."
Her white teeth closed over her pouting lip and she let herself inhale and exhale. "When the King is gone, and Christopher rules, no one will even notice. "

"Except us." Naomi noted, while rummaging through the storage bins around the apartment.
"Exactly…except us."
The silence fell, and was broken by Heidi's sigh. Heidi sighed again. Heidi sighed again.
"Are you coming or what?" Naomi asked, while standing at the entranceway holding a satchel in her hands.
Heidi smiled times three, because of the two times she closed her mouth in between. It was like her tail was winding up like a toy, for the high-speed hug that she launched herself into around Naomi.

Naomi was a hapless victim of the Heidi love, with her arms securely held to her sides and her body stiffened. Slowly she decided to bend up at the elbow and slowly pat Heidi on the side, "Yes, yes. You're messing up my tail…"

Heidi looked down at the pearls and shells wrapped and pinned all around the gorgeous yellow bottom.
"Oh….Oh!" she grinned out her guilt, "Sorry?"

"Wait." Heidi held up both fingers and swam to the other side of the room, she a rock off of the ground and a pouch out of the secret compartment. She tightened the strings around her wrist then followed Naomi out of their house.
"That thing again?" Naomi gestured to the pouch with her colored nails and a derogatory frown.

Heidi clasped it in both palms, "I can't help but feel it's important. It makes my tail tingle and my hair all floaty."
"Your hair is floaty- we're underground underwater." Naomi pointed out, while slinking her way through the small hole with significantly more ease than the other two.
Claire waited a few seconds before following suit, and the last thing that was seen of any of the three of them for a long time, was the flicking of a stone off the end of her fin.

Outside of the cave, where the girls frequently used to hang out Naomi and Heidi found themselves surrounded by shelves and no indication of Claire's path.
"Which way do we go?" Heidi whispered into Naomi's ear. All the rocks seemed suddenly identical and everything was blurred around them. The thoughts buzzed around in Naomi's head and elicited the ever-intelligent response, "I don't know."

"I suddenly realized," Heidi continued to whisper, "it's harder to follow in someone's tracks when you don't know which way they went."
"Why are you whispering?" Naomi asked.
Heidi brought her hands down on Naomi's shoulders and she eyed the surroundings with her friend. Neither of them made much progress considering their serious lack of experience in the field.

"I thought we were supposed to." Heidi whispered back through clenched teeth. Naomi sighed, and muttered, "You call yourself a sound lover."

Heidi pointed to the rock, "The tablet! It's gone!"
"Claire must have taken it." Naomi observed.
Heidi's fin twitched in excitement, "It's our first clue! We'll find Claire based on the missing tablet."

Naomi, thoroughly unamused asked, "How are we going to find Claire?"

"Wherever the tablet is, that's where Claire must be." Heidi's look of pride was so touching that Naomi had to humor her.

She gave a big smile and swam her way over to Heidi, "Heidi! You're a genius! I do, I do follow your logic. It's brilliant." Heidi giggled and appreciatively let Naomi wrap her arm around her shoulder, "You've got this entire thing pegged- except…of course…"
Naomi winced, and Heidi looked concerned, "What?" she was back to the whispering.
Naomi brought her index and thumb close together, "You have just a tiny hole in your case."

"What is it?" Heidi whispered again, clutching the sacred pouch to her.

Naomi smiled and started to force a chuckle; in turn Heidi loosened and let herself giggle too. As soon as she'd relaxed once more, Naomi brought out her claws and reprimanded her with a statement of the obvious.
"We have no idea where the tablet is!"