Thunder clapped. A lightning bolt struck a tree outside. The sky had turned dark black, only turning light when crackles of lightning shot out of clouds. Rain poured down in buckets. Weather like this was to be expected in early Pyrrhian autumn. Turtle always suspected that the sky cleared out all of its rain right before the dry and crisp season.
One of the only places that wasn't being completely disrupted by the weather was the Summer Palace. The entire 500 acre palace was covered head to toe in animus magic, keeping it safe from any damage. Inside, the royal SeaWing family attempted to share a meal and have a conversation.
Turtle stared out of one of the many glass windows and wished that his family was less chaotic. Most of his brothers had already escaped from eating more and had begun fighting each other outside of the dining hall. Queen Coral screamed at those brothers who still remained, telling them to stop playing with their food and to eat it. Anemone had begun screaming as well, but at Pike. Turtle sat across from the two at the end of the table and attempted to disappear into the wooden seat that held him. It was hard not to eavesdrop on their conversation. Pike had insisted on eating with her, saying that he was her bodyguard. Turtle didn't know what had happened, but Anemone snapped. It was hard not to hear what they were yelling about.
"I don't get why you won't leave me alone. I've told you at least a million times to bug off." Anemone hissed.
"I'm your body guard. I have to be around you. Remember the time that I stood up for you in the Jade Mountain Academy? I bet you were happy to have me around then." Pike retaliated.
Anemone shook her head. "Doesn't count. I didn't get what I wanted back then, and you know how much I wanted that fish. You're more of a nuisance than anything else. Remember how you constantly slept outside of my door there, too? You were obsessed with me."
"I had to do that." Pike's attempt at reasoning fell on deaf ears. "I needed to keep you safe. And with the fish thing, we don't always get what we want. We have to make sacrifices-"
"Fine, by that logic, you're not my bodyguard anymore." Anemone stood up from her chair. "You wanted that, and now it's gone."
"What?" Pike jolted backwards. "You can't do that!"
"I can. I'm the princess." Anemone shoved her chair under the table. "Now stop pestering me before I turn your snout into squid." She huffed and ran out of the room.
Pike slumped into his chair. A loud, sad sigh issued from his mouth. He pressed his talons to his face and suppressed a sob. Turtle, who had almost slid out of his chair himself, didn't know what to do.
Poor guy. I know that he spent ever waking moment around her. Now what is he gonna do? Turtle gulped. Maybe I can make him feel better.
"Hey man, are you ok?" Turtle asked quietly.
"None of your business." Pike's voice broke. "Leave me alone!" He nearly crushed his chair as he launched himself out of it.
"Pike wait!" Turtle said. The blue-grey SeaWing ran down the dining hall and threw open one of the giant pearl doors. Turtle heard one of the exit doors being kicked open. He saw a shadow against a lightning bolt.
He's going to get himself killed out there. Turtle stood up and moved to his mother. "Uh, mother?"
"CERULEAN, GET FIN'S TAIL OUT OF YOUR MOUTH THIS INSTANT! AND EEL, DON'T THINK I DIDN'T SEE THAT." Queen Coral shrieked at two of her sons. Fin and Cerulean immediately sat back down in their chairs and stuffed food into their mouths. "I'm sorry, Tiger Shark, sweetie, what did you say?"
"It's Turtle, mom." Turtle winced. "And I just saw Pike run outside." Queen Coral stared blankly at him. "You know, he just left in this thunderous and dangerous weather?"
Queen Coral narrowed her eyes. "And we know him how?"
"He's Anemone's bodyguard." Turtle tried to hide his frustration at his mother's lack of memory. "He has been for 2 years."
"Oh yes, Pipefish." Queen Coral nodded with confidence.
"Pike, mom." Turtle corrected her under his breath.
"Well, I'm sure Pipefish will come back." Queen Coral used a rhinestone covered fork to take a bite of her Tuna. "If he doesn't, we can just fire him when he eventually returns."
"That's not what I'm worried about. This is the worst weather that we've seen in a month. What if he gets killed out there?" Turtle's tone shifted to worry instead of the voice he normally used to speak with Queen Coral. "I don't want a dragon to die for nothing."
Queen Coral patted Turtle's head. "Don't worry, dear. Pipefish- I mean Pike, will be fine. And it's kind that you're worrying about Anemone's safety, too, but we can always get her a new, and frankly better, bodyguard." She smiled and him and quickly turned back around to the table. "OCTOPUS GET OVER HERE RIGHT NOW! YOU BETTER STOP BITING YOUR BROTHER!"
Turtle was too stunned to speak. Does she not care? There is a dragon's life on the line here, and I am not going to stand for this. He spun about and headed for the door. However, as he opened it, an enormous lightning bolt struck the ground right in front of him and ear-piercing thunder boomed. I'll have to go later. I'll get killed out there if I go.
Turtle quietly went to his room. The rooms for each dragonet were submerged under water to simulate their normal bedrooms in the deep-sea palace. Turtle swam to the bottom of his bedroom and sat in his bed. Poor Pike. I wish I could help him, but I don't see how. No one will take me seriously. Plus, I swore off my animus magic.
Turtle lifted his head and picked up a mirror on his bedside table. Wait, this is a dragon's life we're talking about. I need to use it. I have to save him. Looking in the mirror, Turtle stretched one of his arms. Then he realized, my scales and bones are impenetrable. What am I waiting here for? I need to go!
Turtle scrambled out of his bedroom, nearly ran over Anemone and 3 of his brothers, and practically erupted out of the palace. He had thought to grab a few of his animus enchanted objects, those being the coral piece and two sand dollars.
"Take me to Pike of the SeaWings." Turtle instructed the coral. It immediately began to tug slightly against his talons. He followed the path it lead for him, trying not to break the fragile coral. "Come on, come on." Turtle said impatiently. "Go faster!"
The coral piece began to tug faster, and nearly flew out of his talons. Turtle flew as fast as he could, but the coral piece began to twist and turn. "Pike must be running." Turtle said under his breath.
Turtle flew over almost an entire island, many rivers and lakes, and getting smacked with a tree branch. As he rubbed his snout, Turtle came across a small plot of sand out in the water. A cave sat on top of the tiny island.
The coral tugged so violently that it did fly out of his talons. It went head first into the cave. "OW." A voice said.
"Pike!" Turtle ran into the cave. Inside, he saw Pike lying on the ground. Pike was dripping wet, and looked like he had been crying for a while. "Are you alright?"
Pike sniffed. "What does it look like?" He picked up the coral. "This thing hit me in the ear, right on my scar."
"I know you're sad, but we have to get back to the palace." Turtle closed his wings. "It's not safe out here."
"I don't care. Anemone kicked me out of her life. Just leave me here." Pike put his head on his talons and turned to his side. "Why do you even care about me?"
"Because I think you're a good dragon." Turtle sat down next to him. Pike moved away from him.
"No one else does. Not the Queen, and not the princess. Not even my own mother. That's why she dumped me in the palace as a bodyguard." Pike huffed.
"Pike, that's not true." Turtle moved even closer. Pike didn't attempt to scoot away. "I care about you, Anemone cares ab-"
Pike cut him off. "No, she doesn't. Weren't you there to see her snap on me? She kicked me out of her life…..It's all my fault." Pike's voice broke again. "I was too hard on her. I shouldn't have been so obsessed."
"You're her bodyguard. You have to." Turtle said reassuringly.
"Ex-bodyguard. I'm just a random dragon now. That job was the only thing that made me different from other SeaWings." Pike sobbed. "Anemone doesn't want me in her life. I poured so much of my time into keeping her safe. It's all down the drain now."
"No, Pike-" Turtle desperately tried to reason with him, but Pike wouldn't listen.
"I trusted her, Turtle." Pike rubbed a claw against his eyes. "I….I…I loved her. I did."
Oh dear. Turtle gulped. Oh dear, oh dear. What am I supposed to say to that? "Oh sorry, but Anemone's a lesbian, your love is waisted upon her." I can't say that!
"Well, Pike…" Turtle grasped for words. "She…..wasn't the right one. Trust me. I know what it's like to have your love be rejected." Turtle recalled the memory of Kinkajou turning him down when he confessed to her. She was polite while telling him she didn't feel the same and requested that they still be friends, but Turtle still felt a hole in his heart. He hadn't found a way to fill that hole. He hadn't found someone who gave him the same warm and safe feeling in his heart that Kinkajou had.
"But things will get better." Turtle pressed onward. "You will find someone who makes you happy again. Someone who you'll want to love. I promise."
Pike sniffled. "You really mean it?" Turtle nodded. Pike sighed and wiped away a tear from his eyes. "I guess that makes me feel a bit better."
"That's good, I'm glad I could help." Turtle nodded.
"I guess we should go back to the palace. But what am I going to tell Queen Coral?" Pike groaned as he stood. "I'm not Anemone's body guard anymore. What's my purpose to her?"
"You could be mine." Turtle said quickly. Pike stared at him with widened eyes.
"Really? You would let me?" He said shakily.
"Sure. I don't see why not. I kinda like your company from the times I've been around you." Turtle smiled. Pike leaned over to him after a brief silence and gave him a hug.
"T-thanks. That's really thoughtful of you." He said into Turtle's shoulder. Turtle embraced Pike, taken aback by the hug. I didn't think he would react like this, I thought he would just accept it arrogantly. But…this is nice.
Pike and Turtle stayed like that for a moment, but they both slowly pulled away.
"Right then." Turtle broke the quiet pause. "I suppose we should be heading back now." Right as Turtle said those words, lightning struck the cave. The cave rumbled and rocks from the ceiling began to crumble.
"Oh eel spit." Pike said worriedly. He shoved Turtle into a hole in the ground, getting him out of the way of the debris. A giant stone broke through the roof and smashed onto Pike's tail. "AARGH!" He screamed.
"Pike!" Turtle dashed out of the hole and began to pry the rock off of Pike's tail. Rocks fell around him as he tried to shove the stone.
"Turtle, no. Get back into the hole, you'll be safe." Pike gasped.
"I need to help you, I'll be fine." Turtle said as a stone hit him on his wing. He inhaled sharply. Pike pressed a talon against his chest.
"No, Turtle, I'll be fine. Go, now." Pike applied pressure onto Turtle's chest. Another bolt of lightning struck the crumbling cave, causing rocks to fall faster.
In a panic, Turtle shouted "Make Pike of the SeaWings scales impenetrable and lift this stone!" The stone instantly flew off of Pike. Turtle helped Pike run into the hole and began to dig into the sand in it, making the hole bigger. A rock slammed against the opening of the hole, trapping the two.
Turtle and Pike's scales began glowing to combat the pitch-black darkness. The two didn't have much room in the hole, just enough to walk around and lie down.
"Turtle, what did you say up there? Something about making my scales unbreakable?" Pike rubbed his arm. "I don't really feel different."
"Oh crud." Turtle gasped. "I didn't mean to, I can take it away…I…" He sighed. "Pike, I'm an animus. I accidentally enchanted you to have magical, impenetrable scales."
"Wait, you are?" Pike asked. Turtle had never told anyone other than his friends that he was an animus. He had hoped that he wouldn't have to reveal it to anyone else anytime soon. "That's cool. And I think this will help me out, especially with body-guarding you."
Turtle smiled at Pike, and he smiled back. Turtle suddenly realized how exhausted he was, and promptly collapsed on the floor. "I'm fine." He grunted as Pike jumped back in shock. "I'm just tired." He yawned.
"I'm ready to hit the hay, too. There's no sense in going back to the palace now, we both need our rest. We can find our way tomorrow, right?" Pike laid down next to Turtle and placed a claw onto one of his.
"Right." Turtle shifted position to look at Pike, with his face being the last thing he could remember before falling asleep.
"Here they are!" Turtle jolted awake to a voice above him. He nearly forgot where he was, since the hole he was in was still completely dark. He felt something lying on top of him, and nearly slapped it in the face before realizing it was Pike.
Pike had moved in his sleep and had positioned his chest and neck directly on top of Turtle. Turtle turned bright red and attempted to slow down his breathing to not disturb Pike. Oh goodness, this is quite a predicament. I don't want to wake him. …. Was he always this muscly? He felt Pike's deep breaths and could feel a lot of weight from him.
Another voice reminded Turtle of the first one. "Are you sure, Anemone?" He recognized that voice as Queen Coral and guessed that the first one was Anemone. "Alright, move the rock, please."
The rock blocking the hole's entrance began to hover up magically. Turtle quickly tried to wake Pike. "Pike. Pike." He hissed. "Pike!" Turtle said louder.
Pike snorted and woke up. "mmmm, what?" He said groggily. Then he saw his position on top of Turtle. The two looked each other in the eye and both began turning red. Pike threw himself off of Turtle and attempted to look as natural as possible.
"Ah, there you two are." Queen Coral poked her head through the hole's entrance. "We've been looking for hours. Anemone had to use her magic to find you." As Turtle and Pike awkwardly left the hole, Anemone nodded smugly.
"I sure did. And Pike, I know you were mad, but why did you have to go and run away?" Anemone grimaced. "You didn't have to get butthurt like that."
"Anemone told me that she would prefer a different body-guard, so I'm afraid we're going to have to let you go, Pipefish. I mean Pike." Queen Coral said.
"Wait, mom." Turtle blurted. "I was thinking…maybe he could be my bodyguard?"
Queen Coral stared at him. Then she shrugged. "Sure, I guess you are one of my favorite sons. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you, and Pike has always been fiercely loyal to our family."
"I guess he was." Anemone huffed. "
"Consider it done. Now come back with us." Queen Coral and Anemone took into the air and began flying.
"Thanks." Pike turned to Turtle and smiled.
"Of course." Turtle nodded and returned the smile.
The two took the air, with Pike beginning to complain about how he never noticed Anemone's rude side. Turtle chuckled at all of his jokes and Pike listened to all of Turtle's words. Turtle knew that the two of them would grow closer with time, and maybe they could be something more than just prince and body-guard.
Or just friends, for that matter.