Chapter beta read by: akiqueen
Please note: - This story is also available from my website as a PDF download. Check out my profile for my website link and look for the PDF logo. Enjoy.
Intro
Please see Blue Submarine No 6: The Year After, Part 1 for the beginning of the story, the Declaration, Copyright Info and notes from me.
Enjoy Part 2
Chapter 1 (Mutio)
The story so far.
A new development has come up for Hayami and Kino as a newly discovered Deep Sea Six cruised into the bay to pick them up. On their travels to the newly constructed blue base, the Deep Sea Six had picked up some unexpected guests.
Mutio and Tia were banished from their home, and Verg was up to his old tricks again.
But during an unfortunate accident with a Musuca, the Deep Sea Six sustained moderate damage, which has left them powerless. The crew were now faced with an embarrassing outlook as the Blue Sub No. 6 towed them to blue base.
-o-
The high seas offered no comfort to Jake, who could not believe that he was stranded in the middle of the ocean with Iga, who was eagerlylooking at their current predicament.
The stormy weather made the task of setting things up hard. So both crews agreed to postpone the towing set-up until the storm had time to settle down.
Iga walked up to Jake for the first time, standing tall and trying to keep his posture as he stood on the silky hull of the Deep Sea Six. The rain fell into his face as raindrops dripped from the front of his cap.
"Look at what Blue Fleet scraped from the bottom of the barrel," Iga spoke in perfect English.
Jake turned towards the sarcastic comment, wiping the rain of his face. "Well, at least I am not the shit underneath the barrel."
Iga looked at Jake with a cold and stony expression. The Blue Sub commander stood tall behind the darkness of the unruly weather as the odd wave broke in the background.
"Excellent Jake, you're always so stubborn at winning! How long has it been?" Iga said to Jake, keeping his distance.
"It's been a few months! And I hope your targeting skills have improved since our last encounter. I don't want to repeat that experience," Jake replied.
Kino interjected, after overhearing them. "So, what's the story between you two? Iga, you know Jake?"
Jake took the lead and answered for the old commander. "Iga fired one of his torpedoes at my vessel. It was supposed to detonate on the ocean cliff to subside it, but he thought my vessel was an easy target."
Iga moved closer; the crashing waves made it hard to hear. As he progressed, he slipped slightly before regaining his balance.
"From what I remember, I did apologise. And besides, I didn't cause much damage!" he said, portraying a slight smile on his face. "The strength of the torpedo was not enough to damage your vessel. But I still don't understand what you were doing in the firing range."
Iga walked closer to Jake, patted him on the back and continued. "Look, the world is at peace and the war's been over for a year. We've all been called to some meeting and I suggest we get along. Just think of the fun we could have again."
Fun indeed, Jake thought to himself.
He had no choice. In the past, Jake was paired up with Iga to perform a mission to a dangerous region of the ocean, and their times together were not always the best. However, they had bonded during the mission and had relied on each other's help. However, Iga always portrayed himself as the senior farther figure and authority often got in the way. Conflicts often aroused and the two parted ways after the torpedo incident.
Iga then changed to a more pressing matter. After having his pilot, Hayami, disembark a year ago, Iga was eager to get his favourite friend back. He approached Kino.
"Kino, I need to ask. Is Hayami onboard?"
Kino confirmed with a nod and Iga enquired to his location. However, Hayami had disappeared from the sub and no one had seen him since their rise to the surface.
-o-
Hayami stood on the deck of the Deep Sea Six that stretched to as far as the eye could see. The vessel cut into the waves like a knife through butter, channelling the excess water back into the ocean. The sleek black and creamy metallic skin blended with the stormy environment as massive jets of water spewed into the air.
Visibility was poor. However, the size of the vessel could still be seen amongst all the chaos. The smell of salt water drifted with every current of air, creating a humid environment.
Hayami aimlessly walked along the hull of the vessel, not bothered if the waves that smashed onto the sides of the hull made his clothes wet. He just had the urge to go to the surface and feel the ocean. But he also felt something calling him. But more then likely he just wanted to see the Blue Submarine No. 6 berthed beside.
His location was not perfect; walking on the other side of the vessel made his journey longer, but he didn't care. The sub was not going to sink and his need to be on the surface kept nagging at him.
Hayami felt the environment resembled the time he was stuck on the Blue Dome's floating hull with Mutio. Hayami could only bring up a fuzzy, faded memory of the incident, but it was enough to keep him going.
The ocean smell and the rain on his face reminded him of the experience, impairing his judgement as he momentarily stumbled on a small bulge on the hull.
Looking down at the water flowing too and fro, he began to hear something, a sound he'd heard before and something he knew by heart. However, the passing of time had buried this memory. The song. He knew it very well inside his soul, and the person singing it.
He froze, looking down at the hull of the vessel. The memory slowly trickled back, bit by bit. The sudden gentle and passionate voice jogged his memory and he remembered the exact time he heard that song before.
A fragment of memory flashed before Hayami's eyes as he recognised the tune. It was the moment he sat beside a tent on the floating hull of the Blue Dome base one year ago...
He looked up and saw Mutio sitting upright with knees bent and legs spread slightly, looking into the endless sea as seagulls flew effortlessly in the background. She turned to him. Caught up in the moment, he got distracted and flinched back when she appeared in front of him. She made a small noise with her throat. She was like an angel.
The buried memory flooded back like a hammer blow.
His mind drifted back to reality; the song and the voice were the same. Frozen in place, he was scared to look up in the direction of the voice. The image of her was very faint and seeing her might open a whole new area of feelings that he was afraid to open up.
A wave splashed his face, giving him a faint sting in his eye. As he stood and attempted to wipe the stinging sensation, Hayami was unaware that he inadvertently faced in the direction of the singing, a position he wanted to avoid.
He opened his eyes and saw nothing but the blurry view of the vessel, water and rain. Then he saw it.
He saw something faint and white in the mist of all the chaos. As he rubbed his eyes again to get a clear view, Hayami was finally able to see the vessel's hull. Water flowed past and he managed to regain his balance and eyesight. He could not resist. He moved his head to the location of the song and saw her.
Mutio sat innocently at the end of the vessel's wing and looked deep into the ocean. The rain flowed down her hair and her legs disappeared halfway into the water. Her black and creamy yellow, fragile body could clearly be seen from a distance. She moved gracefully as she sang a melody from the bottom of her heart.
She closed her glowing, crimson eyes and carried on singing her song. The same song Hayami heard on the hull of the Blue Dome.
Hayami's heart began to race with excitement and shock. When he moved towards her, he shouted her name. "Mutiooooooooooo!"
He wasn't able to finish the name as he plunged into the water. Not watching his step, he slipped on the wing and fell into the water.
While he fell, he saw Mutio's eyes turn and look towards him. He saw her standing up and then the side of the hull replaced her image as he slipped into the water, unable to hold anything.
Once he hit the water, Hayami was dragged under the wing by the currents of the ocean. Only a small pocket of air made the doomed man realize his dilemma. He was not prepared for this and now his life was out of his hands.
Suddenly, something grabbed him from behind. The salty water made his vision very distorted. However, he could see creamy yellow hands around him as sudden thrusts brought him back to the surface.
Hayami climbed out of the water, dripping all over the place and catching is breath. He spun in place to see Mutio.
Her eyes, exposed above the rippling water, gave Mutio her classic innocent look. A slight concern was in her face as she looked at the drenched man. Hayami heart raced faster and faster. The last time he saw Mutio was in Antarctica being taken away by the beast man called Verg. Seeing her there made him almost jump for joy.
She looked at him with her compassionate eyes as her head bobbed up and down in the water. She blinked slightly as rain splashed seawater into her eye. Her scarred, bitten ear showed clearly against the moonlight. Hayami noticed it clearly.
The silence could not be broken between them until she vanished under the water, leaving only a ripple.
"Mutio! Come back!" he shouted over the stormy weather.
He stood on the deck, dumbfounded and frozen. Normally, he would have decided to take a cigarette and smoke it. However, that feeling had dampened when Mutio showed up.
His eyes squinted hard as he peered into the water looking for any sight of her; he checked every wave and splash.
He didn't go over the top at shouting her name. He just kept on looking around for any sign of her. He had waited to see the aquatic hybrid girl for so long that she'd even plagued his dreams. But just moments ago she had been right there in front of him as if it was yesterday.
He turned around and got a shock when he saw Mutio standing in front of him. She looked gorgeous. He looked deep into her eyes, feeling a slight sense of joy and happiness from her. However, he did not know what to do. He was stuck for words, action and feelings.
The rain dropped off her hair and parts of her body collected water droplets. Her skin shined with the sudden and brief shades of light emanating from the moon that were able to find a hole in the clouds. Mutio's delicate fins expanded to the sensation of the water, drawing Hayami's attention away from her eyes and onto her body.
Mutio raised her hand towards a cut on Hayami's face. She knew he had been hurt while falling over. She yearned to see Hayami again and this moment was like a gift from the gods.
Hayami offered no resistance to her touch, which sent shivers up his spine. This was the first time he was able to experience her gentle hand without the fear of war looming over them.
Then, suddenly, his intimate moment was interrupted as an overzealous Kino approached from a distance, shouting his name.
Mutio flinched and then dived into the ocean, creating no sound. Hayami watched her glide under the water and into the depths of the ocean. He whispered her name before Kino trotted closer.