Waves
Disclaimer: I do not own Galactik Football and I make no money from this fanfiction.
"Look, Norata, I can see the sea!" a ten year old Aarch, exclaimed, pointing at the water glimmering in the distance.
Norata nodded, peering out of the window of their car. It was their first ever holiday and it was fair to say that they were both fairly excited- they'd only ever seen the sea on holo-tv or in magazines.
"Are we there yet?" Aarch asked, not for the first time that day.
"We'll get to the cottage in about half an hour, it's right by the beach- stay calm boys," their father, Joran, said patiently. They were lucky that his brother had let them stay in his holiday cottage- florists didn't exactly earn millions- he was just glad that the boys would have the chance to have fun; he'd come here himself with his brother when he was a boy.
Half an hour later and they were there.
"Be careful, Aarch- keep an eye on your little brother, I'll just be inside unpacking," Joran shouted after his sons who were running off onto the sand.
Aarch spins around, revelling in the feeling of salty air on his skin and the sun-warmed sand underneath his feet. He'd love to get out the football later and play a game with his dad, Norata and anyone else who wanted to join in- he always managed to make friends.
But for now- he wanted to get his toes wet.
"Come on," he said, to Norata, taking his hand as he led him towards the sea.
Norata dug his heels in just before the water's edge. "I don't want to," he mumbled.
"It's okay, look." Aarch dropped Norata's hand and without hesitation ran straight into the waves, laughing gleefully as the water sloshed around him.
"Come on! It's fun!"
"I'm coming," Norata said, walking slowly towards the water and into it- until it was up to his ankles.
Aarch grabbed his arm and pulled him in fully.
"The water's cold," Norata said, giggling.
A few years later…
Aarch stared out at the water, brooding. He'd received a somewhat unexpected offer- from the Shadows no less. They wanted him (and Artegor), to leave the Akillians and join the Shadows. He couldn't say it wasn't flattering, the Shadows were a great team, the offer was tempting to say the least.
But there was something holding him back, despite Artegor's urgings, he couldn't leave his team now. They were just starting to pull together. He couldn't stay but he couldn't go either- he was undecided and he didn't like that, he was a leader by inclination.
"What are you doing, stood out here?" Norata asked, a slight undercurrent in his voice. They hadn't really been getting along recently- it wasn't all out war, they just weren't a close as they used to be.
"I'm going for a swim," Aarch replied.
"In this weather?" Norata asked, looking up at the distinctly grey sky. In the lack of light, the sea looked dark and unfriendly, it's motion ominous.
"Yep," Aarch said, with a firm nod. To prove his point, he removed his shirt and ran, fast as he could, into the water, feeling its icy embrace, the cold giving his a strange sense of clarity- gave him something else to focus on anyway.
Norata looked on for a moment and then with a heart full of foreboding, walked back to the cottage.
Just for clarification, the second part of this fic is set before the ice-age, I'm assuming that perhaps the Shadows had been pestering Aarch for a while- it was only he had a reason to go that he might take up the offer. Written for GFSista's prompt: 'young Aarch and Norata at the beach.' I hope she likes it and that it wasn't too angsty!