Chapter 2 – Precious Discoveries


Momo was sitting on the bed running her fingers through her hair that was now freed from the long strand of seaweed and pearls. It was surprisingly heavy so it was a relief once it was removed. She lied down and stared up at the jellyfish that was lighting up her room. Then she flipped herself upright again and stared out the stained glass window. The day was coming to an end and she could just make out the mast of a rotting ship in the graveyard she took frequent trips too. She continued to stare at it; she was itching for some adventure.

"Tobiume. Is father busy for the rest of the evening?"

"I think so. Why?"

"I'm going to take a little trip."

"What?! It's starting to get dark Momo. I know your ingenious plan to get up to the surface today didn't work, but that's no reason to act so rashly."

"Don't worry so much Tobiume," Momo said as she searched around for her woven satchel. "I'll bring Koko. Koko!"

The jellyfish floated down into Momo's open palm and seemed to sigh contently when she patted it a couple of times. "We're going out so you have to be our light alright Koko?"

Koko responded by intensifying the light he gave off. He swam next to Momo, followed by an irritated Tobiume.

"This girl's going to be the death of me."


"Wow."

Momo popped her head through a porthole near the starboard and grinned. She discovered a door to an unexplored room and instantly went through the pane-less window. The satchel tied around her left arm clanged with the many items she had found; a broken music box, a couple of rusted coins, three shards of red tile and a little dull cat bell. She shoved her weight against the door but it wouldn't budge. Pulling it didn't work either.

"Tobiume! Could you help me for a sec?"

"Only if you promise me you'll go home after searching this room."

"Alright then, I promise."

Tobiume swam next to Momo and began to glow with a white aura when Momo started to say a spell.

"All things found, lifting the current, fighting the waves. Sea's fury, twisting, rising furiously towards the surface. Let us obliterate what lies ahead! Hado no gojuuni! Mizutama!"

Tobiume opened her jaw and a sphere of pressurised water shot out, forcing the pink dolphin back from its power. The spell completely obliterated the door and left a gaping hole in the far wall of the room beyond. The ship shook and creaked ominously like it was about to tip over. Momo removed her arms that shielded her face and gleefully cried out before quickly swimming in.

"You didn't have to use such a strong spell," Tobiume complained. "Now the ship's probably going to collapse."

"Sorry but I'm just so excited! Oh! Koko, come here!"

Tobiume stayed near the entrance of the room and watched Momo dart around the room with Koko in tow. A painting in a gold frame partially covered with barnacles hung on the wall over what once was a couch. Momo swam up to it and cleared away some of the seaweed and sand that clung to it. It was a picture of a man and woman dancing. She traced her hand over the painting and wondered what it would feel like to dance with legs and the material of a dress fanning gracefully out around her.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw something faintly glimmer. Tearing her eyes away from the painting that was much too large for her to carry back, she investigated the source. In the corner was a lump covered in sand and other sediments. She picked the foreign object up and shook off the offending dirt, wiping the stubborn remainders with her hand. It was a gold heart pendant purposely cracked in two. She twirled the pair of halves in front of her eyes.

"Do two humans each wear one of the halves?" she wondered out loud.

"It looks like one gives the other half to someone special. See?"

Tobiume had swum over and used her beak to nudge the pendant. Momo noticed the etching that previously eluded her. Across the two halves in beautiful French cursive was the word 'Love'.

Momo smiled and placed both necklaces not in her satchel, but around her neck, securing them with a knot. From the condition of the ship she knew they had been underwater for a while, but time did nothing to ravage their beauty. They shined brightly just above her chest.

"Are you done now? It's getting late."

"Yes, yes Tobiume, I'm done."

The three were about to go out the way they came in, but the ship suddenly shook of its own accord, causing rotten planks to fall down and block their way. It wasn't a problem; they could just turn around and exit through the other hole...or so they thought. Without warning a giant shadow loomed over the three explorers. They turned around to see a large stingray imposingly floating in front of the aforementioned hole. Its spined tail swished threateningly to and fro.

Koko took sanctuary within Momo's hair as the girl laughed nervously. "H-hey there! W-Well we really have no more business here s-"

The stingray slammed its tail violently into the side of the ship, causing whatever that clung to the ceiling to fall down. Momo gulped and it was eerily silent.

One second

Two seconds

Three seconds – the stingray was done intimidating its prey and charged forwards. The three shot upwards and luckily made it through the hole created by the previously falling debris. Momo furiously moved her tail, quickly manoeuvring through new corridors and rooms. It appeared as if they lost the stingray when it shot out of the floor, effectively surprising them. It lunged out its tail and managed to graze Momo's arm. It lashed out again, luckily catching Momo and Tobiume with the spineless part of its tail. The two of them were sent through the wall and out into the open.

When Momo looked back and saw the stingray still trashing about inside, she grinned triumphantly. "Thanks for your help!" she taunted.

"Momo! Where's Koko?"

"Koko? He's right here of course."

Momo lifted up her hair and felt around for Koko's pliable body. When she realised he wasn't there, it clicked in her mind as to why the stingray was still in the ship.

"Koko! Hold on!"

Momo swam back into the ship just in time to see the stingray preparing to impale the petrified jellyfish. Knowing that Tobiume was near, she held her hands out in front of her.

"I didn't want to have to do this!" she said warningly. "Raging winds be my ally. Frozen breath be my friend. Blend together like sun and flames, like your destined other. All will freeze before my gaze! Hado no gojuuroku! Shirohi!"

A fierce white blast shot towards the preoccupied stingray and it was frozen solid in a block of ice a second later. Koko gratefully swam into Momo's open arms, his light flickering nervously. Momo hugged the jellyfish and stuck her tongue out at the frozen stingray.

"Nah! Serves you right! Bye bye now!"

She swam out laughing from exhilaration and headed home.


I'll give you ten guesses as to what's going to happen to the necklaces XD

And Toshiro will make his first apperance in the next chapter so please REVIEW and get him out faster :D Thank you!