Lightning thrashed against the freezing water, but a pair of strong hands held her in place, and she gasped when a burst air was pushed into her lungs. A strange sensation pooled out over her lips, and her blood sang with a strange, almost unnatural warmth. Lightning opened her eyes, slowly meeting Fang's gaze, and a pair of green irises locked upon her own.
Lightning stilled after a moment, and she became only passingly aware of the soft set of lips that met her own, as well as the air being continually transferred into her mouth. They drifted in silence, sinking slowly beneath the waves.
Fang closed her eyes and leaned into the kiss, running her tongue along Lightning's teeth. She moved to wrap her arms around her human companion, fascinated with the texture of her garments.
Lightning shivered, but she was kept heated somehow, even when the ocean around her grew numbingly cold against her skin. She nearly flailed when Fang pulled back, and her eyes grew wide when a gush of seawater poured into her mouth and nose, but Fang gently took hold of both of her wrists, carrying a soft expression on her face.
Lightning began to panic, seizing up for a long, agonizing moment, before she realized that her lungs were still working away beneath her chest. Inhaling, she shivered when the water entered her throat once more, but she soon found that her lungs could still breathe. The saltwater stung to a painful degree, but she exhaled easily, and a cloud of bubbles fluttered out from her mouth. Lightning reached up to touch along her own lips, and her fingers brushed against a sticky, foam-like substance that had grown within her mouth.
Fang smiled at her, sporting a slight bit of foam on her own lips. She still held Lightning's arms, and Fang maneuvered her tail to curl around her waist and legs, intent on examining the waterlogged cloak at her back. She let go of Lightning's wrists to run her fingers over the pelt, watching the thick, silken fur as it fluttered in the current.
Lightning looked down, and her heart nearly skipped when she noticed that Fang's tail had been wrapped snug around her midsection. She almost ran her hand over the greenish scales, but she quickly pulled her fingers back.
Fang didn't seem to notice the gesture, intent on threading her fingers through Lightning's hair, and her eyes went wide at the unusual color.
Lightning glanced at their surroundings, and she nearly startled when they suddenly hit the seafloor. An abyssal layer of sand stretched out before them, intercepted by only the occasional rock or floating bit of seaweed. After Lightning had examined all that she could see, she attempted to twist around and find out what Fang was doing, only to find herself locked in place.
Fang grinned, and she loosened her tail after a moment, gracefully back-flipping a short distance away.
Lightning drifted along in the gentle current, waiting for something to happen, until it became clear that Fang was waiting as well. Slowly, cautiously, Lightning began to swim forward; she was still a bit lightheaded from the impromptu kiss, as well as suddenly being able to breathe beneath the surface.
Fang's smile widened when Lightning swam up beside her, and she flicked her tail, propelling herself further away.
Lightning frowned, and she did her best to keep up, but she slowed after a moment. Looking up at the waves above, she found herself unable to see very far into the distance; she knew that the sun must have already set by that point. Lightning tensed when Fang swam up from behind her, wrapping a pair of steady arms around her shoulders.
Fang simply held on for a moment, before she turned Lightning in place, smiling down at her. Lightning couldn't help but return the gesture, and although it was little more than the corners of her mouth twitching up, Fang didn't seem to mind. Lightning flushed, but she kept mostly still when Fang pulled her close.
Fang started off into the ocean, and Lightning began to watch the sea roll by as they traveled through the depths, but she couldn't see much of anything in the dark.
At least an hour had rolled by before Fang suddenly drew to a halt, loosening her grip. Lightning looked out at their surroundings, and her eyes widened.
The ocean before them was aglow with billowing clouds of bio-luminescent algae. The illuminated area swirled off in the distance, and Fang took Lightning by the hand, gently tugging her down into the field.
Bright blue lights swirled in place, dancing slowly around them, casting the sea alight with color. Fang grinned, and her ridges and fins were soon almost transparent in the glow. Lightning allowed herself to be carried along, as Fang's hands were gentle against her own. She gazed up at the algae, and her mouth opened slightly while Fang pulled her forward.
Fang's tail curled around Lightning's waist again, and she carefully reached over into the pocket of her jacket. Lightning didn't even notice at first, until Fang pulled out her knife, flipping it open to reflect the lights. The steel shone in the light, reflecting a blue glow that shimmered along the edge of the blade. Fang held it between them, and her gaze locked on the light that it caught.
Lightning's eyelids began to droop after a while, and she struggled to keep herself awake. She watched as Fang slowly closed the knife, tucking it back into her pocket. Fang studied Lightning's expression, before she took hold of her hands. She pushed off backwards, grinning when Lightning jerked awake, watching as the lights swirled around them. Fang dipped back to send them both tumbling away through the algae, and Lightning's lips twitched into a smile.
Fang watched as her human companion began to fall sleep, but before she could nod off, Fang leaned forward to kiss her again, coating Lightning's mouth with another supply of foam. Lightning blushed at the gesture, and her muscles tensed as she looked away. Fang tugged Lightning close, before she began to swim out from the algae.
As her human companion fell asleep in her arms, Fang couldn't help but reminisce; her thoughts drifted back to the night when she had first lain eyes upon the strange creature.
Fang watched as the mindless whale swam along the surface; her green eyes were intent on studying the unusual beast as it drifted beside the waves. These odd creatures had been appearing in greater numbers, and while she was beginning to fear for her safety, this one in particular seemed peaceful enough.
Fang shuddered at the memory of a strange, web-like material that had been lowered into the sea, baited with foreign fish; it just the thing to entice her family into swimming closer.
She bore her teeth upon the memory of what had happened after, and Fang snapped out, lashing both tail and teeth at the strange being above. Covering her eyes, she attempted to block out the memories of her kin, each of them torn away to the surface, never to be seen again.
Fang began thrash back and forth with her entire spine, but she startled when a distant sound echoed from above, and a bright light appeared, blooming out for a split second.
She froze, watching with wide eyes as another creature approached, bellowing short warnings at the first. Fang considered swimming away at once, but something held her in place, and she just couldn't tear her eyes away from the spectacle. The first whale soon split into pieces, crumbling away into the depths, while the other circled around it from above.
Fang clenched her fists, and her eyes widened when several smaller creatures began to appear, most of them struggling within the ocean. She watched them with narrowed eyes, wondering why they wouldn't just swim away, before she noticed; their 'tails' split into two sections, kicking feebly against the ocean. Fang began to swim between them after a moment, and her mouth fell open slightly when she realized that they had already died, unable to breathe beneath the waves.
An odd sensation crept over her limbs and spine, and her arms began twitch. She clenched her fists, turning to glare back up at the other whale, which had already started to swim off along the surface. Fang bore her teeth with a silent snarl on her lips, but she paused, noticing that something was still moving beneath the waves. With her anger nearly forgotten, Fang darted forward, and her eyes widened when a pair of soft, light blue irises met her own. The creature shook once, before her eyes fell shut.
Fang rushed forward to push air into the creature's lungs, desperately forcing whatever life she could spare back into the unconscious mouth. Extra foam began to gather between their lips, and it soon stuck to the inside of the creature's mouth. She watched as her rescuee trembled and coughed, falling limp against her chest, but when Fang pressed a finger over her neck, she smiled at the tiny pulse that lingered beneath. Fang pulled the creature back a bit, examining the gentle face that lay beneath soft, pink hair, which floated gently in the water. She had very delicate features, quite similar to those of Fang's kind, and she found that the only real difference between them was the twin appendages where her tail should be, as well as the strange, flowing material that floated just above her normal skin.
Fang looked up at the falling bits of whale, and she began to swim closer to the surface. She glanced around in search of the attacker, but she couldn't spot anything but the wreckage of the fallen creature. Fang rose above the waves, holding her trembling companion close, even when she vomited into the ocean, feebly coughing out seawater. Fang set the unconscious form down upon a bit of floating debris, making sure that she was secure upon the bobbing material.
A tiny flicker of fear crossed Fang's mind, and she sank down to her shoulders, nearly submerged within the water. She watched the rise and fall of the creature's chest for a while, before she slipped back beneath the surface.
Lightning shivered in her arms, and Fang looked down at the sleeping form, narrowing her eyes at the scars upon her stomach. She grit her teeth, and she pulled Lightning a bit closer, carrying a glare on her face.
Fang looked up as the shore came into sight, and while her heart began to pang at the thought of letting her companion go, she exhaled, pushing above the surface to lay the sleeping form upon the sand.
She touched along the scattered scars through the holes in Lightning's shirt, and Fang's lips twitched into a frown. She looked out over the beach, before she curled up against the sand just a short distance away.
Lightning stirred, and she winced as the the sensation of wet clothes began to drag her awake. She blinked, suddenly yanking herself up into a sitting position, before she let out a sharp breath.
The sun had risen far above the beach, while a large indent lay within the sand beside her. Lightning slowly traced it over with her fingertips, before she pulled back with a shudder. She shook her head, and she rose to her feet.
Her spear lay a short distance away, jutting out from the sand. Lightning walked over to pull it out, but she froze upon examining the ground in greater detail.
A large, dead fish lay beneath it, while a single hole had been pierced directly up through the belly, and out from the spine. Lightning knelt down to pick it up, along with her spear, before she made her way back to shelter.
Three months, three weeks, one day.
A few days ago, I woke up on the shore, alone, but I carried with me the memory of haunting blue lights, surrounding me as I drifted off beneath the waves. A beautiful dream, only fitting for the mirage that continues to shadow me.
She is clearly predatory, able to swim with a tremendous speed, the likes of which would most likely out-pace any whale, dolphin, or any other manner of marine life... But still, she seems very peaceful, at least in regards to me. I've decided to call her Fang, in honor of her teeth. She was also quite fascinated with my knife, but she did nothing to indicate violent intent, nor did she use it in any aggressive manner.
Serah, when you bought the blade, did it ever occur to you that a hallucination dreamed up by your sister would fancy it? Perhaps she's just an extension of myself, favoring the security of a knife...
Lightning rolled up the paper, before she reached over to pick up one of her spare reeds. She out took a piece of sharpened flint from her pocket, along with her knife, and Lightning began to chew on a piece of sinew as she whittled away at the end of the reed, creating a wedge that was large enough to accommodate the flint. She pushed the spearhead into place, before she wrapped the softened sinew around the base, fastening it down. After the binding had dried, Lightning held up the spear to test the weight and balance. A small smile crept over her lips, and she began to walk down to the beach.
She sat upon the rocks once more, gazing out at the ocean. Lightning dipped her feet absentmindedly beneath the surface, but after a moment, she pulled them back with a gasp.
Fang only grinned, rising up to poke at Lightning's ankles.
"You nearly-" Lightning paused, catching her breath. "You'll be the death of me, I swear."
Fang tugged at one of Lightning's toes, intent on examining it.
Lightning blushed. "They're just like fingers; they aren't even that interesting..." She pulled her feet back, instead holding out the spear. "You can have this."
Fang's eyes widened, and she rose up from the waves to sit upon the rock beside her. Lightning held the spear on its side, waiting for Fang to take it. Fang tilted her head to the side, before she slowly reached out to accept the weapon. She leaned in to examine the point, carefully running a finger over the edge of the flint.
Lightning sat back, and a tiny smile crossed her lips as Fang continued to inspect the spear. She almost didn't notice when Fang's arms slackened, moving forward to wrap her in a hug. Lightning let out a short, quiet breath, but she soon relaxed, returning the gesture after a moment. Fang almost seemed to shake against her, and Lightning pulled back to examine her face, finding that a hint of moisture lingered at her eyes, but Fang brushed it away when Lightning leaned in to look.
Lightning frowned a bit. "Are you... Crying?" She looked down at the spear, which had been lain across the rock. "I thought you would like it."
Fang said nothing, but she put on a reassuring smile, before she tossed the spear into the ocean beside them, taking Lightning by the hands.
"Wait..." Lightning tried to pull out of her grasp, but Fang had already started to inch back towards the surface. "Fang, don't! It takes forever to dry my-" She was silenced with a kiss, and her words were further muffled when a familiar, foamy substance began to coat the inside of her mouth.
Fang dropped back into the water, tugging Lightning along with her. Leaning into the kiss, Fang smirked against Lightning's lips, before she moved to pull away. Lightning gasped with a sharp intake of breath, and a gush of water filled her mouth and nose as she began to tread water. She narrowed her eyes at Fang, who only grinned back.
Fang reached out to take her spear in one hand, while she used her other to guide Lightning further into the ocean.