SPLASH!
OW! Getting spat out of a time tunnel for the second time hurt worse than the first. Water doesn't give as much as one might think it would when hitting it at high speeds. Thankfully the height Rachel dropped from was only about ten feet. Mermaid magic also made the drop and plunge much less of an ordeal.
Not really hurt but still dazed Rachel spent several moments floating and slowly reorienting herself. Eventually she drifted so up and down became easy to identify. With a flick of her tail Rachel straightened up and swam to the surface.
"Phew." She sighed slowly. "I'd be happy never doing that gain. Wonder how long I'll be stuck here this time." Rachel looked around. Behind her was a rich emerald of an island less than a mile away. No sweat when you have a tail. She dove and stayed close to the sand as she traveled.
Then again, maybe staying under a reef outcrop or something would be better. I still don't know where or when I am. It seems like the same world but I don't know how to prove that. For all I know this is one of the islands of the Destiny Island archipelago Sora and the others have talked about. But even that doesn't help me. I still have to wait until the magic ends and avoid people. Maybe I can find a mangrove forest or something and hide in the roots.
Eventually she did in fact skirt the shoreline and found less sand and more vegetation. The ocean blended with a lagoon lined with tall trees. That looked like a promising spot. Surely there would be a root cluster thick enough to hide amongst yet wide enough to actually slip between. But like a lot of plans something caught her attention before she could even start.
"Stop it you guys! Hey! C'mon, stop!"
A small voice from the shore got her attention. Smarmy cackles replied to the pleas.
"Stop it guys! Leave me alone!"
"Stop it guys! Leave me alone! HaHahahaaa!" Another voice mocked.
You can't get involved. You're way out of your time and getting involved could have consequences.
The logical part of her brain made a solid point. The smaller a footprint she made in a foreign time the better.
"Just leave me alone! H-he-HEY! Don't do that! Nonononono! Please don't!"
But she couldn't ignore the cries of distress as someone was getting bullied. Swimming closer she discovered that distance wasn't the reason the voices sounded so small. As the beach transitioned into trees, three large hermit-like crabs were scuttling after a smaller fourth. Said fourth had tried to escape by climbing into the roots but had been cornered by the others. Now the only place it had to go was a single thin root that arced into the lapping water. All the while the larger craps stalked forward, snickering at the fourths predicament. Then they backed up together started picking and sawing at the root with their claws. Desperate pleas were laughed off as the bullies continued their task.
Keeping her distance and only out of water to her eyes, Rachel made a few gestures with her hands. Right after water geysered straight up beneath the older crabs. They coughed, sputtered and babbled in confusion. Rachel cast the spell again. This time the spout rose up just ahead of them. Again and again the spouts shot up over or around the bullies. Not sure what else to do they made a hasty retreat from the roots to the trees. Even then Rachel adjusted the placement, angle and force of the geyser to chase them off.
"Crummy thing to do, picking on someone small and laughing about it." Rachel muttered darkly as the bully crabs vanished into the tree line. "The little guy will be okay now, right? Egh. Curse you and your bleeding heart."
Yes, interactions could have unknown consequences but she didn't feel comfortable just leaving the little crab without making sure it was all right after the ordeal. Rachel swam to shore. The little one hadn't moved from the root.
"Hello? Are you okay?" She asked gently.
The hermit crab flinched. Two beady eyes looked around from the edge of its shell. Almost immediately those eyes widened and tucked inside the shell with as much leg vanishing as it could and still hold onto the root.
"Oh! I'm sorry! I wasn't trying to scare you. I saw those other crabs picking on you. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."
Very slowly the tiny beady eyes peaked out from beneath the shell.
"Well, um, if you're good then I'll just…go."
Rachel backed up and made to push herself from the shallows when,
"Are they really gone?"
"They took off toward the trees. I can't see them anymore."
The little hermit crab came out of its shell a bit further. Unmoving it looked her over.
Oh great. How do you explain your appearance?
"Are you a sea goddess?"
She blinked. Wasn't expecting that. Just how bad would a little white lie hurt the situation?
"I'm not a goddess. But I am magical."
The beady eyes went wide and the little crab came out of its shell and scuttled on the root to face her better.
"Really?" It breathed in awe.
"Yes. But between you and me I'm not supposed to show people. You just looked like you needed a bit of help. Why were those other crabs bullying you anyway?"
The little crab looked down sadly. It shuffled a bit as if to hide its shell. Rachel could now see the borrowed shell was bland, scuffed and had two small holes in it.
"Were they making fun of your shell?" Rachel asked delicately.
The little crab nodded. "That and they were trying to get this."
Shuffling a bit more the hermit crab presented a shard of mother of pearl with smooth edges that had been previously hidden between shell and legs.
"That was all they wanted? You hadn't taken it from them, had you?"
"No! I found it this morning. I like pretty things. But those guys think my collections are stupid and were going to break it." The little crab looked down at his treasure sadly. "They never would have seen it but I ran out of room to hide it."
"Where do you hide your trinkets?"
He looked sad again. "I have to carry them in my shell now. I-I used to keep my treasure in a hollowed out coconut. B-but those-those meanies, they thought it was silly to keep things like that so they-so they pushed the coconut to the beach at low tide and-and-.*sniff*"
"Oh sweetie, that's awful."
"So I have to protect my treasures by keeping them with me. But my shell is too small, even for me, and all the good ones get taken before I can get to them."
Great. You just had to get involved. Now you're invested in helping this little guy. Rock and a hard place. Leave him sad and reduce time stream interaction or help him and risk ripples through time. But he's just a little hermit crab. What harm could come from making him smile?
"Wait here. I've got an idea. I'll be right back."
Rachel twisted her mermaid body and dove into deeper water. When she returned the little crab had moved from the root to the beach. The young Master pulled herself upon the sand but kept enough of her tail in the water so the gentle waves maintained the transformation.
"Will any of these work?"
Rachel presented eight empty shells of various sizes, types and colors. The little crabs' eyes widened and his jaw just about hit the sand.
"F-f-for me?!"
"Absolutely. Take your time. I won't look."
She turned around so he could change shells in private. All the while the chorus of delighted giggles made her smile.
"This is perfect!"
"Found a good one?"
"Yes!"
Chuckling quietly Rachel turned again. The little crab had chosen an orange and brown striped snail shell. He scuttled in circles trying to get the best look at his new home. He was positively beaming. On the sand not far from him was a small pile of found things. Among them were shell shards, a misshapen pearl, colored and polished stones and a smooth piece of wave-beaten wood in the shape of an O. Everything except the pearl and the shell piece he'd just shown her was very small.
"Are these your treasures?"
"Yes! Do you like them?"
"You certainly have a good eye for quality."
His smile widened. Rachel picked up a pebble and between two fingers and examined it. The little crab watched her eagerly.
"I like the stripe on this one. And it has a few sparkles in it too. This is a good find."
"You really think so?" He clipped his claws together happily. "I like the stripes too. But the sparkles are the best part."
"They are. I'm a bit of a sparkle fanatic myself-." Rachel stopped. De ja vu had just hit her like a train. That feeling of misplaced familiarity instantly put her brain in a jam. She looked down at the smiling little crab again. No way. Couldn't be. Was it even possible? Yeah, right, talking owls and flying elephants; anything was possible. A very tight stab of nervousness hit her stomach. "Hey, little guy, what's your name, by the way?"
"My name's Tamatoa! My friends call me Tama. Well, I guess I'd let them call me that if I had more friends. But you can call me that if you like. What's your name?"
Oh boy.
The term 'shot yourself in the foot' came to mind first. Only the weapon in question was a bazooka. But she was too late to back out now. She had to wrap this up fast then book it.
"I'm afraid I can't tell you my real name but some of my friends call me Dancing Fire."
Stop talking! You're just digging yourself a deeper hole!
"Fire? But don't you live in the sea?"
"I do. But remember how I said I was magical?"
Rachel formed a ball of orange and yellow light in her hand and made it more like a disturbed candle flame. His eyes sparkled with wonder.
"Now, don't tell anyone you saw that, okay?"
Mouth agape he nodded.
"Well, I'm sorry but I need to get going. It's been-."
"Wait! You're leaving? Why? Please don't go. I've never met a sea spirit before! No one's ever been this nice to me before. And you're the only one whose ever had anything nice to say about my collection."
"I'm afraid the time I have left in this place is not anything I have any control over." No kidding. "When I get called away I have to go. But thank you for sharing your treasure with me."
Tiny Tamatoa looked puzzled for a second. "Share? But I didn't give anything for you to keep."
"Sharing doesn't have to be a physical thing of yours you give to someone. You shared with me your time. You shared something you're passionate about. Those little things add up to joy, even if just a short while. And that's something we both get to keep."
Yep. One shovelful at a time. You're so far ahead of yourself you'll never catch up. You've come this far, why stop now?
Great. My conscience has sunk to sarcasm.
But I'm right.
Shut up!
The potential monster crab considered her words with a thoughtful scowl. Was the idea that 'sharing' and 'trade' were not mutually exclusive that strange a concept?
"I still would like to give you something."
"That's not-."
But he'd already gone back to his pile.
Some things are starting to make more sense now aren't they? We've been trying to tiptoe around a sleeping tiger and here you went and stepped on its tail.
You done yet?
Oh, believe me, I've got more.
Past Tamatoa scuttled shyly toward her. He looked at the chosen trinket between his claws a bit sadly before presenting it. It was a misshapen pearl.
"This is the prettiest thing I've ever found. Because you've been so nice to me I-I want you to have it."
"I'm honored. I promise I will take special care of it."
Rachel went to reach for it but Tamatoa pulled his claws back, smiling playfully.
"But first do some more magic."
Rachel smiled through the sarcastic snottiness of her better judgement. "Okay, but this is the last one. And you can't tell anyone. It will be our secret."
"YahYah! Do the magic!"
Looking around Rachel picked up a plain grey stone from the sand. She took the pearl and cupped them clamshell-style in both hands. Rachel closed her eyes and focused on the correct incantation. No sooner had she finished muttering the spell she opened her hand flat. The stone glowed with a pale red sheen. Little Tamatoa's eyes nearly bugged out of his head as he watched the stone stretch and change shape before his eyes. The spell only lasted a few seconds. The finished product was a stone ring wrapped around the imperfect pearl. The band was essentially a rounded X. Rachel placed it on the middle finger of her left hand. The gap in the band fit perfectly around the band of the ring Merlin gave her.
"Oooooh!" Tamatoa breathed in awe. He looked between the two rings several times, his eyes sparkling brighter than her ruby in the sun. "They're so pretty!"
"Thank you. And they're both very special."
"Why?"
"They were each given to me by special friends."
"We-we're friends?"
Mayday! Mayday! Quit while you're behind!
"Well, I don't know if we'll ever have the chance to meet again, but I'd consider myself very lucky to know there was a nice little crab somewhere who thinks of me as a friend."
He looked up at her. He could see how touched hearing that made him feel.
"The future is uncertain but it would be nice if we were to meet again."
Shouldn't have said that!
"I'd like that a lot! I hope we do someday!"
"Until then I will treasure this always," Rachel said, indicating the ring. "Goodbye, little one."
"Bye-bye!"
Tamatoa waved his little claw as she backed up into deeper water. She too waved then dove out of sight.
WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT!?
Only then did the young Master realize her heart was beating hard from nervousness. That had taken a turn she had not expected. Her brain started flooding with the comments the future Tamatoa had made that, at the time, had made no sense at all. That would also explain why her repeated insistences they had never met before made him so angry. They had, just not in the right order.
A lot of questions arose at once. How did a love of collecting turn into such greed? How the heck did that mini crab end up a hundred-foot tall monster? The questions didn't stop there but a familiar and uncomfortable tug told her her time in this time was up.
Title Translation: The Future is in the Past
