(AN: Warning for child death this chapter. It isn't graphic, but please be aware.)
Ceto pressed a hand against her temple. Another civilian complaining about low rations. Was someone stealing them, perhaps? She would have to check. Of course she cared deeply for her people, but on that day of all days, she truly needed a break. So many promises of 'I will do what I can', 'This will be fixed as soon as possible', she wasn't sure how many of them she could keep.
She watched the civilian leave the throne room, and not long after, Karkinos came in.
"He was the last one for today," He said, with a bow.
Ceto got up from the throne. "Good."
"Lady Ceto, are you alright?" Karkinos asked. "You don't seem well."
"I'm just a bit tired," Ceto said. "Karkinos, do you know what day it is today?"
"It's..." Karkinos paused. "Oh, it's the anniversary, isn't it? With all that's been happening, I completely forgot."
"On this day, fifteen years ago, Thalassa launched the final attack, and so many died," Ceto said. "To have the Gems of Tide today, it would be so poetic."
"Fifteen years, and it still hasn't gotten any easier," Karkinos said.
"No, it hasn't." Ceto went over to a side door off the throne room, and motioned for Karkinos to follow her. "Come."
It was a small room, but it was well used. It was decorated with lit candles and all kinds of flowers. At the far end of the room, two large portraits were mounted on the wall, one of an old man, and the other of a younger man, labeled 'Aegaeon' and 'Phorcys', respectively.
Karkinos followed Ceto as she picked up two bouquets of flowers and went over to the portraits.
"Father," She said as she placed one bouquet beneath the portrait labeled 'Aegaeon'. She placed the other bouquet under the portrait labeled 'Phorcys', and said, "My love."
Karkinos placed a hand on Ceto's shoulder. "I am truly sorry, Lady Ceto."
Ceto didn't look at him, and instead kept her gazed locked on the portraits in front of her. "Thalassa took everything from me," She said, "And so, I will take everything from her."
OP: "Swim! Splash! Precure!"
EPISODE 5:
"The Tale of the Kingdom of Waves!"
"And here we are!" Ruth proclaimed as she lead the group into her house.
The television was on, and some kind of superhero movie was playing. Someone paused it, and Ruth's older sister, Charlotte, popped up from the couch, a bright smile on her face. "Ruth! Hi!"
"Hi, Charlotte!" Ruth said.
"Hey," Marie said.
"What's up?" Natasha said.
"Marie, Nat, hey!" Charlotte looked over to Talia, who seemed to be trying to act like she wasn't there. "And there's someone new!"
"This is my new friend, Talia," Ruth said, throwing an arm around Talia.
Talia looked up, startled. "Uh, hello."
"Well, nice to meet you, Talia!" Charlotte greeted.
"Are Mom and Dad home yet?" Ruth asked.
"Nope, not yet," Charlotte answered.
"Alright," Ruth said. "Well, we're just gonna be hanging out upstairs, don't mind us!"
"Okay, and I'll be down here!" Charlotte said. She turned back toward the TV and unpaused the movie.
Ruth led the group upstairs and to her bedroom. Inside, everything was clean and organized. Ruth's bed was perfectly made, and the books on her bookshelf were all neatly lined up in even rows. Notebooks, pens, pencils and other supplies lined up on the desk made for an ideal place to study and do homework, and even Ruth's closet was neat and tidy.
Marie, Natasha and Talia walked into the room, and Ruth shut the door behind them.
"Make yourself at home, everybody," Ruth said.
Marie unzipped her bag. "Onda, Costa, it's safe to come out now," She said, opening the bag wide to let the fairies out.
"Today has been wild," Ruth said. "You are going to explain everything to me now, right?"
"Of course," Costa said. "Better yet, now that all four of the Pretty Cure are gathered, it's time we told you all the full story."
"The full story... of what, exactly?" Talia said.
"The Kingdom of Waves!" Onda exclaimed.
"Yes," Costa said. "Of our birthplace, the Kingdom of Waves, what's going on there, why we came here, and on your mission as Pretty Cure."
"Well, we're listening!" Natasha said.
"It's a pretty long story," Costa said. "You all might want to sit down for this."
Marie and Talia sat down next to each other on Ruth's bed, while Natasha decided to sit on the floor, leaning her back against the bedside. Ruth pulled up her desk chair and sat down in it.
"Everyone, listen carefully as me and Costa tell you-" Onda posed to add emphasis, "-the tale of the Kingdom of Waves!"
"Not sure if the pose was necessary," Costa said. "And I'll probably be telling most of it. Onda tends to forget a lot of important facts."
Costa cleared her throat. "The Kingdom of Waves is... was a magical oceanic kingdom beneath the sea, beautiful unlike any other. Onda and I were the guardians of the Kingdom's most precious, sacred treasures: five magical jewels known as the Gems of Tide. Used together, the Gems allow their user complete control over the power of the seas."
"And... I found one of them," Marie said.
"That's right!" Onda said.
"How did you lose them in the first place?" Natasha said. "You two were supposed to be the guardians!"
"I'll get to that," Costa continued. "It all started with our previous ruler, King Nereus, and his wife, Queen Doris. You're all already familiar with the generals of Abyss. Abyss is a country neighboring the Kingdom of Waves. Obviously, we aren't on good terms now, but we were, once. And then, all that began to unravel with the assassination of Queen Doris."
"What happened to her?" Ruth asked.
"No one knows how it happened, or even why. She was found one morning with a knife embedded in her chest," Costa said. "The culprit was never found, but King Nereus immediately accused Aegaeon, king of Abyss, of orchestrating the assassination. Without proof, it didn't lead to war, but Aegaeon was deeply insulted by the accusation, and it drove a wedge between the Kingdom of Waves and Abyss."
"How did it turn into war, then?" Talia asked.
"On his way to a peace council in Abyss, King Nereus was ambushed by a force of soldiers led by King Aegaeon, and was killed," Costa said. "No one knows why. It seems extreme to strike back against an accusation of murder with actual murder. Perhaps Aegaeon was jealous of how Nereus's people frolicked in the shallows while his wasted away in the depths. War was declared, and Nereus's eldest daughter, Thalassa, took the throne. No one knew at the time just how long the war would last. The years passed by, an end to the war far out of sight, but eventually, the Kingdom of Waves seemed to be near victory."
"Your majesty," The servant said, "General Proteus is waiting for you in the war room."
"Thank you," Thalassa said, "Tell him I'll be there in a moment, and Pontus will be there, as well."
The servant bowed, and left the room.
"I never said I wanted to go," Pontus said.
"No," Thalassa said, "But I assumed you would like to be there. The war is nearly over, and we've almost won. This is important for both of us."
"Indeed." Pontus placed a gentle hand on Thalassa's stomach. She hadn't started to show quite yet. "I want our child to grow up in a time of peace, not war."
"I know," Thalassa said. "I do, too."
"Are you sure General Proteus won't suggest using the Gems of Tide again?" Pontus asked.
"He has no reason to," Thalassa said. "With the war nearly won for us, there's no need for such drastic measures. Besides, he already knows my answer will always be no."
"We can only hope," Pontus said. "Let's not keep them waiting any longer."
It was only a short walk to the war room. General Proteus was there, as expected, but there was an unexpected guest.
"Amphitrite," Thalassa said. "I didn't know you'd be interested in the meeting."
"Hello, sister," Amphitrite said. "You don't mind me joining in, do you?"
"You're always welcome," Thalassa said, smiling.
"Queen Thalassa, King Pontus," General Proteus said with a bow. "I heard about your pregnancy, your majesty. Congratulations."
"Thank you," Thalassa said.
"Let's get started," Proteus said.
The group surrounded the war table, its surface covered with a map, with representations of troop movements, forts and similar.
"As you can see," Proteus began, "Our troops have marched deep within Abyssal territory, and we've finally cornered their army within their capital. There's no where left for them to run. I say we launch an all-out attack from all sides upon the capital. There will be no escape, forcing King Aegaeon to surrender."
"I trust your judgement, General," Thalassa said.
Amphitrite spoke up. "But we will let Aegaeon live, won't we?"
"Why are you so compassionate toward the people of Abyss, Princess?" Proteus asked. "Need I remind you that they are responsible for the murder of your father?"
"Are we truly any better if we allow the murder of innocents?" Amphitrite said. "Don't think I haven't forgotten your plan to use the Gems of Tide. How could anyone forget, with how much you've pushed my sister to go through with it?"
"Are you calling King Aegaeon innocent?" Proteus shot back.
"That's quite enough, General," Thalassa said. "Amphitrite is right. Assuming King Aegaeon surrenders peacefully, we have no reason to kill him."
"Thank you, Sister," Amphitrite said.
If Proteus was angered by this, he didn't show it. "Very well, your majesty," He said. "I would like to say that, as this will be a battle to end the war at last, I believe it would be symbolic to have a member of the royal family to join in the battle. Your skills in battle are great, Queen Thalassa, you certainly know how to wield a trident, but I doubt with your pregnancy you would like to join. King Pontus, Princess Amphitrite, would either of you like to?"
"I'll go," Amphitrite said. "After all, someone has to make sure you keep your word and let Aegaeon live."
"I will, as well," Pontus said.
"Thank you both," Proteus said. "May we lead our kingdom into a time of peace and prosperity."
Thalassa was more nervous than she liked to admit. A week later, she watched from her balcony as the army marched out, Proteus leading, Pontus and Amphitrite at his sides. Amphitrite rode proudly upon her prized hippocamp, named Bythos, her head held high.
Thalassa tried her best to ignore the icy feeling of uncertainty that took hold of her at that moment, and told herself that by that time the next week, the war would be over.
"So..." Talia began, "How did the battle go? Did they win?"
Onda looked away and frowned.
"Somehow, Abyss knew we were coming," Costa said. "No one knows how we were found out, but they had prepared, and our army was decimated. Over half were killed, and among the dead, were..."
"King Pontus and Princess Amphitrite," Onda finished sadly.
"Oh, no," Ruth said.
Costa continued the story. "Queen Thalassa, obviously, did not take it well. Her husband and her younger sister were dead, her army was at less than half the size it was, and of course, the war would continue. And yet, fate still wasn't done with her."
Princess Thetis was born weak and sickly. Thalassa blamed herself. Upon her army's great defeat and the death of Pontus and Amphitrite, she entered a deep depression and neglected to take care of herself. The neglect showed when her daughter came into the world and Thaumus, the royal physician, almost declared the child dead upon birth. He said it was unlikely Thetis would survive the night, and when she was found alive the next morning, unlikely she would survive the week. And now, here she was, a month old, and still alive. Not completely well, but she was alive.
Thalassa held her daughter carefully. She was so small, so delicate. Thetis meant the world to her. In the first days of the child's life, Thalassa was constantly worried about her, but as time passed, the queen's hopes grew. Thetis was getting better and better every day. She was still weak, Thaumus had said, but she was doing very well, and he had little doubt that she would grow into a healthy, strong girl. Thalassa took it as a sign. If Thetis could recover, so, too, could the Kingdom of Waves.
Thetis was breathing shallowly at the moment, evidence of her lingering weakness.
Thalassa placed a gentle kiss upon her daughter's forehead. "Be strong, my little Thetis," She whispered. "You are the hope of the Kingdom of Waves, and my hope, as well."
There was a knock at the door. Thalassa carefully placed Thetis down in her cradle, and went to get it. When she opened it, she found Thaumus there.
"You're late," Thalassa said.
"I'm aware, your majesty, and I'm terribly sorry," Thaumus said. "I was treating another patient, and I couldn't afford to hurry."
"I understand," Thalassa said. "You're forgiven."
"Thank you, your majesty," Thaumus said. "How is Princess Thetis?"
"Her breathing is shallow," Thalassa said.
"Well, let me have a look at her," Thaumus said.
Thalassa stepped aside, allowing Thaumus to enter the room. "Please do."
The two of them approached Thetis's cradle, and as Thalassa reached in to pick her daughter up, she was happy to find that Thetis had stopped breathing shallowly. As Thalassa held Thetis in her arms, however, she realized Thetis wasn't breathing at all. Her eyes were shut and she was completely still.
"Queen Thalassa, is she-?" Thaumus choked.
Thalassa didn't say anything. She didn't make a sound as tears slipped out of her eyes, falling downward and landing on Thetis's body.
Eyecatch 1: Marie, Natasha, Talia and Ruth are all in beachwear, chasing Onda and Costa along the beach. Marie, however, trips on a rock and falls right on her face. The others laugh and help her up as the Precure Ocean Splash logo appears in the corner.
Eyecatch 2: Standing in a line, the girls all hold oyster shells in their hands. One by one, they open them up. Marie opens hers up, nothing, Natasha, nothing, Ruth, nothing, but when Talia opens hers up, inside is a sparkling pearl. The others look at her while she proudly smiles, and the Precure Ocean Splash logo appears.
"N-No way," Marie said. "That's..."
"Gnarly," Talia finished.
"You sound like a surfer, Talia." Natasha shrugged. "Not the word I would've gone with, but it works."
Ruth looked down. "So... What did Queen Thalassa do then?"
Onda looked away, tears in her eyes.
Costa frowned. "Something none of us are proud of."
"You've already lost so much, Queen Thalassa!" Proteus said. "A husband, a sister and a daughter!"
Thalassa remained silent.
Proteus continued. "I'm a husband and a father. My family means the world to me. Surely you understand, your majesty!"
Thalassa frowned. "Of course I do, General."
"And I'm not alone. How many families live in the Kingdom of Waves?" Proteus said. "How much longer must we worry if our family is going to be next? How much longer will you allow your people to live in fear? End the worries, end the fear. Please, I'm begging you, your majesty. You can put an end to all of this, and finally let your family's souls rest. Use the Gems of Tide, and finally bring an end to this terrible war that has already costed us far too much."
"I..." Thalassa paused. Was she really doing this? "...I'll do it."
That conversation had happened only two weeks before, but to Thalassa, it felt like an eternity. She had been so nervous and anxious as she counted down the days until they would march. She rode atop her hippocamp, Aphros, riding beside General Proteus and they led the army toward Abyss. Having the army there with them was more symbolic than anything else. There would be no battle on this day.
The border was in sight now. Thalassa could first see a fort along the edge, and then beyond the fort, further off in the distance, a village came into view. Already, she could see Abyssal soldiers along the walls of the fort, pointing to the approaching army, preparing for battle. Poor souls. They had no idea what was about to happen.
The army came to a stop, and General Proteus turned on his hippocamp toward Thalassa. "Your majesty, it's time."
Thalassa nodded. Reaching into her saddlebag, she pulled out a box, and opened it to reveal the Gems of Tide. She reached toward them, and the Gems immediately responded to her, floating out of their case and into her waiting hands.
"Hold the box for me while I do this," Thalassa said.
"Of course," Proteus said, reaching and taking the box from the queen.
Thalassa's heart was pounding and her hands were shaking. She took a deep breath, raising her hands high above her head. The Gems of Tide began to glow, and floated out of Thalassa's hands, instead floating in a circle around her. Immediately, she felt the currents around her picking up in speed. Some of the soldiers around her looked worried as they, too, felt it. They had no reason to feel worried. The seas would obey Thalassa's every whim. They would all be unharmed. The same could not be said for Abyss.
Another deep inhale, and then an exhale. The Gems of Tide glowed blindingly bright, and their full power was being unleashed. Thalassa looked ahead toward the border as the fierce tides ripped toward Abyss. The fort, standing strong, crumpled like a house of cards. Less than a second later, the village was flattened. How long would it take to reach Abyss's capital? A few minutes at the most.
Already, Thalassa could hear screaming.
What was it that Amphitrite had said?
"Are we truly any better if we allow the murder of innocents?"
"And so Abyss was almost completely destroyed, and the war ended at last." Costa said. "That was... fifteen years ago, today."
Marie, Talia and Ruth all sat in stunned silence, unsure of what to say. Finally, Natasha spoke up.
"Are... Are we the bad guys?" Natasha asked. "Are we the bad guys?!"
"No, no!" Onda said. "What happened then was really awful, but you've seen for yourself what Abyss does! They're hurting people!"
"That's the thing, Onda," Costa said. "Abyss are up to some nasty stuff themselves, but I'm wondering if the Kingdom of Waves deserves it."
Marie frowned. "What's going on today, then?"
"After the end of the war, Queen Thalassa asked any Abyssal people, whether they were born in Abyss or were just of Abyssal descent, to leave the Kingdom of Waves. If they refused to leave, they were forced out. And one of those people forced out was a woman named Ceto," Costa explained. "Enraged at Queen Thalassa for driving her out and destroying her homeland, Ceto seeked revenge. Confined to the ruins of Abyss, Ceto became a leader to the survivors, who saw her as a beacon of hope. For fifteen years, she built up Abyss, built up an army. About a month ago, she finally struck back, making short work of our army and quickly cutting her way through the Kingdom of Waves."
"She got to the royal palace, and, me and Costa, we..." Onda said, "...We failed in our duty as guardians of the Gems of Tide. Instead of standing our ground, we hid." Onda started crying. "It's all our fault! I'm sorry, Queen Thalassa! I'm sorry!"
"Onda, please stop crying." Costa gave her sister a pat on her back. "I promise it's not our fault. But... Yes, we did hide. Queen Thalassa sent the Gems of Tide to Earth before Ceto could get to them, because of the Pretty Cure, the legendary warriors from Earth, who she hoped would awaken and find the Gems before Ceto could. Ceto confronted Queen Thalassa, and easily defeated her in battle. She took the queen hostage, and then finally... Onda and I came to Earth to find the Pretty Cure, and the Gems of Tide."
"We really have to find the Gems of Tide, the fate of all worlds is at stake!" Onda said. "We should get started really soon!"
Ruth raised her hand. "I'll do it."
Talia raised her hand, too. "Count me in, too."
"I'm in," Natasha said, raising her hand. "I mean, it's probably too late to back out, anyway!"
"Marie?" Ruth said.
"Huh?" Marie said. "Me?"
"You're in, too, aren't you?" Talia asked.
"Oh!" Marie raised her hand, grinning. "Of course I am!"
"It's decided, then!" Ruth said. "We're a team! And I've watched enough superhero media with Charlotte to know that we need a team name."
"Why not just Pretty Cure?" Talia said.
"I think we need to make it our own," Ruth said.
"Precure Pals?" Natasha suggested.
"What kind of name is that?" Talia said.
"Hmph, Marie made fun of it, too," Natasha said, sticking her tongue out. "I don't get enough appreciation around here."
"How about..." Marie thought for a second. "...Pretty Cure Ocean Splash?"
"I really like that, actually!" Ruth said.
"It sounds nice!" Talia said.
"Well, it's not as good as Precure Pals," Natasha said, "But it is a good name."
"That's that, then!" Ruth said. "From this moment on, we're Pretty Cure Ocean Splash!"
The four of them held hands in a circle, and said it all together.
"Pretty Cure Ocean Splash!"
"All of this, everything, is for you both," Ceto said quietly.
She looked toward the portrait of Aegaeon. "Father, I was illegitimate. As king, you should have rejected me, refused to acknowledge me as your daughter, especially considering who my mother was. And yet, you never did. You cared for me all the same. I only wish I could have seen you, one final time, before Thalassa took your life and so many others. When all this is over, I will take the title of Queen of Abyss, as you would have wanted."
Ceto then looked to the other portrait. "Phorcys, my love, not a day has gone by that I haven't thought about you and what could have been, if you had survived. Would we have married? Would you and I be leading Abyss together? I told you to come back with me to the Kingdom of Waves. Of course you refused. You took your role as my father's royal bodyguard seriously. You stood by his side until the very end. That's respectable, I suppose, but sometimes I wish you hadn't been so respectable. Then, maybe you'd be standing by my side today."
"A universe that took you both away from me is a universe that does not deserve to exist," Ceto said. "When I get my hands on the Gems of Tide... I'll destroy all of them. All the worlds will fall, and I'll make Thalassa watch. She'll watch as I use her kingdom's most sacred, precious treasures to take countless lives. I'll destroy the Kingdom of Waves last, and once that is done, then, and only then, will I finally allow her to die."
Ceto finally turned around and left the room.
"Fifteen years, and it still hasn't gotten any easier."
ED: Ride~The~Waves
ON THE NEXT EPISODE:
Ruth: This is bad, everyone... Somebody took a video of us, and it's gone viral!
Marie: These days, we've should've known something like that would happen sooner or later.
Natasha: But hey, we're famous! That's pretty awesome, right?
Talia: It's a problem. If we're famous, everyone is going to want to find out about our secret identities!
Marie: Next time on Pretty Cure Ocean Splash: Pretty Cure's gone public! Can our secret stay secret? Let the waves rush over you!
