Water Running Deep
three
Celestine, wait, Quatre said, his grounding wobbly on the slippery underfoot. How do I know that this isn't some sort of hallucination? This can't be real...
Amidst the trembling walls, glittering with sand, Celestine stopped, her scaly skin causing a diamond like reflection against the water. Humans moved up, Quatre, out to space. The depths of the ocean were left uncharted. My people, the Atlantans, were under siege on our home planet, and found yours to be the best suited. Right around the time that the colonies in space were being built. Now, our enemies, the Mneosyctics have returned through a portal we left unguarded on our home world.
You're an alien?
She nodded, her hair bobbing in an elegant follow through. We've lived here in the New Atlantis for a century, and the Mneos returned three years ago.
The dragon, whom Celestine had called Aureole, stood nearby, looking about as monotonous as a frying pan with eyes and an annoyed, swishing tail. Celestine had come to a stop, and with her the quakes did too. Quatre's head began to spin, and soon he found himself sitting on the hard, smooth foundation of the cave. Nearby, there was a pool of water leading down, back to the ocean; deep blue and going on for what seemed to be eternity. The water rippled, and from the surface tension, a large bump rose and mutated itself into the likeness of a humanoid. The silvery water peeled back to reveal a white face, with large eyes and an absence of scales.
The cumbersome creature floated and swiveled before Quatre, still attached to the main body of salt water. The thing's eyes, round and colored the same overwhelming shade of a sunset on the horizon of an ocean, peered at Quatre. Celestine jumped when she saw what was going on, and raced over to push Quatre away, shielding him with her body. The small, watery being had reached out, a white hand about to touch Quatre's face, before it was faced harshly with Celestine, on the war path and thirsty for blood. Aureole screeched, hissing and spitting, riled up and curled like a pit viper in the corner of the cave. Quatre glanced back. Gigantic and powerful, the dragon was cornering itself, backing away with its tail tucked tightly to its leg.
What's going on, Celestine?
A quick movement from the water startled Celestine before she could answer, and the entity, almost three and a half feet tall now, was dashing out of the water. Peeling off of its body, the shiny water pooled and burst, evaporating away as it neared Quatre. The white, unblemished skin of the emerged form was uncovered, except for an amazing show of brightly plumaged fins extending from the thing's arms and ears. Quatre wasn't afraid.
She's like a child, he muttered, the animal obviously female, with its incredibly long, blue and red hair. How is she dangerous?
Celestine's breath caught. No, not this one too. Please don't. Why are you trying to destroy us?
Suddenly, the little childlike water nymph--as Quatre had quickly thought--became still and looked back at Celestine with deadened eyes. A species has instincts, does it not?
Of course, Quatre nodded, everything has rational beliefs. But fighting, it isn't the way to make a lineage.
Human, I am a Mneosyctic, she explained, now facing him, we do not exist solely as breathing objects. We are forever. We are the very essence of vitality. We are fate. We are one and many. We never die. We come to be in every generation through the evil in the souls of civilization. Even in one, we thrive.
This is our enemy, Quatre.
Just one? Is that what she means? That there is only one?
We are known by no name such as one or two or three or four, human. There are such things as us in your own society. In your own mortal hearts and lives.
The Mneosyctic touched Quatre, and he felt nothing but a slight tingling sensation along his jaw. You have such, human. You have regret and woe. Two tiny images of humans appeared in her hands, suspended like marionettes. One was sad, looking back, and the other was looking up, its hand covering its face. You are the kind, gentle, and empathic. You go against us in your own world. But there is no way to destroy us all. We are everywhere.
The images were crushed, turning to fumes in the Mneo's hands. Celestine edged toward the wall, groping for something. The Mneosyctic waved her off, and send Celestine off towards the cowering Aureole.
Do you fear me, human Quatre?
He shook his head. I overcame the fear of evil a long time ago.
You understand?
One thing I don't understand is how Celestine planned on fighting a war against constitutional feelings with mobile suits.
That thing was their leader, Quatre...
I come from your own kind, Atlantan Grand Commander Celestine. The Mneo stands awkwardly and takes Quatre's hand. She leads him past the dragon and fallen Celestine. Come, Quatre, past pilot of Sandrock, let us view the Atlantan fleet of battle.
They entered the main city, strewn with lights and slick with dew from surrounding ocean water. Below them was a large containing pool with four suits. They were advanced, with turbines and cannons. Biomechanical, with live insides and dense external paneling. Quatre watched from above with the hovering Mneo, who was grinning neatly.
They are called Hydro Flyers, she explained, and they are useless against the men I have stolen.
The pilots weren't really killed, were they?
No. They were overtaken by their own inner desires of destruction.
Then who was there to fight in the first place?
Renegades from the old Atlantis. They were driven away not by us, but by their own idle and tainted lives. Surely you understand political coercement and power grappling.
He nodded, finally animate. Yes. Yes, I do.
There just has to be an enemy to fight, Celestine strode carefully from the cave, not seeking to anger the Mneo. There has to be.
Those you fight--they are your own species. Their instincts turn them to become an enemy, and yours tell you to fight back. Do they not?
Quatre looked away from the pool and out onto the city. She's right. Humans fight humans. Atlantans fight Atlantans.
The Mneo, giggling, hugged to Quatre's side, her skin steaming with the contact of a pure heart. This human is strong. Far stronger than you, Celestine. I see your instincts have also unwittingly led you to chose a formidable opponent. But he is not my catch. We are neutral. He cannot change your future, and we cannot change his.
Celestine gritted her teeth, clenched her hands, and trembled, just as the city did. The Mneo stood motionless, not directly causing anything of the Atlantan's struggles. Celestine. You want to hurt me?
I want for this to go away! she screamed, tears streaming down her water resistant face. I want for my people to come back to me! If not, I'd rather be dead!
In a three sixty revolution, the Mneo gazed at Celestine and acknowledged her tears. A single person cannot change the inherent with the water they originated from.
Aureole scrambled from the cave, too large to enter the city, but viciously fighting to reach Celestine. Something deadly hung in the humid air and Quatre felt it in his heart. The Mneo lifted a milky white hand and disappeared.
No! You destroyed my people! Celestine screamed, walking towards the edge, pushing Quatre away. I have to defeat you! To take exact revenge for my family! Come back! Come back and show me how infinite you really are, Mneosyctic!
Celestine, you can't, Quatre said pleadingly, you can't fight her. The Mneosyctics aren't something you can fight! It's inside everyone. It cannot be extinguished! Listen!
Shrugging him off as Aureole struggled--stuck in the cave--Celestine stepped up onto the curb of the rise, her eyes filled to the brim with tears. If that is true, Gundam pilot, she whispered, then I would rather be dead.
The dragon who'd brought him there let out a horrible shriek, and Quatre stumbled from the sound as Celestine let herself fall from the platform. The entire structure of Atlantis shook violently as she plummeted down and down, her hair coming undone, her skirt shredding from the sheer velocity of her drop. The saline tears she'd been shedding lifted into the air, dissipating behind her as she neared the containment pool that held her beloved suits. Quatre turned away just as Aureole broke through the barrier that held her from her despairing friend.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! CELESTINE! Aureole shifted down into another, humanoid form when there came a reverberating crash heard throughout the city. With Celestine's death, Aureole returned to the Atlantan body she'd originally been given, before willing herself to be part of the war effort with a shape shifting spell cast by Celestine.
Her great spindly wings lifted as she bound over the side where Celestine had been standing just moments earlier. Struck deeply into shock, Quatre's knees buckled, and he collapsed, then staring up at the clear ceiling; allowing his view of the sun-splashed ocean above him. Below, Aureole screeched again in a human voice.
On the top of a Hydro Flyer, Celestine had plowed into the cockpit, smashing the polymer and crushing her own body on impact. Red blood had already seeped into the water, turning the pool a terrifying crimson. Aureole crouched by Celestine's side, her dark blue scales glinting in the reflected light, and her even darker hair fallen limp at her shoulders, tail drooping into the water. Celestine had lost all life, and Aureole was so scared and sad that she couldn't touch her friend, much less stay there any longer. Throwing her head back, she wept and clawed her way back up part of the wall before taking to her wings and floating back to the top. Her clawed hand came to rest on Quatre's face, her tears dripping onto him as she leaned down.
I thank you, she choked, I understand now.
You're kind, like me, he said, you could change all this if you find someone strong enough to fight for what is really the right thing, Aureole.
Human Quatre, whispered a familiar, all-knowing voice, you must return.
In an advance of less than five seconds, Quatre felt water rushing by, filling his nose and lungs until he became part of the ocean.
He was being tossed along the shore, sand in his hair and all over his clothes. He coughed vehemently, waves rushing over him, thrown like heavy cloaks of suffocation. The nasty taste of salt saturated his mouth, and as his eyes slid open, he saw a worried face.
Quatre, Quatre! God, are you okay, Quatre?
Dorothy was standing nearby, slapping his cheeks as he laid right in the rising tide's path. Gritty sand all over, Quatre sat up, and found his feet with Dorothy clinging to his arm to make sure he wouldn't fall over. He rubbed his face gingerly and looked around.
What happened? he asked.
She laughed uneasily. You fell asleep! And the tide's rising now. You could have drowned if I didn't show up.
He looked over at her, catching his breath. I'm sorry. The remnants of his dream flitted eagerly through his mind as Dorothy monitored his trip back up the beach to his mansion in her sun dress and large straw hat. He decided to keep the vivid dream to himself.
Next time, just sleep on the balcony, she suggested.
He sighed. But, wait. Why did you come to visit? I mean, I almost drown on the shore, and you show up unexpectedly.
She removed her hat and took a seat at the table. I wanted to thank you. Things have changed a lot since that last time...we...met.
He listened.
I really just wanted to tell you I'm sorry, she fingered the hat, and I am. You've changed my life forever.
Quatre shrugged. You can't thank me. It wasn't me that did it. It's just human for us to make mistakes, Dorothy. Just human.
But you saved me, she leaned forward, sincerity in her pale blue eyes, if you hadn't been there for me at the end, I probably wouldn't be alive today...
She'd rather die than live with hatred and anger, with violence and war.
THE END