Chapter 16: House Visits
Florescent fish glowed brighter as the light in Termina grew dimmer. Houses began to light up slowly as Zoras were getting ready to greet the darkness of the night. Not that they actually needed to light up their homes, and not that they were actually greeting the hours of darkness, for there were already a bunch of lighting fish up in the giant cavern's ceiling of Termina City. And because of this reason, the fish that they used in their houses were luminescent fish, different from florescent fish. One was fainter and one was brighter.
"Japas! You home?" Mikau yelled at the top of his lungs while floating outside of an old building.
Opening the door, an unclean Zora flew out and crashed into his friend. "Tackle!" He screamed.
"OW! Get off of me you fish!" Mikau struggled to get up from the floor.
Laughing, Japas got up from the Zoran Hero's crumbled body. Brushing away his fins, he smiled. "Okay. So where do we go now?"
Getting up while scouring the dusts away, Mikau smirked. "Actually, you AND Tobieas will come with me. And after I show you the place where you can clean yourself every once in a few days, both of you will come with me to a party."
Japas didn't say anything. His lips were in a straight line. Even though his long fins had covered his eyes (again), but he still couldn't hide his expression from Mikau's keen eyesight. Frowning, Mikau continued to wait for an answer.
Japas opened his mouth, but the sound that came out was distorted. It was more of a choke than a word.
"What? What's wrong?" Mikau was concerned. "You got choked on a fish bone?"
"I... He..." Japas slumped his shoulder. "To... Tobieas left without me..." His whole body was quivering.
Now Mikau's mood sank like an anchor. "What do you mean he left without you?"
Japas looked up. "He said that... he said that he has to find his mom. He said he has overstayed his welcome." The Zora shook his head. "I told him that it doesn't matter. Dad and I have already treated him as if he is part of our family a long time ago. He wouldn't listen."
Mikau moved closer to his friend. He placed his arm around Japas' shoulder. He was surprised at how skinny the kid was.
"I tried to forget his departure by acting as if I am happy and all..." Japas' voice trembled.
"You know what? It's his choice to leave and go in search of his parent. Wouldn't you have done the same if you were in his place?"
"Maybe... But still, he doesn't have to go immediately. I was just about to play a prank on him when he suddenly appeared in front of me and told me about his plans."
Mikau closed his eyes. Then he reopened it. "When you said he has left without you, does that mean you were planning to go with him?"
Japas stopped breathing. His mouth was slightly open with shock. Had he actually said that? He stared at the Zoran Hero.
Mikau faced his friend. "Tell me. Were you planning to leave me in order to go with him?"
"I..."
"Were you?"
"I don't know... I- I was... confused... puzzled..." Japas tried to avoid Mikau's piercing gaze. He deliberately allowed his elongated fins to covered most of his face.
Mikau looked sad. Still, his voice rang out with energy. "It's okay man. I understand. After all, you are with Tobieas more than you are with me. All these years together, of course you would choose to go with him. I don't blame you, and I never will blame you."
Japas didn't say anything. Mikau nudged him in the ribs. "Come on, I have to show you this place fast. Otherwise we will be late for the entertainment."
Both of them swam down the street in silence and vanished within the shadows.
* * *
They were about half a mile away from the City. The water currents were strong and wild at the place where Mikau had led Japas. The Zora had to pour on all of his strengths in order to keep up with the Legendary Zoran Hero's speed. The undercurrents were carrying the ocean dusts away. Seaweeds, algae, and other ocean plants were bending and blasting away in one direction as if some hurricane force was blowing them. Japas had to grab onto one of the reefs protruding from the sandy ground in order to prevent losing his footing. The visibility was pretty bad. All he could see in front of him was patches of white light.
"Mikau! This place is insane!" He yelled over the roar of the water.
Nodding, the young Zoran Hero extended his arm blades. He dug the blades deep into the sand, anchoring himself in place. Then he lifted his legs up and straight out, allowing his body to be shaped like a pole, letting the currents carrying his body, his weight. His two long fins beside his head were wavering rapidly.
"This is how you clean yourself! By using some sort of item to secure yourself in place, you can let the water do its trick!" Mikau yelled to Japas as he demonstrated. "Since the currents here are very strong, the mud and the filth on your body will be wafted away! See the sands that are being picked up? They can scrape away any dirty spots on your body!"
Zoras had skins that are rubbery, so they don't get cut easily.
Japas' lengthy fins were trailing behind his head. Mikau could see his friend's eyes clearly for the first time. It was golden colored, and shaped like the Hylians' eyes on dry land.
"You have a pair of weird looking eyes, Japas!"
"What? How in the world can you notice my eyes while I am trying hard not to be blown away like some leaves?" Japas' face turned slightly red. Some from the results of straining his muscles to extreme, and some from embarrassment.
"Here! Move closer to me! This spot is the best!"
"I am TRYING to!"
Edging closer inch by inch while holding onto whatever that he could find, Japas was determined to move to his friend's side. Twice, his feet had slipped from underneath and had almost got carried away if he had not grabbed onto the rocks beside him.
Finally, he grabbed Mikau's shoulder. "What would happen if you got carried away? Where would you end up?"
The Zoran Hero shrugged. "I don't know! You want to try it?"
"Are. You. Crazy?" Japas screamed.
"Don't yell beside me!" Mikau used his tail to slap Japas on the back of the head.
"Ow! Careful! You are making me slip!"
Slowly, but surely, the mud stains on Japas' body began to fade away, revealing the same silver colored body like Mikau's. But slightly skinnier of course.
"What the! Hey! You have the same color as I do!" Mikau's eyes were wide with disbelief.
Smiling, Japas reached out his left arm and grabbed Mikau at the back of the throat. He shook his friend's head quickly a few times and said, "Yeah! We are cousins I guess!"
After a few more minutes of drifting in the killer currents, both children left the area and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Awesome! I am clean!" Japas exclaimed. He observed his skin.
"Welcome to the civilization," Mikau muttered. He kept his eyes on Japas. "How in the world can you have the same color as I do?"
Faking a sad look, the boy placed his head beside Mikau's and said, "Well. I guess I am a Zoran Hero too." He laughed as he swam away at top speed.
Growling, Mikau chased after his pal.
* * *
It was five o'clock when both of them reached their destination. It was a huge house, with music blaring and children screaming. Japas shrank a little.
"Is little Japas scared of a house?" Mikau cooed. "Ack!"
The Zora had bonked Mikau on the head. "Say that again, and the next place that I am going to hit is going to hurt a lot worse."
Grinning sheepishly, Mikau swam to the door and gave a few hard knocks. One Zoran kid opened up.
"Hey! Mikau! Mikau is here!" He swung the door wide, inviting his classmate and the strange Zora in.
Everyone in the room turned around and began to cheer. Japas flinched. He was not used to be around with this many people.
Toto squeezed out from the crowds. "Hey! Welcome to my house, Mikau!" He patted his friend on the back. "We've been waiting for you for a long time. Who is this?" He asked when he saw Japas was looking left and right while fidgeting.
"Toto, I would like you to meet Japas. Japas, this is Toto."
They shook hands.
"Japas! You have the same body color as Mikau!" The kid gasped. "You guys brothers?"
Mikau groaned while wiping his face with his hands. He would never hear the end of it.
Laughing, Japas flicked Mikau's tail with his own. "See? Told you we are related!"
Mikau tackled him. A small wrestling contest began. Everyone formed a circle while yelling with joy. Even though Japas was born near an area where there were gangs around, and he had some experience at pinning someone, but he was no match for the Zoran Hero's agility and strength. Soon, he was on the floor begging for mercy with his wrists being turned at an unnatural angle. Mikau laughed as he released the hold.
"Just you wait until the next time, Mikau."
"You wish."
Toto grabbed both of them by the arms and led them toward the main section of the room. There were piles upon piles of different kinds of seafood on a long granite table. Fresh, tasty, and ready to be served. A few Zoras were helping themselves already.
Japas blinked a few times at the meals. "FOOD! I am there!" He dashed off toward the tables before Mikau could grab him and hold him back.
Toto watched on with fascination as Japas grabbed as much as he could: salmon, trout, oysters (with three different sauces), algae patties, seaweed salad, Shabom (Mikau's eyes widen at the sight of that), Tektite legs, clams, lobster...
Mikau slapped his forehead with degradation. His classmate chuckled. Moving away slowly from the disastrous scene, Toto now led Mikau toward a beautifully decorated hallway. With golden colored beams crossing in a pattern on the ceiling, and the lighting fish trapped within expensive containers, the place looked like a heaven. The walls were covered with well-made artifacts. Different sizes, shapes, and colors were mixing together, forming a wonderfully smooth and interesting texture.
"Holy. How rich are you, Toto?" Mikau gaped at the display. He reached out and touched one of the paintings gently.
"Oh, not as rich as Princess Ruto. Still, I think..."
Mikau grimaced at the mentioning of Ruto's name. Somehow he still felt bad about making her cry. Then again, it wasn't his fault that she was being such a slut. She deserved it. Mikau thought about it over and over again. Yes. She deserved the punishment. She needs to change her attitude and her way of thinking. She still had hope since she was still young, like him.
Toto continued to blare on, talking about how and who made what, where did all the items came from and so on.
"Are you even listening to me?" The Zora stopped when he grabbed Mikau's face and gave it a shake.
Slapping his friend's hand away, Mikau nodded. "Yeah. I've been listening. What a breathtaking... picture you have here," he gestured to a portrait of the renowned Zoran Hero.
Giving him a weird look, Toto cleared his throat. "Uh, I was talking about whether if you want to eat in the Dining Room or in the Living Room."
"Really? I am sorry. I guess I kinda zoned out there a bit."
"Yeah. You sure did." Toto's voice was slightly cold. He didn't like to be disrespected, especially at his house.
Mikau said that he would be back later, to his pal. He had to find Japas. Swimming swiftly through the doorways, corridors, Zoras, and decorations, he found his confidant chowing down plates after plates of victuals. Kids around him watched with shock and amazement.
Sliding into the seat beside the gluttony Zora, Mikau prod at Japas' stomach, causing the child to spit out his food and choke.
"What are you trying to do? Kill me?" Japas complained while wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
"Yes. Particularly when you didn't show any manners at the dinner table," Mikau waved his hand in a wide arc, showing that everyone near his friend had moved as far away as possible. "It looked as if you are a shark."
Laughing, Japas got up and sat on the table. Mikau glowered at that, but Japas didn't mind it. He wanted to tease Mikau. "Well, what if I AM a shark?"
Shaking his head in disgust, Mikau got up from the chair. "Come on. You need to move around after ingesting that many plates of food."
"Carry me."
Mikau was going to pinch Japas on the leg when the Zora jumped up high with fright. "All right! All right!"
For the rest of the evening, everyone in the house was having fun. They had many games, activities, food and drinks, and a lot more going on. But what had really captured Mikau's attention and Japas', was the underwater band that called themselves: "O. C". They were playing their amazing tunes in the Gallery Room. The way that they had played their music, their notes, and their instruments had really ensnared both mischievous boys' mind. While listening to the concert, Mikau shot a look at Japas, who was dancing beside him along with other people. He smiled. Both of them loved the music. He knew. It was incredible. Being able to produce a type of sound that could actually travel within the water without messing up the notes was... awesome.
Finally, after hours of fun, it was getting late. Most of the Zoran kids had to head home. The giant door swung wide, allowing the guests to leave without having to push against each other. Toto said goodbye to each and every one of them. When Mikau and Japas were heading out, he patted their backs, telling them that they were marvelous. He hoped that the next time he held a party again they would participate.
Mikau gave a wink and Japas gave the child his evil grin (in a nice way). Toto laughed. They waved a goodbye and the door closed behind them.
"Well. That was fun," Mikau burped a little as he stretched. The street was nearly empty. That was expected for the time was near mid-night.
Japas burped way louder.
"Man, what have you been eating? Shell Blades?"
Knuckle sandwiching the Zoran Hero's head, Japas said, "Yes."
He breathed in a deep breath. "This is the first time that I have eaten so much!" He screamed out loud into the streets. Some Zoras in the distant roads screamed out with fury, telling whoever was out there to shut the hell up.
"Of course. This is a party. Party equals to food, thus equals to full stomach." Mikau held his friend's throat in a chokehold for hurting his head.
"Yeah. Well. It's been fun with you... ack! Tonight! And... Ack! I guess I will be... seeing you... ack! Tomorrow!" Japas struggled against his companion's clutch on his fragile gorge. He giggled when Mikau tickled his stomach with the tail.
Finally, Mikau let loose of the bind. He circled around once before stopping in front of the youth. "You know. Since it's getting pretty late, and I am not sure whether or not you will be safe when you swim home alone by yourself in that dark alley of yours, how about you sleep at my house? It is nearer."
Japas' face brightened. "I can? Really? Truly?"
"As long as you don't mess up my room, take my things, and create a havoc... yes. You can," Mikau hesitated. He scratched his face. "At least I think you can. I have to ask my mom. But I'm sure she will say yes. After all, you are already at my house when I ask her about the idea of you sleeping over. But then how about your dad?"
"Don't mind my dad. He rarely paid attention to me." The teen hugged him. "Oh, thank you!"
"Yeah, yeah. Get off of me. People are watching."
* * *
"What is he doing here?" Mikau and his mom asked at the same time when both of them saw each other's friend in the same room.
The head of the Enforcer Team, officer Ruan, was sipping a drink while sitting comfortably in a couch made from pure soft sponge. Japas was looking around near the doorway while grinning. Dusty, the stingray, was rubbing against Mikau AND Japas' legs! Sometimes, animals' behaviors are very confusing.
"I was-" the two family members started then stopped. "He came-" They stopped again.
Finally, Mikau signaled his mom to go first.
Sighing, Lynisana pointed at the adult Zora. "I was worried about you. So I asked officer Ruan to come to our house."
"Mom! I am not a baby anymore! And god, you still remember that incident that had happened three weeks ago?"
Japas stifled a laugh. Mikau flared.
"Still, you should have told me when you are coming home. You just came back after school, dump this animal here," Dusty gave a low pitched tone, telling everyone that he was furious at how he was being described as only a 'normal animal' in the sea. "And then you left immediately without telling me when you are coming back! Look! It's almost mid-night!"
"Yeah, yeah. I am sorry. I should have told you, yaddi yaddi yadda," Mikau leaned on the wall while folding his arms in front of his semi- muscular chest. He gazed at the officer. "So what are you guys talking about anyway? Sir?"
"And who is this child that is chewing on our door frame, Mikau?" Lynisana demanded.
"What? Chewing..." He turned around and smacked Japas on the shoulder. "Stop it! You are not a barnacle!"
Dusty was sending out a series of light notes. He was snickering.
"Sorry. But it looked so tasty..."
"I was talking to your mom about the lessons that you will be having soon. Starting tomorrow to be exact, since the long weekend is finally here. Ten days without school, fun eh?" The giant Zora that emanated a sense of power and authority beamed.
"Oh brother. My holidays... And it was a good one too. The Termina Celebration Holidays. The days when this City became one of the biggest cities in the underwater world."
"It's good to see that you have been paying attention in class."
"Hello, Mrs. Loencraft. My name is Japas," the boy gave a polite bow, which Mikau was surprised at the way he had acted. "I live near the school that your son goes to."
Looking with ease now, the parent greeted the kid. "Would you like something to eat?"
"Would I!" Japas screeched. Then he stopped, feeling Mikau's sharp glare cutting through his body. "I mean... no thank you. I have already eaten."
"Yeah, six plates of food, two cups of Cellu Juice, four boxes of dessert and ten baked sponge cookies," Mikau murmured.
His mom stared, blinking.
"Mikau, come sit down. I have something that needs to be discussed with you," Ruan asked. Then he turned to Japas. "Child, you can go to sleep right now. Your friend here... Hey... wait a minute..." He leaned forward.
Japas moved closer to him, squinting his eyes. His mouth opened with shock. "Hey..."
Then they both yelled, "It's you!"
Mikau and his mother were puzzled. They knew each other?
"The kid who had lied to us during the period that Mikau had disappeared!" Ruan stood up from his seat.
"The bully who had brought so many police men to my house and broke down my door!" Japas hissed.
"Well, we wouldn't have done so if you would just tell us where Mikau was!"
"Yeah? And letting you torture him?" Japas snapped back.
"What in the world are you talking about?"
"Oh for the Sea Goddess' sake, enough! Both of you!" Mikau shouted. "Shut up, and sit down. I am getting very sleepy right now, so you better talk fast, officer Ruan. Japas, why don't you sit on that chair? No, the right one. NO! The RIGHT one! Not the table- Yes!" He slumped on another couch, annoyed.
"Oookay. I will just go and crash in then," Lynisana wheeled around and left for her room. "Be sure to close the door, Ruan! It's open right now!"
"Yeah!" He shouted.
"Ptss! Mikau!" Japas bent over close to his buddy. "Your mom had just called that brute by his name only!"
"Hey... you are right. My mom would always show respect to other people by not calling their name without a mister, or miss, or some other formal titles. This is certainly most unusual," the juvenile boy answered while pulling a clump of seaweed from Japas' mouth. "Don't eat the carpet," he added.
Both children observed the face of the powerful Enforcer.
Noticing the intense look spurted from the teens, Ruan flushed and asked, "What? Something on my face?" His fins tensed up.
Giving him a sly look, Japas sneered. "Oh, nothing at all. Wait. Okay, maybe just the two red spots radiating on each side of your cheek." He gave a high five with Mikau.
Muttering, the officer coughed a little. "Leave me alone. And why are you still here? Go to sleep already. I have something that I need to talk to Mikau."
"If he leaves, then I'll leave also," the Zoran Hero said stubbornly.
Sighing, Ruan saw that he had no choice. "Okay, okay. Fine. Mikau, you will come with me first thing tomorrow morning. I will show you around the station then we will begin our training."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Japas interrupted. He held up his hands. The Enforcer growled. "Mikau, is going, to train, with you?" He looked at his pal.
Smiling, the kid nodded. Japas ran his fingers through his fins that dangled in front of his face. "What kind of training? The kind of training where you get to kill lots of people? Or the one in which you can grab some weapons and yell 'halt!??
Silence rolled across the room. Japas shrugged then leaned back into his seat. Dusty swam toward him, nudging his flat head on the silvery chest. The child hugged him.
Sighing, Ruan continued, "We will be teaching you the moves that I have told you about at school. The ones that no normal Zoras can learn. So- "
"Hold it!" Japas broke out with excitement. The stingray literally 'jumped' from the sudden noise. He squeaked in protest, then he swam away to somewhere in the house.
"What is it with you, you brat!" Ruan bellowed.
"Hey! Be quiet out there, or I'll kick all of you out of my house!" Lynisana said from her room. Her voice was muffled slightly by the walls.
"Ruan, you said that you are going to teach Mikau some more tricks?" Getting up, he swam and stopped beside the officer.
"Yeah. Does that concerns you in any way?"
Tapping the adult's broad shoulder, the boy snickered. "Can I learn too?"
Cackling out loud, Ruan's whole body shuddered with laughter.
"Shut. Up. Ruan! People are trying to sleep you know?" Mikau mom shrieked.
The Enforcer smothered his voice with great restrain. "You wish, kid. You are not even a Zoran Hero! You can't possibly learn the moves that I am going to teach to Mikau. In fact, not even I can use the attacks. I can only teach from the Book of Zoran History."
"Not quite, Sir," Mikau said dubiously. "Not entirely so. I think Japas CAN learn the moves that you are going to show to me." He kept his eyes on his friend.
"What makes you so sure?"
"I don't know. But somehow, somehow I know that Japas can succeed."
Ruan was silent for a while. Could the young Zoran Hero be right? But then, Japas don't seem like a Zora with special uniqueness. Yet, the book didn't say that you have to be special in order to learn what it has to offer. It could just be because the Zoras in Termina City are dumb at learning the scripts. What should he do? Also, once Japas had learned the secret of the attacks, could he resist any temptation from the other gangs inside and outside of the City?
He knew that Mikau wouldn't fall for the gangsters' despicable tricks. But as for the other poor kid... with his long fins covering his eyes and all... and the way how he had acted...
"Man, if you think that I am going to be tricked so easily by others who want to use me as a weapon or something, you are so wrong," Japas couldn't resist saying that, not after what he had seen in the Enforcer's eyes. He leaned against the big guy's bare shoulder. "Really, although I am one year younger than Mikau, but still, I am fairly good. Generally okay."
Grunting, Ruan turned his head slightly to the right to look at the kid. He studied the young boy's face closely. Finally, he sighed as he glanced at Mikau. "I guess it's worth a try. More police men with newer techniques are better to keep the City from being harmed than the ones with the old, outdated moves."
"Whoopee!" Japas swam in circles around the living room with exhilaration. "I am going to become an officer too!"
Mikau laughed. He got up and joined the parade.
"But if you break a law, just a single law, I am going to lock you up for the rest of your life."
"Yeah, sure! Okay!" Japas chased after Mikau down the hall.
The night (outside the municipality) stretched out longer, as seconds became minutes, and minutes became hours. To both Mikau and Japas' surprise, the Enforcer said that he would be staying in their house for the rest of the night. The rough-looking boy was planning to play a trick on the guy, but he was stopped by Mikau when the Zoran Hero pushed him through the bedroom and locked the door behind them.
All was quiet in the streets, except for a few bubbling noises made by the fish that swam lazily through the water. The plants stopped wavering, as they began to store energies to be used tomorrow morning.
The florescent fish were still discharging their orange lights, and they would continue to do so until the day that they die. The rays were bent in awkward shapes as the ocean water moved back and forth with no sound.
~End Chapter 16~
Author's Note: Chapter sixteen is complete! Yeeeeeh! This chapter took me a long time to write, mainly because I do not wish to repeat the same word over and over again. It gets incredibly irksome after a while. But, it's hard to write like the way that I hope I can write because this is a third person perspective story. And so, besides using the characters' name time and time again, there is no other way for me to put pen to paper. Now, some of your might have noticed that I have used the same word over two to three times in this 'Author's Note'. See how annoying it is? Sigh...
Oh, and I am now drawing illustrations of each chapter. Right now, I still haven't finish the title page. It's been over a month already! God.
Florescent fish glowed brighter as the light in Termina grew dimmer. Houses began to light up slowly as Zoras were getting ready to greet the darkness of the night. Not that they actually needed to light up their homes, and not that they were actually greeting the hours of darkness, for there were already a bunch of lighting fish up in the giant cavern's ceiling of Termina City. And because of this reason, the fish that they used in their houses were luminescent fish, different from florescent fish. One was fainter and one was brighter.
"Japas! You home?" Mikau yelled at the top of his lungs while floating outside of an old building.
Opening the door, an unclean Zora flew out and crashed into his friend. "Tackle!" He screamed.
"OW! Get off of me you fish!" Mikau struggled to get up from the floor.
Laughing, Japas got up from the Zoran Hero's crumbled body. Brushing away his fins, he smiled. "Okay. So where do we go now?"
Getting up while scouring the dusts away, Mikau smirked. "Actually, you AND Tobieas will come with me. And after I show you the place where you can clean yourself every once in a few days, both of you will come with me to a party."
Japas didn't say anything. His lips were in a straight line. Even though his long fins had covered his eyes (again), but he still couldn't hide his expression from Mikau's keen eyesight. Frowning, Mikau continued to wait for an answer.
Japas opened his mouth, but the sound that came out was distorted. It was more of a choke than a word.
"What? What's wrong?" Mikau was concerned. "You got choked on a fish bone?"
"I... He..." Japas slumped his shoulder. "To... Tobieas left without me..." His whole body was quivering.
Now Mikau's mood sank like an anchor. "What do you mean he left without you?"
Japas looked up. "He said that... he said that he has to find his mom. He said he has overstayed his welcome." The Zora shook his head. "I told him that it doesn't matter. Dad and I have already treated him as if he is part of our family a long time ago. He wouldn't listen."
Mikau moved closer to his friend. He placed his arm around Japas' shoulder. He was surprised at how skinny the kid was.
"I tried to forget his departure by acting as if I am happy and all..." Japas' voice trembled.
"You know what? It's his choice to leave and go in search of his parent. Wouldn't you have done the same if you were in his place?"
"Maybe... But still, he doesn't have to go immediately. I was just about to play a prank on him when he suddenly appeared in front of me and told me about his plans."
Mikau closed his eyes. Then he reopened it. "When you said he has left without you, does that mean you were planning to go with him?"
Japas stopped breathing. His mouth was slightly open with shock. Had he actually said that? He stared at the Zoran Hero.
Mikau faced his friend. "Tell me. Were you planning to leave me in order to go with him?"
"I..."
"Were you?"
"I don't know... I- I was... confused... puzzled..." Japas tried to avoid Mikau's piercing gaze. He deliberately allowed his elongated fins to covered most of his face.
Mikau looked sad. Still, his voice rang out with energy. "It's okay man. I understand. After all, you are with Tobieas more than you are with me. All these years together, of course you would choose to go with him. I don't blame you, and I never will blame you."
Japas didn't say anything. Mikau nudged him in the ribs. "Come on, I have to show you this place fast. Otherwise we will be late for the entertainment."
Both of them swam down the street in silence and vanished within the shadows.
* * *
They were about half a mile away from the City. The water currents were strong and wild at the place where Mikau had led Japas. The Zora had to pour on all of his strengths in order to keep up with the Legendary Zoran Hero's speed. The undercurrents were carrying the ocean dusts away. Seaweeds, algae, and other ocean plants were bending and blasting away in one direction as if some hurricane force was blowing them. Japas had to grab onto one of the reefs protruding from the sandy ground in order to prevent losing his footing. The visibility was pretty bad. All he could see in front of him was patches of white light.
"Mikau! This place is insane!" He yelled over the roar of the water.
Nodding, the young Zoran Hero extended his arm blades. He dug the blades deep into the sand, anchoring himself in place. Then he lifted his legs up and straight out, allowing his body to be shaped like a pole, letting the currents carrying his body, his weight. His two long fins beside his head were wavering rapidly.
"This is how you clean yourself! By using some sort of item to secure yourself in place, you can let the water do its trick!" Mikau yelled to Japas as he demonstrated. "Since the currents here are very strong, the mud and the filth on your body will be wafted away! See the sands that are being picked up? They can scrape away any dirty spots on your body!"
Zoras had skins that are rubbery, so they don't get cut easily.
Japas' lengthy fins were trailing behind his head. Mikau could see his friend's eyes clearly for the first time. It was golden colored, and shaped like the Hylians' eyes on dry land.
"You have a pair of weird looking eyes, Japas!"
"What? How in the world can you notice my eyes while I am trying hard not to be blown away like some leaves?" Japas' face turned slightly red. Some from the results of straining his muscles to extreme, and some from embarrassment.
"Here! Move closer to me! This spot is the best!"
"I am TRYING to!"
Edging closer inch by inch while holding onto whatever that he could find, Japas was determined to move to his friend's side. Twice, his feet had slipped from underneath and had almost got carried away if he had not grabbed onto the rocks beside him.
Finally, he grabbed Mikau's shoulder. "What would happen if you got carried away? Where would you end up?"
The Zoran Hero shrugged. "I don't know! You want to try it?"
"Are. You. Crazy?" Japas screamed.
"Don't yell beside me!" Mikau used his tail to slap Japas on the back of the head.
"Ow! Careful! You are making me slip!"
Slowly, but surely, the mud stains on Japas' body began to fade away, revealing the same silver colored body like Mikau's. But slightly skinnier of course.
"What the! Hey! You have the same color as I do!" Mikau's eyes were wide with disbelief.
Smiling, Japas reached out his left arm and grabbed Mikau at the back of the throat. He shook his friend's head quickly a few times and said, "Yeah! We are cousins I guess!"
After a few more minutes of drifting in the killer currents, both children left the area and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Awesome! I am clean!" Japas exclaimed. He observed his skin.
"Welcome to the civilization," Mikau muttered. He kept his eyes on Japas. "How in the world can you have the same color as I do?"
Faking a sad look, the boy placed his head beside Mikau's and said, "Well. I guess I am a Zoran Hero too." He laughed as he swam away at top speed.
Growling, Mikau chased after his pal.
* * *
It was five o'clock when both of them reached their destination. It was a huge house, with music blaring and children screaming. Japas shrank a little.
"Is little Japas scared of a house?" Mikau cooed. "Ack!"
The Zora had bonked Mikau on the head. "Say that again, and the next place that I am going to hit is going to hurt a lot worse."
Grinning sheepishly, Mikau swam to the door and gave a few hard knocks. One Zoran kid opened up.
"Hey! Mikau! Mikau is here!" He swung the door wide, inviting his classmate and the strange Zora in.
Everyone in the room turned around and began to cheer. Japas flinched. He was not used to be around with this many people.
Toto squeezed out from the crowds. "Hey! Welcome to my house, Mikau!" He patted his friend on the back. "We've been waiting for you for a long time. Who is this?" He asked when he saw Japas was looking left and right while fidgeting.
"Toto, I would like you to meet Japas. Japas, this is Toto."
They shook hands.
"Japas! You have the same body color as Mikau!" The kid gasped. "You guys brothers?"
Mikau groaned while wiping his face with his hands. He would never hear the end of it.
Laughing, Japas flicked Mikau's tail with his own. "See? Told you we are related!"
Mikau tackled him. A small wrestling contest began. Everyone formed a circle while yelling with joy. Even though Japas was born near an area where there were gangs around, and he had some experience at pinning someone, but he was no match for the Zoran Hero's agility and strength. Soon, he was on the floor begging for mercy with his wrists being turned at an unnatural angle. Mikau laughed as he released the hold.
"Just you wait until the next time, Mikau."
"You wish."
Toto grabbed both of them by the arms and led them toward the main section of the room. There were piles upon piles of different kinds of seafood on a long granite table. Fresh, tasty, and ready to be served. A few Zoras were helping themselves already.
Japas blinked a few times at the meals. "FOOD! I am there!" He dashed off toward the tables before Mikau could grab him and hold him back.
Toto watched on with fascination as Japas grabbed as much as he could: salmon, trout, oysters (with three different sauces), algae patties, seaweed salad, Shabom (Mikau's eyes widen at the sight of that), Tektite legs, clams, lobster...
Mikau slapped his forehead with degradation. His classmate chuckled. Moving away slowly from the disastrous scene, Toto now led Mikau toward a beautifully decorated hallway. With golden colored beams crossing in a pattern on the ceiling, and the lighting fish trapped within expensive containers, the place looked like a heaven. The walls were covered with well-made artifacts. Different sizes, shapes, and colors were mixing together, forming a wonderfully smooth and interesting texture.
"Holy. How rich are you, Toto?" Mikau gaped at the display. He reached out and touched one of the paintings gently.
"Oh, not as rich as Princess Ruto. Still, I think..."
Mikau grimaced at the mentioning of Ruto's name. Somehow he still felt bad about making her cry. Then again, it wasn't his fault that she was being such a slut. She deserved it. Mikau thought about it over and over again. Yes. She deserved the punishment. She needs to change her attitude and her way of thinking. She still had hope since she was still young, like him.
Toto continued to blare on, talking about how and who made what, where did all the items came from and so on.
"Are you even listening to me?" The Zora stopped when he grabbed Mikau's face and gave it a shake.
Slapping his friend's hand away, Mikau nodded. "Yeah. I've been listening. What a breathtaking... picture you have here," he gestured to a portrait of the renowned Zoran Hero.
Giving him a weird look, Toto cleared his throat. "Uh, I was talking about whether if you want to eat in the Dining Room or in the Living Room."
"Really? I am sorry. I guess I kinda zoned out there a bit."
"Yeah. You sure did." Toto's voice was slightly cold. He didn't like to be disrespected, especially at his house.
Mikau said that he would be back later, to his pal. He had to find Japas. Swimming swiftly through the doorways, corridors, Zoras, and decorations, he found his confidant chowing down plates after plates of victuals. Kids around him watched with shock and amazement.
Sliding into the seat beside the gluttony Zora, Mikau prod at Japas' stomach, causing the child to spit out his food and choke.
"What are you trying to do? Kill me?" Japas complained while wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
"Yes. Particularly when you didn't show any manners at the dinner table," Mikau waved his hand in a wide arc, showing that everyone near his friend had moved as far away as possible. "It looked as if you are a shark."
Laughing, Japas got up and sat on the table. Mikau glowered at that, but Japas didn't mind it. He wanted to tease Mikau. "Well, what if I AM a shark?"
Shaking his head in disgust, Mikau got up from the chair. "Come on. You need to move around after ingesting that many plates of food."
"Carry me."
Mikau was going to pinch Japas on the leg when the Zora jumped up high with fright. "All right! All right!"
For the rest of the evening, everyone in the house was having fun. They had many games, activities, food and drinks, and a lot more going on. But what had really captured Mikau's attention and Japas', was the underwater band that called themselves: "O. C". They were playing their amazing tunes in the Gallery Room. The way that they had played their music, their notes, and their instruments had really ensnared both mischievous boys' mind. While listening to the concert, Mikau shot a look at Japas, who was dancing beside him along with other people. He smiled. Both of them loved the music. He knew. It was incredible. Being able to produce a type of sound that could actually travel within the water without messing up the notes was... awesome.
Finally, after hours of fun, it was getting late. Most of the Zoran kids had to head home. The giant door swung wide, allowing the guests to leave without having to push against each other. Toto said goodbye to each and every one of them. When Mikau and Japas were heading out, he patted their backs, telling them that they were marvelous. He hoped that the next time he held a party again they would participate.
Mikau gave a wink and Japas gave the child his evil grin (in a nice way). Toto laughed. They waved a goodbye and the door closed behind them.
"Well. That was fun," Mikau burped a little as he stretched. The street was nearly empty. That was expected for the time was near mid-night.
Japas burped way louder.
"Man, what have you been eating? Shell Blades?"
Knuckle sandwiching the Zoran Hero's head, Japas said, "Yes."
He breathed in a deep breath. "This is the first time that I have eaten so much!" He screamed out loud into the streets. Some Zoras in the distant roads screamed out with fury, telling whoever was out there to shut the hell up.
"Of course. This is a party. Party equals to food, thus equals to full stomach." Mikau held his friend's throat in a chokehold for hurting his head.
"Yeah. Well. It's been fun with you... ack! Tonight! And... Ack! I guess I will be... seeing you... ack! Tomorrow!" Japas struggled against his companion's clutch on his fragile gorge. He giggled when Mikau tickled his stomach with the tail.
Finally, Mikau let loose of the bind. He circled around once before stopping in front of the youth. "You know. Since it's getting pretty late, and I am not sure whether or not you will be safe when you swim home alone by yourself in that dark alley of yours, how about you sleep at my house? It is nearer."
Japas' face brightened. "I can? Really? Truly?"
"As long as you don't mess up my room, take my things, and create a havoc... yes. You can," Mikau hesitated. He scratched his face. "At least I think you can. I have to ask my mom. But I'm sure she will say yes. After all, you are already at my house when I ask her about the idea of you sleeping over. But then how about your dad?"
"Don't mind my dad. He rarely paid attention to me." The teen hugged him. "Oh, thank you!"
"Yeah, yeah. Get off of me. People are watching."
* * *
"What is he doing here?" Mikau and his mom asked at the same time when both of them saw each other's friend in the same room.
The head of the Enforcer Team, officer Ruan, was sipping a drink while sitting comfortably in a couch made from pure soft sponge. Japas was looking around near the doorway while grinning. Dusty, the stingray, was rubbing against Mikau AND Japas' legs! Sometimes, animals' behaviors are very confusing.
"I was-" the two family members started then stopped. "He came-" They stopped again.
Finally, Mikau signaled his mom to go first.
Sighing, Lynisana pointed at the adult Zora. "I was worried about you. So I asked officer Ruan to come to our house."
"Mom! I am not a baby anymore! And god, you still remember that incident that had happened three weeks ago?"
Japas stifled a laugh. Mikau flared.
"Still, you should have told me when you are coming home. You just came back after school, dump this animal here," Dusty gave a low pitched tone, telling everyone that he was furious at how he was being described as only a 'normal animal' in the sea. "And then you left immediately without telling me when you are coming back! Look! It's almost mid-night!"
"Yeah, yeah. I am sorry. I should have told you, yaddi yaddi yadda," Mikau leaned on the wall while folding his arms in front of his semi- muscular chest. He gazed at the officer. "So what are you guys talking about anyway? Sir?"
"And who is this child that is chewing on our door frame, Mikau?" Lynisana demanded.
"What? Chewing..." He turned around and smacked Japas on the shoulder. "Stop it! You are not a barnacle!"
Dusty was sending out a series of light notes. He was snickering.
"Sorry. But it looked so tasty..."
"I was talking to your mom about the lessons that you will be having soon. Starting tomorrow to be exact, since the long weekend is finally here. Ten days without school, fun eh?" The giant Zora that emanated a sense of power and authority beamed.
"Oh brother. My holidays... And it was a good one too. The Termina Celebration Holidays. The days when this City became one of the biggest cities in the underwater world."
"It's good to see that you have been paying attention in class."
"Hello, Mrs. Loencraft. My name is Japas," the boy gave a polite bow, which Mikau was surprised at the way he had acted. "I live near the school that your son goes to."
Looking with ease now, the parent greeted the kid. "Would you like something to eat?"
"Would I!" Japas screeched. Then he stopped, feeling Mikau's sharp glare cutting through his body. "I mean... no thank you. I have already eaten."
"Yeah, six plates of food, two cups of Cellu Juice, four boxes of dessert and ten baked sponge cookies," Mikau murmured.
His mom stared, blinking.
"Mikau, come sit down. I have something that needs to be discussed with you," Ruan asked. Then he turned to Japas. "Child, you can go to sleep right now. Your friend here... Hey... wait a minute..." He leaned forward.
Japas moved closer to him, squinting his eyes. His mouth opened with shock. "Hey..."
Then they both yelled, "It's you!"
Mikau and his mother were puzzled. They knew each other?
"The kid who had lied to us during the period that Mikau had disappeared!" Ruan stood up from his seat.
"The bully who had brought so many police men to my house and broke down my door!" Japas hissed.
"Well, we wouldn't have done so if you would just tell us where Mikau was!"
"Yeah? And letting you torture him?" Japas snapped back.
"What in the world are you talking about?"
"Oh for the Sea Goddess' sake, enough! Both of you!" Mikau shouted. "Shut up, and sit down. I am getting very sleepy right now, so you better talk fast, officer Ruan. Japas, why don't you sit on that chair? No, the right one. NO! The RIGHT one! Not the table- Yes!" He slumped on another couch, annoyed.
"Oookay. I will just go and crash in then," Lynisana wheeled around and left for her room. "Be sure to close the door, Ruan! It's open right now!"
"Yeah!" He shouted.
"Ptss! Mikau!" Japas bent over close to his buddy. "Your mom had just called that brute by his name only!"
"Hey... you are right. My mom would always show respect to other people by not calling their name without a mister, or miss, or some other formal titles. This is certainly most unusual," the juvenile boy answered while pulling a clump of seaweed from Japas' mouth. "Don't eat the carpet," he added.
Both children observed the face of the powerful Enforcer.
Noticing the intense look spurted from the teens, Ruan flushed and asked, "What? Something on my face?" His fins tensed up.
Giving him a sly look, Japas sneered. "Oh, nothing at all. Wait. Okay, maybe just the two red spots radiating on each side of your cheek." He gave a high five with Mikau.
Muttering, the officer coughed a little. "Leave me alone. And why are you still here? Go to sleep already. I have something that I need to talk to Mikau."
"If he leaves, then I'll leave also," the Zoran Hero said stubbornly.
Sighing, Ruan saw that he had no choice. "Okay, okay. Fine. Mikau, you will come with me first thing tomorrow morning. I will show you around the station then we will begin our training."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Japas interrupted. He held up his hands. The Enforcer growled. "Mikau, is going, to train, with you?" He looked at his pal.
Smiling, the kid nodded. Japas ran his fingers through his fins that dangled in front of his face. "What kind of training? The kind of training where you get to kill lots of people? Or the one in which you can grab some weapons and yell 'halt!??
Silence rolled across the room. Japas shrugged then leaned back into his seat. Dusty swam toward him, nudging his flat head on the silvery chest. The child hugged him.
Sighing, Ruan continued, "We will be teaching you the moves that I have told you about at school. The ones that no normal Zoras can learn. So- "
"Hold it!" Japas broke out with excitement. The stingray literally 'jumped' from the sudden noise. He squeaked in protest, then he swam away to somewhere in the house.
"What is it with you, you brat!" Ruan bellowed.
"Hey! Be quiet out there, or I'll kick all of you out of my house!" Lynisana said from her room. Her voice was muffled slightly by the walls.
"Ruan, you said that you are going to teach Mikau some more tricks?" Getting up, he swam and stopped beside the officer.
"Yeah. Does that concerns you in any way?"
Tapping the adult's broad shoulder, the boy snickered. "Can I learn too?"
Cackling out loud, Ruan's whole body shuddered with laughter.
"Shut. Up. Ruan! People are trying to sleep you know?" Mikau mom shrieked.
The Enforcer smothered his voice with great restrain. "You wish, kid. You are not even a Zoran Hero! You can't possibly learn the moves that I am going to teach to Mikau. In fact, not even I can use the attacks. I can only teach from the Book of Zoran History."
"Not quite, Sir," Mikau said dubiously. "Not entirely so. I think Japas CAN learn the moves that you are going to show to me." He kept his eyes on his friend.
"What makes you so sure?"
"I don't know. But somehow, somehow I know that Japas can succeed."
Ruan was silent for a while. Could the young Zoran Hero be right? But then, Japas don't seem like a Zora with special uniqueness. Yet, the book didn't say that you have to be special in order to learn what it has to offer. It could just be because the Zoras in Termina City are dumb at learning the scripts. What should he do? Also, once Japas had learned the secret of the attacks, could he resist any temptation from the other gangs inside and outside of the City?
He knew that Mikau wouldn't fall for the gangsters' despicable tricks. But as for the other poor kid... with his long fins covering his eyes and all... and the way how he had acted...
"Man, if you think that I am going to be tricked so easily by others who want to use me as a weapon or something, you are so wrong," Japas couldn't resist saying that, not after what he had seen in the Enforcer's eyes. He leaned against the big guy's bare shoulder. "Really, although I am one year younger than Mikau, but still, I am fairly good. Generally okay."
Grunting, Ruan turned his head slightly to the right to look at the kid. He studied the young boy's face closely. Finally, he sighed as he glanced at Mikau. "I guess it's worth a try. More police men with newer techniques are better to keep the City from being harmed than the ones with the old, outdated moves."
"Whoopee!" Japas swam in circles around the living room with exhilaration. "I am going to become an officer too!"
Mikau laughed. He got up and joined the parade.
"But if you break a law, just a single law, I am going to lock you up for the rest of your life."
"Yeah, sure! Okay!" Japas chased after Mikau down the hall.
The night (outside the municipality) stretched out longer, as seconds became minutes, and minutes became hours. To both Mikau and Japas' surprise, the Enforcer said that he would be staying in their house for the rest of the night. The rough-looking boy was planning to play a trick on the guy, but he was stopped by Mikau when the Zoran Hero pushed him through the bedroom and locked the door behind them.
All was quiet in the streets, except for a few bubbling noises made by the fish that swam lazily through the water. The plants stopped wavering, as they began to store energies to be used tomorrow morning.
The florescent fish were still discharging their orange lights, and they would continue to do so until the day that they die. The rays were bent in awkward shapes as the ocean water moved back and forth with no sound.
~End Chapter 16~
Author's Note: Chapter sixteen is complete! Yeeeeeh! This chapter took me a long time to write, mainly because I do not wish to repeat the same word over and over again. It gets incredibly irksome after a while. But, it's hard to write like the way that I hope I can write because this is a third person perspective story. And so, besides using the characters' name time and time again, there is no other way for me to put pen to paper. Now, some of your might have noticed that I have used the same word over two to three times in this 'Author's Note'. See how annoying it is? Sigh...
Oh, and I am now drawing illustrations of each chapter. Right now, I still haven't finish the title page. It's been over a month already! God.