The following morning I awoke rather late in the day. I suppose the previous nights events drained me of all my energy. I woke and sat up on the couch, looking around. Ember was already awake and dressed, and in the kitchen. I slowly made my way to the table, and sat down silently.

"Ecco, how you doing this morning?" Ember asked quietly.

"I… I am alright…" I said slowly. It was a blatant lie, I was far from all right.

"Mr. Fredrick already left for work Ecco, we have the house to ourselves again…"

"Oh... that is good…" I replied. I rested my head on the table and stared blankly ahead. For the first time in my life, I felt utterly hopeless.

"Ecco… are you okay? You were really upset last night…" she said quietly, looking at me from across the table. I could not bear to look at her. "Please tell me what's wrong Ecco… please?"

I sighed sadly. What good will it do… you cannot help me…

"I… I am just thinking about my dream from the previous night." I stated quietly.

"Is it about the dolphins you saw on TV?" She asked. I snapped my head up and looked at her.

"How..?"

"Ecco, I saw you freak out when you saw them. Please tell me what's wrong Ecco, maybe I can help you." She looked at me concerned, but with determination in her eyes. I took a deep breath.

"Ember… those dolphins we saw on the TV… I believe… I… I know… that they are four of my pod members." I finally replied.

"Oh…" she breathed.

"I was the leader of my pod Ember… but when I saw heard of your boat being destroyed all I could think of was helping you Ember… you were the first to ever like me and not fear me. I…" it was hard to speak, almost like there was a blockage in my throat. "I left my pod Ember. Without another thought I left them to save you and by doing so I left them unprotected, and because of that humans were able to capture them." I stated finally. Ember looked at me, and then cast her gaze downwards.

"Oh… so cause of me, they got captured?" she whispered.

"NO! Oh no Ember no! It was not your fault!" I suddenly snapped. "It was my choice, and I am to blame."

"But Ecco… you didn't have to help me, I'm no dolphin, just a human…" She looked downwards, and tears began to well up in her eyes.

"Ember please… I wanted to save you." I looked at her, not knowing what to do.

"You shouldn't have saved me Ecco! Daddy tried and he got eaten by a shark!" She cringed and tears began to stream down her cheeks. "Mommy and daddy died cause of me, now your friends got hurt too! All because of me!" She wailed, then jumped from her seat and ran.

"Ember wait! PLEASE!" I cried out, but she ran for the door and ran outside the house. I leapt from my chair and followed, but when I reached the door she was out of my sight. "NO!" I yelled, looking franticly outside of the house. I ran outside onto the cool grass in front of the house. "EMBER! EMBER!!" I called out desperately, but she did not respond. I called out over and over again, looking around. I ran forward, but when my feet touched the hard gravel I winced. Remembering the shoes Ember gave me, I ran back into the house and began to put them on. The telephone then began to ring. I went over and picked it up.

"I do not have time to talk, Ember is missing!" I snapped angrily. The voice I heard suddenly made me freeze. It was Mr. Fredrick.

"She is WHAT?!" he roared.

"I…I am going to find her. Nevermind." I stated coldly.

"Now see here you low-" I cut him off by slamming the phone down. I turned and finished putting on the shoes. I felt a spasm of pain shoot though my leg, and rubbed it gently. It was almost fully healed now, but still weak. But I could not allow that to stop me. I left the house and looked around, calling Ember's name once more. I decided to first search around the house itself, and proceeded to do so. As I rounded the back of the house I noticed a few very large trees, and saw that one had wood attached to its trunk, going upwards. Casting my gaze up, I saw what looked like a tiny house in the tree.

What by the almighty is that!? I blinked and looked again, wondering if my eyes were playing tricks on me. It was indeed a small house, and I ran up to the tree closer and looked up.

"Ember?! Are you up there?" I called out. I could not see within the house, but I heard a quiet voice.

"Go away!"

"Ember! Is that you? Please come down!" I called out.

"No!" the voice replied. "Never coming down!" I looked around, not knowing what to do.

"PLEASE come down!" I pleaded. The voice did not respond. I walked up to the tree, and then touched the strange wood attached to it. It seemed sturdy, so very slowly I put my weight on it, and pulled myself up. Then I set my foot on another piece of wood, and very slowly began to climb upwards. I climbed higher and higher, and then stopped.

Am I actually climbing? I looked around, and could see much more from up here. Fascinating! This is unbeliev- I suddenly made the mistake of looking down. I had not noticed how high I was, and it frightened me. Calm down Ecco! You went this far, you must go all the way! I took a deep breath and went up more, finally coming to the bottom of the tiny house. There was a hole, and I climbed up into it. I hoisted myself up into the tiny house and sat, taking a large sigh of relief to be on sturdy ground. I looked over, and saw Ember huddled in a corner.

"Why did you come up here?! I told you to go away!" she wailed, looking at me before hiding her face in her arms.

"I could not leave you alone Ember, I was scared for you." I looked down the hole from where I came. "And I admit, scared for myself when I climbed up here." She looked at me and giggled quietly.

"…You were scared to climb the ladder?" she asked quietly.

"Yes..." I had to grin about it. "I'm a dolphin, I do not climb."

"I come up here all the time… I helped daddy build this tree house. I'm not scared of it or the ladder." She replied.

"It is strange, I have fought the worst the ocean has to offer, yet I, the mighty Ecco, was scared of a human child's ladder." I said, mocking myself. Ember giggled.

"It's okay Ecco, not everyone can be brave all the time…" she looked out the lone window in the treehouse.

"Ember… for what I said before, I am sorry if you felt in any way that you were to blame. NONE of this was your fault Ember, you must not blame yourself."

"I just feel bad Ecco… if you didn't help me your friends would be safe…"

"Ember, what has happened to them was MY error, not yours, and I plan to rectify that error… but I would need your help." I looked at her calmly.

"Mine? But…why? What can I do?" She asked me, drying her face with the sleeve of her shirt.

"Ember, while I may know the ocean, I do not know the human world. I need your help in this strange land. Will you help me Ember, please?" I asked. She looked at me, then crawled over to me.

"Course Ecco, I'll help you! You saved my life, I owe you so much!" she then hugged me tightly. "But… how could we get them free? The aquarium is big, and there are a lotta people there."

"I do not know yet Ember, but I will find a way, I promise that. I must help them, they are my pod."

"But Ecco… if you do help them… will you leave me?" she looked up at me with those blue eyes.

"I… I made you a vow Ember, I will not leave you until you wish me to." I replied.

"But Ecco, they need you too…" she sighed sadly.

"I will find a way Ember. One way or another, I will find a way…"