A/N: This chapter was accidental. I started the chapter after this one, then realized that I'd had to cover too much between the chapters. So I did this to fill the gap.
Response to Random Fan: Very nice difference. XD Trouble? Ant? Nah!
Nektons didn't get lost. Least of all Ant.
Ant could always remember exactly where he'd been and, usually, put together a path in unfamiliar areas. And for all his desire for adventure, Ant wouldn't let a friend be put in danger or intentionally drop contact with his family.
So if Ant was off-grid with Griffin, something really bad had to have happened.
"Okay, test's over," Fontaine said, turning the rowboat. "I need to get back to the Aronnax and grab a Knight to help search."
Finn nodded and dropped out of sight. Fontaine assumed he was swimming ahead, until he popped back up a few minutes later.
"You said the ghost sub was glowing green?" Finn asked.
"It looked like it. Why?"
"Because there's something glowing headed this way!"
"It's probably Mum or Dad." Fontaine stowed the oars. "Hurry, get out of sight!"
Finn threw her a quick salute, then he dove. Fontaine stood and peered in the direction Finn had pointed, but she couldn't see anything.
Fontaine turned on her communicator. "Mum, Dad, which one of you are headed toward me?"
"Neither of us," Kaiko said. "We're on the north side of the island."
Fontaine squinted. "Well, um… there's something headed my way. And it's glowing!"
"Don't move, I'm coming!" Kaiko said.
"Oh, I won't budge," Fontaine said, eyes on the glow.
The glow rushed closer, then passed under the rowboat. Fontaine leaped to the opposite side of the rowboat and peered down.
Fontaine was gripped with worry for Finn. Had he had enough time to swim away? Would the "ghost sub" care?
The glow made a broad circle, then abruptly stopped moving not far from the rowboat. Slowly, it started to rise.
"Uh, Mum? Where are you?" Fontaine asked.
"Nearly there. What's happening?"
"It's getting clos-"
Fontaine broke off as the water surged under the rowboat. A long, gleaming surface burst from the water, throwing up waves that rocked the rowboat. Fontaine dropped to her knees until the rowboat's motions slowed.
"Fontaine!" Kaiko called.
"It's the submarine!" Fontaine said in awe. "It's right here!"
"Are you okay?" Kaiko asked.
"Yeah, it's just…" Fontaine swallowed as something squeaked. "Um…"
A hatch on the top of the sub was flung open. Fontaine tensed, only to exhale in relief when Griffin's head popped out.
"Griffin!" Fontaine called. "I've never been so glad to see you."
"Fontaine?" Griffin said. "What are you doing out here in a rowboat?"
"I'll explain later. Is Ant with you?"
Griffin nodded. "He's steering the sub!"
"That explains why I almost got capsized," Fontaine muttered. She lifted her comm. "Did you hear that, Mum?"
"I did," Kaiko said, sounding relieved. "Tell them to stay put. Your father and I will be there soon."
"Okay, Mum." Fontaine looked at Griffin. "Our parents are on their way."
Griffin winced. "Oh, boy…"
Fontaine sympathized. Griffin didn't normally get into trouble or any sort of excitement; things just happened around Ant.
"While we wait, do you want to come inside?" Griffin asked, perking up. "It's really cool!"
Fontaine looked over the ancient sub. Surfaced and in the light, it wasn't nearly as spooky as it had appeared the previous day.
"Is it safe?" Fontaine asked. "It's wood."
"The Conseil is over two hundred years old," Griffin said. "But it's still completely intact!"
Fontaine hesitated, but she was way too curious about the submarine. "Okay, I'll have a look."
Fontaine hopped from the rowboat to grab the Conseil's slick, mossy side. Griffin jumped down and helped Fontaine climb to the top of the submarine. Fontaine was amazed at how solid the structure was.
"Are you sure this is two hundred years old?" Fontaine asked.
"I found some sort of manual inside," Griffin said. "It was written by Alessandro De Salazar in 1801!"
Fontaine shook her head. "Woah. What's it doing out here?"
Griffin shrugged. "The engines are water powered. Theoretically, the Conseil could sail forever!"
"Huh." Fontaine spread her arms as the sub shifted. "Um, are we diving?"
"Why would Ant-" Griffin broke off to run toward the hatch. "We'll ask him. Quick, get inside!"
Fontaine saw that the submarine was moving forward as well as diving. It was too late to get back into the rowboat. She and Griffin rushed to the hatch and, water licking their heels, scrambled inside. Griffin slammed the hatch.
"Ant, why are we diving?" Griffin asked, jumping to the floor.
Ant rushed past from the direction of the tail. "I don't know! I saw someone in the water and left the wheel for just a second!"
Fontaine's breath caught. "Someone in the water?"
Ant poked his head around a massive metal tank. He wore an old captain's hat and a sheepish grin.
"Oh, hey, Fontaine." Ant added, "I thought I saw something, but it vanished."
Griffin rushed toward the front. "Ant, we're still diving!"
Fontaine ran after the boys. Past the huge tank, several smaller tanks, and a mess of pipes was a bridge of sorts. Ant stood in the front, clutching the spokes of an old-fashioned wheel. Griffin stood at one of the portholes. Fontaine eyed the portholes, desperately hoping that Finn was far from view.
"Ant, do you know how to drive this thing?" Fontaine asked.
"Sort of," Ant said. "I can steer, but I don't know how it works."
"It's all that," Griffin said, pointing to the tanks and pipes.
As the kids turned, something squeaked. A lever flipped up, causing bubbles to rush through the glass tube above it.
"What was that?" Fontaine asked.
Ant shrugged. "I told you, I'm just driving. I don't know how it works."
"Well, that's comforting!"
Humming filled the bridge and the floor started to shake.
"Grab onto something!" Griffin shouted.
Fontaine grabbed a pipe just as the Conseil's nose dropped sharply. Everyone yelled as their feet left the floor.
Fontaine's gaze snapped to the main porthole. Suddenly, wherever Finn was didn't matter so much. Because the Conseil had dropped into a crash dive!
After the initial drop, the kids were able to get their feet under them. Griffin grabbed an old book from the floor and flipped through it.
"What's going on?" Fontaine demanded.
"I don't know!" Ant ran to Griffin. "Fontaine, take the wheel!"
Fontaine grabbed the wheel, but there wasn't really anything for her to do. They were plummeting through empty water. Something began to creak.
Fontaine shook her head. "A wooden sub can't handle these depths."
"What's that mean?" Griffin asked nervously.
"We're going to implode!" Ant cried.
"Unless we crash first." Fontaine pointed ahead. "A canyon!"
The Conseil's nose dropped even more, throwing Fontaine off-balance. She barely managed to get the Conseil turned away from the canyon wall in time.
Water on her ankles made Fontaine look down. "We're taking on water! Ant, if you have a plan, now would be great!"
"I remember something from the dream!" Ant cried. "I need to find balance!"
Fontaine twisted to give her brother an incredulous look. "Ant, we could implode! Is this really the time to be discussing your dream?"
Fontaine turned her attention ahead again. The submarine had dipped further down and rocked side-to-side, making it hard stand, never mind steer!
Ant did something, then the Conseil stabilized. Their descent lessened until they were leveled out. Fontaine threw the Conseil around a turn, feeling the water rising past her knees.
"I can get us out of here, but we need to go up," Fontaine told Ant over her shoulder.
"I'm trying!" Ant grunted. "Just give me a second!"
Fontaine angled the Conseil through another turn, then inhaled sharply when she saw the canyon end in a stone wall. She turned quickly, splashing the waist-high water.
"Now!" Fontaine cried.
"There's too much water!" Ant said.
"Then get rid of it!" Fontaine snapped, whirling back to the front.
Fontaine frantically searched for another place to turn. But there was nothing but narrow canyon walls and Ant was yelling for Griffin and the water was up to her shoulders and-
Getting lower.
There was a loud splash and sputtering, then Griffin yelled, "Now!"
The floor suddenly tilted. Fontaine staggered, but kept her hold on the wheel. They were going up!
The Conseil shot nearly straight up, clearing the canyon wall with way too little room to spare. The kids all cheered as Ant leveled them to a more gradual climb.
"That was great!" Fontaine said, turning from the wheel now that they were back in open water.
Ant held a level attached to a gear with both hands and grinned shakily over his shoulder. Griffin -missing his life jacket, oddly- sat on the floor with wide eyes.
"Let's go home," Fontaine said. She smiled. "So, who's explaining this to our parents?"
A/N: Not totally sure if "crash dive" was the best term for their dive, but I came across the term and liked it.
XD You guys, I'm just... I'm just really amused with the next chapter. XD I wanted to post it today, but it'll have to wait until tomorrow.
