Chapter 10: Mud and Clay

Disclaimer: I do not own Free! Iwatobi Swim Club

Gou didn't bother going to swim practice. She felt like crap and wanted some time for herself to clear her thoughts. She didn't regret what she said to Chigusa. Everything has changed either for the good or the bad. Today was one of those days when things start to fall apart. The only good thing that has happened today is kissing Makoto.

She hung out in her room, playing with a glass of water. She moved her hand gracefully and made the water rise out of the cup. She flats her hand, trying to get the water to freeze but it doesn't happen. She has done it before when she accidently froze the sink and when she was attacked by Mamoru Kenta but for some reason she can't now.

"What the hell? Why can't I do it?" She said to herself.

"Can't do what?" asked a familiar voice. Gou turns around instantly, seeing Rin leaning against the doorway. "What are you doing?" He points at the big line coming out of the cup.

"Just practicing…and thinking." She responds. He comes over and sits on her bed.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked. Gou stays silent and looks at the window. "Gou…I'm here to help you. If there is anything wrong, you can tell me." he said earnestly.

"…I am trying to freeze water like I did before but it's…just not happening. Maybe it's because I have a lot on my mind or something." Gou hesitantly says to her brother.

"What's on your mind then?"

"I…fought with Chigusa today. I called her trash but I don't regret it."

"Sadly I knew. She became more sassy and bitchy over the past few years. It's amazing you didn't do this till now. I think you did the right thing. Maybe she will open her eyes more and see what she has become." He smiles.

"You think so?"

"Well I don't. It's all up to her." He said as he messes Gou's hair. Gou smiles at her brother, happy that he was there whenever she needed him. Then her cell phone rings loudly, interrupting their sibling moment. Rin reaches for her phone but stops when he sees who was calling.

"Why is Watanabe calling?" He asked.

"Oh maybe she translated it…"She mumbled.

"Translated what?" Rin says getting more irritated.

"Oh…school was attacked today. Nobody was hurt but there was something written in mud. Bo said it was ancient so she decide to find out what it was." Gou answers as she took her cell phone and answers Bo's call.

"Bo? Did you find out what it said?" Gou asks as she puts her cell phone on speaker so her brother would hear. She puts her index finger up to her lips, telling Rin to stay quiet.

"It means 'come to the garden on the next height of night' in Hebrew." Bo answers.

"Garden? What garden?"

"I don't know it could me anything with lots of plants." They stopped talking brainstorming until Rin gets an idea.

"The park!" He shouts then, quickly covers his mouth.

"Who was that?" Bo asked.

"My brother…he knows about us so…" Gou answers awkwardly.

"…That's fine as long he doesn't say any of this to anyone." Bo accepts. Rin and Gou look at each other and give each other a smile.

"So back on topic; I think Rin has a point. The park is kind of close to a garden so maybe that what it is telling us. And maybe 'next height of night' means tomorrow night at a certain time." Bo guesses.

"I could mean midnight. I mean midnight is the kind of the height of night." Gou adds.

"So in all, it's telling us that it wants us to go to the garden at midnight. Why can't it just say that?" Rin complains.

"Because Rin, it is an ancient creature. I don't think it will understand today's way of speaking." said Bo.

"Do you know what it is?" Rin asks.

"Yeah it's-"she said till a loud crash interrupts her. "Aunty, you okay!?" Bo shouts.

"No!" a woman shouts back.

"Damn…look I got to go now bye!" Bo says as she hangs up.

"Well there goes our answer. We can't look it up because the internet is down and the library is closing." said Gou disappointed.

"Well we will know for sure what it is tomorrow night." Rin reassures her, messes her hair again, and leaves the room. Gou looks through the window and continues to practice.

"We?" Gou questions him.

"Yeah Watanabe, you, and me." he answers bluntly.

"You are not going Rin. It's dangerous!" she shouts at him.

"I am too! I don't want you to get hurt!"

"I don't want you to get hurt either! Please Rin, stay here." Gou pleads with puppy dog eyes. Rin stays silent for a few minutes.

"Fine…" he said and leaves the room, slamming the door behind him. Gou looks down at the cup of water and continues to practice, trying to calm herself.

The Next Day…

"Gou." Chigusa calls Gou out after the bell rung for lunch. "We need to talk." She said as Hana and Kairi walked up behind her, crossing their arms. Gou gets up and follows them into an empty hallway.

"What is with you lately?" Kairi asks harshly. "First you abandon us for that freak and now you are calling us trash!? What the hell!?"

"I thought we were friends!" Hana hisses. Chigusa stands in the back just leaning against the wall, listening.

"What does Freaky have that we don't?!" pushes Kairi. Gou stands there in silence. She balls her hands into fist and glares at them.

"First she doesn't talk shit about anyone! Second she doesn't talk about her friends in such a way that disgusts people! And third, she has a heart, not like you guys!" Gou screams at them, making them silent.

"She is brutally honest; she tells it like it is not afraid of whom it is making her also fearless. She doesn't give a shit of what people think of her! She's true to herself! You guys…have changed a lot. You aren't the people that I was proud to call friends anymore. I don't even know what to call you now!" Her voice shakes. She digs her nails into her hand, trying not to punch one of them in the face.

"I know, how about just classmates." Hana says harshly and walks away. Chigusa and Kairi follow her, leaving Gou alone in the hallway.

"Do you really think that about me?" asked a familiar voice. Gou turns and sees Bo standing there.

"You were listening?"

"I thought they were going to beat you up or something so I got worried."

"Well…I didn't get beat but…" Gou starts to stumble and covers her mouth, trying to muffle her cries. Bo quickly hugs and rubs her back.

"It was hard wasn't it? It's okay to cry." Bo says calmly. The electricity was back but it was soothing instead of like a shock. It felt warm and safe. Gou's tears leeked out of her eyes and buries her face into Bo's shoulder, trying to muffle her cries.

At Swim Practice…

"Hey everyone listen up!" Gou calls everyone, getting their attention. They stop swimming and paid their attention to her. "We are having a swim meet with Samezuka Academy next week so I made a regiment for us." Gou shouts as she lifts a piece of paper. Everyone gets out of the pool and reads it. Everyone discusses what they are going to swim which was the same thing every time. Makoto gets back stroke, Nagisa is breast stroke, Rei is the butterfly, and of course Haruka gets to swim free. 'Nothing changes in this swim club.' Gou thought. Then she felt someone tap her shoulder.

She turns her head and her eyes meet Makoto's. She instantly turns red as a tomato.

"Makoto-senpai! W-what is it!?" she stumbles. She couldn't stop thinking about that amazing kiss yesterday. She stared at his lips, wanting more of him. She wanted to touch him more. Feel more. Taste more.

"Um… I wanted to thank you for the regiment…" Makoto said, bringing Gou back to reality. Gou nods her head and they stood there, unable to move away from each other.

"Come on Mako-chan, let's swim!" Nagisa shouts and pushes Makoto into the pool. Some pool water gets onto Gou's legs. She immediately screams and runs to the changing room. She wobbled and fell to the ground. As she looks down at her legs, they were already a tail. Gou sighs in frustration as she looks irritated at herself.

"Gou! Are you okay!?" Rei calls from the other side of the door.

"I'm fine…just got cold that's all!" Gou lies to him. Rei says okay and leaves. 'Ugh, breaking friendships and turning into a fish all in one day, man this sucks.' Gou lays back in frustration and waits for her tail to change back into legs.

That Night…

'Tonight's the night or today's the day… ugh whatever.' Gou thought as she walks to the park. She fixes her oversized grey sweatshirt and her pink tank-top straps. As she comes up to the park, she sees Bo leaning against a tree. She was wearing a see-through white oversized blouse with a black tank-top inside, black shorts, and no shoes. Bo spots Gou and waves at her.

"Why aren't you wearing shoes?" Gou asked.

"Why are you wearing shoes?" Bo asked back.

"Never mind…" Gou gives up before she even tries. She knew it would end up in a ridiculous conversation so she didn't push it. Then the ground started to shake, followed by a scream. They rushed into the park to find nothing.

"What the fuck was that!?" Bo shouted. They looked around but saw nothing. Then the ground started to shake again. The dirt started to move, forming a mud-clay, human-like creature with only holes for eyes. It stood 9 ft. tall, had broad shoulders, and arms of King Kong. In his grip, was a person with red hair. Gou looks closer and realizes who it was.

"Onii-chan!" Gou shouts in fear.

"G-Gou…h-help me…" Rin barely says to her as the creature tightens his grip.

"Bo, what the fuck is that thing!?" Gou shouts.

"Gou…meet Golem." Bo says as they stood there in front of the creature.