"All men are equal before fish." -Herbert Hoover

It had been a couple days since their first tumultuous meeting and the boys were growing ever more accustomed to the strange antics of the other. And although in the beginning it was more difficult with Garth being so inexperienced with the surface world, and Roy's abrasive personality. Both were proving it challenging to find a common ground, but slowly their two worlds were melding as differences were placed aside for innocent childish memories.

Once realizing that Garth was nothing more than a humanoid sea sponge with the mental capacity of a rock, and Roy was just an uncouth land walker who only bites when provoked, the two readily became the closest of friends, continuously finding endless entertainment with each other. And even with the approaching winter freezing the very ground they walked on, the touch of coldness on their bare feet was no hindrance as the children scavenged the forest for berries, poked at the nests of furry creatures, and built forts from decaying twigs and sticks.

"Hey Garth! Check this out!"

Running behind a tree the freckled boy came swinging around, heaving a large wooden bow slung over his bony shoulder, in his hands was a fabric quiver containing over-used feathered arrows. Garth stood up from his stump seat joining the other to see what surface treasures he would be introduced to.

"This was my dad's hunting set. He was the best ranger on the whole reserve!" Roy said as he lifted the bow, presenting it to his curious ocean counterpart, "You use it to shoot stuff, like birds, deer, and other things! Here lemme show you."

Pulling the string taut and arching the bow expertly in his grasp, the hunter shot one of the bendy arrows, aiming straight for the drooping branch of a nearby moss decorated tree. The flying shaft whistled like a singing bullet as it soared through the crisp air until piercing the peeling bark.

"See? Amazing right?"

In total awe Garth cheered from the sidelines as Roy launched arrow after arrow, showing off his archery skills to the bewilderment of the other. Both of them being soon lost in time as the sun set, only focusing on the flying wooden missiles fleeting through autumn's welcoming twilight.

Lying in the dew kissed grass the children stared up at the endless night sky counting the stars as they shot through the cosmos.

Pointing upwards to constellations decorating the blue-scape miles into the air Garth spoke disrupting nature's silence.

"Father says sky is twin ocean. Same home but faraway. Untouched."

"Huh. That's kinda weird." Roy said, as he twiddled the ripped bits of grass in between his fingers.

"My dad always told me that the sky was some sort of kingdom where all the dead people go." He exhaled heavily, "Wonder if he found my mom up there."

Garth glanced at his friend concerned, his entrancing plum-painted eyes sparkling with worry.

"No father or mother here with you?"

"Not anymore." The other boy grumbled as he avoided the sadden expression distorting the other's predominantly cheerful face.

"I don't really have a family anymore."

"You have me." The prince stated firmly as he rolled onto his side fully facing the auburn graced child. Pulling his moody friend into his lightly damp limbs, they both were soon entangled, absorbing the radiating heat of their bodies. Feeling Garth's chest rise Roy brought his attention back to the galaxy before him.

"Yeah," he smirked, snuggling closer, "I have you."

Morning arrived like a snake slithering for its prey among the frosted ground as Roy woke up, stretching his stiff back as he rolled over. To his surprise his sea-loving partner had wandered back to the shore, barely visible from beyond the trees, if not for his navy blue suit still stuck on his body he would have disappeared. The ocean inhabitant was diving in and out of the break waves collecting debris from beneath the watery layers, and piling them upon the larger boulders nearby.

Briskly heading towards the other, Roy stepped onto the sand, feeling it smoosh under his toes. It was very cold, feeling similar to the mud he was used to bathing in when contaminated with poison ivy. Shivering slightly he made his way over standing only inches away from the washed up foam.

Garth stopped his oceanic searching as he stumbled into the arms of the sun stained boy, soaking his clothes further with salty residue. Squeezing Roy in a wet embrace he smiled with his sharpen teeth and pointed at his stack of deep sea oddities.

In his pile were slabs of barnacles and strips of seaweed all bundled together forming a lump with oozing ocean pus pooling at the bottom. Garth licked his lips hungrily, as lifted out a piece of the knotted slimy substance and shoved it all into his mouth. Facing the grimacing hazel eyed expression of his friend the prince scooped up some of his delicious sludge and dropped it directly into the other's palms. Then the water born boy looked at him then back at his sticky meal, then back at him, begging for the redhead to try it with anticipation.

"For you."

Roy winced at the sincerity before lifting his breakfast to his face and sniffing. He bit down a gag, and tentatively stuck his tongue unwillingly into the goopy mess. His skin became tinted with a greenish hue as the bow carrying child thrust the remainder into the hands of the prince.

"Thanks, but I'm not really hungry! You can have the rest!" He grunted, trying to ignore the sensation of bile building inside of his gut.

Shrugging nonchalantly Garth dug into the rest, smearing his cheeks and lips with traces of kelp as he ate. And for a while all Roy did was watch his special playmate gorge away, forcing his own rumbling stomach to hold off. The beating waves lapping against the early morning beaches was the only noise surrounding them as the day carried on.

Tying another knot with the last loose ends of the string, the bracelet was finally securely fastened onto Garth's wrist comfortably. Its simple bright blue pattern laced with the crossing of purple designs matched perfectly with the violet pools of the prince's eyes. And watching intently the young ocean dweller confusedly lifted his eyebrows at the other, silently gesturing for an explanation of his generous gift.

"It's a friendship bracelet." Roy explained, examining it for any possible tears. Raising his chin the flustered youth pushed a stray lock back behind the royal's ear.

Blushing feverishly, his feet anxiously staggered back and forth as he continued, "It's supposed to show you how much you mean to me."

Enchanted by his new jewelry the sea born boy then tilted his head at the unknown english word, and asked quizzically, "What is friendship?"

"Uh, friendship like in friends? You know, someone you wanna know forever." Stammered the unkempt hunter, his golden flecked orbs widening.

"Forever?" Garth wondered aloud before bursting into a happy smile as he grabbed Roy's skinny wrists, slamming their bodies together in a tight hug, while simultaneously knocking the wind out of the red head from the sheer force of exuberance.

"Then we stay friends forever!"

Catching his breath, Roy chuckled into the other's raven touched hair.

"Sure, friends forever," He sighed dreamily, feeling the calming breeze of autumn's goodbye brush past them in a twirling showcase of copper colored leaves, unaware of winter's cruel arrival waiting in the wings.