Chapter Two
The Coral Reef
Everyone arrived on the beach after a short trip, and it was just as beautiful as when they'd first arrived that morning. "Look mommies, fishies!" Bubbles yelled with joy as she watched some tropical fish swim in the shallow section of the water.
"Wow, the coral's beautiful. So many different colors, purple, pink, yellow, blue. It's gorgeous." Mako said as she stared in awe at the beautiful display of nature.
"Alright everyone, let's gear up." Europa said as she summoned her bag and dug everyone's diving equipment out, then she sent her bag away and let down her transformation.
"Last one in's a rotten egg!" Eliza laughed as she put her oxygen tank on.
"Eliza! Wait for everyone else!" Debbie shouted as she started getting her flippers on, but Eliza ignored her and dove in.
"Welp, y'all ready?" Sarah asked as she secured her tank.
"How are you dressed already?" Kaede asked as she stared at Sarah.
"I'm a Marine darlin', gearin' up fast is part of the job." Sarah answered as she put her goggles on.
"You shouldn't be surprised Kaede, we're firefighters, we have to gear up just as fast." Naru replied as she got her wetsuit on and put Ahsoka's breathing device in her mouth.
"I'm on vacation, I'm moving at a sloth's pace." Kaede replied as she got her suit on, then put Bubbles's breathing device in her mouth.
"As ya should be, miss I was hurt on the job and didn't tell my wife." Sarah replied as she walked over to the water.
"You're never gonna let that go, are you?" Kaede asked with a smile.
"Nope, I'ma hold that over yer head fer the rest of yer life." Sarah answered as she walked into the water, then dove beneath it. Everyone quickly finished getting their gear on before following her. The moment they were under the water everything became even more beautiful. The water was as clear as glass, the various colors and coral structures looked like something out of a movie, and the numerous schools of fish that were swimming around paid them no mind. They swam right past everyone, so close that they could've been touched.
'Wow, this is beautiful. I wish I had a camera.' Ami thought to herself as she looked around.
"Look mommy, a big pretty stingray!" Bubbles yelled with a smile.
"She can't hear you Bubbles, we're the only ones with any kind of radio in our gear." Blossom informed as she swam alongside Bubbles.
"Awe. Oh well, so where should we explore?" Bubbles asked as she looked around.
"We should all probably stay kind of close to each other, just to be safe." Blossom suggested as she swam over to Mako.
"I uh, think it's too late for that. Eliza's gone." Bubbles replied as she looked around for Eliza, who was nowhere to be seen.
"Well that's okay, she's used to doing stuff like this. But we shouldn't stray too far from everyone." Blossom replied as she looked around at the beautiful scenery.
"Alright, I'm gonna check on master Tano real quick." Bubbles informed as she swam over to Ahsoka. Ahsoka looked at her and nodded.
'Hi master.' Bubbles spoke through the force.
'Hi Bubbles, are you having fun?' Ahsoka asked in reply.
'Yeah, this is lots of fun; are you having a good time?' Bubbles asked in a happy tone.
'I actually am, I'm having a lot of fun. This place is gorgeous, and there's so much to explore. I saw some kind of opening in the coral that I kind of wanna check out, but I don't wanna stray too far from everyone.' Ahsoka replied as she looked down at a round tunnel that carved through some of the thicker and larger coral.
'I wonder if Eliza thought the same thing, except she did stray from everyone. You haven't seen her, have you master?' Bubbles asked with a little concern.
'I haven't, but I'll take a look around. Also, if we can't see her, try to sense her. The force resides in all of us remember, even those that aren't sensitive to it.' Ahsoka instructed before swimming away.
'Yes master.' Bubbles replied as she swam in a different direction. While everyone swam in a semi close group, Eliza had wandered far away from them, making her way deep into the coral cave that Ahsoka had seen earlier.
'Wow, this is so cool, it's like some kind of fun house built by nature.' Eliza thought to herself as she swam through the narrow and winding path in the coral. Eliza swam further into the tunnel, placing her hands against the jagged rocks to help her move through and navigate the slightly cramped space. After a moment she saw some light above her. Curious, she started swimming upwards, gripping the rocks of the enclosed space as she moved.
She was nearly through the space when she put her hand on a rock, feeling a sudden and sharp pain on her palm as she did so. Startled, Eliza looked at her hand and saw a little bit of blood coming from it, then she looked at the rock, which was actually a well camouflaged fish. 'Oh no, that's a lion fish!' Eliza thought as she stared at fish. It was perfectly camouflaged against the rock, its large spines were barely visible amongst the jagged rocks. 'Okay, don't panic, contrary to popular belief the sting is rarely fatal. It just hurts a lot!' Eliza thought to herself as she continued wiggling her way through the coral tunnel. She breached the surface after a moment, which surprised her, but it was a welcomed surprise. Eliza found herself in a small open area in the coral, large enough that she could climb out of the water and onto solid ground through. "Ouch, it burns." Eliza quietly said as she looked at her hand, which was swollen and red. "I shouldn't have swam so far from everyone, what am I gonna do now?" Eliza quietly cried as she held her throbbing hand. Luckily for her, there were two friends searching for her.
'Bubbles, did you sense that?' Ahsoka asked through the force.
'Yes master. I sense pain, I think it's Eliza.' Bubbles replied as she stopped swimming and looked around a little bit.
'She must be close, double back and check the coral near the sea floor, I'll check the large coral structure we were looking at earlier.' Ahsoka instructed before swimming towards the coral cave. Ahsoka swam for a bit before getting a sharper sense of Eliza. She swam over to the opening in the coral and peered up the shaft. 'Of course she's in there, why wouldn't she be.' Ahsoka thought to herself, then she took a calming breath and started swimming into the opening. It was cramped even for Eliza, so Ahsoka was really struggling to wiggle her way into the narrow space. 'Thank goodness I'm still pretty thin, I don't think I could've done this before I lost all of that weight.' Ahsoka thought to herself as she squeezed up the shaft. After a few minutes she reached the top and forced her head through the small opening. "Ah! Damn that hurt, I think I cut my montral." Ahsoka groaned as she wiggled her top half out of the hole. "There you are, are you okay Eliza?" Ahsoka asked as she looked at Eliza.
"No! I got stung by a lion fish, it really hurts." Eliza cried as she showed Ahsoka her swollen hand.
"I don't know anything about those, are they deadly?" Ahsoka asked in a worried tone.
"Not unless you're allergic to the venom, but it really hurts." Eliza answered with a sniffle.
"Hold on, I'm coming." Ahsoka replied as she pushed against the floor, trying to squeeze the rest of the way through the hole.
"It's okay Ahsoka, don't hurt yourself trying to fit through there. I'll be alright." Eliza said with a sniffle.
"Trust me, I've wiggled through much smaller." Ahsoka groaned as she continued pushing against the floor, slowly squeezing her way out of the hole and into the area Eliza was in. "See, no big deal. Now then, let's see that hand." Ahsoka said as she crawled over to Eliza. Eliza held her hand out to Ahsoka, which was red and had swollen to twice its normal size. "You're not allergic, are you?" Ahsoka asked as she examined Eliza's hand.
"I don't think so. I don't feel any different than usual, except that it really hurts." Eliza answered as she looked at her hand.
"Hold on." Ahsoka said as she pulled a pill out of a pouch on her belt. "Take this, it'll numb the pain long enough for you to swim out of here." Ahsoka instructed as she handed the pill to Eliza.
"Thank you." Eliza thanked as she took the pill and swallowed it. "How long will it take to kick in?" Eliza asked in a curious tone.
"Maybe a minute or two, it's a military grade pain killer in my galaxy. No side effects though, unlike the last medicine I had. I was all loopy from it." Ahsoka chuckled as she leaned against a rock.
"How did you get military grade medicine, if you don't mind me asking?" Eliza asked as she stared at Ahsoka.
"It was standard issue during the Clone Wars." Ahsoka answered with a straight face.
"You were a soldier like Sarah?" Eliza asked in a surprised tone.
"As a Jedi I'm technically a peace keeper, but the Clone Wars changed that. By the time I was trained enough to become a padawan, which is basically an apprentice, the Clone Wars were in full swing, and I was thrown into battle with my master almost immediately. From the first day of being a padawan, I was never anything but a soldier. That's all I've ever been, a soldier." Ahsoka quietly said in a sad tone.
"Why is that a bad thing? Soldiers are brave and honorable, they defend freedom across the world, at least in my country they do. The U.S soldiers are just as good, so what's wrong with being a soldier?" Eliza asked in a confused tone.
"Because I never wanted to be a soldier, I wanted to be a peace keeper, like a Jedi's supposed to be. Instead I was sent to war, to fight for things I didn't understand. I spent years fighting and killing, watching my men die; it haunts me every day. If I could go back and change it, I don't know if I even would've stayed with the Jedi order. I try to be tough, but I can only fake it so much! Just when I started to feel better, I get thrown into another battle against a group of terrorists on Mandalor! Then if that weren't bad enough, everyone kept calling me fat, and I believed them! I believed them so much that I lost the ability to see the truth! I was so determined to get in shape that I nearly exercised myself to death! Then after that I got kidnapped by a bounty hunter, and tortured by someone I thought was my friend! It just never ends, Eliza! There's no peace for me, it's just chaos! Chaos and pain!" Ahsoka cried as she clutched the sides of her head, almost as if she were trying to literally hold her mind together.
"I... I'm so sorry Ahsoka. That's so sad, I feel so bad for you." Eliza quietly cried as she hugged Ahsoka.
"I'm sorry that I just lost it like that, we need to focus on getting you out of here before that pain killer wears off." Ahsoka said with a sniffle as she hugged Eliza back.
"Is there another way out other than going through that hole?" Eliza asked as she looked up at Ahsoka.
"I don't know, I'll take a look around and see." Ahsoka answered as she crawled deeper into the small cave like area.
"How far back does it go?" Eliza asked as she looked behind her at Ahsoka.
"Further than I realized, it goes a good twenty feet or so." Ahsoka answered as she crawled back over to Eliza.
"Really?" Eliza asked as she looked deeper into the open area. "How can you tell, it's pitch black past this point?" Eliza asked in a curious tone.
"My species has really good night vision, it might be a little cramped, but we should be able to squeeze our way through." Ahsoka answered with a smile.
"Does it even lead anywhere though?" Eliza asked as she rubbed her hand a little.
"Yeah, I'm not exactly sure where it leads to, but there's an opening in the wall back there. Wherever it leads to has to be better than wiggling back through that hole into the water." Ahsoka replied as she started crawling further into the cave. "Here, hold onto this so you don't get separated from me." Ahsoka instructed as she pulled a small cable part way out of an opening on one of her belt pouches.
"Thank you." Eliza thanked as she lightly wrapped the cable around her uninjured hand and squeezed it.
"Alright, let's get moving." Ahsoka instructed as she started crawling forward. Eliza slowly followed behind her, being extra careful to keep at least a light grip on the cable that Ahsoka had handed her. "Let me know if I'm going too fast for you, okay." Ahsoka instructed in a calm tone.
"This speed is fine for now, thank you Ahsoka." Eliza thanked as she continued following Ahsoka. The pair went a few more feet before Ahsoka suddenly stopped with a yelp.
"Ah!" Ahsoka quietly yelled as she felt something jagged drag over one of her montrals.
"Are you okay, what happened?" Eliza asked with some concern.
"I'm alright, I didn't notice a piece of rock sticking out of the ceiling and it scraped my montral." Ahsoka answered as she gently placed her hand on her montral, feeling some warm and semi thick liquid on it.
"Your montral? Is that what the striped thing on your head is called?" Eliza asked in a curious tone.
"Yeah, specifically my montrals are the two peaks on the top of my head; then the space between them is often referred to as a valley. The three tails that hang off of my head, the two over my shoulders and the one down my back, are called lekku." Ahsoka explained as she laid flat on her stomach and started crawling forward, hoping to avoid another accident with the jagged rocks. "Alright Eliza, you might have to keep going on your own, this is getting too tight for me." Ahsoka informed as she felt the rock start to press harder against her montrals.
"What? But I can't, I can't see anything; I have no idea where I'm going!" Eliza replied in a frightened tone.
"Don't worry, it's not much further. Keep going for about five feet and you'll reach a hole in the back wall. Go through it and there should be an opening directly above you, climb out of it and you should be on land then. Okay?" Ahsoka informed in a calm tone.
"How are you gonna get back out though? You barely made it through the hole you came in through. Plus how am I supposed to get around you from here?" Eliza asked with some concern.
"Around me?" Ahsoka asked in a confused tone, but then she realized what Eliza was trying to ask. In order for Eliza to get past her, she'd have to be able to crawl alongside or over her, and there wasn't enough room for either option in the small tunnel. "Oh great, just great. Now what are we gonna do?" Ahsoka asked herself as she thought for a moment.
"Why don't you just keep going, I'll help you if you need it." Eliza suggested with a smile.
"I don't know if I can make it even with help, we might have to double back so that you can go through on your own. I'll have to take the other way out." Ahsoka replied as she stared at the remaining tunnel ahead of her.
"But the whole reason we didn't take that path in the first place was because you barely made it through. So you're gonna have a hard time either way, we might as well just keep going." Eliza said as she lightly nudged Ahsoka forward.
"You have a point. Uh, I'm so tired of stuff like this, why does everything have to be so cramped. I'm not that big, am I?" Ahsoka asked as she started wiggling forward.
"I don't think you're big, though you do have a more grownup figure than I do. But I think you're pretty, especially your white markings on your orange skin." Eliza answered with a smile.
"Thank you Eliza, that actually makes me feel really good to hear you say that. I've had some self image issues in the past, I try not to let things like my looks worry me anymore, but sometimes I still feel a hint of shame in my body at times. I think I need to start talking more, like now, you're easy to talk to for some reason. I know that you're younger than me, and I'm sorry that I'm kind of dumping my issues on you, especially considering that we just met, but I feel comfortable around you. I hope you don't mind." Ahsoka quietly said in a sad tone.
"Not at all Ahsoka, I hope you don't take this the wrong way when I say this, but I wonder if you have an easier time talking to me because you're not human. I spend most of my time talking to animals, not that I'm saying you're an animal, but you're also not human. So maybe you have an easier time talking to me because I have an easier time talking to animals; or in other words, beings that aren't human." Eliza suggested in a kind tone.
"You know what, that might have something to do with it. But then why do I have a harder time talking to Bubbles than I do to you? She can talk to animals as well." Ahsoka asked in a confused tone.
"Maybe because you and her are much closer than you and I are, maybe you're more worried about revealing too much to her since you're her teacher. I'm just a random girl that you just met, so you don't have to worry about changing the kind of relationship we have since we don't really have one yet; unlike you and Bubbles, whom you already have an established relationship with." Eliza suggested in a thoughtful tone.
"Wow, that's actually really insightful. You're pretty wise for someone your age. How old are you, twelve, thirteen?" Ahsoka asked in a surprised tone.
"Thirteen and a half, and thank you. I guess you learn a few things when you travel the world and speak to animals from all over, especially when some of them are over a century old." Eliza answered with a giggle.
"That's an amazing gift Eliza, cherish it. With enough training you could help voiceless creatures from not just earth, but anywhere animals may live. You could probably even talk to Batcher, one of my friend's pet lurca hounds." Ahsoka replied in a sweet tone as she stopped crawling.
"You okay?" Eliza asked with some concern when she noticed that Ahsoka had stopped.
"Kind of, I don't know if I can make it through this next part, it's a really small space between the floor and ceiling." Ahsoka answered as she tried to push her head through the gap.
"Maybe try lying on your back, you have a fairly flat chest and stomach." Eliza suggested as she watched Ahsoka push her head against the rock.
"Good idea. Hopefully I have enough space to roll over." Ahsoka replied as she slowly rolled onto her back, struggling for a moment as her hips got caught between the floor and ceiling. "Ah. That was not comfortable, I'll be feeling that for a while." Ahsoka groaned as she rubbed her hips.
"Are you gonna be okay?" Eliza asked as she stared at Ahsoka.
"Oh yeah, I've been through much worse than some sore hips." Ahsoka answered as she started worming her way through the narrow space. Ahsoka got most of her upper body through before having to sit up a little so that her head wouldn't hit the wall behind her. "Almost there, could you give me a little shove please?" Ahsoka asked as she tried to pull her butt through.
"No problem." Eliza answered as she grabbed Ahsoka's ankles and gave her a light push.
"Thank you." Ahsoka thanked as he butt slipped through the gap. "Okay, I'm in. Your turn. Come in stomach up so that you can sit up when you're part way in, the wall is pretty close to the opening." Ahsoka instructed as she stood up in the narrow space.
"Okay." Eliza replied as she copied Ahsoka's method and slid through the gap.
"There you go, nice job." Ahsoka said with a smile as she sat Eliza up and pulled her the rest of the way through.
"Thank you. So now where do we go?" Eliza asked in a confused tone.
"The only way we can go." Ahsoka answered as she looked up. Eliza looked up as well and made an audible gulp. The only way out was through a small hole that was at least thirty feet above her, and the only way up was to climb on the sharp rocks through a narrow shaft.
"Don't worry, the entire thing should be wide enough that you can ride on my back until the very top. Then I'll just boost you through the hole. Okay?" Ahsoka informed as she turned around so Eliza could get on her back.
"What if I'm too heavy though? That's a long way to climb, especially with an eighty pound girl on your back." Eliza asked in a nervous tone.
"Eighty pounds is nothing, I've carried much heavier weights up far steeper cliffs, all while being shot at. Carrying you up this thing is basically a leisure task." Ahsoka answered with a smile.
"Wow, you're awesome." Eliza replied as she got on Ahsoka's back.
"If you think I'm cool then you should meet my master, now he's awesome. He taught me almost everything I know." Ahsoka replied as she started climbing.
"Maybe I will someday." Eliza said as she tightened her grip on Ahsoka. After nearly two minutes Ahsoka had made it about a third of the way up the shaft, she grabbed another rock and started pulling herself further up, but the rock broke off the wall and she slipped. She cut her hand on the rock as it broke off, but thankfully she caught herself before she fell, pushing her right leg against the wall behind her to stabilize herself.
"That was close, you okay?" Ahsoka asked as she did her best to look at Eliza.
"Yeah, I'm okay. Thanks." Eliza answered as she clung a little harder to Ahsoka.
"Hold on tight, I'm gonna keep climbing." Ahsoka informed as she continued climbing. Ahsoka did her best to ignore the pain in her hand, every time she grabbed a rock she could feel it pushing into her cut; but she refused to stop, she had to get Eliza out of there. "Almost there, just hold on a little bit longer, you're doing great Eliza." Ahsoka encouraged as she moved a little further up the shaft.
"I don't think we're gonna make it, it's too narrow up there for us to climb any higher with me on your back." Eliza warned as she looked up at the narrowing shaft.
"That's good. Now listen to me very carefully, I want you to slowly climb up just a few feet so that you can stand on my shoulders, then I'll push you up and you climb out that hole. Can you do that Eliza?" Ahsoka asked in a calm tone.
"I'll try." Eliza replied with a nervous breath.
"No, do or do not, there is no try. So what are you gonna do?" Ahsoka asked in a firm tone.
"I'm gonna do it." Eliza answered in a determined tone before pulling herself further up the shaft.
"That's what I like to hear, you can do this Eliza. Trust yourself." Ahsoka encouraged as Eliza slowly climbed onto her shoulders. Eliza took a breath to try and calm herself, then she carefully stood up and grabbed the first rock she could, then she grabbed another, and another, and another; and before she knew it her head was poking out the top of the shaft.
"I'm doing it, Ahsoka! I'm doing it!" Eliza cheered as she continued climbing.
"That's fantastic Eliza, keep going, you're doing great!" Ahsoka yelled back as she climbed a little higher so Eliza could reach further out of the hole. A moment later Ahsoka watched as Eliza's legs rose out of the hole and she exited it completely.
"I did it!" Eliza yelled with excitement as she looked down at Ahsoka.
"Great job Eliza, I knew you could do it!" Ahsoka yelled back as she started climbing a little more. A moment later Ahsoka wiggled her head and arms out of the hole. "Oh thank God, I am so sick of cramped spaces, I think I'm slowly developing claustrophobia." Ahsoka groaned as she started pushing the rest of her body out of the small hole.
"Let me help." Eliza said as she grabbed Ahsoka under her arms and tried to lift her.
"Ow! Stop, stop! My hips are getting crushed." Ahsoka groaned as she looked down at her hips, which were now firmly wedged in the narrow opening.
"What do we do?" Eliza asked in a worried tone.
"I might have to bite the bolt and try to get out the way I came in." Ahsoka replied as she tried to go back down.
"Do you need help?" Eliza asked as she stared at Ahsoka.
"Maybe, could you push on my shoulders please?" Ahsoka asked as she stopped struggling for a moment.
"Of course." Eliza answered as she pushed on Ahsoka's shoulders. Ahsoka wiggled and twisted a little in an attempt to dislodge her hips from the rocks, but it didn't help.
"Okay, this is bad." Ahsoka said as she looked around a little. "Really bad." Ahsoka quietly said as she stared at the water, which seemed to be moving closer to her.
"Oh no, the tide's coming in. We have to get you out of there before it does, otherwise you could drown!" Eliza panicked as she started pulling on Ahsoka.
"Ow ow! Stop! Panicking isn't going to help me; take a breath and calm down, we have time. The others shouldn't be far, go find bubbles and tell her to come over here, she can cut me out with her lightsabers." Ahsoka instructed in a calm tone.
"Okay, I'll be back. I promise!" Eliza yelled as she ran away.
"I trust you." Ahsoka quietly said as she watched Eliza run away. Eliza ran for a few minutes before she finally found everyone else.
"Eliza! Thank goodness you're safe, where have you been? We've all been searching for you for almost a half hour." Blossom asked as she flew over to Eliza.
"I was exploring a coral cave and I got stung by a lion fish, it hurt and I couldn't swim, so I surfaced inside the cave and climbed out of the water. Then Ahsoka found me and gave me some medicine, but we had to wait a little bit for it to take effect. The cave was so small though that Ahsoka didn't want to try and squeeze back out the way she came in, so we found a different way out that was unfortunately just as small. Ahsoka helped me climb up a shaft in the rocks and get out through a small hole, but when Ahsoka tried to get through it she got stuck, I couldn't get her out. She needs help before the tide comes in!" Eliza yelled in a slight panic.
"I'll get her, where is she?" Blossom asked in a firm tone.
"She's way over there at the edge of the reef! Please hurry Blossom, the water's already risen in just the few minutes it took me to get over here!" Eliza informed as she pointed in the direction Ahsoka was.
"Don't worry, we'll get her. Girls, I know where Ahsoka is, she needs help!" Blossom yelled in a commanding tone.
"Master Tano's in trouble?" Bubbles asked as she and Buttercup flew over to Blossom.
"Yes, she's trapped in a hole in the rocks and the tide's coming in, so let's move it!" Blossom answered as she dashed off, followed by Bubbles and Buttercup. A few seconds later the puffs were hovering over Ahsoka.
"Girls, thank goodness you're here. I need some help, I'm stuck." Ahsoka said as she looked up at the puffs.
"Eliza told me what happened, don't worry Ahsoka, we'll get you out. Bubbles, we'll keep an eye on the tide, you cut Ahsoka out of there with your lightsabers." Blossom instructed as she looked at Bubbles.
"I don't have my lightsabers, I left them in my bag. I didn't want them to get damaged in the water." Bubbles informed in a frantic tone.
"You what?! Bubbles, what have I told you about your sabers?! Those weapons are your life, you never go anywhere without them!" Ahsoka shouted as she glared at Bubbles.
"But I didn't want them to get damaged by the water, electronics and water don't mix, master." Bubbles replied in defense of her decision.
"What?! You thought the water would damage your lightsabers?! Didn't anybody teach you that they're made of a waterproof material?! You can fight with them under water, I've done it before!" Ahsoka yelled in a shocked tone.
"I didn't know that, no one told me they were waterproof!" Bubbles yelled back in a surprised tone.
"That's on me then, I'm sorry that I forgot to teach you that little detail. But yes, your lightsabers are waterproof, now you know." Ahsoka replied as she struggled a little bit in the hole.
"Don't you have your lightsabers?" Blossom asked as she stared at Ahsoka.
"Yes, but I can't reach them." Ahsoka answered as she stopped struggling.
"Why didn't you use them in the first place?" Blossom asked in a curious tone.
"Because I wasn't thinking clearly, I talked to Eliza while her medicine kicked in and I got flustered because I was discussing some uncomfortable things with her about my past. Remember, I'm still not thinking as clearly as I usually do." Ahsoka explained with a small breath.
"You have your lightsabers on you though, master?" Bubbles asked with a straight face.
"Yeah, but they don't do me any good since I can't reach them." Ahsoka replied as a wave of water splashed her in the face. "Okay, I'm honestly starting to get a little scared. The tide's getting further in and I can't budge from here, I really don't wanna end up drowning here like this!" Ahsoka panicked as she started pushing and squirming in the hole.
"Here, you can use my breather if the tide comes in, I refilled it already." Bubbles informed as she handed Ahsoka her breathing device.
"Thank you. But unfortunately that doesn't help me get out of here, do any you have any ideas?" Ahsoka asked as she looked at each puff.
"I think I might. Bubbles, how difficult is it to manipulate a lightsaber that you can't see?" Blossom asked in a curious tone.
"I don't think I can call my lightsabers to me from all the way over here, I left them back at camp." Bubbles answered with a sad expression.
"That's not what I asked, can you control a lightsaber that you can't see, assuming it's close enough?" Blossom clarified.
"That's a very difficult technique for even the most skilled Jedi to do, why do you ask?" Ahsoka asked as she looked at Blossom.
"Blossom you're a genius." Bubbles replied with a grin.
"What are you talking about? I don't understand what's... AAAH! What is that?! It's really warm all of a sudden!" Ahsoka yelled as she felt a sudden heat near her hip. A moment later the bright blue beam of Ahsoka's shoto blade shot up through the rock, then it slowly started cutting a circle around her.
"Done, okay master, let's get you out of there." Bubbles said as she carefully lifted Ahsoka out of the hole, bringing a large and circular piece of rock out with her.
"Nice skirt Ahsoka, is that a new fashion?" Buttercup asked with a chuckle.
"Very funny Buttercup." Ahsoka grumbled as she looked down at herself. Bubbles had carved a round chunk of the rock out of the ground and lifted both Ahsoka and the rock out with her, leaving her still stuck in the hole and now wearing what looked like a stone skirt.
"Sorry master, I didn't want to cut too close to your body if I couldn't see it. Now that you're fully visible I can make a more precise cut to free you completely." Bubbles explained as she held the lightsaber up, then carefully cut the rock in half, with her saber getting so close to Ahsoka that she could feel the heat of the blade as it passed through the rock.
"Thank you Bubbles, I'm so embarrassed right now. I didn't realize my hips were that wide." Ahsoka replied as she looked down at her hips and gently rubbed them.
"It's okay master, Ami mommy says that it's normal for a girl to have wide hips. It's part of our biology, something to do with babies. Though I don't understand why wide hips would have anything to do with a baby." Bubbles said with a smile.
"You'll learn when you're older. Thanks for your help girls, I don't know what I'd do without you three." Ahsoka thanked as she hugged the puffs.
"You're welcome Ahsoka." Blossom replied as she and her sisters all hugged Ahsoka back.
"Alright, let's head back over by everyone else now." Ahsoka said as she started walking back towards everyone else. A short walk later Ahsoka and the puffs had found Eliza and everyone else.
"Ahsoka, thank goodness you're alright. I'm sorry that we didn't all come to help, but with the tide coming in it would've been more dangerous if we all had gone." Usagi apologized as she hugged Ahsoka.
"No, I agree; the girls were more than capable of helping me. How's Eliza doing though, how's her hand?" Ahsoka asked as she looked at Eliza.
"Her hand? What happened to her hand? Eliza what happened to your hand?" Debbie asked with some concern as she grabbed Eliza's hands and looked at them.
"It's nothing Debbie, it was just a little lion fish sting. Ahsoka already treated it for me." Eliza explained as she tried to pull her hand away.
"You got stung by a lion fish?! Did you take one of the anti toxins from the med kit?!" Debbie asked in a shocked tone.
"No, Ahsoka gave me pills already and I'm fine. I'm not allergic to the venom, so there's nothing to worry about." Eliza replied as she pulled her hand out of Debbie's grip.
"I don't care what Ahsoka gave you, you should've taken an anti toxin! That thing could've killed you!" Debbie yelled in an angry tone.
"But it didn't and it won't, so why are you making such a big deal about this?!" Eliza asked in the same angry tone.
"Because if something happens to you then I'm going to get blamed for it!" Debbie shouted as she glared at Eliza.
"Oh so that's the reason, not because I could've been hurt or something, but because you could've gotten in trouble for it?!" Eliza asked in an enraged tone.
"Yes! I mean no! Or... I don't know! AAAAH! You're so annoying!" Debbie screamed as she turned around to storm off.
"At least I'm not a selfish jerk like you!" Eliza screamed back as she crossed her arms in a huff.
"You're calling me selfish?! You're the one that's always running off to play in the jungle, leaving me alone at camp! I can't even remember how many times you and your antics have completely screwed things up for not just me, but all of us! You're the most selfish person in this family, so maybe..." Debbie ranted, until she and Eliza were both startled into a state of silence.
"ENOUGH!" Ahsoka screamed before slamming her foot down and stepping between Eliza and Debbie. Then she turned and started at Debbie for a moment.
"What are you..." Debbie started to ask, until Ahsoka placed her hand on Debbie's forehead.
"You're struggling to convey your true feelings. You were scared for Eliza's safety, worried that she was hurt and that you wouldn't be able to help her." Ahsoka calmly said before removing her hand from Debbie's forehead, then she placed it on Eliza's. "You feel bad that you worried your sister, but you don't know how to tell her that, how to apologize for scaring her. You feel scared to, and despite your actions, deep down you're thankful that Debbie's here right now. You feel comforted by her presence." Ahsoka said with a straight face, then she removed her hand from Eliza's forehead and stepped back.
"Is that true Debbie? Were you really that worried about me?" Eliza quietly asked as she took a step towards Debbie.
"Of course I was, you may be a pain in the rear, but you're still my sister. I would never want anything to happen to you." Debbie replied as she walked over to Eliza.
"I'm sorry Debbie, and Ahsoka's right; I am happy that you care and that you're here right now. Even though the toxin wasn't deadly, it was really painful. It hurt so bad that I started to wonder if maybe it was deadly. I was so scared, and I felt all alone without anyone there to tell me that I would be okay. If it hadn't been for Ahsoka I would probably still be in that cave. I'm sorry that I worried you so much." Eliza cried as she hugged Debbie.
"It's okay, all that matters is that you're safe." Debbie replied as she hugged Eliza back. "Thanks Ahsoka, we owe you one. We've never been good at communicating, so thank you for helping us with that." Debbie thanked with a small smile.
"You're welcome, now if you all don't mind, may we head back to camp please? I have a couple of wounds of my own to take care of." Ahsoka asked as she placed a hand on her cut montral.
"What happened to you?" Debbie asked as she looked at Ahsoka.
"I cut my hand on a rock when we were climbing out of the cave, and on my way into the cave I cut one of my montrals." Ahsoka answered as she leaned her head down so everyone could see the cut on her montral.
"Dang Ahsoka, that sure ain't pertty. Ya might need a stitch in that sucker." Sarah replied as she stared at Ahsoka's cut, which was deep and obviously irritated by the salt water she'd been in.
"Is it really that deep?" Ahsoka asked in a surprised tone.
"It's deep enough, better safe than sorry. Ya'd best ask Kaede ta check ya over just ta be sure, medicine is more her specialty." Sarah suggested as she looked at Kaede, who nodded in agreement.
"Alright, if you say so." Ahsoka replied as she started walking back towards camp.
"Can we eat lunch when we get back?" Buttercup asked with a smile.
"Sure, if you enjoy frozen chicken nuggets." Debbie answered with a light grumble.
"Yay! Chicken nuggets!" All three puffs cheered with excitement.
"Guess I shouldn't be surprised, you are kids after all." Debbie chuckled as everyone entered the camp.
"Wow, mom and dad still haven't come back yet." Eliza said with some surprise as she looked around the mostly empty camp.
"They were here, they left a note." Darwin informed as he walked over to Eliza with a piece of paper.
"Dear girls, we had to head back out to get some footage of the tortoises for the foundation. We'll likely be gone until late tonight, please give our apologies to everyone and tell them to make themselves at home. Love mom." Eliza read aloud.
"Uh, figures. Well, I guess we're on our own for food tonight." Debbie grumbled as she walked into the ComVee. Eliza sighed before dropping the note onto the table.
"What's the matter Eliza?" Mako asked as she sat down by Eliza.
"Oh nothing, I just feel like mom and dad have been working a lot lately. They haven't spent much time with us this entire month." Eliza quietly answered in a sad tone.
"Have you told them how you feel?" Mako asked with a smile.
"No, I know that they're busy and that it can't be helped. So I just accept that this is how things are sometimes." Eliza answered in a sad tone.
"You should tell them how you feel, take it from me, spend time with your parents while you can. You never know how much time you'll have with them." Mako quietly said before patting Eliza's shoulder and walking away.
"You know what Mako, you're right." Eliza replied as she stood up and walked into the ComVee, then she came out a few minutes later in her usual exploration clothes and a backpack. "Come on Darwin, we're going to find mom and dad." Eliza said as she walked into the jungle.
"What?! Oh, but I was just about to open these cheese munchies!" Darwin whined as he held up a bag of cheese puffs.
"Come on Dar!" Eliza yelled as she continued walking. Darwin grumbled before tossing the bag onto the table and following her.
"Oo, munch munch munch." Donnie said as he jumped onto the table and started eating some of the cheese munchies.
"Hey, wild boy, share!" Debbie ordered as she took the bag from Donnie. "Anyone want any?" Debbie asked as she held the bag out to everyone.
"I'll take one please." Minako answered as she reached her hand into the bag and grabbed a munchie.
"Ahsoka?" Debbie asked as she held the bag out to Ahsoka.
"Sure, I'll try one. Thank you." Ahsoka thanked as she reached into the bag and grabbed a munchie. "Ah!" Ahsoka yelped as she dropped the munchie and pulled her hand out of the bag. "Oh that hurt, I forgot about my cut." Ahsoka said as she shook her stinging hand.
"Hold on, let me grab the disinfectant spray." Debbie said before walking into the ComVee. "Here, let's spray it and wrap it up." Debbie said as she walked over to Ahsoka, then sprayed her hand with the disinfectant.
"Ah, that stings." Ahsoka quietly said as she shook her hand a little bit.
"Sorry, I should've warned you." Debbie apologized as she wrapped Ahsoka's hand with some bandage wrap.
"It's fine, I've been through much worse. Could you also spray the one on my montral please, that's the last place I would want to get an infection?" Ahsoka asked with a smile.
"Sure, is it okay if I touch them? I remember you saying that they're a pretty intimate part of your body." Debbie asked in a polite tone.
"Yes, and thank you for being so considerate. I really appreciate that." Ahsoka thanked with a smile as she leaned her head down so Debbie could see her injury better.
"Here it comes." Debbie warned as she sprayed Ahsoka's montral with the disinfectant.
"AH! AH! Ow! Oh my God that hurts! Ah! Son of a... Ah! It feels like I just had hot coals dumped on my head!" Ahsoka yelled as she clenched her fists and banged one of them on the table.
"I'm sorry Ahsoka, I didn't mean to hurt you so badly! I'm sorry, maybe I used too much spray!" Debbie apologized as she dropped the disinfectant on the table.
"It's not your fault, they're just sensitive. According to Kaede, between my montrals and lekku I have more nerves in that small area than humans do in all of their fingers and toes combined. It's why I have such good hearing and senses, I can feel vibrations and hear the faintest of sounds with my montrals." Ahsoka groaned as she shook her head back and forth.
"Wow, that's incredible. It's no wonder my music bothered you so much." Debbie replied as she put the disinfectant spray away. "There, I'll let Kaede take care of it from here." Debbie informed as she packed the first aid gear back into the kit.
"Thank you Debbie." Ahsoka thanked with a smile.
"No problem Ahsoka." Debbie replied as she grabbed the kit and brought it back into the ComVee.
"Alright Ahsoka, let's see that cut." Kaede said as she looked at Ahsoka's cut. It was deep and swollen, and there was blood slowly oozing from it. "It's pretty deep, I'm gonna stitch it up for you." Kaede informed as she held her hand up and transformed, then summoned her bag. "Debbie just disinfected it, so at least I can spare you that pain; though stitching it's probably going to hurt quite a bit. You might wanna hold someone's hand, or bite down on a stick or something as I do this." Europa suggested as she dug a needle and medical thread out of her bag.
Ahsoka held her hand out to Usagi, who gently grabbed it before firmly squeezing it. "Alright Kaede, I'm ready." Ahsoka informed as she tried her best to relax. Europa nodded before gently stitching Ahsoka's cut closed.
"Easy Ahsoka, it's okay, you're doing great." Usagi encouraged as Ahsoka's grip tightened around her hand.
"Buttercup! Splorbity splorbity splorbity!" Donnie yelled as he looked at Buttercup.
"Oo, fumbidy fumbidy fumbidy." Buttercup replied as she jumped off the bench.
"What's he saying?" Blossom asked in a curious tone.
"He wants to go exploring with me." Buttercup answered with a smile.
"That sounds like fun, can we come to please?" Bubbles asked with a smile.
"Let me ask. Donnie, Blossom n Bubbles splorbity witdiby we?" Buttercup asked with a smile.
"Mmmm, Ikay!" Donnie answered as he looked at Blossom and Bubbles.
"He said okay." Buttercup translated with a smile.
"Woohoo! By mommies and aunties!" Bubbles cheered before she and Blossom followed Donnie and Buttercup into the forest.
"Be safe, and stay together!" Ami shouted as all four kids ran off.
"There, all done. Nice job Ahsoka, I know that part of your body is really sensitive, you were an excellent patient." Europa said with a smile as she put her equipment away. Before she sent her bag away she reached her hand inside and pulled out a small lollipop, smiling as she held it out to Ahsoka.
"You're joking, right?" Ahsoka asked with an unamused expression, Kaede just smirked at her before setting the lollipop in Ahsoka's hands.
"Well, mom and dad probably won't be back for a while, and knowing Eliza she'll be gone for even longer. So, what does everyone wanna do?" Debbie asked as she walked back outside.
"Any games we can play?" Naru asked with a smile.
"We have lots of games, anyone wanna play a really crazy one?" Debbie asked with a grin.
"Which one?" Rei asked in an intrigued tone.
"Contort." Debbie answered with enthusiasm.
"Oh my God, I haven't played contort in forever. I don't even know if I'm flexible enough anymore." Minako giggled in reply.
"Awe, what's the matter Mina, too many lazy nights on the couch?" Rei asked with a giggle.
"You should know, considering you're always sitting right next to me." Minako replied with a smirk.
"More like on you." Rei giggled as she nudged Minako.
"That sounds like fun, let's do it." Naru replied with a smile.
"Okay, hold on." Debbie said before running back into the ComVee to grab the game.
"Wait, what is this game exactly?" Ahsoka asked in a curious tone.
"You spin a wheel and the needle will tell you to put a specific part of your body onto a specific colored dot. You just keep doing that until everyone gets so tangled up that they fall down. It's a classic." Usagi explained with a smile.
"This should be interesting." Ahsoka said with a smile as Debbie brought the game out.
"Here it is, are you all ready to pull muscles you didn't even know you had?" Debbie asked with a grin.
"Yeah!" Everyone shouted with excitement. Debbie quickly set up the mat and laid the spinner down next to it. "Who wants to go first?" Debbie asked with a smile.
"Ahsoka has to go first, it's an unspoken rule that if you're a first time player you spin first." Kaede answered with a grin.
"Okay." Ahsoka replied as she spun the wheel, which landed on right hand blue. "Like this?" Ahsoka asked as she placed her right hand on a blue dot.
"Perfect, my turn." Minako said as she spun the wheel. Within ten minutes everyone had spun the wheel and were woven around each other on the mat like a tapestry from hell.
"Okay, my turn." Ahsoka said as she spun the wheel with her middle finger, barely reaching it from her awkward position. "Alright, right foot yellow." Ahsoka said as she slowly lifted her right foot and maneuvered her leg over Minako's left leg and under her right one in order to reach the dot.
"I'm still amazed at how flexible you are, I feel like I would've broken my leg trying to stretch and move like that." Minako giggled as she looked at Ahsoka's leg.
"Here I go, please give me something easy." Mako said to herself as she spun the wheel. "Oh come on, right hand red!" Mako yelled as she looked for a red dot, the closest one being behind her and between Ami's legs. "On second thought, I don't mind that." Mako giggled as she maneuvered her arm up and then down between Ami's legs before placing it on the dot.
"You could've just gone under my leg you know." Ami said as she looked at the suspicious placement of Mako's arm.
"I know, but where's the fun in that?" Mako asked as she gently pushed her elbow against Ami's private area.
"Mako, stop being horny." Ahsoka said with a smile.
"I thought only Obi-Wan could say that." Mako replied with a grin.
"I'm the exception, because I'm the one always getting yelled at by him for it." Ahsoka replied as she watched Naru spin the wheel.
"Left foot yellow." Naru said as she looked at the closest yellow dot. "Easy peasy." Naru said as she moved her foot one dot to the right.
"Lucky. My turn." Kaede said as she spun the wheel. "Right hand red! That's just cruel." Kaede grumbled as she looked at the closest red dot, which was literally on the other half of the mat. "Come on Kaede, you've got this." Kaede groaned to herself as she strained to reach the dot. Kaede nearly had the tip of her finger on the dot before she lost her balance and fell, bringing everyone else down with her.
"That was so much fun!" Debbie yelled with a laugh.
"It really was, I'm so glad that I got to try it! Thanks Debbie, that was a really good time." Ahsoka thanked as she untangled herself from everyone.
"Speaking of a good time, I wonder how the girls and Donnie are doing?" Ami wondered as Mako helped her to her feet.
"I'm sure they're fine, but I'll give Eliza a call on the radio real quick." Debbie replied as she walked into the ComVee.
"How's your head feeling?" Ami asked as she looked at Ahsoka.
"Still sore, but the stinging pain of the disinfectant is gone at least." Ahsoka answered with a smile.
"Great! Eliza's not answering, could one of you call one of the girls please?" Debbie asked in an annoyed tone.
"It's okay, I'll go get 'em, I can sense Bubbles nearby. Plus I'd like to go for a walk and stretch after all of that bending and twisting." Ahsoka replied as she started jogging into the forest.
"Alright Ahsoka, give us a call if anything happens though!" Naru yelled back as Ahsoka disappeared past the vegetation.
"Think she'll be okay on her own?" Usagi asked as she walked over to Naru.
"Better than you or I would be." Naru answered with a smile.