Twisted-Wonderland: Our Precious Treasure (Part 2)

(104) TMotDS: Melancholic Octopus Pot!

He was sinking upside-down when he regained his consciousness. The sea was dark but he could see a shipwreck on the ocean floor. Gasping, he realized that he could breathe underwater. Is this like with Senior Riddle and Leona? Why does he keep ending up in this place after their overblot battle? Craning his neck, he squinted his eyes when he noticed something shining on the deck of the ship. Twisting his body, Jonah swam down toward the ship. If this wasn't just a strange 'dream maze' (or whatever these places are, he wasn't sure himself), he would choose to explore the ship. It was massive, with a high mast and wide deck. It was a shame that was sunken at the bottom of the ocean.

Finally reaching the ship, he noticed the shining thing was underneath the stair. Reaching for the thing, Jonah could feel the moss between his fingers. With some quick wipes, it turned out to be some sort of a golden seashell-shaped locket. There wasn't any name written on it but it just wouldn't stop shining in his hand.

Shrugging, Jonah opened the seashell-locket and bright yellow light out from it, so bright that Jonah had to close his eyes. Dimly, he could hear the sound of children laughing. Opening his eyes, the ship is nowhere to be seen. Instead, he found himself in some sort of underwater schoolyard.

"Azul~"

The voice, but more specifically the name, caused Jonah to turned his head. There was a group of merchildren peering over the shoulder of an uncomfortable-looking young octopus.

"What are you reading all by yourself?" asked one of the children. Before Ashengrotto could answer it, the same kid snatched the book from his hands.

"H-Hey!"

"What the heck is this?" The merchild flipped the pages, scrunching his nose. "This doesn't make sense at all."

"G-Give it back!" Ashengrotto swam forward but the kid swam away, raising the book above his head, far from the octopus' reach.

"Catch!" he laughed, throwing the book to another merkid who caught it with her two hands. Ashengrotto gasped and swam toward her instead, but he passed it to her friend. "Here!"

Once again, Ashengrotto tried to catch it but the boy tossed it back to the first kid. "Pass!"

The first boy caught it, a bit too hard which caused the paper to get scrunched up in his hand. "Ah! Oh no... It got folded." Looking up at the shocked expression of Ashengrotto, the kid's lips curled into a smirk. "You can't read it anymore."

Ashengrotto's eyes widened as he watched the kid held the book with his two hands. "P-Please, stop it!"

"What a waste~!"

"Stop!"

The octopus swam forward but even before he could reach for his book, the merkid pulled it apart, ripping the book into two. Ashengrotto's jaws hung open, slowly floated down until his tentacles touched the sand below him. The poor octopus hung his head low, sobbing quietly as the children laughed. Water surrounded them started to turn black from the ink he unconsciously sprayed out.

"Eww~! Azul just peed up ink!" Azul's head snapped up, teary eyes popped out and he was trembling from fear and embarrassment.

One of the merkid pinched her nose like she just smelt trash. "Gross!" she whined. "You just pollute the water, dummy!"

The kid that ripped the book swam closer and pulled one of Ashengrotto's tentacles. The octopus cried out loud but the kid didn't care. "Why don't you just get rid of some of them!" he sneered. "You'll swim faster!"

Azul hiccupped. "Wh-Why would you say that...?"

"Try to catch us then!" the kid let go of the tentacle and flipped his fin, smacking Ashengrotto on the cheek. The poor, lonely baby octopus kept crying on the ocean floor as ink kept coming out from himself. Something tugged Jonah's heart. He didn't know how to feel really. He knew this is Ashengrotto, the same Ashengrotto who had hurt him and the others. But looking at the baby octopus in front of him, he couldn't help but feel sorry.