Ocean Blue Eyes//A Garmau AU

28

"Okay, my buddy is willing to give us the boat for the night, no questions asked," Jay said, coming back to the kitchen after a quick phone call. Everyone was sitting at the table again, going over the plan. Zianna nodded her head, saying, "Perfect. That'll work. Once it gets dark then, we should head out."

The group agreed, Garroth finding some relief in knowing he was finally going home. Still...there was some pain in leaving. Not only did he earn new friends here, he also found his mother and brother. He would be leaving them behind. Aphmau was a while other story...
Zianna seemed to noticed the internal debate going on in her son's head and gently asked him, "Can I talk to you for a second?"

The blonde nodded his head and followed her to the other room, leaving Aphmau and Aaron to discuss further about if there would be a possible confrontation at the docks. They decided to talk out on the back-porch, where only the back of houses were seen. A nice yard was there too, remnants of small projects littered here and there. Garroth leaned against the railing, smiling patiently at Zianna as she nervously began, "Are you excited to go back?"

"Y-Yeah...I miss Zane so, I can't wait to see him," He admitted, rubbing his arms. The two stood there in awkward silence for a moment. Neither knowing what to say. "M-Mom...I'm sorry for lashing out that one night. I know now why you love it here. Sure, I still wish you would've stayed but, I know why you had to do it."

"And you have every right to wish that," She assured him, coming up to him and placing her hands gently on his arms, running them up and down in a calming manner. She then caressed his cheek, saying, "You also don't know how much it means for me to hear that from you. Gar...I'm so sorry that I was a crappy mother. I regret almost every day that I was away from you. So hearing you say that you understand is something I really needed to hear."

Part of Garroth was still upset with her but, he was willing to move on. He just didn't know what to tell Zane when he got back. "Do you want me to tell them?"

She thought for a moment, thinking of the possibility of that. "If you feel it's for the best than you have my permission. They deserve to know what really happened to me..."

There was another long silence. Garroth leaned against the porch fencing once again, looking at the yard. Zianna, as a motherly instinct, saw something. She saw a longing look, like someone deep in thought. It reminded her of someone familiar and that she deep down missed. So, she gently placed a hand on his shoulder as she asked, "What's wrong?"

"N-Nothing," He insisted, shocked that she was so easily able to read him. She frowned and said, "I know you're lying. Tell me, please."

Garroth sighed as he begrudgingly replied, "I just...is it wrong that part of me doesn't want to go back?"

Zianna thought about it for a moment before saying, "Well...from my experience, no. The first time I came here, I didn't even meet Jay at that point. I just knew from seeing this world from afar that it was a place that I didn't want to leave. But you...you not only saw this world the first time you came, but you also met friends, family, and even saw the worst side of people. So, really, maybe that says something about how you should go about this."

"But...Zane-"

"I know, I know," She exhaled, now turning him so he could look at her, now both hands on his shoulders. "I'm not saying that you should but, I am saying that it's something to think about. Zane needs you and after my poor display of being a mother, I would hate for someone else he loves to leave. But, I see how happy you are here. How much you care for your friends and brother already. It's a hard decision...one I had to do so long ago. But, I know you'll make the right choice."

The blonde softly smiled down at her, leaning in for a hug that she was surprised about. He whispered out, "Thanks Mom..."

She smiled to herself, rubbing her hand up and down his back gently as she said, "It's my job...I had to start it one day, right?"

...

"Sir, the surrounding kingdoms, all of them, have seen no sign of the Prince. What's your next call?", Laurance asked the King, who sat on his throne. Blaze and him patiently waited, Zane and Lucinda also in the room as well, wondering what to do next. Garte rubbed his chin, thinking of any other possibilities of where his son could be.

Then, it hit him. He knew those caves himself. Some of them went for miles with no exit. He sat up, swimming down slowly as he thought of the plan on the spot. "I know that some of those caves lead close to the surface world. I'm not saying that he's there but, it's at least worth a shot to look."

"But, my King, the surface is a dangerous place. Especially with the technology that humans are rumored to have. We shouldn't-", Blaze began but was interrupted by Garte sternly saying, "He's my son. I'm going to do anything to try and get him back home."

With that he swam off, the others following him to a separate room. It was down in the basement, guarded. It was a room that Zane himself has never entered, worried that it was just something that he wasn't meant to see. It was the mage's potion room that was filled with dangerous and damaging liquors. Lucinda looked up at Garte worryingly, making the rest of them more concerned of what could be in there. The King just asked the guards to step aside, letting the group follow him in. Inside was a room that was filled wall-to-wall to a potion that glowed a bright pink, almost resembling magenta.

"F-Father," Zane stuttered out, slightly in awe of the room. "What is all of this?"

"These," Garte explained, grabbing one in his hand, letting the hue reflect off his face, "are transformation potions. They will be able to change us into humans temporarily. Just in case if we have to journey up there."

As much as the group wanted to question why he had all of these, they didn't want to anger him and also get on with it so that they could save their friend. "Now, we will venture to the surface, see if he is around there and if there is any sign of him being captured, we will then take the next steps of going up there."

"Sounds good to me," Zane replied, taking the potion himself. "When do we leave?"

"Tonight. I'm going to need all of you and the best guards you have."

Laurance and Blaze nodded, taking that as an order, and swam off. Lucinda then said, "I will make sure we have enough antidotes before we leave. Excuse me."

She then left, leaving the father and son themselves. Zane looked at his father with approval, saying, "Thank you Dad...I know we'll get Garroth back. I know we will."

"I promise we will."

Word Count: 1237

Hey guys! I thought to update the book a day early so that on Friday you'll get another chapter to make up for my absencity last week:)