Aurora cycle shorts

Vacation pt.2

Here is another chapter of our fav crew on a much needed holiday.
Once again from Auri's perspective.
Enjoy!!! :)

"So your telling me none of you have snorkelled before!", I exclaim as we stand on the beach, holding makeshift snorkels and masks. I couldn't find them anywhere so had to get creative.

"There isn't many oceans in Aurora Academy", says Fin sarcastically.
"And on Syldra and Trask, there is no such contraption as this", says Kal holding up his snorkel, "This is purely Terran".
"Well yes it is. It is a 16th century Terran invention by one Leonardo da Vinci. Although it is suspected to have been earlier", says Zila reading off her uniglass.
I look to the four people who grew up at least partly on Terra. "So snorkelling isn't a thing on Terra anymore?", I ask baffled.
"I've certainly never heard of it", says Scar the others nodding in agreement. She continues with a matter of fact tone, "But personally I would not be caught naked and halfway dead in this thing".
"Holy cake! Next you're going to tell me surfing, lilos and banana boats aren't a thing anymore", I laugh. But they all stare at me like I've said something utterly ridiculous.
"Oh, like surfing through the stars in a cruiser?".
"Is a lie low some sort of game?".
"Banana Boat? Going to need some more info on that one Auri".
"Oh gods. Does someone have a time machine. I need to go back to the past to make sure that none of these things are forgotten", I laugh while also seriously considering how I might do that.

"So what do you do with it", asks Saedii who's turning it over in her hands, reading it like she reads an opponent.
"Well", I say bringing the mask over my eyes and pulling the rubber strap over my head so it's secure, "you put it on like this, then...", I then grab the snorkel and clip it to the side of the mask, "put the snorkel here", I then put the end of the snorkel in my mouth biting down, before finishing in an extremely muffled voice, "And now you can breathe underwater!".
"Breath underwater?", says Saedii, re-examining the snorkel, "fascinating".
"Well you can count me out", says Scar abruptly, "I have important business to attend to over at the beach-bar".
"Seconded, Lovergirl", says Fin, "I also don't want to be eaten by any sea-things", he adds with a smirk.
"Is that even a possibility?", questions Cat.
"The probability is highly unlikely", says Zee calmly.
"See we're fine", I say, putting my flippers on and walking backwards into the turquoise and deliciously warm water. I see the others putting their snorkels on too, but decide they can figure the rest out themselves. I'm sure they'll get it.

The thought dies as the water hits my waist. I bend my knees and submerge myself up to my shoulders, tipping my head back to wet my hair. The sun, well more suns, due to the three bright dots high in the sky, beat down on the ocean illuminating all below the water. And as I put my face in, I'm greeted by the most unusually beautiful sight. It's not like the magnificent coral reef, fish and rays back on Terra. Instead giant flowers, some like those that lace the cliffs, bloom under the ocean. They're all of varying colours and shapes, but are all literally huge. To top it off, creatures with magnificently silver and gold wings, fly peacefully by, dipping in and out of the flowers.
I swim further out to a pink ocean flower that has filaments and anthers swaying in the soft current. It is so large that as I dive down to observe it I am almost swallowed by it.

As I swim through the flower, I look up to find Kal, Ty, Cat, Saedii and Zila swimming towards me, all remaining in a tight pack. Scaredy-cats.
I begin to swim up to greet them when I notice they haven't got their faces in the water yet.
This leaves the perfect opportunity to...
I swim up to Tyler who is at the end of the pack and grab his ankle.
He lets out a yell so loud, that as I surface facing towards the beach, I see Scar and Fin jump up from their seats at the bar. Zila, Kal and Cat adopt faces of pure panic, while Saedii pulls out a dagger from only the maker knows where and dives under the water, willing to do anything to protect her Be'shmai. I burst out in laughter, but do so at the wrong moment. The wrong moment being, when Tyler splashes in my face and I take in a deep breath of water. I cough and splutter till my lungs are cleared.
Cat bursts out laughing while Kal and Zilas mouths twitch into a smile. "Auri, what the hell was that for!", exclaims Ty, while rubbing his makers mark. He was no doubt one step away from making his peace.
"Sorry Ty", I smile, before saying, "Follow me".
I dive down to the giant flower and swim through. I watch as their eyes light up with awe as they follow me through it.

We spend the next few hours exploring the cove, until we hear a hum pulsing through the water. Sure enough a slick white boat is heading right for us at an alarming pace. It slows when it is just 20 metres away revealing none other than Scarlett at the wheel, her hair flying gloriously around her, and Fin next to her, with what appears to be a giant cocktail in hand.
She pulls up next to us, "Hey snorkel dorks, wanna go for a joyride around the cove?".
"Where in the universe did you get a boat from", asks Tyler, as the rest of us begin climbing aboard.
"Well, after Fin's 5th Pina Colada, he got a bit rowdy and alerted a wealthy Trask woman, Zoriel, lovely lady actually, but anywho... they got talking, found out that his third aunt on his second mums side is her fourth cousin from her third dads side, aaand here we are. Also it turns out, driving boats is waaay easier than spaceships".
"Thank the maker for that with you behind the wheel Scar", laughs Cat.
"Hey! I got a perfectly respectable score in flight mechanics", she protests.
Ty joins the rest of us on the boat, exclaiming, "Scar, Fin, you should have seen it, that was incredible!".
Scar just turns to me, and says, "Go you Auri, bringing snorkelling back into fashion, such a trendsetter".
She winks and then we're off, cruising around the cove, until our stomachs grumble and the last sun fades. Or until a certain Betraskan becomes violently ill. Sea sick or too many pina coladas? There's some things even the maker will never know.