Part of your world

The World Above

The world appeared in a flurry of splashing water and gasps for air as Sebs head finally broke through the surface of the ocean. Their hands flew around wildly for a moment before finally coming into contact with a small cluster of rocks, gripping onto them as he attempted to gain some bearings in the too bright sunlight, having realised with some dismay that they had no idea how to swim with legs.

Sebs eyes finally adjusted to the bright light of the world above the sea, he let out a sigh of relief upon releasing he wasn't too far from shore and despite having very little idea of how to function with legs, the distance looked short enough that they would be able to muddle along with the new method of transport.

The calmness of having found fresh air and being in a relatively safe position allowed Seb to finally assess the situation.

Legs. Seb stared down at the new limbs through the swirling blue of the sea, the water distorted them slightly but there was still no mistaking what they were. Seb let out a silent laugh, the reminder of their lost voice still not enough to tape down the rising joy, Ursula drove a hard bargain, and perhaps in 5 days time Seb would come to regret agreeing to it, but the woman had at least stuck to her word, and staring down at the legs that felt so forigen yet so normal, Seb couldn't bring themself to worry about 5 days time.

His aunt had also been gracious enough to grant Seb some clothes along with the new legs, a simple white t-shirt and shorts, they were wet through from Sebs near deadly fight against the tide to arrive at the surface without drowning and riddled with small tears, possibly for the same reason or possibly by design. All in all, Seb looked somewhat like he had just crawled out of one of the shipwrecks they explored as a child and it was perfect.

Perfectly, dizzyingly, chaotically human.

All that was left was to figure out their way across to the shore and then, well Seb wasn't really sure, but finding land seemed like a good first bet.

Steeling himself, Seb loosened their grip on the rock face, giving an experimental kick of his legs, trying to recall the movements the humans from the boat crash had made the night before.

Kicking off from the rocks took more strength than Seb had anticipated, as soon as he let his hands fall away from the sturdy surface, their body was caught up in the swirling tides and currents that had never seemed so strong when they had had their tail to steer him. Despite the rough sea and lack of swimming ability, Seb managed to keep his head above the water, humans couldn't breathe underwater, and if the lung burning swim up to the surface told him anything, it was that human rules applied to Seb now, with new legs came new rules.

The shore was getting closer now and Seb was beginning to flail, unsure of how he was supposed to be moving and suddenly in a panic, he didn't even know how to walk on a pair of legs, if it was nearly as difficult as swimming then he was in trouble, he only had five days to figure this whole thing out and already he was failing.

Just as the gravity of the choice he had just made began to hit home, Sebs head slipped underwater.

Seb is sure they would have struggled had they known how to, trying in vain to cast his mind back to that night with the rain and the boat, what had Carlos been doing before he stopped moving all together? How had his friends made it back to shore so easily? How had Seb become so unfamiliar with the very thing he had grown up in?

With all the thoughts racing through his head, Seb could barely move, nevermind fight his way back to the surface, paralyzed in a blind panic, half wondering what his father would say when a team of guards sent out to search for them brought back his child with legs in place of a tail and water suffocating his lungs. Would the man feel remorse or disgust?