In the Shadows We Fight (for justice and ourselves)

Why don't you introduce yourself?

Tommy's eyes slowly opened. The sensation of being dragged down roused him from his sleep, and a salty wetness filled his mouth, blocking the way of oxygen. Awareness came to him all at once, informing him that he was not in the bed he went to sleep on earlier that night. Instead, he was staring up at the rising sun over the glistening waves. He felt a panic crest in his mind, but he couldn't allow it to stop his struggling. His clothes were soaked with water, growing heavier the more he thrashed around. He tried to keep his head above the ocean's surface. It was growing more difficult as his lungs burned with saltiness. His head was growing dizzy from lack of oxygen, and his limbs felt like they were made of a thousand bricks. He tried to swim towards land, but he could feel his head bobbing below the waves one too many times. It would be easier to allow himself to sink, but he couldn't do that. Despite his horrible situation, Tommy didn't want to die.

His conviction did not equal strength or more favorable conditions. He was still far from the shore, and his limbs were refusing his brain's instructions. He continued to claw at the water, but he was going down instead of towards. When it finally dawned on him that he wasn't going to make it, he felt something warm press into his back. An arm wrapped around his chest, underneath his shoulders. Someone was lifting him up. He tried to look behind him to see who, but his eyesight was blurry with salt. He could see a tinge of red, and he wondered if he knew anyone with red hair.

His head lolled to the side, and he felt the person's other hand come up to hold his head above water. The blur of tan and green on the horizon that was probably land was getting larger and larger. Whoever had kept him from drowning was helping him get to dry land. They didn't stop until Tommy was placed on the sand with his back up. The person leaned down to pat Tommy's back. It wasn't a gentle pat, but it wasn't all that harsh, either. It certainly helped Tommy cough up the remaining seawater that made him feel like his lungs were shriveled raisins. He kept vomiting and dry heaving, and soon he felt himself getting dragged backwards. His head was placed against something soft, and he was allowed to stare up at the sky.

A woman with dark maroon hair was leaning over him. She had glassy black eyes that shone despite the fact that the sun was behind her. She had a dark green skin with fins growing where ears would have been on a regular human. She used her webbed, clawed hands to push some of Tommy's curls to the side. She smiled down at him. "Silly human, you don't belong in the ocean!"

"Who the fuck are you?" Tommy attempted to say. The sounds certainly came out, but they were scratchy and low-pitched. Tommy wasn't sure how anyone could understand him when he was like this, but her eyes filled with understanding.

"My name is Sally! I live in the ocean around these parts after I was exiled from Essempei. You were dropped off here some weeks ago. I've been waiting for an opportunity to introduce myself! I would have liked us to meet under better circumstances, but I guess this will have to do!" Sally told him with the biggest smile appearing on her face. She ran her fingers through Tommy's hair one more time before helping him to see his feet. She wrapped one arm underneath his shoulders like she did when he was drowning. She easily hoisted his weight, and Tommy wondered where this strength came from. He wondered what she was exiled for.

He wasn't able to ask those questions as Sally helped him get off the beach. They walked towards the main house that everyone who had come under Tommy's care was staying at. They had cleaned out the attic and basement to make room for everyone. They couldn't really expand left and right since Dream would be suspicious. Tommy was worried that his guests would despise their new circumstances, but so far, nobody made a word of complaint. They all helped out with the chores, gardening, and hunting. They all made sure to respect each other's privacy and wishes. They even denoted Fridays as a game night where they would splurge a little with their food sources while playing card or board games. The atmosphere was completely different from Dream's apartment, and Tommy wished that Drista could be here with him to see it.