Ocean Feelings

Chapter 12

Three months after they had dropped off everyone at their respective homes, the crew was back in the ocean, and missions were back to being on a regular schedule. Well, as regular as missions were for the octonauts. Coco had long since ignored Dashi's questions, much to her growing annoyance. One day Dashi had cornered her in her room. Coco glanced up from her drawing with a sigh, "In some states, this could be considered illegal imprisonment."

"Come on a mission with me?" Dashi asked, ignoring Coco's statement.

"You have Shellyboy to take on your photoshoots," Coco said, and Dashi dropped beside her.

"Please?" Coco groaned as Dashi continued pouting at her.

"One day, this will not work," Coco said as Dashi smiled, standing up and pulling Coco with her.

"But it did today." Dashi cheered, and that is how Coco found herself in the middle of the Atlantic without a gup inside a cave. After two hours, Coco had an eerie feeling. Every time she voiced it, Dashi would brush it off, so she grew increasingly annoyed.

Coco crossed her arms, annoyed as Dashi continued snapping pictures. Coco was growing tired of the constant nagging feeling. Coco groaned, checking her watch again, "Dash, I'm tired- plus, something doesn't feel right."

Dashi waved her off, "Coco, you're just tired of pictures."

Coco rolled his eyes, and the coms beeped with the incoming call. "Hello?"

"Ah, Coco, Dashi, glad to get ahold of you!" Barnacles voice rang out into the space, and Coco groaned as Dashi pulled her further into the cave. Another thing that changed was Barnacles and Coco's relationship. Where they stood was extremely shaky. Some days they tossed meaningful looks over their shoulders to the other, while others, they acted as the friends they always were. It confused the crew to no end, but they were happy.

"I'm starting to think me and Dashi live in this cave now." Coco groaned. Leaning across the wall, she pulled up as she came into contact with the slimy feel of it. Dashi slowly panned the camera around to show more of the cave, also capturing Coco's disgusted face.

"You look so happy, Coco," Tweak laughed, seeing Coco's face.

"It is slimy. I should have worn my wetsuit." Coco muttered as she poked the wall again.

"The floor is red and wiggly," Peso commented, tilting his head, looking at the pictures on the screen.

Barnacles nodded, looking at the screen closer, "Those little rocks hanging down look kind of familiar...."

They heard Coco groan and swam closer to Dashi, "Audio's crapping out."

Shellington's worried voice flittered through the crackling audio, "That's because they're teeth! And the floor... is a tongue!"

"How can a cave have teeth and a tongue?!" Peso questioned, already grabbing his medical bag.

"Because it's not a cave. It's a whale shark!" Shellington turned to Barnacles.

"Dashi Coco, you need to get out of there now! It's not a cave. It is a whale shark," His voice boomed through the cracking audio, and the two girls shared a look.

"Oh, and it looks like it's closing time," Dashi muttered as the mouth began closing.

"What did I tell you!?" Coco huffed as Dashi and her began swimming to the mouth.

Dashi huffed, "Not now, Coco! Crap, my camera!"

Coco turned exasperatedly, "Dashi forget the camera!"

Coco swam to grab Dashi as she turned back. As the mouth closed on the shark, silence filled both ends.

"Great. Just Great." Coco muttered as the darkness surrounded them. Dashi remained silent as Coco sighed. "How do we leave?"