The Neptune Revenge

Chapter 2

:The food here is so much better than the stuff at Atlantea,: Sunny smiles and closes her eyes, enjoying her salmon caught fresh by the dolphins just earlier this morning.

:Really?: Ree stabs her wakame mash with her finger, :I think they're both equally horrible.:

:Well thanks a lot, Ree.: Lena rolls her eyes as she walks over to our table at breakfast.

:The food's good, Len,: Penn smiles and nods at her.

She's been helping on the cook crew for almost a week now, but we all have to admit, her efforts to improve the taste of the food have failed drastically. The seaweed still tastes... tasteless.

:Maybe the food would taste better if you zapped it for us, sparkhead,: Sunny jokes.

:I already tried that,: Rad fake-pouts. :I burnt it to a crisp.

The table laughs and continues to eat. I love that my southern sector friends all get along with Kuron's kids so well. I just wish Mako could have been here to meet everyone. I hope he's happy and in a better place now. A place with his plants, Kimi, and the brown-haired lady from his dreams. I would give anything for him to be here right now, but he's probably much happier wherever he is now.

I wonder if I'll ever get to see that place.

:Has anyone seen Ice today?: Robry asks. I'm surprised to hear him use Dai's old nickname.

I glance over at Shadow and see a mischievous smirk on her face. I shake my head and sigh.

To be honest, I've been so caught up in my thoughts that I haven't even realized he wasn't here.

:Nere has!: Shadow pipes up, despite my attempt to keep her quiet. I stare at her angrily as everyone turns to look at me.

:Ooh...: Ocho, Rad, Sunny, Kalli, and Robry start crowing. Ree and Lena both give me a raised eyebrow look. Bria, Penn and Thom laugh from the other side of the table. Tobin sends me a confused look from where he sits beside me.

:Shut up!: I mentally yell at all of them and slap my hands over my cheeks before they can tell that I'm blushing.

I'm only blushing because I'm embarrassed that I'm the center of attention, not because of... whatever they think.

:So what did you guys doooo?: Kalli sings, propping her arms up on the table and putting her head in her hands.

I sigh when I realize that I'm in the spotlight now; they're all staring at me expectantly, waiting for an answer.

:Nothing. We just went and visited Mako's grave.: I tell them, and the table instantly becomes silent. I feel the tears welling up again, but I push them back down.

We're all still mourning Mako, even the ones that didn't know him, like Penn, Lena, and Thom.

:I miss the little guy,: Rad chokes. I think even he's about to cry.

:You should have seen it,: I tell them, running my hands over my braids, :Dai made him this beautiful tombstone. He finally has a proper grave. He would have loved it.:

:I'm sure he would have,: Tobin says, wrapping his arm around my shoulder and giving me a one-armed hug.

:It's just not fair!: Sunny sobs. :He deserves to be here just as much as the rest of us. Even more than the rest of us, after all he's been through.:

We all nod silently, scared of breaking the sacred moment we've just created.

I see Robry squeeze his bottle of vitamin juice that the workers give us sometimes. We don't need anything to drink, but the vitamin juice is packed with vitamins and minerals to keep us healthy and strong, and protein to keep us full for a while.