Sea Tremors (RinHaru AU)

Introduction

     Note: Thank the other admin for the editing of this chapter. =^.^=

     [Brief Opening Flashback]

(Only this will be in Haru's POV)

     It had been like this forever.

     Me, scrounging for scraps of nutrition on the ocean floor, swimming in fear for my life. Hanging on to any strings I could that would secure my ties to the light. Fleeing and fearing. That's all I knew.

     "Get away, you street rat!" the crazed man yelled in a voice caked with animosity, shaking his fist at me as I swam away with his precious garbage scraps. Bastard. He didn't even want to spare something so useless as trash to a starving 'street rat' like me.

     I swam as fast as I could, my long dolphinesque tail creating a sparse stream of froth in my wake. The debris clenched between my finger smelled revolting, but it was food nonetheless. So I could either eat disgusting food or die. I'd rather not die with so much uncompleted. But there were other matters to fret about. Such as where I'd run.

     Hopefully that coral opening would still be unoccupied. It had been for the past ten years, and it was my only shelter. The desolate cavity in the vast tide of tangerine colored coral had shielded me from the hunger-induced rage of many enemies and the fury of the ocean's flowing waters through all of it. It had been my saving grace.

     Thankfully it was. That tiny hole was empty, so I slid in, scratching my grimy skin with the sharp edges of the coral. I quickly raced to make myself as miniscule as possible, retreating into a far corner and digging my back into the knobs of pain. The pain didn't bother me because I was about to have my first meal of the week, and my starvation felt much worse. I smiled to myself, glancing around the empty cavern just to be sure there were no intruders.

     My tongue grazed my upper lip in hunger after I assured there were none. I raised the old rotting fish to my mouth and bit down.

     "Where-?" I questioned as my teeth bit down on nothing but water. I growled and looked up towards the entrance to be greeted by a strange pair of green eyes.

     "Hi, w-was this yours?" he asked, holding out the fish. I reached my hand out and snatched at the disgusting meal. The merboy's hand retreated from the fish and his eyes trailed to my stomach as my teeth ripped at the corpse's tender flesh (sick sense of humor). 

      His life filled green eyes faded into worry as he stared at my ribs, which were obviously stretching against my thin skin, only covered by that and my mere amount of muscle. I took notice of this.

     "I'd rather you not check me out while I'm eating," I said bluntly, taking another bite of the sickening fish. The other boy's face flushed light pink as he retorted.

     "I-I'm not! It's just, you look starving. Are you okay?" he worried. I scoffed slightly. This wasn't my normal approach to people, but he had just attempted to steal my only source of food this week. My eyes trailed to my ribs in confusion. Then I chuckled.

     "Only if you call starving half to death 'okay'," I retorted rather rudely. He frowned. His hand slipped into the coral cave-in (he was upside down) and reached out for my wrist. I quickly caught onto his intentions and slapped it away. "I'll be fine as it is." I suddenly burst out of the coral shelter and didn't turn around.

     I felt him coming up behind me as I furiously lashed my tail. He wasn't the quietest of swimmers, and I knew the best diversion. I slapped my tail out as hard as possible, creating a stream of bubbles upwards as a misdirection while I shot downwards. "Please wait," he panted, his voice getting farther away from me. I scanned my surroundings as I floated farther down for somewhere to hide, before finally hiding behind an outcrop of coral. I concealed my body behind that and peeked out from behind it. My blue eyes studied him. He certainly wasn't too smart. Yet he didn't seem dumb enough to be at the top of the social ladder. A middle classman, perhaps. He didn't intrigue me whatsoever.

     His black and white tail flashed in the light as he swam around, searching for me. 

     He wouldn't be bothering me any time soon.

     I flicked my slender tail and turned, seeing a small tunnel in the coral I had carved not long ago for a quick getaway. Instantly, I retreated under it, the light seeping through the thin sheets of skeleton, streaking across my skin rapidly. My tail kicked minimally, until I heard a distressful cry from above. That bastard had gotten himself snagged on coral. I sighed and darted out of my hide-hole and arrived above the coral ocean. I saw the orca, with his long tail trapped between two large sprigs of coral, a strange red liquid oozing from it.

     Curiously, I made my way over to the trapped boy. I quickly traced my finger across the wound and brought my reddened finger to my tongue. "You taste disgusting," I hissed, flicking my hand at him as I pulled the coral off with my little remaining strength.

    "Okay, um... Please come with me. I couldn't live with leaving you out here to your death. Come with me to my village," he offered. I raised an eyebrow at his outstretched hand. I didn't take it.

     "Take me to your village, but I'm not holding your hand," I deadpanned. The other boy sighed and nodded.