Shipwrecked

Chapter Twenty

Honey Water

Aquafina's P.O.V.

Was she alright? She... She had to be. Luna was always stubborn, shouldn't she argue against death himself until she gets what she wants? Why wasn't she... Why wasn't she awake? Oh Sparkdust, what if she wants to be dead, what if she hated being alive? What if I failed her? These thoughts raced through my mind as I paced back and forth on my ship's deck. My own tears were blinding me that I couldn't even see Ravensight until after I tripped on him.

"I-I'm sorry, Ravensight. I couldn't see you," I said as I caught him before he fell.

"It be alright, but are ye?" he asked and I blinked. Was I fine? Ye- ...No.

"No," I said honestly, tears dripping down my face.

"I would say that it be alright... But I'm not so sure if it will," he said, avoiding my eyes. "I've never really been in this situation before, cap'n,"

"You're the captain, this is our ship," I replied softly, looking away. I remember the good old days. It was him, the crew, and I. Fighting against other ships that wanted to cause harm, rescuing friends from sirens, oh it would be delightful if I went back. But I can't, I chose a different love. I chose to have a biological family... The siren I had fallen in love with, he was the most beautiful and important treasure I had ever discovered. And it was somehow mine...

"Dad!" I heard our twins call, and I blinked in surprise as I was pushed on by two forces, arms wrapping around me. "Maelstrom? Whirlpool? What're you two doing here?"

"Grandfather told us that Luna had to leave," Maelstrom spoke.

"Home due to her being hunted, so we came for a visit!" Whirlpool finished and I fought back a shudder... After all these years they still freaked me out by that. Even my own twin and I couldn't do that.

Discord... I thought. I wonder how he's doing. As soon as we hatched from our eggs, we separated. I wound up being in the care of three mermaids while he... To be frank, I still had no clue what happened to him after he had left. I thought he had died until a few years back when he washed up on shore.

"Dad," Whirlpool snapped his fingers before my face and I blinked.

"Are you alright? You blanked out again," Maelstrom asked and I nodded. I have been "blanking out" more often... I believe it's due to my addiction to well, every single drug made by mankind. It all started back in World War II, I had served for the Nazis. I know, it's terrible of me to of fought with those monsters. But I hadn't known, back then, I lived there happily until the war came around. I didn't know what it was other than I was helping my country, so, I signed up to be a good guy. But oh the irony had struck me hard. Too hard. I didn't know what I was doing, I didn't know I was killing thousands of innocent lives... Until I was sent to execute a Jewish family.

The higher soldiers had given me cigarettes and drugs so I wouldn't disobey, which had worked 'til that time. I avoided using those things for a week straight and then I was sent to the forest with the dogs... And there, I found them. It was a single mother of five. Three boys and two girls. Two of the boys looked identical. The fear in their eyes... It made me realize what my uniform symbolized.

I had dropped my shotgun and instantly began to apologize and cry myself, then, I helped them to safety. After that, I retired from war and faked my own death, making sure I wasn't in any of their records.

"Dad!!!" Maelstrom and Whirlpool shouted as they shook me.

"Huh?"

"You blanked out and started to say some stuff in German," Whirlpool spoke.

"And began to sob..." Maelstrom finished and I didn't bother to fight back the shiver.

"Are ye alright...?" Ravensight asked softly, placing his hand on my shoulder.

"No," I answered truthfully once more. "I hardly ever am... All this stress I undergo, I'm just supposed to be the sibling and father that helps everyone, even myself. But I just worry and worry until the chains bring me down to hell, making sure I can't use my abilities." by this time, tears were pouring down my face like a honey waterfall.

"Ye... What...?" Ravensight gasped, still trying to wrap his head around what I said.

"The guilt and shame became too much that I became addicted to drugs again... I've killed so many, harmed so many, insulted so many. I'm the monster all fears. I'm just the feeling of being watched, the paranoia... I'm just an awful being. I've failed you, Ravensight, I've failed you two, I've failed everyone. I've failed Grimoire, Luna... I-I-I've failed my own mother," I sobbed, unable to handle this weight on me anymore.

Then, I felt the wonderful, uplifting feeling of a hug. I didn't know who was hugging me, due to the tears. But more and more people had begun to hug me, soon to the point where I knew who was hugging me. My ship, my family, they were hugging me.

For once, I had felt like something more than a drug headed, killing father. I felt whole, I didn't feel empty, I felt happy. Lifting to my head to the sky, I stared up at the clouds, and I smiled. My mother's voice sang into my head...

"You are something more, you are something beautiful and extraordinary. You are you, and no one else... You're imperfection and flaws make you perfect as a being. It is okay to be weak, darling. It's because weakness shows the strength from within. You're perfect."