Phoenix Peak: The Darkness Within ~Aarmau AU~

~Little One~

*Play Song*

The girl screams her mother's name as the woman in question sank unwillingly beneath the water's surface, the sky seemingly darkening with the action. 

The other tourists begin to notice their companion's disappearance, as well as the suspicious thrashing as they stirred uneasily. Aphmau darts her view amongst the bobbing heads, her finger bouncing as she counted quickly, her eyes widening as she notices one is missing.

The water then goes very still for a moment, the air deafening with silence, before being penetrated by yet another scream, this time emitting from a male.

The man puts up more of a fight though, his eyes display of fear and determination, obvious to keen eyes something has caught his leg in an unfair battle. 

Though, what really causes alarm, is when whatever had secured the man's leg, tired of this petty combat, propelling the length of its massive head out from beneath the surface to swallow the man whole in one fell swoop. 

The snorkellers suspend in place momentarily, before panically flailing their way back towards the boat, their screeches and cries echoing throughout the air as their numbed arms propel them towards safety through the unsafe waters. 

"Holy shit...." Aaron murmurs as his yacht nears the group, his pupils solidified in fright at what he just saw. 

It was a creature of pure nightmares. From what he could see, the monster's head resembled more a dragon than anything, but it still fell far from being distinguished into a category. No, this was something new to the marine encyclopedias, or perhaps very old. 

He then blinks as his eyes dart across the thrashing individuals in the water, readying some weaponry on his deck. 

"Sir? SIR!" A delicate voice shouts, Aaron angling his gaze in the direction of its source, eyeing a young girl who couldn't be older than nine. 

"Sweetheart, whatever you do, please stay out of the water!" Aaron yells back at the girl, continuing with equipping his gear as the tourists neared their speedboat.

"Sir, please. There is something bad in the water, real bad....it took my mama, please...." The girl cries out, doubling over into a fetus position as her own helplessness overwhelmed her. 

"Uh, h-hey...." Aaron utters, sacrificing a few priceless moments to leap onto Aphmau's speedboat, joining the girl at her side. 

The girl glances up at him, her cheeks shimmering with tears. 

"I got them, okay....the big, bad monster can't hurt you, but you gotta promise me you stay up here, and don't look....no matter what..." Aaron says softly, kneeling down so he was at eye level with her. 

Even though he was a complete stranger, equipped with dozens of dangerous contraptions, his words inspired hope and comfort within her.  Something in his eyes showing she could trust him, so she nods in agreement.

Aaron then manages a kind smile, as he darts off the edge of the boat into a daring dive, meeting with the sunlit surface below. 

"APHMAU!" Aaron calls out as he resurfaces, darting his vision across the visible bobbing heads looking for the special brunette. Though he does help some of the tourists back onto the boat, keeping a keen lookout as the abundant number of panicked bodies make their way over. 

"APHMAU! Irene, please no...." Aaron exasperates, his frantic eyes searching in despair, his heart sinking in his chest at the thought. 

"AARON! OVER HERE!" A familiar voice screeches out, Aaron's ears twitching at the relieving sound, his eyes locating her sadly also flailing amongst another. 

Aaron fastens goggles at his eyes before powerfully stroking his way over to the scene, his limited gaze making out Aphmau attempting to help one of the male snorkelers free his legs from the indistinguishable mouth of a hidden beast. 

Aphmau dips under the water as well, unholstering a knife from her marine utility belt to slash helplessly at the foe, practically just annoying it more than anything. 

Well, the creature thought little of the slashing, before Aphmau lands a well-placed stab to its lips, the monster howling vigorously in agony as it frees the man's legs. 

Aaron takes this as an opportunity, as he winds back a fishing spear and plunges it in what seems like the creature's throat, the sharp, dagger-like head puncturing it's scales as it plunges deep into it's hide. The beast bellows even more violently than before, slumping back into the darkness.  

Aaron and Aphmau don't look back to see if it's retreated, swimming frantically back towards the boat with a fearful will. 

Aaron allows Aphmau to clamor up the wobbly boat ladder first, not far behind as they crumple onto the boat's bare floor. 

They both periodically cough up swallowed water from their adventure back, their bodies soaked and weak from the encounter. 

Their gazes find each other, the two of them joining in a loving embrace as they grasped each other urgently, both thanking Irene for the other's safety. 

 "My mom?" The girl whimpers, Aphmau, and Aaron finding the tearful voice's wonderous eyes on them, expectantly. 

"Come here, little one." Aphmau welcomes with opening arms, the girl immersing herself in the stranger's reassuring hold, unsure on how else to gain comfort as she sobs in despair. 

Have a nice day my crystals!