A/N: Hesitantly titling this chapter for a small arc. If the circumstances of part two don't play out like I'm currently planning, this chapter will become simply Fontaine's Curse.
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Ten minutes later, Fontaine stood in Will's study with her family and Nereus. Her arms were tightly crossed and she refused to say a word until Kaiko was ready to be the level-headed one.
Finally, Kaiko set her tablet aside and faced Nereus. She'd run brief scans on herself and taken painkillers for her headache.
"Okay, Nereus," Kaiko said. "First things first: Atlanteans existed?"
"As surely as the Lemurians," Nereus assured her. "Some even say they survived longer than Lemurians."
"Alright. And are Atlantean curses real, or just a myth?"
"The Atlantean curse is described in the Chronicle of the Deep."
"And what does it say?"
"It describes a large beast with glowing markings. Always blue. They are summoned by angry Atlantean spirits."
Fontaine resisted the urge to snort. Finn wasn't angry, Atlantean, or a spirit!
"Why would the spirit be angry?" Will asked.
Nereus stroked his beard. "Lemurians and Atlanteans were always at war with each other. Some think that it was the Atlanteans who destroyed Lemuria."
"So why aren't there more angry Lemurian spirits?" Ant asked.
"Who knows?" Nereus said with a shrug. "Perhaps Lemurians are more forgiving."
"But why would an Atlantean spirit care about us?" Kaiko asked.
"You are searching for Lemuria," Nereus said.
"And you think it wants to stop us?"
"Mum!" Fontaine burst out.
"What else does the Chronicle say about the curse?" Will asked placatingly.
Nereus waved everyone to the desk, where Will had left the Chronicle. Nereus pointed to a section of runes surrounding the image of a pair of eyes.
"The curse is made known by the appearance of an Atlantean beast and the carrier of the curse gaining glowing eyes. The Atlantean spirit's eyes also glow."
"I have seen glowing eyes in the ducts," Will offered.
"The seahorse is Atlantean?!" Ant exclaimed.
"Yes, though how the connection is made is unknown. The curse only describes that they will glow at the same time as the cursed," Nereus said.
"What does the curse entail?" Will asked. "Because this ghost has only been helpful for the whole family."
"According to the Chronicle, within two weeks of the glow beginning, the cursed will vanish without a trace."
Fontaine waited. "And?"
"That's all it says," Nereus said.
"I live underwater in a submarine. Not a lot of places to vanish to," Fontaine said. "Problem solved."
"What if Cooper can't take Fontaine?" Ant asked.
"You want him to take me?" Fontaine asked drily.
"Can I have your skateboard if he does?"
"No. Besides, you always fall off it."
"Kids," Kaiko said mildly. "Nereus, this spirit has hardly shown itself to be evil."
"It's Atlantean," Nereus said, as though that explained it.
"How do you know that?" Fontaine asked in exasperation. "I suppose you're Lemurian, and can just sense it?"
"You understand that, yet you can't believe in an Atlantean spirit?" Nereus asked.
"That doesn't make any sense," Fontaine said.
"Wait," Will said. "Nereus, are you Lemurian?"
"All Guardians are descended from Lemurians," Nereus said. "Didn't I mention that?"
"Uh, no!" Fontaine said.
"How did you never mention you were Lemurian?!" Ant demanded.
"It never came up," Nereus said.
Kaiko gave Nereus a stern frown. "You could have brought it up."
"I wasn't sure it mattered..."
Fontaine sighed and turned. Nereus was just going to talk in circles. Besides, he was mistaken about the curse!
"Fontaine-" Will started as Fontaine stepped outside.
"Let me talk to her, William," Nereus interrupted.
Fontaine sped up. She didn't want to talk to Nereus. He didn't know what he was talking about!
Unfortunately, Nereus followed. He didn't speak or get close, but Fontaine knew he was there. She kept walking, hoping he'd get the hint.
Eventually, though, Fontaine realized Nereus wasn't going to leave her alone. She stopped and turned to wait for Nereus to catch up.
"I'm not cursed," Fontaine said before Nereus could speak.
"I wouldn't be so sure," Nereus said. "Then again, you could be right."
Fontaine blinked slowly. "So, you don't really know if I'm cursed?"
"I have seen many things," Nereus said. "Real life becomes stories, stories become legend. Pure circumstances become curses to be avoided. Who can say what is real or not?"
"Then why didn't you tell Mum and Dad that?"
Nereus leaned closer. "Because your friend -who thinks he is being very quiet in the hall behind us- is in very real danger."
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A/N: Nereus, just give a straight answer, darn it! He's driving me up the wall, and I'm the one who wrote him! :P
It's been a theory of mine for awhile that all the Guardians are Lemurian.
YOU ARE READING
Interning on the Aronnax
Fanfiction(AU starting on S1E7; mostly drabble-sized chapters) Finn makes his choice, but somehow gets kicked off of the Aronnax and the Dark Orca. Joining the Nektons is still his hope, but first he has to convince them that he's a good guy. Luckily, he's go...
