Savior Of The Sea

Chapter 12: the Ocean Spirit

As they swam through each corridor of the dark maze, it only continued to get darker. The only thing keeping them sane ironically, wss Amelia's constant whining. Emilia felt someone touch her hand and pulled away. "It's me," a deep voice whispered in her ear. It was the Prince! She relaxxed and let his hand curl around hers. Emilia knew it was ironic, but In the darkness they coudl truly be free from the stares of others. Even though they were scared, they held each other tightly and welcomed the darkness. Emilia rested ehr head on Prince's shoulder as they swam, and he whispered "scared?" sarcasticaly. She chuckled, as she felt him breathing. "Hey, your holding on tight too, your majesty." He paused for a moment, and sh felt him tense up. "I-I have to protect those I care about.." he mumbled almost too quiet for Emilia to hear."

She was about to respond when she heard a scream behind her. Flinching, she whipped around to see Amelia dangling upside down by her tail fin. She was twissting and yelling as hse tried to break free. "AGHHH!" she screeche.d "Get me out of this!!" Emilia glanced at the prince, and he swam over to her to try and get the rope off of her tail fin. IT didn't seem to work, but prince kept trying.

Meanwhile, Emilia cast a glance around her surorudnings to see if there was annything she could find to help. Suddenly she halted suddenly. She was face to face with a giant anglerfish!! It had ginormous fangs and a menacing face with evil glowering eyes. It opened its jaws and Emilia dashed away as fast as she could. "Look out!" She called to the prince and Amelia as she swam really fast in their direction with the anglerfish snapping at her tail.

Amelia let out an earpiercing scream and the Prince yelped and swam out of the way, and the anglerfish started pursuiing him. "No!" Emilia crie, and she raced after them. "Heey! Over here, you hulking groutesuqe monstrositty! Come! Yeah, fololw me!!" She baited the viceous anglerfish and swam away as it chased her right past Amelia, who screamed. But then when she screamed the anglerfish turned! and it looked right at Amerlia! who was still trapped hanging upsidedown.

"HELP!!!" Amelia

The prince drew his sword with a shiny metal sound and gave a battelcry as he charged towards the anglefish and was about to struck it down when Emilia noticed a mark, like a scar, on the anglerfishes side. Time seemsed to slow down as she studied it, her mind racing at all the possibilityes. Suddenly, she felt a tingle in her hands, and a pull towards the mark. As she movd, the rest of the world was in slow motion. The Prince looked to her surprised, and Amelia's screams echoed in the darkness. Emilia felt her hair whip behind her as her palm made contact with the angelfish.

Emilia's ring started to glow, and suddenly she saw through the eyes of the anglerfish and felt its emtjons. It was hurting! Trapped in an endless cycle of killing and hurting others without control by a curse. Almost instinctively, Emilia willed her power into the fish. As the anglerfish began to change shape, Emilia intertwined her pain with its own. They had both been hurt in the past, but now they were going to move on, together.

When the glowing stopped, and Emilia took her hand away, she was face to face with a small, purple dolphin. Its form seemed to shimmer in the water as if it wasn't really there. It put its head against Emilia's and she felt a rush of power inside of her. This was why she was the chosen one, to help those who needed it! When they broke contact, Emilia's tail felt weak and her head felt light. Just as she was about to faint, the Prince rushed to her sidie and held her in his strong arms. She smiled weakly at his deep ocean blue eyes that were filled with concern, and touched her hand to his cheek. "Wow, you saved me again. You must really care about me," she teased. He laughed and lifted her up to meet his gaze. "As a Prince, its my job to protect those who need it...even the chosen one when she inevitably gets hurt due to her weak nature." She locked eyes with him. "Oh, so I am the chosen one now."

They continued to stare at each other until Amelia pushed Emilia away and flung her hands around the Prince. "Omg, I was sooooo scared! Thank you for freeing me from that awful trap. You're so strong.." She ran her hands along his muscles, and he looked away in disinterest.

"Umm, guys?" Emilia pointed to the purple dolphin, who let out a small qsqueak of delight at being noticed by Emilia, "The anglerfish turned into a dolphin once I sensed its pain and healed it with..." Her pupils widened. "Magic?!?!?!??!" She gasped as she realized for teh frist time that she had discovered her powers as the chosen one. "Wow.... I'm the chosen one and I have healing powers..." she gazed at the dolphin in wonder.

Amelia stared at Emilia contemptously, with one eyebrow raised "Umm I thin kshe's delusional," she judgementally to the prince. "No!" Emilia insissted. "I can prove it!" She turned to the dolphin and it let out a small squeak of joy and started moving through the maze, lighting the walls with its form. "Look," Emilia gasped in wonder, "It's a spirit, and it's trying to guide us somewhere!" THe Prince grasped Emilia's hand, warming it with his warmth. "Well, then chosen one, I shall follow your judgment." He bowed in a sarcastic way but when he stood back up, he had a wide green on his face.

As Emilia and Prince started to swim off, Amelia crossed her arms and sighed loudly, trying to command attention. This did not work. The light of the dolphin slowly died out until Amelia was in almost complete darkness. She suddenly screech d and franticaly swam after the others, all the while screaming, "how dare you leave a princess?! In the DARK?!?!?!!?

Emilia and Prince winced at Amelia's scr3ams, but tried to ignore them as much as possible. Eventually, the Prince seemed to be about to yell at her. He opened his mouth and flipped around, but was cut off by the light of a new cavern and Emilia's voice. "Guys, look!" She verbalized, "It's Sirena1" Amelia swished to the Prince's side and started stroking is hair. "Oh my gawd, who's Sirena?! We came all this way for some old lady dressed in rags?11!!!!" Amelia scoffed shoutingly.

Sirena gazed at Amelia, smiling. "yes you did." She turned to Emilia and the prince and welcomed, "it's good to see you again!" with a kind voice. "Yes" Emilia agreed, "Especially afeter you convinced the King that I was the chosen one and helped me start my journey in the first place!" Emilia gazed at her greatfully.

"I sensed that a bennevolent ocean spirit would bring you two me, "Sirena declared. "And I'm here to help you find your way to the rest of you're group and get out of this labrinth of a valley!" "Oh thank you so much" Emilia responded. "Yeah, thanks" the Prince agreed sternly. "Umm why are we trusting this random old woman-" Amelia began, but she was cut off by the prince grabbering her hand and taking her with them as they followed Sirena's lead. At first Amelia looked offended that he had cut her off but then she looked content that he was holding her hand.

As they swam, the dolphin swished next to Emilia and looked at her with its majestic purple eyes. When she smiled back and patted its head, ut cuddled up to her side. Emilia's eyes seemed to drink in the light of the ocean. Finally, they were on a path to success. The road had been tough, but they would now be able to find the king and help so many inocent merfolk. Most of all though, the Prince had made her feel something she hadn't really expereineced before. She felt warm, yet anxious and just always wanted to be near him, even though he was sarcastic and rude sometimes. He told her she was the chosen one and so she was invigoratedd by his words. Finally, everything was right.

Sudden;y. A scream burst through the cavern walls, shaking Emilia to her core. For a heartbeat, she stood still in shock recognizing the voice; it was Marina. When she regained some sense of thought, she locked eyes with Prince, and nodded. Hep ulled out his sword, and they rushed toward the scream. What they would larer find was something they could never have expected. The ocean that had once seemed so bright and welcoming, was now becoming darker and darker. Soon, no glimmering hope would be left.