Interning on the Aronnax

The Tear Factor

A/N: This chapter is a bit disjointed, admittedly. It would have been preferable if I could have dropped more subtle hints, but, eh. Finn's a smart cookie. And it's probably about time I gave you solid answers, eh?

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Finn was standing in a dark room. He squinted, unsure of where he was. Had he returned to his hideout, after Nereus' tale?

A slight noise made Finn turn. He saw he wasn't alone, as Fontaine was standing in the room as well. Her head was ducked and her hands were pressed against her face.

"Fontaine?" Finn asked.

Fontaine shuddered and she made the noise again. Recognizing the sound as a sniffle, Finn stiffened. Fontaine? Crying?

"Hey, Fontaine, what's wrong?"

Finn tried to go to Fontaine, but his steps didn't take him any closer. He persisted, to the same result, as Fontaine's whimpers grew louder.

"Fontaine!" Finn yelled. "I'm here!"

Fontaine's shoulders shook in sudden, wracking sobs. Tears leaked between her fingers, but they weren't normal tears. They glowed!

Finn's next step splashed. He looked down to see glowing water rising around his ankles. Where had it come from?

"Fontaine, we have to get out of here!"

Fontaine's tears flooded faster and faster from her covered face, pouring into the rising water. Or, tears?

"Fontaine!" Finn called. "Fontaine, what's going on?"

Rumbling made Finn look up. The tears illuminated stone walls and a vaulted stone ceiling. They weren't on the Aronnax!

Before Finn could make another move, one of the walls exploded inward. Luna's glowing head swung into the stone room, bellowing loudly.

"Luna?!"

Clang!

Finn lurched forward, clutching the back of his head with one hand. His other hand flung out to catch himself... but he was already laying down.

Blinking a couple times, Finn found himself in the darkened ducts. He stared for a minute, then dropped his head with a relieved sigh.

"Just a dream."

Rubbing his head, Finn lifted himself to his elbows. He shuffled to the grate and looked over the infirmary. It was empty.

Finn sighed and rested his forehead on the duct. He'd been a bit out of it after Nereus' tale, but the reality of the curse was hitting him just then.

If he and Fontaine were separated, they would die. How far away from each other was safe? Even if Finn did stay on the Aronnax for the foreseeable future, they had to know how far he and Fontaine could be apart from each other. Was it permanent? Would it only get worse?

"We're stuck," Finn growled, clenching his fists. "Fontaine's stuck. What if Nereus is wrong, and it's not a protection curse? What if it just kills us?"

Finn banged a fist on the duct. "Brilliant, Finn, just brilliant! Come on board and curse Fontaine. I'm going to get her killed. Stupid glowing... glow... glo- wait!"

Clang!

Finn sprawled on his stomach, wondering if he would get a concussion if he kept hitting his head. Nevertheless, Finn scrambled to his hands and knees. He turned, mind racing.

"Why didn't I see it before?" Finn huffed to himself. Did he dare hope...? "I have to find Nereus!"

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"Proteus is getting impatient."

"Proteus has always been impatient," Nereus said without looking at his tablet. "He was a very impatient child."

"Okay, then Father is worried."

"Glaucus? Worried?" Nereus glanced down. "I think you exaggerate, Orrin."

The teenager on the screen grinned. "Nah, you should've seen him pacing."

"I was not pacing," Glaucus said, stepping sedately into view of the screen. "But where have you been, Nereus? We can't leave the Blue Hole unattended for long. We don't know what is down there yet."

"I know, I know. But the Nektons are the only people equipped for such an exploration," Nereus said. "And there's been... a situation here."

Orrin leaned closer, the shock of white hair in the midst of messy dark brown falling over his blue eyes. "What happened, Nereus?"

"I'll explain later," Nereus said.

"No, you won't. You'll just say this isn't a Guardian matter, but you still won't tell me!"

"Later, Orrin," Nereus insisted.

"Psst, Nereus!"

Distracted as he was, Nereus jumped a bit at the hissed voice. He collected himself and lowered his tablet to eye the grate in the wall.

"You should be resting, Finn."

"I am. Er, I was." The grate swung downward so Finn could poke his head out. "But I thought of something."

"Yes?" Nereus asked when Finn hesitated.

"The curse. Can it... make you... cry glowing tears?" Finn asked haltingly.

"Glowing tears?"

"I know, it sounds ridiculous." Finn shuffled in place. "But, can it?"

"I don't see why not," Nereus said.

Finn stilled. "Really?"

"Yes," Nereus said simply. "Why do you ask?"

"I..." Finn frowned. "I think I've seen it happen before."

Nereus' brows rose. "Where?"

"Not recently... but I think..."

Clearly lost in thought, Finn crawled away without answering. Bemused, Nereus just shook his head and closed the grate.

"Wow," Orrin said, having listened to the conversation. "He gives answers as well as you. Is he your new student?"

"No, Orrin, I gave up mentoring with Alpheus. Glaucus, I'll have the Nektons on site in the morning."

Nereus turned off his tablet. He didn't move for some time, mind wandering with half-thoughts of glowing tears and wayward students.

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Elsewhere, Finn shuffled up to the grate in Fontaine's room. He was careful to not make any noise. He knew Fontaine had to be exhausted. He sure was, but he couldn't help the detour on the way to his hideout.

Sure enough, Fontaine was sound asleep, her snores rising from the bundle of blankets.

Finn smiled and put a hand on the grate. He desperately wanted to wake Fontaine to tell her his theory, but he'd have to wait for morning.

"It's okay, Fontaine," Finn whispered. "I know what this is now."

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A/N: The fun thing about writing Nereus is that he almost never explains how he knows various things.

Today's guest is Orrin, who came to be when Prophe-Cass brought up the name "Orrin" a few weeks ago. I really like the name, and the next thing I knew, Orrin showed up. XD