Aqua Vitae
Bubbles fizzled to the surface as Nessie waded through the water. As the current slowed down near the larger section of water, the temperature began to rise. The underwater habitat was void of any other animals. Nessie's size and appearance tended to deter others, which made life a bit lonely at times. Though they had been around long enough to get used to it, that didn't take away from the isolation. After settling down in an elevated spot, they watched the plants sway ever so slightly. Then, something lightly tapped their arm. Nessie turned to look at what it was.
Woah! You're huge! It looked like a strand of leaves had hit them, but somebody was communicating with them. Where are you? Nessie watched as the strand of leaves started to move in a swimming motion. Right here! I'm a leafy seahorse! Was there even such a thing? Nessie looked at the seahorse, propelling upwards a bit. I'm Xilladenanessfeali, but you can call me Nessie. The seahorse swam up to their eye level. My name is Folium! Do you mind if I hang out here for a while? The other fish don't like having me around. They pretend like I'm just a bunch of seaweed and ignore me. Nessie nodded in understanding. A lot of fish are intimidated by my size. This made Folium swim around in happiness. This is perfect! We can be friends! Nessie smiled. Alright, what do you want to do first as friends?
The trip had started as a joke. Nessie wanted to have a small party in an abandoned ship nearby, but Folium remembered that the remnants of the ship had been collected by a group of sailors. They had to celebrate their new friendship and ultimately decided to go to a coral reef. Neither of them really knew where one was, but they were determined to find out together. The next day, they set off on an adventure.
Hey, there's a school of fish up ahead! Maybe we should stop and ask them for directions. They swam up towards the group and tried to get their attention. Hello, do you know a way to a coral reef? The moment they saw the two, they bolted off- all except one. I-I uh... Just a few miles north from here. Folium swam around them Thanks! We owe you one! Nessie motioned north. C'mon Folium, we have to hurry if we're gonna make it there anytime soon!
Folium sat on Nessie's back as they swam, eventually falling asleep at one point. They slowed down to keep from waking Folium up. The water became ominously dark, and Nessie began to lose their way. Folium? Do you know where we are? I don't know if we're going the right way... Folium swam into Nessie's line of sight. Um…. Oh! Up there! There's some light! The pair swam towards the light, but once they got up close, they realized it was an Anglerfish. Suddenly, dozens of Anglerfish emerged from their caves, surrounding Nessie and Folium. Swim! Swim away! They bolted off, the fish chasing after them. After a few minutes, they had lost them and took a moment to recompose themselves. When they looked in front of them, they were both in shock.
Sunlight shone through the water in beams, illuminating the underwater display. Hundreds of jellyfish migrated in front of them, as well as the occasional stingray or turtle. A beautiful coral reef sat ahead of them, all sorts of aquatic anemones and coral of every color being admired by fish. It was truly amazing.
They spent hours at the coral reef, admiring it and having fun. When they went back and said goodbye for the day, Nessie felt a little bit closer to finding their place in the world.