Finally it was nighttime. It was time to help Makani under the sea. "Ok Makani. Ready?" "As ready as I'll ever be. Its freezing out here though." "Oh you'll be fine once we are done. I got a towel and you have your warm clothes after right?" "Yeah that works." "OK then lets dive in." He was in his swim trunks and swimming t-shirt. We both dove in and I was right next to him.
(Under the sea)
I was able to see underwater so I asked him if he could now that he has the partial skin. "Yeah a little bit. I can't see clearly but I can see." "That's good. What we are going to do tonight is to see how well you can swim and tomorrow night we will see how far you can go." "Yes teacher." "Hehe your funny." "Ok so start swimming around." So I swam with him for a little bit to make sure he doesn't drown.
After awhile. "OK good. You swim just fine. Lets head up and get ready to go home." Just as I was heading up I felt a presence. "Makani. If something happens to me. Let Ocean and the others know. Don't come after me got it?" "What are you talking about Naia?" "Just promise me. Get Ocean. Have someone try to rescue me. No in fact don't worry about it. I'm sure someone here will. Just promise not to come after me got it?" "Yes I got it." "Good now get out of here as fast as you can." "Huh? Why?" "Just go. Please." "OK I got it." He swam as fast as he could until I couldn't see him anymore then sighed a relief at least he was fine. Then a huge creature came to me.
"You know why I am here right?" "Yes. I haven't been playing the Ocean piano. Have you found a person to play it yet?" "NO. I have not. It has been too quiet down here. I am about ready to make you stay down here." "Sorry to burst your bubble but have you heard the news?" "What News?" "For the first time a man was born between shore human and sea human. He has skin of us sea humans. I am helping him out of the surface. I will be up there for at least a year. I may come to visit with him, but I need to keep training him until he can come to the village." "Oh is that so? Who is this human? Who is his parents?" "The human's name is Makani. He is my age. Well actually he is a year older but we are both seniors in high school so I will be staying here. The goddess made me a deal and I dealt with it. You have any questions take it up with her." "Fine. Be careful. There are strange creatures in these parts. Be careful." "I will try." So I swam up half way then I was attacked. I felt sharp objects cut me. I swam as hard as I could and barely made it to the surface.
(On the surface)
I was hurt so bad I couldn't get up. 'It looks like Makani brought the others.' I said to myself. I saw the others rushing to the where I was. "Oh Crap! Naia are you ok?" said Ocean. "Naia. Naia! Hang on. Your going to be ok!" said Ocean. I blacked out after I saw someone carry me.
It had been 4 days and no sign of Naia waking up. "Doc are you sure she is ok now?" "Yes I have made sure all of the poison was out of her system. She will wake up when her body is healed enough." "Dammit!" Said Makani. Tide was there too and he was just as worried. "I'm pissed too. But we have to stay calm. We don't want to do something we regret ok?" Said Tide. "Yeah I know. Its just so frustrating." "Yeah I know." Tide patted Makani's back.
Around dinner time that day. Makani and Tide stayed by Naia's side. Just as they were getting up to head to dinner she was having signs of waking up. "Hmm. Is someone there?" "Its me. Makani. Tide is here too." "Hmm." She slowly opened her eyes. "Where…..Where am I?" She was still half asleep. Makani explained anyway. "Your on the shore right now. Your in Ocean's building. He is the boss of this town. Sort of like a mayor." Then she finally understood where she was. "Oh now I remember. Ow." "Easy now." Said Tide. "You were hurt pretty bad." "Y-yeah thanks Tide. What time is it?" "Its dinner time. We were about ready to head out. Do you want us to make something easy for you to eat?" "I-I'm not hungry at the moment. You guys go ahead and eat. Oh I need to talk to Ocean as well." "Ok will do. Glad to see you awake Naia." Said Tide. "Hmm. Thanks." So they went to get Ocean who just finished his dinner. "How is she?" said Ocean. "She just woke up. She is asking for you." "Oh good. OK I'll be right there. Thanks Makani."
Ocean Knocked on her door. (Knock Knock) "Its me Ocean. Can I come in?" "Oh yes please." He opened the door and closed it after he went inside. He sat down on a chair beside her. "Hey there. How you feeling?" "Sore. I hurt like crazy." "Yeah you were out for 4 days after you had been poisoned." "I was poisoned? What did I get attacked by? Ow. Dammit! It hurts." "Easy now. You don't want to reopen those wounds." "I see so I needed stitches after all huh?" "Yeah and the doctor who treated you is also a sea human." "Oh that's good. So do you know what I was attacked by?" "Well I have never seen the creatures before myself. The doctor has. Maybe he can help you more on that situation So what did you want to see me about?" "Oh yeah. Mr. Sato the octopus said that its too quiet down there since no one is playing it yet. They can't find anyone who can play it down there. I don't know if you have been up here that long or not, but the piano was made to make sound under the sea. If it was on land it wouldn't make a sound." "I haven't heard what's going on since I was forced to live here. It wasn't long after I was pulled away from the storm that my parents were forced to stay up here. Not only them all of us and our kids." "Ah I see. Well if you have heard it on land then is sounds prettier under the sea. I will talk to the Sea Goddess. The sea piano is just a regular piano that only plays underwater. If anyone here that are sea human can play, I can talk to the sea goddess about letting them play. In exchange they can stay down there." "I see I will get everyone together and ask around. How does that sound?" "Fine. Oh also when are you going to enroll me in school?" "Oh I already did. I just have to call them back and tell them you are sick. When you are better you can go. How does that sound?" "Yeah thanks. Oh when are you going to do the gathering?" "Can you stand without hurting?" "I don't know let me see." It hurt a little when I sat up but I stood up and was a little dizzy. "I feel a little dizzy." "Ok One moment. I have an idea. I'll be right back."
In a little while he came back with a wheelchair. "Oh a wheelchair. I'll give it a shot." Ocean helped me up and I crunched my face up in pain. "Hmm." "Ok how do you feel now?" "Well better than I did standing up. Its more a throbbing pain than anything." "OK good. I'll push you around in this for awhile ok?" "Thanks Ocean. So about the gathering." "Yes. Since you can sit in here with a little bit of pain I can do the gathering. I wanted you to be there when I did it." "Ok then."
He called for a meeting for all the sea humans. They all gathered in one place. Makani included. Tide stayed with me to push me so he was present as well. "Ok ladies and gentleman. Naia has an announcement she wants to share. Go ahead Naia." They were talking in a microphone that only sea people can hear. To normal people they are talking normally. Like Tide. "Sorry if I have trouble talking. Recently I was attacked. Now lets get to business. There is a thing in the ocean we call a Sea Piano. 1 or 2 people can play it. It works as a normal piano. The only difference is it won't play on the surface. It only plays in the ocean. It is very important to us under the sea. I was usually the one who played it but I have been busy on land lately and the goddess is still looking for someone who can play it. If you hear music by the doc, that was the music you were hearing. It sounds prettier under water. I came here to ask if anyone here can play regular piano they can be able to play the sea piano. I am close to the sea goddess. I can make a deal, whoever knows how to play that plays it can stay under the sea to make up for the reason they are up here. So I would like those of you who can play to come up on stage here please. That is all." I Held my stomach in pain. My sides also hurt. Tide and Ocean saw and were worried. "I'm fine guys. I just turned to quick." About 6 people out of the many came up. "OK good. Ocean I want you to have them write their name phone number and address on a piece of paper. Oh and the age as well." "Ok sounds good." The 6 people followed Ocean over to his office.
The next day I was feeling a little bit better. In fact I tried to contact the Sea Goddess. I closed my eyes while I was still laying down so it looked like I was sleeping. 'Hey Goddess? Are you there?" "Yes I'm here. I heard what happened. Are you ok?" 'Yes I'll live. Anyway I have something to ask. Do you have anyone for the piano yet?' "No we are still looking." 'Look no more. We have 6 of the sea humans up here who can play. These ones still have their thick skin. Can we use them in shifts to play the piano?' "I'll tell you what? Heal up and bring them down here. I will make it so they can come down. Who are these 6?" I told her their names. "Ok let me know when you are all healed up and come down ok?" 'yes Goddess.' "OK see you soon." Then I cut off the connection. Then I really did go to sleep.
2 hours later Naia woke up. "Hey there. How you feeling?" Said Makani. "Oh hey Makani. I'm doing better. The more I sleep seems like the faster I heal." I told him about what the Sea Goddess told me. "I see. That sounds good. That means they may be able to stay in the ocean right?" "Well about that. I haven't talked to her about that. I was going to talk to her about that after we talked to them." "Oh sounds fair enough." Makani touched my head to see if I had a fever. "Good no fever." "Why do I look like I'm hot?" "Well your face is a little flushed." "Its not because of that don't worry about it." "Well ok then." "I should be well enough in 2 days to go back to school. Although I might need to stay in a wheelchair for a bit longer for awhile." "Cool. Since we have all the same classes I'll push you." "Thanks Makani." "Yeah no problem." "Oh and after school we will continue your work learning about sea humans. I will test you when I am healed. So study hard." "I will thanks." He left and it was Tide's shift now.
A few days went by fast and I was well enough to finally go to school. I only had to use the wheelchair for a week. "Ok I got your stuff ready Naia." "Ok thanks Makani." "Ok Ocean. I will see you after school." "Ok have fun. Makani take care of her ok?" "Yes. I will Ocean don't worry."
He pushed me to the school, since it was walking distance. He took me to the office so I can see the principal. "Hello principal Nuan. This is Naia." Said Makani. "Hello Naia. Nice to meet you." "Nice to meet you too principal Nuan." "So I hear you are staying at Oceans building." "Yeah I am. He is going to be my guardian for a year." "Yes he told me. Well I hope you enjoy our school. Here sign these papers and then go get your schedule in the front office ok?" "Yes sir." I signed some papers and did just that. I got my schedule and Makani looked at it. "Well looks like you have the same classes as me. That's easier for me to watch you." "OK shall we Naia?" "Hehe we shall." So he started pushing me to the class room.
"Hello Mrs. Robin I have the new student here." "Ok then. Class. The new student has arrived." He pushed me to the front of the class. I introduced myself. "Hello. My name is Naia. I am an exchange student. I am staying with Ocean. I am only in this wheelchair for a week. I hope we can all get along." Then Makani spoke. "I will be taking care of her while she is here. So you all better be nice or deal with me." Everyone looked shocked but agreed. "Ok Naia. I'll have you sit next to Makani." "Yes maam thank you." "Oh call me Mrs. Robin like everyone else." "Ok thanks Mrs. Robin." "Sure." Makani took the chair away so I could get my wheelchair over to the desk. Then I listened to the teacher teaching.
Classes went on and it was lunch time. I had brought my own lunch and Malaki did as well. So I sat with him at lunchtime, then others came to the table as well. "Hello there." Said boy. "Oh hello. Who might you be?" "Oh I'm sorry. My name is Tyson. Everyone calls me Ty." "Ok. Should I call you Ty as well?" "Sure why not. You're the new girl right?" "Yes my name is Naia." "Well nice to meet ya Naia." Then there was so many people crowed over the table that Makani had to shew them away. "Hehe. I didn't know I would be this popular." "Well this happens every time we have an exchange student. We have them every year." "Oh is that so? Cool." "Yeah I guess." So it was just me, Makani, and his friends. Then we had 2 more classes and headed home.
We got home and we met Ocean at the door. "Oh hey Ocean." "Hey there Naia. How was your first day?" "It was fine. Makani had to shew the kids away cause they crowded our table at lunch." "Oh I see. Exchange students huh?' "Yep sure is." "Ok well should we do our homework Makani?" "Yeah lets go." So he took me to do our homework.