Royal moves the last of his group into their houses and smiles seeing how comfortable it is. His territory was enlarged because the map was wrong.
"Thanks man. How's Julia doing?" Royal asks.
"Not letting the boys out of her sight. We have heavy snowfall already. I think now that you're here it'll be the same thing for you. Apparently this place is larger than we know. As the country resurfaces, we'll push the fleet back. That's how Wish will infiltrate them." Kevin responds.
Toya and Rex leave after stocking up the last of the supplies. Royal had to move in late because Murasaki wanted to stock the houses first.
Kevin leaves too.
Royal sits in his large house and smiles. He talked to Kyle before moving here who said once it's winter and Everyone will be stuck in their own houses, he'll be trying for a baby. He laughed thinking it was a joke but it's not.
Royal thinks about Kyle's advice.
_Find a woman with a powerful ability if your child doesn't have your power they should at least have hers_
Royal has a list of everyone's powers. Most people in his camp don't have abilities. His options are limited, by age as well.
He's always leaned on Evie's power to provide for Everyone. He's just worried she already has someone.
He sneaks to the apartment building and she's kissing Luke. He ghosts back to his room before they see him, "Fuck!" He flops on the bed, he didn't want any one else. He'll see after winter what happens.
~~~
Black sits down with Thomas who is spending winter here with his family. He wants to find out what else he can learn about Nanites. Aira came with him.
"This is all Nanites?" Aira asks looking at the room with books everywhere.
"Yup. Let's start reading. Is June spending winter under water?" Thomas asks, he heard rumors.
"Yes. He'll be back after. He said he wants to see how the will bring the country afloat. He could learn a lot." Aira says.
"Ohh, I'm absolutely curious how too. He must come back and tell me how." Thomas says excited.
His wife reads some books to kill time.
~~~
June swims to the bottom of the country.
"These things, shouldn't be here, they look small but pull the country down. We gather them and they are used for ointments. They are harmless but powerful." Misty says.
June helps remove them, "It'll work faster if we have a remover and a catcher. We need people that will take them home immediately. Luna is busy with her baby sister, after winter she can work on the ointments for you."
"For us?" Misty asks.
"You guys don't need them? I'll keep them above ground." June says.
"No we need them. We never got any golden ointments. They kept it for themselves up there." Misty says.
June nods gently taking them out and Misty catches for him, "I decide what you get now. It'll be for you." He says managing to take out 5 at one time with his power.
Misty catches them quickly and passes the bag on using the water to make another one.
"Can I do that?" June asks cutting down multiple and catching them.
"Of course. Gypsy would love to teach you herself." Misty says.
June furrows his brows, "She's not my type sorry. I'll ask Aquarius."
Misty chuckles, "How many do you want to collect?"
"Until I get tired, or you get tired." June says cutting down 30 at once and catching them for Misty to collect.
"Can you teach me that?" Misty says surprised by the technique.
June nods explaining how it works.
Misty tries and takes down two, "Oh, so easy." She says asking someone else to catch for June, she asks someone else to catch for her.
June smiles when the island jumps up and stays there, "Is this how they dried the water?" He asks the male helping him.
"Yes, we started becoming lazy. This happened and dried the water. Than the Infected made things worse. Poisoning everything in their path."
June nods, "What's powerful about this?" He holds the soft fruit like thing. He takes a bite and it tastes really good, "This is delicious."
"Really? We were told we don't eat them."
"Maybe they meant don't eat them the surface people want them, but if you like it. You can start eating it. It drew it's strength from your power didn't it? Image taking your power and turning it into an ointment. Or Nanites. It looks like the winter fruit." June says.
"Nanites are vital for the country. We will gladly help if these help. We have alot. Just look at all this, it'll take all winter to finish." The male eats one and smiles eating until he's full before getting back to work.
~~~
Toya holds the baby as everything shakes.
Luna falls losing her balance.
Lycan knocks on the window and when Toya. Opens the door he holds Luna up.
Rex texts June about the quake.
~~~
June answers the text and sends him a photo, "This is what has been sucking up the power that keeps the island afloat. It's going to take a lot more earthquake's for us to get rid of it. Sorry man." He sends the video back and notices his assistant is now tired.
He looks at Everyone else eating the fruit, "You guys take a break. Organise a next shift group. If we can work 24/7 on this we'll be done fast. It's okay to eat on the way. Take some home to your families." June says.
The group go leaving him trying the sewing water trick.
They arrive at their homes and tell them what June said.
Aquarius laughs, "I haven't had one in years, it's generous of him to allow us to get some. Send everyone to go harvest as much as they can for their homes. They'll grow back fast with some of the land poisoned. We'll have plenty to eat." She says.
June smiles when everyone comes back gathering the food and eating at the same time.
"With this many people we'll be making fast progress. I didn't know there were so many people." June says.
"We didn't want to harvest them for your pleasure." A man says.
"Well, you clearly have me confused with people I never met. We don't need ointments. We need to stay alive." June says cutting down double the number he could, "They increase power, instead of ointment they should be made into medicine. There's a book by Tatia. I cannot read the language."
"We can teach you. It's not difficult. Your new language is a lot like ours."
"Cool, I'll watch for strays." June says watching the bottom catching the ones that fall.
~~~
Toya takes the baby from Luna when the rumbling comes back. She's crying non stop..
Lycan knocks on the window worried, he left thinking everything is alright, but he can hear her crying from so far away.
Luna opens the window and let's him in, "Hey."
"Hi." Lycan walks straight to the baby falling asleep in Toya's arms, "She okay?"
"She cries in Luna's arms." Toya smiles at the baby when she makes sounds in her sleep.
Lycan looks at Luna curious why the baby would cry in her arms. He looks at her hands, "You need to control your power from leaking. You're hurting the baby."
Luna looks at him confused, "I don't get what you're talking about." She looks at her hands and than the baby, "I didn't mean to hurt her."
Lycan cups her cheek, "You didn't, your power is just too strong. You must have instinctively activated it, but your healing energy is just energy when not embeud into something. You could punch through walls, it's quite destructive."
Luna looks at her hands, "I didn't know."
"Now you do. Go get her blanket. You left it in the dining hall." Lycan says smiling at her.
Luna nods and walks out the door.
The shaking starts again and she falls.
Lycan picks her up and carries her to her room, "I've seen toddlers stand on their own two feet when the shaking was at it's worst. You need to lie down." He tucks her in and pecks her forehead.
Toya growls and kicks him in the face, "She's mine." He says pinning Lycan against the wall with one hand.
Lycan smirks, "Too bad, she's just my type."
Toya smirks, "Dodge is going to love you." He lets him go and leads the way to the dining hall to get the baby blanket.
Rin is holding it, "Oh I was about to bring this up stairs. How's Luna?"
"In bed, the rumbling makes her clumsy." Lycan covers the baby.
Rin smiles, "Dodge will be upset. She's making a big meal for her. Please eat it." She says walking up the stairs.
"Lycan will enjoy it." Toya says smirking.
They go up the stairs and sit down feeling the cold a little more.
Toya adds a second blanket on the baby and watches her sleep.
~~~
June wakes up tired and goes straight to the bottom to pick more fruit. He finds more people picking and eating the fruit, "I don't know you." He says confused by the guardians in red, Stark guardians all wear the same blue colour, just different outfits.
"They are Golden guardians who sunk their own city." Misty says.
One of the guardians charges towards her and June flicks his wrist pushing him back.
"You won't touch her. Why are you here? Did you think we wouldn't notice you? I don't mind the help but if the guardians decide the don't want you here, I will have to send you away." June says protecting her in a bubble.
He goes back inside to hear what everyone decides. Unanimously they decide to send them away.
June sighs, "That will only cause an underwater war. It's best you build a city at the bottom of the country. Pick the fruits inside that territory and let them have the rest, just cover the entrances. We are expecting war from above, we should avoid war from below." He says.
Aquarius agrees, "We are in no position to fight wars. We seal the entrances and they take the rest will show them we're peaceful."
Everyone agrees and June goes back telling them the plan.
"We won't chase you away if you want the fruit. We ask that you respect that we will be extending the country building a city and we need some space. Please take as many as you need. Call Everyone and pick, but after that we will need a week to work without interruption. Is that okay?" June asks.
They nod and leave.
"Beef up security and hold the line while I build the shield. I'll have to go above ground. I'll be back. Avoid fighting please. Any little accident they will march in here and destroy everything. Please." June says before swimming up to ask Jet for help.
~~~
The Golden guardians arrive at home and deliver the news.
"They said everyone must come and pick as much as they need. We cannot return for a week. Everyone must go." A young girl tries to convince everyone.
"Go, it's Stark. They are not lying. They need as many of those fruit gone as fast as possible. Take everyone. Leave no one behind. Clean that entire island if possible but go and gather enough to last the whole winter." A woman with a crown on her head orders everyone.
A group of over 100 arrives at Stark picking fruits and sending others to take them home. Families here in large groups.
The Water Breathers stand guard just watching. They know the fruit will grow back.
The island lifts higher and higher as the group gather fruit.
"I'm glad they're doing the heavy lifting. I did not want to keep doing this when I have more than enough in my house." A male guard says.
"Me too. I'm glad the Alpha was smart enough to let them take the fruit. We all took so much and yet there was still more. Much much more. I doubt they will even take enough to clear the entire place."
"Yeah, but as soon as word gets around that people can come pluck fruits more people will come. That's why he's sealing all the entrances. They can pluck all they want as long as they don't come in."
"Aquarius is sealing all other entrances. Meaning the fruit will be absorbed too. Once the entrances are sealed and there's only a specific region for people to enter that will be nice."
"He asked the castle builders to get ready they will build a new one in a week. We were never allowed to expand before. This is so cool. A spot right under is absolutely the best spot to have a castle."
"Yeah. Look. It's floating much faster. I think Aquarius has started with closing the entrances."
"Good. The sooner we can all guard one point the better."
~~~
Aquarius smiles when the entrances are all closed and all security is now gathered at only one point, "Well done girls. With all of you here we closed it much faster and now 60 percent of the land is a float. The water is flowing further than before."
"What of the fleet?"
"Retreating. Those Golden guardians have no idea how much they helped us, but the blizzard will delay our plans to wake the others." Aquarius says.
"Let them rest this winter. When the ice melts it will be refreshingly cool. I am happy they will wake up in the end."
"Me too."
"Alright. Let's get back to our houses. The fruit will keep melting on their own." Aquarius says.
~~~
The Golden guardians look at the multitude of new fruit to pick. The country is no longer touching the bottom of the ocean.
"Look at some of it melt. Go to the tip of the bottom of the country. Collect from there." The female Alpha says.
The water breathers celebrate when the people pick at the most vital part of their new plan.
Stark had sunk so low that only the city's up in the mountains were left. It was known as the largest island for the fact that if it ever sunk still 30 percent of it's land would be above water. No other country can say that.