Abzu

“…and what’s this word?”
“R-…rope?”
“Correct!”
“What’s this word?”
“Wod?”
“No, wood. Double o’s make an ‘oo’ sound-…”
Aqua was sitting down, crouched over on the sea green carpet at the edge of the small crowd of dragonets-mostly three year olds like her-gathered to listen to the teacher. She held two of the mini stuffed animals in her talons and moved them up and down while she hid behind some of the taller students in the back rows. “You take that back! You killed her! Pew pew!” Aqua whispered to herself while she imagined the lobster stuffed animal using its pincher claws to save the day from Mr Fartface, the angry angry hippocampus. “Nooooooooo!” Fartface wailed, “Not fa fishstick fingers of freedom!” Aqua giggled at the dialogue she had come up with, which caused some of her peers to turn and watch her, distracted by her playing.
Aqua glanced over and her ears flattened. “Oh-sorry-…” She looked down at her talons while she felt hot with embarrassment. She felt the cold hard stares even when she didn’t meet their gaze, and her unease lasted until the teacher spoke up at a bit of a louder tone,
“Alright, that’s a wrap. Pair up and take-“ Oarfish picked up a scroll from the stack of picture scrolls, “a scroll to read together.”
Everyone already had somehow chosen their partner even before class started. Aqua frowned as she stayed where she was while twiddling her indigo blue talons, her shoulders hunched. It’s like they have mindreading, she thought since no one had even wasted a second to find a partner. Everyone had already chosen a partner to work with in anticipation for group projects.
Aqua forced herself to stand up, dropping Fartface while she kept LobbyLobster in her talon. “Um…” She glanced around, out of place in the room full of dragons who already were lounging around, reading from the assortment of colorful scrolls. Guppy and Tempest were reading Aqua’s favorite scroll, Spirit: Seahorse of the Coralreef, so she approached them. “Um…hi…um…can I join…?”
“Groups of two, not three,” Tempest-who had been interrupted from reading-spoke up, “Go find one partner.”
Guppy said nothing but simply shot Aqua a death glare. Aqua tried her best to ignore it, although her ears flattened. I’m sorry-… “Oh…um…” She looked over her shoulder where Reed, Marlin, and Riptide were all in a group together. She just sort of stood there for a few moments longer, unsure of what she was waiting for. It’s not like they’d suddenly change their minds. No one wants me in their group. I’ll just…um…
Aqua walked over to the stack of scrolls and took a random one for herself since all of the good stories were taken. She read aloud to herself in the middle of the room since all of the corners and nooks were occupied. “Fish went on a walk.” She scrolled through. “Fish sat down.” Scroll. “…fish f-o-um…f-fff-fowt-…a-b…bowt stuff.” Scroll.
Aqua didn’t even bother to try to read the next page, since it was full of more ‘th’s and ‘ou’s. She didn’t even know what the ‘z’ meant or how to pronounce it. Frustrated, she stared blankly at the art while imagining LobbyLobster finding Lollie once again and finally reuniting after spending years apart while protecting the kingdom from danger.
“Ten minutes left, class!”
Aqua raised her head and glanced around the classroom to find that most of the other dragonets had finished reading and talked together about inside jokes or sleepovers that Aqua didn’t understand or ever attend. She frowned a bit and noticed that she still held LobbyLobster in her left talon. I don’t wantto read…I kind of just want to think about LobbyLobster…he’s so close to saving the day-! …I need to get this done…we always get quizzes the day after…
“Clean up time!”
Aqua hesitated and quickly turned to the last page. She let out a mini huff when she recognized the last two words: ‘The end’. “…f…fa…end. Fa end. Yep, fa end.” She rolled up the scroll and stood up, not even bothering to try to read it right. She cleaned up, waiting patiently for the other dragons in front of her to put their scrolls away. Soon enough it was time for recess, and so she followed the class on their way outside.
Aqua spent roughly half of the free time period playing by herself until she noticed a gathering of dragonets. Ooo, maybe they’re playing hide in seek! She stood up and trotted over. “Can I join-?” she asked quietly and Guppy among some of the other students glared at her.
“Sure,” Trigger replied friendly. Aqua got the uncomfortable feeling that it was forced.
“……um…what are you playing-?” she spoke up again after the dragons in the group had stopped paying attention to her.
“Cops and robbers,” the blue-green-dragonet-with-gold-colored-glasses-whose-name-Aqua-did-not-know-despite-considering-her-to-be-her-friend answered.
“…oh.” I hate that game. Aqua turned to leave.
“Maybe you could be a robber!” the dragonet offered. “Since, ya know, you already know about that type of stuff.” She sniffed. “What’s it like breaking the law? Is it fun? Cool? Exciting?”
Aqua adverted her gaze. “…I…um…”
“What’s that?” She pointed to LobbyLobster, which Aqua had completely forgotten about. It hung loosely in her non-dominant talon still, her having carried it around practically all day without much thought. Toys weren’t allowed to be taken outside from the classroom.
“…”
She gasped. “Did you steal it?”
Aqua studied her talons and dropped the lobster. “…I’m sorry,” she mumbled.
“I’m tellllllinggg!”
“Wait-“
It was too late. The SeaWing ran off to Oarfish who sat on a black bench, and Aqua tried to judge what they might be saying about her. ‘Aqua stole something again! She’s so stupid! Why does she keep stealing? Doesn’t she know it’s bad?’ ‘Looks like she’ll have to get detention again.’ ‘Good for her!’ ‘Right an-‘
Oh shoot they’re headed right for me… Aqua sat upright as Oarfish tiredly strolled over to where Aqua was.
“Is it true that you stole something, Aqua?”
Aqua nodded. “…I’m sorry…”
Oarfish sighed and pinched the bridge of his silver snout. “Sorry isn’t enough. You keep doing this. Yeah, this time you just took it to recess, but plenty of other times you steal things and take it home. It’s not okay. You need to put it back. Okay?”
Aqua nodded again and tears welled in her eyes as she picked up LobbyLobster. I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorry…
She dragged her feet back to the classroom, following Oarfish. She passed through the entrance once he unlocked the door and placed the stuffed animal back in its place. I’m such a bad dragon I keep stealing I always steal I always take things-…
Aqua spent the rest of the school day keeping to herself and thinking about what she had done. An absolutely horrible, horrid thing, really. Stealing, a terrible horrendous act, only committed by the most fiend. I’m evil.
Aqua moped all the way home, which was roughly a five minute walk as her town lived on an island.
“Hey Aqua! How’s school?” Dad asked, pausing from cleaning the counter.
“Okay,” Aqua simply said while plopping onto the hammock in the living room. “I read a scroll today.”
Dad nodded. “Cool! What was it about?”
“Fish.”
“…just fish?”
Aqua nodded.
“Oh. Hm, they really should add better scrolls, amiright?”
“I guess…”
“Talk to any friends?”
“I um…talked to fa green SeaWing wif fa glasses…”
“Anyone else…?”
“…no.”
Dad nodded. “Ok, ok. What’d you guys talk about?”
Aqua didn’t respond as she stared down at her talons, guilt ridden.
“…Aqua?”
“…I’m sorry-“ She burst into tears. “I’m so sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry-“
“Aqua, Aqua, woah-“ Dad crossed through the entrance into the room and knelt next to her on the sandy floor. “What’s wrong?”
“I stole again-,” Aqua cried out. “I keep stealing I’m sorry-“
Dad hugged Aqua. “Hey, it’s okay. Alright? At least you told me. Everyone makes mistakes. That’s how we learn.”
She kept crying, so he kept talking. “You’re fine, Abzu. It’s not like you do it…on purpose…most of the time. There’s always tomorrow, okay?”
…
“Okay?”
Aqua nodded and began rubbing her eyes to wipe away her tears. “…I’m sorry…”
“It’s good your sorry. Did you return it?”
Aqua nodded.
He hugged her again and Aqua eventually calmed down. “…what does Ab…use mean?” she asked, sniffling as she did so due to her now stuffy nose.
“Ab-zu means innocent. Kind-hearted. Also water. I found out from a merchant a few days ago and it reminded me of you.”
Aqua nodded slowly.
“The merchant also mentioned how there’s a whale pod not too far off the coast of Mariana Bay. Apparently the warm weather made them come closer or something…”
Aqua quietly listened to Dad’s tangent and after a while, asked, “…hey Dad…what’s your name?”
“-My name?”
She nodded, twiddling her talons together.
“Wave. Why?”
Aqua shrugged. “I don’t know…most other dragonets know feir parents names I just forgot yours…”
Wave let out a small sigh and nodded. “Alrighty. Better know than not know, amiright?”
Aqua nodded. “…fank you…”
Wave just smiled. “Don’t worry about it. I’m always here for you, Abzu.”
Category:Fanfictions
Category:Fanfictions (Completed)
Category:Fanfictions (Fanon)