Warnings: Rowen-over imagination, ridiculousness, friend-panic, what's in the box?!
Summary: Mia thinks that Rowen spends too much time at home reading. In attempts to get him out more, she has him sign up to read stories to children at the library. She understands she needs to bridge the gap and though he might be at the library, she hopes he does what is asked of him. In his best interest, she didn't realize that being around five and six year olds would have an adverse affect on the warrior of Strata. How did he get this headache?
Once upon a time Urashimatarou saved a great sea turtle. Later, that turtle visited him and took him to a magical land under the sea. There Urashimatarou lived in the splendor of the underwater kingdom. He laughed, he lived in wealth, and he fell in love with the beautiful princess. However, after some time he began to miss his family. With a heavy heart he asked to return to his home to check on his parents and return to his life. With regret the castle saw him off. The princess gave him a shiny black box with one warning, never open it. He agreed as his friend turtle took him back home. Urashimatarou looked for his home, but everything was different. The land had changed and his house was gone. Determined to find his parents he asked some villagers. He explained that he was Urashimatarou, but no one believed him. For that boy had lived more than three centuries ago! As realization settled into his heart, he sank below a tree with only the box the princess had given him. He opened the box and out flowed the three hundred years that had been saved from his time in the castle under the water. Urashimatarou aged at a rapid pace and faded into dust unknown to anyone.
On his way home from his volunteering to read children's stories at the library Rowen thought about the story of the boy that had been whisked to an undersea castle. Could he breathe under water? I wonder why he didn't go back to the kingdom. Wasn't his life and love there? Was the past that much more important than the present? I wonder what it was like, the pictures weren't very clear. Maybe I'll go back and do some research. He turned back towards the library. He looked through every mythology and folktale book he could find.
"I just don't get it," Rowen said to the books around him. His hands touched the sky as his shoulders pushed in and he drew a deep breath before he gave a loud yawn. Rowen straightened his back and set his elbows on to the table as the black words stared at him. "Well, I guess I'll never know. These are just stories to teach us lessons as kids."
His head touched the table after a few more paragraphs. He blinked to force the relaxation and sleep out of his mind and body. Children surrounded him and started hitting him. He tried to yell at them and shoo them away but his voice trapped in his throat. He tried to force a scream, anything, but sound ceased to exist within his vocal chords. A wave of relief washed over him as Cye raced towards him.
"Hey, leave him alone," Cye said as he shooed the kids away. The children ran off throwing insults and swear at the two. "Are you okay?"
Rowen nodded, uncertain if he could manage a simple reply.
"Good, I'm glad," Cye said as a relieved sigh heaved out of his lungs. "Well, I'll be on my way then."
That's odd, Rowen thought. Normally, he'd lecture me about going home and getting something to eat. Rowen dove back into the crystal clear water, swam home, and ate. He thought about Cye again and wondered what had happened with his friend. Curiosity began to bore into his mind and he swam through the warm ocean. He jumped up onto the dock and looked at his friend.
"Thanks for your help earlier," Rowen said.
"You're welcome," Cye said with a smile. "I'm just glad I could help!"
"I wanted to thank you, I'll take you to my home," the warrior of Strata pointed to the ocean and then grabbed his friend's hand with his flipper and dove into the water.
The kingdom under the sea sparkled like a treasure chest. Cye was stunned and though he tried to respond no sound came out. Rowen laughed and pulled him into the castle. Once there Rowen introduced him to the king and his beautiful daughter. Cye stayed in the kingdom for longer than Rowen could determine.
The palace screamed with activity as people prepared for the departure of their soon to be king.
"But why are you leaving," Rowen said with a frown on his face. "Everyone is here."
"I miss my family," Cye said. "At the very least, I need to check up on them. They're probably worried about me. And if I know Kento he's probably eaten the whole house by now."
"Oh," Rowen tried to hide the soft decline of his voice. "Well, if it makes you happy, I guess?"
"I'll miss you," The princess said as she handed him a black and gold box. "This is a gift of all the wonderful things we have shared and experienced. But please, Cye, you must never open it."
"I have the memories in my heart," he said as he kissed her hands. "We will meet again."
With that, Rowen took Cye back to his home. Days later he made one final trip to see his friend. He climbed onto the sand and crawled his way up the shore. Cye sat under a large tree, tears long dried from cheeks. The warrior of torrent's fingers slid across the edges of the box.
When he opened the box his youth flew out and he died, Rowen thought. He tried to run towards. His small turtle limbs made him particularly slow on land.
"Cye! No, don't open the box!"
"What box," Cye said.
"The box she gave you! She loves you, you promised," Rowen said with a huff of breath. "You'll die if you open it."
"Who loves him," Kento said with a raised eyebrow.
"The princess! You promised, please don't open the box Cye. I can't save you from that," the Strata warrior's voice gave a sharp incline as he tried to reach out for his companion. He slammed his hands down onto the box.
The loud slam of the lid startled him and he jolted back. His chair tipped over, his head slammed against the bookshelf behind him. Kento's outstretched hand just a hair away from his. Cye rushed over to his side and knelt.
His head throbbed from the impact and the bright lights of the library blinded him. Breaths stumbled out of his lungs, climbed up his throat, and jumped from his lips. He forced his eyes closed and opened, his fingers covered part of the light.
"I'm not a turtle."
He turned his hand over, the palm and back far more human than turtle. His fingers moved when he gave the commanded, his knees bent and his head turned. Try as he might, he could not retreat into a shell.
Relief washed against his lungs and he drew a breath that made him laugh, "I'm not a turtle! Cye will be alright." His laughter tripped out as his friends helped him stand. He clapped one hand onto his watery friend's shoulder, "I'm not a turtle and that means you're gonna be just fine."
End