During Rollo's city tour, Yuu paired up with her merfriends, leaving Grim with Professor Trein.
"Emme, what's something fun we can do in the city?" Cleora asks, getting excited.
"Well, we could do a little swim around the area. Riri tells me you had quite the adventure swimming through the sea," Emme responds, walking to the largest canal. "Wanna show us what all the fun was about?"
"Sure do," Riri says, ducking behind a wall and jumping into the canal.
The rest follow suit, and they swim into the sea nearby. As they move away from the city, Yuu notices reddish-orange roots in the stones of the canal.
"Those are really pretty. I wonder what it is," Yuu says, about to touch the vines.
"Don't!" Dino screams, scaring everyone. "If you touch that, it'll drain your magic!"
"Ok!" Yuu says, pulling her hand back. "I thought you said you wouldn't be here till Halloween?"
"Some of us decided to move on a day early. The rest of us will be here on Halloween," Dino explains, swimming to the red vines and touching them.
"I thought you said those things are dangerous?" Riri questions, turning to Dino.
"They are, but I eat them. We have a cat-and-mouse relationship with these vines. We're the cats if you couldn't tell," Dino says, opening her mouth and absorbing the flower. "They've been our meals for centuries when we somehow made it out of the water. We're essentially the Crimson Flowers' antithesis. They take magic, and we restore it."
"Nice to know," Emmeline notes, raising her eyebrows.
"Anyway, you girls should head back. I can hear your friends wondering where you are," Dino states, making the rest of the algae form a picture of Yuu's friends talking about fireworks from a cloth.
"I'll see you guys at NBC this evening," Yuu says, swimming into the canal to find her friends.
As Yuu swims through the canals, she spots Idia's fiery blue hair and taps his ankle.
"Oh, my-Yuu! Don't scare me like that!" Idia whispers, following Yuu into an alley. "Here, I'll help you out."
Yuu takes Idia's hand and pulls her out. He holds Yuu as she steams and dries herself. Trein comes around the corner, giving Idia and Yuu raised eyebrows.
"Although young love is beautiful, I think you two shouldn't get ahead of yourselves so early in the day," Trein says, returning to the group.
"Wait! No! You've got it all wrong! I was helping Yuu up!" Idia stammers, dropping Yuu to the ground. "It's not like that! I swear!"
"So much for friendship!" Yuu groans, rubbing her hurt butt.
Yuu gets up and goes back to the NRC group. Trein sticks by Yuu, and they return to NBC as the day turns into evening. Everyone is in the ballroom, and Neige runs up to Yuu for a hug.
"Mmm! Yuu! How have you been?" Neige greets, hugging Yuu, making Azul upset.
"It's been...interesting," Yuu answers, hugging Neige back. "Are you here for the exchange program as well?"
"Yes, Che'nya is here with me. I like your outfit. It seems very free-spirited," Neige compliments, ignoring Azul's glares. "Anyway, how's that problem going?"
"Problem? What problem? Is Yuu in trouble?" Malleus asks, joining the conversation.
Azul walks to Malleus, Yuu, and Neige, trying to get Malleus away.
"Malleus, it's a girl problem," Azul lies, hoping this excuse would work.
"Oh? Ohhhhh ok. Luckily, I brought some items to help Yuu's girl problems. Here, have it in case you need it," Malleus says, handing Yuu a tampon from his pocket.
"Um...thank you. I will use it when I can," Yuu replies, trying to hide her unease. "Damn, where is Rollo? He said he'd be here."
The lights go dark, and suddenly screams are ringing throughout the ballroom.
"Azul!" Yuu screams, trying to find him.
An orange glow emits from the floor, and Yuu realizes the danger she has gotten in.
Those look like the Crimson Flowers Dino described.
The lights turn back on, and Yuu sees the struggling bodies on the floor wrapped in the blaring vines.
"Yuu, don't move!" Azul screams, trying to run to Yuu.
"Hahahaha! You dirty fell for such an easy trap. I hope you enjoy having your magic consumed by a mere plant," Rollo says, looking down on everyone as the chaos unfolds. "It's a shame that human girl had to be in the crossfire."
Rollo walks away, and the flower's vines begin to crawl onto everyone's legs as they use magic to fight them off.
"Everyone stop using magic! You're feeding them!" Malleus yells, making the NRC group stop in their tracks.
"We can't get out. There are too many flowers," Deuce says, beating off a vine.
"We'll make a distraction for you guys. You have to stop him," Neige says, taking out his magipen, which automatically attracts flowers. "Ready, Che'nya?"
"Ready," Che'nya answers, his magipen glowing.
The two RSA students fight off the flowers the best they can until the Crimson Flowers wrap around them like mummies.
"Oh, this is going to be fun," Rollo laughs, making a flower attack Yuu.
"Yuu!" Malleus yells, shoving Yuu out of the flower's way.
Yuu falls to the floor, and everyone runs toward her.
"Hang on tight, heathens," Rollo sneers, pressing a button.
The floor opens up, and the NRC students and Trein begin to fall.
"Everyone, use wind magic!" Trein screams, pulling out a magipen.
"Yuu, hang on!" Azul screams, reaching for her hand as Malleus holds her.
"Don't worry! I've got her!" Malleus exclaims, holding Yuu tighter as they fall straight under the bridge.
Everyone crashes to the ground, making Malleus lose his grip on Yuu as Epel falls on him.
"Azul!" Yuu screams, reaching out for him as her body heads towards the canal water under the bridge.
Yuu falls into the water, and she transforms into a mermaid. She thrashes under the water and tries to stay hidden.
"Yuu! Oh my God! Yuu fell into the water!" Azul screams, rushing to the canal's edge, putting his hands in, hoping to find Yuu's body. "Yuu, come on! Now is not the time to be adventuring in the sea!"
The Crimson Flowers grow straight into the water and try to wrap themselves around Yuu's tail.
"I'll get her!" Malleus screams, jumping into the canal.
"These amateurs," Idia groans, looking away from secondhand embarrassment.
Shit! Malleus!
Yuu begins to speed swim away and all he sees is a trail of bubbles and an orange tail. The flowers travel after Yuu making the canal river seem like it's on fire.
"The fuck?!" Malleus exclaims, popping his head up at the surface.
I've gotta find the girls!
YOU ARE READING
A Twisted H2O
FanfictionYuu sneaks out into the woods and finds herself in an underground cave. Unfortunately, the consequences of sneaking out had more fishy effects. Also known as Part of That World on Ao3 on the account Notthisg1rlagain.
