Mission Test

Three is the Magic Number

Kwazii stared wistfully out of his window. The ocean enveloped the Octopod, alive and wild. It was unpredictable, full of one adventure after another, but it was different from adventures on land. Not because it was underwater...

...but because the ocean didn't have a clue how to be mean.

Life could be mean. Life could throw stones when you least expected it, and hit you in the face. The worst pain, though, came after the stone sank in.

The ocean threw stones too, but Kwazii could handle those stones. The ocean was a force of life. Tsunamis, whirlpools, dangerous creatures...that was just the ocean doing its job. Kwazii could roll with those punches, or in this case, he could roll with those waves, taking comfort in the fact that these stones were not sent to hurt him, but they were sent naturally, and he took them as a challenge. Even though he knew these challenges would not help him on land.

That was why he loved the sea so much. It was a better life than he would ever get on land.

He watched the fish swim around, head full of thoughts. Fish were funny in a certain way. They swam in groups, either family or friends, or simply the same species. Even sharks swam together. It was always because of one thing: they needed each other. The sharks needed companionship and food. The crab needed the urchin, the urchin needed the crab. Heck, even Moray eels didn't live their whole lives alone. They mated, and protected their families, and they were the worst creatures Kwazii had met.

He related to the fish. He had once felt that need. That need to be with someone, to rely on someone, wishing they knew they could rely on you.

And now, he was so far away from them.

He turned around towards the glare that awaited him on his pillow. A picture. He'd have to put that away.  He was dreading it. Both because he didn't want to put it away, and because he didn't want to look at it anymore.

It would have been his parents forty-fifth anniversary--had they been alive to see it.

But that wasn't why Kwazii was so sad.

He was sad, because he knew his School was out there somewhere, feeling sad without him, and worrying about him. He needed to go back.

And these days, he wanted to go back. And never leave them again.

"Kwazii? Are you okay?" Kwazii jumped, and whirled around. "Haven't you ever heard of knocking?" He demanded. Barnacles put up his paws in a gesture of surrender. "Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you." His brows furrowed. "I did call you on the radio. I've been trying to get your attention for five minutes now."

"Sorry." Kwazii grumbled, slumping against his desk, and staring out the window. Barnacles frown deepened.

"Kwazii, are you sure you're alright?" He'd never seen  Kwazii looking so...down.

"'m fine." He mumbled. Barnacles decided to leave him be. Whatever was bothering him was clearly not something he wanted to talk about.

The captain ventured absentmindedly back into the library. The other Octonauts were already there, chatting away.

"Well?" Dashi asked, glancing up at him. Barnacles slumped on the couch. "I don't think he's in the mood for icebreakers, Dashi."

"What makes you say that?" Barnacles pondered his next words carefully. "...I think he has other things on his mind."

"Is he gonna be in shape for our mission this afternoon?" Tweak asked, munching on her ever-present carrot. The Octopod was on the move, heading for a certain famous waterway in Africa. They were pretty certain the untamed wilds of the mission's location would be rather....appealing to Kwazii.

"I hope so." Barnacles replied, pinching the bridge of his nose. The others knew him well enough by now to know that was his way of expressing worry mounting into frustration. He was prone to that sort of build-up.

Kwazii stayed at the window for a while longer, watching the ocean move. He'd grown up around wilds, forests, waterways, oceans. It was all in the family. He was most comfortable when he was in the world somewhere. Not on the world, but IN it. In the ocean, in the forest, in the jungle...he'd seen so many places on land. That was why he was so fascinated with the sea.

And the world wasn't so bad if you could just get out IN it.

He glanced back at the picture on his pillow. It hurt to do so, but he couldn't stop thinking about it.

His parents, Gabriele and Cecelia were standing in front of there newly-opened Environment-Conservation center. They smiled proudly, one paw on each of their children's' shoulders. Kwazii's sister stood behind him, one paw on his shoulder. His brother stood next to her, grinning exaggeratedly. Kwazii stood in the middle, holding tightly to his childhood toy, a teddy bear his sister gave to him, dressed up by his grandparents to look like a pirate. He was no more than six or seven years old.

Kwazii rooted around in his closet for a while, before pulling him out. Pete, named after his grandfather's loyal parrot, seemed happy to see him, in a strange sort of way. He was worn from many hugs, and his pirate's hat was lopsided. Kwazii straightened it out, and adjusted Pete's eye patch. He then flopped on the bed, holding Pete close, just needing comfort.

He faced away from the picture.

Why did it scare him so much?

His thoughts were mercifully, and somewhat rudely, interrupted by the captain's voice over the radio. "Octonauts, we have arrived at out destination...

"...The Congo River."

Kwazii's eyes widened.