Umi no Uta

~*~Prologue~*~

Dark eyes watched the younglings play chase to each other, the one ‘it’ giggling as he tried to tackle his friends. Succeeding in finally getting one, the youngling smirked and swam away, leaving the other to be ‘it.’ The adults surrounding the play area were socializing while waiting for their offspring to finish playing. There was no set time for the younglings to finish playing, whenever they were tired and saw their parent, they left. One such adult was quietly talking to another male, both exchanging words of old friends. Two of the younglings paused in their play, noticing the lone pair of males.
Their eyes glinted mischievously, noticing that the adults were not paying attention. Silently the pair swam around, giving each other a count before launching full speed for the two.
One of the adults noticed movement to the side and smiled, turning to open his arms wide for the youngling.
“Daddy!!!!!!!!!!!!” The little one swam at top speed into the open arms of his beloved father, squeezing in delight and squealing his happiness to the entire ocean.
The elder just smiled softly, gazing down at his son lovingly. “Hello, love. Did you have fun?”
“I did! I did! Did you see us? Did you watch? Didyadidyadidya????” The little one asked, stopping to pause for breath.
The elder smiled. “I did, love. Very beautiful.” The elder turned to his companion, who had been tackled by his own child. “Good talking to you again. See you tomorrow?” The other just nodded, trying to pry his own child off of him and get calm him down. The elder chuckled softly, causing his own youngling to smile. “Well, young one, are you ready to go home?”
The little one grinned. “Yah! Let’s go, daddy!” The little one let go of his father, waving bye to his friend (who paused in his playing to wave before torturing his father again) and began to swim at a more leisurely pace, chatting randomly with his beloved father about his day. His father just smiled and nodded, occasionally laughing (rather quietly giggling) at antics that his little son had done. The little one was so wrapped up in his chattering that he failed to notice his dark father was no longer swimming with him.
“Nanashi,” The elder called quietly, bringing the chattering little one out of his story. “I’m sorry for interrupting, but we’re home.”
Nanashi grinned sheepishly. He had passed by the entrance to home once more, always forgetting to slow down and enter the cave…he loved swimming and talking to his quiet father. “Sorry, daddy!” He said, swimming inside and circling around. “Do we have dinner tonight, daddy?”
“Of course, love. Don’t we always?” He chuckled at Nanashi sticking his tongue out at him. “We’re having oysters tonight.”
Nanashi grinned happily. This meant something good either happened today, or was going to happen. Oysters were a treat they rarely indulged in as a family. Speaking of which… “Are we alone for the evening?”
“For dinner, yes. Don’t worry, we won’t be tomorrow. And tomorrow we’ll have an even better dinner…something better than oysters…” His father replied softly. “Love, eat up, it’s been a long day. Plus…you wanted to hear a good sleep-story tonight, right?” He laughed as Nanashi began to eat at a rapid speed; devouring all the oysters he had been given faster than normal. “Don’t choke, love!” He scolded gently, smiling as his son slowed down visibly.
Without fail, the little one had finished supper, swimming slowly to his bed of seaweed and fluffy-stuff. He knew not what the fluffy stuff was, but it was comfortable. He untied his orange and black sash, tying it around a rock nearby. His father untied his own orange-silver sash, making himself comfortable next to his son. “Story?” Nanashi grinned. His father rarely told him a story, but they were always good.
As he figured, his father smiled. “This is a story from a time long ago…” He began, looking Nanashi in his deep blue eyes. Nanashi watched in fascination, scooting to sit on his father’s lap, snuggling into the warm, firm chest. “A time of tribes and clans…a time of war and distrust…and a time of love…”