SHARDS of GEMSTONES

YOUR SMILE

The two cycles since Shellbelly's medical achievement were silent for those in other shoals. The Ghost shoal acknowledged her work with praises to the merfolk race, the shoal of Sand and Grass welcomed her to their supplies at any time. Yet, the Coral shoal had not moved an inch in advancing their nursing. The ghost swimmers placed down more studies for their nurses, while the Salt shoal awarded Shellbelly with the honors of naming the illness she cured. But, she simply called it, "Trauma". Trauma had not been something diagnose-able, so they looked on as if her words were mistaken.

But they too knew that the behaviors of their former nurse, Yarrowtail, proved her ideas. Shellbelly claimed that this... trauma.. took on many forms, even to the point of death. This trauma can be physically inflicted, or mentally. In the case of the now cured Driftwave, it was physical. And the added fact that his gemstone finally awakened his royal blood from the Whali folk, the shoals watched on as a new discovery had been named. In all of history, no non-royal has been able to wake up a gemstone within a royal blood, and Shellbelly had become a name uttered in the dens of the shoals.

There is no question as to why the folk of the shoals began huddling with their kingpins about the nurses. Without them, the shoals are dead. But while most of them worked hard, the Coral shoal stepped back into the darkness. The past few years meant powerful medical research, and yet Starface couldn't pull himself out of bed.

The buck laid on his den floor, looking at the sea fan ceiling with a deadpan expression. His lips wet themselves with the salts of the sea, all while he rested his slim back. The skies had just erupted into middlebell, and he was on his first break since the nurse rush. The nurse rush, he thought, the first one he had seen in a long time. Especially when it was just him doing it. Originally, the Coral shoal was just having every fish study medicine as a part of their training. It was one of the things that made their shoal different, unique, and self-sufficient. They seemed to bloom, and raise from the dead no matter what. When Icefin had displaced his arm, he made the others turn their heads while he popped the bone back in place.

It was what their culture was, to be self-serving and secluded unless dangers falls upon them or unless the ocean boils over. While good in the hearts of the folk, execution of such ideals turned out to be with fear and manipulation. Fah'baw led the Coral folk as if he was the judge, jury, and prosecution. Yemo'eia sits at his hip for approval, while the shoal struggles to find their purpose. Starface felt his mind slip, as he was beginning to fall asleep, but a slight nudge on the door to his den caused the sound of creaking to wake him. His eyes shot open, and the seahorse curled his body to its natural form.

"Baytooth?" He said, attempting to figure out the blackened shadow across from him. The light that poured in from outside blinded him each time to glanced over to get a better look.

The figure stepped from the light, and shut the door behind them. The crystals that were flattened allowed the refraction of light to bounce off the walls of coral, rocks, and fabric. When the buck was going to speak again, the figure finally barked out. "You've been busying yourself by sitting alone, in the darkness of your den."

The light touched their delicate skin, and revealed the gray and white patterns dancing on the maid's skin. She then smiled at him, and held herself high on her palms. It was Easteye, the reef shark with a thousand speckles of dark freckles across her brown skin. Her golden hair, only darkened at the roots, was tied back and braided into multiple different styles. It looked recently washed, and it had a certain texture to it that was thick and coarse, but Starface loved it.

The buck drew a smile, and then lifted himself up. He awkwardly brushed off his bright white uniform and looked her in the eye, orange like the sun's flares. "I am sorry you had to see me this way..."