It's time to redefine your deophobic mind
Don't hesitate, no escape
From secrets on the inside
There's nothing left to lose
There's nothing left to prove
Surrender your love, it's all you can do…Yeah!

No one notices Cloud tugging at the rope, nor his rope coming undone. No one sees him moving closer to the water. The child smiles. But the smiles disappears when a waterlogged doll floats past, its smile sarcastic and taunting. If he can just reach it, maybe it’ll smile happy again. It shouldn’t be left behind. He reaches out for it. He’s nearly got it! He’s…
*****
The splash doesn’t cause much stir in other, Patrick casting a quick glance around. He looked back to where he was putting his paddle, before snapping his head around, and counting again. And again. There should be 7 heads, including his. So why is there only 6. The brown hair with red highlights was ne where to be seen.
Where’s Cloud?
Everyone freezes, before looking around. Glass freaks, standing up and rocking the boatbed, brown eyes scanning the water.
There! I see him!
The boy tries to telekinesis him out, but wobbles. Patrick shoves Angel at Dream, his flesh burning slightly as pale skin brushed black skin. He tugs the rope of, and before anyone can stop him, he dives into the water. It would have been an elegant dive, but for the large balloon on his stomach that caused the delicate dive to seem more like a belly flop. But none the less, he was in. The boy swam quickly, seeing Cloud struggling. The younger boy gasped, choked, and began to sink. Words were shouted to him, but Patrick ignores them, focusing solely on getting Cloud. He dives under, the breath not coming quick enough. He sees the small boy floating down, weed hands grasping at him. Patrick kicks out, swimming swiftly. He grabs the boys arm harshly. Bare feet hit the floor and he pushes of, breaking through the skin of the water with gasps. He kicks hard, Cloud dragging behind him. The boy is pale, and he’s not breathing. Fire places a delicate hand on his chest, breathing deeply. After a moment, water begins to trickle from his nose. Once all the water is gone, Emma breaths deeply, one hand on his chest, the other hold Angel close, who was beginning to cry, missing his father. Emma’s hand glows slightly as she heals the damages done by the water. After a moment, the small boy gasps, opening his eyes wide. He looks like a fish, and Patrick has a small urge to throw him back in the water, because maybe he’d be happy there. But Glass grabs the smallest boys shoulders, shaking him gently.
What the fuck were you thinking Cloud?
The boy smiled, holding up the satisfied looking doll.
No one gets left behind.
He said, and Patrick can’t help but roll his eyes.
*****
They continue to paddle, Patrick purposefully avoiding looking at the bloated bodies of animals and Fairies. Everyone is silent, even Angel doesn’t cry or gurgle. Instead, the child looks around with wide blue-grey eyes, blinking in terror at the silence. Suddenly, the sound of crying reaches Patrick’s ears, and he blinks as he realises its Emma.
I hope Elvis is alright! I just couldn’t stand it if he was hurt. I don’t know what I’d do. But I can’t reach him, not at all. It’s just…so hard!
She sobs, and Patrick blinks. Dream stops her rowing, palcing her paddle down and wrapping an arm around the younger sibling. Cloud blinks, before speaking in the way children do.
If he’s anything like you then he’ll have survived. If your familiars are like any of you, they’ll have survived.
The child said it with such conviction, that nobody dared argue with him. And so they paddled on in silence, rationing food and rest.
*****
Finally, land was spotted. The group begins to shout and cheer as they notice other fairies and familiars. The bed craft lands on shore, and Patrick cuts the rope between them all. Everyone runs onto the land, each one looking with wide eyes, trying to see or find their parents. Patricks climbs out more slowly, his body stiff from cold. He hadn’t expected a thank you. So when Cloud runs up to him, blinking with wide eyes, Patrick looks at him, confused. The Boy takes Paddy’s free hands, confusing passing over the young face as Patrick’s frozen one crumples slightly in pain. Cloud places something in the pale hand, smiling sadly.
You need it more than I do. You need each other I think, seeing as your familiar isn’t here yet.
And with that, the young boy turns, running of happily. Patrick opens his hand, blinking down at it in surprise. The little water logged doll smiles sadly up at him. Patrick shifts Angel in his arm, before hugging the small doll against his scarred heart. He looks up, seeing that it’s only him on the shore.
Thanks kid.
He speaks quietly, before gathering the clothes and food. Once these were deposited in the store room, he would find the others from Sunburst Coast.
*****
Patrick walks forward, his feet unsure. He’s close to exhaustion, and once he finds a quiet place, he’ll curl up and go to sleep. Angel’s already got the right idea, curled up, fast asleep in Patrick’s pale arms. The boy and the child sit under the large table in the hall. Even though the noises of hysteria and panic are loud and brash, neither seem fussed. The child yawns adorably, before curling up close to his fathers chest. The father curled up around the child, a jumper wrapped around himself and a blanket around the baby. And the doll? The little doll lay tucked up in the collar of Patrick’s jumper, smiling happily. Finally she wasn’t left behind.