Ocean Blue

Chapter 34

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"Don't be scared, hit me with all you've got."

Yoongi was currently standing in front of a scared looking Taehyung, who was gripping a toy wooden sword tightly in his hand.

"What if I hurt you?" Taehyung cried, his hands trembling, body rigid as he shook.

Because of how paranoid Yoongi had become, he wanted everyone to be ready for any situation. Including Jimin and Taehyung.

"You won't hurt me," Yoongi promised, the hand holding the wooden sword coming up and ready to defend. "Show me the moves I taught you."

At the side, Jimin stood there, cheering his brother on. "Come on Tae! I give you permission to hit him!"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Taehyung muttered under his breath.

"I believe in you!" Jungkook yells, from where his is beside Jimin. "I'll give you a hundred kisses if you do it!" Taehyung grinned and turned around to face him. "Really?"

He felt a sharp poke to his ribs and he spasmed.

"Pay attention," Yoongi growled. "We haven't got all day." Taehyung huffed impatiently and rolled his shoulders.

He lunged, making three short stabs towards Yoongi's abdomen, which Yoongi quickly evaded.

"Good," He praised, going into position again. "Keep going." Taehyung obliged, stepping forward, swinging his sword in a large arc, his hand coming up to grab Yoongis wrist. He kicked Yoongis knees, making the other crumble and let go of the sword. Pointing his sword too at Yoongis throat, Taehyung grinned triumphantly.

"I did it!" Jimin and Jungkook clapped, and Yoongi slowly got up to his feet.

"Good job. Now you'll be able to somewhat defend yourself, but not too much because you still suck." Taehyung pouted, fake crying into his hands.

"Ah, you're so mean!" Yoongi laughed, and beckoned towards Jimin, as it was his turn. "I'm being realistic. But, you can fight dirty, there's no rules. Do whatever you can to win."

When Jimin is done with his round, the two sit slumped on the ground, exhausted from the grueling practice Yoongi set them through.

"If I go easy on you how are you going to learn?" Yoongi had said, tutting when Taehyung and Jimin both whined.

"My butt hurts!" Taehyung complained, wincing when he shifted from his place on the floor. I didnt even know my butt could hurt like that." Jimin groaned as well, cracking his neck and wincing.

"I know," he moaned, laying completely lax. "Human bodies are weird."

"You're only sore because you've been lazy asses up until now." The two mermens peer up to see Echo, who was grinning down at them, Cheshire Cat style.

"So does that mean that'll it'll get better?"

"Yup." The two exhaled. "Thank god." Echo giggled, but then stopped, her face going still as she looked at something behind them.

"Echo?" Jimin asked, noticing the change in her behavior. Getting up, Jimin turned to see what she was looking at, and came face to face with his father, a whirlpool of water lifting him up so he was on level with the ship.

"Dad?" Jimin breathed. At the mention of their father, Taehyung shoots up, and upon seeing the king he also laps into a stunned kind of silence.

Their father smiled at them kind of painfully. "Long time no see, eh?"

"Why are you here?" Taehyung asked, no longer looking surprised. "Did something happen?"

"Chinhwa happened." Their father said bluntly. "He had been acting strange for a while now, and last night when the guards went to check up on him, he was gone."

"Gone?!" Taehyung and Jimin exclaimed, their mouths falling open. "But, what's he going to do?" Their father sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose tiredly.

"I've already sent out groups of guards to scout the area, but there have been no signs of him." Their father smiled at them weakly, wrinkles showing on his face. "We'll keep looking of course, but I just wanted to warn you to keep on the lookout. After what happened, he might come back for you." The two brothers shivered at the ominous words, and nodded.

Looking relieved, their father bid them farewell and sank below the waves, his shadow disappearing into the depths below.

They turned to see Echo still staring at the same spot where the king vanished. "Another fishtail," she murmured, and Jimin laughed.

"That's my father." Echo turned around and walked towards the brig. "Levitate...water...beard," she murmured, seemingly dumbed by the appearance.

Yoongi, who had come back after cleaning himself up, looked at Echo curiously as they walked past each other.

"So, what happened with her?" Yoongi asked, watching Echo until she disappeared downstairs.

"Our dad just visited us, and I guess she never saw another merman other than us, and even then, we had legs." Taehyung commented. "So she went into a bit of a shock."

"Well, what did your father say?" Yoongi asked, after the three of them laughed over Echos reaction. At this, Jimin and Taehyung stilled. Clearing his throat, Jimin shifted slightly, clearly nervous.

"He told us that Chinhwa got out," Jimin said, sighing and looking at Yoongi for a reaction. Yoongi was silent for a few moments, just staring at Jimin as if in deep thought.

"Yoongi?"

Yoongi blinked. "Huh? What did you say?" Jimin sighed.

He really didn't want to tell him.

~~~

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