Submission (#2327) Approved

The barren wastelands of Zevija. Dry, harsh, barren to 98% of the foliage, with its main features being sand, sand and guess what.... DIRT! Yeah you were expecting me to say more sand weren’t you? Heh, I’ve got to be unexpected half of the time! -ahem- anyways Dad always takes us to the most BORING places. For once I thought we'd get to go on an epic trip, see the most amazing mines and gems and maybe even some geysers! But nooo, of course Dad's sticking to the main town of Hadaven. Obviously, Ukiyo, my sister, is just happy we got to visit the art shop. Not going to lie, learning that they crush up certain gemstones super fine to make certain pigments for paints was kind of interesting. But seeing stones being ground up into powder is nothing like exploring and seeing the huge gemstones that could even glow or be fascinating colours that grow to like quadrouple my size! But! I have an idea, if Uki and I leave early in the morning before the sun is even up and follow this book I stole from Dad's suitcase. We should be able to visit one of the most fascinating spots in Zevija! It's a secret fishing spot, apparently belonging to one of Dad's suppliers, something to do with a special type of fish that has hardened scales able to survive the deep heat and pressures of geysers in the area. Apparently they're super reflective like mirrors! I've even managed to convince Uki to go, as it'll be the perfect prank to play on our overprotective Dad! He'll wake up tomorrow morning, knock on our door and tell us to be ready in 15 and then when it hits 30 minutes he'll freak out that he has no clue where the two of us are! I wanted to have Uki draw our faces blowing raspberries with an image of us holding fish. But she thinks it'd be too obscure and convinced me to write him a note stating exactly where we'd be as it's too mean otherwise. But still! It'll be great fun! The adventure! Maybe we'll even get to fish up a reflector fish! Me and my sis...

_

A  jet black nin, with a pure white underbelly, writes in her diary as evening sets in the city of Hadaven. Her white tufted ears twitch as she scribbles away, she blows strands of her black and gold hair out of her face, the golden filaments glint as they float on an unseen wind in the warm dim light of the lampshade in her hotel room. As she finishes writing up, she pulls out the documents she'd stolen from her Dad's suitcase, her mint green eyes greedily absorbing all the information about possible excursions she could go on with her sister.
"H-Hiro.... what time is it? I thought we were getting some shut-eye before we pull this prank tomorrow." Uki calls out, sleepily rubbing her warm amber eyes with a delicate white paw. Gently a small flicker of a flame leaps from the edges, a sign of her inner fire, and irritation at being woken up.
"I will in a minute... I just really want to make sure we don't miss any attractions on the way down!" Hiroka replies with a cheeky grin at her sister, winking one eye, emphasising the gorgeous markings of seafoam waves with beautiful red petals, encrusted in a metallic gold that glints in the dim light. Ukiyo gently stretches her white paws to the sky, letting her iridescent markings catch the light and create shimmering pastel leaves and flowers growing across her coat. Her golden mane puffs up as she hops out of bed and bounds over to her sister. Her golden glade tail gently waving on an unknown breeze, followed by the soft white tufts of her leggy fluff also flowing in the invisible wind. Uki stares at her sister's back, the unusual beautiful red blossom, gilded with gold lies on a bed of seafoam waters interwoven with her golden light reactive coat markings. She then reaches out with two arms and pounces onto her sister's back, wrapping her front paws around her and peeking over her shoulder at her plans for their adventure.
"Heh, I thought this was a simple prank Hiro, but you're really going for it! Planning it out and everything!" Uki says letting out a low whistle at some of the photos taken by the supplier. This place looks perfect to get inspiration for my next painting, she thinks to herself.
"It'd go a lot faster if you'd help Uki!" Hiroka grumbles.
"Hey, I did my bit already! I already got all our supplies all packed up in our two backpacks. Especially my drawing books, and those amazing new paints Dad bought me from that shop! The cerulean was so vivid. It's going to make some fantastic pieces."
"Yeah, yeah." Hiroka says, rolling her eyes, and pushing two scribbled on documents over to her.
"This is yours in case the supplier asks if we got permission from Dad to be there. But could you check my handwriting? I want it to be as close to Dad's as possible." Uki gingerly picks them up and eyes them carefully, comparing the original and the forgery against each other.
"Man, these look NOTHING alike." Uki says, shaking her head. "If you're going to attempt Dad's penmanship, at least let me do it! I've got an eye for art." she says with a wink, before carefully rewriting Hiroka's handwriting with her own more practiced hand on a new piece of parchment. Hiroka lets out a sigh.
"If only I was as good as you at writing forgeries like this. Then I could get out of here and go exploring and traipsing across the eyre without a care in the world." Uki rolls her eyes back at her sister.
"If you were as good at pretending to write by Dad's hand as I am? He'd honestly never let you out of his sight. You'd probably end up in some major trouble and he'd have to bail you out again."
"Hey! You're not much better! Remember when you pulled that prank on Mum for Pollock day?! You literally got paint all over the house!" Uki's eyes glaze over at the happy memory. Hiro just sighs and shakes her head at her sister.
"Anyways, I think we're all set with this. Man, I wonder if Dad's supplier will actually let us fish one of the bad boys up from the geyser waters..." she ponders to herself rubbing her chin.
"Well, only one way to find out!"

_______

- Several Hours Later -

"Are you two kittom's sure about this? Fishing for a reflector scale is not for the faint of heart. And you both are... so small." the captain of the boat says, his brow furrowed with concern.
"We'll be fine! Just teach us how to throw this weird smelling net you've given us and we've got it down pat!" Hiroka replies with a grin, her steppe tail flicking back and forth with excitement. As she and Uki sit on a comfy seat in the rear of the steamboat.
"Alright, alright. Don't say I didn't warn you. Personally I'd wait till you both were a bit more grown up, but your Dad seems to think you should be a part of the business so here let me show you how it's done in the shallower part here, before we drive this boat out into the deep depths." he explains pointing further out, to where the glowing pink crystals that line the cavern's walls and the water's edges, peter out into a dull eerie purplish, grey glow.
"Alright, well first of all this is a two 'nin job. 'Cause the both of ye' are so small. Each of you will grip the net on one of these glowing corners here. Now, because I'm an old hand at this job, I can hold both of these corners with one paw and still get the right effect. Now you grip it firmly and don't let go, because one of these nets costs triple of one of the fishes to make, and I'll be charging your Dad if you lose a net." he explains. The duo gulp nervously, turn and look at each other and nod before turning back more determined than ever. "Alright, then with your left paw you grab a chunk of the middle. Then you twist your whole body to one side like so... and then...." the elnin twists his body back the other way, throwing his paw as far forward as he can and with a flick of his wrist, lets go of the rest of the net. The duo watch jaws wide open at the sight of the remaining two corners of the net, cast out very wide, almost covering the shallows fully before landing onto the water's surface and floating down into the shallows of the water below. The captain turned back to look at the two youngsters and couldn't resist bursting out into guffaws at their response. Both Hiroka and Ukiyo's cheeks turned bright red and the duo stuck their tongues out at the old man. "Now, once the net has settled, you take your corner and you hook it onto these two carabiner looking things over here, which myself and Hara, here, will be holding open for you." he explained with a smirk still on his face from their reaction. He then turned to gesture at his second in command. A pale muscular nin with several scars on his shoulders. The scarred nin held open a large metal carabiner securely tied onto a contraption at the base of the boat. As he held it open for the captain to hook a corner of the net onto, the girls couldn't help but be impressed with his strength. "Now, once that's done I'll start up the boat, pull a couple of levers at the helm and the carabiner hooks will bring in the nets slowly as we drive and if we're lucky we'll have caught something. Maybe even a peculiarity or two."
"A peculiarity? What kind of fish is that?!" Hiroka asked eyes gleaming at the thought of finding something rare and unique. The captain shook his head at the excited kittom "They ain't often drawn up, but out in this here underground lake, sometimes the geysers bring up peculiar fish from the depths below. Fish that sometimes have those glowing purplish pink gemstones embedded in them. Legend has it that they were once nins who were cursed by the gods for stealing their treasures and so the gods, wanting to play a cruel joke on them, made them become 'treasures' themselves." the captain said gesturing with his hands to make the tale seem more mystical. The duo's eyes sparkled in the dim light and Hiroka and Ukiyo found themselves nodding with determination to try and net up one of these rare fish.

As the Captain drove the boat out into the depths of the lake Hiroka began to wonder if maybe their Dad might just be finding their note right now, and chuckled to herself at the thought of their prank.
"Hiro! Look down!!!" Ukiyo exclaimed with a tone of awe. As the pair looked down into the depths of the water, they found the dull glow from the lake earlier was actually super bright now that they were out in the middle of the lake. As they peered down and their eyes adjusted to the brighter lights below they saw a deep swirling hole leading down into the depths of an almost eerie sight. Reflective fishes of all sizes seemed to be swimming at various depths in the hole, reflecting the light from the gemstones around them in an almost crazy discolight like fashion. Pink and purple. The gemstones line the depths of the hole spiraling all the way down and twisting in an odd fashion. Hiroka and Ukiyo both almost fell over and out of the boat while trying to see to the bottom of the depths of the hole. Luckily the Captain's second in command had grabbed both of them by the scruffs of their neck before falling overboard. "You two crazy lass', better be careful. 'Ole Hara here has gotten several scars from falling overboard and being attacked by those reflecting fish. You're both lucky he's here to babysit you both." the Captains yelled back to them with a chuckle. Suddenly a large whoosh of a geyser appeared several meters away, and they watched as several of the reflective fish were pushed into the air and back into the depths of the water. Sheepishly the two girls retreated from the edge, feeling a little fearful of the power of the geyser, and took their positions with the net at the back of the boat. "ALRIGHT LASS'! It's time for you both to give it your best shot! Let loose the nets!!" the Captain exclaimed once more nodding to them both, his second mate Hara watching on closely, ready to help if need be. Hiro's brow furrowed with concentration and Ukiyo bit her lip somewhat nervously. Carefully they twisted their whole bodies just like the Captain had done earlier, and with a couple of steps and a flick of their wrists they cast the net out wide and long over the brightly coloured waters below. Excited at their work, the girls jumped up and down excitedly and hi-fived each other, before Hara cleared his throat loudly and tilted his head towards the carabiners he was holding open for them both. Quickly the girls ran over and clipped their ends of the nets into the carabiners. Hara, checked them both for security before winking at the two girls. "Cap'n! Everything's ready to go here!" he yelled loudly, before picking the two girls up, one at a time and popping them onto his massive shoulders, so they could see the net at work. From the higher vantage point they gaped with awe at the net slowly sinking down into the depths below, floating gently like a blanket over top of the reflective fish. Suddenly with a loud cha-chunk! An engine came to life, and the net started to glow blue with mana and the edges the girls had thrown into the water snapped together capturing several of the dancing fish in it's grasp. The girls couldn't help but let out Oooh's and Aaah's at the sight, as the net began to reel upwards and out of the depths, reeling back into the carabiners. The Captain started up the boat again and headed out of the brightly lit depths and back into the darker areas of the cavern where they had come from. Hara, carefully lifted each kittom down off his shoulders while the two girls chatted amicably amongst themselves, relaying the crazy fish they saw in the depths below, and wondering if they'd managed to catch any of the rare peculiarity, while also thinking internally at how close they'd come from being tossed into the air by that geyser from earlier. 
As the boat finally arrived back at the dock. The girls gulped nervously, having noticed earlier, their father blue and gold, tapping his foot, small bright emberglow motes, flying off and disappearing into the cavern's depths and giving them both a stern eyed glare. The inner fire of his gold and silver eyes flaring as a sign of anger. "I-It was just a prank Dad!!! I-I pulled Uki into doing it. You just never let us get to do anything fun!!!! Like you should've seen the fish! And that geyser was fantastic!!! Uki's going to have so much inspiration for her paintings, right Uki?" Hiro quickly babbled, before looking at her sister for backup. Uki nodded her head fervently. Ripple closed his eyes, and took a deep breath in before releasing it with a sigh. The fires in his eyes dying down as he did so. When he finally opened them again and looked at his two daughters' shining and worried eyes, he let out a slightly warped grin. "What am I going to do with the two of you? At the very least you could've let me in on your plans?" he said softly in a rich tenor voice. "H-Hey!!! You were the one who planned to go here without us!" Hiro piped up, and got another stern glare in response. Before he tousled her soft black and gold tufts of hair and straightening up as the Captain approached. "Good morning Captain Emerile. I hope my two daughters haven't given you too much trouble.""Heh, a wee bit of trouble never hurt anyone. But they did well! I was rather surprised you sent word for them to come with us on a fishing excursion just like that!" Hearing the Captains remark, he grabbed his two daughters closer and gave their shoulders a knowing squeeze at what they had done. "Well, they are very grown up for kittoms." he said with a sigh of reluctance, before shaking his head and letting the two girls go. "So, shall we go see what you've managed to fish up?" he asked them with a wink of his silver eye. Excitedly the family headed over to the shallow waters at the back of the boat, as Hara hauled up the last couple of fish from the net. Uki and Hiro couldn't help but touch the fishes they had helped capture. Six reflector fish, two of which were of the rather large variety, and four of the smaller variety. But also one fish, with a rather peculiar appendage! A strange pair of tentacles with a glowing pink and purple gem embedded into each tentacle."Is this a peculiarity?!" Hiro exclaimed, eyes gleaming with excitement at the Captain. The old elnin, gave her a wide grin and a singular nod. "Aye lass, that it is. Rare that it has twin tentacles with those stones, usually it's just a singular one." Ripple's eyes glinted with greed at hearing about it's rarity. Carefully he pulled a switchblade from his pocket and with the practiced skill, having been out on the water many times, he carefully carved the prized gems from the socket, inspecting them for any rough inclusions his honed eye could see. He let out a soft whistle, marvelling at the colour."Girls, Catch!" he said, and threw each of them one gem each. Hiro caught hers with an excited grin, while Uki almost fumbled the catch, but quickly the duo were marveling at their gifts. "Now, I want you girls to promise me, you won't go anywhere without my express permission ever again, understood?" he said seriously. Both of them stared at their father blinking wide eyed and innocent and shaking their heads seriously as if making a promise. Before Hiro quietly muttered "Just for this trip though." causing Uki to burst into giggles, before they ran back to the shoreline, holding out their prized gems and exclaiming how crazy it was that they'd managed to get a peculiarity! Ripple just sighed and shook his head once more. Kids will be kids, he thought to himself with a smile.