Swimming around again~

Red never usually went swimming, she didn't have a very big lung capacity. Until now.
Something had happened, she could breathe easier and stay underwater for much longer. And it was nagging at the back of her mind, asking how it happened, was it the magic, and would it even last?

She surfaced, and thought for a moment.
Was she even enjoying this?

*runs on the beach and stops at the water edge* "hey red, can you come ashore for a minute i need to talk to you!"

Red nodded, and swam as quickly as she could to the shoreline.
She stood herself up in the water and brushed a wet lob of hair out of her face. "Yes?" she asked, momentarily blinking to get the stinging salty water out of her eyes.

"Red don't get mad at me but i'm leaving."

"Huh? Wh-... Why?" she asked, feeling a pang of immense sadness. "I've already lost you once, do you really need to do this to me... To everyone, all over again?" she tried to avoid sounding hurt, but she wasn't very good with hiding her own emotions.

*walks over and hugs her8 "i'm doing tis to prtect people i love not to hurt them red."

"Wanna go to the beach!" Sydney insisted, tugging at Arden's hand. Arden's heart lept into her throat, but she nodded.

"We're not going into the water, though." Arden refused to let another little girl-that was her responsibility- into the powerful ocean. "We have to stay on the sand."

"Builda sand cawstel?" Sydney's eyes sparked. Arden smiled and nodded. Sydney giggled and ran a few feet ahead of Arden, yelping in surprise as the hot sand scalded her bare baby feet. "Hawt!" she complained, running back to the older girl. Arden chuckled, picked Sydney up with her free arm, and carried her over to a spot far, far away from the water. She laid down a blanket, and Sydney sat down. But mere seconds later, the toddler looked up and pointed. "Ciera!" she called out, grinning. She got up and dashed over to Ciera and Red, who were standing right by the water.

"Sydney, NO!" Arden's heart raced. She sped after the little girl, only catching up to her when Sydney arrived by Red and Ciera's sides. "Don't you ever do that again!" Arden scolded, and then turned to Red and Ciera. "Hi, guys. What's up?"

*looks at them* "hi sydney, hi arden."

"What's up?" Arden asked, picking Sydney up in her arms.

"just saying my goodbyes to red."

"I-... I can't beleive your doing this to everyone again..." Red murmured, feeling tears well up uncomfortably in her eyes. She pretended it was the salty water, and rubbed them away.
"I don't know if I can talk any more. Sorry, I just need to be alone for a few minutes" Red's last words were muffled by a sob.
She ran back into the water, sumberged herself hastily and darted further into the deeper water, and found a rock to perch herself on on the other side of the beach completely. It had taken her a few minutes to get there, but she was now glad for her new gift to hold her breath that long.

She then broke into sobs, and held her knees to her chest, held her arms around her legs and buried her head in her knees.

Sydney whimpered as Red dashed away, and she looked back up at Arden. But Arden was too busy staring at Ciera to notice. "You're...you're leaving? AGAIN?"

*get's angry* "look it's not like i wanna, but unlike you, i have a husband and child that will be killed if i don't!" *storms off*

Red faintly heard Ciera yell, and her instincts told her to go back and face the facts, but she couldn't manage. It was all too much. And besides, the tears wouldn't stop running down her face, Ciera's words thrashing around in her mind.

She really needed to talk this out with someone...

*turns around abruptly and runs in the water, clothes turn into swim suite and she swims around close to where red is* "it's her." *tears stream down face*

Red still stayed with her head buried in her knees, her eyes closed and face hidden by her hair and knees.
She couldn't possibly stand it if Ciera left again, she already had things to worry about.

*ciera notices red on the rock* "red stop acting like this only should end like you want it, if i don't leave my father will kill me, jay, and jenna, so don't you think it's better if i leave than three people dieing cause you want me to stay, i don't care if this starts an angry mob i'm leaving red that's that."

"As you wish. I'm sorry, but I'm going to find another way." Red replied, her eyes narrowed in a hostile determination. She agiley dived back in the water and swam away, except in a zig-zag pattern to prevent anybody following her. Still underwater... she thought to herself with a smile, happy she had her new ability.

*yells with all her might* "don't do anytrhing reckless, you're my best friend i don't want you to get hurt."

Under the water, Red pretended she couldn't hear Ciera. If she needed to, she would break every bone in her body willingly just to have everything back the way it was. She surfaced alot further away, hoping her head wasn't visible as she bobbed up to finally breathe.

"i can't believe the trouble i caused."

Sydney started to cry. Arden shushed her, bouncing the little girl on her hip. "Well, guess it's just you and me, honey," she murmured into Sydney's blonde hair.

She didn't know how to feel. But Ciera's comment stung. "Unlike you, I have a husband and a child to worry about."

Well, I've got the kid part down. And that unconditional love is the only kind I'm getting right now, she thought sadly. Sydney gulped down air, and then resumed her frantic sobbing.

Arden looked over at Ciera, said to herself, "What a great friend," and then walked off of the beach.

(do you mind being a little nicer she's stressed out.)

(well, that's just how she'd react to the comment Ciera made. It's a sore spot for Arden. Sorry)

(that's fine, she'll apologize if i decide not to kill her, if not can you make arden forgive her?)