#The pool that Hazard wakes up in isn’t their main tank it’s just where they all go to sleep for the night

[ghostposting-hours]

Here have tf ocs as the fish :] Putting it under the cut bc I don’t normally write fics on this blog

Hazard chirped softly, small hands grabbing onto a hand much larger than his. His mother floated on her back, gently cradling the small shark and his siblings against her chest. The water around them was shallow, gentle, and warm.

His mother smiled a gentle, warm smile. Above them, stars twinkled and glittered like glowing plankton.

The peace was broken by a distant rumble. His mom’s face fell as she looked to the distance, watching as distant storm clouds rolled closer and flashed with lightning.

Suddenly, the ocean was angry. It no longer cradled them like it did before. The rain came and it stung like hell. It felt like needles against his gray skin, stinging over and over and over again. Thunder roared in his audials. He clung to his mother and siblings like a lifeline.

It’s a dream. It’s always this dream.

Despite that, his mother slipped away into the waves, disappearing like a ghost. 

Freezefire held his right hand tightly, tears silently streaming down the little orca’s face. Paradox held onto his back as tightly as she could, the flying fish trembling and hiccuping with each breath. Crux had her arms wrapped around Freezefire’s neck, the orca keeping their arm wrapped around the smaller beta fish. Savage grabbed onto his arm, the manta’s little claws digging into his skin. Havoc held his other hand, the other little shark barely holding on.

She turned to him and said something, but he couldn't hear her over the roar of the waves. 

A slow, horrifying realization dawned on him. Where were Feral, Tempest, and Typhoon?

The rest of his siblings were nowhere to be seen, lost to the waves.

You're dreaming. They’re safe. But it doesn't make you any less afraid.

The storm was pushing them closer to shore. Through the rain, Hazard could hardly make out a tiny, rocky beach. On all sides of the beach sat sharp, jagged rocks, prepared to spear any one of them on the hard edges.

He felt Havoc and Freezefire let go of his hands.

He panicked.

He tried to call for them but his voice caught in his throat. Suddenly Paradox and Savage were gone.

He began to cry.

The ocean was relentless. It was angry at him. 

No it wasn’t.

He was getting closer to the rocks.

The waves around him swelled and pushed against him, smacking him against a hard rock. Pain in his back blossomed as the rock scraped against his skin and fin, no doubt leaving scratches. The waves pulled back and pulled him with them. The waves relented and held him gently for just a moment before they came crashing back down.

Hazard closed his eyes tightly as the waves spun him in the water, constantly pushing and pulling him in all directions.

A wave slammed into him and he felt an explosion of pain in his face as he smacked face first into a rock. The edge of the rock scraped against the right side of his face, hard enough to draw blood.

You’re only dreaming but you can still feel the pain. It feels so real.

He passes out.

You’re still asleep.

He comes to on the little rocky beach, the rain still coming down and the sky still dark. You’re still dreaming.

Crux is hovering over him. Her optics are wide with fear, which softens upon seeing him awake. She says something that he can’t hear over the ringing of his audials.

He tries to sit up but the stinging in his back makes him lay back down. He tries to open his right eye but is met with blooming, burning pain. His face is wet and warm. I’m bleeding. But I’m still dreaming.

All of his siblings are around him, holding onto him. They’re sobbing and crying. Feral tucked themself into his side, the lionfish’s little spines gently brushing against his scraped up skin. Tempest was on his other side, the lancetfish’s back fin bristled up in fear. Hazard couldn’t see Typhoon from his position on the beach, but he knew that the little eel was close by. He felt the telltale little prickle of electricity that he felt whenever his little brother was close by.

They surrounded him. They all held him. They cradled him. They’re holding you right now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He awoke in the same pool he did every morning, just deep enough to cover him while he slept, with salt water that always tasted slightly off.

He was awake, in the same white concrete room he always woke up in.

The scars on his face stung momentarily, before the feeling faded away with the clarity of his dream. He could feel his heart pounding against his ribs, practically threatening to break out. Icy cold panic and fear crept through his veins. 

You’re okay. You’re safe.

The feeling of fear and panic took longer to fade as he glanced around, doing a mental headcount. Freezefire practically lay on top of him, their face barely above the surface of the water. In her arms she held a familiar ocean blue eel and purple lancetfish. 

A dark blue and pinkish red manta ray was pressed against his side, a deep blue and yellow lionfish snuggled safely in its arms.

A gray mako shark, a little red and purplish-gray betafish, and a magenta and green flying fish were tucked safely in his arms.

Everyone’s here.

We’re…we’re okay. We’re safe. We’re okay.

The last little remnants of the dream and the panic it brought faded away as he finished the headcount. 

He turned slightly, gently poking Freezefire awake to start the day.