Haiti was beautiful during the night, unlike Wakanda there was peace and quiet in the cool fresh air of the beach. Shuri found it ironic that she found solace at the beach after everything that happened. She stood at the ocean's edge letting the cool waves hit against her ankles as she looked up at the moon resting in the dark sky. The moonlight cascaded down to illuminate the ocean waves that pushed towards the shore.
Shuri let one tear shed for her baba, then one more for her brother, then a quiet sob for her latest lost her mother. She imagined her mother’s face, down in the water that flooded the throne room. Although she had already taken the time to burn her funeral clothing and grieve, she still found herself stuck in a world wind of sorrow. Even though she had Nakia and Toussaint to love and cherish she couldn’t wipe the sadness that came whenever she thought of what used to be.
Today it had been when Toussaint was playing with his friends in the front yard, Nakia had been talking with Shuri about returning to Wakanda. Shuri knew her responsibilities as the Black panther were sneaking up on her, to take away the peace she found in Haiti. Shuri didn’t see how it happened but two of Toussaint’s friends began to fight, before the adults could intervene Toussaint much like his father got in between the two and successfully reasoned with both parties. It made Shuri’s heart swell; she knew that when the throne is rightfully given to Toussaint he would lead as well as T’challa did. However, it made her question her own diplomatic and leadership skills. Shuri had thought back to the way things were handled with Namor.
“Things could have been different” Namor had said as a spear laid in her side.
Things could have definitely been a lot different; she had wondered what would’ve happened if it were her brother to take on Namor.
Shuri looked down at her feet that were beginning to sink further in the sand, her ankles almost covered in it. Her skin felt hot from all the sobbing and the ocean called to her like an old friend. She figured a late night swim wouldn’t hurt, like how she used to do when the world wasn’t filled with gods, aliens, and death. A swim would help her get her mind off of what could have been and what used to be.
Shuri dove into the water, swimming deep enough until she could let her body float freely. She let waves move her about and surround her, she imagined it was her deceased family. It was Baba, T’challa and mama who encased her in a hug not the ocean. Shuri knew better than to let the constructs of her mind play out such a deceitful scenario but for now she found comfort in it.
A small silver fish with vibrant blue stripes circled around her body. Shuri smiled thinking of the way she and T’challa used to play as children. Shuri tried to catch the little fish in her hands but it darted left, right, up and down to dodge her attempts. The fish circled her once, twice, and then darted down to the coral reef below. Shuri chased the fish down to the reef and was awed by the bright colors of the ocean’s fauna. The little fish swam into a small crevice between two rocks, slightly peeking its head out. When she looked down to see its hiding spot Shuri noticed a well placed conch shell on the seafloor. She swam down to examine it; it had seemed familiar somehow. As she held it in her hands, she noticed that there was a beaded string that ran through it. It almost resembled a crafted necklace that would be sold to tourist at the marketplace in Haiti. She thought back to the shell Namor had given Shuri and her mother the first time they had met him. She flipped it over in her hands to view the inside, and there she saw shimmering green lines imbedded in the shell. She clutched the shell tighter and looked around but saw nothing but the vastness of the ocean.
Her train of thought was interrupted by the silver fish swimming around her once more before disappearing into the void of the ocean. Only then had it dawned upon Shuri that she had been in the ocean for far too long than what was normal. Shuri swam back up to the shore and walked to Nakia and Toussaint’s abode all the while clutching the conch shell.
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Namor’s POV
Oh, how tiring it was to keep up these pretenses.
Upon their extraordinary alliance agreement, to keep in good favor with the Wakandans Kukulkan agreed on attending tribal meetings. Yet he could hardly stand them. They were nothing but shouting matches and bickering from the old council members and most of the shouting involved whether or not to allow Namor to have a shared presence and opinion when it comes to Wakanda’s future.
Kukulkan would sit quietly as the elders foamed at the mouth, temporary king M’baku trying his hardest to defuse the shouting and Namora vibrating at his side with anger as the elders slandered his name. Kukulkan could care less, he has lived on this earth far too long and has heard more than enough trivial treacherous slander against his name. The only person that seemed to keep their head as well as he was Attuma, but of course Attuma was always staring at a particular midnight angel that had bested him in battle.
It had been their fifth meeting and Kukulkan still had said nothing more than “Where is the Black Panther ?” M’baku would always reply with “She is in a disclosed location to mourn”. Kukulkan, Namora and Attuma would take their leave after that. Kukulkan would inwardly admit that those words would strike a pang of guilt and a twitch of remorse within him. Nevertheless, the Black panther was his equal and talking to the elders and a placeholder king was beneath him.
As they swam back to Talokan, Kukulkan thought of the mural he had painted above his bed. Then to the loneliness of his room. Finally, to all the responsibilities that awaited him in Talokan, making his heartbeat faster and his mind spin. He stopped mid swim. Attuma and Namora stopping by his side weapons at the ready.
“Is everything alright Kukulkan, is there danger ?” , Namora said looking at him with concern.
Kukulkan held out a hand to them, “Calm, everything is okay” he said reassuringly.
“Return to Talokan, I will be there shortly myself, but I’d like to take a swim first”
“Are you sure Kukulkan”, Attuma said and looked at him with confusion. It was unlike their God to venture out by himself having spent hours away from Talokan already.
Kukulkan gave them a reassuring nod and smile. Namora and Attuma gestured their hands in the Talokan symbol and began their swim home. Kukulkan returned the gesture and swam in the opposite direction.
Kukulkan didn’t have a particular destination in mind as he swam. His foot had yet to heal and there was a sad small nub where his wing used to be. He couldn’t nearly swim as fast as he used too of fly as long and as high as before. Kukulkan’s mind drifted to his wing clutched in the blank panther’s claws, it made his stomach churn and he shuddered at the thought. His mind began to fill with disturbing flashbacks. First it was of his mother’s warm smile then his mind jumped to claws scratching at his back and face. He remembered how Shuri had listened to his story and the story of his people only to be reminded of how her people killed the young servant who asked him to save her. His mind played out how Shuri had asked to stay in place of the scientist only to remember the dehydration aircraft sucking the oxygen from him. He thought fondly of Shuri’s smile when she saw the vibranium sun he gifted his people then his mind thought cruelly of the previous queen, Shuri’s mother faced down in the water.
Kukulkan had to admit she was a courageous queen for sacrificing herself to save someone that wasn’t a part of her kingdom.
“Things could have been different” is what he had said.
Thing could have definitely been different; if maybe he had let the scientist go and accepted Shuri’s offer to stay.
He decided that it was frivolous to think things could have been different, things were the way they were and there was no changing what was done. There was no way to turn back time and regain the lives that were lost.
Kukulkan lost all track of time and more importantly where he had been traveling. He looked around and saw nothing but the dark blue waters of the ocean. However, the water was warmer he figured of course he was somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean, but where exactly he had no clue. Looking above he could tell it was nightfall without popping his head out the water. He needed to return to Talokan before panic ensued and the Talokanils sent a search party to retrieve him. Just as he was about to call a whale, a small silver fish with blue stripes swam around his head.
Ah he knew this little fish. It was a fish he named Awilix, after the goddess of the moon and night. It was a nocturnal fish that could be found near the Caribbean, he took a sigh of relief. He wasn’t too far from home and could swim back without the assistance of a whale.
“Hello Awilix, what trouble are you into”, Kukulkan tried to grasp the fish gently in his hand, but Awilix was being particularly playful tonight. Awilix dipped and dodged Kukulkan’s attempts at catching him. Awilix was the only fish he was too slow to catch and thus had grown fond of him. The tricky fish slipped in between Kukulkan’s legs and sped away. Determination setting in Kukulkan swam after the small little fish like a hungry shark. Awilix swirled through the water in an almost zig zag pattern, Kukulkan desperately trying to keep up and catch him when he makes sharp turns. Kukulkan came close and could almost touch Awilix’ s tail fin when he saw a figure floating in the water.
Kukulkan first thought it was a colonizer that maybe swam to far from shore and was lost to the sea forever. Looking closer he noticed the skinny yet toned frame, brown skin, curly hair and soft yet sharp features that could only belong to the person that made him yield. Thankfully Shuri couldn’t see him as she floated at a distance above him. Kukulkan couldn’t help but stare at her, she looked peaceful and content but also streaks of sadness and pain were imminent on her face. He wasn’t regretful for wanting to rage war on the surface world but seeing her like this made him question his quest to see the world burn.
Kukulkan’s thoughts were interrupted by Awilix speeding towards Shuri and circling her figure, baiting her to chase him as he’d just done with Kukulkan. Kukulkan’s heart began to beat loud in his ears as Shuri smiled and tried to catch Awilix in her hands. He felt a small surge of jealousy. Was he jealous of Shuri getting to play with Awilix or was it Awilix being able to get close enough to Shuri to see her bright smile. Kukulkan pushed the thought into the back of his mind. It dawned on him that this was the first time he had seen her since their alliance, and he thought of all the things he wanted to tell her. He wanted to discuss the boorish tribal meetings, the threat of the other nations, but most importantly he wanted to share Talokan and Talokanils achievements that were made in her absence. Why he wanted to tell her that last part he wasn’t quite sure. Kukulkan reached for the small conch shell attached at his hip by a beaded string. He swam down to the coral reef that was nearby and placed it on the seafloor, swimming away and hiding behind a rock.
Please look down, please look down, he thought to himself.
As if hearing Kukulkan’s plea for help Awilix dives down to the coral reef where Kukulkan placed the shell, Shuri in hot pursuit. He watched as she picked up the shell and examined it as any scientist would. He dipped further behind the rock when she began to search to ocean, was she searching for him he wondered. Kukulkan watched her departure from the sea, shell clutched tightly in her grip. Kukulkan began to wonder why she decided to grieve here in the Caribbean rather than Wakanda, he wondered how long she had been in the water holding her breath, he wondered if she’d visit the ocean often and …maybe if she ever searched for him ? Did she think about him or Talokan ?
His thought was interrupted by Awilix swimming around his figure.
“Awilix did you know she was here the whole time ?”, as if on cue Awilix darted into a small rock crevice leaving Kukulkan to swim back home with his many thoughts and questions that would go unanswered.