Into the Depths

You know when you go on a cruise you'd expect to have a fun time right.

Well not if you're Umi no Kokoro, it was all fun and games until her now ex-boyfriend shoved her overboard. Just because he was seduced by one of the other passengers. He decided to get her out of the picture so that they could be together.

Now you'd probably expect her to be pissed about this betrayal. But nope, she took it as that she was such a bad girlfriend and that he deserved better. Subsequently, over the 5 years that they dated, he had made her self-esteem so degraded. That there was almost none left.

Now as she sinks down into the cold ocean water, she starts to close her eyes. Excepting her fate, when a blue and white form comes speeding towards her.

It speeds up to her and stops, she squints her eyes trying to make out what it is. It's huge and it looks like a big, furry, blue deer-like creature with a wolf mixed in, with a white mane, stomach, and paws.

It looks at her intently with its amethyst eyes and then motions for her to get on its back. She swims closer and surprisingly isn't scared of it. Getting on its back she holds onto its mane as it swims away.

As it goes the seafloor starts to rise as they start to approach land. When they got to an area where they're still completely submerged, but close to shore. She let's go and lets the current guide her to shore.

She takes one more look at her savior and pulls out her Beastdex to scan it before it turns and swims away.

After putting it quickly back into her pocket, she glides through the water and the waves roll her onto the shore.

After that, she lost consciousness.

Some fishermen from the small town find her and bring her to the only healer in the town.

After changing her and covering her will warm blankets, they left her to recover.

~One week later~

Umi finally woke up feeling her throat being very dry. The healer's apprentice noticed that she had awoken and went to get his master.

An old lady in traditional Asian shaman clothes comes in and checks Umi's pulse. After seeing that she was much better, she asks her apprentice to bring her a glass of water.

The Shaman helps Umi sit up in the bed, with minor pain. The apprentice brings the water and the Shaman helps Umi drink it.

After finishing the water, the Shaman asks Umi how she ended up in the sea.

"My ex-boyfriend pushed me overboard on our anniversary cruise," she explains, frowning. "Then a big blue and white creature saved me and brought me to shore, and that's all I remember."

"Really?! What did that creature look like," the apprentice asked excitedly, receiving a whack to the head. "Hey, what was that for Grandma?"

"She just woke up and the first thing you ask is if she could give you a better description of the creature she saw," the old lady yells. "You could have just asked her her name couldn't you?"

"Uhm, my name Is Gin, Umi no Kokoro, and do you know what it was that saved me?" Umi asks, in barely a whisper. Thankfully the old lady caught it.

"Possibly, it depends on your description," the Shaman replies.

"Well, it was large, with big antlers, it's fur was all blue except its mane, chest, and paws," Umi states, thinking about it. "It was a mix of a deer and a wolf. And it had beautiful amethyst eyes."

The Shaman nods as she describes it.

"That is our Sea Spirit, it saves people who go overboard and helps our fisherman catch good amounts of fish," the Shaman explains. "Not many have seen it, but all who have describe it as you do. It must have saved you and thought we could help."

"Well you did, and I am very grateful for that," Umi smile meekly. "I'm just sorry you had to waste your supplies on a useless person like me."

"Wow, your self-esteem really sucks huh," the apprentice sighs. Mrs. Shaman smacks him upside the head again. "Ow!"

"You really need to know when to shut up," she sighs. "Sometimes I question if you really my grandson or not."

"Ouch, that hurts Grandma," the apprentice whines.

"Enough of that, she still has no idea who we are," Mrs. Shaman grumbles. "My apologies, my name is Seinaru Hīrā, I am the healer of this small village. This is my grandson, Seinaru Ishi, he is training to be my successor and a doctor for the village."

"It's nice to meet you both, and you know you kind of remind me of my late grandma," Umi smiles, tears forming in her eyes.

Her last living grandmother died right before she left for the cruise. It happened so sudden she almost couldn't attend her funeral. Her grandmother was one of the only people in her family who actually cared about her. Her parents pretty much abandoned her in middle school and just walked out. Her other grandma died way before she was born so she didn't have any connection to her besides an old necklace and blood. Both grandfathers are workaholics so they don't have much time for her.

[I bet they don't even know or care that I've gone missing. Besides even if the news was sent my uncles would probably keep it from them.]

~Back in Tokyo, Japan in a skyscraper of Gin International Corp.~

A fit, elderly, man rushes to an elevator from the lobby. The receptionist didn't even have time to greet him.

He was followed by two burly personal guards and the man's male secretary. They enter the elevator and he smashes the button to the top floor, the president's office.

A few moments later the door rings and open, they rush out and pasted Secretary Min Su Jin. She gets up and follows them hastily into President Gin Kaski's office.

"What is this," the old president rumbles at the intrusion.

"I'm sorry sir, they just suddenly barged in, I didn't have time to stop them," Secretary Min apologizes. "I'll call security to escort them out now."

"Our granddaughter has gone missing!" the old man, Sen Gong, President and elder of Sen Inc. one of the largest inc. in Japan slams his hands on the desk.

"No need Secretary Min, it's just this old croc," President Gin sighs, she bows and closes the door behind her. "And I already know. Can you believe that my sons tried to keep it from me? Now I know that they never had the intention of telling me and might even be the reason she's missing in the first place!"

"My sons too, now I'm going to make sure none of them will be inheriting my position," President Sen complained. "Those good for nothings must think I've gone senile in my old age. They don't think I know about all their schemes to kill our only granddaughter. They got her together with that useless man. Just to slowly destroy her self confidence and worth."

"Hm, yes, our scheming sons think that we know nothing and that them or their worthless sons' will inherit our positions," President Gin nods, offering President Sen a seat. "That's why we were both smart in selecting Umi for it. Though her confidence and pride has been smashed she still has the smarts and skills to be a wondrous heir."

"Yes indeed, but back to the question at hand, how are we going to find her," President Sen asks. "She probably thinks we won't even know she's gone. I mean with how we've been treating her for the last few years. Oh, my poor Koko!"

"I already found her," Grandpa Gin states, shocking Grandpa Sen.

"Wha...what?" Grandpa Sen asked stunned. "When?"

"A few days ago, she's on the island of Izenajima, with the small village there," Grandpa Gin explains. "I haven't gone to get her yet because I want to see what the new environment does to her. It might just help her mend her damaged self-esteem."

"Hm, *sigh* I hate it when you're right," Grandpa Sen grumbles. "Fine, but if in a few weeks she doesn't improve I'm going personally to get her."

"Agreed," Grandpa Gin nods, shaking Grandpa Sen's hand. "Also we need to find a way to deal with our children before she comes back."

"Yes," they come to a mutual agreement and Grandpa Sen leaves.

"Ha~, I just hope this is the right choice," Grandpa Gin sighs worrily.