Princes Mia, Towed

I dont think Ive ever seen Esmeralda smile so sincerely before

Mia spoke to herself in a whisper after Esmeralda went under the water. It had been a real smile, not tainted by fear or bad will. Mia felt uneasy about it, though.

She didnt know why, but she was uncomfortably reminded of the day long ago when Esmeralda had promised to host another tea party

When they last said goodbye, didnt she have the same smile on her face?

That day, she seemed oddly reliable Just as she did just now Its a little scary how similar they are.

Five minutes passed.

Mia was worried. I wonder if shes okay.

Anne gave her a smile. Dont worry, milady. Only five minutes have passed. We should believe in Lady Esmeralda.

Y-Yes, I suppose youre right

Ten minutes passed.

Is she really all right? Oh, I hope she didnt do something stupid and hurt herself.

Dont be anxious, Mia. Esmeralda can swim circles around us all. She can take care of herself, Abel said in a tone that made it clear he was trying to reassure her.

The slow, solemn nod he received in response, however, suggested efficacy had been limited. After that, Mia stopped talking to people as much.

At half an hour, she looked like she was about to cry, with her haunted eyes fixed on the still surface of the water. The longer she waited, the more time she had to think of all the bad things that could have happened.

What did it mean if someone went out to look at a place like this and then didnt come back? It was easy to figure out.

Her worried mind was filled with thoughts of death, which were made worse by the thought of Esmeraldas gentle smile before she disappeared

Mia thought about how she felt about Esmeralda. She didnt think of the girl as her best friend, and that was true. At best, she fell into the category of I guess were friends.

But the more she thought about it, the more she saw that they really did know each other.

They had spent a lot of time together because she had hosted Mias first tea party and sent her birthday party invitations every year. She always made sure to be at Mias birthday parties, too. They always celebrated these events together.

Every once in a while, theyd even have dresses made that matched. Theyd laugh as they shared clothes and fun, but these times were getting rarer as Mias schedule got busier. Even though she didnt think Esmeralda was her one and only soul mate, they were good friends in the end.

Good enough that it hurt to lose her and made her cry.

Ooooh, Esmeralda, you

Mia said between sniffles, Y- You said youd be back in a minute, so where are you? Oh, I hate you so much. Youre a terrible person I-I cant believe you would break your promise to me again

After an hour, Mia had turned into a blubbering mess of tears. She cried freely, and the trails of her tears had just dried when new ones started to flow in their place. She sobbed loudly as Anne hugged her and patted her back gently.

Just as Annes floodgates were about to open, there was a big splash and a loud gasp of air behind them.

They all turned to look for Esmeralda, who had just come up out of the water.

Wow, Im sorry for making you wait so long, but Im back now, she said, completely oblivious to the mood in the cave.

The water exercise seemed to have helped her health, and both her skin tone and her enthusiasm seemed to shine.

It might take about five minutes to get outside from here. Well have to dive for a while in one spot, but dont worry. Its not too long, so even Miss Mia should be able to do it.

She got out of the water and walked toward them. The drops of water running down her face looked the same as Mias, but they were different.

When no one spoke up, she turned her head to the side.

What?

She took a look around.

Is there something wrong? Why am I feeling so strange?

Mia muttered, You really took your time, didnt you? as she walked over with her head down to hide how she felt.

Oh. Yes, well

Esmeralda put the pendant on her chest and held it out.

I was using my moonlamp rock to get some light. Without some light, the path is a little hard to find. Also, the water was pretty cold, so I decided to warm up on this rock, which was in the perfect spot for a quick sunbath. Whats wrong, Miss Mia?

Mia wrapped her arms around Esmeralda and squeezed her as if her life depended on it.

You know, I was worried. So, so upset! I thought I wouldnt see you ever again

M-Miss Mia?

Esmeralda was shocked at first and stood still, but she soon relaxed.

Dont worry, Miss Mia. I wont ever let my best friend down. And I wont break that promise. Not again

She smiled softly and gave him a hug back.

After everyone had calmed down, Esmeralda went on to explain what she had found.

Like I said, its not that far, and you cant get lost because the way out is straight. There are a few places where well have to stay underwater for a while, but I think well be fine if Miss Mia can get us through.

Anne looked sad. She was a commoner, so she didnt know how to swim even less than Mia did.

Well, then Anne can come along with me. Well go together, Esmeralda said without much thought.

Next to frown was Mia.

Youyoure Esmeralda, right? Are you okay? Where did you hit your head?

Oh, Im sorry, Miss Mia! I just thought I could maybe be a little nicer to my best friends beloved maid, she said, before her confidence slipped a little and she turned away.

Well, shes been pretty helpful I mean, being of noble blood means that you have to pay back any help you get, right?

Oh, Esmeralda, you have such a unique personality Always so much trouble. Sometimes its hard for me to believe that were related. Mia then nodded to herself.

Okay, Esmeralda, well do what you say. Look after Anne for me, okay?

They put themselves in a line and got ready to go. Esmeralda was in front, and Anne was right behind her. Abel and Mia were behind them.

As their anchorman, Abel would usually be last, but he had to stay in front of Mia for a reason.

Its starting to get deep here. I dont think your feet will ever touch the ground again.

Understood!

She nodded yes, turned around, and fell on her back with the efficiency of a soldier.

She was wearing her swimsuit under her clothes, just like Esmeralda. Without her wet clothes getting in the way, Mia could do an impressively good back float.

Abel grabbed her collar as he walked through the water in front of her.

Yes, Abel stayed in front because he had to swim while pulling Mia with him! Even though they didnt share the work equally, they made steady progress by following the light from Esmeraldas pendant.

She had said that the path was easy enough for the whole group to pass through.

After a few places where they had to hold their breath and dive, they could see light in the distance.

Everyone, were almost there! Dont stop! Esmeralda yelled from the front of the line.

Mia felt better after she heard her words of support, so she worked harder by flapping her arms and legs around more.

Ah

She covered her face when she suddenly saw a lot of light. A few seconds later, she felt a salty wind on her cheeks. She started to hear the rolling rumble of the tide in her ears.

Over time, her eyes got used to the blinding light, and a clear blue sky came into view.

Aaah We did it We did it for sure. We made it out okay.

Relief almost made her lose all of her strength. Or maybe it did happen.

When one is floating like a limp dishrag, its hard to tell.

She looked at each of her friends slowly. Esmeralda and Anne could be seen a little ways away.

Abel was right next to her.

I cant believe its true. Everyone made it out alive. Its like a dream.

That realisation was moving enough, but fate still had more strange things to happen.

Ah! Look! Its the Emerald Star!

Esmeralda yelled with joy and pointed firmly at the familiar shape of their ship.

Weresaved? Does this mean were going to be OK?

Mia smiled as she answered her own question in a quiet voice.

The smile didnt last long, though, because she would soon be forced to read a certain part of the Princess Mia Chronicles, which told about the things that had happened to her on and around this deserted island.

Just below the calm surface of the water, a huge shadow showed up. It came up behind the unfortunate group of swimmers quickly, quietly, and without being seen at all