After The Last Tide

In MONTHLY PROMPT ・ By meiniann

0 Favorites ・ 0 Comments

The ocean was quiet now. Too quiet for Mysie’s liking.

The tide had drawn back to reveal the aftermath of the False Whale’s rampage. A shoreline that once lined with pale shells and glittering sand are now buried under the thick black sludge. Shattered corals and unrecognizable debris clung to the beach, and the faint scent of brine mixed with something acrid.

Mysie wrinkled her nose as her paws sank into the muck, “Ugh, I swear the sea’s having a bad hair day now,” she muttered, sweeping a wing forwards. The fire shimmered along the core of soft violet ripples that sizzled as they touched the sludge. The filth hissed and dissolved into harmless mist.

“Alright, first section done!” she chirped, despite being paw-deep in grime, “Now…only about seven thousand more paces to go! Lovely,”

Somewhere far overhead, a indigo streak zipped through the clouds, a familiar trace of Pun. He’d bolted off right after the battle, declaring something about 'emergency snacks for heroes.'

Mysie rolled her eyes, smiling faintly, “Typical Pun. Save the world, then run off for sweets,”

Still, the thought made her giggle. It helped her ignore how heavy the air felt, how still the waves were.

She moved further down the beach, humming to herself. Each sweep of her tail sent sparkles trailing through the air; each flick of her fire burned away another patch of darkness. The black sludge clung stubbornly, like tar, oozing back towards the sea as though drawn by some invisible current.

“Oh no, you don’t,” Mysie scolded, “You had your fun destroying everything...now you’re getting cleaned and wiped!”

She summoned a brighter pulse of fire, this one gentler but more focused, that made the tide shivered. The corrupted remnants recoiled, pulling away from her glow before disintegrating into drifting motes.

Mysie sighed in satisfaction, “There we go! Much better,”

For a while, Mysie worked quietly. She danced between the waves and sand, fires flickering from her wings and tail, purifying the sludge patch by patch.

“Honestly, Pun leaves me one job and it’s the messiest one—” she hopped sideways as a chunk of sludge splashed up, “Hey! No throwing tantrums, I’m cleaning here!”

The sludge responded with a hiss as the corrupted residue retreated. Mysie blinked, tilting her head, “Oh? Are you learning manners now, you troublemaker?”

It was silly, but talking to the ocean helped. After everything it had endured, the sea felt...a little lonely. Thus, she filled the silence with her voice, hoping it could bring a little warmth back.

Hours passed like that. Slowly, the dark crust receded and sunlight began to glint on wet sand again. The sea breeze smelled cleaner. Mysie sat back and stretched her wings, pleased to see the change.

“Look at you!” she said softly to the horizon, “You’re shining again.”

The ocean murmured in response. A faint rhythm of waves brushing the newly cleansed shore. Mysie smiled and reached down to pick up one of the strange black rocks the tide had left behind. It pulsed faintly in her paw, remnants of corrupted energy trapped inside.

“Hmm...you’re a stubborn one,” she murmurs as she studies it, “Guess I’ll have to melt you down the nice way,”

She placed it on the sand and closed her eyes. Her fires shifted color, deepening to a soft lavender hue, wrapping around the stone. Slowly, it cracked apart, releasing a wisp of dark mist that dispersed harmlessly into the wind.

When she opened her eyes again, the rock was gone, leaving only a smooth pearl-like fragment in its place and she place it back into the ocean, a reminder that even mess can make something pretty.

Then, she turned her gaze towards the sky, “Pun’s probably still eating,” she muttered, “If he doesn’t bring back something for me, I swear—”

Her grumbling was cut short when the tide rolled in, brushing her paws. For a split second, she thought she heard laughter. A light, distant, and familiar laughter. Perhaps it was only the waves, but it felt like the sea itself was teasing her.

Mysie laughed back, “Fine, fine. You win. Let’s finish this together, shall we?”

The last traces of sludge gathered near the rocks at the far end of the shore, thick and bubbling. Mysie approached them carefully, with fires growing brighter, “You’ve overstayed your welcome,” she said, planting her paws firmly, “Now...off you go!”

Her wings snapped open, releasing a sweeping arc of radiant energy that surged across the shore. The wave of light collided with the sludge, breaking it apart into clouds of silvery mist. The beach erupted in a soft, glowing shimmer that spread outward until even the furthest corners of the tide gleamed clean.

When everything was done and dusted, Mysie stood panting, paws wet, fur streaked with sand, but content. For the sea before her is now back to its old self once again, reflecting the sky like liquid crystals.