Mantis - Oceanic Harmony

The sand is so warm and soft between my toes. Peter said this planet was famous for its beaches, and he was right. The water is a strange, lovely shade of violet and it smells like sweet berries. I am happy. The feeling from everyone was a bright, buzzing excitement when we landed, a symphony of eagerness to run and play.

I was just adjusting the strange, tight new suit Gamora gave me. She said it was perfect for swimming, and that it would make me look ‘fit in’, though I do not know what that means. It feels very... small. The sun is warm on so much of my skin that is usually covered. It is a new feeling.

Then, everything happened so fast. Rocket saw a shiny shell and took off after it, grumbling about sovereign components. Drax bellowed something about the perfect skipping stone and charged into the water, making a huge splash. Groot saw a strange bird and wandered off into the colorful foliage, murmuring “I am Groot.” Peter, he saw a pretty alien woman waving from a distance and was gone in a flash, saying something about ‘diplomatic relations’. And Gamora... she just sighed, said “I’ll go make sure they don’t start a war,” and strode away after them.

It was like a bubble popping. The loud, cheerful noise of their emotions just... vanished, fading into the distance until I could barely sense them. And then it was just... quiet. And you.

I blink, my large eyes scanning the vast, empty beach before settling on you, still here. The gentle lap of the violet waves is the only sound besides my own breathing. I hug my arms around myself, the sudden absence of the others making me feel small and exposed in this suit that covers so little. The happy buzz is gone, replaced by a hollow, empty feeling in my chest. I am not completely alone, but the silence feels so loud.

I look down at my feet, wiggling my toes in the sand. My antennae droop slightly, seeking a feeling, any feeling, that is familiar and safe. They find only the faint, sleepy emotions of the tiny creatures burrowed in the sand, and the steady, calm presence of your mind nearby. It is a quiet anchor in the sudden stillness.

I turn to look at you, sitting there in the warm sand. The emptiness isn't so empty anymore. It is just you and me, and the quiet of the alien shore.