Moby quietly gnawed on his water proof marker. Already grumpy.

“The Mer-moon….Of course! Today of all days, I had completely forgotten about it. Why’d I forget that?! Ugh.”

He felt the gentle pat on the back from his pal, McSquidly. He squeaked in reassurance which Moby appreciated.

“Thanks bud. It’s no real issue long as we stay out of Puplantis.”

He reviewed his map, showing the parameter just outside the city. He had marked several spots he had explored for material before hand.

“I think this old shipping crate might be great for sheet metal. Long as a sea slug hasn’t taken up residence there.”

His cephalopod companion chirp curiously.

“Yeah. Probably better to check if that old abandoned diving bell might still be structurally sound.”

He circled the location before handing the map to McSquidly, who kept it nice and safe between his tentacles.

“Now we’re just waiting for….”

On cue, his pup tag activated.

“Hey Moby! Should be there in thirty minutes!”

Moby clicked his teeth, seeing the evening sun slowly come down over the horizon. He didn’t want to seem impatient but the moon would be up sooner than later. Plus he figured it must take Arrby a while to get anywhere while paddling with those cute little legs.

“Cute?” Moby said aloud.

“What was that?”

“Oh, Nothing! Take your time. We’re in no rush” he lied.

Sometime later, he eventually caught sight of Arrby speeding along towards the shore of Seal Island. Moby was surprised to see a proper boat engine mounted on his dingy. More so, he noticed Arrby already had some diving gear on. The pirate pup slowed to a crawl as his boat gently rocked on the waves.
 
“Bow wow wee, That’s new.”

“Yeah! Helps me move along way faster! You ready to go?”

Arrby held up his diving helmet excitedly. Moby, indifferent, grabbed his helmet and a few other things with his claws before he and McSquidly hopped onto the dingy. The roar of the boat motor was loud as they sped along the ocean. Arrby noticed Moby slip on his headphones again. Well, technically they were shell phones. Noticing his headphones were made from seashells. The pirate admired his friend’s resourcefulness. Choosing not to pry or speak till they reached their destination, Moby enjoyed the peace. It helped keep his mind calm. His squid friend had placed himself in the front of the dingy, stretching his tentacles out as they got caught in the wind, wiggling them about. Arrby giggled at the sight and even Moby couldn’t help but smirk. The sight was pretty silly yet he was enamored. He hadn’t even noticed the blinking red gauge on the back of his helmet.

McSquidly fiddled with the map out of one of his arms before he quickly pointed out they were over their target.

“Right here will do!” Moby called out.

“You got it bud!” Arrby replied.

Arrby slowed the dingy down and dropped anchor. With that both pups slipped on their helmets, leaned over the dingy with McSquidly, and hopped into the water. Arrby paddled his little sausage legs and admired the beautiful coral and sea life about; however, Moby was far more content with looking at what remained of a sunken dive bell. It sat abandoned on the sandy floor, looking to have been there for months. Moby clicked his pup tag to communicate with Arrby.

“Oh yeah! This will do nicely!”

“Seems kind of broken though don’t ya think?” The pirate asked.

“Maybe to the untrained eye. Anything can be repurposed if you know what you’re doing. A lot of this metal can be scraped clean and welded together.”

“Sounds like a plan but how are you going to get it up to the surface?”

“Way ahead of you.”

Moby pulled out two strange looking devices from his pack, pushing one into Arrby’s paws.

“Place one of those on a side of the bell and I’ll place this one over here.”

“What is it?”

“A flotation device. Once it’s secured to the bell. I’ll activate it which will send the diving bell floating right towards the surface. It should remain buoyant enough for us to tow it back to shore that way.”

“Wow, You are really smart.”

Moby shrugged at that but didn’t hide his grin from the pirate.

“Thanks, I know I am.”

The pups worked to set up the devices. McSquidly watched only to notice something approaching the boys. He tried to alert Moby but only succeeded in getting his tentacles stuck on his face shield.

“McSquidly! What the heck! I’m working right now!”

“Moby? Everything ok?”

“Yeah just McSquidly being…”

“Moby?!”

Arrby caught the sound of some one calling towards them. Turning to see the sight of a merpup.

“Huh?”

Moby pulled his friend off and tried to push Arrby along.

“Nothing, Let get a move on before….”

“Moby! It is you!”

The pup sighed and put on small kind smile.

“Hi Coral.”

Arrby marveled at her purple and pink tail which shined brightly in contrast to her blue and gold covered fur.

“I thought I recognized you! You’re Moby’s friend right?”

“Yip yip! That I am.” She barked excitedly. It wasn’t often she heard her being called Moby’s friend.
“Wait, aren’t you that pirate pup?”

“Yup yup! I’m Arrby! Nice to meet you!” The pirate gave a gentle wave to her. Moby on the other hand felt his mood sour. He didn’t want any unnecessary distractions, but he didn’t want to be rude to Coral either.

“Don’t mind us. Just grabbing some supplies for my new sub. No harm done.”

“Oh, that’s good! I was on my way into the Puplantis for the Mer-moon celebration. You’re both welcome to join when your done. If you want to.”

Arrby’s eyes lit up at that proposal. Coral gave a friendly smile towards the boys but leaned her gaze towards Moby in particular. The pup didn’t take the invitation though.

“Actually, Arrby and I still have to salvage a few other things after this bell so we might...we might…”

Moby found that it was suddenly getting hard to breathe. This didn’t feel like one of his usual moods where he needed to calm down. It felt like the air in his helmet had suddenly run dry. He tried to speak but his throat began to tighten.

“Moby?”

“Are you alright?” Coral asked.

Moby began to panic. Swimming and towards Arrby and Coral signaling that he couldn’t breathe.  Arrby had finally noticed the red flashing gauge at the back of Moby’s helmet.

“He’s out of air!”

“Oh no!”

Arrby had to react quickly. He thought about having Moby swim up to the surface fast but that might cause some decompression issues. Arrby began to try and undo his own air tube to his helmet. Ready to connect his tube to Moby’s and hold his breath if need be. To his surprise, McSquidly wrapped his tentacles around Moby’s helmet and pulled it off unexpectedly.

“McSquidly! What are you doing?!”

Arrby went in full panic mode before seeing Coral leaning close to Moby and pressing her nose against his. Arrby watched in awe as Moby’s form began to shift. It a flash of light, Moby’s suit had fallen off his body, showing off his cream and brown colored chest. A shiny green and blue tail replaced his hind legs, the blue streak on the top of his head shone more brightly in the open ocean. Arrby thought he looked so beautiful. That wonder faded the minute Moby came to, He took one look at his tail and...

“Yip Yip YIP!”

Arrby was so taken aback.

“Uhhhhh, Huh?”

“Moby! There we go! Feeling better?” Coral asked but Moby just kept going on.

“Yip! Yip yip yip...Yiiiip!”

Arrby swam toward him, taking one of his paws into his. Moby paused and looked at him.

“Moby, are you alright? Can you breathe okay?”

The water dog gave a subtle nod to his friend, ensuring he was okay.

“Yip.”

“Why...Why can’t I understand you?”

“Sorry.” Coral was quick to explain. “Moby talks in his original language whenever he reverts back to being a merpup.”

Arrby gasped and McSquidly slapped his face with all ten of his tentacles. Moby looked more visibly annoyed by the second.

“Moby’s a merpup?!”

“Yup yup! Born and raised in Puplantis!”

She wanted to continue but noticed Moby’s glare.

“Oh, I’m sorry! We’re you going to tell him yourself?”

“Yip.” he said sternly.

Coral chuckled awkwardly.

“My bad. Heheheh.”

“Yip yip!”

Coral gasped and McSquidly squeaked in shock.

“Moby! Language!”

“What did he say?”

“Uhhhh...You don’t wanna know” Coral said.

Moby signaled for McSquidly. The loyal friend followed his direction, grabbing Moby’s vest and helmet. He pressed Moby’s pup tag which activated the flotation devices on the old diving bell. The trio watched it floated to the surface. Observing McSquidly careful tie it to their dingy. Moby sighed in content but seemed to pondered something.

“Yip yip yip!” He motioned to Arrby.

The pirate stared at him in confusion.

“He said it’s going to be hard to keep salvaging stuff without his gear. Oxygen tank and all” Coral translated. She thought for a moment before lighting up.

“My sea horse sub! It has has oxygen on board. I parked it by the castle in town! We can stop by to refill his tanks. Plus you all can see the celebration!”

Moby’s scowl seemed to deepen, Arrby picked up on this. It looked like his friend really didn’t want to go into the city but Arrby had never seen a party within the city before. He did his best to reassure him. Even if he was being a little selfish in wanting to see the celebration himself.

“It will just be for a little bit Moby. Then we can get back to our work. Please?”

Arrby couldn’t help but show off his puppy eyes. The normally stern merpup felt himself give pause at the sight. He reluctantly agreed.

--

Arrby had visited Puplantis before but never like this. There were a lot of merpups, the most he had ever since in the sea. They frolicked with the marine life swimming every which way. There were bubbles of various shapes and sizes filled with lights that shined in different dazzling colors. There was music, a chorus that echoed through the towering buildings, streets and bounced off the current. Arrby was enthralled. Every merpup they passed greeted the pirate and Coral with a friendly wave. Their eagerness at seeing a new face seeming to damper when the noticed Moby. Arrby had watched him, he kept his gaze to the floor. Occasionally talking to McSquidly about something he couldn’t really make out. Arrby gave the merpup his space and turned to Coral.

“Wow, Merpups know how to throw a celebration!”

“Always! It’s what I love about Puplantis! Everyone and everything is so lively!”

She waved at a family set of merpups who barked and waved back.

“If only I could introduce you to every merpup down here.”

“Those ones we passed seem nice.” Arrby complimented.

“Every merpup down here is. Lora and her partners are always especially kind”

“Partners?”

“Yup yup, More than one. Merpups aren’t specifically monogamous down here.”

“Monoga...huh?”

“That means they don’t just fall in love with one person.”

“Oh, Interesting.” Arrby thought.

True to her word, the gang had noticed Coral’s sub parked by the large castle that sat in the center square of the aquatic city.  Before Coral could exclaim, Moby was quick to swim towards it. At that moment, there was a sudden change in the choir. Moby hadn’t noticed the number of merpups that began to swim towards the statue of the King Merpup. One of them grabbed Moby by his paw and dragged him along despite his insistence not too.

“YIP!”

“Whoa, Wait a sec! Moby!”

Arrby and McSquidly swam towards the disgruntled merpup, with Coral calling out.

“Looks like the celebration is about to begin!”

The merpups began to play several make shift instruments made of shells and rocks. A dozen or so merpups had surrounded the pirate and blocked his path to Moby. Then a few of them began to sing. Their voices amplified as other merpups in the crowd began to join in. Their merriment echoed through the water and Arrby was sure you could hear their voices outside the city too. He found the sound pleasant if a little overwhelming. Coral seemed to be loving it, swimming towards one of the merpups and dancing with them. He was half tempted himself to join in on the fun before he noticed Moby. Among the singing merpups, the one that had dragged Moby into a dance began spinning him a few times before letting him go. His dizzy face conveyed a pup in great distress. He had covered his ears, curling his tail against his chest. His eyes were closed tight and he looked like he was hyperventilating. Was he scared? Arrby didn’t wait, he swam through each of the pups before reaching Moby.

“Moby?”

He didn’t reply back.

“Moby, Are you okay?”

Mcsquidly began to squeak and chirp to Arrby. The pup finally understanding whats going on. Without hesitation, he quickly pushed Moby out of the crowd. Pushing him out of the city square, passed the streets and towards the entrance of Puplantis. He swam as fast as his back legs could carry them with Mcsquidly assisting as well. As soon as they were past the city, Arrby took a breather.

“McSquidly, Please grab Moby’s headphones from the dingy. I’ll stay with him.”

He gave a salute to the pirate and swam back to the surface. While they waited. Arrby carefully watched over his crest fallen friend.

“Moby, it’s okay. It’s okay.”

He didn’t reply, briefly letting go of his ears but keeping his eyes shut. Seeming to mutter to himself.
Arrby whined out loud. He recognized a panic attack and he needed to help his friend in any way he could. He swam up just above his head and placed both of his paws against Moby’s ears. Pressing his helmet as tight as he could against his friend.

“Let yourself drift with the current. There’s no pup here but you and me. Breathe in.”

He took one long breath in.

“And out” then slowly exhaled.

Moby began to follow along. Sure enough, his breathing had settled. He slowly opened his eyes to look at the kind pirate pup above him. Arrby gave a kind smile in return.

“Welcome back, Mister grumpy pants.”

Moby didn’t say anything, he just sort of marveled at the pirate pup.

“Yip”

Arrby suddenly felt very embarrassed.

“Uh...hehehe. What did you...”

“Boys!”

A voice had echoed off their pups tags. The pair noticing Coral’s sub fast approaching them.

--

“I’m really really sorry.” Coral apologized profusely.

“It’s fine, really.” Moby said bluntly

“It’s not. If I had know how overwhelmed you’d be, I would have never asked you to…”

“Don’t worry about it.”

Coral had managed to refill Moby’s gear properly, having instructed Arrby to give him a paw bump to return him back to pup form. Now the pirate, squid, and Moby sat back in their dingy as Coral’s sub bumped next to their boat.

“I won’t push you to attend the next celebration. Especially after that.”

“It’s my fault too.” Arrby said. “I really wanted to see the city and…”

“Can we just drop it? Please?!” Moby barked. He pulled out his headphones, settling them back on his head. Arrby and Coral said nothing but quietly agreed. She gave her goodbyes and Arrby piloted their boat back towards Seal Island with the diving bell in tow.


Once they parked near the shore. Arrby carefully untied the bell and pushed it into the sand. Keeping it in place.

“Well, at least we got your diving bell. Hahaha.”

Moby didn’t reply.

The pirate pup felt like it might time for him to head home. He thought he had made things awkward enough as it is with everything at Puplantis, he wasn’t sure if Moby wanted him around right now.

“If you want me to leave, I can.”

Moby raised an eyebrow, pulling his headphones off.

“Leave? Don’t you want to help me with my sub?”

“I do! But you seem...mad.”

“I’m not!...I…” Moby breathed in, slowly exhaling. The last pup he’d want to loose his temper with was Arrby.

“I’m not upset with you Arrby. You did nothing wrong.”

“Oh, That’s good.”

“It’s just...It’s just.” Moby pinched the bridge of his snout with his paw. Trying to say this as nicely as he could.

“It’s easy being bad.”

Arrby tilted his head in confusion.

“Huh?”

“It’s easy being bad. Being a brat, taking what you want when you want it because you want it. Even if other pups or people are trying to help you. It takes no effort! None at all! A total moron can do it!”

Moby just kept going, really winding up before quickly approaching Arrby.

“Do you want to know what’s hard Arrby? Really really hard?” He leaned his snout against the pirates. The pup suddenly intimidated.

“Uhhh…”

“Being nice! It’s sooooo hard to be nice to others! Even when their niceness isn’t really nice!”

He stomped along the shore, letting everything just spill out of him.

“Coral. She means well, She really does but she never understood me. She’s sooo insistent that I hang around Puplantis still! Even when I tell her I don’t like the constant singing and dancing that seems to go on every twenty four hours! Do you know that music decibels are four times louder underwater than they are on the surface? I sure do! It hurts my ears and makes me want to crawl into a hole. You’d think she of all pups would understand that but noooo she sides with the other merpups. Even though they don’t want me there. I see it on their faces, just because I don’t want to participate in their customs. They think I’m a weirdo for being different. For being sensitive to certain things and noises. For wanting to stay inside and build stuff because I find it interesting. For wanting to be a top-sider! For wishing I wasn’t born a merpup!”

He kicked the sand.

“Surprised right? Big shocker isn’t?! Let the whole ocean know that I, Moby! Grandson of King Merpup himself! Is the first Merpup in history that doesn’t want to be a Merpup!”

Arrby and McSquidly stared at him perplexed. Moby settled down on the shore, defeated.

“And...And...I don’t want to say these things directly to her because she is one of the only pups who still gave me a chance. Even after all the bad stuff I did and I’ve done plenty of bad things Arrby.  You’d think she’d be the one of all those pups to understand why I left. Did you know she used to be a land pup? She choose the ocean over her life on land. I did the exact same thing in reverse. Why can’t she see that? Why can’t she just let me go. It’s soo hard to tell her that…..It’s soo hard being….nice.”

Moby took a breather, looking like a great weight has been lifted off his shoulders. Arrby stared curiously at the merpup turned top-sider. He looked to McSquidly for a response but the squid simply shrugged. Arrby walked up to Moby, placing his small paw on one of his shoulders.

“Feel better?”

“Yeah...I do...surprisingly.”

“Good. It feels good to get that stuff off your chest.”

“It sure does. Sorry, I didn’t mean to unload on you like that. It’s just…”

“It’s hard saying what you really want to say without hurting other folks feelings. Believe me I know.”

Arrby thought back to his own concerns about his Captain. About Sweetie and her qualms with the princess. Heck, he even figured Claw has some stuff he’d like to share as well.

“There’s always a time and a place for it but it’s also good to have some around to listen to you.”

“Mmm. McSquidly does his best, when he wants to stick around for it.” Moby joked.

The squid placed his tentacles where his hypothetical hips would be and scoffed. The boys got a laugh at that.

“Wanna strip this bell for parts and work on your sub for while? We don’t have to talk more about it.”

“Yes Arrby, I would very...very much like that.”

“Great! I’ll get some tools.”

“Wait, before you do that. I just..I wanted to…”

Moby was not really an affectionate pup, even physical affection was too much for him sometimes but he thought about that moment out there in the sea, with just him and this smaller pirate pup. It felt different, special even. Moby leaned his head down, placing his chin on top of Arrby’s head. Gently rubbing into him, The pirate pup blushed at the sudden affection. Moby seemed surprised as well and quickly pulled his head up.

“Argh...uh. Seriously though Arrby, Thank you. For listening, and for keeping me calm after that whole...panic...ordeal...thing.”

Moby could not hide his blush on his face, nervously scratching at the back of his head. Arrby thought it was adorable.

“No problem bud.”

“You make being nice seem so easy.”

“It comes naturally for me sometimes.”

As he began to walk to the cove, He mouthed next words quietly.

“Especially to beautiful pups.”

With that, Arrby and Moby went to get their work done, eager to get started on their second draft model for Moby’s new sub. The usually stern pup still kept that embarrassed smile on his face long enough for McSquidly to squeak and tease him about it.

“Shu...shut up.”

Just like that, Moby was back to his usual self, but on that day, Arrby became a little more important to him.