I swam. I swam as hard and as fast as I could, then swam some more. I don't know if that young pony told them about me or what, but it's too late. I needed to find a new hiding place, and soon. This bleeding is really making it hard... And leaving a trail for them to follow. Where does this water go anyway?

As I swam, I found a nice deep pool. Looks like it was carved out by the water itself. It seems to be constantly falling here... strange. I swim under the falling current of water, and climb up onto the stones behind it. Looking back, I hiss as the wounds the large fish left. Need to find a way to make that stop. Looking on the opposite side, I see that the stones opened up to another cave. As good a place as any for now, but... best to make sure I'm alone. Opening my mouth, I call out, into the darkness.

~~~~***~~~~

Tide Pool was distraught. He was worried this would happen. He just wanted to talk to the creature, and learn what he could. How did this... River Delta... It had to be! She always did feel entitled to what he worked his flank off for.

"Awww Did your little pet swim off? Too bad, So-" River never got any farther before Tide put his earth pony strength into a full buck, right to the side of his older sister's face. The slightly taller pegasus was only slightly knocked off her hooves and onto the ground. His parents couldn't believe their eyes.

"TIDE POOL!!" The young colt NEVER struck anypony before...

"You just had to get in the way, Didn't you? Do you have any idea what you've just done!?" Tide screamed, his voice starting to crack as his sister began to get up. The colt was having none of it. Using a forehoof, he punched her back down. "Every. Single. Time, something good happens to me, you BURN IT DOWN!" Blood was starting to drip from his sister's nose and mouth. She even coughed up a tooth.

"But this is bigger than both us! You probably just killed the LAST living Leviathan! YOU!" Tide continued to scream as his mother grabbed him. "Good job, you sorry excuse for a Whorse! You just committed MURDER!" That was it. Tide was slapped. Hard.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" His father yelled. "River Delta, Get your flank home, This instant!"

The young mare didn't need to be told twice. Suddenly afraid of her little brother, she galloped back to their house, shoving through the gathering crowd. Redwood then turned his attention to his still struggling son. Looking to his wife, While holding the strong young colt back, she was at a loss. He genuinely cared about this discovery.

"Ah, buck it." Redwood said before splashing a bucket of sea water onto his wife and son, who stopped thrashing almost instantly. "Sorry love." he apologized. "Now Tide, I know your upset, I get that. But you went overboard."

"She told them..." The colt shivered. "And now they're on a hunt... They don't know that they just wanted to be left alone. They're... He's... The last... " Tide began to finally break down. The crowd of ponies surrounding them began to chatter.

~~~~***~~~~

Listening to my calls, I didn't see any other creatures big enough to attack me, so I went deeper into the cave. Annoyingly, a sound was beginning to get annoying. A constant sound of drip, drip, drip. Why? Why was that sound happening!? Calling again, I didn't see anything causing it. Then I felt it. A drop of water on my head. Another, and another... I see. Water was falling from above me.

I called out again to see the rocks around me. Looks like this is where the cave ends... Climbing up the rocks, I learned right then that I can stick to them! Well... This just opened up a new way to escape. Maybe I can find where the water is coming from.

Climbing up, I find where the water was falling from and begin to dig. The rock here is.. loose. It begins to fall away as I keep digging, until the water above bursts through like a whale swimming into the air above. It doesn't stop amazingly,and keeps pouring through. Even making my small hole bigger. I don't know how long I waited before trying to crawl through the hole, but I did, and using both my tail, and fins, I make my way further up the current.

~~~~***~~~~

The crowd had been dispersed by the local guard regiment, and was assured that everything was okay.

"I'm going after him!" Tide declared, before trying to turn tail and follow the river up stream. However, he was stopped by an unlikely obstacle. The younger hippogriff from earlier.

"Not without me your not!" The cream colored hippogriff, Terramar said. "I think my dad, and Queen Novo have blown this Way out of the water, and need to slow down."

"Both of you are gonna stop this talk this instant!" Marina barked. "Neither of you know where this river goes! Now, Terramar was it?" She asked. After receiving a nod, Marina continued. "You're going home-"

"No." Came the voice of her husband.

"W-what? Are you seriously-?" Redwood was seriously going against her? "WHY?!"

"You saw it too hun. Almost half the town saw it swim upstream. Tide told the truth. There is one more Leviathan out there." He soothed. "He was right once, he's probably right now." Turning to his red-faced son, "Tide, calm down son. Deep breaths... Now... what's the plan?"

"I... I don't... I need a map... One with rivers!" Tide said, rushing off to the nearest cartographer, followed closely by Terramar, and his parents.

Upon gazing at the map, he followed the river that flowed through the middle of their town, Fetlock Harbor. Following the river with his hoof, he saw it ended at a moderately sized lake near the hamlet of Ponyville. If the Hippogriffs, and by extension the Sea-Ponies chased it all the way up stream, that's where they'd end up. It was easily a three day train ride. But following the river directly... It would take closer to a week and a half.

"My sister goes to school in Ponyville, at the Friendship University. I can write her and send it with priority mail. Let her know where coming, and what's what." Terramar offered. Before cheekily adding, "After I tell mom I'm going to visit sis..."

Marina was so far out of her depth. How did things go so wrong? This was just another Sunday, but then... It all fell apart. Her son had, correctly, discovered what is probably the LAST living leviathan, and his older sister, in a petty rivalry, reported his discovery to the hippogriffs and sea-ponies. Which then resulted in a sizable part of the hippogriff/sea-pony army swarming Fetlock Harbor, chasing an alleged sea monster up river...

~~~~***~~~~

These waters are strange... I don't understand them at all. There's no deep water to hide in, no large predators, and worse... it's cold. It's not bad, but it is bothersome. As I swim up, I notice a group of fish, and realize just how hungry I am. Using my front fins to hold on to the rocks beneath me, I swim forward and bite down on the largest one. I could practically swallow it whole! These fish aren't as big as the ones out at sea... I guess having only so much water keeps them from getting as big. Swimming further forward, I bite down on another, and another.

Before too long, I've eaten half the group. Best keep going. I can't afford to slack and wait for the Sea-Ponies to catch up.

~~~~***~~~~

Tide Pool earned himself quite the tongue lashing from his parents for attacking his sister the way he did. He wasn't surprised at all. He was actually more surprised by how lenient they were being. Turns out, his sister becoming a bully and focusing her efforts against him, had pushed him, and this latest act was the last straw. That was no excuse. Violence is never the answer, unless your given absolutely no choice. Tide had broken that and lashed out.

"Young stallion, are you listening?" His mother chastised, lifting his chin with her hoof.

"Yes, mom. I am. I am not right in attacking Delta. But she put another life in grave danger." Tide responded quietly.

"Yes. She did. And we'll work on a proper punishment soon enough." Redwood started. "You need to remember Tide. Your an Earth pony, and your sister's a pegasus. Your naturally stronger than her." He continued with his 'Dad' tone. Redwood looked torn. He was always proud of his son's accomplishments, but this had to be one bugger of a roller coaster for him. One day he's excited for getting his diver's license, next he's curious about what he may or may not have seen. Now that his discovery has been confirmed, his older sister goes and ruins everything.

When the colt was being 'interrogated' by Sky Beak, He tried so hard to omit some small details. Easy enough. But his sister couldn't keep her trap shut.

"Here's the plan Tide. When Terramar gets back, we're going straight to Ponyville, and from there, we can either wait, or follow the river. We got a life to save." Marina said confidently. "Tide, sweetie... I'm sorry I didn't believe you." She whimpered as she hugged her son. "I'm still mad at you for attacking your sister, and I'm furious with her for starting this whole mess. You gave it... him a name right? Levi was it? Why Levi?"

The butter colored colt was so torn right now he had no idea what to think. Yes, he was in a Canterlot Castle sized amount of trouble... but... His parents weren't punishing him? At least... Not yet.

"W-well... he's a Leviathan... I just figured I'd abbreviate it. Leviathan, Levi... Seemed simple and easy to remember." Tide calmly responded, watching as his father went up the stairs; Probably to his sister's room.

In said bedroom, a light blue pegasus was busy wiping up blood and streaked mascara. An ice pack sat slowly melting on the vanity desk. There was no knock; her door just opened, revealing her father. A most disappointed look on his face. She didn't bother turning to face him.

"I hope you realize what you've done, River Delta." Full name... not good. "And I don't want excuses. Why did you do it?" Redwood demanded.

"Why do you and mom play favorites?" Delta responded, her voice hitching.

"Where did that come from? We do not play favorites." Redwood stated.

"Tide gets good grades, he gets to go to do what he wants for a weekend. Tide wants to be a diver, you let him. Tide gets away with almost anything! Tide Pool this, Tide Pool that. And all I get is yelled at or grounded!" Delta began.

"Don't you dare raise your voice to me right now young lady!" Redwood barked back. "And Tide gets to do those things because he puts 110% into his efforts. He's a hard working colt. You used to be that way once. Then you got spoiled and lazy."

"What about when TIDE broke the cookie jar?" Delta asked

"He confessed. He owns his misdeeds. Sure he's made mistakes, but he owns up to it. Remember when he was playing ball in the yard with his friends, and they accidentally broke the window?" Redwood explained. "Tide Pool had been smart and saved his allowance. He paid for the replacement window after telling your mom and I what he did. As for his diving, he's been saving up for that all year."

River Delta sat, quietly. Her baby brother... all those times she thought she had tattled on him and he was getting off light... was it really because he owned up? The diving came out of her little brother's coin?

"I don't know where this entitled attitude came from River Delta, but it stops here and now. You honestly think we DON'T know about the parties? Or that colt from school?" Redwood growled. Watching his daughter carefully, he saw her wings twitch, and her ears begin to turn red in the mirror. "Tide tried to cover for you. But we've always known. We're not stupid, River Delta. Your actions today may have just cost someone their life. A life your brother was trying to help save. Your going to stay here. House Arrest. You go nowhere but school, and straight home."

Redwood let out a disappointed sigh, then turned to close his daughter's door. But not before leaving a quick 'Think about it'. As he walked down the hallway, Tide was walking up the stairs, tears streaking his face. When asked what was going on, Tide responded that he felt bad for attacking his older sister and wanted to apologize.

~~~~***~~~~

The day was beginning to fade. I needed to find a place to sleep, and soon. My wounds from that large air breathing fish were beginning to heal. I always did heal fast. The bleeding had almost stopped. Looking around, both underwater and above... There wasn't many choices. Heh, there were no choices at all. No form of shelter anywhere.

Deciding to swim further up current, I find a relatively deep pool, where the current is at it's weakest. Far from optimal, but it's deep... kinda. I settle in for what approaches as a cold night.

"CHOO!"

Great... those things again... they always show up when I'm cold. This is going to be a long night. Laying my head low, I make that gentle noise again. I still don't remember where I heard it, or why. But it was always calming. Always helped me sleep.

~~~~***~~~~

Terramar returned, with his mother of all beings. After a quick run down, Ocean Flow was quickly brought up to speed, and everyone, save River Delta, was at the train station, and boarding the train to Ponyville.

"Don't worry. Once we get there, Silverstream and her friends will help us." Terramar reassured, patting Tide Pool on the back. "She's one of the students of Princess Twilight, and the Elements of Harmony. If anything, we'll get alot more help than you expect."

"Maybe... I hope so. I don't know how long he's been out there, But I think he's been alone all this time..." Tide responded, his voice a mix of sadness and hope.

"What makes you say that?" Ocean Flow asked. Tide looked away from the window facing the river.

"The way he speaks. He said things like 'Storm Season' or 'Den'. He even said that most others just called him 'Monster'. So... going by that logic, He's lived along for who knows how long. Probably learned to speak by overhearing us." Tide explained.

The train conductor blew his whistle and gave a loud 'ALL ABOARD!'. The train doors were closed shortly after, and the express began to move out of the station, headed inland.

Author's Note

Did I over-do anyone's behavior? Was anything to over the top? Or not enough? I've said it before, I'll say it again. I'm flying by the seat of my pants. I have a general outline of what I want to happen, but the fine details... I tend to ask myself Cause/Effect questions trying to steer everything where I want it to go. If you don't like it, say so and I'll tweak it