Calm Yourself

"Hold on!"

Dimyri held onto Felix and dug her nails into his skin, burying her face into his shoulder as they approached the water below. Thinking fast, Felix swung his weight to one side so that he would hit the water first. During the fall they had remained behind the waterfall, following it down when time began to slow down as they turned. For a moment, Dimyri and Felix held their breath as they caught what looked like a clear reflection of themselves descending down, down, down, when suddenly they landed and sunk below.

Surprisingly they felt no pain upon impact, with Dimyri looking around wandering where the surface was. Nekomata or not, she still needed air to breath and her panic refused to loosen her grip on poor Felix. He too felt too absorbed in fear, waving and swinging his arms frantically up with little progress in movement. Dimyri's eyes grew wide as dark shadows lingered around them, swimming away from her vision and coming closer around them. Felix hadn't noticed and so he ignored Dimyri tugging on his waist, believing her to be panicking underwater just as he was.

Something brushed her leg then her foot, frightening her as she curled up and looked down. It was more then a shadow, there were many of them reaching up and swimming underneath when suddenly she felt her back and butt touch something odd and furry. Felix turned his head, alarmed and accidentally losing what little air he had held in as they were pushed upwards fast when-

Splash!

Felix coughed what little water had settled in his throat while Dimyri gasped for air and fell back. Looking up, she saw they were now on the front side of the waterfall and fell victim to such a wonderful view from this angle. Where they jumped was hidden behind somewhere, but from the front there were plenty of beautiful flowers and branches with nearby nests decorated next to the fall, with the mountain consisting of nothing but lush green. Not to mention the amount of mist accumulated at the bottom made for a fresh feel of air touching the skin, a feeling which Dimyri welcomed to her new senses.

Wait, what was keeping them afloat?

Felix felt someone patting his back, encouraging him to hack up any leftover water residue from his lungs. Someone was holding him from his right, no wait it was his left? Actually, it was two people helping him from both sides, as well as his legs so in actuality it was four? Someone was helping him swim, that much he understood, however it became clear whom when his saviors accompanied him with several high pitched squeals and giggles as there tails brushed against his chest and ass.

"Ay! Git yer hanz of 'em, git yer own lad!" He heard the familiar accent not too far behind, she must have jumped soon after they did. With several groans, the cat girls nodded and helped Felix to the edge of the riverbank. He scooted up towards the ledge when Nyitzcha swam up toward him in all her nude glory, her orange hair floating around her like a jellyfish until she climbed out and patted his leg.

"Ye breathin'?" Felix nodded, clearing his throat. "Das good, das good. Can't have mey property go to waste 'n all that, ay?"

Felix scoffed and pushed her away as she snickered. Dimyri who had been leaning back until now looked up to see Alma glance back and smile, with several other Nekomata's keeping Dimyri afloat.

"You were scared?"

Dimyri nodded when Alma rubbed her forehead, keeping her head above water with both hands.

"You've swam before now, why is this any different?"

"You know why." Dimyri sighed, slapping the water with her hands and feet. "It's not the same, it's like being in a different body with different controls."

"And how do you expect to adapt when you whine constantly?" Dimyri frowned much to the other's delight. Surrounding her were several familiar faces, Nekomata's whom she recognized from a past life before the ambush were smiling back at her and keeping her afloat. Each girl held her from limb to limb with Alma cradling her head. "You see them now?"

"Hey Dimy."

"Dimy!"

"Hehe, welcome back!"

The fourth girl shyly waved with a blush and smile, receiving a gentle tussle of her hair from one of the other girls.

Dimyri swallowed and nodded. "Yea, I see them. Hey girls, gosh I missed you guys."

"We missed you too!"

"Okay girls, shush shush. This is a lesson, the reunion will have to wait." Alma's words kept the girls behaved with Dimyri feeling a tad annoyed. Alma stroked her soaked hair as the Nekomata brought her eyes back to her. "On the count of three, we will be letting go and you will keep on your back. Try to stay above the surface."

"I can't-"

"Shush, just try. One, two, three."

Dimyri felt the weight holding her up suddenly give as her legs and arms began to submerge. Water began to cover her ears, hindering her hearing as she began to breathe fast. How were water getting to her ears so soon, she bit her tongue as she was reminded that her ears were now at the side of her head rather than the top. No tail to keep her balanced, her hands lacking the strength of her paws meant they waved with no clear direction and suddenly she breathed in a bit of water as she sunk under.

Alma quickly held her head up as the other girls helped lift Dimyri back, letting her cough and regain her breath.

"I can't, I-I can't swim like this!"

"Sure you can, you just need to try." Alma calmly replied.

"I'm sorry, I really can't! It's-It's too hard!"

"Sshhhhhhhh, if your body can't swim then how can I?" Alma patted her head. "Try to relax, clear your head and calm yourself."

"What? I just want to get clean-"

"Cleaning later, lesson time!" Alma snapped, closing her eyes and breathing in. "Close your eyes and count to ten. When you're done you do it again. Slowly, count in your head with me. One. Two. Three."

Dimyri sighed, resigning herself and leaning back into Alma's gentle hands as she tried to keep up with her counting. True to her word, once she reached ten Alma would start again from one. This happened three more times until Dimyri felt her muscles loosen and her body begin to enjoy the feeling of being carried by the riverbank.

"You're relaxed, that's good. Keep your eyes closed, focus on the feeling surrounding your new body. Describe it."

"It's calm, warm, kind of soothing." Dimyri said, feeling the gentle current ripple against her toes and fingers. Was this how it was for Dad, and for Felix as well? This strange touch to her digits and tingle of water splashing against her ears, it felt so different, so foreign to her. A feeling she tried her best to comprehend like a drug she could not get enough of somehow.

Something was off when she realized how weightless she felt. Turning to her side and opening her eyes, she saw the girls had all let go and were watching her float on her own. Through shock, she felt her panic start to rise as she tensed up, feeling the water levels overcome her arms and legs once more. Just like before, her friends helped her back above water keeping her to the surface again.

"What's the matter, did you get scared?"

"A little, yea. Why didn't you tell me?"

"You don't need me to, you were doing well on your own. When you relax, you can conquer whatever obstacle comes your way. Should you find yourself overwhelmed, look to your loved ones for guidance and assistance."

Her friends giggled and cheered her on, each of the four helping Dimyri from sinking under.

"Your mother and I, neither leader can protect their family alone. A family suffers without their protector just as much as a protector finds themselves overwhelmed without their family. It's not about doing it all, just doing your best."

Dimyri stared into Alma's eyes with a worried look. "What if my best isn't good enough?"

"It's good enough for me." Alma smiled, "We will be letting go now, remember what I said. Control yourself, clear your mind, isolate your worries."

"Isolate my worries, clear my head." Dimyri whispered, closing her eyes. I can't fall under, I won't. If I do, they'll help me again. Don't be scared, please don't be scared.

"Hey, she's-!"

"Shhhhhhh, stay quiet."

"Oopsie."

Dimyri kept counting in her head, repeating those words inside. I can overcome this, I can manage on my own. And if I can't, I'm never alone. Someone was holding their breath, others were gasping and shaking their paws in excitement, creating small ripples in the water. As her ears slowly submerged, she could hear a new flow of sound underneath. The soft hum of water crashing down from the waterfall several meters away, the rhythm of paws swinging back and forth to keep themselves floating, the way the current flowed along the jungle without struggle or conflict.

It was peaceful somehow, finding herself laying back and in control, not a worry or doubt corrupting her mind. It was a familiar giggle that forced Dimyri to open her eyes to catch Felix clapping and giving her a thumbs up. He was leaning against the edge to keep himself up, smiling for her.

"Go Dimyri!"

With his shouting, the other girls followed and cheered for her as well. Alma was smiling, helping Dimyri up and holding her arms.

"Now that you've made the first step it is time to take the next. Time to teach you how to swim."

"Swim?" Dimyri felt butterflies crashing in her tummy. Felix smiled when a small hand fell on his thigh as Nyitzcha smirked back at him.

"Ah think ay can teach dis one, lass."

"You want to teach her to swim?" Alma asked in shock.

"Er and 'im as well." She answered, patting Felix's leg.

"Me?"

"Yes you! I ain' havin' no hubby who can't carry me when I'm sinkin', ye heard what she said! How's I s'posed to expect ye to hold me when ye can't hold yerself?"

Felix groaned as the other girls snickered and laughed at them both, splashing each other and playing in the water. Suddenly another splash fell beneath the waterfall, and soon enough Spi'Reto swam up and wiped his soaked hair back.

"Sorry for the delay, what did I miss?"

Alma rolled her eyes and splashed her son in response.