Chapter Text
The trip to the mysterious island of the sea witch lasted only for one more day. But with the addition of Meister’s brothers, it was a more enjoyable trip. The wave rider was tied, without causing damage, to Ricochet and Stepper’s larger catamaran type boat. It gave them all a larger surface area to move around, the twins enjoyed it and wore themselves out exploring the larger vessel.
It was too bad that they did, during their nap Prowl was able to see an interesting Polyhexian deep sea fishing technique. He had been curious when he saw that the three brothers had been watching the water, and then getting excited when there was a commotion in the water. They chirped and chittered back and forth pointing to the white capping churning water. Prowl didn’t know what was so exciting, until something burst out, or a group of something.
“Rico, get the nets!” Stepper ordered grabbing his own set of harpoons.
The red poly whoop snatching the mesh bundle before leaping over the railing and into the murky water. Stepper wasn’t far behind him and he gave Meister and Prowl a two-finger salute before jumping overboard. Prowl turns to his mate frowning in confusion.
The darker colored poly chuckles, “Remember the Spinner I brought ya to eat?”
“No.”
Meister blinked, “huh, guess I forgot to mention it. Whelp anywho, the ones doing all that churning over there is a ball of Leapers, small tiny fish that can fly somewhat. Normally tiny fish like to stay really close together to scare off bigger fish that want to eat them.” He explains.
“Ah,” Prowl mused. That made sense he remembered one of the humans talking about that for their science class. Or maybe it had been Hound, Prowl wasn’t sure who had mentioned it.
Meister nodded, “but some big fish got smart and uses that against them. They made them squish together even tighter, then shoot threw the ball.” He points to the mayhem, “The ones who use more are known as Spinners, really smart fish. Ya, see them sometimes rider a boat’s wake.”
“And Stepper and Ricochet are going to get some of those fish?” Prowl stared in wonder. “How?”
Meister squatted down in front of the Praxian. “we ride the Spinners into the ball,” he gives Prowl a fanged grin. “We grab on to the top fins and ride in using nets and harpoons, two to grab the small ones and a third to snatch the ones missed by the Spinners.”
“Is that why you haven’t joined them yet?”
“Yep, that and Spinners aren’t the only ones being attracted. Other big fish are down there larger and sharper teeth,” he gives Prowl reassuring smile. “Ma brothers are safe in the Spinner mob; the bad part is the area outside the mob.” He leaps up and grabs and spear, “That’s why I’m the one who stays on the outside.” He kisses Prowl on the chevron before flipping into the water.
Prowl struck dumb for a second raced to the railing and worrying stared into the water. He snaps his head up to the boiling water as more and more Spinners leaped into the air. He gapped as one had a cheering Ricochet on it with a fish in his hand.
The Praxian flop on the deck and sighed, “How is it that I get attached to wild mechs?” he mutters to himself, “My brother and carrier would never let me live this down.”
In fact, his carrier would have adored them, he would spoil the twins and tiny Jazz, and would non-stop asking if Prowl had more on the way. His brother and sire would like Meister, to a point, a point where they would threaten the poly and then set an example of all the horrible bad things, they could do to him should he stray. Remembering his lost family had Prowls doors drooping. He misses his carrier and sire so much now, there are so many things he wants to show them and ask them. Things that only his carrier could answer, things that his sire would have advice for. Now he only had memories that have been joined by a dozen or so more.
Shaking the malacology off, Prowl went back to watching the poly brothers enjoy themselves. It may be a hunting trip, but they were having fun with it. As if to prove it the next large Spinner bursting upwards had Stepper on its back waving his harpoon with three fish on it. It would be interesting to see just how many they catch. Thinking on it now, Prowl started looking more outside the churning water to see if he could spot any sign of Meister. He doesn’t see him, what he does see, however, are small fins slicing through the water. He thought it was the Spinners until one came by boat. Prowl clenched the railing when seeing the size of the dark colored fish. Sleek and streamlined, just like Meister and his brothers. Prowl had never seen something that could rival the size of Optimus and Megatron. He nervously tracks the fish then he made extra sure that his sparklings wouldn’t be rolling anywhere until the brothers were back on the ship. No fish would be munching on his twins.
It must have been two hours or so when the churning water calmed, and only minutes before Prowl saw the first signs of the brothers. First, a bag shot out of the water and landed right in his lap, it was soon followed by a small red poly. Prowl scowled at the young mech who after seeing why gave him a sheepish smile.
“eh, sorry about that,” he says scratching the back of his neck.
Stepper was the next one to jump out of the water followed shortly by Meister. Prowl was instantly by his mate checking him over. Stepper and Ricochet, happy that Prowl's attention was taken off him, watched on amused. Meister was too until Prowl prodded a tender spot on his right leg, he tried to keep the hiss from escaping but Prow heard it. Or to be more accurate his door wings heard it, he gave them a flick before forcing his mate to sit.
Meister indulged the door winger while at the same time glaring at his two snickering brothers. “If ya two are done and have nothing to do then you can feed us hard working mechs.”
Rico snickering turns away to prepare their meals. Stepper smiles at his grumpy older brother, he knew why his bro was acting like that, Meister wasn’t one to show his emotions much. Yet, around Prowl his older brother did everything he could not to hide. Stepper marveled at that before thinking of ways to tease his brother.
With his brothers distracted Meister turned his attention to Prowl. He sits silently watching his mate move around him patching small cuts then attending the abrasion on his leg. A Shok had gotten too close and its razor-sharp skin brushed against his plating. It was light compared to the other times he encounters a Shok, and it was a baby compared to the other times too. Truly nothing to fret over, but then again Prowl might not have been near deep waters where Shoks live, so what was tiny to Meister wasn’t to him.
“Prowl loves its nothing, really,” he gently grabs white hands. “It’ll be gone before sunrise.”
Prowl turn near bright optics up meeting a blue visor. “I did not think that there were creatures that big,” he said, “One was almost as long as the boat.”
“One came to the boat? Huh, they normally tend to avoid em.” He saw that the twins and Bob were snuggling tightly dead center of the two boats. “eh was most likely curious, believe it or not, they don’t really like the taste of us.” He saw Prowls disbelief, “Really, I swam in a school of em and not one took a nip out of me. That’s not to say that they won’t come after sometimes and that they don’t do a lot of damage. It is just it’s rare that it happens,” He tries to explain. “And some don’t even eat meat, the biggest eat plants.”
Prowl sighed, he was still not convinced but he would trust in what Meister said on the matter. He decides not the mention it again and instead turns the conversation on something else. “I see the fish that Ricochet and Stepper caught, but I don’t see that you caught.”
Meister preens when he picked up and dropped that biggest fish in the whole catch, “I caught this beauty, is why I got up close to a Shok. Eh was going after it but I caught it first,” he bragged.
Prowl while not liking having a wet wiggling flapping fish dump in his lap, did praise at the size of it. “It is big, I can guess that it wasn’t easy to wrangle and then fending off hungry predators.”
“Don’t go adding to his ego!”
“The boat can’t hold all that weight!”
The two brothers yelled, Meister growls and jumps after them. Prowl frowns at them, their roughhousing was rocking the boat and was waking the twins. When Sideswipe gave a sleepy chirp did Prowl move. With ease from vorns of rounding up trouble makers, Prowl separated the three brothers. Meister backed off before Prowl got close, his brothers, however, didn’t have the advantage he had. So, they did not notice Prowl until the Praxian grabbed them both and flung them nearly overboard.
“That is enough, look at the mess you made.” He says, he doesn’t yell but then he never needed to. “And you woke the twins,” he points to the still drowsy sparklings who were watching them curiously.
Bob was busy nuzzling them to take notice of the three chagrin adults. Though he did chitter at Prowl when he saw the mech one his feet. Prowl ignored him too busy chewing out the poly brothers. When he was done, he went over to the twins and fed them. He only had to swat the insecticon away once when the bug tried to sniff his stomach and chest. The rest of the afternoon the twins played and inspected the dead fish, sneaking one away to feed Bob. Ricochet saw but didn’t say a thing since it was from Stepper's catch. He even tossed one to the insecticon.
Stepper found the bug to be funny but annoying. He was funny when playing with the twins but annoying when the bug tried to steal more of his fish. He hissed at the bug when he got too close to his pile of cleaned fish and gutted crabs. Bob chirped back not fazed by the warning and before Stepper to lunge at him, Bod snatched a still living crab and scuttled away. The lighter colored poly growls at the retreating bug.
“brotha,” he quietly snarls at his eldest sibling. “I hate your sparklings pet.”
Meister, who was watching the twins and Prowl, snorts. “You're not alone in that,” he snickers. “not to worry bro, one fish ain’t going to be missed.”
“You're saying that but it isn’t your catch that he is stealing from.” Stepper snaps back, “either tie him up or keep him somewhere else.”
Meister sighs but he does try to corral Bob back over to the twins. The problem was Bob was ignoring him, everything Meister tried Bob wiggled and darted out of reach. The poly even tried to use Sunstreaker to entice Bob away from bugging his brothers. The insecticon didn’t take the bait, he was too busy being mesmerized by Ricochets pile of clean food. Taking a net Meister was ready to throw it over the bug, he had Sideswipe and Sunstreaker on each side. Just as they are about to launch the net, Bob moves. He moves over to Prowl who had only spoken softly, asking what Meister was doing.
Meister smiled, “Nothing love, just showing the sparklings how to correctly toss a net.” Prowl didn’t believe him for a second.
Bob trilled happily as he sat next to Prowl, plating fluffing out then settling as he got comfortable next to his new Queen. The hatchlings were strong, and his Queen had more soldiers to add to the hive and make more hatchlings.
Prowl, however, was unaware of the insecticons musings. Though he didn’t miss the fluff armor but dismiss it. He instead turns to another topic, “When will we reach the island?”
Meister stretches and shoos the twins over to his brothers, “we’ll be there before ya know it,” then he frowns not liking Prowls tense frame, “What worries you, love?”
Prowl hesitates for only a second before answering, “I have never felt so small and vulnerable as I do now,” He admits.
“Ah, yea the ocean will do that to those who fear it. But it also does that to those who respect it as well. A smart traveler realizes that he is not in control and respects the water. If it’s not respected, then the traveler never makes it home.” He explains rubbing between Prowls wings, “Btu the ocean loves the poly’s that call it home and carrier, the first poly came from the ocean.” He grins at his mate, “Just like the wind gave birth to your own tribe.”
“What?”
“Ya remember that story of the femme being lost at sea?” Meister tilted his head back. “Well, she was the first Polyhexian.”
He whistles for the twins to come back over. His brothers gave him questioning looks, he ignores them for now in favor of telling his new family his tribes history.
“Polaris could no longer step on land, this distressed her as she could no longer walk along with her brother. But her brother’s new family accepted her and her new appearance. Her brother was just happy to have his sister back after the sea took her away.
Having his sister nearby in the ocean also gave them protection from meeting the same fate. She would tow back any who got swept away by the current. She protected the younglings from being eaten by shore loving shoks. At night she would sing to the stars lulling the tiny village to sleep. But Stormrider could see that his sister, while happy to be home, was lonely. She could only be out of the water for short periods of time before being forced back in. Stormrider couldn’t join her in the ocean, he was the village leader and while he loved his sister, he couldn’t keep the loneliness away.
For years Polaris stayed near the village, she lived in a little cove that was protected from the rough waves of the bigger ocean. She was joined by playful sparklings and younglings and sometimes their carriers. She taught them how to swim and dive and fish, she even got some of the adults to learn. She watches as her brother’s tiny village grew, but that only made the loneliness more real. Each time she saw her brother, he was older, yet she still looked the same. The sparklings turned into younglings into adults having sparklings of their own.
Soon she was the one visiting her brother when he could no longer walk the short distance to the cove. She was waiting for him on a large rock with her tail in the water. Her niece was the new village leader and have different ideas about how a village should be run, plus she did not like Polaris that much for reasons the mer-femme was not sure. Soon Polaris was dodging new mechs and femmes from other villages and settlements. Even her cove was being overtaken by the new arrivals.
Then the orn came that her brother stopped coming to meet her. One of her other nephews, who was fond of her, was the one to tell he had rejoined the Well. Spark broken, Polaris cried out in sadness to the moon and stars. She asked her remaining family to let her see him one last time before they entomb her brother. The Niece refused stating that since Polaris had no legs then she was not family. The nephews however disagreed, they tried to carry the femme, but the tomb was too far inland. So, in a bit of deception brought their sire to her. Polaris cradle her deceased brother before handing his frame back, but her nephew refused. They told her to take the frame to the ocean so that she would not be alone.
Polaris took the frame of her brother and hid it in an underwater cave. She hung around the village for a few more years before being forced to leave. She swam North past large icebergs and ice then turned to swim far South, going up rivers into misty jungles. But she could find no mech or femme to call friend or lover. Until one trip up North, Polaris was caught in a fishing net while trying to free a young Spinner. It wrapped around her tail, her arms, her fins, and her neck choking her and keeping her from getting air. Her struggled to get free only entangle her more until she gave up. Letting out a mournful wail she limply hung there in the water slowly being choked to death.
Then she gasped as blessed air enter her intakes. Large hands lifted her out of the water and onto a boat. Above her was a large mech trying to cut her free of the net. Like her, he had a pair of audio horns but unlike her, he had a visor hiding her optics. When their optics met the loneliness, she felt vanished. It was like being in the presence of the sun and judging by the way the mech looked at her he felt the same. They spent the next long vorns happily together making lots of sparklings that either had tails or feet. A few could shift between the two.”
Meister grins, “They were the very first Polys, but again time moved slowly for Polaris and she watched as her spark mate aged without her, she watched as her sparklings grew and had families of their own. Though she was no longer alone in the water she couldn’t stay after her spark mate passed. So, with fond farewells, she left the Northern waters and went South and that is another story.” He finishes to the unhappy squawks of the twins and Prowls frown.
“That’s it?”
“Well, there are a lot of stories of Polaris and truth be told I don’t know all of them. Just a few,” he admitted. “I only know the first one and this one, though I don’t know all the details. Some could tell it better than me.”
The twins whined when there would be no more stories that day as Meister was needed to tend to the sails. Prowl kept them busy while the adults worked. When night fell Prowl was still away, it was a clear night and he marveled at the stars. It was soothing to see the stars while being rocked by the waves, with Meister warm body on one side and the twins on the other Prowl went gently into recharge.
It was like watching a vid, images that weren’t his flashed before his optics. He was underwater and for a moment panic trying to get to the surface. A strong current whisked him away before he even manages to get far. He saw creatures that shouldn’t be able to float with their size, tiny lights danced around him before scattering as gel-like floaters drift threw him. Prowl figured out that he was dreaming again since he hadn’t drowned. But what was this one about, usually any dreams he had had were about his past.
He got his answer when he was suddenly swarmed by mechs and femmes, all with tails. The gap at the multitudes of color and sound. They swam around him touching him, tugging his wings and poking his legs. Then another larger femme swam up to him, her touch was more intimate going places that Prowl did not like her touching. His frame responded to those touches by the time she moved away he was boiling, but something was different. He felt different, looking down he yelps in surprise. His legs were gone and what replaced them was a black-white spotted tail. His wings were no longer stiff but now floated behind him. his chevron was more swept back over his helm, and he felt ridges along his spine. But what really got him was that he was again heavily sparked.
He gapped at his middle that no longer held any armor but glowing soft scales then back to the large femme. But the water was empty for all life but him. a sucking sound had Prowl looking behind him before he was dragged back into the dark void. He kicked to get away, but the void swallowed him whole.
He woke with a yell and a concern Meister hovering over him. Prowl laid there panting hands feeling his frame for the changes he saw earlier.
Legs: check.
Wings: normal.
Chevron: Still pointy.
Middle: armored and flat.
No ridges or extra fins in sight. Once he realized that Prowl curled into Meister. The poly though confused let Prowl curl into him and rolled them both on their sides. The twins were thankfully still asleep, and his brothers were watching from a distance. They would jump in if they were needed, which judging how Prowl was in distress might be sooner then later. He flicked his horns their way and soon Stepper was behind him while Ricochet scooted the twins closer to Prowl and settle behind them. On some level, Prowl must have sensed them and soon fell back into a fretful recharge. This was different distress the Meister has seen so he could conclude that it wasn’t his mates past that upset him. he just hopes that Prowl will tell him when he woke.
“No worries bro, the healer will help him.” Ricochet said trying to help.
Meister nods but doesn’t respond.
The next day, had a promise of clouds and sun. if only the heavy fog would burn off first then Prowl could say it would be a nice day. But it wasn’t the fog that was making his wings twitch, it was the foreboding island surrounded by the dense fog that was making him edgy.
“Are you this is the place?” he turns to asks, Meister.
The poly, grinning like it was some inside joke, nodded, “yep.”
Prowl stared at him for a long time before turning back at the dark jagged rocky island. To be honest it looks like a gaping maw with jagged teeth ready to snap up any boat or mech dumb enough to get close. How were the brother's going to get not only Meister little boat threw that but their larger one as well. The water was boiling and white capping ready to smash their vessels against the rocks and drown them.
“Hey, Prowl!”
Prowl looks up at the sound of his name, Ricochet was swinging around on one of the ropes. He was smaller and lighter than his brothers so there was no fear of the mast snapping in half. The red poly lands next to Prowl without rocking the boat too much.
“What’s wrong?” he watched Prowl look back at the churning water. “Oh, that don’t worry we are not going through all that.” He smiles brightly, “Ya see there is a secret way to Windseer’s little encampment. Just watch the horizon.” He smiles more before Stepper barks at him. Ricochet barks something back and leaves Prowl alone.
“Watch the horizon huh?” he mutters to himself. Seeing as he wasn’t allowed to help steer the boats Prowl gathered the twins and sat on an improvised mesh hammock. The fog thickens as they got closer to the island and Prowl marvel at how the brothers maneuver without crashing into anything. It was only because he was watching that he first noticed a tiny light. And that light was moving, swing back and forth then it disappeared. Further down another light appeared bobbing, Prowl almost missed it but the brothers hadn’t and had turned the boat in the light’s direction.
That light disappeared as well and reappeared further down but this time it jumps to the side and races away. Prowl looks over his wing when Steppers chuckles and mutters something to Meister. Ricochet whispers something and the two moved to untie the two boats.
“the channel gets to narrow,” the red poly explains. “My waverider will be going first just in case Stepper’s Slicer gets stuck.”
“What are those lights?”
Rico grins, “The guilds.” He doesn’t explain more as he collapses the sails, “They help make sure that we don’t run aground and keep us on the right path.”
“So someone is in the fog leading you and you cannot see them?”
“Maybe who knows, never met them. Sire said that they are the sparks of those who haven’t joined the ancestors. Carrier said that the lights are protectors and if one meant to do harm would lead them astray.”
“I still say that they are just glowbugs!” Stepper yells, “and if you are done you can help me with this rudder!”
Ricochet rolls his optics, “yeah yea,” he winks at Prowl, “not like ya can’t do it on your own.”
Prowl watches them bicker before going back to the odd lights. He blinks as the light had multiplied, what was one now was five and all were swinging and darting in front of the boats. The two boats slowed but didn’t stop when they came to a split in the river, ‘When had they entered a river,’ Prowl wondered as they transferred the twins and bug over to the smaller boat.
“I thought we were still near the shoreline,” he admitted once Meister separated the two boats.
The darker poly smirks, “The fog can play tricks, many a mech and femme learn this the hard way and not all of them come out it alive. Which is why the lights are so important regardless of their source.” He gives Prowl’s door wing a tweak, “Make sure the little bitters don’t fall off, the water may be shallow, but we could accidentally run them over.”
Prowl nodded and scooted the two sparklings near the center of the boat. The two didn’t notice as they were mesmerized by the dancing lights. They trilled and squealed which seem to encourage the lights to dance more. Prowl tried to get a feel of the lights, he fanned out his doors seeing if he could get a signature. He too thought that it was just a swarm of glowbugs, so he wasn’t expecting the blip of a spark signature.
Once he felt the blip he peered into the fog, each time he looked at a light with his doors he got a spark blip. So, when he concentrated on one light in a break in the fog, he saw a darting mech shape shadow. But it was gone before the fog closed around it and before Prowl could get any details. He watched for more breaks in the fog to see if he could find more of the elusive mechs. Behind him, Meister smiled knowingly but stayed silent as he moves the small boat pass rocks and fallen trees. He knew of the lights and who caused them, he hadn’t told anyone because he likes having something over his brothers, not that they know it.
He, of course, kept watching on his mate to make sure that he didn’t fall overboard. While he wasn’t worried about his mate in the shallow water the threat of being run over by the boat was real. Rico’s waverider made feel like its hollow but what it was made of would cause damage if it hit a bot. knowing how sensitive those panels are, Meister didn’t want to find out if they could handle getting hit by Rico’s boat.
A shrill sound from the fog startle the twins and Prowl, and before Meister blinked Prowl was up and had a weapon out. Meister watched those wings and saw that they were fanned out and high up tense and strained. He left the rudder more focus on his upset spooked mate. He left Bob to tend to the twins until he calmed down their carrier.
He walks slowly up keeping himself in Prowls sight. “Prowl,” he whispers, “it’s okay it was just a welcome.” He held out his hand, “Mind putting the weapon away?”
Prowl stared at him like he wasn’t sure who he was, “Jazz? No, not Jazz, Jazz is gone.” A mournful keen followed and Prowls engine hiccupped.
“No not your Jazz, Meister remember? Your twins; my brothers…my mate?”
Prowl slowly lowered his weapon, “mate? Yes Meister,” he swayed. Meister was instantly next to him, “I am tired.”
“yea let’s put you next to your sparklings,” Meister took the weapon and tossed it out into the forest. He let the guardians deal with it and hoped that they wouldn’t take offense.
“Stay with me?”
“Yea sure, let me get our boat beached and I’ll stay with ya for however long ya want.”
Prowl nodded and curled around his shaken sparklings and before long Meister heard his ventilation’s even out and when he looked down all three were in recharge. Another whistle this time behind him, and he gave his brothers a wave to show everything was fine. To their watchers in the fog, Meister gave three short barks and the rest of their trip through the fog continued. The older poly knew that Prowl had a past, he heard enough of it form the mechs mouth, but he was foolish to think that the winged mech was over it. Today only proved that it was still there lurking waiting to jump out and ensnare his mate. Meister growls, he wasn’t going to let some phantoms take his mate away, he’ll make sure the Prowl knew that he was safe and will always be safe.
Up ahead, the cave the lead to the inner part of the island came into view. It was a system the tunnel through the mountain to the greener inners of the island. The outer parts of the island were rocky with little sand and green areas near the shoreline and only on the south side of the island. The rocky outside hid the green inside. A paradise most would say, there were other ways of getting in, but this was the most straight forward and safer. Most land mechs would never be able to get to it. Its why only those belonging to the Polyhexian tribes and some specially invited flyers knew where to find it.
Inside the cave, Meister waved at the light holders hanging on the walls. Here the waters were deeper and at one point bottomless. He wrapped his mate and twins so they wouldn’t roll overboard then brought all the sails down. From here on out he would be paddling the boat and he didn’t want the mast and sails to get damaged by the cave ceiling. The light carriers lit the way, giving him warm welcomes and surprise trills. The sounds echoed off the walls and he was surprised that the twins nor Prowl didn’t wake but he was thankful.
As he neared the end of the cave, he froze. Sitting like a queen in her boat manned by a fierce looking short-winged mech was Windseer, and she wasn’t looking happy.
“Evening healer,” Meister called.
“Young mech you have some explaining to do,” her old raspy voice rang out in the cave. “And it took you long enough to bring yer mate and bits here.”
“Sorry,”
She huffed, “Sorry he says. Well, come on I bet yer mate would rather wake to sunshine rather than dark walls.”
Meister nods and silently follows the small sea witch. The femme near raised them after their carrier passed and when their sire shortly followed. In Meister’s eyes, he and his brothers belong more to the sea witch’s tribe than their own. Politics, however, saw differently.
“Stop thinking on things ya can’t change, you’ll have enough to deal with in the coming days.”
“yes mam,” he said. He let go of the paddle long enough to check on Prowl and twins. He looks to find the femme watching him with an expression he couldn’t identify. “Sometimes wrong?”
She blinks, “No, just didn’t think I see those wings again. You have a lot of work to do young mech, he’s healing but the cracks are still there.”
“You can tell that without getting close to him?”
She nodded, the smirks, “I also can tell that those two with Jazz are going to be causing some trouble once they meet.” She turns away, “All your and your brother’s offspring will be nothing but trouble.”
Meister smiles, “heh don’t act like you don't like it, they’ll keep ya young.”
“We’ll see.”
The cave echoed with Meister’s laugh making his brothers curious. They came up beside him not touching but close enough to see that Prowl and the sparklings were sleeping and the healer was sitting up front. They look to Meister for an explanation, but their brother was not forthcoming with information. Use to his antics they dropped back behind him and would pounce on his once they docked. One thing was for sure, they knew that this visit to the sea witch’s home would be different than past times.