Here we are, the last update of 2016. I must take this time to apologize to my readers about how slow on the updates I've been. 2016 has been quite the year for me. I wish there was an option that I could write for this site full time, but unfortunately I have to prioritize the things that will make me money (either now or in the future) because life isn't cheap.
On top of that, I've hit a few spots of high stress and what I suspect to be mild depression (at worst mind you). Thankfully there are some funny YouTubers out there who helped keep me sane. Am I exaggerating? Possibly, but that will probably happen when you work a job, take college courses (multiple at a time), and are trying to figure out what you want to do with your life.
But enough of me rambling about the low points of my year, lets point out a few positive things about the future. For example, now that I've adjusted more to being thrown into college, I should (theoretically) have more time for updating this stuff...that is unless I get inspiration to work on one of the other fifteen ideas in my head. In short, I have an entire book series planned out in my head, I'm working out the plot and details for a web show, and you might soon be able to find me on other media platforms (YouTube).
So, yeah, I guess that was my 2016 update. I'm sorry it's a long author's note, but I felt you guys deserved to know after being so patient with me all year. So, to paraphrase one of said YouTubers:
Onwards! To STORY!
Chapter 8: Dead Halfwits Tell No Tales
It would seem that nothing was going to go Rika's way during their stay in Shinjuku. This started to become obvious as she and Takato returned to the ship, where there was some kind of commotion. Rika quickened her pace as she heard one of her crew berating a trespasser on the ship, although it sounded more desperate than violent. When Rika got the deck of the ship she stopped in her tracks as she found out what the commotion was about.
"Ma'am how many times am I going to say this, you can't be on this ship!"
"Don't be ridiculous young man. I have every right to see my granddaughter," the older lady replied.
"GRANDMA!" Rika shouted in shock, causing all eyes and head to turn towards her.
"Oh Ruki!" Seiko exclaimed as she made her way towards the startled captain. She didn't look like someone who just found their long lost granddaughter, more like someone arriving at a long expected reunion. She embraced the feared pirate in a suffocating hug, which just turned Rika's mind to mush as she tried to figure out if this was a dream or not. The older lady then held her at arms length and examined her, "Look at how much you've grown. And what a beautiful young lady you've become."
She then turned to the goggle wearing man standing awkwardly behind her, not quite sure how he should react. He had never seen Rika so flustered. Unfortunately things were about to get worse for him as well.
"Oh, aren't you the Matsuki's boy. I occasionally get bread from their store. Well, at least I know a decent man is looking after my granddaughter."
"Grandma, what are you-? Why are you-? How did you-?"
Off to the side, an amused Henry and a confused Jeri watched as the peculiar encounter unfolded before them. Henry couldn't hold back the smile on his face as he watched the dreaded pirate captain become more flustered than Takato trying to talk to a girl. He wondered if there was a way he could use this against Rika the next time she tried to boss them around.
Jeri on the other hand had absolutely no idea what was going on. She didn't exactly know what she expected the dreaded Rika Nonaka to look like, but she didn't expect her to look so pretty. Granted, the redhead did a good job hiding her beauty, giving off an air of dread that would cause most to look away. But even dressed like a boy she couldn't hide all the features that made her attractive.
The second thing she had not expected was for the captain's entire attitude to be thrown out the window by an elderly lady, though from what she gathered it seemed that said lady was her grandmother. This of course, only confused her more since she hadn't even know the Pirate Empress was from Shinjuku. She was pretty sure information like that would easily pass through her father's tavern, seeing as it was the main hub of information and rumors on the island.
"Oh Ruki, you didn't think I wouldn't be able to make the connection, did you? You disappear suddenly and shortly after a pirate girl with fire-red hair starts becoming famous across the seas. You always were ambitious, even if you were subtle in how you showed it when you were younger. As for your ship, I was having a nice stroll through town when I spotted you by the harbor. I recognized your signature eyes and hair. Before I could say anything though you wandered off and I lost you in the crowd, so I figured you had to come in on the only unfamiliar ship at the docks."
Rika's out of character stuttering halted as her eyes widened in fear. Forget that her grandmother had almost snuck up on her without her noticing. If her grandma made the connection, did that mean her mother knew as well? Was her grandmother going to go tell her that her daughter had returned home? Was that quick getaway from earlier all for naught?
She could see it now, her mother racing on board and demanding that she put on a dress. She'd probably drag her home and place her under armed guard twenty-four seven. Then she would probably throw some obnoxious party with rich and snobby guests to celebrate her return. Knowing her mother, she'd probably even find a way to spin the whole Pirate Empress image in her favor.
"Does Mo-, Rumiko, know about me being here?" She questioned nervously, doing her best to keep what remained of her stone cold expression. The first answer she received was a sympathetic look from her grandmother.
"No, no she doesn't. I know she can be difficult and that that was the reason you left. It wasn't easy, not telling her you were alive. She hasn't been the same since you left, it was worse than when your father disappeared."
Rika mulled the words over in her head as she chewed her bottom lip. She could see the unspoken question in her grandmother's eyes. She steeled herself by taking a breath and crossing her arms over her chest.
"I'm not going back to her," she stated flatly. "If I go back she'll just become even more possessive and try to change me into something I don't want to be."
Seiko breathed a sad sigh as she accepted her granddaughter decision. "Very well. I can't say your judgment is unfounded." She then began to make her way to the gangplank that led off the ship. She placed a hand on the railing as she paused and turned back to the pirate captain. "But I would request that you ask yourself; is a feared pirate what you truly want to be?" She then turned to Takato. "Please take care of my granddaughter."
Takato gave her a nod, "I promise. Nothing will harm Rika while I'm around."
He knew Rika probably didn't like that idea of him protecting her, but he didn't have the heart to tell the older lady otherwise. He couldn't imagine how worried she had been for her granddaughter these past years. It was one thing to assume someone dead, but to know they were alive yet were in the face of danger on a daily basis, that was something else.
A small but sad smile grew on Seiko's face as she resumed her walk. "Good. I don't think I could choose a better boy to be my granddaughter's boyfriend."
There was a moment of silence as both Takato and Rika's faces turned beat red. Rika fought back the urge to scream that it wasn't true to her grandmother. However, she didn't want to crush what might have been one of the only bright spots of the day for the older lady. That…and something else. When she actually thought about the idea, it didn't seem that foreign to her. Of course she still wasn't going to admit that out loud.
The silence was broken by Rika's footsteps as she turned around to address her crew.
"So what's the status on getting the ship repaired," she questioned the one she put in charge of the project.
"They said it will take a few days to get the necessary items to repair the ship, then a few more for the actual repairs. So we're looking at a week at least, possibly two at most."
Rika sighed in frustration and raised a hand to rub her chin as she pondered the information. They would be stuck here for at least a week, which meant she had to dodge attention for a week. She could probably hide in her cabin that entire time. She didn't mind cooping herself up in there most of the time, she just didn't like the idea of being forced to hide in there. She wasn't very keen on the idea of hiding anywhere to be honest.
"Fine, just get it done as quickly as you can. I want to be out of here as soon as-" she paused as she finally noticed a girl standing next to Henry. It was the same girl that she had seen with the two boys earlier that day. Rika made sure to address Henry with a scowl. "Who is this and why is she on my ship?"
Henry was unfazed by the Pirate Empress as he calmly explained, "This is Jeri. She's an old friend of ours and she wanted to see the ship. I didn't figure it would cause any harm so I gave her a tour."
Rika fixed a glare at Jeri to see how she reacted. She 'eeped' and jumped a little but still stood her ground instead of hiding behind Henry. She didn't seem like the strongest person, but at least she was trustworthy. She knew Henry's sense of judgment was usually pretty sound, even if she didn't care to admit it. The last thing she needed was to give him more things to hold over her head.
"Fine, but if you tell anyone about me, I'll have Renamon hunt you down and feed you to the sharks." She half-threatened before turning in the direction of her cabin and started to walk towards it. "If you need me for anything I'll be in my quarters. It's starting to get late."
Once she had entered her cabin the rest of the crew got back to work so that repairs could go faster. Jeri and Henry walked over to stand by Takato, who was still staring at the door to the captain's quarters. Jeri had been watching his facial expressions during the conversation with Rika's grandmother and decided to be a little evil, knowing his reaction wouldn't fail to please her.
"So is she actually your girlfriend?"
Rika closed the door to her quarters before taking off the hat and coat she had been wearing all day. She hung them on some hooks next to the door before turning towards her desk. She was met with the sight of a certain devilish creature sitting upon it; a pest that she only then noticed had been (pleasantly) absent all day.
"So, ya think ol granny's gonna rat ya out." Impmon asked as he chewed an apple.
"Out of everyone in my family she is the one I trust the most. Besides, she's apparently been keeping my secret for six years. I think the real question is where have you been all day?" Rika crossed her arms as she scowled at the little monster in front of her.
"Me?" Impmon replied innocently while placing a hand on his chest for emphasis. "I've been hangin out in here all day."
"Really?" Rika raised an eyebrow in questioning. Impmon was a well established troublemaker. It was hard for her to believe that he would just sit and do nothing all day long. This seemed to insult the little purple demon.
"Look, you're my only guaranteed ride off this rock, and I don't intend to be caught right under the nose of people who wouldn't give a second thought to killing me."
"Well look at that, you do have a brain afterall," Rika quipped with a smirk on her mouth.
"Hey! Careful, I ain't afraid to Badda' Boom ya right here." He exclaimed, standing up and lighting a fireball in his hand. However, a certain kitsune phased into existence behind him and lifted him by his tail, the fireball extinguishing in his hand as he panicked.
"Ahh! Hey put me down will ya! I was just joking, honest!"
With a nod from Rika, Renamon put Impmon down. Well, "dropped" would be the more appropriate word. The imp then picked himself up and dusted himself off (even though there wasn't any dust) and readjusted the bandana on his head.
Rika then addressed him as the absence of another small nuisance came to mind.
"Speaking of little troublemakers, do you know where Calumon is?"
"Wha? Well, how should I know dat? The little puffball probably got lost in the cargo below deck. That is if he isn't playing with those other two down there."
Getting lost was certainly a possibility. She remembered that the little guy would seemingly disappear then reappear at random. He didn't cause too much trouble though, and throwing him overboard would be like kicking a lost puppy, it just couldn't be done.
"I doubt he's playing, there would be more laughing from below deck if that was the case. You might as well make yourself useful and go see if you can find him. If he isn't below deck then see if he's wandered around town. Just be careful not to get spotted, I don't need any more trouble than I already have."
"Fine, I was getting bored in here anyway," Impmon half complained as he got up to leave.
Rika sat down in her chair and began twirling one of her cards between her fingers. As she stared out the window, grey storm clouds had quickly gathered overhead and she spotted a flash of lightning in the distance. A surprisingly fitting mood to represent her mind as she recalled the words of her grandmother.
"But I would request that you ask yourself; is a feared pirate what you truly want to be?"
Did she want to be a pirate that was feared by all? When she was younger, she had dreamed of having adventures on the sea. Finding treasure. Challenging new foes. Becoming the best. Pirate just seemed to be the choice that best fit the description. She probably could have joined some Navy, but then she would have to take orders and follow rules.
However, it hadn't been quite as fulfilling as she thought. Everyone was scared of her, regarded her as some kind of demon, which in turn made her the odd girl out even amongst pirates. While it was a position that she relished holding, it meant isolation for the most part. Years ago that would have seemed like the ideal life to her, but recently she had secretly been craving for something…more. She didn't want to become a social icon, but she had grown tired of being alone. It was a feeling that was hard for her to describe.
She had never been in it for the riches, even when starting out. She was the daughter of a governess so wealth had never been a problem for her. The only treasure she sought was Shibumi's, if only to be the first to uncover the mystery behind it.
She had wanted Renamon to get stronger, but that never seemed to happen. That is, until she met her two newest crew members and their Digimon. It was only because of those two that she broke the isolated shell she had lived in for so long. She still lived in the ruins, that was never going to change overnight, but she was a little more open to the idea of letting people in. Or at least, let one person in.
"I don't think I could choose a better boy to be my granddaughter's boyfriend."
Maybe there was a treasure that she desired after all.
Several days later, Takato was helping the crew bring supplies onto the ship. He had been ordered by Rika to stay close to the ship and away from people who could identify him easily. Thankfully Jeri had been keeping him company by dropping to check up on him and Henry every day. During the first few days she had brought them up to date on everything that had happened on Shinjuku. She also always brought some baked goods in a basket, and if her pattern was any indicator then she would show up in a few-
"Hello Takato."
Startled, Takato dropped the crate of supplies onto his foot. While it wasn't heavy enough to break anything, it still hurt like the one time a Demidevimon bit him. He yelled in pain and reached down to rub his aching foot, hopping precariously on one leg to greet his friend.
"Jeri! Did you have to scare me like that?"
She just smiled as she replied, "Well, I thought that since you've been sailing with a big scary pirate captain, that there was no way you'd be startled by little old me."
When his foot was feeling better, -or numb to the pain at least-, Takato finished his work and sat down with Jeri on the ship's railing. As they ate their meal Takato continued to retell their adventures to Jeri. Just as he got to the part about Guilmon digivolving, Rika emerged from her cabin.
"Oh, hi Rika!" Jeri exclaimed, interrupting Takato from his story. After their initial encounter the two girls seemed to get along… decently at least. Rika became a little less negative of the girl after Henry confided in her that Jeri's mother had died when she was young. Having lost a parent herself, albeit to different circumstances, Rika could sympathize with the girl, and thus decided to be a little nicer to her.
Just then, all three of them heard some of the crewmates talking about something.
"Is it just me or do these barrels seem odd?"
"Yeah they do. Here, give me a hand with this."
The trio turned to see the two lift up one of the barrels and give it a good shake. The lid instantly broke off and out spilled a young man with black hair and wearing a pair of glasses. He landed on the back of his shoulders which left his legs hanging in the air. The two pirates continued with the second barrel and out crashed another man with spiked up brown hair.
"Kenta? Kazu?"
The two boys looked towards the source of the familiar voice and saw their old goggle-wearing friend.
"Hah! See Kenta, I told you Chumley was alive, and hanging out with pirates no less. Gotta say Takato, I didn't think you'd have the guts."
Rika turned to glare at the man next to her. "Friends of your's?"
Takato scratched the back of his head nervously. Out of everyone on Shinjuku, these two were admittedly the last he wanted Rika to meet. Mostly because he didn't want their deaths on his conscience.
"Yeah, we're his friends," Kazu declared as he and Kenta got up from the deck. "I'm Kazu and he's Kenta. What's your name hot stuff?"
Takato's nervous grin dropped off his face and if someone just tapped him he would crumble into a thousand pieces. An immediate sense of dread filled his gut as Rika's glare got redirected to the brown haired delinquent. If Kazu didn't watch his mouth, the next female he'd be hitting on would be a shark.
"What did you just call me?"
"Hot stuff. Ya know, very pretty. As in, 'you wanna go out some time?'" What are you the captain's maid or something?"
Takato had half a second to get between the two as Rika quickly drew her pistol and leveled it at Kazu's head, which was now blocked by his own. He raised both hands in a peaceful gesture to try and calm the situation down. Sweat began to form on his forehead as his mind struggled to come up with the right words to defuse the bomb in front of him.
"L-Let's not be impulsive Rika. We don't want to do something we'll regret. Heheh."
"Takato!" Kazu whispered in his ear. "What are you doing? That crazy girl has a gun aimed at your head."
"That 'crazy girl' is Rika Nonaka you numbskull." Takato sneered at him. Both Kazu and Kenta reeled back, both due to the name that had been dropped and that this was the first time Takato had been outwardly aggressive to them.
"Look Rika, I know these two can be a little dimwitted-"
"Hey!"
"But if you shoot them we'll only be drawing attention to ourselves. I mean, they aren't the most liked guys in town but people will notice the lack of mayhem if they just disappear."
Rika considered Takato's words while still keeping the pistol aimed at his head, or rather the halfwit behind it. He was correct; it would be suspicious if these two suddenly disappeared. Plus, with them being the only strangers currently on Shinjuku they would be the most likely suspects. So, much to her displeasure, she would have to keep the two alive…for now.
Takato breathed a sigh of relief as Rika placed the pistol back in her belt. The glare on her face remained however. He just hoped he could convince his two friends to not get on their bad side while they were still there.
"Fine, but they better not rat us out. Otherwise they'll be the first on my kill list," she threatened menacingly.
"Don't worry, I'm sure they won't cause us any trouble."
"That's good," she replied smugly, before poking a finger at his chest. "Because you're the one who gets to babysit them until we leave."
With that she left the four friends to go oversee the first repairs on her ship. Kenta backed away from her as she passed him. Meanwhile, Jeri finished packing up the remains of her and Takato's lunch. She joined back up with the two delinquents and an exasperated Takato and stood to the side of them.
"So, you guys want to do anything?"
"Why don't we discuss how Chumley got a the Pirate Empress as a girlfriend?"
"Why does everyone keep insinuating that!?"
One Week Later
Rika stood at the helm of her ship as she looked out on her newly repaired ship. The main mast had been replaced along with some new sails. Any burnt floor boards had been replaced as well and she even managed to replace the cannons she had lost. Now they had enough in their inventory to last them at sea. The only thing they truly needed was a heading. Henry had been working on the next clue, but apparently it had been encrypted with a difficult cipher that he needed to figure out. He had suggested that they stay until he figured out a heading, but she thought they had overstayed their welcome already. Every day they stayed raised their chances of getting caught.
"Captain," shouted one of her crew from the deck below. "Supplies are all topped off and we're ready to get underway."
"Very well, tell everyone to get ready to set sail."
Rika looked out over the main deck of the ship. She saw her crew all hustle to their stations as they got ready to cast off. She then spotted Takato talking to Jeri on the gangplank. What really caught her attention was the large backpack on Jeri's shoulders. She made her way towards them to figure out what was going on. As she got closer she started to pick up parts of their conversation.
"Jeri are you sure you want this? What about your dad?"
"Takato, I'm not ten anymore. I can take care of myself."
"What's going on here?" Rika interjected.
Takato started to say something but Jeri quickly cut him off.
"Can I go with you guys on your adventure?"
Rika raised en eyebrow at the girl in skepticism. She wasn't entirely sure this was a good idea. Jeri was more courageous than she looked, but she wasn't sure the girl was ready for the kind of danger they'd be facing. Plus, there was one other issue…
"Like Takato said, what about your father? My reputation is notorious but it doesn't include kidnapping, and I don't care to add it to my list anytime soon."
"Wait, you're against kidnapping?" Takato questioned in shocked surprise. "Then what do you call the first time we met?"
"A blackmailed business arrangement, and if you recall I was originally going to kill you."
Takato opened his mouth and raised his hand to object, but she could see the gears turn in his head before clicking the memory into place. He instantly deflated with a defeated sigh. He mumbled a short concession that she could barely make out before the two of the turned back to Jeri.
"My dad said it was alright. So can I go please," she pleaded, giving Rika her signature puppy dog eyes.
*sigh* "Fine, you can come along."
"Hey, not without us!" a voice Rika had unfortunately become familiar with shouted from below. Rika looked around Jeri to see Kazu and Kenta running up the gangplank. "We're not letting you have all the fun and riches."
"Why in the seven seas would I bring you two along?"
"Because if you don't then we'll go tell Hypnos who you are," Kazu declared proudly. Kenta looked unsettled; clearly the idea of blackmailing the Queen of the Seven Seas didn't sit well with him. Kazu, on the other hand, was either very brave or very stupid. "And you can't kill us because that would only tip them off anyway!"
Rika gritted her teeth and scowled at the two. Mostly because they were right, which meant this was the second time she'd be blackmailed into adding people to her crew. If they told Hypnos, they wouldn't make it very far before the organization's faster ship caught up to them and slowed them down enough for their heavy hitters to surround them. If she killed them, then that would tip them off anyway. It might take a while for the bodies to wash up on shore, but they were deep in enemy territory. Plus, if the next clue should lead them further in, then she would rather not have the entire Hypnos fleet on her tail.
"Fine," she conceded through her teeth. "But you have to follow my every order, understand."
The two men shouted in glee and high fived each other. They acted like they had just pulled one over on her, but Rika had a plan unfolding in her head. She would probably have them scrape barnacles off the hull, and then as soon as they were far enough out, she'd leave them on some island to starve. Although, that would mean she'd probably have to put up with protests to such action from the others. She'd have to see how much the two annoyed her. For now though, she'd help Jeri get settled in.
"Come on Jeri, let's get you set up in my quarters. No reason for you to have to share sleeping space with these numbskulls."
Rika recruited Renamon to help them set up a hammock in the captain's quarters. While Renamon was finding a spare hammock from below deck, the two girls were busy moving some furniture around. They heaved a small wardrobe that housed some of Rika's extra coats and weapons into a corner so they could hang the in front of where it stood. Rika then stepped up on a footlocker so she could hammer some heavy nails into two of the support beams above. She placed them far enough away from the wall that Jeri shouldn't swing into the wall while she was sleeping.
"So Rika," Jeri started to question hesitantly. "Why did you just let me join you guys? After all, it's not like I proved myself or anything."
"Well," Rika started as she got down from the footlocker and replaced it by the foot of her bed on the opposite side of the room. "I guess I see a little of myself in you."
"You do?"
"Yeah, we both know what it's like to lose a parent." Rika could sense Jeri tense up at the mention of that. She knew from experience that the topic was a sensitive one. "Henry informed me, probably to make sure I didn't say anything wrong by accident."
"What happened to your father?" At the very mention of him Rika froze. "I never really cared about Governor and Governess sort of things, but now that I think about it, I've only heard about your mother. Then your grandmother mentioned something about him 'disappearing.'"
"He's gone," was all she said, and in a tone that told Jeri to drop the subject. While she had technically been the one to bring it up, she had underestimated Jeri's inquisitiveness. In truth she didn't really know what had actually happened to her father. He was dead for all she knew and that was all anyone else needed to know.
Just then Renamon appeared in the room, startling Jeri, with a hammock in her arms. With Rika's help, she hung it from the nails and stepped aside to let Jeri test it out. The girl cautiously sat in the hammock, when she determined that it would hold her weight she laid down in at and relaxed.
"So how does it feel?" Renamon asked.
"Ah, it feels like sleeping on air."
"Well don't get too comfortable," Rika spoke up, an amused smirk on her face. "We still need to get the rest of your stuff put away. I'm pretty sure there should be enough room in the wardrobe for your stuff and mine."
Jeri then put on a pouty face as she got up.
"Oh fine. But as soon as we're done I need you to do something." She declared pointing at the pirate captain. Rika kept her amused smirk and raised an eyebrow in curiosity as she folded her arms over her chest.
"And what would that be?"
"Tell me if there is anything going on between you and Takato or not?"
"Oh for Shibumi's sake!"
Rika had had a long talk between herself and Jeri to convince her there was nothing going on between her and Takato. Eventually the young woman had given up to Rika's stubbornness, though she didn't seem convinced. Part of her felt like she was lying to the girl, even though there wasn't actually anything going on.
"But there could be." A small voice seemed insistent on nagging her from the depths of her mind. She tried to shake it out, but the sentence still lingered in her head. She managed to push away though as she gave the order to set sail.
At her command they had started to sail away from their home island. Rika deciding that the timing couldn't have been better; storm clouds had been forming over the heart of Shinjuku for a few days now. In the back of her mind she hoped everyone would be alright, the clouds were so thick that the sky was nearly black.
"Let's hope we can outrun this storm," Henry commented from her side on the aft of the ship. "I'd prefer to not have a repeat of the last time we sailed through one of those."
"Mm," Rika grunted in agreement. She had some experience sailing in bad weather, but it was still dangerous business. If the storm was half as bad as it looked, they'd have their work cut out for them.
It was then that something strange happened. The wind suddenly picked up and nearly blew a few pirates overboard. The canvas sails flapped violently in the hurricane force winds as an eerie purple fog fell over the island and surrounding waters. Rika used her arm to shield her eyes from the wind as she turned her gaze back to Shinjuku, instantly recognizing the signs of a digital field forming. Her eyes widened as she saw a bright green vortex forming in the sky above the central mountain of Shinjuku and a dark purple glow started to emanate from the clouds that surrounded it. She had never seen a digital field like this before in all her years of fighting Digimon.
Looks like they weren't going to leave Shinjuku just yet afterall.
There you all go, one more chapter to end the old year. Happy New Years everyone!
