Chapter Twelve
Disclaimer: I don't own OP.
A/N: I'm still laughing about Axe. Go read kilnorc's review and you'll understand why.
Sitting against the door frame, Niri listened to the mindless chatter of the gaggle of girls that had been following her around. It wasn't until one of them burst into tears that she remembered why she was there and not shooting a few rounds at the range.
FLASHBACK
Tapping the Den Den Mushi, Niri leaned against a wall. "Yes?"
"Niri? Baron."
Rolling her eyes, she grinned. "Yes, Baron, how may I help you?" It still bothered her that a snail was looking at her without blinking.
"Your ship sets sail two days from now. Ever since you somehow graduated in two months, you've been immediantely set to transfer here to Tristram." Tristram, where she wanted to go because Baron was there. Niri looked down at her feet and nodded. "Be ready by then, and Niri?"
"Yes?"
"Congradulations, private."
"Thank you, sir." Tapping the snail twice, she heard it "hang up". "Creepy mollusk."
END FLASHBACK
Having already said her goodbyes to those who cared, she waited patiently for Sadie and Tashigi to save her from the now wailing group. Eating her last parfait, she smiled. Prelude can have her dessert back. "Hey, do me a favor? Tell Prelude that I'll see her around?" One of the girls nodded, bursting into loud, hysterical sobs. This is why my best friend is a guy.
"NIRI!" Looking up from the group, Niri let her eyes slide over to Sadie and Tashigi, both of them near tears. Slapping her forehead, she stood, only to get tackled to the ground. "I'm going to miss you, hun!" Sadie sobbed, burying her face in Niri's hair.
Patting her friend's back, Niri smiled weakly. "You'll see me again."
Sadie shook her head and sat up, pulling Niri with her. "No, I'm quitting. I'm going into entertainment." The now private looked at Sadie in the eye, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I know. It will keep me busy though, and out of trouble."
"And you, Tash?" Niri looked up at her friend as she adjusted her glasses. "What will you be doing?"
"I'm transferring to a different sector," Tashigi said, sniffling. "I just can't believe that you're leaving so soon! It feels like you just got here!"
Niri detangled herself from Sadie and stood, hugging Tashigi. "Tash, I've been here for two months and it's time for me to go." As Sadie stood, she smiled at them. "We'll always be friends, right?" The other two nodded. "No matter what, we have to remember that, always."
"Always."
"Always." The three of them held onto each other, crying silent tears.
A whistle was heard and the three of them walked to the docks, only pausing as Niri waved bye to the gaggle, listening to them break out into hysterical sobs. With her bag slung over her good shoulder, she gripped both of her friends' hands, ready to face another part of her life. Are you watching daddy? Are you proud? Boarding the dock, she waved bye to her friends, listening to the old woman's prediction. "Murder and a bloody hand. Watch your actions or you may suffer." What did she mean by that? Crazy old bird. "BYE GUYS! I LOVE YOU!" she shouted, watching as they waved back frantically. Gripping Axe's letter, she felt her heart tug as she left her friends. "I'll miss you guys."
-.-.-
Twirling her gun, Niri sat on the railing of the ship. It takes three weeks to get to Tristram, that is, if the wind was on their side and everything was running smoothly. Already, the ship's deck had holes in it as a warning to any who tried to pull anything with her. Lifting her face to the blowing wind, Niri sighed. Dressed in her bikini top and a pair of shorts, she stretched out on the railing, her eyes closed as she felt the sun's warmth cover her.
"Miss Zolaro?" Moving her head, she raised an eyebrow. "You have a call."
Rolling off the railing, she landed on her feet on the deck below her, walking in the room and tapped the Den Den Mushi, connecting the call from the snail upstairs to the one in front of her. "Niri speaking."
"Niri, Baron."
Grinning, she sat down and put her feet on the desk. "Yes, Baron, what is it?"
"Good, you're on your way. Listen, Niri, I need you to get something while you're in the market place," the Den Den Mushi said. Tilting her head, she made a noise. "I need you to pick up some rum. I'm all out."
Niri fell on her face before standing up to yell at the snail. "Baka drunk! Fine but don't expect me to get the expensive kind, unless you're willing to pay me triple the amount when I get there." Tapping the Den Den Mushi, she heard it "hang up" and close its eyes. "Now, where are we so I know how much time I have until then," she muttered to herself, grabbing a map and unrolled it on a table. "I wish I could read a map better than this, then again, I'm not a navigator." Chewing on her lip, she calculated how far she was from Tristram. A few weeks maybe?
Hearing a sound behind her, she turned her head and rolled up the map. "You're not supposed to be in here."
"Says you, cabin boy," she growled, glaring at the familiar face.
The cabin boy raised his hands before tucking them in his pockets. "How have you been, tiny…I take it back, jugs?" Niri aimed her gun and glared at him. "Well, what else am I supposed to say? Melons, knockers, what? You finally grew them, took you two months and they are no longer a handful but bigger!" he said, walking up close to her, putting his hands on her hips. "Put the gun away, babe, before you hurt yourself."
Glaring, she kneed him in the groin and as he doubled over, she grabbed the back of his head and slammed his face with her knee. "Let's chat, shall we?" Pushing him onto the floor, she stepped on his chest. "You look at me, I shoot you, you think about me, I shoot you, you even TOUCH me, I'll shoot you where it hurts the most. YOU GOT THAT?" Not even bothering with an answer, she kicked his ribs and walked out of the room, her hand itching to grab her father's gun and shoot his hand.
"You know, violence never solves anything," a guy said, leaning against the stairs once she came out of the room.
"No, but it's fun and keeps me preoccupied." Looking over at him, she smiled and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "How have you been, Chris?"
Watching the Marine shrug, she began to notice things that she had missed from two months ago. His dark hair fell over his dark brown eyes, almost as if they were reflecting his soul but his build, if anything, she would say that he was of medium build, but his hands, they were gentle. "I've been discharged. I'm no longer a Marine."
Shocked, Niri went to him. "Why? What happened?"
"I'm in too much love with the sea to be of much use." Looking out at the Blue, the waters reflected the sun through its waves, making it look like a giant sapphire that continues to move in the light. "I was born at sea, raised at sea and here I am, about to fulfill my life with the sea." Looking back at Niri, he put a hand on her shoulder. "Your eyes are the same shade as the Blue."
Turning red, Niri tucked her hair behind her ear again. "So, are you going to tell me what happened with your shoulder?"
Looking down, Niri put a hand to it and nodded. "I will but later, I have some serious sun to catch."
Chris just shrugged and tucked his hands into his pockets. "That's alright, I have a thief to catch anyways. They stole something precious to me."
Growing concerned, she looked up at him. "What did they steal, who was it, did you get a description, do you know who it was?"
"Yeah." Taking a bold step, he kissed her cheek.
As he walked away, Niri put a hand to her cheek and turned bright red. She found that she couldn't form words, couldn't form comprhendable thoughts, couldn't even feel right now. "Hey, jugs, you got an ass too!" Scratch that, she could still function. Grabbing her father's gun she chased after the cabin boy, shooting at his ankles while they ran around the ship.
-.-.-
Nervous about seeing Chris again, she chewed on her lower lip as she changed clothes. Wearing a skin tight shirt and bagging pants, she quickly ran a brush through her hair and walked down the hallways from her cabin to the galley, her heart beating so hard, she was scared that it might explode. Daddy, make sure I don't do anything stupid during dinner. Please daddy, I'm counting on you.
Sitting down at a table, she became very interested in her hands while Chris sat next to her. "Is it later?"
Looking up, she felt herself turn red and looked down again. "I was shot at the Academy. Twice. One in the arm, another in my leg but my leg is all better now, I'm just waiting for my shoulder to heal so I can go through life properly."
"Poor baby." She looked over at him and could have sworn that her head exploded when he kissed her hurt shoulder. "Want me to tell you who the thief is?" She nodded, earning a laugh while doing so. Trying to clear her head off the haze, she rubbed her forehead. "Well, it's a girl and she's very clever. She took all of my friends' earnings in one night and had knocked them out cold!"
Trying to think, she licked her lips. "Sounds like she's tough."
Chris laughed, moving closer to her. "Just a bit. But then again, she has a softer side, it's just buried somewhere deep inside." Moving closer still, they were just a breath apart until the ship suddenly lurched to the port side, causing them to fall off the bench. "You okay?"
Niri nodded. "What'd we hit?" Shaking his head, Chris pulled her up and the two of them ran onto the deck, looking around. Water from the Blue splashed on them as the ship moved into a storm. As the captain gave orders, Niri climbed up the crow's nest to get a better look. Squinting her eyes, she hugged the mast, ready to climb in the next when the ship lurched again, her grip slipping from the slick wood.
Another wave hit the port side, forcing the marksman to lose her grip. Falling, she looked to where she would land. She could have sworn that she heard someone call out her name as she hit the water of the Blue. Surfacing, Niri forced her body to try and swim back to the ship so she wouldn't get deserted. Something grabbed her ankle and forced her to fall beneath the surface.
Wishing she could fire her father's gun underwater, she kicked at whatever held her down. A giant eyeball blinked at her, freezing the marksman before she panicked, struggling hard. Finally surfacing, not even bothering to take in a giant breath first, she opened her mouth and gave the most shrill scream she could manage.
As whatever held her down toyed with her, she started to struggle more, trying to get away. Without warning, whatever held her down went lax. Taking this as a gift, she swam as hard and as fast as she could back to the ship, catching the life rope that was thrown. Climbing on the side of the ship, she felt hands pull her back on the deck, letting her drop as she tried to catch her breath.
"Niri, are you okay?" she heard Chris ask, gripping her shoulders. Sobbing loudly, she gripped him tightly, her eyes clenched closed. "It's alright, you're back on the ship. It's alright."
-.-.-
Two days had passed since then, causing the girl to stay away from the railings of the ship. Huddled over a hot cup of coffee, she shivered, trying not to think of whatever it was that had her. She chewed on her lip, trying to think of whatever saved her, trying not to picture it being bigger than what she witnessed in the Blue. Gripping the cup tightly, she didn't feel the burn on her hands from the hot liquid.
It couldn't have been a Sea King, I'm not scared of those, it…it…oh I can still see it! Silent tears ran down her face. "I never want to see that thing again for as long as I live," she whispered under her breath.
