[DISCLAIMER: Purely fiction and I'm using Hololive characters in this little fantasy.
Okay, so I wanted to welcome Shion back and wanted a special chapter for her. Shion and Aqua are pretty awesome and so please go by and subscribe to their channels. Also, some Marine (she did a great interview on HoloTalk) and Rushia, and of course, always my favorite doggo, Korone and Okayu the charismatic Neko.
This gets very touchy feely and deep down I am a hopeless romantic. I love mixing the silly with the sweet. It's short but then this Hololive FF doesn't get much attention. I still have fun writing it, but I really don't give it that much attention.
Thank you to that reviewer who said my stories make them smile. I hope this chapter will make you smile.
Chapter 9 – I Will Always Be Here for You
Senchou Marine finally felt secure and happy, as she watched her crew. They all got along and made each other laugh. At times, it was laughing at each other, but overall, they were a happy bunch.
Rushia was a nice addition to the crew. Despite their bedroom antics they spent much of their time simply chatting. A necromancer who had lived hundreds of years had many tales to tell, and Senchou always loved sharing her own sea tales. They especially loved munching on midnight snacks and catching a show on a special monitor with some very special VHS tapes Marine kept hidden in her quarters.
The kids would play a game while the seas were calm to catch fish.
They'd tie a rope around Korone's waist and then throw a tennis ball in the water. She would leap in to fetch. While fetching she'd see how many fish she could grab in her teeth at the same time. They'd toss her in the water, and then the cheering would begin.
Aqua and Shion began getting competitive betting on how many fish she'd come back with.
Aqua would tend to get excited and she accidentally pushed Okayu in the water. Truly, a Baqua move.
All began screaming, and Okayu sunk like a drowned cat.
Within an instant, Korone jumped in to fetch, pulling up a soaked Neko.
Okayu was on the deck, water-logged and nearly drowned. All fought for who would revive her but Korone won. Not that anyone wanted a yubi bitten off if they tried but try, they did.
Yes, Senchou Marine loved being at sea with her crew.
A week had passed with good weather and calm seas. It was an amazing shift from the prior week when Shion and Aqua almost were lost to the sea, but now everyone acted as if it never happened – especially Shion.
Shion sat on the bench beside the helm's wheel. Okayu steered the ship, humming a happy tune.
"Why such a dour look you little brat?" the Neko suddenly asked.
"Why do you call me that?!"
"To see your reaction." Okayu laughed, "never fails."
"Oh okay -hardy-har."
"So, how is your love life?"
Shion threw out an even louder laugh, as if the silliest tale had been told. She wouldn't stop uncomfortably laughing so that Okayu rolled her eyes and wanted to change the subject if she was going to laugh with that weird nasally sound.
"I have no love life… unless you want to start something."
"You must have a death wish, or a wish to live life with a few less fingers."
Again, Shion did that irritating laughter and so Okayu stepped back. "I'm going to go ask Aqua to steer for a while."
"Why?!" Shion shot up from her seat.
"I wanted to get a snack." Okayu pointed to the ship's wheel. "Or you can steer until I come back."
Shion didn't feel comfortable after what happened last time and said, "I'll go get something to eat too."
Okayu grabbed around her, making her heart race, and then led her to the ship's wheel. "Here, just like that."
She held around her back, guiding her hands over the wheel, causing her to blush the brightest pink.
And Okayu wouldn't stop snickering realize what she was doing.
"Did Rushia teach you any new tricks?" the Neko whispered in her ear.
"…no," she was breathless as Okayu continued teaching her how to steer.
"Well then," she pulled back, placing her hands behind her head and whistling, "gonna go grab a snack, mogu mogu."
And she was gone with Shion left steering the ship.
Aqua walked up, as if waiting in the shadows and asked, "Want me to steer?"
"Yes."
"Then I won't."
"What?!"
Aqua was leaving and Shion yelled, "Get over here – now!"
Aqua was suddenly yanked to Shion's side.
"It worked."
Both were surprised her magic did what she wanted.
"Oh, my goodness," Shion was elated her magic was working, and couldn't help but smile.
"You're getting better," Aqua grinned, but she was being pulled extremely close to the small witch, to the point they were pressed up against one another. "Okay, I think you can stop pulling me toward you now."
"But I'm not." She groaned, "I'm not doing this."
They were extremely close to one another. So, close each section of the other's body was feeling one another. The other's arms had nowhere else to go, so they wrapped around one another. They stared into each other's eyes, both having feelings elicited that neither understood, but also because they were stuck.
And then they heard snickering behind.
It was Marine and Rushia laughing at their expense.
"You should see you two," Marine pointed and Rushia walked over with her, holding her Captain's hand within her own.
"My, my, you two are so close these days," Rushia kept laughing.
"I wanted to steer the ship so, you two lovebirds go to your quarters if you want to be inappropriate."
"What?!" Shion screamed. She couldn't pull herself off Aqua, and neither could Aqua. In fact, the nearness and movement were causing extremely wonderful feelings to move through both.
Aqua was blushing and smiling largely, amazed at being this close to the one she truly loved.
Rushia couldn't stop laughing, as she watched the two. "Shion, you are the gift that keeps on giving."
Marine kept laughing with her until Shion pulled apart, on her own, pushing Aqua back.
It surprised Rushia. "Oh my, you're learning my young padawan. The force is strong with this one."
They all laughed
"I'm learning to hate you, and don't call me that you reprobate necromancer."
"Haha, you're too funny. Okayu told me you make us all laugh."
Aqua was also giggling, holding her hand over her mouth, and trying not to laugh at her friend.
"You all…" she pointed to the three, "I'm leaving this ship at the next island we land. You're all reprobates and… and… I'm just…"
"It's Candy Island," Marine stated, holding the ship's wheel and steering, and in a more serious tone, "You sure? It's has the elite Lunites of Candy Land."
Shion had left and upset the Princess of that Island to the point there was a bounty on her head. She was the court's magician and jumped on Marine's ship to escape and knew Princess Luna had a temper when things didn't go her way.
"Why are we headed there?!"
"Next stop. We need supplies."
"Plus," Rushia added, "They have some great candy."
Shion simply stomped away, realizing her life just kept getting worse and worse and these buffoons made light of everything.
She went to her quarters, lying on her bed, placing an arm across her forehead trying to think, or not think. Why was everything so difficult in this world?
"You know…"
She turned to see Aqua sitting on the bed beside her, "I hope you don't leave the ship."
"Why should I care what you think?"
"Because… I like you Shion. You're my best friend."
Shion turned over on her bed so that she wouldn't face the young girl with long purple hair and the largest dark lavender eyes that when she was extremely close were pools of wonder and beauty Shion didn't want to be attracted to, "…maybe I don't want you to like me."
"Maybe… I can't help it."
"Of course, you can help it." Shion turned back to face the ex-robot. "…just stop it."
"Is that how feelings work? Is that a human thing? Can you do that?"
They quietly looked to one another.
"Yes," Shion finally stated, turning back over so that her back was to Aqua.
She could hear Aqua leave the room and slowly turned to the door. She was gone. She thought over the almost kiss and the nearness and Aqua's smile and eyes when they were close. She hated that she kept thinking of the ex-robot.
She just wanted something… and in her heart when she searched for that something that had no answer, she simply cried. Why was she being emotional?
Visions of her childhood on the Candy Island entered her thoughts.
She was abandoned by her mom, left to fend for herself on the streets. Her whole life she fought and made her way, existing alone. She never needed anyone else. That was what she always told herself, but when alone she dreamed of having that special someone who would always stay by her side and never leave. That was a mere childish dream she considered, and always felt desperate for the most basic of necessities. Always just getting by.
And then that fateful day she decided, starved and desperate, to take some candy from the royal trash.
She was instantly arrested for the offense until Princess Luna decided instead of death she could serve in the court.
She was an indentured servant from that moment on, until Marine and her ship pulled up to the island. She made her escape in only her late teens.
Ever since that time, she existed on the ship not knowing any other life.
And now they were going back to that island and inside she felt a slight fear and trepidation. She didn't want to ever feel afraid again and had built her walls, but they were slowly crumbling.
That's when she heard Marine yell, "Ahoy, land ho!"
They were about to reach the place she thought she had escaped. And she tucked herself close, lying on her side, wiping the tears that showed weakness, but the sobbing continued as she lay alone in her quarters.
Aqua leaned against the wall just outside the room, listening to her friend cry. She sat on the floor, listening, and knew that no matter how much Shion told her one thing – the reality was you couldn't stop your heart from how it felt. That was the human thing: a heart will always move how it wants and no matter how much you tell it not to love or feel, it will simply do that.
It will do that because that's being human.
Aqua smiled to herself and whispered, "don't worry Shion, I will always be here for you."
[END NOTE: Please follow or review and let me know what you think. Thank you for reading.]