Alrighty; I made an outline of this story for the first time. It's a dinky little 64 words, but considering I've just been flying by the seat of my pants this whole time, it's given me a sense of direction and purpose. I'm so excited to start the next chapter... ohmygosh I can't wait! *Excited!*

Learning

Reed was sitting alone on the deck. Again. Fuck, his life was depressing him lately. He couldn't wait to get back and meet up with Mikas; the man was a source of clarity for him, and he might be able to help puzzle out whatever the hell was wrong with himself lately.

The last he checked, Shyarly was asleep in the cargo hold – it had been the only room large enough for her, and thank whatever powers that be she had the presence of mind to bring her own sleeping... thing. It was like a big sack filled with beads, and it was heavy as hell, but it did the job. She'd probably anticipated the boat not having a bed large enough for her.

Over the last couple of days he'd gotten the chance to chat with her; she was really smart. She could point to all the ropes and sails on the ship and account for what they did.

"Did you used to be a sailor?"

"No, but when I was young I spent a lot of time around pirates."

Made sense to him.

She really was a pretty woman. Would it be strange if he asked her on a date? She was twice his size and a mermaid, but he didn't give a damn if she didn't. He wondered if there was some kind of etiquette to inter-species dating. Hell, a lady like that, she was probably already taken.

He sighed and laid his head on the table. Was that it? Had he been doing all this deep-thinking shit because he wanted a girlfriend? How pathetic. Mikas probably would have been able to tell him that at a glance, and it had taken him weeks. He was such an idiot.

His head shot up when he thought he heard someone. He looked around, but saw nothing. He was probably just jumpy; all that shit about assassinations had been screwing with his head.

Deciding it was late, he slid out of his chair and shuffled off to the barracks.

Mikas had returned, and Rhia waited for him on the docks. As soon as he stepped off his small fishing boat, she tossed him a grapple-gun. He caught it just before it hit his face, looking from it to her questioningly.

"Ready to get back in shape?" She teased, and he scowled.

"You know I could never work these things. I weigh twice as much as you, it's harder."

"You're also more than twice as strong as me, so quit complaining."

"Well, what about Reed?"

"He's not here yet. Don't worry, he'll have to do it, too. Come on, try it out."

Mikas swore under his breath; he hated these damn things. Firing up at the railing above them, he watched the hook swing around the rail a couple of times and then tugged on it to be sure it wouldn't give. He then pulled the trigger, and was completely unprepared for the sudden jolt it gave. The device flew from his hands, whirled around the railing and flew up high in the air, before landing in the water with a plunk!

"Shit." Fuck. Damn. Hell. He knew what was coming.

"Hey, idiot; those things aren't cheap! Go get it!"

He dove in before she'd even finished yelling. If he didn't find it before it sank too low, he wouldn't put it past Rhia to send him on a deep-sea mission.

She watched the water, a half-grin on her face. Yep. She'd missed Mikas.

He sat quietly under the running water. It was pure bliss, compared to everything else in this dump. And it was exactly what he needed to help him think.

He hadn't been able to stop himself. He read the journal again. All of it. He learned some very interesting things about Rhia – par example, a very peculiar birthmark in an unmentionable place – and a few different recipes for breakfast cakes. He also learned the name of her dead mother – Chartreuse. But the one detail he zeroed in on, that he'd been curious about since he first read the journal and wasn't sure what to make of once he knew, was the identity of the men responsible for killing all those people.

Bits and pieces of the story seemed familiar to him, and they drew a picture that was incredibly obvious to anyone who knew anything about fishmen pirates.

May 3rd

I had quite a start today. Reed took off running down the road and almost got mowed down by a runaway cart. A fishman appeared out of nowhere and stopped the cart just in time. I was almost in tears, but he was very kind. I asked if he'd like to stay for dinner, but he said he had business and couldn't spare the time. He was very pleasant.

July 6th

I met another fishman, this time while I was selling bread. He stopped by my booth and we had a conversation. I've been seeing a lot of fishmen around town lately. Maybe they're all coming from the same ship, or something. We don't see varied folk here that often; it's a nice change from the usual humdrum.

August 25th

There was a marine standing in the center of town today. He was shouting something about not trusting the fishmen. No one gave him much thought. He disappeared a few hours ago; I'm guessing he either gave up or got arrested.

September 1st

That marine's body was found by the port today. Everyone seems to think it was a wild animal. I heard the marine base started investigating; I hope if it is a beast it keeps away from the town. I don't want it anywhere near the kids.

There were other journal entries in between, but these stood out to him.

He'd heard stories like it. They move in, earn the trust of the locals, and then commit mass murders out of nowhere. It was typical of early-day pirate crews, before the Great Pirate Age when there were – ironically – more fishmen on the seas. He'd never partaken in any such activity himself; it's the exact opposite of everything big brother Ti had stood for, and while he wasn't exactly the poster-boy when it came to relations with humans, he certainly took no pleasure in killing for its own sake.

So fishmen were responsible for this. It never said it directly but it was painfully obvious to him.

And how should he feel? Should he feel bad? Should he feel proud? He couldn't decide. This discovery left him with a myriad of conflicting emotions of which he couldn't make heads or tails.

A sound pulled him from his internal struggle. It was a muffled fwop, as if something had...

He got to his knees and leaned forward to see what had caused it, and saw a strange pouch sitting on his bed. He frowned, untrusting. Was this another attempt at killing him? He waited like that, staring from behind the safety of the wall, in case it exploded or something. What was he supposed to do?

'Maybe it's a... gift?' It was packaged sort of like one. But who would do something nice for him?

"Is this thing working? Did she deliver it?"

Arlong started when his mysterious delivery began talking. He frowned, coming out from behind the wall to get a better look.

"Just wait until she gets back. You don't want them to catch her."

"Boss? Are you there?"

It was... Chuu?

"Why do I hear water? Is it rain? Is she outside?"

"Maybe she dropped it."

Arlong scrambled to his feet, damn near falling on his ass a couple of times in the process, and pounced on his bed to empty the pouch. It was a dendenmushi; a small one, only good for close range, but what the hell did it matter? His men were talking to him. And he'd been excited about a shower?

"Chuu? Kuroobi? Is that you?"

"Hey, boss-man!" Chuu's familiar informality came through clear as a bell. "We've been worried about you! Hey, where are you? What level you on?"

"Er..." Arlong hesitated, thinking. "I don't know where I am."

"Eh, I guess Lili will tell us when we see her. So, hey, boss, I hope you don't mind, but in your absence we've been workin' up a little plan."

"Wait, who's Lili?"

Chuu started to snicker, "She's Kuroobi's new-"

"She's just helping us out."

"Yeah, I'm sure that's why she's always batting her eyes at you-"

"Shut up!"

"She's a mermaid who works here. Obi-ka laid on the charm-"

"Stop calling me Obi-ka!"

"-and now she's in love with him. Anyway, she said she'd find you for us. I guess she did. Hey, what the hell is that water sound? I still hear it."

"Never mind that," Arlong dismissed his question, sitting cross-legged on his bed. He was dripping water everywhere and was as naked as the day he was born, but Rhia had brought him his lunch only a short time ago. It'd be a few hours before she came back. "What's this plan of yours?"

"Fucking. Hell. I'll just... climb the damn wall. Screw all this cat-burglar shit."

Mikas was changing clothes. Rhia stood outside his room; she rolled her eyes. "You used to be able to do it, no problem."

"Yeah, I also used to be twenty with a less-acute instinct for self-preservation."

"Didn't we all..." she sighed. "I think we're getting old, buddy."

"What was your first clue?" he asked mockingly. "But you have less room to talk. You're not forty yet."

She smiled, "Hey, you're right. You and Reed are the old ones here, not me. Thanks for that."

"Anytime." He emerged from his room in downclothes, and Rhia cocked a brow.

"You know we still have work to do...?"

"Unless we're meeting with the Warden or an incredibly attractive woman, they can deal with my outfit."

She chuckled. "Hannyabal doesn't count?"

"The man doesn't wear a shirt. So no."

Except that Hannyabal was, indeed, wearing a shirt on this particular meeting. As a matter of fact, he was dressed rather upscale for just sitting alone in his office. Mikas could have smacked himself, while Rhia only whistled in approval.

"What's the occasion?"

Their boss grimaced. "Board meeting. I have no love for them."

"More crap on how we all need to pitch in to make our jobs a little less expensive?"

"The Military Treasurer wanted funding approval to go scavenge sunken ships for usable parts."

"That... actually sounds kind of smart." Mikas was hogging the boss' couch, and wouldn't move over. Rhia scowled and settled for the edge of Hannyabal's desk.

"He named a huge price tag, with no guarantee of a return on the investment. It was shot down unanimously."

"Oh. Well, what other news?"

The Vice Warden smirked, looking somewhat pleased with himself. "I know who our mole is."

Rhia's eyes widened, "Eh, you do? Who is it?"

"This man," he announced, holding up a photo. "Lu Jiggs. He used personal vacation time for a week-long trip, that took place at exactly the same time as when the deal for the black box went down. And he hasn't been heard from since the night his plan failed. I've already issued a warrant."

"Well, that's one question answered."

"Also," Hannyabal started again, "I wanted to talk to you about your... super-spy... thing. How exactly were you planning on making Rider think we're on to him?"

"Ah, well..." Rhia shrugged. "I guess I really hadn't thought about it. I figured I'd wait for Reed to get back and we'd figure it out."

The Vice Warden leand back in his chair, "If I might make a suggestion? Try leaking it through Nezumi."

Mikas looked at the boss. "You want us to track both of them? If there's three of us, then someone will have to go alone."

"That shouldn't be a problem, actually. It's more, getting in a position convenient enough to tail Nezumi that I'm worried about," the Adviser spoke up, looking at the ground with an expression like she was trying to solve a math problem in her head. "Is this what you want us to do, or is it just an idea?"

"It's just an idea; don't strain yourselves."

"I tell you what we could do," Mikas started, biting his thumbnail as he thought. "We could set it up so we send the information on a secure channel, and somehow make it so only Nezumi could come across it. Then when he goes running to tip off Rider, we can nail him for giving up government secrets!"

"Hey, that's... actually pretty good."

"I don't have a problem with it. If you can find a way to do it, then by all means."

Rhia nodded her head in assent, while Mikas' hand flew to his stomach. "Oh man... I gotta eat. Hungry..."

"You can go," Hannyabal told him.

The Vice Warden and Adviser both watched as he got up and headed down the hallway. After he disappeared through the hatch, the boss turned to Rhia.

"You're happy."

She looked back at him, the ghost of a smile on her lips. "Is it obvious?"

"You're very pleasant when you're cheery. I'd like to see you this way more often."

She sighed, "I guess I was getting kind of lonely, there. Both of them gone... I mean there's you and Domino, but Domino's more like a forced acquaintance and you... well, sorry, but you're old."

He barked a laugh. "I see how it is. Well if that's how you feel, I won't keep you. Go on, now. Get."

"It's a nice night to ponder."

The observation startled Reed out of wherever the hell his train of thought had swept him off to. He turned to see Shyarly floating on a bubble behind him.

She approached and settled on the ground near his table. She still towered over him, sitting as she was.

"What is it you spend so much time thinking about? You're out here almost every night."

He paused. Should he tell her? It seemed harmless enough. "I think about everything, I guess."

"Do you think about everything quite often?"

He quirked his nose. What kind of question was that? "About as often as the next guy, I would imagine."

"So then, not much at all?"

He smiled. "What are you doing up? It's quite early."

"Or quite late." Damn, she was quick.

"It depends on which of us is talking, I suppose."

"I suppose it does."

"So are you going to tell me?"

She seemed to think for a moment, then shrugged. "I had a dream."

"What kind of dream?"

Her mood darkened considerably, and he wondered if he'd inadvertently touched a nerve. "The terrible kind."

He got the sense that she was speaking more to herself than to him, though it was an answer to his question. "Nightmares aren't real; surely you don't need me to tell you that."

"Mine are."

Oh. Right. Psychic. He frowned. "Should we be worried?"

She raised her head in a sudden, bright smile. Damn, her mood swings were scary. "Oh, no. The terrible thing will happen to someone else. I didn't see either of us there."

"So let me ask you about your... powers."

She looked intrigued as she nodded. "Very well."

"Can you see whatever you want? Or does it just happen to you?"

"Hm. Well, I can choose to scry; if I want to know about anyone specific I'll use my tools. Sometimes, though, I see things. In a dream, or just a vision. But I always know what it is once I've seen it."

"And do you like being able to do this?"

She shook her head, "No. Not in the least. It frightened me when I was young. What's more frightening now is that I'm desensitized to it."

He watched her face. The subject was distressing to her. "One more question."

"Alright."

He hesitated, a little nervous. But he was a man, damnit, and men feared nothing, least of all rejection. "Would you like to have dinner with me, sometime?"

A prison riot. The perfect guise for escape. He had to hand it to Chuu; the man was a brilliant tactician when he wanted to be. Their contact would provide ropes so they and other prisoners could climb up through the holes. While the guards busied themselves targeting the obnoxious prisoner, his own men would slip past and seek him out. He gave them Rhia's description; she was the only one he knew for certain had the key to his cell. Then, once they were all free, they'd break for the exit and pick up where they left off.

Only, he'd told them to wait. He'd gone through all this trouble to see Shyarly; he might as well see it through.

I don't know what I think of this chapter. It feels like everyone's just waiting around for something to happen. But next chapter should have some more... I dunno. Stuff happens, I guess. I know, lame description. I'm not one for previews really... mostly cuz the next chapter hasn't left my head yet and fuck if I know what's gonna happen. Anyway... I'll let you review now.