Chapter Thirty Three
The adrenaline was pumping through Erza's veins. When they had not heard from Gray after he had ducked into the exhibition hall, Charle and Happy had grown worried. The signal on their lacrima communicators had become spotty once the cruise had set off and Charle had been unable to scry him using her precognition either because the ship had been moving. Despite her belief that Gray could take care of himself, something prickling at the back of her mind had told her that he was in trouble. The sight of his discarded clothes, as she had retraced his footsteps to the topmost deck of the ship, had only confirmed that.
Finding Gray half-drowned in the swimming pool had made Erza's heart give an unpleasant lurch, but that was not the sole reason for the turmoil roiling through her. It did not take her long to figure out Gray's warning. "Don't listen to her," he had said. Two words from someone she did not recognise should not have sent fear sprinting across her skin; but they had.
"Sound Magic," she stated grimly, requipping a pair of thick earmuffs to block her hearing as she turned to face the newcomer.
The woman lurking in the shadows across the deck did not wait for an introduction. She simply leapt forth, bright claws flashing in the moonlight as she slashed past Erza with blistering speed.
'A cat?' Erza's eye widened as she raised a sword to parry the attack. She spun around just in time to catch the cat woman's next blow. The woman who had hurt Gray was neither Exceed nor of the Feline Race like Milliana, she simply was a cat. Several times larger than the average cat and alarmingly comfortable on her hind legs, but still a cat. "Who are you?" Erza demanded, keeping her gaze trained on her opponent's lips in case she answered.
The cat did not bother with a reply. Her next attack—a series of furious swipes—screeched across Erza's gauntleted forearms. Before Erza could react, the next blow had caught her across the exposed skin beneath her pauldron. 'Curses,' muttered Erza, taking off after the cat to deliver a few blows of her own. She had only one working eye and with her hearing compromised as well, she was having trouble keeping up with the movements of her enemy. "Answer me," she repeated angrily. Gray was crumpled on the floor behind her, his face twisted in agony in spite of his lack of physical wounds. "Who are you and what business do you have with Gray?"
The next attack aimed for Erza's neck. The high rise of her cuirass protected her from the cat woman's claws, but a distinct clinking sound amid the scratching made Erza look down. The Potion of Abdication she wore around her neck had been pulled out of her armour. The cat woman used Erza's distraction to deliver a roundhouse kick to her head, sending her flying across the deck, landing her near Gray. Erza noted with some gravity that Gray's vial of Potion was gripped tightly in his hand. "I see," she said, rising to her feet. "You are not a Guardian, yet you appear to have an interest in the Quest."
The cat disappeared from view and Erza realised too late that she had left Gray unguarded behind her. She turned in time to see the cat lean over him and whisper in his ear. He curled inwards, his fingers digging into his chest as a fresh wave of pain washed over him.
"Gray!" She ran forward, slicing at the cat's shoulder with her sword to push her away. "Stay away from him!"
The cat fell backwards, but did not stop speaking. Erza could read only every third word she spoke, managing to make out 'beautiful,' 'banquet,' and 'moon.' Gray went even paler, his body twisting off the ground. Erza flinched as he cried out, the expression on his face sufficing to send a phantom scream roaring through her ears. She needed to block his hearing before the cat woman did further damage.
"Heaven's Wheel!" A bright light enveloped Erza as she requipped. "Circle Sword! Dance, my blades." The salvo of swords gave her an opening to get Gray as far away from the cat woman as she could. She propped him against the raised viewing platform by the ship's prow and jammed her own ear muffs over his ears.
"Er-za, wait-" Gray hissed, his teeth clenched.
She held up a white pellet, as if that would explain everything, and responded. "Leave it to me." Then she was gone again, zipping towards the cat, the glint of her winged helm a silver streak in the darkness.
A fist caught Hebiko's open mouth just as she brushed aside the final sword from Erza's sally. She swallowed instinctively, coughing and spluttering as she sensed something unfamiliar move down her gullet. Surely Erza had not-? No, she could not sense anything strange in the magic around her. What had she shoved down her throat then?
"There are two attributes to your magic," said Erza, requipping dual swords into her hands. "First, it is not the words you use, but rather the emotion you seek to elicit from your opponent that matters." She raised a hand to her ear and continued. "Second, you cannot deploy your attacks through speaker systems, otherwise it would have been easier for you to have targeted us as soon as we boarded the ship."
Hebiko touched a hand to her throat, still feeling the bruising ache in her oesophagus. "What have you done?" she asked, her voice dripping with menace.
Erza's mouth dipped further downward. "I have placed Gray's lacrima communicator inside you. I can hear every word you say, but you magic has no effect on me."
The sheer conceit of the statement pissed Hebiko off. This wizard had no idea what she was capable of. "You should have taken those Deals when you could. I'm going to make you regret your arrogance."
"You are with the Snake then."
Hebiko gritted her teeth. "You think you have figured out my weaknesses. But I know all of yours too. I've been watching you since you obtained the first Key." She lunged towards Erza, coming at her from the right, knowing that she lacked vision on that side.
Erza blocked her attack with a raised arm before driving the hilt of her sword into Hebiko's head with her other hand. Hebiko skidded across the deck, digging her nails into the wood to slow her movement. So, she had compensated for that weakness then. Never mind, there were others. She sprang across the deck, dropping to all fours to enhance her speed. She scratched at the considerable expanse of skin that Erza's winged armour left exposed. Erza tried to block her attacks, but she was too fast for her; she dug her claws into her shoulders, feeling them pierce skin and sinew.
Hebiko dropped back to her feet and bounded away, taking several paces so she could build up her momentum for the next attack. She pivoted swiftly, running back towards Erza, her claws extending further.
Erza flew up to dodge the attack, but Hebiko was simply too quick for her. She tensed her haunches and leapt, slamming Erza into thin air. A series of magical ruins appeared under the wizard's body, revealing the jutsushiki that Hebiko's subjects had placed around the ship when they had set up the exhibition. Its original purpose may have been to protect people from falling overboard, but it was serving an excellent secondary function now as Hebiko beat Erza into it repeatedly.
The lacrima communicator in her throat may have saved Erza from the manipulative effects of her magic, but there were simpler, physical ways of achieving her goal. She grabbed Erza around the throat, her mouth forced open as she gasped for air, and snatched the Potion of Abdication from around her neck.
One down. Six to go.
The sweetly-scented mud was warm around her body. Lucy sank in deeper with a sigh. Natsu was unlikely to have realised, but this was the very first date they had ever been on. At least, the very first outing that was officially called a date. It was sweet, even if he had arranged it all just to win a petty showdown against Gajeel.
He had taken her to a secluded geothermal pool near the forested eastern edge of Calypso. Erdan had told him about the undiscovered treasure, revealing that it was a closely guarded secret among the Innkeepers Guild, who were determined not to let yet another place in their city become a tourist trap. She leaned against Natsu's shoulder and looked up at the starry sky. It was darker here in the outskirts, far from the city lights. The first thing she had done when she and Natsu had reached the woods had been to look for a telltale pattern on the ground. If the Aquarius key was in Calypso, and still unclaimed, then there would be a distinct pattern reflected on the earth.
The bland, unmarked ground had been disheartening. Lucy hoped fervently that it was because the golden key in the exhibition was a dupe. The only other option was that someone else had entered into a contract with Aquarius. It made her sick just to think of it.
Maybe she should have taken the risk and gone to the exhibition herself. It was true that she was well acquainted with the Jurener family, and that they would have probably recognised her even if she had been disguised, but surely Aquarius was worth the risk? Yet, there was a hollowness in her chest when she tried to picture their reunion. When Aquarius had told her about her key rematerializing on Earthland, a sense of urgency had swelled within her, like she somehow knew that the two of them were destined to be together again. That surety had been lacking when they had ventured up to the glacier in Silestina and it was lacking again now. Was it because someone else had gotten to the key first? A Zodiac key was a precious thing. There were many people who would be out looking for it.
A clod of mud landed on her cheek, snapping her from her thoughts. Natsu grinned at her impishly. "What the heck, Natsu," she scolded, slapping some mud right back at him. She waded out further into the pool, scooping up handfuls and flinging them at him.
"Cheer up, it's supposed to be Valentine's Day!"
She stopped short. He was right. It was Valentine's Day and she was on a date with the man she loved more than anything else in the world. She would not know more until Gray and Erza returned from their reconnaissance mission anyway, it was pointless to worry now. A smile edged across her face as she nodded at Natsu. "Yeah."
Natsu sent more mud her way, laughing as he painted her head and hair brown. "Natsu!" Lucy yelled, ineffectually wiping her face with a muddy hand. "You always take it too far. I've got mud in my mouth now!"
"That works out," he replied cheekily, "because I've got mud in mine." He swooped in for a kiss, managing to get his face just as muddy in the process. They stood entwined, the mud squelching under their fingers, until a loud barking noise rang through the forest. Natsu broke away from Lucy, his ears perking up. "Soldiers. They're looking for us."
Lucy cursed under her breath and used a nearby rock to heave herself out of the pool. The eastern walls of the city loomed behind them. There was no way for them to go but forward. Natsu punched a flaming fist into his other hand. "I've been itching for a fight."
"No," she said quietly. "We don't know what they want or what's happening to the others. We'd better try to sneak out of here undetected and try to get in touch with them using our lacrima communicators."
They dressed in a hurry, Lucy wincing as the mud clinging to her skin stained her dress. Natsu held up a hand to signal which way the soldiers were approaching from and they took an alternative route out of the forest. His enhanced dragon slayer hearing and sense of smell were able to pick out a safe path, and once they were back on an empty road towards the city they began to run. Lucy flicked on her Rockophone as they moved, trying to connect with the central lacrima communicator that Happy and Charle were using to keep tabs on Gray and Erza.
There was no response. She tried again, this time clicking on Wendy's face in her contact inventory, but she did not answer either. She tried a few more times, before connecting to Erdan's family inn. "Hello?" she said, her breathing heavy as she and Natsu continued to sprint.
"Mrs. Camello," responded Erdan's voice. "Thank you for calling us back. We spoke to our chef and they would be happy to accommodate your dietary needs and prepare the special foods for your religious fast."
Lucy frowned, noting the odd emphasis Erdan laid on certain words. 'Back, happy, and fast,' she thought. Did he mean that they needed to head back fast? Had something happened to Happy?
Erdan continued, "Regrettably, we have no rooms with a view of the lake, but we do offer packages for romantic rendezvouses to make your vacation special."
Understanding snapped into place. "Thank you for the details. I will speak to my partner and confirm dates with you tomorrow." She rung off, tucking her Rockophone into her shirt as she ran.
"What was that about?" asked Natsu.
"Rendezvous at the lake. I think Happy and the others are in danger."
Natsu's face tensed. He put on a burst of speed, racing towards the opaque blue amid the city lights, with Lucy right behind him. They ran through the city streets, thankful that they were relatively empty at this time of night. The geography of the city was unfamiliar to them, but given that the city encircled the lake, Lucy was confident that they would make their way there sooner rather than later.
They were heading down a wide thoroughfare directly towards the lake, when they saw two bursts of magic flare ahead of them. The first was a few streets away on the water's edge. She could just about make out the silhouette of two flying cats against the backdrop of an explosion. The second was on the lake. A purple flash of magic was blinking on and off. That meant both sets of their comrades were in trouble.
"Natsu."
"Yeah."
They wordlessly made to split up, but a magic bullet crackled into the ground in front of them before they could. Lucy looked up. The end of the street in front of the lake had been completely blocked off by a troop of soldiers. A glance behind confirmed that they were hemmed in on both sides.
Lucy and Natsu lined up, back to back. "You ready to show me the outcome of your training with Horsie-chan, Lucy?" he asked.
A golden Zodiac key flashed in her hand. "I'm getting fired up."
Wendy heard the guards approaching from a few streets away. "Cheria, I've got to go. Sorry," she said. Cheria's face creased with worry, but she nodded her understanding, wishing Wendy luck before logging off the call. Wendy hurriedly instructed Charle and Happy to gather their belongings. If they stayed, then they would risk bringing harm to Erdan's family. She ran down the stairs to let Erdan and Zitel know that they had to leave.
"Just know that we are not wrongdoers," she said vehemently. "We are on a mission for our guild and there is a group of powerful people who are determined to stop us."
Erdan looked perturbed for a moment, before he remembered the strange talking tiger the group had brought with them to his guild. "The city walls are lowest in the west. Maybe you can fly over them."
Wendy nodded her thanks. "If you hear from my comrades, will you please tell them to head for the lake?"
"Wait a minute, what about your friends attending the preview ball for the exhibition?" Zitel asked.
"I can only assume it was a trap. Maybe someone planted mention of an item we sought to lure us here." A worried look crossed her face. "We lost touch with Gray-san an hour ago and we haven't heard from Erza-san since she went to look for him. We have to go help them." Her ears twitched. "Sorry, we have to go now, the guards are almost here."
Erdan stepped forward and clasped her in a hug. "Good luck, Fairy Tail wizards. Write to me when you are safe."
"Yeah," Wendy replied, a catch in her throat. She waved goodbye to Zitel and sprinted up the stairs. The group had left most of their luggage behind at the Horse's mansion, so there was not much to carry. Happy hefted a pack onto his shoulders and flew out of an open window, Wendy and Charle right behind him. The Exceeds flew high into the sky to avoid being spotted by the guards, who were now on the street in front of the inn.
Wendy narrowed her eyes, using her enhanced vision to take stock of their surroundings. "There," she pointed. "There's a marina there." There was no way Happy and Charle were going to be able to fly all the way across the lake to where the cruise ship was. The boat ride would incapacitate her if there was no motion sickness lacrima onboard, but there was little other choice.
They had almost made it to the dock before the gunfire began. Happy and Charle looped and swerved to evade the incoming magic bullets, but there were simply too many of them. "Sky Dragon Roar!" Wendy sent forth a vortex of wind, clearing a path through the soldiers.
Charle dropped to the ground, transforming into her human form as she prepared to fight. Just then, Wendy noticed another magic battle springing up somewhere to her left. "Natsu-san," she determined. "Happy! Do you think you can lead them here?"
"Aye Sir!" Happy flew up into the air, employing some of the evasive manoeuvres the Horse had taught him. He set off towards the others, flying faster than Wendy had ever seen him before.
"Are you ready, Charle?" she asked, gulping in air and igniting the Dragon Force within her.
"I'm with you till the end of line, Wendy."
The wind gusted around the two of them, swirling fast enough to cut like a razor. "Let's do this."
The glowing green vial bounced off her tightly clamped lips. Erza did not wait for the cat woman to try again. She brought up a knee, smashing it into the cat's soft underbelly and forcing her to loosen her grip. The two of them fell to the ground, landing on the wooden deck with a thud.
Erza wiped her split lip and lurched to her feet. "This was a planned ambush from the start. The Aquarius key was never here," she said darkly.
The cat woman jumped to her feet, the Potion of Abdication held tight in one claw. "As we speak, my soldiers are across the water detaining your friends. By the end of the night, I will personally watch as each and every one of you consumes the Potion of Abdication."
Light swept over Erza, the peach metal of her Armadura Fairy armour falling into place around her. "I will not allow that to happen." Green energy crackled along one of her swords. Erza lunged towards the woman and unleashed a piercing lance of pure energy. "Fairy Burst!"
The attack caught the cat woman in the middle. She flailed as she was thrown against the opposite railing of the ship, thwacking into the same jutsushiki wall that she had slammed Erza against. Erza slashed at her, twisted nimbly in mid-air, and delivered a second blow with her other sword.
The cat woman ducked before Erza could deliver a third, slipping neatly between Erza's wide stance. She darted from port to starboard, somehow managing to clamber up the rune wall before somersaulting and diving straight for Erza, her claws extended menacingly. Her paw closed around Erza's scalp, pushing her down into the ground and breaking the wooden decking below them at the same time as Erza's sword stabbed into her shoulder.
Blood poured from the wound. The cat woman yowled, kicking the swords out of Erza's hands with her hind legs before putting some space in between them. "Are you not ashamed of your greed? What more could you want beyond what Master offered you?" She hissed, flecks of spit spraying from her whiskered mouth, before saying quietly, "The Guardians toil here on Earthland as a part of the Heavenly Emperor's plan, all for indescribable power to fall into the hands of the likes of you. People who do not know how to be satisfied."
Erza staggered to her feet, pulling a hefty spike of splintered wood from her cheek. "It is not about the reward. We have accepted this mission. We will see it through to the end."
"Shut up! These are our lives you're talking about. Not some idiotic pride in your guild. There are things at stake here you cannot possibly understand." She unclasped a bracelet from around her wrist and a ripple bloomed outwards from her. The air around the ship began to frizz with static.
Erza's eye widened in surprise. 'What is this incredible magic pressure?' Casting an eye downwards she recognised the familiar greyish black colour of Sealstone on the bracelet the cat woman had removed. The magical inhibitor bracelet had hidden the full extent of her ability. Although her magic did not equal that of a Guardian, she still possessed a deep well of power. The hair at the back of Erza's neck stood on end. The last person she had faced with this kind of magic power had been Irene Belserion.
"I'm done playing around," the cat woman said, shock waves emanating with every word and pounding into Erza. Falling to all fours and arching her back, the cat woman screeched a supersonic attack that sent Erza barrelling from prow to stern, crashing through the few wooden rooms that littered the topmost deck of the ship. The cat then turned her attack to Gray, who was still lying where Erza had left him, his face twisted in pain at the ongoing effect of her previous spell.
The sound waves battered into him, lifting him off the ground and throwing him against the jutsushiki at the frontmost end of the ship. Gray coughed, an ominous spray of blood escaping his mouth.
"Stop that!" Erza cried. She sprinted towards the middle of the deck, requipping the sword from her Sea Empress Armour as she dived into the swimming pool she had pulled Gray from. The crystal sword swung the water up, blasting it like a cannon towards the cat. With her other hand she brought forth her Lightning Empress Spear, sending electricity curling around the water. The attack smashed into the cat, forcing her to the ground. Erza kept up the lightning attack as she crossed quickly to stand before Gray.
"Er-za," he managed, a gurgling wetness evident in every syllable he spoke.
"Rest," she commanded. She had been foolish earlier and allowed herself to be pushed around the ship by the cat's attacks. It was her fault that Gray was in such bad shape. She would protect him. The cat would not hurt him again.
She summoned forth her Ataraxia Armour, holding all but one of its swords back to form a shield in front of Gray. The final sword she directed telekinetically towards the cat, cutting her without making direct contact. "You talk about what is at stake here," she said, her voice hardened with resolve. "Then know this as well. You have hurt someone I hold dear. That is not something I can forgive." Squaring her shoulders, she gripped the sword, stabbing it into the air before her. "I will die before I let you hurt him again."
The cat swiped at the invisible attack from the Ataraxia sword, a wave of energy curving away from her claw to parry its undetectable thrust. "I am not a Guardian," she said simply. "I would be only too happy to oblige."
She launched a barrage of sonic attacks towards Erza and Gray, bending the trajectory of the sound so it could twist around Erza's blades. The noise was deafening. Erza could only hope that none of the partygoers from the lower decks would venture upwards to investigate. The cat woman had referred to 'her' soldiers. Did that mean she served as a protector for the city and its people? Or were the soldiers her minions and civilians merely collateral damage? There was no way to be sure. She had to end this quickly, before someone else got hurt.
The Ataraxia armour carried eight swords. Seven of those Erza manoeuvred defensively, creating a moving wall to protect Gray and herself. The eighth sword she threaded in between the gaps in the attacks, trying unceasingly to hit back at the cat woman. Sweat was dripping down her face. All it would take for either opponent to get score a hit would be a momentary break in concentration.
The narrow prow of the ship and the surrounding jutsushiki provided Erza an advantage. The sound attacks could not break through the rune barrier, and her seven swords were more than enough to cover the tetrahedron of space around her and Gray. But it served as a disadvantage as well. One the cat took full advantage of. She began to dart around the deck, switching the direction of her attack. Erza was held fast to one position and the attacks were hard enough to block without the added complication of not knowing in which direction they would spring from.
There! That sonic blade was about to curl around the edge of her barrier and hit Gray. Not again. She dispatched her eighth sword to block it, leaving herself open. The sound bludgeoned her, knocking her back into her sword wall. The force of the blow shook her earpiece loose and Erza pushed it firmly back in place before it could fall out. The onslaught was beginning to overwhelm her. She was backed into a corner and losing energy fast. It was impossible to go on the offensive without leaving Gray defenceless and there was nowhere for them to retreat with the jutsushiki surrounding the ship. The cat woman's magic power was too strong; Erza would not last much longer if she continued to attack in this manner.
Explosions echoed from the shoreline. Erza could make out a smear of magic along the water's edge. Her comrades were in dire straits as well. There was no way she could help them. There was no way she could save Gray. There was nothing she could do-
Unless.
The idea sparked in the back of her mind, bringing with it a terrible memory of its most recent use. There was one way she could save all her friends. A technique she had learnt during her brief time as guild master. She sent all her swords backwards, forming a protective shell around Gray and widened her stance. "According to the Fairy Tail rules, I'm supposed to give you to the count of three," she shouted, raising her voice to be heard above the thundering cacophony of the cat woman's attacks. "Surrender!"
She brought her palms up, letting the magic build into a ball between them. "One." The cat woman was exceptionally powerful and there was no telling how many enemies besieged her friends on the shore.
"Two," her voice wobbled as she remembered Master Makarov's body, still as a stone after he cast the same spell against the armies of Alvarez. No. She would not waver. She would protect her friends. She began to push her hands inward, compressing the ball of magic into a singularity.
"Thre-"
"Snap. Out of. It. Erza!" A hand pushed its way out from between the swords, a branch of ice lifting from its palm and sweeping Erza's leg from under her. She stumbled to the ground, the energy she had gathered to cast Fairy Law dissipating.
Realisation hammered down. This was the effect of the cat woman's magic. The brief moment when her earpiece had slipped had been enough. No longer directed through the lacrima communicator, the emotional manipulation of the cat woman had broken through to her. This was not her. These were not her thoughts. She was not the Erza who felt she had to sacrifice herself to save everyone else. She was the Erza who believed in the strength of her comrades. The Erza who had learnt to rely on them as surely as they relied on her.
"That's what. I thought." Erza could hear the smile in Gray's voice even as she remained facing forward, her eye fixed on her enemy.
"It's time to end this," she said, letting the magic flow out of her as she requipped into her most powerful armour. The golden greaves of the Nakagami Armour wrapped around her calves at the same time as the lion's head pauldrons settled on her shoulders. The halberd with the golden circular armguard glided through the air, cutting through the spate of oncoming spells. Erza switched hands, arcing the blade behind her, slicing through the magic that still gripped Gray in a vice of pain.
"How?" The cat woman staggered back, reeling from her magic being dispelled so readily.
Erza gripped her halberd with both hands, swinging it downwards with all her might. With a single stroke, she cut through the very fabric of reality that stretched between the cat woman and herself. "Nakagami Starlight!"
The cat spun through the air, the magic burning grooves into her fur and exposing pale patches of skin. She landed with a devastating thud on the other side of the ship, her head cracking backwards into the jutsushiki barrier around the railing and shattering it.
Erza fell to one knee. Her armour evaporated, her chest rising and falling under her white blouse as she heaved in lungfuls of air. "Are you alright?" she asked Gray, turning to look at him. He nodded weakly. Purple bruises mottled his chest from where the sonic waves had hit him and the blood he had coughed up earlier still worried her.
"What shall we do about her?" she wondered aloud, looking across the deck to where the cat had fallen. "She will keep coming after us. She is not a Guardian Spirit. There is no Key. We cannot return her to the Heavens, if that is where she came from." For all she knew, the cat could be someone from Earthland like Sacerdotisa.
Gray coughed again, his lips staining red. "Let's just get out of here. We need to help the others."
She nodded, not naysaying his use of 'we.' He was in no condition to keep fighting. She winced down at the blood seeping into her shirt from the wounds the cat had inflicted on her. Not that she had fared much better. "There are some lifeboats on the middle deck we can take." She tucked an arm around Gray and prepared to help him to his feet.
"Not so fast."
Erza looked up just in time to see a ball of fur launch itself at her. She released Gray a microsecond before the cat grasped her about the shoulders, dragging her overboard and down 60 feet, through the slate surface of the water.
A/N: 'Hebiko is a cat?' I imagine you're thinking, and well, yes. She is. Hahaha. And has been since I first gave her a name way back in Chapter 9. But I didn't want to give it away until much later, although I did mention that she was adopted a few chapters ago. There'll be a bit more of an explanation in the next chapter about her background :).
This chapter was a little annoying to write because I decided earlier that Hebiko would not be the type to grandstand during a battle - unlike every other anime villain cough cough - which meant having to write 'cat' and 'cat woman' over and over. Plus given that Hebiko and Erza share the same pronouns... When I was proofreading there were a few times where I had to figure out which 'she' I was referring to hahaha.
A/N 2: The last bit of the chapter involved one of my favourite side quests in the writing of this fic - cruise ship math. I'd watched Dr. Odyssey a bit before I wrote this, and was taken with the idea that the surface of the ocean would be like concrete if someone fell from a huge height. But this is a lake, not an ocean, so I had to make some calculations based on how tall I thought a smaller ship would be hahaha. Don't let anyone tell you writing is boring!
Sorry for leaving this on a cliffhanger, but eh, I like splitting battles across two chapters :P. Keeps things interesting, doesn't it haha. Thank you for reading! I hope you liked this chapter :). Leave me a review if you did (or didn't. I'm flexible hahaha). See you in 2 weeks!