Motley (#Wattys2016)

24: Second Showdown at the Docks

When they all stopped their chattering, they strolled away from the castle and back to Colla Voce. It was all very peaceful, not counting the smoking rubble that used to be the castle behind them. Colla Voce's countryside consisted of green rolling hills. In fact, if they had not just blown up a castle, one would assume they were a few good friends going for a picnic on a lovely summer's day. "I say we go get drinks to celebrate," Kei said.

"I've never drank liquor before, except at my cousin's wedding," Michi said thoughtfully. "That was just diluted champagne. I wonder if rum is good."

"And the people will give us free drinks since we saved their city! We can go anywhere we want and they'll give us anything!" Reiko exclaimed.

"You idiots," Masa said, rolling his eyes, "we demolished their castle. They don't know anything about what we did. Did you forget we're wanted pirates?"

"Oh yeeeah," everybody said together.

"Let's just go," Ryota said. "I'm sick of this place anyways." Nori glanced sideways at him, but she didn't say anything. They all hurried away from the castle, taking the long way around downtown Colla Voce to avoid attracting attention. Nobody was in the streets, and nobody wanted to question why. There were too many questions, and the best thing to do so their triumphant moods would last longer would be to not try and answer anything. Ignorance is bliss, after all.

They finally got to the docks. Nori ordered Michi to find some food they could store on the Oxblood, and for Masa and Kei to check that the ship was still in good shape. Reiko decided to be a lookout in case anybody came their way on the docks. Luckily, none of this took very long. Michi found a store close by with nobody there, so she raided it of non-perishable items and a few barrels of drinking water and left some money on the counter. ("Michi, the whole point of being a pirate is not having to pay!") "You keep the ship in great condition," Kei told Nori. "She should sail fine."

"Great, then let's set sail!" Everyone got on the boat. Ryota was the last one to start climbing on board, but Nori stopped him. "Captain?"

"Not you. You aren't coming," Nori said.

Ryota looked miffed and confused. "Look, I know I betrayed you at first, but I still helped you bring down the Ivory Prince! Have we forgotten that?" The rest of the crew stopped what they were doing to see Nori and Ryota fighting.

"No, I haven't, and that's why you can't come back with my crew. I don't want the same thing happening again." Nori started to turn away, but Ryota pulled out a pistol and aimed it at her head. Michi and Masa gasped, Kei whispered, "no!"

"Ryota," Nori said calmly, "put it away."

"Nori, I've been sailing with you for years, and this is how you treat me? You're so stubborn!"

"Ryota, I-"

"Just because Satoru's dead-"

He had said the wrong thing. Nori jumped out the ship and landed in front of Ryota on the dock in one swift motion. "I'm not endangering my crew any further. You're staying here."

"Did I touch a nerve?" Ryota sneered. "You know Satoru's death is your fault, right? I know you were almost outside of the city with him. Just one more minute and you would have been caught with him. Maybe you could have saved him, but what did you do? Nothing! His death is on you! I wasn't part of that! Now you're blaming me?"

"You could just as easily have killed every single one of us!" Nori screamed at him. She took out her katana.

"Nori, don't!" Kei shouted down to her.

"I'm putting this cunt in his place," Nori said. "Don't try and stop me."

"Ooh, them's fighting words, captain. Or are you too scared to fight again?"

"I beat you once, I can beat you again!" Nori conjured flames in one hand with her sword in the other. "You don't have to do this. Just walk away."

"The loser leaves the crew, how's that?" Ryota said boldly. Everybody went silent for a second.

"Fine by me." Instantly, Nori whipped her sword at Ryota, who dodged just in time. He shot a bullet at her and she caught it in her fist full of fire. The scalding metal dripped menacingly out of her palm.

"You caught on to that fire magic pretty quick, huh?"

"What can I say? I'm a quick learner," Nori said humorlessly. She shot flames at Ryota, who blocked the attack with his vines. They were burned through quickly, leaving him only enough time to jump away from a second fireball. He dropped the pistol in his haste to escape. Nori lunged for it and got it it before Ryota did. "Come on. No more fighting." She pointed it at his head. "Leave quietly."

"I'm not leaving!" Ryota protested.

"Do you think I have an ounce of trust left for you?" Nori burst out unexpectedly. "I used to be all about 'friends' and 'teamwork', and look where that got me! I'm protecting innocent people, Ryota! Don't you understand?"

"You wouldn't dare shoot me anyways," Ryota said. Nori bit her lip angrily. "Yeah, you're just too honorable. Too good to kill your old friend."

"Try me."

Ryota took a step back, surprised at her resilience. He looked up at the Marziale Motley for help, but they apparently were too smart to interfere. "Nori," he finally said meekly, "I'm your friend."

There was a loud shot that rang through the air, more like cannonfire than anything. Ryota staggered backwards, still wearing that uncharacteristic regretful expression. A dark red hole appeared in the center of his chest. With the last bit of his strength, he lifted his head up to stare bewildered at Nori. She could have sworn there was a single tear in his eye. After what seemed like an age, his body fell backwards off the dock into the ocean. Michi squealed and Masa blinked rather hard. "Captain," Reiko said cautiously, "was that really-"

"Yes." Nori jumped back on board. "Let's go." When she saw that nobody had a moved a muscle out of fear, she barked, "move!" Everybody ran to their positions. The Oxblood pulled out of the dock slowly. While everyone was occupied with the ship, Nori leaned onto the side of the ship and softly began to sob.

*x's song: I'm So Sorry by Imagine Dragons*