Tsuki ✔️COMPLETE

Chapter 13: Sea and Sky

The Disaster

Minami-Akali Ocean

For a conversation about a large blue demon encased inside a submersible ship with a group of humans, the news that Kai's elemental was on board went down surprisingly well. Most of the passengers aboard were just glad to be safe after hearing the cannon fire and submerging so suddenly.

Mostly, it loomed away from the crowds, observing silently and staying out of the way. The children invented a game where they would try and get as close as possible to it before it turned around to look at them, then run away shrieking.

Sama played along, surprising all of their curious faces when she stood in the same space as the blue figure, totally enveloped inside it.

"Hey, bud," Rubi said to Take'Ichi when everyone had settled down after the fire fight. "Thank you for helping me. Are you doing alright?"

He nodded slowly, though he looked unsure.

"You threw yourself over me." he said. "You used yourself as a shield and got me to safety."

"Of course I helped you." Rubi replied. "You're my friend. You needed help, so of course I protected you. And you'd just saved me with those knots."

"I thought the next shot was going to hit the glass. Then the rats would eat me alive."

"For a while, so did I." she confessed. "I've never seen a ship sail so fast. Or so many rats. I didn't know a Collector could even control animals, but I suppose it's not too far fetched."

Take'Ichi hugged her. He was still quivering a little, even after a few hours had passed.

"You didn't turn into a stick that time." Rubi recalled. "What happened with that?"

Take'Ichi paused for thought, looking strangely sheepish.

"I- I don't know." he stuttered.

"Maybe you're getting braver." she suggested with a smile. "You're growing up."

"You think so?"

Rubi measured the top of Take'Ichi's head against her with a hand.

"Definitely." she confirmed. "At least two inches since you joined the crew. You might get taller than me. Any pain in your legs?"

"What would pain in my legs mean?"

"Just growing pains. Lot of people get them when they have a growth spurt. I certainly did."

"Oh, right. No, no pain."

"That's good at least. We'll have to wait and see how tall you get."

Take'Ichi smiled but said nothing.

Rubi travelled to the engine room to check on Mimi. She was sitting in front of the console, routinely checking the controls and looking through the forward facing window. Mimi's eyesight had to be phenomenal. She steered a smaller wheel that was inside the control room, directly affecting the engine's route while the rudder was out of use. They had never hit anything, no matter the available light or ferocity of the water.

"Captain," Mimi said, acknowledging her.

"Hey, Mimi. How's everything looking?"

The golem pointed towards the center of the control panel.

"Quite well, but the engine will need recharging by tomorrow night." she said. "When do you wish to surface again?"

"If we can surface before nightfall tomorrow, we should." Rubi said. "Provided the coast is clear. I haven't seen the underside of that clipper for a while, but I don't want to get caught out with no power left in the engine. Gaku should see us come back up and set down the Wanderlust again. He can finally tell us who that maniac was."