Black Bone Tower Part 19

Previous: Black Bone Tower Part 18

''Through the image of a camera, completely out of focus and pointing toward Dala. She stood there, a nervous smile curling over her face, turning slightly away from the camera and her hands gripping together.''

Dala: I don't know if I can do this.

Rinji: Mewhahahahaha! No need to worry, dear. It's only a picture.

Dala: It's not just a picture, and you know it. It's memories.

''The camera finally focuses in on her and her smile widened a little bit, showing her perfectly white teeth. He snapped an image, and then she covered her face.''

Dala: My smile looked so stupid, I know it did!

Rinji: Nooooo, it looked fine, hon. Where are they at?

Dala: Over there [Looked off to the side and waved.] Hey! Come on! It's picture time!

A little Nekojin kitten came up to her with a dressy shirt and pants on, he stretched the collar a little, obviously uncomfortable.

Dala: Ohhh Kenji, your hair isn't straight. [She got down and started to lick his head a little bit to straighten his hair.]

Kenji: Mooom! Stop it!

Dala: Hold still.

Kiki: Mommy! [Walked up toward Dala, in a little skirt with pink and white ruffles.] Kentaro told me my bow looked ugly!

Dala: Kentaro! Come tell Kiki you're sorry!

Rinji: Mewhahahaha! [All three of the kids look at the camera.] What a cute little litter.

Kiki: Daaaaddy! Stop it! Don't laugh! It sounds weird!

Rinji: My laughter is lyrical, dear, you'll understand when you're older.

Kathy: [Walks up to Kiki, looking exactly like her with black and orange tiger stripes, only in a blue and white dress and long blond hair.] Can you help me get my bow in my hair again?

Dala: Kentaro! Come on! It's picture time.

Kentaro, an older-looking kitten walks up to them and stands next to Kathy.

Rinji: Wait... where's Samuel?

Dala: Sam?

Samuel: [Came out from behind Dala, his sunglasses covering his eyes, and his completely black fur covering him with a white button-up shirt and straight black pants.] Hey Dad!

Rinji: Ah, there's my little trooper.

Dala: Alright, everyone stand together, and look at Daddy!

''All five kittens look toward the camera, all of them attempting smiles. That was when Rinji pressed the timed camera button and ran over to them, putting his arm around Dala's shoulder.''

CLICK!

''Rinji opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling, all covered up and alone in bed. He looked over across the room where Jiro was sleeping, and then back at the ceiling.''

Rinji: ..........what the hell does that mean?

''Through out the rest of that day, the Tiger-Stripe Pirates waited, and prepared for their upcoming event. For some reason, throughout the day of celebration, none of them saw any sign of their opponents, the Bulldog Pirates. There was only two hours left, and the crowd was getting rowdy. For some reason, it seemed like there were more people on that tiny little island than when they first got there.''

''There they were, in that dark, quiet room. Her pink hair drapped over the both of them as she planted both knees on either side of his legs as he sat on her floor cover. Their foreheads pressed against one another and their arms wrapped around one another. Every so often Usagi would plant another kiss somewhere on Chio's face.''

Chio: It's almost ti--

Usagi: Shhhhh, don't think about it right now.

They shared another long-winded silence.

Chio: But you kn---

This time she put her somewhat sizeable breasts into his face and pressed them against him to muffle him, and cut him off entirely.

Usagi: There, [she smiled down at him, though he couldn't see her as it was pitch black in that room, and breasts in his face didn't help a whole lot either.] Kajikajikajikaji... [Sighed and released him, going back to their original position.] You're right... we should probably go ahead and start getting ready.

Chio: Usagi...

Usagi: Yes?

Chio: I don't know what's going to meet us in that tower, nor do I sincerely care that much... What I'm trying to say---

Usagi: [Whispered in his ear.] I love you.

''That brought about another long silence, and caused them both to embrace each other more. Soon they were caught up in that moment, loving on one another with abandon, and no longer caring how long it was until they had to go. Chio laid back down on the floor cover with Usagi still clung to his shoulder and head, her fingers running through his hair.''

Chio: Yeah, [He smiled.] that.

Dala: What are you saying? [Sat across from Rinji in the overcrowded tavern, a beer and three mugs in front of him.]

Rinji: It's not easy for me to say this, but I have a goal that I need to concentrate on right now, and you are a wonderful merwerw, but you caught me at a very bad time in my life. Whatever we could become cannot happen right now, I need to keep going and the risks involved are too big.

Dala: [Hand on her mouth, her eyes huge and staring at him.] B-b-but Rinji... you... we... I can't find... Why?

Rinji: I have to find my family... my father and my two sisters. I made a solid promise that I would find them, and we would find our way back to Nekoshima.

Dala: But you can't go back! You know they won't let you back in, even if you found the entrance, there's a million rocks along the way, you--

Rinji: Dala, you are the best thing that's happened to me since I found this crew, since the first day I truly learned the joys of sailing the thousand seas of this world, but what we can become is just too big a responsibility to have right now. As much as I want it... [He slid his hand over hers, and to his surprise, she grasped onto his hand and gripped it tight.]

''Tears began to flow down her face, her other hand covered her eyes and she began to sob. Without knowing it her claws began to dig into his hand, it hurt a great deal, but he merely gazed at her hard. He knew she was trying to say something, but nothing came of it; instead, she cried. Soon she let go of his hand, and got down from her seat.''

Dala: I'm sorry, I can't. I need to think about this. [She ran away, tears still flowing from her eyes.] Black Tower for ASP Music Clip by Jacklionheart

''Rinji stayed in his seat, his eyes followed her, and with every ounce of his willpower, he held back his attempt to stop her. Instead, his eyes went down to his hand, it was bleeding quite a bit. He looked at it there, and then he looked in the direction she ran, she was out of the tavern, and all of the people around him were in another world at that moment. He looked back down at his hand, and the red flowed all over it. He bit the emotion back hard, swallowed, and slammed his other claw on the table.''

Rinji: Get me something harder! [He picked his drink up and slammed it down on the ground, and all eyes turned toward him in fear.]

''There was a whole three thousand pirates outside of the Black Bone Tower, all of them cheering on the crews that were about to venture into that place. Jiro and Ellis were absent, back at the ship, still healing his injuries. Chio and Usagi stood side by side, with Rinji in front of them, Nikk, Alice, and Gonzo Lee behind all of them. Kimi, Jana, and Dala stood to the side of them, all of them united as a team.''

''On the other side of the tower, also in the circle of cheering pirates, was the Bulldog pirates. All seven of them stood, waiting impatiently for this whole thing to get started so that they could collect the hundreds of millions of belli that awaited them at the top of the tower.''

Announcer: Alright, it's finally time to send our winners off toward their prize! Who's ready?!

''The crowd went wild, and the two crews did not comply. All of them were fixated on this event for one reason or another. Rinji, for obvious reasons, stood with an intense look on his face.''

Chio: Rinji?

Rinji: Yeah.

Chio: Why did you bandage your hand up? Is that blood?

Rinji: Yes... [He looked up toward Chio, who was taken a little aback by the death stare he was giving.] It is.

Chio: Okay. [Usagi and Chio looked at one another, a little worried.]

Alice: Lee? What is all of that you have packed in that very... large back pack.

Lee looked over at her and grinned.

Lee: Just staying prepared, you know how it is. [He looked like he was going to topple over with how heavy the back pack was. The black pack was easily bigger than he was, but he still held it up with little to no effort.

Announcer: Alright, ladies and gents! It's time to say goodbye! Good luck, and hope for the best!

''Finally, after all of that time waiting and seemingly wasting time, all of them looked up as they heard gears grinding together, and metal screeching against one another as the very large doors began to open, and open wide. The inside looked very dark, indeed, and crowd began to grow silent.''

Rinji said not a word, but he began to walk toward the entrance.

Black Bone Tower Part 20