Chapter Text
Azure waves lap against the ship’s hull as it sails through the never-ending blue horizon that is the Skywind Seas. Salt-tainted air fills Renzla’s lungs, allowing her to breathe peacefully. The open ocean brought something out in her that few things could in this world. It’s that feeling that no matter how screwed up her life is at times, there will always be something pleasant that she can return to.
“Renz! Get your lazy arse up here and steer the ship!”
Yep! This is peace for her.
Skylar did not bother to hide her frustration with loud—yet slightly adorable—stomps echoing against the wooden deck of the sloop. Unfortunately for her partner, Renzla was not willing to part from the enticing view of the sun’s blazing light dancing in the reflection of the water. This will be her first and certainly not last offence of the evening.
One moment she was looking out into the ocean and the next felt a force collide with her back sending her careening towards its cold embrace as she flew over the low railing. The only thing that stops her sopping demise was her incredible reflexes and acrobatic skills, which she uses to thrust her claws into the ship’s wooden shell allowing her to flip right side up. The tip of her ponytail barley skims the sea’s surface and looking up she sees that her claws have left nasty, jagged markings upon the hull.
“Oooh, wait till I get ma claws on ‘er. ‘At vixen is a dead one.” She slowly claws her way back up the ship and over the railing where a smirking Skylar was there to greet her.
“Have a good dip in the pond?”
The Zoroark’s gaze was predatory, “In fact I did. Why don’ ye come join me?”
“Renzla…” Her gaze was testing, “If you even think about throwing me into that water I shall curse you with never-ending fur growth.”
They both sat there for a moment knowing that a retaliation is inevitable. Skylar’s stance was anticipating, while Renzla sat on the ground with a pondering look before shrugging, “I like ma chances.”
The ninetales is already scampering away, tails waving through the air as she makes for the back half of the sloop’s main deck. It was a futile attempt, as Renzla jumps up on the mast and pushes off, causing her to fly over Skylar and land in front with an exaggerated twirl, “What wrong ma lady? Afraid of gettin a little wet?” She was quick to dodge the predictable blast of fire from her slightly flustered partner.
“I swear Renzla, I sha—ahhh!” Renzla leaps at Skylar arms wide and claws extended outwards but catches herself landing on all fours when she finds only open air. She feels the familiar sting of fire hitting her back as she recovers. The zoroark growls in vexation as scrambles on all fours after her partner who yips excitedly as she darts away. The two foxes’ game of cat and mouse goes on for far longer than it should have on such a small vessel. Renzla and Skylar both almost go overboard several times while trying to trick the other, and would get close at times to pinning one another, which would quickly devolve into a whirlwind of fire and slashing claws. The game came to its conclusion as Skylar trips over a loose board falling flat on her face with all nine tails splayed across the ground. Renzla, ever the competitive opportunist, did not hesitate to use the mistake to pounce and pin her to the ground with the zoroark’s whole body resting on top and arms wrapped tightly around the ninetales’s neck.
They breathe heavily for a moment soaking in one another’s presences before Renzla announces her triumph, “An’ I dare say ‘at make me the winner.”
A sardonic laugh escapes her trapped prey, “Winner of what? There was no competition.”
“Lass, ye and I both know it is always a competition between us.” Renzla releases one arm from its hold and rests an elbow between Skylar’s ears ruining the spikey fluff of fur that takes far too long to stylize somedays. She lays her head in her claws tapping one of the crimson digits against her chin. “Now… what should be ma reward?”
“Reward? Your reward is that if you get off me this instant, I won’t burn you alive.” The last part was said through tightly bared teeth.
“Ye said that last week as well.” She thought some more before a light went off, “Ah ha! I got it. Ye got to do Hallowsweet with me this year.”
The zoroark was barely able to contain a laugh as she felt the fiery fox shrivel, “Absolutely not. You know I hate…” Renzla waits with bated breath and then notices her partner begin to sniff the air. “Is-is something burning?”
That’s when the familiar scent of burning wood rushes through Renzla’s nose. Turning her head, she is beholden to a most horrific sight. Flames have spread like a wave across the ship’s main deck, with the entire back half being almost entirely consumed. Renzla was quick to roll off Skylar, letting her partner get a good look at the chaos.
“You have got to be shitten me.”
“Quick put it out Sky!”
“Put it out? I might be able to shoot fire out of my body, and despite my best attempts—I do not have absolute dominion over it!”
Renzla huffs, “Weel then psychic it away or somethin like ‘at.”
“Something like ‘at? Skylar’s annoyance grew rapidly, “We have been together for decades now and you still say the most idiotic things.”
“Am panickin Sky! Of course am goin ta say somethin moronic.”
“Then stop panicking and help me keep this ship afloat!”
“Fine.” Renzla slams her shoulder into Skylar’s side, who in-turn naturally retaliates by slamming nine iron incased tails against her sending the illusionist flying against the mast which was now engulfed in flames. Holding an arm against her stomach and using the other to push herself off the ground, she lets out a ferocious growl. “‘At is it ye cold hearted she-devil. I’m about ta give ye a thrashin ‘at has been decades in the waitin.”
Skylar laughs coldly “As if you could ever do that. I’ll tell you what shall happen—I am going to singe off that ponytail of yours and use it to choke you until you beg for forgiveness.”
“Ha! ‘At can’t even work because ye don’t hev opposable fingers or claws, only those dainty little paws.”
“I shall use my psychic powers!” Skylar’s higher pitch makes Renzla bare her teeth openly.
“Joke is still on ye, can’t use psychic powers on me because am a dark type.”
“If your fur is not attached to your body, it shall work.”
“Naw, it won’t.
“Yes, it shall.”
“Hmmmm, don’t think so—doesn’t make a lick of sense.”
“It makes perfect sense. Your fur is not sentient; therefore, it doesn’t possess the protection your type provides when it leav—
Renzla launches forward at blinding speed slamming Skylar against the wooden railing. Their battle begins once more amidst the burning ruins of the ship. They trade insults in equal proportion to their attacks, neither holding back as they try to one-up the other. Renzla’s claws shave through a layer of fur along Skylar’s neck as she dodges back from a searing burst of fire. In a fit of rage, the ninetales releases another torrent of flames around her causing a large smoke cloud to form. Unable to see, Renzla was not ready for the second blast that shot at her, knocking her back and leaving a scorching sensation on her chest. Before she has the chance to retaliate, the foreboding sound of wood splintering rang in her ears. This momentary distraction was all it took for Skylar to storm out of the smoke and pin the zoroark to the ground, digging her claws into Renzla’s shoulder.
“I win! I win! I win! Hahaha, who is the she-devil vixen now?”
Renzla did not get a chance to remark about her partner’s questionable question, as another creaking splinter breaks through the air and Renzla looks up to finally see what fate has in store for them. The mast—which was now more of a signal pyre—was beginning to crumble and fall towards them. Renzla begins tapping her partner’s leg desperately, “Skyskyskysky!”
“Now what shall my reward be hmmmmmm?” She was giggling maniacally—Renzla could have swooned from how adorable it was—as the shadow of the wooden beam grew larger above them. The zoroark starts to flail helplessly as she watches their wooden doom fall towards her. There was one final creak which finally got Skylar to freeze and look behind, her eyes practically popping out of her head as she scrabbles off her partner biting down on Renzla’s ponytail in the process. “Owowowow!” With a great heave the fire fox manages to barely get out of the way dragging the screaming zoroark along with her as the mast falls upon where they used to be.
It took a moment to get her breathing under control, but once Renzla was able to she took in the sight of their burning ship—if you could even call it a ship at this point—and let out an exasperated laugh that rings out airlessly with her partners own humorous chuckles. Their laughing dies out when they hear another familiar creaking sound from below them. “Oh, for Arceus’s sakeeeeee— The heavy weight of the mast causes part of the board they are sitting on to come loose and shoot up, launching both foxes high into the sky; screams echoing out into the open air.
Renzla wakes later to find the most beautiful set of narrow crimson eyes staring down at her. “Hey gorgeous, how ye doin?” A paw slaps across her muzzle, “Ow!” she rubs at the spot, “What was ‘at for?”
They were both dripping wet and freezing; their fur slick and matted against their bodies. Skylar’s fluff atop her head was now sticking against her rather grumpy face. “That was for being a moron and destroying our boat.” The ninetales turns away sharply causing a wet tail to slap the zoroark again, “And that was for making me haul your body out of the water.”
Still rubbing at the stinging spot, Renzla lifts herself up and notices that they are currently floating on a large piece of wood. Probably the only usable remainder of their ship. When the burning sensation on her muzzle subsides to a faint itch, she grabs her ponytail and lifts it into her lap and begins to twist and squeeze, releasing a wave of water in the process. “Oh, weel that sucks.”
Skylar whips her head around, her fluff slapping against her eye. Renzla could not help but chuckle. “Oh, that sucks? That’s all you have to say? We could be stuck out here for weeks before we wash ashore to any kind of mainland.”
Deciding that she was getting nowhere with rinsing the water from her fur, Renzla lets out a groan before laying down and taking in the painting that is the unnatural blend of orange clouds upon a sunsetting blue sky. “It is nothin we hev not done afore.”
“It doesn’t matter if it’s something that has happened to us before. I don’t want it to happen again.”
“Weel I don’t know what ye want me ta say. Ye and I don’t hev the abilities to fix this situation currently.” A blast of fire passes over her face. “‘At right there is why our ship is gone.”
“Are ye blaming me for that?”
She waves her claws lazily, “There was fire all over the ship, an’ I recall only one of us shootin fire.”
A momentary silence fell over them. “I do not regret it.”
Renzla barks with laughter, “Did ye not just say ‘at ye wish we didn’t get stuck out ‘ere?”
Skylar walks over and lays her body partially across Renzla’s and nestles her head on the zoroarks chest. “I did, but I also happen to take the greatest pleasure in life at winning against you. It’s always worth it in the end.”
The illusionist was too tired at this point to argue against such a false claim and instead lifts her head to gaze at her partner in this rare moment of vulnerability. She moves an arm forward and uses a crimson claw to push the fur out of the ninetales face, who closes her eyes and nuzzles against the sharp appendage. “What is the reward ye be thinkin of?”
“I think… staying like this for a while a shall suffice.”
Renzla smiles and looks back up into the sky, the salted air still coursing through her breath. With her partner resting against her like this and the sea surrounding her, the fox felt at peace…that is until they found out it would be weeks till they make it to the mainland.
Bonus Skit:
Renzla holds a gem high above Skylar's head, "Come on! Ye almost got it."
"Renzla give it to me now! I stole it first."
"Yep an' I stole it second. So 'at mea-ack! Stop biting ma ponytail ye mongrel"