A Shell, Might Break

"Well first off, there's always this..."

He chuckled, "Festivities is all, besides it's not like I did something illegal. For you don't know what I said or did, so therefore you haven't a right to talk to me like that." He said with a smug smirk on his face. He was really enjoying the fact that now he'd be able to beat up some stupid kid who would dare to try and defend his little friend.

He smirked, "You must like the girl... Sham that you'll end up beaten and no one to help you." He said not backing down to Ren's threat. He found it amusing, "So you actually would want to hang around that cold pack of ice..." He said with a smirk, he wanted to make Ren angry and then rub it in his face when he couldn't avenge Fia's hurt.

"I feel sorry for you old man. In fact, I'll even let you take a swing me."

The guy chuckled, going to give three punches instead of just one. He looked at Ren thinking about how easy this was going to be. He figured about a few punches and the kid would be out or partially out. He didn't realize that the kid had a plot to get back at him. If he did maybe the man would've show more agressive attacks. He never could've thought that the boy could beat him because of his anger. He quickly pulled back his arm to send a bunch of punches towards the boy.

"You missed."

He sent three more punches at the boy then a kick. He punched furiously trying to hit the boy, but he found he couldn't land a hit. He continued to try to hit him, but it didn't hit. He grumbled, taking a gun out of his pocket.

As Fia cried by the placid waters, a odd sensation as if in her mind someone else was there. But it was a faint thing, she thought back on her past.

A man stood over a young girl the age of five, she was in the same position she was in now. Her arms wrapped around her legs her head burried in her lap. She heard the man cough, she looked up, she herself was wearing rags. She was cold and alone, she looked at the man. He wore sporty pirate attire a large captain hat upon his head. The man smiled at her, "Hello little missy, you know I've been watching you." Fia looked up, "You.... you... have?" She said looking at the man surprised, the man nodded. "You know on the Dairina, there's a awful need for a helper. I'm Captain Rutherford Ace, if you'd join my crew I'd be very happy to have the job filled." He had put it in such a way that it wouldn't make her feel bad or be treated as a lesser. She nodded following the kindly smiling man unto the ship.

Her mind went back to present day, tears continuing to fall down her cheeks. She missed him terribly.

The man was baffled, the gun had dissappeared from his hand, then moved to Ren's then disappeared all together. Then from out of nowhere a staff appeared Ren then knocked the man out. He fell to the ground unconcious, soon Ren was gone leaving the man sprawled unconcious on the floor.

Fia didn't hear him approched, but she saw him drop to his knees, then sit beside her. All the while not saying a word, he pulled her into his arms hugging the crying girl silently. She continued to cry burying her face in his shoulder. She her tears dripped onto his shirt as she cried creating a wet spot. Her arms didn't hug him back, they stayed by her side for a good while as she cried. She slowly started to feel a odd sense of safety and love from Ren. She didn't know why she was letting him comfort her or why she was slowly falling in love with his charm and kindness.

He had done something no man could ever dream of doing. He was holding her in his arms, this was the closest she had gotten to a non-father figure. She felt a attatchment starting to form in her heart to Ren, something like how she and Captain felt except only different in some odd way. Fia didn't know why she felt this way about Ren or why she was letting him comfort her. The odd thing was that if Ren were to tug on her heart, unlike before. She might acutally yield to his tugging of her soul and heart.

His chin rested gently on her head, she wondered if he had feelings for her or if he was truly only wanting friendship. Tears continued down her cheeks and onto his shirt, she slowly hugged him back as she cried. She found herself wanting to know if anyone loved her, if she died if she'd mean anything to anyone. She wondered if there was anyone other than Captain Ace who had loved her. Captain Ace had always helped her through the hardtimes and now she knew he was no more. She slowly hugged him back tight her head resting on his shoulder as she cried, she wished Captain Ace would whisper the words he used to say when she was down. They weren't pirate words they were simple, "Shh... I love you, you'll be okay... Fia." She remembered just before he left he said he'd be okay, and he wasn't.

"You just cry."

His words were soft and caressing, soothing. But she still felt a want to feel loved, she remembered how she and Captain would spend hours practicinb fighting or musical instruments. She was practically his daughter, and now she was completely alone. No hope of someone even if she wanted to live on land or sea. She had no place to call home, and no one to consider her friend or family. Ren was a good friend, oddly the only person she let close. She wouldn't have been angry to know someone actually cared for her.