Loyalty

Pearl was lounging in her pool room, waiting for Fishstick to bring her bi-hourly glass or grape juice. It had once been some old storage room or weapons making room, but she hardly cared at this point, she’d had it cleared out and made into her personal abode the moment she’d laid eyes on its impressive size.

The pool itself took up eighty percent of the room and was modeled after the fanciest, cushiest pools in the fanciest, cushiest hotels. It was huge, and deep, and rectangular, with a lift that lowered her wheelchair into the water or raised it out when she needed to leave. Circle lights dotted the floor to keep it lit up when she was awake. There were TVs on the walls and waterproof remotes to operate them. Beach chairs were placed on the shallow end of the poolside for obedient underlings to rest, as a treat, but also for Fishstick to sleep on—walking fish enjoyed sleeping on solid surfaces, unlike dolphins.

Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer, Pearl thought as she waited for Fishstick in her half-submerged chair. She figured the best way to keep the last Sea Ninja leader from dethroning her was to keep him within a fin’s reach at all times, among other things.

A proper, frightening presence was also demanded, but not one so terrible and ruthless that everyone secretly hated her behind her back. No doubt, some of the walking fish wanted Fishstick back in power, but for now, she had made a decent enough name for herself. To make things even better, Luka had been no issue to their clan for a while now, mostly due to luck, but they didn’t need to know that.

“Pearl.”

Pearl looked up. Fishstick was waddling towards her, a glass cup of juice balanced perfectly on his blunt head.

“Hmph,” Pearl narrowed her eyes, “That’s not the way I’m supposed to be addressed.”

Fishstick was quiet for a second. “Okay, my Pearl, here’s your drink,” he said. He waddled up to Pearl’s seat and waited until she took the cup from him, then went to get his own seat.

“Don’t be so pouty,” Pearl replied, tipping some of the drink into her mouth, “You know how many of your ninjas would be honored to pour me a drink?”

“Shame that honor’s built on a lie, though.”

Pearl nearly slammed her drink into her cupholder, but just barely managed to contain her anger. “Oh please,” she snapped through grit teeth, “I have done just as much as you did as leader, if not more. Don’t get snippy with me because your animals elected to put in someone better than you.”

Fishstick snorted. “You tote around that ‘Days Since Luka Interfered’ sign like a holy text, you know that?” he asked, “You haven’t stopped Luka from doing anything, you're just coasting along on luck and my previous good work! And I’m not the only one who’s noticed.”

Pearl took another sip of her drink. “Well, I’m sorry you and those other fish feel that way, but it’s not true,” she said, “I’ve been doing plenty of my own work to make your Sea Ninjas better. Unlike you, I’m not just a thief, I’m an inventor.”

There was a long, dense silence between them.

Fishstick tilted his head so that one, unblinking eye stared into Pearl’s. After a while, he finally spoke. “All I’m saying is, these fish took you over me because you promised results. I would recommend getting those results to them before those rumors spread too far for you to handle,” he turned his head back again, “You know I’m also an inventor. Every weapon, every piece of clothing, every scarf, every land-mobility aid that you see those fish use was thought up in this brain.” He tapped a claw to the top of his skull.

“Oh?”

“We walking fish are outnumbered and outloved by you dolphins and otters and whatnot,” Fishstick said, “We don’t like to come on land and because there are no places for us, and the land-dwellers don’t build us what we need because we never come ashore. It’s a vicious cycle, would you not agree? So me and a few friends made a place for us at sea. That was how this whole thing got started.”

Pearl nodded.

Those were certainly big flippers to fill.

Even though it had been the fish who had allowed Pearl to take power, she now understood that they would still remember all Fishstick had done for them in the past. To take a whole species of animal and take them from unseen to feared for their thieving prowess was a feat very few could truly claim.

“Our success was a double-edged sword,” the large walking fish admitted, “But I won’t act like good didn’t come from it. I’m sure a dolphin like you understands.”

“You should never undersell yourself,” Pearl agreed.

The next long silence between them was more comfortable.

“Anyway, my Pearl,” Fishstick said, “I’ve got ninjas to supervise. You can’t have the fighters slacking off, can you?”

“No, I can’t.”

Fishstick waddled off his chair and left Pearl to her grape juice and her thoughts.