Unable to understand the exact mechanics of the two women’s magic, Jonah was left with only the results, and he knew how much Diana was outclassed. Any parried bits of water that flew back to Angelina, only became her ammo once more. As a show, she occasionally sliced Diana’s missiles with her saber, causing the metal to ting loudly. There was an unfailing confidence in the Hero’s face and she performed some deflections with a twirl, dancing as she held the structure up with one hand. The coral sometimes rocking with her. Diana couldn’t land a hit on Angelina, but received plenty herself. None were the vicious strikes that floored her, they didn’t sound light though. The water darts thudded on Diana’s armor or just around it, and some tended to crackle.

When Jonah stood up, pointing out the ice melting on the deck, Angelina only smiled. It took him a while to have any evidence of the unfairness.

“If the princess can hit me, then she can use as much ice as she wants,” the Hero said with a shrug.

Kalyah dragged Jonah back to his seat. “It’s not worth the effort,” she said. “Diana knows there’s ice in the water, she can feel it. Her clothing is keeping her from getting cut, but I see the impact, she’s gonna feel it when she calms down.”

Diana roared in fury, Aiko joining in the cry from the sides. Wind swirled around the Druid, a powerful dust devil force, some distance from her body. The next volley of water was whipped away by the wind. The Hero smirked at the display, with a point of her sword a long spear of water formed in front of her, quickly freezing solid. She sliced the sword through the air and it launched at blinding speed. Diana’s face was in shock at the severity of the attack, so was Jonah, getting up and rushing to her. The tiger came to her aid as well.

As it closed in, Diana’s spiral of wind caught it from end to end, spinning it wildly off course. The inch before it was going to hit the deck, a few feet in front of Jonah, the weapon stopped in midair. The Hero was pointing to it with her sword and it came rocketing back to her. She ran her saber edge along it, shaving the formed frost off of it.

“It’s like you all think I’m serious about harming the princess,” Angelina said, examining her deadly weapon. It exploded into liquid once more and she reformed it into an intricate bouquet of flowers centered around her saber. “This is training, nothing more. If you don’t have a few hard knocks, how are you meant to learn?”

Diana was panting heavily with all her chest, eyes tired and blinking hard.

“We’ve been sparring for nearly an hour, I’m glad to see you still standing,” the Hero said with a grin. There was no sign of exhaustion in her. “It’s been a long day, recovering from your celebration last night, why don’t you take a break, princess?”

The Druid took a deep breath, her swirl of wind spinning itself out. There was clear conflict on her face about stopping, but the exhaustion was stronger. She pointed her staff at the Pirate. “I rest now, but I will not give up on this. I will strike you back Angelina!” she shouted, throat dry. Jonah, Kalyah, and the tiger were all there to support her as whatever was holding her up after so long snapped and she relaxed into his arms. He felt the fervent heat from her, venting out from the gaps of her armor.

The mermaid smiled as the trees of coral spun around her. “A fair goal, if not a silly one. Can you believe that many think I’m the chauffeur for the rest of the Heroes? That Fia was only the intelligence, but we stopped a hurricane together.” She looked to the table, her fellow Hero was asleep with her Mimic frog nestled beside her head. “Oh, you deserve your rest…”

Angelina sheathed her sword and a dismissive flip of her wrist sent the water crashing overboard. “You can spar with me after lunch each day, Diana. Until Fia recovers, which I don't know how long that will take, we won’t be flying. After breakfast tomorrow, you will be doing what Gregore did, listening to all the reports of Ash Maker activity and judging their legitimacy. They’re only the ones that are high enough priority to reach us, so there’s only hundreds a day.” She grinned, satisfied as she walked to Diana and those supporting her.

“As for you, Jonah, you have your limbs about you, so you’ll be learning the maintenance of this craft.” She scanned about the gigantic vessel. “Lots of work to do around here, lots to learn.” Her face leveled out as she set her gaze to Kalyah. “I need you to see what Fia has done to the others, I don’t like her methods,” she said quietly. “See, Diana, I’m not some villain, I like people to follow me of their own free will.”

Kalyah blinked in surprise. “It’s irreversible, ma’am and it’s not new,” she replied as Angelina meant to turn away.

Jonah knew the fate he had been spared, a few other chilling facts dwelled in him too. Kalyah and he were unaware that Angelina was ignorant of the crew’s charming. The Priestess was convinced that the captain ordered it when the majority of the crew left, when Jonah had joined them in his ruined state. Either the Pirate was a fantastic actor, or the deathly glare she gave Fia now was genuine.

“I’ve done the impossible many times, Kalyah, fix it,” Angelina said in a furious whisper. “Don’t let them know, but fix it.”

“Captain, the Witch keeps--” Kalyah started.

“I know about that,” the Pirate said, waving her hand. “Don’t worry about it, just fix my fucking strays. Got it?”

“Yes, ma’am, I’ll work on it,” she said, bowing her head.

Angelina stomped off towards the helm.

Diana was exhausted, too tired to stand as they got her to Jonah’s room. Kalyah, who was shaken over what happened on the deck, silently helped Jonah remove the Druid’s armor. She stank of salt water and sweat. There were bruises all about her skin when they got her down to her natural wrappings. The plates decreased the intensity of them, but the constant thudding had made her breasts and belly an array of pinkish shades. The Priestess prayed over them all, Diana tried to reach for her own creams and flowers, but was held back. Jonah supported her half naked body, her skin growing warm as the strikes faded. Her eyes grew heavier and she held onto his neck, laughing deliriously. Jonah asked about her mental state when she started to blow raspberries, spit hitting his face.

“She’s not losing her mind, honey, stronger healing has a euphoric effect on a conscious brain. It also wears her out, I wouldn’t be surprised if she sleeps twelve hours,” Kalyah said, wiping the sweat from her brow. “She hadn't recovered from last night. Goddess, it was so stupid for you to do that, Diana. I’m amazed you were able to fight at all. You’re strong, honey, so strong. But prideful, so fucking prideful.”

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“I’ll win, damnit,” Diana slurred, resting her head on Jonah’s shoulder. A light peck came to his neck. “Thank you… thank you…”

Jonah held her bare back as she became dead weight, passing out.

“Don’t let her sleep twelve hours, honey, please,” Kalyah urged, helping him move her to the bed. “She has hardly eaten today, if she sleeps through dinner, after all that healing, then she’s gonna get sick tomorrow. That would be a sickness I couldn’t heal with magic. When you get her up, give her a bunch of water, honey, please. Don’t be scared about using the intercom, or having Coal deliver food to you.” The little elf met eyes with him, as she had half a day before. “I know we both thought everything would go differently today, but she saved you from that, so stay by her, okay?”

“Yeah, I will,” he said. He rested on the bed, Diana settling in beside him. She barely stirred as he removed his jacket around her. He held her shoulders, the ocean smell around her wasn’t as bad as it could be. He had dated a hippie girl that didn’t wear deodorant commonly. One of a few messy relationships he had. Whatever he had with Diana, one she kept pressing, was far better than he had before.

Aiko the housecat hopped up on the bed, curling up on the other side of him.

Kalyah smiled at him. “I know you’re happy,” she said. “Not that she's incapitated, I know that, honey…” She chuckled. “You’re happy to be useful, and you are, plenty. Being away from her would have hurt your tender heart too much.”

“I'm a good pillow apparently,” he said, rubbing Diana’s shoulder as she started to snore.

The nurse nodded happily.

“I didn’t think I was this useful for her. She’s really fought to keep me by her,” he said, his eyes watering.

“Sometimes that’s all people need,” Kalyah said plainly. “Somebody. You came a world away to be where you are.” She glanced about the darkened room, the portholes closed. “Well, I’m off to do the impossible.”

A few hours later Jonah woke Diana from her deep sleep. She was too tired to attack, and kept trying to lay back down. She grumbled, finally rising after ten minutes of working on it. Her higher brain was down and she looked at everything through a heavy lidded glare. All her responses were short grunts and mumbled curses. She used her staff and Aiko to stumble to the restroom, swatting away Jonah’s help. After a long while, he was about to check if she had fallen asleep, he heard a roar from the tiger, and then a scream from Diana.

“Fuck you!” she yelled. By the thudding sound, she hit the beast.

There was an exchange of cursing and growls before she finally left the place. She fell onto the couch and tried to sleep again. Playing the nursemaid, Jonah had her drink more water. She was like a child and he wondered how he had woken up at all with the extent of his wounds. If this was what a hangover and bruises were like, he couldn’t imagine a serious injury being healed.

“You have to eat, I can hear your stomach growling,” he insisted.

“Sleep first,” she said, still holding her staff to her, cuddling it. It was only a day ago that she had played flirty with the sight of her half clothed form. Now she scratched her butt with no regard for him, noting the act with a burp from her empty stomach.

He sighed. This was also supporting someone, he thought, the less glamorous side. The tiger was helping at least, grabbing her ankle and tugging her off the couch.

Diana, waking up at the pressure of a tiger’s jaws on her, gripped onto the trim of the couch. “NO! I’m bloody tired, fuck you!” she cried. She held on firmly and Jonah took the initiative and yanked on her core.

He held her under the arms as she sat there limp in defeat. She wasn’t exactly light, especially in this awkward hold, but he could hold her well enough. She glanced down and he then realized that above his arms was her chest wrap. He averted his eyes as she stood, adjusting herself.

“Perfect, I try to rest more and my breasts fall out,” she grumbled. “They’re back in place, you can look at me once more.” He returned to see her more awake, but more furious as well.

“Kalyah said I had to wake you, or you would have gotten sick,” he explained again.

She sighed. “Low fuel, overworked, over-healed, body, easily infected,” she said, nodding. “My actual mind knows this, you were dealing with my instinctual mind.”

“You were pretty fucking tired,” he reasoned. “You didn’t move from me in two and half hours.”

“Yes, thank you,” she said. “Now, please, some food, so I may return to sleep.”

Diana had rinsed herself off, which woke her up, but also relaxed her. She was far more comfortable in her cotton nightgown and plush socks. Her hair up with a soft band, she settled back in on the bed. Jonah had been looking at the bag containing the broken radio, not too subtly watching her rub her lotion jars into her skin. How he could stand the stink of her after the fight, she wasn’t sure. A small thing to accept and she was happy to once again smell like herself, the herbal balms also eased her discomfort.

“Are you going to absorb all of it?” she wondered, supporting her head on her hand.

He folded the paper bag, still mostly full, and put it into a drawer. “I don’t know, I hope they have room,” he said, running his metal hands over his forearms. He wore a thin nightshirt and shorts, he’d filled out wonderfully since the first time she had seen him on this very bed. His lips pursed at her in hesitation. “Are you sure?” he asked.

“I’m here, I’m tired, and I’m waiting for you to join me,” she said plainly.

“Sorry.” He shook his head. “This is a little fast for me, but in a way it’s not.”

“That makes sense,” she said, patting the bed.

He slid in and she fit herself under his arm, throwing hers over his chest. His metallic arm held her closer, and she reacted to it touching her bare skin. “Do they hurt you? Are they too hard?” he asked, trying to pull away.

“Your limbs are cool to the touch and they give, like wet sand,” she said, meshing her fingers with his. “Here it is warm, so you are well balanced.” She nestled her head on his chest, feeling the strength of his collarbone, hearing the quickening of his heart.

“I need to tell you what I know,” he said. “I was writing it out on a notepad.”

She sighed. “I know enough for the day,” she said. She looked up at him, setting her chin on his chest. “May I have a kiss goodnight?”

“You don’t have to ask,” he said. He ran his eyes over her. “Do you know how many guys would sell their soul to be where I am now?”

She smiled. “Hm, your world must have women with terrible vision,” she remarked.

“Why is that?”

“For there was no woman willing to do the same for you,” she laughed.

He flushed as always to her praise, bright eyes watering.

She pecked his lips. “I am glad to have your permission, for you have mine. Goodnight, turn off that blasted light.”

“Goodnight, I’ll show you the note in the morning.”

“If you must,” she groaned. “Less is more at this moment for me.”

“I must, I guess.”

“So long as one of us knows, why must we both be aware of what lurks here?” she asked, closing her eyes tightly. She hoped that this arrangement wouldn’t bring her nightmares, or if they came, that she would be able to return to sleep.

From the end of the bed, Aiko the house cat watched Jonah shut off the light with a conflicted face. Whatever he knew was itching to get out of him. There was no desire in her to dislike the Pirate or Witch anymore than she did. Still, she would have to hear it sometime. Tonight she could rest in ignorance.