DREAM TEST
Once again, Sniper is on his boat, the one with the ram's head. He looks around him, down at the blue, blue waves and up at the blue, blue sky and feels heat beat down upon him like it only can in the middle of the sea. Once again, he is alone, but it doesn't matter. He tends to his ship happily and breathlessly hums the tune of an old sea shanty under his breath. His ship is all he needs...
But that's a lie, isn't it? He's certainly a liar, and lying to himself is what he's best at, but he never even wanted to lie and say that he was okay on his own. He wasn't. He's not. He wants to be out adventuring, he really does, but what he wants more is companionship. He stifles down the loneliness in his gut that threatens to rise to the surface, and the sea moves.
He recognizes this scene. His small boat and a gigantic sea king. He knows already how this goes. He will be attacked and sent into the sea. He squeezes his eyes shut, not wanting to witness his own demise, but the relentless assault never comes.
"What the hell are you doing, long-nose?" The command is barked. There is a grunt. "Cowering against a shitty sea king?"
When he opens his eyes, the monstrous sea king is lying on the deck as useless as a carp, and Chivalry's face bobs into sight. Sniper likes to think that he's far too manly for squealing, but that's exactly what he does as he wraps his arms around his old friend. "Chivalry! Thank goodness, you--"
He is interrupted by a foot to the head smashing him down into the deck. "Oi, oi, stop that. Pay more attention or else next time I'll let it eat you. I'm going back to my kitchen."
Sniper's spirits swell as Chivarly stomps back into the kitchen, but they are even further bolstered when he notices Cloud perched up on the crow's nest, a cigarette sticking from out of his mouth as always. He looks vaguely amused at the going-ons and calls out, "Captains shouldn't daydream!"
"Daydream? I wasn't daydre--wait, captain? Who? Me?"
"I don't see any other captains on this ship."
Sniper lets out a long, delighted laugh and then responds, "If I'm the captain, then why am I doing all the work?"
"I don't do work," Cloud says, lounging back. "I'm just the doctor."
Sniper can't bring himself to be irritated at this, mostly because he's busy grinning so hard his face hurts at the mere prospect of being a captain, a real one. Great Captain Sniper, with a crew of two.
"Right!" He shouts, punching a fist into the air. "Captain Sniper, leading his gallant crew to... to..."
"You forgot where we're going?" Daitou says, and Sniper finally notices that he's been sitting in a corner the entire time. He almost doesn't recognize him as he's dressed as a proper pirate, loose pants, sash, cape and all. He's also sucking on three lollipops.
"No! Wait, Daitou? What's your place on this crew?"
Daitou considers this. "Candy keeper."
"That's not a job!"
Daitou grins cheekily at him and points all three lollipops in his direction. "It is now. I'm master of the three-candy-style."
Suddenly, there is a crash of the side of the ship caving in as a cannonball shakes it to its core. A single look on the horizon tells him who it's from: the marines. Their familiar flag waves in the wind, and he can see lines and lines of them ready for attack.
"Marines! He yells. "Come on, everyone!"
He can't tell whether or not the next part of his dream takes merely three seconds or an hour. It's filled with a flurry of adjusting the sails and firing cannons, screaming and excitement, being thrust over the rolling sea and dodging fearsome sea kings. It is simultaneously exhilirating and frightening. Eventually, they land on an island and all four of them march into the depths of the jungle. It's sweltering hot and the air is stifling, but the wildlife more than makes up for it.
There's vegetation oozing fluorescent blue, hawks circling above them that have the bodies of lizards, smiling monkeys that hover above them in the trees, buoyant spotted fruits that hang just out of reach, abnormally long raccoons, sweet purple sap that oozes slowly out of the vines above... it's impossible to take it all in, so he doesn't.
Of course, the majesty of their environment goes wholly forgotten once a gigantic tarantula bursts from out of the foliage. Chivalry screams like a girl, but to be fair, so does Sniper. Their panic is muted by the cheery face poking over the tarantula's head.
"Gosh, you guys are loud," Krile says cheerily, then salutes with a wink. "First mate reporting in, Captain!"
Lyle is riding behind her, but looks decidedly unhappy about it. "What's the matter, Lyle," Sniper says. "Are you scared?"
The look on his face suddenly shifts to one of malicious glee. "Don't laugh so fast, Sniper. There's one for everyone."
Sniper notes that Bridge is behind them, riding on a giant Logan. This doesn't seem fair, but he decides against arguing.
They ride through the colourful forest until they come across a clearing where two giants sit. They take Sniper's breath away. He can tell from their sheer bulk and the colossal axes sitting in their laps that they are warriors, real ones like you hear about in stories. Sitting in front of them are two familiar faces: Huo and Hawk.
"The ship's philosopher and dragon-keeper," Cloud murmurs.
"What's with all these useless positions?" Sniper grumbles, but the merry group of pirates ride their tarantula steeds onwards anyway.
"Sniper!" One of the giants boom, beard as shockingly red as blood in the water. "These small ones have told us of your plan! It is our duty to assist in such a task!"
The second giant stands. "You are small, but great in courage! Your two comrades have convinced us of your crew's worth! Climb upon our hands, warriors of the sea!"
They clamber shakily off of the giant tarantulas and onto the giants' hands. Sniper is not ready for what comes next, though it looks like he's not the only one. The giants wind up and fling the crew into the air as if they are little more than flies being blown off in the wind.
Sniper feels none of the bravery the giants say they had. Instead, he shrieks and shrieks and begins his litany of oh god oh god oh god ohgodohgodohgod we're all going to die we're going to die, we're going to die...
They near the Sphere's glass, and it breaks with their momentum. They fly up, up, up until they are on the clouds. Shakily, Sniper crawls to the edge of the cloud and peers downwards. He sees Edensphere below, nothing more than a cracked Sphere with a tree inside. They are free. He is a master of stories, but he knows that he will never craft a story that manages to express his pure joy at finally finding a way out. The crew rises in a rowdy cheer, but as they are about to finally reunite upon the clouds, the dream slips through Sniper's fingertips.