Captain Shawna's Battle

Shawna was the most feared pirate ever. She had pirate written all over her-- one glance and you knew she was someone you wouldn’t want to cross. She had bushy red hair, so fiery orange it was hot to the touch (not that you’d want to get close enough to touch it). She was tall, fierce, and strong—she could lift the world with one hand. Her ship was the biggest and fastest around, and her crew almost as feared as she was. She was as merciless, tireless and unstoppable as the sea she sailed on. What she wanted, she got, and no one could stand in her way. She was queen of the seas, men quailed before her. The few who dared to fight her instantly regretted it.
But after she had sailed around the world a few dozen times and collected an uncountable amount of loot, she became bored with the whole business. Sailing the seas wasn’t nearly as glamorous as it sounded. After all, it was just water, and being surrounded by water wasn’t really that exciting. Plus being cramped up on a ship wasn’t that fun, even if it was an especially large and superior ship. But it wasn’t the ship life that really bothered her, no, she was a true pirate, she could handle that. What bothered her was it was all so easy. She longed for a challenge, a real opponent. Hardly anyone dared to fight her, and those who did she took down easily and quickly. She wanted to fight someone who would push her to the limits, someone she could really use all her skills against.
Unfortunately, she could think of no such person, ship, or crew like that that existed. So she took the problem to her crew, to see what they could come up with. Her crew sat in silence for quite some time. Then, the youngest and newest member of her crew, Gabby, spoke up.
“I have an idea,” she said, her voice barely more than a whisper. She shook like a leaf as all the pirates eyes focused on her.
“Well, tell us your idea.” Shawna said. “Go on, we’re not going to make you walk the plank if we don’t like it.”
“Well, where I come from, there’s this story about a boy who created a monster. I don’t remember how it ended, but the story told exactly what he did to make it. And the woman who told it to me swore it was true.”
“A monster? Just what did this monster look like?” Shawna asked
“Well, it, it was human form, but, like, more than a human, relentless and strong and smart.” Gabby babbled.
“A human-like monster. I rather like that idea. Now, if it could be taught to sword fight, it might make a worthy opponent.” Shawna said, looking at Gabby, considering.
“Well, I think would think it could, but I don’t know. The boy in the story knew wrestling, so that was how the monster he made fought. But since you know sword fighting, maybe….”
“Very good Gabby. Leave now while I think this idea over.” Shawna ordered and the pirates stood and left without a word. No one disobeyed Captain Shawna.
She thought it over the whole night. Finally, the next morning, she called her crew up on deck.
“I have decided.” She told them. “We will create the monster. I will have a worthy challenger at last! Gabby, what do we need to do?”
“Well, you need a piece of your home, a board from the ship should work, then soak it in a cloud, then you put something that represents your fighting style in it, so a sword should work, and then a bit of your own blood, then toss it in the sea.” Gabby said in a rush. She had been thinking about it all night, not wanting to disappoint Captain Shawna should she decide to create the monster.
“All right then, let’s get started.” Shawna said, reaching down and prying up a board from the deck. “Now Gabby, will fog work for a cloud?”
“I, I” Gabby stuttered.
“Out with it girl!” Shawna roared impatiently.
“Yes, I think so” Gabby said. “I heard the story a long time ago, I could have forgotten… I’m not sure if it’ll even work!”
“It’ll work,” Shawna declared. “It gets plenty foggy at night this time of year; we’ll leave the board on deck until then. Now go below and bring me every sword we’ve ever taken. I want to choose the perfect one for my rival.” The pirates all quickly left and returned with a huge selection of swords. Fancy ones, plain ones, heavy, light, rusted and shining. Shawna spent the day trying out the swords, giving each a twirl. The minutes seemed to pass agonizingly slowly. Soon her frustration built and she began throwing the swords she didn’t like. Her crew didn’t dare venture on deck. Finally, night fell and cooled her temper. Only then did the pirates come up on deck to see the sword she had chosen. It wasn’t the fanciest or shiniest, but it was nearly identical to her own.
“This is the one I will use.” She declared. “It’s the only one with the right balance. My challenger will have a sword as good as my own. I want this to be a fair fight. Now everyone below deck!” This time, Shawna followed the pirates down. After all, she would need sleep if she was to fight the greatest sword fight of her life the next day.
Shawna stepped out on deck as the sun was rising and the fog fleeing before it. Her pirates followed her a few moments later. She turned and looked them over. “Today’s the day! Wait, where’s Gabby?” The pirates all muttered and shrugged. “Go fetch her for me-no, I can’t wait. I don’t need her anyway.”
And she strode across the deck, picked up the sword and thrust it through the center of the board from the ship. The board started to glow slightly. All the pirates gasped. Shawna’s face remained impassive as she reached for her dagger. She had just pressed it to her skin when the door to the deck burst open and Gabby appeared. “Stop!” She cried. “You have to stop! I remembered the end of the story!” Shawna turned slowly towards her, her eyes glowing like hot coals.
“Silence!” she roared.
"You don’t understand, I” Gabby tried.
“Gag her!” Shawna ordered. The pirates near Gabby grabbed her.
“No! I’m trying to save you! You can’t” But before she could finish, the pirates had stuffed a wad of cloth in her mouth, and were holding her tight. Poor little Gabby was no match for the burly pirates, and she watched in horror as Shawna ran the blood from her arm across the board and flung it into the sea. Splash! The ocean seemed to explode where the board hit. Giant waves beat the ship, the wind picked up, singing a haunting melody.
And then a ship emerged, as big and grand as Captain Shawna’s, but solid black. The ship sailed towards them, and the monster came into sight. He looked like a man, only deep blue with eyes the color of lava. Shawna drew her sword and tensed as the ships met with a deafening crash. Both she and the monster leapt at the same time, meeting on the railing. Clickity-click screech! Went their swords as they parried, dancing onto one ship, then the other. They lunged and blocked, twirled and jumped, but neither could gain the upper hand. The fight went on and on. Sparks started flying from their swords, setting the ship ablaze. The pirates, who had been standing there open mouthed, sprang into action, pulling buckets of water from the sea to put out the flames. One pirate, panicking, fired off a cannon. The cannonball traveled around the world so fast, it went back in time and killed the dinosaurs.
In all the excitement, Gabby was forgotten. She pulled out her gag with disgust, and looked at Shawna sadly. “She should have listened. There’s nothing I can do about it now though. If only she had listened.” There was no point in her staying, so she hunted through the ship for some food, and then lowered a lifeboat and climbed in. She pushed off rowing towards the mainland she knew was off in the distance. Her life as a pirate was over. She knew that the fight would never end. That was what she had been trying to say; you can’t beat it. Because Shawna used her own blood, just like the boy in the story, the monster had become exactly like her, so neither could ever win.
Meanwhile, back on the rail of the ships, the fight continued. A few pirates followed Gabby’s example, dropping lifeboats and fleeing the ship, as the fire from the sparks grew, despite their best efforts to drown it. The smoke and fire increased—the ship was burning up, the flames devouring the wood before the sea could put it out. What was left of it would be swallowed by the sea any moment, and all the pirates had leapt overboard, when the monster too leapt. But not into the water, no, he jumped straight up, landing on a cloud. An instant later Shawna followed him. The two continued to fight on the cloud. The sparks from the swords crashing together created lighting, every time they jumped thunder boomed. And still their fight goes on today, creating the mighty thunder.