A/N: I haven't written a fanfic in so long, its probably been a year and a bit, anywho no1 really missed me. but try and be kind...i may have lost my touch...hahaha...I'm lying, i didn't have a touch in the first place...ah negativity...I should be more optimistic huh?...Well.......if i do say so myself, this is a kind of okay fic...but I'll let you the actual beholders decide that, enjoy. ^_^

Disclaimer: Sorry I don't own any of the Escaflowne characters, anything you don't see in Escaflowne is probably mine except unless i say so...watch how I forget and get sued...I have loads of coppers if you're interested...no? oh okay then.

HIDDEN TREASURE

Chapter 1~ Twilight

By ~Atari~

~*~*~

Looking out to the setting sun as the wind wisped her long sandy brown tresses around her delicate face, making her almost wish her hair wasn't so long. She leaned further over the starboard not even once contemplating that she may fall into the deep depths of the sea, sometimes she wished that she would, but she'd made a promise and she planned to keep it even if it turned out to be the end of her. The young woman had come to watch the twilight ever since she could remember, but then again she'd been at sea ever since she could remember. Back where she had come from, to see the sunset like this was impossible, there wasn't an ocean around for miles, just folding green hills covered with the enchantment of trees and flowers, she smiled. Out here looking at the twilight she always managed to find herself wishing that everything could stay the same she sighed, but nothing stays the same, everyone knows that, she just had to take life as it was, a day for a day no matter how hard it may seem. A tear escaped from her emerald jewels, but her hand was quickly wiping it away as if it never fell, the strong never show weakness. Shaking her head to take away any other memories that she knew would come flooding back at any moment, she got ready to leave until...

"Hey! what are you doing out here, you should be in the cabin with the rest."

The young woman snapped out of her reverie by the crashing voice that was filled with much aversion. A voice she had always found ringing in her ear every chance it got ever since she had set foot on the ship, she didn't know why she gave these ruffian pirates a chance to get the best of her. Cutting her eyes, she calmly began to walk away from her refuge. Her mind started to drift away again until a hand brusquely grabbed at her hair and bending her back over to face the beholder of the voice.

"You best watch how you treat us, you always get away with any and everything, but let me tell you this, once I become the captain of this ship that's all going to change." He released her hair abruptly causing the young woman to fall back onto the hard oak planks of the deck. She kept her eyes downward refusing to look up as he laughed at her, she waited to hear of his retreating footsteps...they never came.

"Get up." He said in an almost too calm voice, she didn't respond hoping he would leave her alone. "Get up!" His eyes gleamed with joy as the woman scrambled to her feet, scrambling with fear.

"Now this is more like it...let try again."

He grabbed her chin, forcing her to face him, to his disappointment she averted her eyes away from his gaze.

"Look at me!" "Negative" He only tightened his grip on her face causing her to tense even more. "Why doesn't this bitch scream, grace us all with her voice...if its anything like her mothers."

"Why don't you tell me to stop Beauty? Come on, its not too hard, just say it, Xavier stop, you're hurting me." He put on a mock impersonation of her voice.

He watched as a tear escaped her eyes.

"Stop it!" She mentally ordered herself. "That's twice today, be strong..."

"Xavier! Where you at? Come on, where are the cards, you promised me a re-match at Bullshit, I got some money off the boss as well, so we can play for money."

Xavier looked from his captive to the direction of which the voice was coming from, then back to his captive, he released her, put his hand it his pocket and brought out his crumpled pack of cards.

"On my way Vasquez, on my way..." Looked down to his 'Beauty' "Later..." He whispered before walking away, she waited for the distinctive thud of his metal heeled boot to disappear before running off to her cabin.

~*~*~

His eyes blazed with fire, his anger was evident in his face. He put his fist down to the table, hard.

"Listen to me." He said through gritted teeth. "We need a faster vessel, one that's in good condition. You and I both know that there are some headed for the Newfound land, all we need to do is encounter one in their path and take over the Ship."

The other men just stared at the captain, he was young, but he was wise and respected, mainly because he could conjure up a deathly fear from deep within their souls, these were hard men, but the captain seemed to be his own demon race, what he said was the Law. His angular face and toned body seemed to hide the fact that he was young, his unruly hair fell over his face, giving him a mysterious edge, but never hiding his angry facial expressions, nothing could hide those.

" When will we change directions." Gaddes spoke up, he was the only one who spoke at this point.

"Now." The captain replied whilst looking at Juanes, it was his turn to steer the ship, at this moment in time the ship was anchored. Juanes rose with Kanu. They went to take up the anchor and steer the ship in a new direction.

"Shouldn't you be going too Murex?" Captains voice was deathly and cut through Murex like a knife, he had obviously been daydreaming. Murex rose abruptly and left, he was doing watch tonight, again.

With that the captain pushed out his chair and left the room, ignoring the whispers behind him.

"Cap'n has gone crazy." Sceptic

"I know!" Grumble

"He can hear us you idiots!" Harsh whisper.

"You need to tell him Allen..." Trailing.

"If he wants this, then this is what he's going to get, I can change his mind." Fact.

"You're second in command!" Anger.

"Operative word being, second." Sly.

"So you're telling me we're going to just take over another vessel, kill off its worthless occupants and captain, take their belongings, again!? This will be the third time in two months, we don't have enough to take over another vessel. News has probably travelled by now about us, Captains are going to be on their guard."

"That kind of attitude is what will get you killed..."

"There are probably others already on our trail."

"That problem will be solved when it is an actual problem.

The Young Captain looked up to the watch area, Juanes and Kanu already had the ship sailing, soon it would be well on its way.

"Murex!" He called out and waited for his response, the wait wasn't long.

"Sir." He called down uncertainly, wondering what he had done wrong.

"Inform me when you see the first Vessel." With that he walked away not waiting for a response, he knew the boy understood, it was in his best interests to understand.

~*~*~

She had ran into the cabin, she was shaking with fear but refused to cry, if there was one thing that she hated more than being on this ship, it was crying. She'd learnt that it wasn't so bad if she kept herself to herself, sometimes she found that hard to do, but in her mind that's where she lived her dream life it made her life not half so bad. Besides what would she do if she weren't on this ship.

Her thoughts were broken into but the sound of heavy footsteps over head and the cries of men, the cries of war.

TO BE CONTINUED

A/N: hi ppl... lol this is jokes, no-ones even reading this....:(... I'll just talk to myself then. I'll try and update this tomorrow. Or the next day, i have homework, I know its half term, but that's besides the point.

Luv Atari. Kises and hugz, fanx for reading.