Disclaimer: I do not own anything.
Woot another AU. I was going to make the AU about Fuyuki, but my sister wanted me to start off with Natsumi because of a spoof of those stories where 'Natsumi gets captured by Keron, Giroro saves her or she is sold to him' either or. (An au admittedly that I too had plans for, but scrapped.)
So in the beginning it will be alternate chapters between Natsumi and Fuyuki.
The air was chilly and splashed Natsumi's face. Usually she would be pleased by the flavor of the air, the smell, the view, but instead it felt foreboding and caustic. She wore a frown on her face.
"Prisoner 723, please step forward." Her kidnappers were much smaller than her. They shouldn't have been dangerous. They came up to the size of her knee, the frog-like people called Keronians. Yet they had managed to capture her. The'd stripped everything away from her - her friends, her possessions... everything. Even the clothes on her back they had replaced with a potato sack full of holes. They didn't really understand the concept of clothing.
"Never," Natsumi spat. The Keronian in front of her grabbed the chain that linked her hands and was tied to her neck. It made a clacking sound as he rattled it and he pulled it down, cutting off her air.
"You might have been a strong soldier once, but now you are mine," the Keronian told her. "And you will learn to be polite. You won't be in my company for long, but I hope to make a fortune off a pretty girl like you. Some sick freaks are into that, after all."
He let go of Natsumi's chain and she fell backward onto the ground, coughing. She wished she could reach up and take the chain off her neck off, but she could not.
"Do you understand, 723?" the Keronian asked.
"Crystal clear," Natsumi grumbled.
The Keronian slapped her now that she was on the ground. "I didn't tell you you could speak," he hissed. He glared at Natsumi. When he was sure she had learned her lesson, he walked away to deal with other prisoners.
She glanced around, rubbing the bruise on her face. She wouldn't cry. She was a warrior. And even when she had her freedom, her dignity stripped away, she would remain fearless.
I'm tough. I'll survive, she told herself, picking herself up. But there was worse things these Keronians could do to her than kill her. She knew that.
She was on a slave ship. Many humans like her were being shipped off to Keronians. Some for hard labor, and others for other purposes... Those other purposes she didn't much like to think about, but she could only figure out what the Keronians were implying when they said they had chosen to let her live because she was pretty.
All the other prisoners seemed to look at her to remain tough. So she always was quiet and defiant. But secretly, she was scared.
She was human. Something these Keronians who were at odds with her people were not. And humans had emotions besides pure evil - they had fear, ambitions, sadness, happiness...
Deep down she wasn't the fearless person like she pretended to be. And what she was about to face was something to be afraid of.
"You know, it sometimes helps to be less defiant. Then they treat you better," some prisoners advised Natsumi, huddling together for warmth.
She didn't much talk to the other prisoners. If those Keronians even once thought she cared for someone, they'd be killed. That was what happened to Yayoi and Satsuki, after all.
They hadn't made the cut for being pretty enough to live. And they had been punished and killed for it.
"Thanks for the advice," she said, "but I think I'll keep on fighting to my dying breath. I'll never give in to those frogs."
"I pray for your safety," the prisoner told her. Natsumi turned away, ending the conversation there. She glanced out a window.
The prisoners were at one of the lower levels of the ship, so she could see a little bit of the outside. Not like there was anything interesting out there, let alone anything that could aid her in escape. If she did manage to get off the ship, where would she go? There wasn't any land for miles.
She'd just die. And it would be a pointless death.
The door opened to their prison room. Natsumi saw prisoners shift around her to avoid the Keronians' gaze.
Natsumi didn't back down. She glared at them. Worst-case scenario, they would punish her, picking on her out of all the humans. She was stronger than the rest. She might be able to take it.
"Prisoner 723, there was a report on your file for disobedience." A Keronian stepped to the front. "It's not enough for you to just be a pretty face; we need you to be obedient, too. The highest bidder will be your new master and we're hoping to get a lot of money for you."
"I hope you guys don't make a single coin off me," Natsumi snarked, standing up abruptly. It hurt her neck but she did so anyway, standing over the tiny creatures.
"Maybe we can sell you to a sicko who likes his girls dead. Then he wouldn't be worried about your obedience - "
Natsumi kicked the Keronian in the face. At least she still had her legs.
The Keronian growled at the footprint on his face. "She's done. Bring her to the other room for punishment. Maybe that will teach her a lesson on defiling my face."
"Yes, sir." The Keronians saluted and dragged Natsumi away by her chains. The human who had told her they'd be praying for her looked away, avoiding Natsumi's gaze.
Natsumi wanted to be proud that she had riled them up, but she was afraid. What punishment awaited her?
They tied her facing toward a beam on the ship, smashing her face into the cold metal of some of the screws. She tried to breathe, but coughed as something hit her back. She could feel blood trickle down. She'd been whipped.
"We're going to do something so terrible to you that you won't ever speak back. You'll learn your lesson," they growled.
Natsumi gritted her teeth. So it was something vile that she was in for. They latched her feet into chains.
Natsumi didn't believing in praying to the gods, but her faith in just her inner strength began to falter as the Keronians laughed around her.
Please... was her only prayer.
As soon as she had closed her eyes and uttered it, the ship shook. Her cuffs around the beam kept her from falling to the side, but the Keronians slid on the ground.
The door flew open. "All battle stations, we're being attacked - !" As soon as the messenger had spoken, his words ended with the sound of gunfire.
The four Keronians surrounding Natsumi screamed. All Natsumi could hear was the sound of someone stepping over the body.
"Hello." A deep voice said. She heard a reloading of a gun. "Good-bye."
The gun fired four times, but she wasn't hit once. She heard the sound of the Keronians falling around her.
Was she saved? Who had come for her?
"You're safe now. Let me get those chains for you." Tiny feet pattered on the floor and she heard her chains on her feet unlocking and the ones tethering her to the beam. Natsumi turned around to see her savior.
"Sorry, I don't know where the key is for the handcuffs you wear." She had assumed she'd see a fellow human standing before her, but instead it was someone just like her kidnappers - a vile Keronians. He was red with a skull insignia and a belt. There was a scar across his face.
Natsumi didn't answer him. She didn't have any words to exchange with a terrible Keronian.
"I've liberated the other prisoners. They were a whole lot less guarded. They're out at the top of the ship... When I told them where the weapons were kept, their hope was restored," the Keronian explained. "But I won't leave you alone undefended. Without your hands, your defenseless. So let's get the key."
Natsumi tried not to grit her teeth. She had been trying to get the prisoners to start a revolt for a while, but they never had the confidence. Who did this guy think he was, stealing her thunder?
She didn't need someone of the same race of the people who imprisoned her to help her. Let me show you how freakin' defenseless I am without my hands... But Natsumi decided against beating him up - for now.
"Don't talk much, do you? That's all right. I'm sure these slave ships are tough," said the red Keronian. "Name's Giroro. And I promise to help you."
I do talk. Just not to the likes of you, Natsumi thought to herself. But she followed him out the door and up to the top of the ship.
As soon as she was out in the open air, she felt better. The sea breeze always excited her, even if she was on the terrible ship. She noticed another ship next to the slave ship, probably the source of the shaking when the ships had collided.
Blood was all over the ship's floor. People's swords clashed as slaves fought for their freedom.
Giroro looked around for a moment.
Did he forget looking for my key? Natsumi shoved her cuffs into his face. Giroro looked up at them. The girl in front of him was still bleeding from her lashing. She had been in a very scary position, yet she remained strong and tough.
"The keys are usually stored in the captain's quarters." He reloaded his revolver and pointed. "Over there."
I know where the captain's quarters are, you idiot. She didn't care how nice this guy seemed to appear. He must have had an ulterior motive of what he was doing. Or...
Awww... does the baby want to be some sort of hero? HA! Doesn't make up for the fact that he's probably done this only for his own reputation. And his entire race is awful. Natsumi ran through the melee, dodging swords and spinning out of danger.
Giroro's jaw opened in surprise at all her fluid movements. This Pekoponian was good in the face of danger.
He followed her, trying to be just as quick as she kicked down the door to the captain's quarters.
"The crew I brought will fight with your people. They were mercenaries for hire. I offered them this ship that we took and the non-living cargo for their help," Giroro explained. "They're a tough lot. Made sure of it myself."
Natsumi rolled her eyes. She didn't care about his stupid plan. She tried to grab at the drawers. looking for a key. It was difficult without being able to reach too far because of the chain linking her cuffs to her neck.
Giroro helped, finding many keys and trying them in her lock. Eventually, he found the one they needed and Natsumi's chains fell to the ground. She smiled as she rubbed her wrists and her neck.
That feels better. Now I can be at my best. "What do you plan to do with the living cargo - the slaves?" she finally asked Giroro.
Again, Giroro was surprised when hearing her talk. He'd thought she didn't like talking, not that just didn't have anything to say till now. She was an interesting one. He liked her. She would have made a fine comrade aboard his ship.
Heh. That's what my job is for. It would have been a real travesty if the world lost a warrior like her, he thought. True strength was showing strength in danger, being able to think amidst chaos. He hoped he was appearing impressive enough to earn her respect.
"The slaves will be offered jobs aboard my ship," said Giroro. "After all, it's unlikely they have any homes to return to.
Natsumi glared. She might not have had a home or friends to return to, but who was to say some of these people hadn't been kidnapped?
"They can fight with me, or I'll let them off at the nearest dock." Giroro answered. "I came to free them. I hate slave ships. Don't worry. There's no reason to be scared. You're safe now."
Natsumi wanted to gag. It couldn't be any more obvious that he has his own agenda. The person he's trying to pretend to be don't exist in this world. Natsumi picked up a revolver lying around.
"Fine. Let's kill some frogs then," she growled. His mercenaries couldn't claim the ship until all the soldiers on it were dead - and she had a captain to kill.
Giroro smiled. "Familiar with a gun? Admirable."
Obviously I'm familiar with a gun, she debated telling him. She wasn't stupid.
She walked out of the captain's quarters with him to the bloodshed.
And Giroro smiled. It was time to fight.
Holding onto some ropes, it was easy to balance herself to shoot. Giroro was pretty good with his gun, she couldn't deny that. He was skilled, perhaps more skilled than her with aim and rapid fire, but she had more actual physical prowess than him.
If someone got close, she didn't need to rely on a gun. She could just punch them off the ship into the water below. All she needed was her hands.
"Impressive," Giroro told her. "You're pretty good."
Natsumi rolled her eyes for the fiftieth time that day. She didn't need to talk to him. It would waste valuable killing time. When she was sure all the Keronians aboard except him were dead, she stopped her fighting.
"Everybody onto my ship!" A plank had connected the two ships so people could board it. The slaves followed Natsumi and Giroro onto the ship, and Giroro waved to the mercenaries.
He pulled the board off and sailed the ship a ways away. "As you know, Pekoponians, you are now free. I did not intend to capture you, though. You have a choice: you can work for me, or I could drop you off at the nearest port. The choice is yours," he spoke to the former prisoners. "If you decide to stay on my ship, however, there are some rules you have to follow. I'm the captain, of course, and so you must heed my orders..."
Natsumi looked around the ship. Something about it was familiar... nostalgic. Like something she could never forget.
She finally realized what it was. The name of the ship was inscribed in its side - "Summer."
Eyes wide, she walked up to Giroro as he talked.
"And if you follow those rules, you can comfortable live on my ship - " He couldn't finish because Natsumi punched him in the face, causing him to fly across the bridge.
The floor was sturdy, so the planks didn't pull up from the full force of the punch. Sadly the ship was used to people being punched across it.
Giroro groaned and rubbed his cheek. "Wh-what...? What the heck?" He glared at her. "I saved you! What was that for?"
Natsumi stepped over to him, cracking her knuckles. If he wanted a round two, she would give it to him.
Giroro shivered from the glare. She was a frightening one, this Pekoponian.
"This isn't your ship. It's mine," she told him.
Giroro narrowed his eyes. "What? But I bought this fairly recently."
Natsumi glowered. There was no use negotiating with him. This ship was hers and always would be.
She turned to the former slaves. "Don't listen to him, my fellow humans. We don't know his intentions. But I can make his offer better. This ship is mine, and if you want a job I can give it to you. Who would want to work for this Keronian when you could work for me and become rich and famous?"
The slaves started chattering happily. That sounded good. And they knew and trusted Natsumi. She had always been tough. They didn't want to get on her bad side, either. They smiled and pledged their loyalty to her.
"Wh-what? Wait, what's going on?" Giroro was totally confused. Natsumi just crossed her arms and stepped on him.
"You may have hired mercenaries and thought your plan through, but you don't even know you just rescued a pirate. Ever heard the name Natsumi Hinata?"
Giroro gasped. "One of the famed three pirate lords of the ocean?"
"The same. And this ship, this crew, it's mine, Giroro." She smirked. "Bet you regret being a pretentious rescuer now."
Giroro just looked shocked. He had honestly tried to do good, and this was what happened.
I can't believe she was a pirate. Pirates were evil. The lowest of scum. If he had known... Well, he would have shot her with the other Keronians. But instead he had aided her.
He had made a mistake. And he regretted it. Now Natsumi was in control, and he was a pirate's prisoner.
It's a pirate AU btw. Based on episode 298 where Fuyuki goes to all those other dimensions and there's one where Saburo and Kululu are pirates. So I was like "Hmmm...There's a canon pirate AU in the anime. Better make a fanfiction based on that." But I joked about it cuz I know nothing about pirates, but people were like "YEAH! Write a pirate AU"and well ...Here I am. Writing a pirate AU.
Only canon characters in this chapter were Natsumi and Giroro though. Sorry.
Please review!