Shugo Chara: The Beginning
'All kids hold an egg in their soul…
The egg of our hearts, out would-be selves…
Yet unseen…'
A warm summer breeze blew in the night as a young woman stood on a balcony, staring up at the stars wistfully. He golden eyes were off in another dimension when there was a knock at her door.
Stepping into and walking through her room, she changed her expression to that of aloofness.
Being the eldest child of rulers of a land was nothing like commoners dreamed. She was to be presentable at all hours of the day, properly conducted, and – what she hated the most – strong enough to withstand anything. She was still a young child at heart but, even if she was a 12-year-old, it had to take a backseat to her responsibilities.
"Amu-sama, your father wishes to see you," the servant bowed as she simply nodded and left the room.
"Amu-chan, your sister is going to see a singer's performance tomorrow night. Your mother and I are going to accompany her but there is a diplomat coming tonight as well. We need you to take care of this business, Ami is not to go anywhere without protection at this young of an age."
She nodded as her father smiled and thanked her, offering to have someone escort her out to the town after the meeting was over. She gave another nod but grimaced to herself; it might be Ran that they chose to take her.
"Tell you're your parents that I wish them the best and I hope to see you again soon as well."
"Thank you very much Sanjou-sama, I will pass your message to them. I am sure they would have envied this evening," she replied , bowing to the diplomat as he left.
As soon as the door was closed, however, there was a knock.
"Good evening, I am here to escort Hinamori-sama into town," a young man said, bowing, as she opened the door.
"You have good timing, the diplomat has just left. Please come in and relax as I change from my formal attire," she requested as she led him into the lounge.
She missed his grin as she turned away, but she was in a hurry to get out of the castle. It had been a long tie since she had once walked the streets of freedom.
Closing her door, she stripped her dress off and replaced it with a dark, flowing skirt, a red and black blouse, and a cloak before sitting in front of her vanity. Taking down a mass of hairpins, she sighed with relief. Looking at her mirror, she let her eyes linger on her eyes linger on the reflection of her locket as she brushed her hair.
It was a simple lock, but it had a decoration of four hearts. A red, yellow, green, and blue heart adorned it, their points of said hearts inward. The west called them 'four-leaf clovers'. Here, they were regarded as amulets of fortune, not that it had done anything fortunate for Amu, of course.
"I am ready to depart not. I have only a short amount of time to be out so I'd like to hurry."
"Of course, Hinamori-sama," the man replied with a smile.
Walking down the streets, Amu found herself finding things that had changes since she was last out. A building that once housed a musical show house was now a pub for drinking, gambling, and other affairs that she did not have time to even think about. Passing it, however, she came to her favorite place, the dock.
The dock was something she had discovered on her first trip to the town. It was a peaceful place and there was no lighting to ruin her favorite view, the sky. It was something of a haven that drew her to it every time she was out. She didn't know if it was the sea or the solitude of one to their thoughts, but she loved it.
"Hinamori-sama, I'm sorry for this."
She raised her eyebrows as she turned around to ask what he was sorry for when her eyes widened in shock.
"Lord Tsuki?" she asked, afraid and in shock of being in front of an infamous man… a pirate.
Then, she knew no more.
When she next came to, there was the sound of waves around her once more, but there seemed to be something amiss. She was lying on a bed, yet there wasn't the familiar smell of her room, nor was there the scent of antiseptics as accompanied by a medical room.
"I see you have awakened, Princess Hinamori."
She turned to face the speaker, not recognizing his voice, to find a man standing in the shadowed doorway of the room. As he stepped forward, her eyes captured the figure of the once famous Tsukiyomi prince. Then again, that was years ago, he was now an infamous pirate.
"The Neko of the Seven Seas' Treasure; to what do I owe the meeting?"
The man smiled, Amu reassembled herself in a more dignified and protective stance as he moved closer. Drawing up a chair from a desk she had not noticed earlier, he sat and watched her.
"Your parents seem to favor peace for their village over your safety. As such, you are now on my ship, one of my people, if you know what I mean Princess."
She felt a sorrow and fear well up inside of her, but she stared stubbornly, coldly, at this man- thief- in front of her; there was no way she was going to back down.
"I had hoped that the news would not have devastated you too badly. I will now tell you the rules of the women among the crew. The first is that you never let yourself be alone with a drunk member unless you know how to defend yourself, you belong to me- nobody else."
He smirked at her, letting his eyes rove over her casual clothes. Quite abruptly, his eyes caught the sight of her locket and his eyebrows rose in wonder.
"The second rule is that you obey the first rule; implying, of course, that you belong to me. My word is law and I see no need to argue with someone I own," he said with a sneer.
Her eyes gained more fire until they smoldered with anger.
"I am not a property that you can do whatever you want with. I do not care if you think I'm stupid enough to be alone with a drunk, but I will not lower myself for your own amusement!"
The noises that sounded of a party outside stilled to a dead silence. She stood by the bed, defiant to his words and he simply sat there. Abruptly, there was a static in the air as the Neko chuckled before it gathered into full blown laughter. He stopped and gave Amu a look as if to dare her to try and change his mind.
"You will learn to change that attitude. The seas have as many qualms with a woman overboard as any man."
With that said, he stood to leave, closing the door behind him, leaving her to her thoughts as he saw to the crew.
"You enjoyed that too much, Captain."
Neko turned to see his second in command standing before him, a grin on his face and shaking his head.
There was a story for each and every member of the crew, Souma was not an exception of this motion. He, f course, had one that had more meaning to Neko personally. It was hard not to when one marries their captain's only sister.
"There is n need to give a woman with a stroing will wings that would carry her beyond what she is to expect. This will be her new life, I have more need for her alive and suppressed than overconfident and dead."
With that said, Neko made his way to his quarters, tired from the mission he had assigned himself in Seiyo. The princess had happened to be from the line of descendents to receive the Charm of Fortune.
He fingered the collar of his shirt until his finger caught on a chain. It had been a fairly hot day for a battle when he had gained this prize. Of course, he knew of its legend from growing up in the western providences of the largest continent. It seemed that he had finally found the other half.
"You noticed her pendant didn't you, Ikuto?"
"Yes, Utau. I'll finally find our father and a way to free our mother from that man's clutches."
Hoshina Utau, her brother's last name was not hers, was Nekos very own younger sister. She had set for this voyage with him ever since she had heard that he was going to leave without her. No matter what he had said, there were no words that would sway her mind. She had been a navigator and singer on the ship since its upbringing and met Souma Kukai, later recruiting him to the crew as a hand who grew in experience.
"It's not just a trinket," he voiced, sarcastically, "I did not know that she would be the one to own it until a few minutes ago. It is as if the world knows of our hardships and is trying to appease us for once."
"Yes brother, but the fates never have such a simple justification that we can understand. We can't assume that what has been given to us has only one purpose, remember?"
Neko glared at her for the reminder of the many questionable things that have happened to them.
"It's not something that I'm likely to forget, Utau. Now, I've had a long day today and I have great use for sleep tonight I will see you and the crew in the morn."
"Do you want me to see to the princess tomorrow?"
"Yes, but do not call attention to such a title. She will be called Hinamori-san on this ship unless otherwise instructed. Good night, Utau."
"Oyasumi, Ikuto."