All right so here is Chapter Two. Hope you all enjoy it. I apologize for how short it is, and it does move a little slow right now so bare with me.

It was an hour or so after Arto was unknowingly lost to the storm and the winds died down to a slight drizzle before the crew could relax while they worked. The crews young captain however was still draped across the railing off the ship, his head buried in an arm while the other was hanging over the edge lazily. All of them were in a state of absolute uproar as they devoured the sight of the mostly bright, clear sky above them and they voiced their happiness through cheers and shots of rum and other alcohol. The only two people not celebrating were the first mate and Skulls. The former monk walked solemnly over the ransacked deck till he reached his friend. No one around them had yet noticed their unusual silence though.

"We did it!"

"This is mighty swell, where's Arto?! Have the lass sing us a song!" the hat guy, easily intoxicated, yelled over the crowd and was greeted by merry applause. A group ran to where the door, shattered with bits of wood hanging off the hinges was blocked completely by rubble from inside the room. They gradually became quieter as they urgently moved the debris and some were knocked over by the sudden wave of water that rushed out of the room. It had accumulated after the door had been blocked.

"Arto, Arto!" they started to yell and pushed there way into the room to discover no life of any kind. However despite the obvious, the crew still searched the small room for any sign of their siren.

"The lass ain't here." One said stupidly as he looked at the empty room.

"You won't find her." The first mate told them as he crossed into the room to inspect it for himself. He trudged to the bed where he immediately saw the blackened sheets and fingered the dtreak of blood on the corner of the bed. Knowing whose it was he looked up sadly and got up and walked out of the room without so much as looking at the disstraugh crew.

"She was hurt. When she came out of the room her head was bleeding and by the looks of it, she stopped a fire that would have killed us all. Arto was captured by the storm." He said to no one in particular as he alked back onto the deck. They followed him with their usually cheery heads lowered to the floor. They knew the chances of getting Arto back was slim and most likely no one would ever see her again. Not that they'd voice that to the captain though, but she was probably dead.

"Captain what are we going to do?" the first mate asked, walking over to the man kneeling against the ship. Yet Skulls remained emotionless and didn't so much as twitch at being addressed. "Captain what do we do?" he questioned again and kicked him softly in the ribs. "Hey you get up!" he yelled but there was still no reaction.

"Here let me get it."

The crew looked behind them to see Doc, with his back to them. They heard a familiar click and they gasped as he turned around and thrust the barrel of his gun into Skulls' hair. The crew believed the captain would defend himself; he was about to be shot but to their surprise he turned his head just slightly to put his hand around the trigger and added pressure to it.

Damn, you!" they heard Doc grunt and he swung the gun to hit the side of Skulls' head. "What the hell do you think you're doing? Arto might not be dead. If there is a chance she is still alive, don't you want to try and find her?" he yelled and Skulls averted his eyes to them dazedly and once again reached for the gun in the doctors hand.

Without hesitation Doc pulled to barrel up and pulled the trigger.

"God damn it, what do you think you're doing!" Skulls yelled and the crew was relieve to see their captains eyes clear. He snatched the gun away from Docs hands and hastily threw it on the ground, breaking it in two. His left hand was clutching his upper right arm where the bullet had grazed him.

"It just grazed you, now get up!" he said fiercely, no longer the king, wise person they knew. "Don't you realize, Arto might not be dead; she's stronger than that! We'll go look for her! The crew won't mind some detours, they like her too!' Skulls green eyes opened wide as he stared uncertainly at them. He let his eyes gaze at each of his men's so as to see if this was all right.

"Well…" he said getting up with help from his frist mate. "Then let's go!" he said, a sudden smirk coming to his face but then he turned to the doctor.

"You had better bandage my arm, right now!"

As I said I apologize for this chapter being so short. The next chapter will be abou the length of the first but then it gets longer after that. As I said, this is my first fanfiction so help me out here and R&R!

Redrider