A/N: Hiya all~ The third installment of Whispers of the Sea for your perusal. Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed thus far.

You can probably guess what part of the underlying plot of the story is in this chapter.

Warning: Untranslated German. And bad German at that knowing me XP

Please enjoy~

Terra fascinated him.

Ven was ready to admit to that. It seemed so strange for a pirate doctor to be as careful as Terra was in his mind, having always figured that doctors were just accidentally murderous and incompetent. Terra was so different though. He truly did know what he was doing; he saved amputations only as a severe emergency, treated wounds with medicinal salves and bandaging and illnesses were treated in much the same almost exotic way. On top of that, he seemed to have built a trust in all the crew. They all had no fear of him.

Ven hadn't realised that Terra was staring back at him. "What is it?" he asked. Ven felt his cheeks burn and he looked away.

"N-Nothing," he stammered.

The arrangement was an odd one. Ven would be sharing quarters with the ship's doctor. Said quarters were really Terra's tiny practice room down in the hold of the ship. Here, there was only one bunk, fairly narrow and long, a large desk that spanned across the wall accompanied by a simple wooden chair, and shelves and cabinets crammed full of different herbs and medicines and even a small library shelf filled with books; mostly medical, but there appeared to be some sort of religious text amongst them too. The coverlet of the bed felt scratchy under Ven's hands, and there barely seemed room for the trunk to fit underneath the bunk. This was probably filled with Terra's personal belongings, mostly likely changes of clothes. The room didn't really look like it could fit two people. When Ven brought this up, Terra had said that it was fine. He'd sleep on the floor tonight. Stranger still was the matter of what Terra planned to do with Ven.

Ven would become Terra's apprentice. A trainee doctor. While it had been mostly because Terra had wanted an extra pair of hands to help him in his work, Terra had stated that he would have trained Ven as a nurse if he hadn't noticed the spark of intelligence in his eyes.

Ven wondered why Terra was doing this for him. The lantern in the room flickered; the candle had halfway melted. Terra had put his writing implements down. "Ich glaube, das ist genug für heute," Terra murmured to himself, putting inkwell and quill away and carefully storing his journal. "Time for bed."

"I don't have nightclothes though," Ven whispered. Terra looked at him for a moment… then he went over to the bunk and pulled his trunk from underneath. Ven looked on in curiosity. "What are you doing?"

"I should have a shirt you could use. I'm afraid the vast majority of the crew usually only have the clothes they're wearing; I'm lucky that I have a few extra articles of clothing." He pulled a large cream-coloured shirt up. It would do. "I apologise in advance; I'm one of those people who sleep without clothes on."

"Are you going to be okay on the floor?" Ven asked hesitantly.

"Rather my own discomfort than your distress," Terra responded, handing him the shirt. Ven knew that it was going to quite comfortably cover him to his knees.

"But what if you get too tired? Someone might-"

"Ven," Terra started, beginning to remove his clothes piece by piece. His long skirt-like trousers (which Terra called 'hakama') was all that was keeping him modest in front of his guest. "It's alright. Besides, most boys your age would find it terrifying to share a bed with a strange man they've only just met. I wouldn't want to cause a trauma. Unlike maybe one of my colleagues." He must have been referring to another member of the crew. The captain? Whoever it was that Roxas was with? He seemed to be suggesting that Naminé would be alright in the company of Aqua and Kairi. Terra turned to him; Ven looked on in wonder at how well built the man was.

"And I'm saying… it's okay," Ven said. He was a little scared, but he knew that it would be in everyone's best interests for their doctor to be well-rested, regardless if the crew were pirates or not. After all… if Naminé was truly as unwell as Terra had feared, it would make no sense for him to cause his sister further suffering by forcing her doctor to sleep on the floor. "You need your sleep in order to do your job well and… you don't look the type to do something bad…"

"You trust me, even though I'm a pirate?"

"Who else can I turn to now that I'm separated from my siblings," Ven replied. The liquid twinkle in Terra's eyes held the empathy of someone who had once been in the same situation himself, and admiration of just how mature this sixteen-year-old boy truly was. He turned his back to Ven. "What are you doing?"

"Preserving your modesty," Terra replied. "Get changed and into bed. I'll join you in a moment."

The boy looked at him for a moment in surprise, but he soon quickly began to disrobe himself. Knee breeches, dirty hose, a raggedy shirt that had once been pristine white; those were discarded along with his shoes. He pulled Terra's shirt over his head; it had the musk of a man still clinging to it, but Ven could tell it had been washed recently. Sure enough, the large shirt hung from Ven's slim shoulders and covered him to his knees. He felt dwarfed in it. He clambered under the coverlet. Terra turned at this point, seating himself on the bunk edge. He didn't remove his hakama, instead just leaning down to take off his own boots and hose. "You aren't taking off your hakama?" Ven asked.

"I'm preserving your modesty. It'll be for the best if I had something covering my genitals," Terra remarked. Ven's face flushed at the mention; he supposed for Terra it was just a part of the body and nothing to be embarrassed by. Terra reached over for the lantern; it was only now that Ven realised that Terra's bandages around his wrists were still wrapped tightly around them.

"Terra… did you hurt yourself?" Ven asked quietly. The brunet paused… then opened the lantern to blow out the candle.

"That's a story for another time." The light went out. Ven felt Terra's body lay down next to his and he heard the pirate doctor murmur something in a language Ven couldn't recognise.

Ven knew deep down he should fear for his innocence around this man. Yet… he trusted him so readily and believed in his words so willingly. Terra wouldn't do anything to him. He'd never lay a finger of harm upon him. His brother would scold him for being so trustful of a 'filthy pirate', but right now, Ven was just glad to know that he was safe, even if only momentarily.

In comparison to his twin's first night, Roxas had hoped his was all a nightmare. Axel had stripped him of his clothes as punishment for biting his arm the next time he came back to check on him, and now he was curling up under the coverlets, growling like an angry alley cat, waiting for that hideous pirate to make his appearance again.

During waiting, he had taken a note of his surroundings. Not a very big cabin. In fact, it was basically a bunk against the wall, wooden porthole that might have had at one point a cannon poking out from it, a lantern with a candle flickering dangling from the ceiling and one modest looking trunk. There wasn't even a weapon close to hand, or at least a weapon that Roxas could hide for his own uses. Only two metallic hoops with eight spikes decorated the wall; they were too big and wide for Roxas to conceal.

Axel finally appeared as the candlelight began to sputter, causing the blond to flinch every time it went dark for just a moment. The red-haired first mate didn't seem to notice as he was too busy discarding his clothed. Roxas tensed and growled from his spot: "You're not sleeping on the bed with me."

Axel turned, his eyes regarding the blond with surprise. Roxas could just make out the tattoos on Axel's body now; cuffs of fire encircled his wrists and climbed up his arms, while a nautical compass was etched into Axel's left hip and the spitting image of those spiked wheels on the wall was inked around his navel. He wasn't heavily tattooed. Roxas wasn't exactly sure what he was hoping for; maybe some sort of indication that he was just a petty criminal that needed capturing and executing. Even the smallest things were being held as evidence against Axel. "Nicht schlafend auf dem Bett mit sie…?" Then Axel just laughed loudly, as if he had just heard the funniest joke. "What on earth gave you the idea I was sharing my bed?"

"You can't possibly have me sleeping on the floor?!" Roxas protested. He flinched when Axel made a step towards him.

"A bed is a luxury," Axel said scornfully. He then grabbed the youth by the scruff of his neck and tossed him off the bed, soon swinging his long legs onto his bunk himself and laying down, looking very comfortable as he looked down upon the angry boy. "But then again you probably have no idea what on earth luxury really feels like since it was fed to you with a silver spoon."

I hate this man. Roxas glared, and then whipped his head away. He would never concede to him. Even if he was bare and beaten, he would never surrender to this damned pirate. He was a member of the proud Strife family. Strifes just do not give in to rogues and villains. He flinched when he felt something flung over his head. A coverlet. He lifted his head back to the first mate. Axel was staring at him, saying nothing. "What…?" Roxas asked tersely.

"Nothing. Just get some sleep." The pirate turned onto his back. Roxas didn't think he could try to murder him at that angle; the weapons Axel had worn on his person earlier weren't anywhere in sight.

"…how do I know you're not going to try something…?"

"If I was, I would have done it by now," Axel replied. "You're annoying enough to make anyone want to stab you."

"What?!" Roxas flared, looking like he was ready to attack Axel with his bare hands. I HATE THIS MAN! He launched himself at the bed; Axel was faster and stronger, being able to grab Roxas by his wrists and pinning him to the bed. His smirk was catlike, as if he had caught the pretty canary that had escaped from its cage.

And maybe he had.

"Unhand me!" Roxas screeched.

"Nein," Axel answered, leaning down so that their noses were once again only a coin's space between them. It was terrifying… seeing his catlike eyes glow like that. "I changed my mind. You're staying here where I can keep an eye on you."

"You can't-!"

"I can," Axel said sharply; Roxas was immediately hushed by his words. "I can, I will, and you're just going to have to deal with it." He twisted Roxas to his side, clamped his arms around the blond's chest and arms and rested his sharp chin between his shoulder and neck. Roxas yelped in protest and struggled to get away; it was fruitless. His grip was too tight. "Now you better sleep, little lord, otherwise someone's neck is going to be slit."

Roxas had stayed still after that threat, cursing in his head and swearing that he would kill this man the first chance he got. He was determined to stay awake and wait for Axel to sleep so that he had that chance… but his wretched body betrayed him. He had been the first to fall into slumber.

The women's quarters were something that had surprised Naminé. It was basically just a portion of the hold that had barrels cutting it off from the rest of the hold and from the prying eyes of the ship's menfolk. There was one bunk, but it seemed that the ladies also had a hammock to sleep in. From what Naminé had understood from her ability to speak Gardenian, Aqua and Kairi took turns sleeping in the bunk. There was also her trunk of belongings underneath garments that were being hung from a rope that had been tied to the ship, a small dressing table with a mirror that must've been stolen at some point and plenty of lanterns with flickering candles. To her utter relief, it turned out that they would all be sleeping in their shifts, rather than the possibility of nakedness that she had been dreading so much.

Though not as much as the ship doctor's orders. Naminé was scared of not being able to fit into her tiny dresses and corsets; if she lost her tiny waist, she would lose her control and her beauty in her eyes. She watched as Aqua loosened her corset; it hadn't been tight at all. Kairi hadn't even bothered to wear one.

"How can you wear that?" Kairi asked the older woman in her native tongue. Naminé listened in, thankful that she had decided to take up Gardenian back home even if Radiant Garden was Hollow Bastion's arch rival.

"Oh please, it's not half as tight as Miss Naminé's. I was wondering how on earth the poor girl breathed!" Aqua stretched out, hanging her corset over the line. "Besides, it's not so bad wearing it since I'm down in the hold tending to injuries and illness most of the time. If I was doing more work up on deck I'd consider not wearing one."

"The fact you wear yours outside of you normal clothing though is what I find problematic. It's like waving a flag that says, 'Hey boys! I'm easy!'"

"Oh please, and your attire doesn't suggest that?"

"At least my undergarments aren't on show!"

"At least my breasts aren't within teasing view!"

Naminé laughed a little bit; it seemed so strange to hear this conversation among pirates. And lady pirates at that. She was so certain that they were just a licentious and rowdy type of people that hearing these two bicker about the suggestiveness of their appearances seemed absurd. Aqua looked up at Naminé. "Oh? You can understand us?"

"Oh… yes, I can speak Gardenian, but I'm not that fluent…" Naminé replied hesitantly.

"Ehhhh?! Really?!" Kairi exclaimed. "Wow! You must be smarter than your brothers! They don't even attempt at speaking Gardenian to us!"

"…Well, knowing Gardenian isn't really considered necessary since Hollow Bastion and Radiant Garden are… well, on very uneasy terms with each other I guess. But since my fiancé is in Agrabah…"

"Ohh! You learnt Gardenian because Radiant Garden and Agrabah have good relations with each other," Kairi said, finally managing to connect the dots. "Because that means you could be useful as a translator at the very least since you must also know how to speak Agrabahan too."

"Yes," Naminé nodded her head. "I don't… wish to sit idly like a trophy. I want to at least make myself beneficial to wherever my home will be."

"So you were okay with marrying someone you've never even met before?" Kairi asked, clearly dubious about whether the young noblewoman actually was fine with that concept. Naminé said nothing at first.

"…it's my duty to. I'll most likely become a representative of Hollow Bastion in that way."

"Not to burst your bubble, Lady," Aqua started. "But do you know of a particular Agrabahan custom most men of wealth practice?" She did know; being reminded of it made her flinch. Aqua smiled sympathetically. "So you do. In that case, you had better hope you become a first wife. Because I can assure you that any other harem wife will never be able to leave the house she lives in."

"No way! They really do that Aqua?!" Kairi gasped. "That sounds horrible!"

Naminé bit down on her lip. It was that reality that she didn't want to face. "…even so… being captured by pirates is no better, is it?" she asked, looking up at Aqua.

"Better than most things. At least, being 'captured' by us," Kairi replied. She then threw a spare coverlet over to Naminé. "Hey, get some rest, okay? You need to concentrate on getting healthy again."

"But I'm not sick."

"But you're far too frail to do any work on the ship," Aqua countered. "I'm afraid we can't have anyone resting on their bum. Everyone pulls their weight on the ship, even us women." Aqua then paused in thought. "Wait… I think I know of a good way for you to be useful."

"How? I'm too frail according to you and the doctor," Naminé pointed out bitterly.

"One of my jobs on the ship is to oversee everyone's clothes get cleaned every so often, as well as overseeing the kitchens and helping Terra with nursing all the sick and injured crewmates." Aqua beamed brightly, "We'll start you off with washing. It shouldn't be too taxing on you."

"But I've never washed anything before! I've never even darned a sock!"

"Eh?! Really?!" Both girls looked so surprised. It was Kairi who snidely commented, "Geez, Hollow Bastion nobles must have it really easy."

"But I can't be that different from other noblewomen!"

Aqua shook her head. "Gardenian noblewomen are expected to oversee all parts of the housework being done to their expectations, not to mention a good number of them even oversee the constructions of their homes. From what I hear of Bastionite noblewomen is that they languish in luxury, have tea parties and pretty much just let their lives be ruled by men."

Kairi then snorted. "Don't even have the right to vote unless widowed with loads of land. It's so medieval."

Naminé made to protest but she was cut off by Aqua. "Basically, the world is not completely like Hollow Bastion. There are some countries that expect more from women, and some countries where they are treated as frail things that need to be protected. You are talking to two women who are from the former; our birthplaces expected much more from us, so we find it incredible that there are places in the world where women are ruled by men. You on the other hand must find us so strange for doing so much." She then turned to the hammock, sitting down and throwing her legs over. "Now, I don't know about you two, but I'd like to get some sleep."

"Shift over," Kairi mumbled, clambering into the hammock too. Somehow it was able to support both of their weight. "Gute Nacht," she mumbled. Aqua returned with a language that was unfamiliar to Naminé.

She just sat on the bed for the longest time. All of this was just so strange… too strange. The candle burned out.

Cloud's intentions had always been to stay awake to get his bearings in the room, grab the pen knife that he had noticed during his detainment in the day, then hold it to the Rex Pirata's throat and threaten him to turn them around back to Hollow Bastion. That way these wretched pirates would get their clearly overdue trial and sentence, and he and his siblings would be free. That had always been his intention.

So when his eyes opened blearily to the expanse of bronzed chest and his nostrils assailed by the sea-soaked musk of a man, Cloud had frozen in a mixture of fear and despair of himself. He had fallen asleep. He just woke up to finding himself almost snuggled up to the pirate, but he daren't move. He didn't want to disturb the sleeping pirate.

He risked the possibility of waking the pirate up by turning onto his other side, away from the pirate, willing his eyes to find the pen knife. Still on the desk. He could try it… he could move, grab the knife then press it against Rex Pirata's throat. He was fast enough to do that. He just had to be careful with waking his… current bed mate. He risked a look over his shoulder.

In the darkness, the grey eyes of Rex Pirata fixed themselves on Cloud's face. Internally, the young noble swore; he was rested, awake and clearly would be prepared for anything Cloud tried. He couldn't do anything, and that damned pirate knew it. "Good morning," Leon said calmly, sitting up and stretching. Since the curtains hadn't been pulled away, Cloud could see in the dawn light the numerous amounts of scarring the pirate had accumulated over the years. Much of it looked old, but others seemed much fresher. This was a man that indeed had more experience with a blade and firearm than the average soldier. Cloud was right to practice caution. "Slept well?"

"…if you call sharing a bed with a damnable pirate a good night's sleep," Cloud muttered acerbically. This only elicited a dry chuckle from the young pirate captain. He was climbing over the blond to get off the bed, once more stretching his body out. Cloud hid his face in embarrassment when the pirate's rather muscular rump was in view.

"Have you no shame?!" Cloud squawked.

"No. Not really," Leon replied. "Pirates don't really need shame. We're dishonour incarnate."

"And you say it so proudly…"

"And you clearly have a stick shoved up your arse." The man was looking around for clothes, opting to just put on his breeches and boots on. Evidently the man was speaking truth about pirates being absolutely unabashed. "Do you still intend to put on the act of the victim, or are you going to make yourself useful?"

"Put on an act?! I am a victim!"

"The former. Right, I'll be sure to lock up then." He was making his way towards the door. Cloud struggled to get back to his feet; he wanted that pirate's neck so that he could wring the life out of him!

Once again it seemed that the Rex Pirata was two steps ahead of him; he had dashed to the door, slid through the crack he had made and suddenly slammed it shut just as Cloud launched his body weight towards the stiff wood. Cloud heard a lock from the outside suddenly slide into place. He was trapped now. Well and truly trapped compared to yesterday's open door. "You can't do this to me!" Cloud screeched, banging his fists against the door. He already had a feeling that the Rex Pirata was already moving away though… and that only served to anger him more. "Let me out!"

Axel was already at the wheel when Leon came up on top deck, looking like he had his nerves frayed beyond breaking point. Leon couldn't help but feel sympathetic for his first mate; not only had he basically forced his friend to take on what he could only describe as a fishwife, but in order to protect said fishwife Axel had said the one thing that pirates had an obligation to respect –but often chose to ignore. "How's your woman, Axel?" Leon called up in his mother tongue, with a slight amused smirk in his eyes. The red-haired pirate glared at him.

"I hate you," Axel grumbled, his hands gripping the ship's wheel tightly. "I've just had the worst night's sleep and it's your fault. Don't blame me if we go barrelling into another ship or into rocks because I'm tired."

"You'll have to get in the queue after Lord Strife if you want my neck. I have several other armies and pirate captains that want a noose wrapped around it."

"Noose'd be too good for you," Axel seethed.

"Oh? So which execution method would be better for me if hanging isn't?"

"Who said anything about executing you?! I'd slice your throat, boil your head and use your skull as a cup!"

"Careful Axel. You might make me suspicious." He then sighed softly, taking a seat on the balustrade of the ship's railings. "It seems that Terra has it fairly easy with his charge, doesn't he?"

"It's been all quiet around his practice," Axel muttered. "I even looked in; he's got the kid studying medicine already! And that damn kid just looks up and is all sweetness and light to me! You wouldn't even think that banshee is his twin!"

"Maybe you should try to treat him kindly Axel," Terra's voice suddenly cut in. Axel only scowled at him before looking back to the sea. Terra wasn't his favourite person at the moment. The doctor just ignored him, turning his attention to Leon. "I went to check up on the lady early this morning. She seems… to have found some fire at long last."

"She's resisting?" Leon asked curiously. Now this was interesting…

"No. She's cooperating, but not very gracious about it." He then sighed. "She's resisting against chores. To paraphrase her, 'I don't see why I should help my captors'. Spoken in perfect Gardenian I might add."

"The lady speaks Gardenian?" Axel exclaimed, suddenly keenly interested. "So she's been able to understand us from the start?"

"That would be logical," Terra said nonchalantly. "But before you start demanding why she didn't say anything earlier, consider that she's been captured by two different pirate crews. It would make any young lady terrified out of her wits."

"Well… I see no rush to put her to work," Leon sighed. "Especially while she's in no shape to help."

"Think we could explain to her just what's going on then? She might be a bit more cooperative." Axel's green eyes had a look of hope in them; plainly he was praying that if the girl could be convinced, his 'woman' would calm down and be a bit more obliging.

"I can't. If they found out that the Balamb Governor demanded us to intercept and escort them elsewhere, there could be issues later down the line for that port should the worst happen. That… and you know what the bargain is."

"They're going to find out eventually," Axel frowned. "Might as well get it over and done with now."

"Not until they've all settled down," Leon replied. "Then we can explain in full, and maybe they're more willing to understand."

"What's there to understand Leon? It's petty politics," Terra said. His arms were crossed over themselves. "Basically it's stopping the rise of political sway that Lord Vanitas Strife could have, should his siblings meet and marry their intended so that the Governor of Balamb can pretty much keep his power. Oh, and let's not forget that it's also to garner favour and more power from foreign powers. Have them in allied countries, and that ruddy lord could have some influence." Terra spat angrily into the sea; Leon knew that an old wound had been pressed upon in Terra's psyche just by talking about this. "It's all the same in the end. Greedy men thinking about themselves and not their people. The fact that he's brought an innocent person into all this makes it all the more despicable."

"Then what do you propose we do then Terra? Just wait until they find out for themselves, and then watch them go apeshit on our arses? Sorry, but I'm not doing that," Axel growled. "I get enough shit as it is from that… that… little bastard."

"…we need to word it better than 'we've only captured you because of your status as political pawns of Hollow Bastion and also because we need you for a bargain'," Leon stated. They needed something to paint the situation more rose-coloured. There had to be a keyword that would get the four to cooperate better… though that seemed impossible. "Terra, did the boy-"

"Ventus," Terra interrupted.

"Did Ventus," Leon corrected himself, "ever say something to you? Something that might help us convince the other three?"

Terra paused for a moment, thinking back to his previous conversations with the young boy thus far. "…I think he once commented under his breath something about going from one cage to another fairly early on." He frowned slightly. "But I don't know if that's correct. I barely heard it."

"A cage… huh…"

"You've got an idea Herr Cap'n?" Axel asked, raising a dubious eyebrow.

"I think I might just have the perfect solution."

Cloud was getting restless again. He had explored the cabin a lot more thoroughly this time around; the Rex Pirata was very well read, with books of many different famed authors from around the world decorating his bookcase, all of them translated into Gardenian, but a few were in Bastionite too. Naval equipment mostly dominated the pirate captain's belongings, though there was a trunk that held all of the pirate's clothing, though it wasn't much. No gems. No treasures. A few letters in Gardenian in the drawers of the desk, the seals carefully cut and the letters in neat piles, and a captain's log. This too was in Gardenian, and Cloud cursed the fact that he couldn't understand it. Naminé no doubt would be able to. There was also a large map that had plotted down known trade routes across the different seas. This map was heavily annotated, once again in Gardenian.

He didn't know what he was hoping to find. Maybe a better weapon than the pen knife he was clutching onto for dear life. The dagger that he had on the night the Ifrit sank had long since been confiscated… but it wasn't anywhere in the cabin. He didn't know why he even dared to hope it was still here.

The lock on the other side had opened. Cloud made sure that the pen knife he had liberated was kept from view, looking to the door as it opened. It must be Kairi.

It wasn't Kairi.

The man that arrived, holding a tray that had a rather handsome looking tea set –stolen goods. Only the best for the Rex Pirata obviously– resting on its wooden surface, was shorter than him. A good two inches, he was certain. One of his eyes was covered by a long bang of slate grey, but he seemed so young to have greyed so quickly. He was unarmed. Cloud knew that this might be his only chance.

"Good morning," the man greeted in Bastionite. "The captain will be with you shortly."

"…why?"

"He wants his breakfast too," the man responded. He then muttering something under his breath in Gardenian before adding in Bastionite, "And he wants to have it in the comfort in his own cabin. To quote him."

"Tell him that I have no intention of letting him have it comfortably," Cloud growled. Turn around man… just turn around…

"I'm afraid the captain is not a man that will take 'no' as an answer, nor a man that pays much heed to threats." He placed the tray down on the desk. Cloud knew that this was his only chance. "And he very much doubts that-"

Cloud had suddenly moved behind the short man, twisted his arm behind his back and pressed the pen knife to his throat. The man completely froze. "I'm very sorry to do this, my friend," Cloud said quietly. "But desperate times call for desperate measures. We're going to walk out of this cabin together, and you are going to tell the crew my demands in their native tongue… or whatever language they all can understand."

"…you're mad," the man stated.

"I'm perfectly sane. Walk." Cloud forced them to start moving. As long as he threatened the life of just one of them, then surely he would coax out some sense of loyalty and abuse it to his terms. The man walked slowly and carefully, trying not to cut his throat with the pen knife as they moved. He was the one to open the door, still moving carefully as they walked onto the top deck. Cloud watched as little by little the entire crew, bar the absent Rex Pirata, turned their attention towards him and his captive. He forced the shorter man closer to him, pressing the pen knife firmly against his throat.

The man hadn't even broken into a sweat.

"Tell them that I demand they release my siblings and I want us to be taken to the nearest allied port of Hollow Bastion's immediately."

" …Der Idiot, der droht mir mit einem Taschenmesser ist anspruchsvoll, und lassen Sie dann die anderen drei Gäste und nehmen Sie sie zum nächsten Hafen, ist ein Verbündeter des Hollow Bastion."

"Aber das ist bis zu der Hauptmann. Nicht für uns."

"Versuchen Sie mal, das dieser idiotische Aristokraten. Er wird sicher nicht auf mich hören, und ich bin seine Geisel und Übersetzer."

"H-Hey!" Cloud nearly jumped when from the rigging the heathen from the Ifrit suddenly dropped to the top deck. His eyes were wild with fear, and he already had a hand on the knife he had on his person. "Let Zexion go!"

"Demyx!" the man snapped harshly. "Für die Liebe zu Kingdom Hearts, Drop das Messer!"

"Aber Zexion-!"

"Wollen Sie mich sehen erhalten Sie einen extra lächeln?! Er handelt wie ein in die Enge getriebenes Tier! Nicht empfindet ihn!"

"Aber er kill sie!"

"Sind wir nicht streiten! Die Messer!"

"Aber-!"

"Stellen Sie das Messer nach unten!"

Demyx seemed hesitant to move away, but he dropped the knife and stepped back, his teal eyes full of worry. Cloud took a deep breath; he didn't want to kill someone, pirate or not. He leaned in. "Zexion, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"Tell them that unless they do as I say, I will use any means necessary to get Hollow Bastion's navy or the navy of our allies' attention to this place."

"That won't be necessary." The voice had come from up above; Cloud could see all eyes looking above him on the bridge. Cloud dared to look; Rex Pirata was walking down to the top deck. He pressed the knife more firmly against Zexion's neck.

"I'm warning you pirate, if you don't do what I demand, I'll slit his throat."

"And then what? You'll have no hostage and you're looking at possibly being strung up by the bowsprit. Sounds a bit risky to me to threaten to kill your only chance of salvation there," Leon reasoned. He looked so calm compared to the rest of the crew.

"This man's important to you all! Your men wouldn't be so timid if he wasn't!" Cloud protested.

"True enough. Zexion is the best navigator a man could ask for," Leon said nonchalantly. "However, you killing him is just going to leave you in a worse position, and us most likely being delayed in getting home." He was walking towards them, keeping his expression completely neutral. Cloud felt himself shaking. "Then there's another thing. You've never taken the life of another person. I doubt you'll start now on a pirate ship on which you are guest of."

"Don't try to sugar coat the fact that I'm a hostage here by saying that I'm a guest!" If he pressed the knife any tighter against Zexion's throat, he was sure the smaller man would be sporting another smile, only blood red in colour. "I'm fighting fire with fire! If you don't take me to an allied port right away with my siblings, I'll… I'll…!"

"You'll do what, Cloud?" Leon asked. He was very close now. Only Zexion stood between them to keep them apart. "Put it down. Make your life and your siblings' lives easier." Cloud's grip tightened. Zexion made no sound. "Cloud, don't take it out on Zexion. You're scared. I understand that. You're scared and you don't know what's going on, but threatening someone else's life isn't going to achieve anything but animosity from the crew and a very hard time for you and your younger siblings." He put a hand over Cloud's, holding it firmly away from Zexion's throat. The little man took a deep breath.

Leon's hand felt so rough over his, battered by hard work and the elements no doubt.

"Now… let him go Cloud," Leon said calmly, and yet the voice was strongly commanding him, warning him that there would be consequences for defiance. Cloud just glared at him in anger, not letting the smaller man go, but only making his grip tighter. Leon's eyes flashed silver. "Cloud… I'm warning you."

"What do you think you'll do to me?" Cloud asked insolently. "I may be your prisoner, but I will not yield to someone like you. You can't hurt me."

Rather than anger, the Rex Pirata laughed quietly. Cloud's defiant look turned into a look mixed with surprise and horror. This man… this man didn't fear consequences! "Listen, Cloud," Leon said very calmly. He was too calm for Cloud's tastes. "You might think you're the one with the power here, but let me tell you this. This is my ship; there are laws here that you have to follow like you would in any other country. I am its king, its lawmaker and its judge. I won't suffer fools." Cloud yelped as he felt himself being pulled away from Zexion with force. The smaller man stumbled but recovered his footing, rubbing his arm and neck. Cloud's arm was held high above him, the grip on his wrist tightening like a clamp, the pirate's fingers and thumb digging into his flesh. The pen knife clattered to the floor. Leon's eyes were still flashing silver. "You abide by my laws here. You'll abide by my laws when we make it to our home. You are not above any member of this crew. You are certainly not above me either."

"Er lohnt sich nicht! Lassen Sie uns einfach maroon ihn!"

"Ja! Wir werden sehen, wie er mag es wenn alle hat er ist Wasser und einem einzigen bullet in einer Pistole!"

"Halt den Mund! Alle von Ihnen!" Leon barked at his crew, turning his body so violently that Cloud fell to his knees and yelped in pain. "Dieser Mensch könnte mehr Probleme als er lohnt sich aber ich möchte, dass mein Ende des Schnäppchen! Wollen Sie keine siehe Ellone wieder?!"

The crew went very quiet at hearing whatever it was that Leon had said. Cloud noticed that there seemed to be a mournful atmosphere. Did… something happen before he and his siblings were kidnapped by this crew? Leon took a deep breath, carefully help Cloud up to his feet. "Stop the foolishness Cloud. None of us are here to hurt you or your siblings."

"Then you intend to hold us ransom."

"…I only wish it were that simple," Leon responded, guiding Cloud back to the cabin. The blond had been too surprised by how sombre the once tense and angry atmosphere had become to protest. "Weiter arbeiten. Ich werde wieder in einen Moment."

Ven had stood far in the back watching what his brother had done, standing next to Terra. They had come up on top deck to see to an older man who had injured himself while tending to the ropes, the doctor having wanted to show Ven how to treat rope burns and other injuries caused by handling the ropes. It was also the first time he had seen Rex Pirata. He didn't appear that much older than Cloud.

"Hopefully… that will be the end to the foolishness," Terra said softly, but Ven could hear strain in the second mate's voice.

"Terra… why did the crew go quiet?" Ven asked tentatively. "A lot of them looked ready to hang my brother."

"…That's… a very, very sore subject for the captain. I shouldn't speak of it."

"It… involves us, doesn't it?" Ven watched as Terra's eyes turned to him. "There's a reason why he chose us in particular. That attack on the Ifrit wasn't random… was it…"

"…Ven… I can't talk about it."

"Terra, please. It's okay. If you just tell us what's going on, I'm sure we'll all understand."

"…there are just some things that you're better off not knowing." Terra turned back to the open sores he was attending to. "…when we get to our home, I'm sure the captain will explain everything to you. Right now… we have to focus on getting home."

The day had been long and uneventful after the commotion Cloud caused, the mood soured by the memory of the true reason why they pursued the Ifrit in the first place. For Leon, it was hard to be around the blond after that.

He just hoped that that man would keep to his end of the bargain… otherwise… He looked up when he noticed there was a small tankard being offered to him. He took it and swigged the ale into his mouth. It was a little salty. "You look tired, my friend," Zexion said, leaning against the banister. The sea was calm tonight, and the wind was in their favour. "We should be at Destiny Island within four days if the wind continues to remain in our favour and if we have calm waters."

"…do you think they've followed us… with her?"

"…I don't know," Zexion said quietly, knowing who he meant. "They might be a few days behind us. It might even take weeks if they're waiting." He looked over to Leon. "…that man… I don't trust him. He's not like the old governor."

"We don't have much choice though… do we…?" Leon then spat angrily over the side. "That damned man… he's worse than a pirate. Taking advantage of our neutrality with the previous governor… using us for his own sake…" He glared at the sea. "I swear of he's harmed a single hair… I'll…!"

He stopped when he felt the long hand of his first mate firmly grip his shoulder. "We're all angry about this. There's nothing we can do now; we fulfilled what we set out to do." Axel stood on his other side, blowing out fumes of tobacco smoke before putting his long pipe firmly back into his mouth. The pipe was a gift from the heathen tribe Demyx had come from. Axel treasured it. "But… it's probably worth preparing for the worst."

Leon nodded his head. "…if that man is truly as despicable as we think he is… he might intend for their deaths… and pin the blame on us." He took another swig. "In the end… those with greed in places of power are all the same. Killing is nothing if it means having whatever they want. Terra and Aqua are living proof of the destruction that such greed can cause." Terra's story still brought chills of horror down the Rex Pirata's spine. Sometimes it made Leon wonder who the true savage criminals in this world were. Some men made pirates look respectable. He looked up and noticed a shape in the distance. Grabbing his spyglass from his belt loop, he stretched it out with a sharp flick of his wrist and looked out. "Hector appears to be making the rounds with his Queen Anne."

"Barbossa?" Zexion asked quizzically. "What's he doing out here? Isn't his hunting grounds usually nearer to Port Royal and Departurian waters?"

"Knowing them, Sparrow has probably stolen something from Barbossa," Axel droned. "I swear it's like watching a dog chase after a cat. Fruitless."

"As long as Sparrow doesn't bring the Black Pearl anywhere near us, we can give the Queen Anne a wide berth," Zexion commented. "I don't fancy going anywhere near her. She frightened me the first time we had dealing with Barbossa." Zexion shuddered; any pirate worth his salt knew of the story of the haunted ship that followed only its captain, the same legendary ship that was once owned by the most feared pirate of them all, Blackbeard. There were stories that Barbossa had tricked Blackbeard in a duel. Others said that it had been Sparrow that had bested Blackbeard with poison which inadvertently gave the grizzled sea dog with a peg leg an advantage. It was all stories though; neither pirate captain seemed willing to confirm which story was true.

However, while Sparrow seemed happy to let one Captain Leonhart inherit the title of Rex Pirata, Barbossa seemed less content to see 'a whelp' become a pirate king. As a result, Leon kept his dealings with the captain of the haunted Queen Anne's Revenge to a bare minimum. Leon pushed his spyglass back into its smaller state. "Let's try to avoid Barbossa as best as we can. I don't particularly want him to find out about our guests. Nor any other pirate ship for that matter." Leon sighed. "Those Strifes are my only hope."

Unfortunately though… his innate pirate was very reluctant to let go of that precious cargo. He could still remember those sapphires.

They held that proud defiance. Even if he was beat, Lord Cloud Strife was not going to bow down to anyone, and especially not to the person he had immediately decided was an enemy. Leon's curiosity had been piqued; he wondered if he could prove to him that even if he was a pirate, he was someone that the young aristocrat could trust.

"…it's a shame that even if we do gain their trust… we seem destined to betray them," Leon murmured.

"That's why it's best not to get close to them," Axel said, inhaling on his pipe. "It's not worth it. It's not worth going through the emotions when you know you might have to betray them sometime in the near future." He exhaled. "I'm worried. About Terra."

"Terra?" Zexion asked, looking over to the first mate. "What about him?"

"The fact that he seems to be already forming a friendship with that kid worries me… even though he knows what might happen."

"…he probably thinks it's the kindest thing to do," Leon said quietly. He then pushed himself away from the railings. "I better see if my 'solution' to the cooperation problem works. I hate to lie to him… but I don't see any other way."

"Good luck," Axel murmured. "Let me know if it works."

Cloud sat in the window, staring out to sea, brooding angrily. His plan hadn't worked. He was further away from escaping the clutches of the pirates now more than ever, and no doubt the Rex Pirata would be furious with him. He half expected to be completely stripped of his dignity when he returned… maybe even be forced into a position he'd never choose. Cloud braced himself for that possibility; he was determined to hate Leon for all he was worth.

The door opened at that point; the Rex Pirata walked in. He was quiet, only briefly acknowledged Cloud with a curt nod and then went to his desk, looking through the maps that had been put into disarray. Cloud had looked through them out of boredom, having hoped that maybe he would figure out exactly where the next port was. Leon just put them back into order.

"…are you not going to say anything?" Cloud asked carefully, hunching his shoulders up so that he curled into a ball. The Rex Pirata looked over his shoulder at Cloud; his face was completely emotionless. "You're not going to lecture me or threaten or… do something to me?"

"…to what, Cloud, would that profit me in anyway?" Leon replied with his own question. He turned back to organising his maps, rolling them up and placing them carefully in their designated homes in the desk.

"I threatened your man."

"Zexion has been in worse life or death situations than that."

"I could have killed him."

"You wouldn't have done. Killing a man in that situation would have been foolish, and you knew that."

"You sound so sure of that."

"I've seen enough already to know what a man can and will do in any given situation concerning my kind," Leon said. He turned around and faced Cloud. "I understand how you feel. That's why I'm not angry with you. You're within your right to behave the way you did. We just didn't expect you to act as swiftly as you did." The corner of Leon's lips quirked into a halfway smile. Was he… impressed? "You're an exceptionally brave man Cloud. If it had been me in your situation… I probably wouldn't have done that."

"…so you do know my name," Cloud said softly. Leon nodded his head. "You targeted us on purpose… didn't you?" Leon seemed reluctant to answer that. "That heathen… Demyx… he said that a governor wanted us kidnapped. Who was it?"

"…I'm sorry. I can't answer that."

"Loyalty to a traitor of Hollow Bastion?" Cloud sneered.

"…" Leon turned away. "I'll let you cool your head."

"How much did he pay you? I'll arrange for double that if you release me and my siblings. I can even arrange for a pardon from Hollow Bastion. All you have to do is tell us a name."

"…I can't."

"You can't possibly be saying that you're declining my offer!" Cloud was flabbergasted; he was offering more than whatever it was this mystery governor was paying the pirate and even offering a pardon! A safe haven in Hollow Bastion! How could any pirate-!

"…All that glitters is not gold. Treasure is not just gold and silver." Leon looked at Cloud with a look that the blond couldn't interpret. "I only came here to say that I was going to offer you freedom from your different cages, but I can see that you wish to cling to them. Then that's fine. You can stay here for the rest of the journey home. This can be your new cage." He walked away to the door; Cloud was moving quickly after the Rex Pirata, ready to demand what on earth the pirate was talking about.

Leon had been faster once again. He was out of the cabin and had locked the door from the outside. Cloud banged his fists against the door in anger, screeching to be let out and for the Rex Pirata to explain himself.

Leon leaned against the cabin door, feeling his knees give way as his body sunk to the floor. "…this is ridiculous," he murmured to himself in his mother tongue. "Axel's right… I shouldn't try to be kind. That will only forge an attachment." And it was an attachment he just couldn't afford to give.

He needed those four… otherwise he might not ever see her alive again.