Disclaimer: i do not own anything.

Credits: to Chibi-kari! thanks for editing this one! TT i am so sad!! youre not my beta anymore!! nooo!! anyways!! thanks for all the help!!

Chapter four: My Terms

"And that's what she is for…" Inui said.

"Excuse me?" she managed to spill, not knowing what to do next. She stood up from her position by the door, and dusted herself off as she stood in full confidence. She has no choice but to deny everything, or else…she would be paying dearly.

"Last night, I cleaned up your wounds, and I didn't fail to notice something on your back." Inui stated as he lifted his glassed atop of his nose.

Tezuka's stare stiffened, as he waited for her appeal.

Much to her dismay, she forgot to hide that mark when she left, the tattoo that marred itself on her back ever since that incident. It's a pair of tribal wings with an emblem on the middle. The tattoo occupied the whole of her back. It was the main reason why she could slam her head against the wall if she could. She felt like such an idiot… forgetting to hide something that big.

"What about it?" she retorted with pure calmness, she couldn't bare a slip her tongue again. That as a symbol that marks leaders of Lunarecia; it's as if a sign of authority and responsibility to be looked up to. It was passed on through ages, yet its dark history was covered up as it went.

"Nobody still knows what the symbols mean, but according to the archives, that symbol can only be found in Lunarecia." He finished.

'I can still hide my identity.'

"I'm a maid in the palace." She stated as she felt pairs of eyes scrutinizing her, this is the least she could do, hide her identity, revealing it would cost her: her life, and far more worse, the safety of the Empire and her people.

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Eiji swore he hadn't seen Momo this enraged ever since they were kids back there at Lunarecia. Perhaps, it's the thoughts. Even back those times, Momoshiro always takes everything as a joke, or sometimes, he takes things lighter than a burden, but now, he couldn't recognize him anymore. They were heading to a certain entertainment house, with the old couple leading the way, they know better than to make a fool of these two now…

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"I assume you already know what situation you are in." Tezuka broke the silence, somehow these people don't seem like pirates at all; they were more into 'serious negotiation' than brawn fights.

She merely nodded, as she planted a stare at the Amber eyed lad who was now staring at her innocently with his cat orbs. Thoughts whirled in her head, she's with pirates, and pirates can never be trusted.

He doesn't know what to feel about her, he recued her for no reason. Yet, he brought her to the belly of the beast, not like he cared at all. Its just all about the irony, besides she could be a lot of use to him, she can pin point the location of the Lunarecia or luckier….Nanjiro Echizen.

"Unfortunately I cannot tell you where the Empire is." Okay, this sounded so stupid, but this is the truth, it's the first time she came out of the Recian coast, and top that with that storm, how will she be supposed to tell where she came from?

Inui spared her an exasperated sigh and that glare as a cherry on top. She knew exactly what he meant, surely nobody believes her.

"It's my first time to leave the coast. My ship sank before we could reach the land. But I know how to get to the west coast, I have been there before." That was the plain truth. Before her father died they went to the west coast to do the Ancestral Ritual, so much painful memories happened that night. Yet she never managed to cry a tear out of her eyes, the feeling is really foreign to her, that she even wondered why people cry, isn't crying painful?

"Then what are you doing at that entertainment house?" Kaidoh hissed as he glared at the fragile girl.

"I don't know either, I just woke up I was there." She answered flatly with her voice keeping it low.

Ryoma knew she wasn't lying at all; perhaps he could give her a credit for that, travelling for the last ten years paid a lot to him. He learned so many things, of when the storm will come, how the tide is going to rise, or even when the sea is shark infested. Not only his keen senses and sharp mind helped him make it this far, pirates can never sail without skills in the art of war. 'Just like his father' people say, and that gave him a lot more reason to chase after him, and quit living in his shadows- not like he chose this anyway.

She's not that much of a fool not to realize that they're going to use her for their advantage. And as much as she realized it, she could do the same with them. It's like all her plans were coming all in easy package, firstly, she needed to go to the West coast too, but not without a ship, that's where they came into picture, plus, she can't take down random pirates on her lonesome self. Another point there, and the most important thing, her journey back to Lunarecia.

"-And you'll take us there." Tezuka bluntly said, which made the gang look at him seriously; talking that way is so un-Tezuka like.

"In one condition."

"Don't you realize you're not in the post to tell us what to do." Inui rebutted.

"Were pirates, we can do anything to you." Kaidoh hissed as his snake like eyes scanned the girl for some reaction, to his dismay, she remained clam and blank.

"And lose your lead? I don't think so." Sakuno replied with plain confidence on her face as she glanced at Ryoma who just shrugged and slumped on the table.

"Name your terms."

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"You should know what to tell us or else…" Momoshiro held Hirai by the neck with his right hand, as he hissed every word that came out of his mouth, making the fat man shiver in fear.

"Get out of my pu-."

"I. said. spill. it." With a swing Eiji got his sword withdrawn from it's sheath and aimed accurately on Hirai's neck. Which made the man go paler in each and every passing second, its not about the sword- well it is, but what scared his the most was the glint in the cat man's eyes, the glint that shows no hesitation of killing him, the glint that told him, lie-and-die.

"S-She got k-kidnapped b-by p-p-pirates." He stuttered and almost choked every word he said, as Momoshiro slightly loosened his grip letting the man to breathe normally.

"Pirates." Eiji repeated as he gripped his sword tighter. This is the worst thing that could have ever happened, the images flashed in his mind like wild fire, and it pained him. The fact that he was supposed to take care of her made him feel far worse.

"Where are they?" Momoshiro almost tore Hirai's collar off his shirt. Of all people, why pirates!

"I-I d-don't know, c-check t-the d-docks!"Hirai still managed to keep on his ego still having his life under the red haired man in front of him.

"I swear if anything happens to her, you'll answer to my sword."

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Ryoma's POV

'Inui you are so dead.' I thought bitterly, and could this day get any worse? After verbal beating from Buchou, thanks a lot to this burden here, referring to this brunette haired girl walking the crowds beside me wearing her hood as ordered my Buchou himself. Next, I accidentally took a sip of Inui's penal-tea: first hit from Inui, and then he ordered me to take this girl downtown for some stupid shopping and that's the last straw.

I could see a smile under that navy blue hood; she's smiling, 'like there's something new about that.' Yeah, she had been smiling the whole day after that deal with the crew, she haven't wiped off that smile on her face the entire hour were walking here. I just really hate the crowd, I should be in the ship and lying around, or better, in the woods training, and did I mention, I really hate shopping?

We entered this shop. I didn't even bother to read the board sign, it doesn't matter anyway, suddenly I saw a lady popped in my view causing me to raise an eyebrow.

'Weird people.' I noted to myself.

Why am I here again? Right, to shop with her, for some clothes for the 'journey', thanks a lot with that deal she made.

….o)))o0(FLASHBACK)0o(((o….

"Were pirates, we can do anything to you." Kaidoh hissed as his snake like eyes scanned the girl for some reaction, to his dismay, she remained clam and blank.

"And lose your lead? I don't think so." Sakuno replied with plain confidence on her face as she glanced at Ryoma who just shrugged and slumped on the table.

"Name your terms."

"I'll be a member of your crew." She smiled at Tezuka.

Kaidoh's eyes were plainly shocked, and blank with emotion, while Oishi was dumbstruck with his reaction with his jaw dropped on the floor. Inui raised an eyebrow at this. Takashi had his eyes glued on Tezuka waiting for comments; while Ryoma, he just looked at the girl questioningly, why? There's neither use nor difference with being a crew with being a captive? Is there?

Unknowingly to everyone with a millisecond that day, Tezuka spared her a smile. Oly she saw it as she smiled back at him.

"I'll take that as a yes." She grinned and hopped, which gained her more attention than needed.

"Pirates never wear 'that' kind of clothes, plus, we should hide your identity from everyone, or else…" Inui said pointing out her dress and smirked.

"Well, having a lady on the ship isn't that bad." Oishi said as she reassured Sakuno with a smile.

"Why not take her to a shop downtown before we leave, Ryoma?" Inui interrupted as he grinned devilishly at Ryoma who just looked at him with eyes wide.

"b-b-but" He manage to stutter not until Tezuka said something-

"Take her downtown, Echizen." Tezuka said flatly, his word was final.

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"Shopping with your Itoshii is so much fun isn't it?" She blurted out as she grinned in front of us.

I saw Saku…Sakura- yeah I think that's her name, I saw her smile even more and started to deny what the lady just said. That's really oblivious, I got used to it anyway; don't even give a damn of what you think.

"Well, I hope you don't mind me dressing you up?" The lady smiled as she looked back at 'Sakura'

I saw her look up at me, as if asking for something; I just shrugged as she smiled even more.

"You can look around if you want to." She said before she turned her back.

"Never mind," I just made my way to the nearest sofa, staying here would spare me the trouble.

"Have it your way." She grinned back as she followed the girl.

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Sakuno's POV

I can't believe this is happening, so this is how it feels being happy. It's like my heart would explode right back there! For once in my life…my dream, it came true. I can't believe it! It's like a delusion or something. I am a pirate!

I swear I saw the captain smile, I knew it, but I don't know why. He looks so mysterious, yet so calm and somehow, I felt security with him. And Ryoma-kun, maybe its because he saved my life once, however I still don't know what to feel. Overwhelmed, or excitement, is it? I still can't sort it out, but whatever it is, I know, it's good, I can feel it, for once.

The lady who took me in the dressing room came back with garments in her hands. I was confused for a bit, how can she pick so many clothes in just seconds? In fact they were all so pretty.

"I swear you'll look good in these." She said reassuringly.

"But I need something good for a journey" I replied.

"Exactly what I thought so!" she exclaimed as she lifted her index finger in front of my face and threw some clothes at me, as I caught them with ease.

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"Not to sound so rude, but her terms were ridiculous." Inui bluntly spilled his thoughts about the recent deal with the Captain and the Recian maid.

Tezuka almost rolled his eyes at the question, and honestly speaking, that question got him to thinking too…

'Why?'

"I don't know." He said, as he looked at the cerulean sky. He was expecting to hear more from his analytic friend, and that's just what he's going to get.

"Is it wise to follow instincts?" Inui's curiosity was getting on his nerves more than he thought possible.

"Didn't you follow your instincts when you left and wandered alone." Tezuka rebutted.

"Aye, perhaps, this should mean that pirates have good instincts." Inui suddenly walked beside Tezuka as he followed the Captain's gaze towards the sky.

"Sometimes our mind can't answer the easiest questions, Inui."

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Ryoma was thought that he had no problems with waiting, not until now that he changed his mind. He's not entertained with his thoughts alone, add up the noisy customers, and perverts on the loose. He swore he could've memorized all the faces of all these people. He had been waiting for two horrifying hours now, and had just drank almost seven cans of Ponta. And now, he felt heavy because of all that liquid.

'I should've told her not to take long.'

"I hope you're not mad at me."

His amber eyes widened a bit with the sudden distraction. As he looked up to see Sakuno, he raised his brows, a questioning look plastered on his face as he stood.

Her eyes were questioning his reaction. He looked somewhat amazed and scrutinizing as well. She didn't know what to say or feel, so she looked at the mirror standing beside them.

She wore a blue leather skirt that went up to the mid of her thigh, with a simple black corset top. Brown arm bands went up to her elbow from her wrist, and a pair of brown velvet boots with tussles around the opening adorned her feet.

She turned a bit and looked at herself.

"It's not that bad. Is it?"

He couldn't look further. He hated to admit it, but he just simply-

'I hate your outfit.'

"Get a longer skirt."

TBC

I apologize for the uber late update, bear with me! so sorry! anyhow, i need a beta-reader again... (chibi-kari!! yer still the best!) oh and thanks for the reviews, promise the next chappie would be up soon!!