Ahoy hearties! I hope the weather is as good where you are as it is for me! It's finally getting warmer.

Enjoy, me favorite landlubbers!

It took me until the sun started setting to finally finish fixing that cursed sail. It was about time. I hadn't realized just how large the rip was and I hadn't stopped thinking about my complete failure. I can't believe that I was this close to winning our freedom. Then again, I can't forget that our captors are pirates. There's no guarantee that Atem would ever let me go.

I sigh and put away my needles, before proceeding to make sure my work is neat. Finding no issues, I stand up to stretch. I'd worked on the main deck, seated under the mainmast all day, and my body feels compressed. The fading sunlight and the mild breeze bring a strange calmness to my agitated thoughts. It's so easy for me to abandon myself to the sea and its surroundings. Unfortunately, I can't allow myself such luxury. The guilt of the temptation to jump in the sea and let the currents take me wherever they please eats at my insides. I wonder…If Moki weren't here, what would stop me from simply swimming away? The Call has ceased and deep down I know that I am home. This is what calls out to me. I remember Atem's words.

"You'd make a far better pirate mistress than a lord's wife."

Leaving aside the companionship side of this case, I'm much more complete here. The emptiness I've had in my chest for the past twelve years has almost completely disappeared. It's probably the reason I find myself relaxing too much at times.

"Ye done, Miss Shayee?"

The voice pulls me out of my thoughts and I look up to find Jaden hanging from the lowest yard of the mainmast, smiling down at me. He jumps down, agile as ever and grabs a piece of the sail to help me fold it.

"By the way, lil' Mokuba woke up a few hours back," he informs me. "He be helpin' Marcus and Mr Taylor out in the kitchen right now. Mr Bakura's still locked up so ye got nothin' to worry about, a'right?"

He flashes me a reassuring grin. This young pirate really is a child. I wonder if he's taken a life before. He is heavily handicapped, but I've seen him climb the masts and swing from rope to rope with such ease that I can't help but imagine him quite capable of defending himself in a fight. I've seen him hold knives with his feet and mouth to compensate for his missing hand. An idea suddenly hits me.

"Jaden, can I ask for a favor?"

"Depends on the favor," he replies as we finish folding the sail.

"Could you teach Mokuba how to use a knife properly?"

He blinks a couple of times, surprised. "Oh. I really thought ye be askin' for help takin' the french leave. Sorry, but there ain't no one here who's gonna do that. Best not to keep yer hopes up."

He is as blunt as he is laid-back. He doesn't seem like the type who can keep secrets but definitely the loyal one. He must be very grateful to Atem and his crew to have taken him in.

"I'm not foolish enough to hope for that," I reply picking up the sail. "Will you do it?"

"Already made a deal as payment for teachin' me letters. Even got the cap'n's permission. Lil' Mokuba asked himself."

I couldn't help a proud smile. Clever boy. He's not just waiting for things to happen. As expected of a Kaiba. I've known their mother very little. She died only a few months after the family took me in. I've always wondered how their real father was. Gozaburo Kaiba was a very strict man who rarely let Seto be a child. I always thought that he was bad at expressing his affection for his adopted sons. Then he suddenly died during a trip. Seto was with him but he never spoke of the details. Apparently, someone had jumped and killed him to steal money. I was pulled out of my thoughts when Jaden grabbed the sail from me. Again, his strength and balance surprised me.

"I'll take care of that. Thanks for the help Miss Shayee!"

"Can't you call me by my name?" I say but he's already halfway down the deck.

"Hey, Yug! Come join us."

I look up to see Joey, calling out to me from the edge of the ship. He's sitting on the side of a barrel. Near him, a group of pirates are passing around bottles of rum and playing cards. The first mate is as cheerful as always, but the others look at me with the same apprehension as before. For one, the prospect of sitting casually with my captors is awkward enough, but with them thinking I'm potentially a witch, I wonder what I risk if I sit with them.

"Is that an order?" I ask.

The wolf man looks surprised. "No. Why?"

"I'd rather go see how Mokuba's doing…"

"That all? He'll be up here in a few with Tristan. T's almost time to eat. Get over here."

It doesn't seem like I'm getting much of a choice. If I insist, the others may see it as insubordination and an excuse to be even more on edge. Reluctantly, I make my way to the small group. Joey scoots over to leave me a place and I sit beside him.

"Don't ya worry bout the lad. Bakura's locked up and Tristan's there."

"What are you going to do with him?" I ask, to occupy my mind. "I don't suppose you can keep him locked up forever."

"Ya worried?"

"He's after my head. Of course I'm worried."

"Ya've got me lookin' after ya."

"Well well, Mr Wheeler," says Carrot-top who I only just notice is part of the group playing cards nearby. "I'd say chattin' up the only lass onboard is pretty bold of ye."

There is brief moment during which Joey stops moving and the look on his face goes blank. It's so short I don't think anyone but me noticed. In an instant, his smile is back.

"Shut yar trap, carrot-top," he retorts. "No need to be jealous cause ya never had the balls to touch a woman."

The other pirates laugh. The mercilessly begin tease the young navigator who quickly turns as red as his hair. The atmosphere slowly relaxes. The light of the sun is fading quickly. Multiple little groups like Joey's have formed on the main deck as the pirates appreciate the soft evening breeze and freshness. It's particularly hot these days and the wind is pleasant. No need for thick covers to sleep comfortably. In fact according to Jaden, many pirates slept on the deck. I wonder if they'd let me if I asked. Though I'd miss the protection of the cage. It's one of the upsides of being locked up for the night. I can't bring myself to relax.

"Oi, missy!" calls out Carrot-top, pulling me out of my thoughts. "I got a question for ye. How d'ye bring the lad back to life?"

This again. They've all lifted their head from their cards and await my answer.

"He wasn't dead," I say, searching for the best way to explain it. "I just… removed the water from his lungs so he could breath."

"I take back what I said bout ye Shayee. Ye're really somethin'!"

The questioning reminds me of the interrogation I underwent. I'd been questioned about so many things, and I'm only now realizing that I completely forgot about asking them anything. Joey has told me his story but I knew nothing of the others. I've gathered that they aren't ordinary pirates. That in itself is a blessing in disguise. Who knows what would've happened to Moki and I if we'd been caught by the regular gentlemen of fortune? The men around me are gathered for a single purpose; revenge.

"Actually, I have a question for you as well. All of you."

They all freeze and appear to be holding their breaths. I take a discreet one myself before pushing the words out. I have to be careful.

"What did the Kaiba company do to you?"

A heavy but expected silence falls on our little group. The eyes one me have widened, showing off shock and dismay. My insides tighten in apprehension as none of them reply. I know my question is invasive and nosy, especially if my theory is true. But if I can learn more, I might get a better perspective as to why I'm here. Mentally shunning my sense of decency, I decide to keep talking.

"Th-The Captain told me you were gathered here for revenge. And hearing what he said to Bakura told me that your target was Baron Seto Kaiba." I turn to Joey. "Was it the company that attacked your tribe?"

The wolf-man stays immobile for a few long seconds before a sad smile pulls on the corners of his lips.

"The Cap'n was right; ya're pretty sharp Yug. That's exactly right."

"What I don't understand is why…" I say.

"The part of the Appalachians where my tribe lived in was a forest with very a very special type o' wood. Beautiful, solid and flexible at the same time. A man named Johnson came with a bunch of workers one day. They started cuttin' down our trees. We chased them out a couple of times, until they came back with an extermination squad. We were stronger but they had numbers and guns. They came to our home and killed everyone indiscriminately. I'm the only one that got back up."

The blood in my veins freezes and a shiver of horror travels up and down my spine. I want to vomit just thinking about an entire village being gunned down. I have trouble fathoming a nightmare such as this. Especially knowing what Joey is. I've only seen bits of his wolf form and that was enough to paralyze me. His smile widens into a mad grin, showing off fangs. His eyes turn golden and stare at an invisible foe.

"I hunted down every single one of these bastards. One by one, until I found Johnson again. I found out he was the executive in charge of the Kaiba's furniture manufacturers on the american east coast."

Swallowing my own spit demands effort. I was right. The executives were involved. I'm afraid to ask but force myself to.

"When…When was that?"

"Seven years ago."

That was three years before the previous baron died and Seto became the head of the family. He's never shared much with me about his work, but hearing the rumors in Domino, I figured the company was a mess. I didn't expect the executives to be taking such drastic measures to get the business going. A disturbing thought crosses my mind. Did Gozaburo know about this? Or worse did he himself encouraged it? I shake my head. This is paranoia speaking. The Kaiba trading company is gigantic and does business in the whole world. And from our little spot in the Caribbean, Seto has to regulate all the branches by himself. No wonder he thought some of his chief executives weren't trustworthy.

"We're all pretty much the same, ye know?" says Carrot-top, putting his cards down and leaning back against the edge of the ship.

I listened. I'm not sure for how long. By the time the last of them finishes speaking, the sun is almost entirely gone. It felt like hours. Hours of hearing one heart wrenching story after another. \

Carrot-top's village was quarantined by the company because of an epidemic that ended up wiping out half of his family. The company had also prevented doctors and medicine to make it to them.

Xao worked for the company in a salt mine until he and his fellow workers realized that the mine didn't belong to their bosses. Those had blown up the mine following the orders of the executive in charge. With the workers inside.

Hans had been beaten and left for dead because he'd discovered the ship he worked on was used to smuggle kidnapped children to be sold into slavery. Those were but a few of the stories.

I can't believe it. How can Seto's company be so rotten to the core? My stomach is so tight I want that it hurts. Did Seto's father…. really not notice just how bad the company's executives acted? The worst part is learning that some of these stories were less than four years old. Meaning they happened under Seto's nose… No he'd have noticed. He's too clever. And I'm sure he's working this hard because he's trying to regulate everything. I'm certain of it. I have to be.

"Hey."

I only realize that I've been looking down when Joey's hand gently grab my chin to make me look up. He has his usual smile back. But when he speaks it's not me he's addressing.

"And ya scallywags were scared of a girl that turns into a fountain for the guys who took her. Wussies." he says mocking his companions.

Simultaneously, he trails his thumb under my eye and I feel water being crushed on my skin. The moment I realize I'm crying, my cheeks heat up and I quickly rub my eyes. I'm grateful none of them try to mock me. On the contrary, they look as if they feel sorry for me.

"I told ya Yug," continues Joey to break the new ice. "When all's said and done, we're all the same as ya."

"Strays," I mutter, quoting the captain.

I must admit, my perspective of the Millennium crew has been greatly shaken in the past hour. But I haven't dropped my guard to the point of divulging everything about myself.

"Will killing the baron change anything?" I ask hesitantly. "Those were the doings of individual who got drunk on their own power…"

Xao frowns at me, showing irritation and determination at once. "The Captain found us all over the world, on every continent. Everywhere the Kaiba company's rotten. There's a reason why. Killing it means means killing the core. In this case, that devil of a baron."

Their objective is logical and determined. I can't risk defending Seto without sounding suspicious. Another question comes to mind and before I can stop myself, it pours out of my mouth.

"What about Atem?" I ask. "What happened to him?"

"Ha!" Exclaims Carrot-top. "That be one o' the seven wonders of the Millennium! Ain't that right, first mate?"

"Yar guess is as good as ours, Yug. He collected us and guides us, but he ain't one to share anythin' bout what happened to him. He's got lots o' cuts on him. I'm guessin' t'has somethin' to do with that."

So Atem's even secretive with his own crew. Somehow, that doesn't surprise me. He seems like the type who could make anyone do anything by only speaking to them. Yet, I doubt he gathered this crew for the sole purpose of entertainment. That fire in his eyes when he speaks about his mission leaves no room for doubt; he's as involved as anyone here.

"Oi, ain't Tristan' be the one to cook today?" suddenly asks Hans.

A sudden tension of disgust befalls out little group. I remember Joey saying something about the Master Gunner not being able to so much as fry an egg properly.

"Ah, thunderin' boot straps!" curses Carrot-top. "Guess we be goin' to sleep hungry…"

"At ease, gents," reassures one named Hunter. "We're gettin' boiled hearts. We got some from the last fishin' trip. Even he can't mess this up."

"Hearts?" I ask, curiously. "Hearts of what?"

"They be fruits called Black Hearts. They be good for fillin' up quickly," explains Hunter.

"I've never heard of those…"

"They only grow on specific islands here in the Caribbean," explains Joey. "They stain real bad though. Ya'll have to watch out for your clothes."

"Hardly anyone's as messy as you when they eat, dog boy."

Tristan is making his way to our small group carrying multiple folded bundles in his hands. Following closely behind him is Mokuba who also holds one. He sees me and joins me on the floor.

"Are you alright?" I ask, feeling his shoulders. "How do you feel?"

"Alright. I don't really remember what happened after Bakura knocked me out so…"

He says that smiling at me but I can feel him shake. And there's absolutely nothing I can say to him. A painful sensation pinches my heart. To settle the awkwardness, he sets the bundle down and opens it to reveal large dark colored fruits with steam escaping from them. I understand what they meant. They are shaped like a human heart. The colors vary from blood red to deep purple to pitch black. Just like big prunes.

"They're coragro," says Mokuba. "Remember my brother promised to let us taste when we'd go on missions with him."

I remember now. The first to discover these fruits were Spanish conquistadors. Because of the shape and color, they'd called them coragro, short for "corazon negro". Black heart. It was so hard to obtain and rotted really fast. Not to mention the stains. Seto said that if it weren't for horrible stench of rotten prune, they could make colored ink out of it. It's also very rich and one can make for a full meal, raw or otherwise. It also brings back that sensation of familiarity…

"Dig in," says Joey, grabbing the bottle Tristan brought.

We imitate the rest of the group and each grab one. I bite slowly and the juice floods on my tongue. Even steamed, it seems to retain a lot of liquid. The taste is a strange combination of sweetness and bitterness. I don't recall having eaten anything quite like it before. But t's like a bittersweet memory. For some reason, my eyes water again but I don't let the tears fall.

Mokuba biting in his coragro bring me back to reality and I reflexively put my hand under his chin when I see the dark black liquid leaking on his chin.

"Careful! You're going to stain your clothes."

Some of the pirates snicker.

"Hahaha. Boy, Missy," says Carrot-top. "If ye keep babyin' him, he ain't ever gon' be a man."

"I am a man!" retorts the twelve years old, just as I catch the drops about to fall.

"Hold still," I scold, grabbing the cloth of the bundle to wipe his mouth before he turns his shirt bright purple.

That of course only serves to make the pirates burst into a full on laughter and Moki turn redder than some of the coragro.

"Give it up, Carrot-top," laughs Tristan. "You're talking to a mama lion. Touch her cub and look what happened to Bakura. She'll go blue eyes on you."

The master gunner walks away to distribute the rest of the bundles to different groups. Again the atmosphere is awkward in a strange way. Despite clearly knowing our position as hostages and captors, they still manage to bring us into their conversation and jest with us. Joey especially has been the kindest to us. A part of me truly felt bad for these men and their life. I'm worried it might affect my decision making in getting away from here.

We don't dock for the night this time. Jack and a few more men are keeping watch to make sure we don't hit anything, while the rest of the pirates slowly doze off to sleep. We were given permission to sleep on the deck if we wanted because of the heat. My mind is distant. It reviews over and over again everything I've learned about the strays. And yet, how much of a mystery the Captain remains. I close my eyes and let the gentle rocking of the waves put me to sleep.

The smell of smoke is strong enough to choke on. Screams and shouts echo everywhere around us, threatening to make out ear-drums burst. I've shrunk. I feel like I'm the size of a rabbit. A pair of strong arms are wrapped around me, pressing me against a sturdy chest. I hear the man carrying me pants loudly as he runs through small houses made of piled up flat stones. Everything is familiar. I know where this is. I can't put a name on it but I know. I also know these arms.

We enter one of the stone houses, and the man finally puts me down. He's old already. The hair on his head and his beard and mustache have discolored with age but residues of blond, red and chestnut are still discernible. Kneeling before me, he grabs me by the shoulders firmly. Despite the sweat dripping down his forehead and the blood staining his clothes, he smiles at me.

"Don't move from here. I'll bring your mother and father back. Stay here and hide under the bed."

"Please don't go, Grandpa," replies the cracked voice of a child escaping my mouth. "Where's papa? Mama was bleeding... Where are Yusei and Yuya? I'm scared. Don't go."

The man pulls me closer and wraps his arms around me again.

"It will be alright, my Yugi. You just have to wait here and I'll be back with them sooner than you can count to a hundred."

With tears still streaming down my face, he releases me and pushes me under a wooden table before covering it with a large cover. He runs out of the house and I begin counting. The smells get stronger. The screams grow quieter. I'm scared but I stay and keep counting.

I get to a hundred but he's still not back. Maybe I missed a few numbers? I count again. And again. And again. It becomes hard to breath. But I can't move. I have to stay here so he can find me. I cough at the smell of burning flesh. My lungs hurt. But I don't move and I count again. And again. Until the wooden roof above my head begins burning and the flames fall on me.

As my eyes flash open and I spring up to a sitting position, my mouth opens to let out a mighty gasp as if I'd been choking. It takes me a moment to realize where I am. Mokuba is still sleeping by my side. Shivers shake me and I see that I'm drenched in cold sweat. Horror strikes me when I realize that an awful sensation courses throughout my body. It is similar to the Stream, if my blood had turned to oil and was set ablaze. It's worst in my chest and insides. My heart is burning atrociously and its beat is so loud it threatens to crack my skull open.

I stand and before I know it, I find myself at the very front of the Millennium. I don't understand how I got here without anyone waking up or seeing me run by but it seems no one has moved from their spot. Dead drunk or fast asleep, it matters not. The burn in my chest intensifies with every second. I need to turn off the flame. I step onto the edge to jump in and kill that torturous sensation but freeze.

'I can't… If anyone sees me, they'll assume I'm trying to escape. They'll take it out on Mokuba… I can't, I can't.'

My mind fights with my body for a long minute before I finally step down from the edge. The burn is still intense, like a thousand red hot blades stabbing my heart simultaneously. One hand clenched over my heart and the other gripping the edge of the ship, I fall to my knees. The pain won't subside. I grit my teeth to hold back the screams in my throat. Sweat and tears drip from my face and the fire intensifies as images flood my mind, clearer than ever.

"Grandpa..."

I don't know if he was my mother's father or my father's father. Maybe he wasn't even my grandfather. But I know that I knew him. That I was loved by him. He was the sweet voice that called me "my Yugi". The one that taught me about rogue sharks. And I lost him. I see his final smile as clearly as if he were here. And then the memory's screams and the fire take over my senses, more real and terrifying than ever before.

"I didn't know. I didn't know…."

"What didn't you know?"

I gasp and look up. A few feet from me, Atem is standing. The moonlight is bright enough for me to see that he's still fully dressed. He looks at me with that same attentive and intense eyes. I have neither the will nor the strength to keep my guard up.

"I didn't know… it would hurt this bad to remember," I finish, trying to keep myself from bursting out in sobs.

Is this what I've wanted my whole life? This is but a fragment of my lost memories and it's tearing me to pieces. I want it to stop.

'I don't want to remember anymore. If all it awakens is this pain, it's not worth it.'

I expect him to tell me how wrongly my guardians raised me again or something along these lines. But he says nothing. Instead, he comes closer and sits cross leg next to me. I'm barely paying attention to him, desperately trying to find a way to calm down the burn and stop the images in my head.

Then, the sound reaches me. The melody more beautiful than the sound of the waves and more entrancing than the song of the whales. I look up once again. The amayuta at his lips, he's playing the same tune as before. Almost immediately, my heartbeat steadies and the burn begins to die. My muscles relax and the same calmness that had disgusted me before comes over me. I don't push it away this time. Even if I wanted to, I don't think I'd have the strength.

I take deep breaths, waiting for the lovely melody to wash away the bitterness. When the pain finally leaves, every muscle in me suddenly gives in. I would have fallen were I not holding onto the edge. I turn to look at him. His eyes are closed as he plays and the soft expression on his face surprises me. He truly is a handsome man. His physique aside, he spreads an aura of strength and wiseness about him. Now that I think about it, that's twice he's helped me today.

"Thank you," It feels like I'd hate myself if I didn't thank him. "For saving my life today. And… for just now."

He stops playing and looks back at me. I'm surprised he heard my whispering. There's no smile for once and his eyes observe me with severeness.

"You really are a coward." I wasn't expecting that as an answer. "If you want to remember, you'll have to walk through the flames. You can't run away forever. And I have no intention of letting you."

His words are harsh. His motivation escapes me. Why does he feel so concerned about me and the Shayee? Does he see me as another stray he wants to bring on his revenge quest? It doesn't feel right. Too many pieces of the puzzle are missing for me to know anything for sure about him. The more I time I'm in his presence, the more confused I am. His words are threatening and patronizing. Yet his actions are contradictory. As if he wishes to tell me something while staying at arm length.

'He's my enemy. I have to remember that.' I tell myself though I know I'm losing more and more perspective about that.

Out of nowhere, grabs my arm. Reflexively, I let go of the edge and let him pull me closer. He observed the bandage on my arm and gently presses on it. It hurts a little and I make a face, but no more than that. He seems convinced and releases me. He then unbuttons his red coat and takes it off. He folds it into a triangular shape an sets it down in front of me.

"Lie down, love. It's quite late."

He wants me to sleep right here? Beside him? The look on my face must've betrayed my thoughts because he chuckles.

"Worry not. I've no intention of doing anything to you while you're unconscious. There's absolutely no entertainment to be found in that."

"Implying you will do something when I'm awake?" I say, suddenly wishing I'd jumped in.

He brings his hand to his chin and pretends to be lost in thought. "Well there is still the matter of my prize for the duel…"

I feel the blood rush to my face and look away, praying that the night is hiding me at least as little. I completely forgot about that. When I see his amused face, I give in and lie down, head on the folded coat. I can't understand why seeing me flustered amuses him to no end. My mind is far too exhausted to play his mind games.

"Look at it this way," he says, "it hardly matters if you sleep next to me or in the cage. There's no place on this turner for you to hide from me."

Point taken. Moki is sleeping next to Jaden and not too far from Joey. Safest place on the Millennium. Thankfully, I'm too tired to overthink the matter of what he'll take from me. Still, I glance up at him. He's looking you at the night sky, his eyes lost in the stars. But there's a distinct lack of light in those. Like when Icarus realized he couldn't fly to the sun.

"I…heard some of their stories tonight," I begin not sure where I'm headed. "Is yours similar?"

He doesn't look down but a half smirk finally makes it to his face. "Is that concern I hear in your voice?"

I should've known he'd dodge me. "I just…want to understand why you're so different. What do you think you'll get once you kill Se…the baron?"

"What would you do, if you ever found yourself in front of the people responsible for the massacre of the Shayee?"

"I don't know." I give him the reply I gave Gozaburo Kaiba long ago. "But killing them won't bring back my people. So why corrupt myself to get nothing in return?"

He stays silent for a moment, before finally looking down at me. For once, his smile feels sad and genuine. I can't stop looking at his eyes. For a moment, I feared his eyes might start to water. I don't react when he trails the back of his hand on my cheek before burying it in my hair.

"Sound logic," he finally says. "Very Shayee worthy. I misjudged you, Yugi. You were never completely lost, were you? I envy you."

I feel like I'm seeing something I shouldn't. A part of him he's not supposed to show. I have trouble believing it's still him. I'm so stunned that I completely forget that his hand is still in my hair. It only lasts for a second. He then lets my tricolored mane slip through his fingers.

"Close your eyes."

"Wait…"

What I intended to say doesn't matter. He doesn't let me continue and brings the amayuta back to his lips and the sweet melody takes over me again, accentuating the exhaustion of my body and mind. I truly am going to start believing in those spirits of sleep. I close my eyes and let the night take me. This time, I dream of gentle waves and familiar laughter.

Gasp! Is Yugi beginning to be swayed by the crew? Could there be more to the family that raised her? Next time on WTTT; Seto Kaiba, the detective returns to discover disturbing truths!

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