Okay. Ended up splitting into THREE parts. But this one is a good 2000+ words! So um. The next chapter will be some 3000+ words. I'm thinking about splitting that one too…but then that means the original chapter 3..is actually chapters 3, 4, 5 and 6… and that means the other characters can't come in til chapter 7. And that makes me feel horribly guilty. Anyway! Enjoy this [short] chapter….

If it makes you feel better, Ch.5 is done~

Rekka slowly entered the room as Mira admired the interior. Gypsy caravans always had such ingenious and pretty design. Though the room was small, the design made it seem spacious. The tiny sink area was in the corner, under a small window that shed light into the room. The bed was in the other corner. A young brown haired woman was at the sink, washing some cutlery. Another laid on the bed, still sleeping.

At seeing Rekka walk into the room, the hazel eyes widened. She slowly put down her plates and leapt at Rekka. "*Sis! You're back!"

Rekka hugged the girl and laughed. "Hello, Ninjo. How have you been?"

"Good, but I missed you."

Rekka looked over to the blonde still curled under the covers. "Is Nikko still sleeping? Lazy banana."

"She had a long night last night." Ninjo explained. " I just let her sleep."

Rekka went and sat on the edge of the bed, smoothing the dark gold hair. "Wake up Nikko, I have something for you." she crooned.

The figure shifted and moaned. She sat up, rubbing her eyes. When they opened, Mira saw that they were a dark red. Her face brightened upon seeing Rekka. "Hey sis. Welcome back."

Rekka nodded. "I can't stay long. I have to go. But I brought you guys the stuff you guys asked for."

Their faces fell at the fact that Rekka would not be stayed, but they huddled around at the mention of gifts.

Rekka took out her bundle and brought out a sky blue and purple necklace and earring set. The silver chain glittered in the morning sunlight that shone through the window above the sink. The stones were blue, with highlights of purple depending on the light. At the center of the pendant itself was a spot of ruby, the same shade as Nikko's eyes.

"Here, let's see how it looks on you." Rekka fiddled with the clasp as Nikko lifted her hair. "There."

Mira admired the girl's beauty. Even though she just woke up and had no makeup on whatsoever, she was pretty. The necklace made that fact appear more pronounced. Yet, Mira mused, even though they were all about the same height, Nikko, with her blonde hair and red eyes and tan skin, looked nothing like Rekka.

"And these," Rekka spoke as she brought out two grim, dusty looking books. The covers were plain brown, with gold-leaf lettering, in another language. "Is for you. I can't read that, so I just asked around. I hope it's the right ones?" she asked Ninjo, who smiled and nodded.

Mira, curious, peeked over Rekka's shoulder at the books. "The Theory of Serial Endosymbiosis and The Study of Dialectic Inflections upon the usage of Modern Vocabulary?" she read, confused. "Why are you reading those?"

The three sisters turned to look at her. Ninjo was the only who answered, coming over her brief surprise. She lifted up one of the books. "I like learning about languages. I'm a polyglot, which I assume you are as well?"
Mira nodded. "And the other?"

Ninjo swallowed and smiled. "Medicine seems interesting."

Mira smiled. "Well, may I recommend some books that I believe can help you?" At Ninjo's nod, they went to a writing desk beside the kitchen area and grabbed a piece of paper. "If you're interested in microcellular processes such as endosymbiosis, might I suggest Eukaryotic Origins by the same author, and Oxidative Phosphorylation, which is also along those lines. But I think if you're going to improve strength against disease, you might want to try, oh, what was it called, something Biosynthesize, but you can only find that one in Bilkan, I believe…"…. "But wasn't that author discredited?" "It depends on people; I still think some of his words hold true…" they mumbled together, pencils scratching and murmuring titles and authors at each other. Rekka and Nikko looked on, in an "are you serious" fashion. They had always known their sister was a scholar, but they didn't think they would meet someone who could talk to Ninjo at such a purely intellectual level.

Nikko looked over at Rekka and then at her necklace. "Thanks sis. But I would rather you stay and not bring us anything, you know?"

Seeing her forlorn expression, Rekka gave Nikko a hug. The two were close, always the ones taking risks as Ninjo followed behind, constantly telling them to be careful. "Come now Nikko, you're 21. You can do things just fine without me. Look how well you're doing! Do we have a boyfriend yet?"

At Nikko's blush, Rekka gasped. "No! You do? Why didn't you tell me? Tell me about him."

"Um...he's really cute…"

[***]

Mik sighed internally as he headed back to the dress shop, carrying a small bag of gold. He had thought he saw someone he knew, but he was wrong.

He wondered where everyone was now. Whether they remembered him, whether they thought he was dead.

Shaking his head before he could drown in his depressions, he entered the dress shop. It was fairly small, and the multitude of fluffy confections left little room for walking around and made the room seem cramped. He walked around. He furrowed his brow. Where was Lily? He told her to stay in the shop.

Walking to the back of the store, he saw a little old man with small circular spectacles come out of a door and close the door behind him. He had a candle that smelled like lavender in his hand. He was smiling to himself, but stopped when he saw Mik towering over him. He must be the shopkeeper, Mik thought.

The little man plastered a smile on his face. "Well, you surprised me. How can I help you? Have you come to buy a lovely dress for a lucky lady?"

Mik looked around the back and saw no one. He turned his attention back to the little old man. "Yes- I mean no- I mean, I'm looking for a young woman. Taller than you, but shorter than me, about my shoulder height." He motioned. "I saw her come in here."

The man shook his head. "Blonde? Yes, she came in and looked around. But then I think she saw someone out the window and left to chase it- whoever it was." he said.

Mik looked around. "Are you sure?" he said, bewildered. Lily would have never disregarded his words and run off. Perhaps she saw someone that looked like him? "Thank you for your time."

The shopkeeper watched as he left the store, scratching his head in confusion. He headed left and was out of the store's vicinity. The shopkeeper let out a breath of deep relief at seeing the tall, intimidating man leave.

Where were the bandits? He wondered. They were usually never late. Especially not when he had a prize this good. The girl was probably a noble, and just her pretty face alone could fetch quite a bit on the human slave market. He sat down and supposed he would wait.

[***]

Lily was sitting in the corner, huddled in the lavender-smelling darkness, courtesy of the stupid old man's candle. She had screamed and cried and pounded the door, to no avail. She couldn't hear anything that was going on above, so she doubted that anyone above could hear her. She wondered if Mik had already entered the store looking for her, and finding no one, had left her.

Oh god, if that was the case, then no one would find her. She would be captured and sold and no one would find her and she would die and Mik oh god.

She was alone. For the first time ever, she was alone.

A wave of helplessness swept through her. She held her head in her arms, fighting the urge to resume her tears.

No, her stubbornness reared its head. Are you kidding me? You're just going to give up like this? You survived a sinking ship! And pirates! Like what, yesterday? At least get up and do something before he comes back!

She got up and walked around, feeling for a door, or a window, or something. There has got to be a way out of here, right?

She tripped over a stool as she was halfway around the room. "Augh!"

She panted against the floor and sat up, cradling her knee. In the dark , she couldn't see anything. But she could feel thin beads of moisture as she rubbed her hands over the skin. Praying that it wasn't too bad, she sat and waited for the pain to subside.

No such luck.

The door slammed open and the room was flooded with light. She shielded her eyes as they adjusted to the sudden brightness. The next thing she knew, she was being grabbed by someone- more than a few someones- and tied up. "She smells good." she heard as they tied her up. She screamed and flailed to get loose, but they just made her restraints tighter. They lifted her over a large, burly bandit's shoulder and headed back upstairs.

She could see the treacherous shopkeeper again. "Quickly!" He hissed, motioning them through the back from where they came.

She glared at the man as they left, and watched as his back door slammed shut.

They were now on a side road, leading away from Loguetown, and all the dipping and lurching was making her sick. Dimly she remembered that Mira and Rekka came this way. Would they, by some twist of fate, be able to come and rescue her?

The person nearly tripped over a hole in the dirt path. She couldn't take it anymore. "Hey! Do you know how to do something called WALKING correctly?" she snapped at the guy.

He gave a grunt in response and resumed his running. After a while of this, she felt him slow. She was put down onto the ground unceremoniously ("PLEASE drop me harder! Please! I DARE you! Who do you think you are?") and she turned to face the leader of the Bandits, sitting in a chair at the "head" of a circle.

He was bleeding, she noticed with some surprise. In fact, she thought, turning to look at the entire group of thieves, they had all seemed to sustain heavy injuries. Many nursed bruises and cuts.

She smirked. "So what happened to you guys?"

The leader glared. "Shut your mouth, girl. Just sit there until the slave traders come."

"Who are you?" she asked.

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?" The bandit said. "I am Bandit Bob, and we had an unsuccessful raid, and we were attacked. Does that answer all your questions?"

Lily nodded and fiddled with the rope around her wrists.

The bandits had all gathered around Bandit Bob and were discussing something. Lily sat there and fidgeted. She was bored. So she did what all bored rich women do.

Complain.

"My wrists hurt from the rope. Can you guys untie me?"

"No! Be quiet!" the bandit said.

She gave them half a minute before whining again. "My knees are feeling cramped. I need to move around. I can't feel my toes or my fingers!"

"Well you can sure feel your tongue don't you? Shut up before we cut it off."

"You won't though, won't you? Cutting off my tongue will probably decrease my value on the slave market."

"Your value will decrease anyway once they see your attitude."

She gave them another minute. "I need to use the restroom. Unless you want me to soil my clothing? Do you have other clothing that is fit to dress me in?"

In all honesty, Lily would never have done so, and she didn't need to use anything. She was trying to push, to annoy, to stall.

"Shut up!"

"How can I shut up when I'm all uncomfortable like this?" she whined, a true epitome of female irritation. "If you expect me to get a high value, the least you can do is treat me right. At this rate my perfect skin will be all messed up and I will look hideous. Then where will your money go?"

"Alright!" the bandit conceded our of frustration. "If we move you to a more comfortable place, will you shut the hell up?"

"I take offense to your coarse language and rude behavior, but yes I would like that."

Bandit Bob motioned for two men to lift her roughly from the dirt to a crate. It was little better, as her hands and feet were still tied up, but at least she could sort of wiggle around without falling on her face.

"Now shut up!"

The menacing glare he shot her was enough to keep her quiet. He turned back to his men and she caught him whisper, "Give her something to relax." He stressed. "I need quiet to decide how to account for all the losses. That bastard from this morning...taking all our loot for the day."

Soon a tall, sickly looking man approached her. He didn't say a word, simply lifted the amber liquid in the clear cup up to her.

Lily made a face. "Do you expect me to drink that?" He nodded.

"No." She flatly refused.

That was the wrong answer. Two bandits grabber her arms and legs and held her as the sickly looking man offered her the drink, pushing it against her lips. She pressed her lips tightly together and shook her head. After putting up her little fight, they got it in her in the end. It was bitter and sour and sticky and disgusting, like nothing she had tasted before. However, the aftertaste was pleasant, the subtle hint of rosy sweetness lingering on her tongue. It make her feel heavy yet light as a feather at the same time. They left her to her own devices. She slumped and leaned against the crates.

Now all she could do was wait, it seemed.

[***]

Omake:

Me: And now you guys must wait as well! Muahahaha!

Lily: …You didn't expect to end it here. You have no omake thought up for this one.

M: True, true. But then most of them are spur of the moment things.

L: You're pathetic. But at least I'm out of that horrible cellar. They drugged me. I'm a minor.

M: You're 19, you're hardly a minor.

L: I'm not even of legal drinking age.

M: In the US, no. But in Malaysia, its supposedly 16.

L: What is Malaysia?

M: Oh right right, there is no Malaysia in OP-verse.

L: You're stupid. Stop talking.

M: *sob* any room for me in the emo corner?

Mik and Mira: No. We're crowded enough as it is.

M: Where did all these people come from?"

M&M(s): I don't know. Why did you start advertising the emo corner?

M: I was hardly advertising…

M&M(s): doesn't matter. OUT! This emo corner is for AOCWADAC.

M: …?

Kiko: Abused Original Characters Who Demand A Change.

M: Oh, okay…that was the best acronym you could come up with? *pfft*

M&M: OUT!

*I'm loathe to use japanese. Honestly, I've read some ff and its really obnoxious. Like…this American person is going around going OMG KAWAII DESU SASUKE-KUN. So sometimes its really annoying. But I mean…sometimes it fits. Also, I tend to think in the language I'm writing as. So slip-ups may occur. For instance, I was really tempted to use 'onee-san', [ps: sisterly bonding!~] but I wasn't sure if you guys cared. LOL. But I will use -san, -kun, -sama, because that's just a way of addressing people and I don't think it affects anything. Um. But if you have a really strong opinion..then…uh…I will just use Mr., Mrs., etc only. (For example- Lily is referred to as 'Miss' from the shopkeeper. Right now I'm just using both, depending on which sounds better in the circumstances.)

**Oh yes and- as you can tell…Mira is quite the scholar [thereisareasonipromiseitsnot adevilfruit] XD But yeah um…I just mixed together hard-sounding boring old books in my head..and then searched it up and realized it was a real thing. LOL so if you actually…somehow..study..eukaryotic origins..then…*cough* forgive me if it has nothing to do with medicine/health. BUT I did read about it and its biology and about cell regeneration. So I think I'm pretty close! ^^