A/N : Hi ! I'm back !

Raiu : That supposed to be a good news ?

YES ! Now shut up ! ...Hum, sorry folks, I know this update comes awfully late. I'm really sorry ! If you wanna know the reasons for the lateness, go to my profile, it's all written there. If you don't give a damn, it's OK too ! That's why I didn't write it here. Why bore you with my explanations if you don't want to hear it ?

Raiu : What do you think you're doing now ?

Just get lost Raiu.

Akari : Don't pay attention to them... Here comes chapter one ! Long chapter, yay ! Read and enjoy !

.: Carried out to sea :.

by cherry fantasy

Chapter one : Curiosity killed the cat

Duo turned in his bed for the hundredth time, trying to find a comfortable position. No such luck ; sleep still wouldn't come.

Five hours now that he'd been lying in his dark blue silky sheets, turning and turning so many times that he'd lost count. But for some obscure reason, slumber still evaded him. Glaring daggers at the blue canopy as if everything was its fault, Duo finally gave up and sat up with a sigh of frustration. He slid to the edge of the mattress and grabbed a black satin ribbon on his night stand. Gathering his loose mass of long chestnut hair, he tied it up in a simple ponytail at the base of his neck. He then got to his feet and silently walked toward the door leading to his balcony...

The night was warm and a slight refreshing breeze was blowing softly from the east. Not very useful for sailing, but perfect if you were leaning on your balcony ledge like Duo at this moment. Staring ahead into the night, Duo found his gaze once again drawn to the sea ; like the wind, it was very calm for now, and one look at the cloudless sky told Duo that it wasn't about to change for at least the next twelve hours.

It was nearing midnight, but his father and brother still weren't back. Duo would've heard them, since Solo's room was right beside his. They were probably at one of their clubs, or maybe even with the King at the Palace. And to be honest, Duo would've been surprised if they'd been back this early. Knowing them, they would arrive a little before the first rays of the sun, go to bed and only come out of their rooms at noon. "Typical of them after a night in town" Duo told himself with a grin, remembering the look on their faces when he'd once called them human owls, living at night and sleeping the day out.

Duo straightened up, wondering what he could do. He was definitely not tired, and he already knew that if he went back to bed he wouldn't be able to sleep. He thought about it for a moment, then made up his mind and returned in his room.

Being careful not to make any noise, he opened his closet and took out a loose white shirt with long puffed sleeves and a pair of black fitting pants. Coming out of his night clothes, Duo swiftly put on the new ones, adding a black belt and a black sleeveless vest over his shirt. A pair of black knee-high leather boots came to complement the outfit. Duo greatly favored the color black, especially since his mother's death. In a way, he still wasn't done mourning her...

Deeming himself ready, Duo took a few steps toward his balcony, before stopping abruptly and walking back to his night stand. There he tenderly picked up a long silver chain with a simple silver cross dangling from it : his mother's cross. She'd given it to him just before her death, and he'd promised to hold onto it with his life. He quickly put it around his neck and hid it beneath his shirt. Then he opened his drawer, took out his finely chiseled dagger and placed it in his belt. That done, he resumed his march.

He climbed over the balcony ledge, then down the wall with agility, taking hold on the wild rosebush that was growing on the surface. Duo's room being on the second floor, he didn't have a very long way to go before reaching the ground... especially considering the fact that he'd escaped this way lots of times in the past.

He gracefully crossed the manor's gardens without a sound, merely a shadow among shadows... Stopping at the edge of the headland, he walked alongside it for a while. He quickly discovered what he was looking for, a depression in the rocks creating some sort of natural staircase to the beach below. Duo climbed it down with the carelessness of someone who knew their way by heart.

He was going for a little walk.

o0o

Duo had been strolling along the beach for about fifteen minutes now, letting the sea's salty wind caress his face and ruffle his hair. There was barely a sound, aside the occasional lapping noise of the waves reaching shore or brushing against the rocks.

He had always loved to come walking on the beach, be it night or day, sunny or pouring rain. He'd always felt a strong connection to the sea, and the beach was as close to it as he could get when he wasn't on a boat. No one ever came here but him and Solo. It was their refuge when they were feeling depressed, sad, or when they simply wanted some time alone to think. Duo had found himself coming more and more frequently since his mother had died. He missed her terribly even though all those years had passed, and he had very little to distract himself from his growing loneliness.

His father kept telling him that if he would just go out more and make friends with other boys his age, maybe even find a nice girl to woo, he would feel far less lonely. But going out implied being at one of those men's Clubs, at the Court or at some other fancy place that his father and brother favored... Unlike them, Duo really didn't feel as if he belonged there.

As for making friends, Duo would rather cut off his right foot than befriend one of those snobbish little brats he'd met so far, with their nose in the air and their complacent behavior. If only some of them were more like Solo... Well, there had to be, but Duo had yet to meet them.

Finally, there was this matter of girls, which his father wouldn't leave him alone about. Lately he often told Duo : «You're 16 now, my son, it's time for you to find a nice young lady to court if you ever want to marry. I'm sure you're aware that almost all the debutantes this year have their eyes on you and Solo. You're spoilt for choice, make the most of it. Not every young man is that lucky»

If anything, Lord Maxwell was right in that last statement. There were many young bachelors this year, but the Maxwell brothers were presently the most sought-after, both by swooning girls and their mothers who were seeking suitable matches for their daughters. According to them, Duo and his brother were the perfect choice : they were clever, good-looking, well-mannered, always dressed elegantly at the latest fashion... And most of all, they were incredibly rich, they were sons of the Lord High Admiral of England, and they were heirs to an old aristocratic family that had always been favored by the Crown.

No need to say Lord Maxwell had been exalted by his sons' popularity among the fair sex. Being a good man, he'd given Solo and Duo complete liberty about the choosing of their future bride. Whether the girl was of noble birth or not didn't matter. Lord Maxwell had only one condition : he wanted both his sons to marry and ensure the family's lineage. In other words, he wanted grandchildren.

Duo had to wonder what would happen if he ever found the courage to tell his father the truth, which consisted of him preferring nice young gentlemen to nice young ladies.

It was Duo's greatest secret. Only Solo knew. For three years now Duo had been trying to find a way to break the news to his father, and after three years he was still searching. He just couldn't figure it out. The sad truth was, whatever way he chose to say it, Duo already knew what his father's reaction would be...

First, Lord Maxwell would think it to be another one of Duo's jokes. Then he'd realize his mistake, and that's when the storm would hit. Duo could already hear his father's angry voice screaming at him, eyes blazing with fury. Then would come the pleading, the denial ; his dad would ask him to reconsider, to think about it harder. Surely Duo was just confused, and this was just a phase... But Duo knew it wasn't, and he would tell his father so. Lord Maxwell would just stare at him, his green gaze full of disappointment. Then he would dismiss him calmly, refusing to look at him. From that point on, things would never be the same between them ever again.

Duo halted his steps and stared at the sea, sighing. There was just no way around it. He loved his father very much, and he knew his father loved him as well. Nonetheless, he also knew his dad couldn't approve of the way his heart felt, even less accept it. He just hadn't been taught that way. It wasn't his fault, and Duo already forgave him.

At least, Duo knew he had Solo's support. He still remembered his brother's stunned expression when he'd decided to tell him the truth about his likings. He'd been unable to keep it to himself any longer, and he'd needed to confide in someone he trusted. Luckily, when he'd gotten over the initial shock, Solo had been very understanding. He'd sworn to keep Duo's secret and to help him as best as he could. However, Duo knew that deep down, his brother was worried for him. To have a liking for the same gender was very badly seen in their society. It was an unforgivable crime. If Duo's secret ever got out...

Not that Duo was planning to flaunt it or anything. He was smarter than that.

Sadly, despite being aware of the danger it represented, Duo couldn't change how he felt, no more than he could stop the sun from rising every morning. It made him wonder if he would ever know true happiness, the joys of loving and being loved in return... And he wasn't sure what he feared most : living his life without ever knowing love, or actually finding it. The latter would bring just as much pain, if not more, because he wouldn't be able to live it freely. His chance at happiness would be right there, but Duo wouldn't be allowed to take it. That was Duo's cruel reality, because he'd chosen not to deny his true self.

"I wonder what mother would have thought of it..." Duo mused suddenly. Somehow, he was certain that his mother would have offered him her support, just like Solo. She'd always been very open-minded, as she'd traveled a lot with her own father before marrying Lord Maxwell. She'd seen so many different cultures and places... Duo still recalled some of the stories she used to tell him about magnificent Greek temples made of the whitest marble, about the incredible pyramids raising toward the sky, about dark-skinned people living on the islands in the Caribbean Sea, about the mysteries and colorful silk of Asia... Duo dreamed of seeing all those things with his own eyes. Sadly, he doubted it would ever happen.

Stopping his train of thoughts before he could have the chance to feel any more miserable, Duo took one last glance at the moving waters before turning around, intent on going back to his room. But suddenly, he heard a peculiar noise. It sounded like... laughter.

Frowning, Duo listened harder, but it was difficult to hear clearly through the wind. Blowing quickly along the cliff side, the breeze was infiltrating every hollows and swirling around each protruding rocks, creating a variety of strange sounds. Duo couldn't be sure that it was really laughter he'd heard... Nonetheless, he stopped and listened, his curiosity picked.

...There ! He'd heard it again ! This time he was sure of it.

Whirling around, Duo faced a wall of rocks a few meters before him. He knew that on the other side, hidden from sight, there was a small creek barely large enough for one ship to drop anchor. Its little beach was beautiful, although hard of access by any other way than by sea. But Duo had spent many years wandering this place, and he was a good enough climber to have been in the creek a few times. And right now, he was certain that the laughter was coming from there.

As he walked toward the rocky façade, Duo could hear the laughter becoming louder. There seemed to be not only one person, but many people laughing. Males, from the sound of it. Getting even more curious, Duo started his uphill climb, choosing to ignore the little voice in his head reminding him that curiosity killed the cat.

After a few minutes of hard efforts, Duo finally reached the top. Losing no time, he cautiously peered over, on the other side of the cliff...

His breath caught in his throat, his eyes becoming impossibly large. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Yet, there was no denying of it.

Pirates.

They were all there, in the creek, assembled on the little beach around a fire. Eating, drinking, talking... laughing. Some were even dancing and singing. Those were probably drunk. They were all men from what Duo could see, some old, some young, and everything in between. There was at least thirty of them.

But what really made Duo's heart race in his chest was their ship, floating silently in shallow waters near the shore. That ship, Duo had heard about it hundreds of times while listening to pirate tales. Mothers sometimes used it as a threat to get their children to obey, saying that if they didn't behave, that ship's crew and its terrifying captain would come and take them away. And that same ship was now directly in front of Duo's eyes.

The Phantom.

Resting on the dark waves like a ghostly island, the ship was as real as its crew. It was a beautiful frigate, its pearly grey sails hanging from three high masts. The solid wooden hull was painted a dark grey, the color of a stormy sky. At the bow of the ship, just under the bowsprit, was the sculpted figure of a woman with long hair. Her arms were reaching out, following the line of the bowsprit, and her angel wings were spread out in her back, cradling the hull symmetrically. Duo found it rather ironic to see the statue of an angel adorning a pirate ship.

It was said that The Phantom was the fastest ship to have ever sailed, and that it could reach the speed of almost 10 knots. It had never been sunk, while in return The Phantom had sunk dozens of ships... not before its crew had stolen everything valuable onboard, of course. People said it had been all around the world, accumulating riches beyond anyone's imagination. Since four years now, The Phantom had been the most serious pirate threat lurking the seas, and the entire British Marine was after it. God knows how many times Duo had heard his father rant about it. The French and the Spanish Marines were on its tail too, as well as some others, and there were incredible rewards for the capture of any of its crew members.

But of all the things that had been said about The Phantom, what fascinated Duo the most were the stories about its captain. He was definitely the most wanted pirate Duo had ever heard about (he'd heard about many, being the Lord High Admiral's son), and the price on his head was so high that it made Duo wonder if maybe someone had made a mistake when writing the number of zeros.

Anyhow, if one believed the rumors, the captain of the most feared pirate crew of their time was not much older than Duo himself. Those who had seen him described him like a eighteen, maybe nineteen years old boy, with a lean body but a good musculature nonetheless. To this day, his skills with a sword were said to be unmatched. He would have short, messy chocolate brown hair and cold blue eyes. «His eyes could freeze Hell over !» Duo had heard one of his father's lieutenant say once. «I'd rather cross gaze with the Devil than with him again !»

Right now, looking down in the creek, Duo didn't know whether to be awed or terrified. The Phantom had dropped anchor practically behind his home ! ...His home that was also the Lord High Admiral's home, Duo suddenly realized. Were these pirates crazy ?! Or perhaps they were even more clever than it was said. Because really, who would think to look for them here ?

After staring some more below, a thought hit him, and Duo was surprised it hadn't come to him sooner :

"I have to warn someone..."

Still, he didn't move from his hiding place. His eyes were glued to the scene underneath, and a strange longing was growing in his heart... He caught sight of a young man with short brown hair standing in the midst of the other pirates, arms crossed over his chest. It was impossible for Duo to see his face at such a distance, and the boy had his back to him anyway. Perhaps it was the captain...?

"Why the Hell am I hesitating ?" Duo asked himself, frustrated. "I could give away the whereabouts of The Phantom and its crew to the authorities ! They wouldn't even see it coming ! So why in Heaven's name am I just standing here staring at them ?"

But Duo had no answer to his own questions, and it only served to frustrate him even more.

He wasn't given time to brood on it, though.

"Well, well, what do we have here ?" a throaty voice suddenly said behind him.

Duo spun around so fast he nearly fell over, but a strong and incredibly large hand caught him and held his right arm in a death grip. Duo then got a good look at his captor, and he couldn't refrain a surprised gasp.

The man holding him had the darkest skin Duo had ever seen. In the moonlight it seemed almost black, but Duo knew from the tales his mother had told him that it was probably just a really dark brown. The guy was at least six feet tall... no, even more than that. He was bald, and wearing nothing but a pair of red pants with a black belt. Duo could see every last powerful muscles on the man's large and naked chest. Duo had no doubt this giant could break him in two with his bare hands if necessary... Said hands were now holding his two arms behind his back, and Duo knew better than to try and break their grip. It would be like trying to move a mountain.

There was another man behind his captor, this one of normal height to Duo's relief. He was older too, maybe forty years old, and he had peach skin like Duo was used to see. His black hair was greying at the temples. He wore a red shirt and some beige pants with a pair of black boots, and a gun was hanging at his belt. In his hand, he had a sword. He pointed it at Duo, and when he spoke it was with the same throaty voice from earlier :

"And what is a pretty thing like you doing here at this hour of the night, huh ? Don't you know it's dangerous to wander alone in the dark ?"

Duo almost snorted. What was this guy taking him for ? A damsel in distress ? Sure Duo was of small built, but it didn't mean he was totally defenseless. Nonetheless, he kept his mouth shut. He was smart enough to know that he was presently in no position to make fun of his attackers.

"Who are you ?" the man questioned him.

Duo didn't answer. His silence finally seemed to annoy the man, since suddenly Duo had the tip of a sword under his chin.

"I suggest you talk, or I'll make you" the older man growled out.

Duo gulped, but said nothing. He was trying desperately to find a way to reach his dagger... although it seemed pretty impossible with his arms held in his back by such a vice-like grip.

Meanwhile, the other man's patience seemed to wear out.

"Fine, don't talk" he simply stated, before raising his sword and preparing himself to give the final blow.

Duo held his breath, sure he was going to die. But before the sword had even time to come down, the giant behind him barked sharply :

"No !"

He had a very deep voice, a bit raspy but as hard as his muscles. The other man stopped his swing, stunned. But before he could protest, the giant pursued :

"This one is a beauty. The captain will want to see him"

Duo's eyes widened. The other just frowned, then lowered his sword and grunted :

"Yeah, alright. Let's bring him down"

Duo tried not to panic. Of course he'd had a doubt these men were from The Phantom's crew, it was quite obvious. But what they were doing with him now, he hadn't seen it coming. What did that mean, «The captain will want to see him» ? What was going on ? He was afraid to ask.

The giant suddenly surprised him by throwing him over his shoulder like a vulgar sack of potatoes. Duo barely suppressed a yelp at the abrupt maneuver, then another one as the giant started to climb down the cliff toward the creek below. Weren't they going to allow him the dignity of at least walking by himself ? Probably not, he realized. This way, both pirates could climb down without worrying about him running off.

They reached the ground much too soon for Duo's liking. Immediately the giant put him down again and resumed his earlier grip on Duo's arms, holding them behind his back and forcing him to move forward. The older pirate followed behind, silent.

Duo's heartbeat quickened as they neared the large group of pirates assembled around the fire. God, what had he gotten himself into ?

Taking a quick glance around, Duo noticed that a few pirates had spotted them and were now looking at them curiously. The giant stopped beside one and asked curtly :

"The captain ?"

The other merely pointed the right direction to him while ogling Duo not so subtly. Duo gulped, then frowned as he was forced to advance again. They walked through the group of pirates, Duo keeping his gaze firmly toward the ground. He'd seen the appreciative looks he was getting. It did nothing to reassure him.

Suddenly, they stopped. A new voice startled Duo into looking up :

"Who is that ?"

The voice was hard and sharp, if not a bit stiff. Duo glanced up and saw another man standing in front of them, about the same height and age as him. He looked different, though. He had shoulder-length black hair held back in a tight ponytail, and strange almond-shaped eyes as black as ink. It was pretty in an... exotic kind of way, thought Duo. The young man wore weird pants made of white silk, black shoes and a dark blue shirt with no sleeves. At his belt was hanging a sword as strange as his eyes. It looked like nothing Duo had ever seen.

The giant answered behind him, bringing Duo out of his musings :

"Jeff and I found him at the top of the cliff. He wouldn't answer our questions, but I thought the captain might like to see him"

The other narrowed his eyes and turned his attention back on Duo. This one tried not to look as nervous as he felt. He'd never been under such a piercing gaze. It felt as if the black-haired pirate was looking right into him, far into his thoughts, missing nothing as he went on. Duo decided right then and there that this man, never mind his small built, was deadly. Much more than the giant holding him.

The man suddenly took a step toward him and reached out a hand. Duo froze, but the hand merely went to his belt and retrieved his dagger. Then the pirate stepped back and told him with a smirk, holding out the expensive weapon :

"I'll keep this if you don't mind"

It was clear in his tone that he didn't give a damn if Duo minded or not. That was when Duo decided that he really didn't like this man, no matter how deadly he might be.

Said man just looked up at the giant and nodded curtly before moving aside to let them pass. "Jeff"seemed to have disappeared. Duo was pushed forward violently then forced on his knees.

"Thomas ! There's no need to be so forceful when he isn't even struggling" exclaimed a soft and musical voice, although there was a lot of authority in it.

"Sorry" the giant answered, and immediately the grip on Duo's arms loosened.

Looking up, Duo tried to identify the owner of the new voice. He found himself staring at another boy his age with short blond hair and gentle baby blue eyes. Was this one seriously a pirate ? It was hard to believe... He looked more like an innocent little angel. But Duo knew appearances could be deceiving. If that boy was part of The Phantom's crew, then he was probably more dangerous than he looked.

Anyhow, Duo was grateful for his intervention. The boy was right, they didn't need to restrain him so rudely. He didn't intend to run away, at least for the moment. Duo wasn't stupid ; he'd lost his only weapon and even if he still had it, he was seriously outnumbered. Trying to escape now would be suicidal, especially since his opponents were pirates specialized in the art of killing.

Beside the blond pirate was standing another young man, tall and lean, rather handsome. He had short brown hair longer at the front, some bangs falling over his face and hiding half of it. Duo had to wonder if it was intentional. Somehow, this single green eye staring at him intently gave him the chills.

Then Duo's gaze caught a movement on his left. Quickly he turned his head around... and his eyes fell upon the most gorgeous young man he had ever seen. For an instant all he could do was stare, his mind numb. That's until the other's cold blue eyes locked with his own violet ones…

«His eyes could freeze Hell over ! I'd rather cross gaze with the Devil than with him again !»

Suddenly Duo could understand the lieutenant's words perfectly.

The blue-eyed one looked him over, then smirked slightly and said :

"A beautiful catch, Thomas. You've surpassed yourself this time"

The black-haired pirate who had taken Duo's dagger rolled his eyes, looking exasperated. The blond boy just shook his head indulgently, and the brown-haired one beside him had no visible reaction other than a raising brow.

Duo felt like a mouse trapped in a cage with a cat.

A popular feeling when you were face to face with Heero Yuy, pirate captain of The Phantom.

A/N : There ! Another one done ! So... was it any good ?

Raiu : I-

-didn't like it, we know. But I was asking people whose opinion actually matters to me, and that excludes you.

Raiu : (glares)

Akari : Please send reviews everyone ! Come on, just a few words !

See you next chapter ! (I'll try to update sooner this time)