Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater.

Maka sat with her arms crossed in her beloved windowsill, with a steely gaze out the window. Stupid father, stupid pirate, stupid ocean… Her father had blown up when they returned to the solitude of the stone castle. Maka had sat absently, gazing at the steady sunrise through one of the enormous stained glass windows that littered the high walls and ceiling while Lord Albarn went on about how she was forbidden to leave these walls, and how dare she disobey her father, and who was that filthy peasant she was with... "If it was a boy…" He had started, but looked too perturbed by the thought to even continue it.

Maka had smirked, playing with the idea of falsely admitting to her father she was in love with a peasant boy, and would run away with him to a farm in India. He would be furious! She really didn't have respect for her father anymore, after all the rumors she had heard. How dare he bark orders at her when he was off canoodling with random women, leaving her mother alone to rule the castle? Adding to Maka's frustration was simply the fact he had caught her. She was still a teenager, after all.

With a huff of annoyance, Maka growled, "Are you finished, father? I'm dreadfully tired and I'm sure you have other women, er, things…to attend to?"

His mouth opened in shock while Maka used the short silence as an escape. She wasn't proud of her immature outburst, but fatigue was beginning to set in and she needed time to think. She turned and indignantly climbed the wooden stairs to her chamber. Little had she known she'd be locked there for the next several days.

Her favorite maid, Marie, came to see her the next morning, and Maka prepared to head to her lessons for the day. Marie was kind to the bone and infinitely patient with Maka's stubborn ways. She had been a naval captain, one of the best women serving in the navy, until some unfortunate circumstance left her with several broken bones and an eye patch. She was taken in by Kami Albarn then, as the two knew each other from sea travels long ago. Marie was the one who told Maka all the heroic stories of her mother's adventures. Maka thought of her like a dear aunt.

But she was still really upset when Marie informed her she was not allowed to leave the room.

"I know how hard this must be for you but it was Lord Albarn's order that you stay in this room…" Marie apologized and Maka could tell she was being sincere. It didn't make her any less angry.

"So I'm not allowed to go to any lesson? Or to the dining room to eat, or to any ball my parents have?" Maka was beyond furious. Her father's solution was to lock her up in here, so that she could never escape again? She could kill the man. The only thing possibly worse than being confined in this stupid castle is being confined in this stupid room!

So for the next three days, Maka sat stubbornly around her room, refusing to talk to Marie or any other maid that was assigned to watch her. She only ate on the third day when she was absolutely starving, and she felt like she had lost just by doing that much. She knew being a brat wouldn't solve anything, but she doubted cajoling words would sway her father an inch.

On the third night, as Maka glared at her pale ceiling, there was a light knocking sound at her window. Maka shot up in bed, her hand reaching instinctively for the knife on her bedside table. She had been trained for a kidnapping since she was young. But once she focused on the window, her look of horror was replaced with shock and delight. There, struggling to keep himself up on her window sill, was the white-haired Pirate. He really does like scaring the living daylights out of me, doesn't he?

Still, she darted to the window to help him inside. Wordlessly, she grabbed his arms and hoisted him through the hole. He dropped onto her floor quietly, for which Maka was relieved.

"What are you doing here?!" she whispered. "My father would have you killed if he knew!"

He scoffed, "Yeah, I'm aware." Then his expression softened. "I just…wanted to know how you were doing." Maka paused, then whisper-giggled.

"What? What is it!" The pirate looked irritated, but Maka really couldn't help it. She tried to explain.

"It's just, aren't pirates supposed to be.. merciless and hostile? This seems an action more fit for a prince." The pirate looked alarmed at something she said, but quickly recovered with a toothy grin.
"Not all pirates are as bad as you read in your bedtime stories, love." Maka's heart jumped as she realized that under the dirt and scrapes, this pirate was actually very handsome. Suddenly, she didn't know what to do. He scaled a castle wall for her, and for what?

"So," he continued, "Has your father revoked all outside privileges? Sent you to bed without dinner?" At the mention of her father, Maka became frustrated once again.

"Worse," she groaned. "I'm stuck in this god-forsaken room forever, it seems. I can't even leave to eat."

The pirate was shocked. "He's starving you?"

Maka laughed. Obviously a man's first concern would be about the food.

"No, it's brought up here for me." She could hear the bitterness in her voice. She didn't care that he might think she was a spoiled child. To her, being stuck in one room was a fate worse than any other.

When she finally met his gaze, he looked speculative. "What if you ran away?"

Maka looked at him, inrediculous.

"What?" was all she could muster.

"As in, escape. Leave this damned castle and be free. Wouldn't that be nice?"
"Of course it would be nice," she scoffed, "But there's no way in hell I'll be able to leave. I'm under watch constantly. And I can't exactly jump out my window. In fact, I'm not sure how you plan on getting out..." The pirate grinned at her again mischievously.

"I think I have a way for us both to get out of here."
"Wait, you'd actually help me leave?" She paused, thoughtful. "Why?"

"Why..?" he repeated. "Well, because…I see a thirst for adventure in your eyes. I can tell you need to travel as badly as I. You remind me of someone I knew when I was a little boy.." His gaze showed he was far away, thinking of his past. Suddenly, he returned his stare to her. "But I'm going to need something in return. You need to steal some things from your father. I'm not taking you aboard my ship for free, savvy?"
Maka was too excited to decline a single request he made. She'd be going on a ship, a real ship, on the ocean! "Just tell me what you need me to do," she vowed.

Maka scrambled through her closet, picking out the least-girly pieces of clothing to take with her. She stuffed them, along with her ultimate favorite books and a few trinkets in a cloth sack. Lastly, she went to her bedstand and opened its drawer. She felt around until she found what she needed; a necklace.

It had a gold medallion with an odd engraving in it. There was an x and a skull and various other symbols Maka had no idea what about. Marie had given this necklace to her the day they met. She had said something about keeping it safe for her, no matter what. Maka never learned what that meant, but she was going to keep her promise. Marie was the kindest woman in the castle, and she would miss the woman dearly. But one woman wasn't enough to keep Maka locked up.

She clasped the necklace around her neck and hid it under her blouse, before glancing at her grandfather clock. It had been 20 minutes since he left, so it was almost time. She carefully hid her sack in her closet and returned to bed.

It was hard to simply lie there, listening to the pounding of her heart and waiting for commotion to arise. After what felt like hours, there was finally the queue she'd been awaiting. A rock was lobbed at her window, small enough not to do any damage but large enough to be heard. She glanced at her clock. 4 AM on the dot. This guy was precise. Shortly thereafter she heard the distinct sound of alarms coming from outside. They were shrill and loud, loud enough to send Marie in from outside Maka's room in an instant. It's show time.

"What! What is it!" Marie stood with a start and hurried to the window. Maka pretended to lazily crawl up out of bed and follow her. Marie gasped at the sight. Maka tried not to smile. There was a group of people, cloaked in black with black masks on, fighting (and easily overtaking) the guards outside. To anyone, they would have appeared as,

"Bandits!" Marie screamed. She turned to Maka with a worried expression."I have to go secure the maids. Do not move!" Without another word, Marie hurried from the room, calling to the servants and workers to follow her to safety. That was almost…too easy! Maka didn't take any time to ponder it, instead rushing to retrieve her sack and heading out the door herself. All personnel had vacated the halls as Maka hurried down them.

After many halls, she was beginning to think she would get to her father's chamber without event, when someone appeared before her.

"…Marie?" The woman stood with a slight smile, before walking to Maka.

"I cleared all the workers away from the halls, so you'll have no trouble escaping if you go out the back door through the gardens. Your father and all guards are outside dealing with the 'bandits'," she said the word with air quotes, "So you don't have to worry about him."
"But…Marie.. how'd-"
"I know? I could see it in your eyes, Maka. You can act well enough but your eyes always give you away. Plus I…may have overheard some of yours and that man's discussion inside your bedchamber." Maka smiled sheepishly. She should have known Marie would figure it out. But to think, she was actually helping her leave…

"Thank you, Marie. Thank you so much." Maka's eyes teared up and she threw her arms around Marie. The older woman hugged her back and said, "No problem, Princess. I always knew you were destined to leave this place. You're just like your mother…" Maka pulled back and smiled. "Tell my father I was kidnapped while Elise was watching me. That way you won't get in trouble."

Marie laughed softly. "Will do."

"And Marie, I'll come back to see you again, I swear it. Even if I don't go near this castle again I'll send for you. I promise!"

"Alright, Princess." With another hug, Maka was off to her father's chamber, or as Marie thought, outside. She didn't have the heart to tell the maid that she'd be stealing before she left. Marie was kind-hearted but there was only so much she could understand.

Just as Marie had promised, Lord Albarn was nowhere near his room, which was located in the middle of the first floor. It was really dark inside, but Maka had no time to let her eyes adjust. She felt around the room for the familiar trunk by the bed. She knew from long ago that he kept a vast amount of jewelry and other valuables in his trunk. She almost felt bad for abusing his trust. Almost.

Finding the trunk, sliding her hand along the edge until she found the latch, she pulled it open. Even in the extremely dim light she could see the gold shining up at her. She opened her sack and stuffed in as much as she could. She then remembered the pirate's words as he explained, if you find any paper, take it. What's written there could be more valuable than the gold. She dug around in the trunk until she found a glass bottle with a bunch of paper rolled up and tucked inside. This looks piratey, she thought before shoving it in the sack as well. The cloth was now bulging and heavy, so she figured she had enough. She closed the trunk and hustled out of the room.

She glanced down the hallway to find it still unoccupied. After running down several corridors with the sack, Maka was sweating but at the back door- the very same one she'd snuck out of last time. Suddenly she was struck by the weight of what she was about to do. She was leaving the safety of these walls, and after this event there would be no returning. But it was too late to turn back, and she wouldn't want to anyway. It was time to begin her adventure. Forgive me, Mother.

Maka took a deep breath and shoved the door open. To her right, she could see the 'bandits' still fighting off guards. They're really holding their own. But they are pirates; I suppose I should expect nothing less.

She ran through the gardens and out the back exit of the castle. Waiting there to meet her, dressed in the same black as the rest of his crew, was the white-haired pirate.

"Hello," he greeted pleasantly, like they had just run into each other at the market. Maka laughed and said, "Let's get out of here!" The pirate brought his fingers to his mouth and exhaled in a sharp whistle. Then he grabbed Maka's hand and they ran like the wind. The pirate had told Maka he would let his crew know which roads each should take to shake off the guards, while he and Maka headed straight for the port. Maka remembered what she had picked up from his explanation.

"Your crew?" she had asked. He had smiled widely and replied,

"Of course, my crew. I'm the captain of the ship. There's no other way I'd be able to order them all to do this for you...Well, the treasure should keep them happy," he added as an afterthought.

When they finally reached the shore, Maka's lungs were screaming for mercy but she hardly noticed; She was at the ocean at last. She noticed a huge ship tied off at one of the largest piers- this was the pirates' ship. Some crewmembers were already on board, preparing the ship to leave port. Maka watched in amazement as they expertly moved ropes and sails around the vessel like second nature. That's going to be me.

She turned to the captain, smiling widely. He grinned back, his ruby eyes glowing with pride, and gestured at the boat. "Welcome aboard the Shi no Fune, lass. I'm Captain Soul Eater."

Weeeee, I'm getting this chapter up so fast. Today be my last day of summer vacation..Weep for me, mateys ._.

So these characters, especially Spirit, are going to be OOC. I keep in mind how they usually act, but prefer manipulating them to meet my story's needs :3 hehee,

And if for some reason any of you are worrying about lack of Black Star's silly butt in this story, don't worry! I have this planned out. You will be seeing him later on.

As always, please review to let me know what you think!

Thanks for reading, me hearties~