Calmer of the Storm: So...I've totally had this written for a good two weeks. So I apologise for not sticking to my normal weekley schedule. Things are a little hectic at the moment and I'm suffering from the 'boys suck' syndrome so my will and muse are kind of being sapped from me at the moment -_- I've got up to chapter 8 written and I'm working on a piece of the story that won't happen for quite some time down the road...I just needed to get it out of me. So there's not no hope for me yet, haha. Just don't get too angry with me for not being as dedicated as I was. You can blame the boy, if you'd like. It would probably make me feel better xD

~*~

Chapter Four: Of Navy Dogs and Suitors

The crew was mostly settled in for the night, the numbers on deck having dwindled to only the night watch. After an eventful day in the jungle, none of the crew was overly eager to celebrate anything. Not with so many of them injured. Takeru himself knew he should be in bed, but he wasn't quite ready to face the girl again. He was hoping to wait until she had fallen asleep.

He stood towards the bow of the ship, leaning over the railing on the port side. The wind was blowing steadily, pushing the vessel leeward at a fairly decent speed. The sea was calm and the night was clear; the best time for sailing.

But even though the waters were relatively still, the storm that raged in the Captain's heart would sink even the sturdiest of ships. He had not intended for her to find out. Though, he had to admit, he was a little surprised that it had taken her so long. Hikari had always been more perceptive than most, learning at a young age that simply observing things was often a better way to find out information. She was the complete opposite of her brother in that way; where he was loud and abrasive, she was quiet and unassuming. It made her the deadlier of the two, in certain situations. And he suspected that it was how she had ended up on his ship in the first place.

He couldn't say that he was disappointed, though. As a young boy he had always had it in himself to protect her. Even now, he had to keep her away from bad things. He regretted that she'd had to follow, that she couldn't live the life she deserved. If there was anyone that needed a good shot at life, it was Hikari. Orphaned at a young age, and yet she held no resentment for the world. She was the very personification of innocence; she was pure and good. Maybe, if things hadn't changed, he would have actually made a good match for her. The adults always spoke of his own moral compass and how straight it pointed. Really it hadn't been all that special; he'd just had her best interests in mind. Even as a child, making sure Hikari got everything she needed was his goal.

Things were different now. He was beginning to think that maybe she had been his moral compass; his light that guided him in the dark parts of the world…and they were many. But he was used to living in darkness now. His eyes had adjusted to it, and it didn't seem so bad. It wasn't so...dark anymore. Each time the lights went dimmer he would suffer from the shock of it for only a moment, and then things would once again become clear. Takeru knew that if he were to suddenly reintroduce that light into his life again, he would become blind. He had rounded that dark corner much too far and was a product of shadow and deceit, now. Light was something he ran from.

And yet…he couldn't bring himself to run from her. It was as if his being was still clinging to that small strand of hope that maybe things could be better. The problem was that he liked being a pirate; it gave him a freedom that the walls of a fortress could not bestow. But now that she had been reintroduced into his life, he wasn't sure that he wanted to let her go. Piracy was inherently selfish; this was no different. It was these things that warred within him; the desire for her to live the life he knew she should have, and the life where she would be at his side. Neither would be easy. He just wasn't sure which would be harder.

The sound of footsteps across the deck caused him to shift from his spot, but he relaxed again when he realised it was only his First Mate. Iori was a reliable man, though he was younger than the Captain himself. There was something in his steely eyes that spoke wisdom, however, and so most did not question his age. Takeru had seen the value in that wisdom and had promoted the boy right away, and had yet to regret the decision.

"One would think that, after such a day, the Captain would seek to retire early to his quarters." Iori was the son of a merchant, and a fairly wealthy one at that. His speech was much better than the rest of the crew's.

Takeru did not respond; he only continued to stare out onto the endless ocean.

"Unless, of course, he is avoiding something…or someone." It wasn't a question.

The young man shook his head, his body heaving with a sigh. "I don't know what to do anymore. Not that I ever did in the first place, but things are different now."

"She's the girl from your past, then." In some ways Iori was much like Hikari; he was also very quiet and very perceptive.

The Captain nodded, smirking lightly. "What gave it away?"

"When you didn't throw her overboard for being a woman. You tend to not like them on the ship, though I can only guess at your reasons for that. And then you moved her into your room, to send everyone else a message that she was your woman, and therefore not to be touched. But you never did anything to her."

"Nothing slips by you, eh, Iori."

The younger man rolled his eyes, but was obviously amused. He then looked at his captain expectantly; waiting for what he knew was coming. He wouldn't ask, but he would wait for it to be admitted.

He seemed to catch the drift. Captain Scar ran a hand through his unruly blonde hair, the strands that were not quite long enough to be tamed within the ponytail at the base of his neck momentarily removed from his face. "I'm in love with her. I always have been, maybe I always will be. I just can't subject her to this life. But I can't let her go, either. Maybe I'm more a pirate than I thought."

"Perhaps you should let her decide what she wants. She's come this far, and I doubt that she will return home without you. And you cannot tell me that you are simply 'friends', because friends, in my experience, don't search for years to find someone whom everyone else said was dead."

Despite his youth, the wisdom he had was well beyond his years. A waste to be among pirate ships, but it was his own choice. When the military had taken the life of his father, he had sworn an oath against them. Piracy seemed the way to take that oath to the next level.

Once more, Takeru heaved with a sigh. "I'm afraid. I've not felt fear in quite some time now, and it's coming over me stronger than even the night I was kidnapped. I am afraid to send her away, for fear that she'll find another. But I'm afraid to keep her here because I know I'll chase her off. I'm not who I used to be. I'm not 'Takeru' anymore. She may bring him back more than ever, but even I know that he is too far gone. The sea runs in my veins now; I cannot now leave it. Going back to my old life, even if my sins are acquitted, is impossible."

There was silence, then, save for the sound of the ship moving through the moonlit waters. Finally Iori shrugged, slapping his captain on the back once. "You're on your own, then. Hope you figure it out soon. Get some rest, old man." And with that, he turned and left Takeru to mull things over some more.

~*~

A week passed and not much happened. The entirety of it was spent out on the ocean while Captain Scar when through the spoils of their trade with the natives. Much of his time was spent in the cabin when the girl was not there; she had taking quite a liking to the Doctor. His brother was the cook, and thus the former Captain Scar, and Hikari had learned quite a bit from him. She stayed away from personal things, and things that would tread onto ground that could end up with her being heartbroken. She asked of their adventures; tales of battle and triumph, of failure and of loss. There were mishaps and times when things when better than according to plan, flukes and other unexpected things. When she was little she had always enjoyed a good story, but there was something quite different about hearing a firsthand experience. As a result of her time spent with the Doctor, she had been assigned to being his personal aid. That way, as Takeru had figured (and not really told anyone else) the old man could keep an eye on her, should anything happen with that wound. What better place to keep her safe?

They were nearing Rustico again, though Hikari was dreading it. She knew what these trips meant. It was not overly often that they spent time here, but it was to 'recharge' the crew after a long voyage. More now than ever, she knew she would hate this place. She didn't think that her duties would change much, as nothing else really had. It made her frustrated in a way; she had found her best friend, but nothing had been done about it. She hadn't really realised it, but thinking back she saw that she had been expecting something more. She had envisioned a tearful reunion, and even once she had pictured it full of 'I love you's' and other such words. But after being given the cold shoulder, she knew otherwise. It still didn't change the fact that she was in love with him, however, and she wasn't going to give up until she could get a definitive answer from him. It was just that getting that answer was an absolutely terrifying prospect, and she would skirt around it as much as possible. He seemed to be doing the same thing.

The ship was docked at dusk, and sure enough she was part of the crew appointed to stay behind. That was fine with her; she did not wish to see how the Captain acted when he was in such an environment. If thinking about it was enough to cause her stomach to churn uncomfortably within and her heart to bleed ever so slightly, seeing him in these situations would probably kill her. If she had been elected to go in, she would have put up a fight. She was not some sort of masochist.

Nothing changed, though. Not even the sound of the severely out of tune music that wafted up from the tavern. She had watched the rest of the crew as they moved through the narrow, winding streets of the town until they disappeared from sight into the building that was just at the top of the hill. She'd turned away, then, unable to even think any more about it.

Surprisingly, the Captain's First Mate had volunteered to stay behind and watch the remainder of the crew. Usually the ones that stayed behind were the ones that had done something wrong; talking back to the Captain or falling asleep on the job. It wasn't the most severe of punishments, Hikari thought, but if you were to look at one of the men's faces who was left behind, you would think otherwise. It would appear that they would rather be thrown into a pit of lions without any weapons than miss a night of fun in Rustico. But Iori had stayed back by choice.

The younger man was on the deck, leaning against the railing and staring out into the open sea. He preferred the open water; he had spent much of his life travelling around with his father. He had never truly liked cities, and Rustico definitely fell into that category. It also didn't help that he just was not into such fun as the others were, but usually he went to make sure that Captain Scar did not get too out of hand. As of late, he had been getting worse. Before, Iori hadn't had any idea of what had been changing him. Now, since meeting the girl, he knew. Captain Scar had been holding onto the innocent boy that Takeru had been. Now, as time went on, he was slowly losing that. The things that had bound him to that old life were slowly crumbling. He was interested, however, to see how the appearance of the girl would affect him. Judging by the Captain's urgency to get to the town, he suspected that tonight would not be a good night for either of them. Takeru was afraid, and there was a remedy for haunting thoughts and fears known to many a man, and Takeru was not so innocent as he once was.

Iori was not oblivious to the girl that stood towards the stern of the ship, as far away from the shore as she could possibly get. He didn't blame her. She probably knew that tonight would not be the best of nights for her. This girl had searched for four years for her friend, something that was rather admirable. The young man was interested to find out if she was willing to accept the Captain Scar along with her best friend. The two were so intertwined now that she would not be able to fully get her friend back. The pirate life was seductive and easy, and very hard to leave. Iori could fully see what was going on between them, but he had already decided that he would play no part in it. He would see how things played out on themselves, though he hoped that Hikari wouldn't be completely destroyed in the process. She was a nice girl.

The night continued on quietly, even the sea itself was calm. But it was closer to three in the morning that things began to change. Most of the crew, though they had been charged with keeping watch, had fallen asleep. Hikari had been unable to bring herself to sleep in the Captain's quarters tonight, and now that everyone knew she was a girl, sleeping in the bunkroom was a really bad idea. So she had remained awake, but just barely so. Because of her tired state, she had noticed the white sails in the distant but hadn't really thought too much about them. There were four ships, the one at the forefront of the line the largest and most elaborate. But she thought to sound no alarm; pirates came through here all the time.

But she neglected to remember that pirates did not typically sail in groups, and nor did they fly military flags.

It was only when she could see the people moving on the ships, their dark forms like shadows on the deck. Even from this distance, and from this sort of light, she could tell that the men were better dressed, and better armed, than any pirate ever would be. With a start she realised she needed to warn someone; they were all in trouble. Piracy was an illegal practice, and this town was full of those who practiced it.

"Iori, Iori!" she called as she scrambled towards the rest of the crew. Her yelling had woken only those who had fallen asleep on the deck; the ones who couldn't have been bothered to make it down into the hull. As she saw them rising Hikari wondered if maybe the hard surface was more comfortable than the makeshift straw mattresses they slept on down there.

The younger man was at the helm of the ship now, though what he could be doing there while the ship was not in motion, she didn't know. He appeared at the top of the stairs that led down onto the main deck, confusion written across his face. He only opened his mouth to ask what was wrong before he too saw what was coming for them. Instantly his mouth closed and he became serious. "We need to get the captain."

Hikari did not like the idea of going down there. "Shouldn't someone stay behind and protect the ship?" Her voice was small and strained. Iori got the message quite clearly.

He nodded at her, then barked a few orders at the men who were conscious. He took all of them save for one, who was charged with going down into the heart of the ship and rousing the others. He was off in a flash, the others making way to the tavern where the majority of the crew was, along with however many other pirates and like-men who had decided to spend the night in Rustico.

A few minutes of eerie silence followed, and Hikari felt her mouth turn dry. Through all her experience with piracy, she'd managed to stay away from the navy. They were a hated group in this world, and understandably so. From what she knew they had no idea of the location of this city, but apparently everyone was wrong. Still…four ships did not seem enough to make a siege on a city that was teeming with pirates. Of course, the military was trained for combat; they were much more refined than even the best of pirates. But that was not to say that pirates were not admirable foes. Where the navy men were honourable, pirates played dirty. They had tricks and weapons that were ancient and crude, but sometimes more deadly than the most advanced of techniques. But even if the navy could cram their ships to full capacity with soldiers, they would not be enough to match the numbers of those in the pirate city, especially on a night like tonight, where it was teeming with them.

The navy ships approached faster than the Captain could. Hikari was nervous; she had never truly been in a fight before. And she had certainly never killed another human being. The prospect of having to do so in order to save her own life was absolutely terrifying. Her heart was pounding loudly in her chest. She knew that being a woman would earn her no points in the eyes of the military men. She was in league with the pirates now; her neck was as fair game as the rest of them were. Maybe this wasn't something she had thought over all that well, when she had initially run away from home.

It was not long before the flagship boat pull up alongside that of Captain Scar. Maybe they should have taken his colours down before…their brightly-coloured flag was rather hard to miss. The blood-red background glowed even in the darkness, and the white skull and blue cutlasses marked it unique. There was no black on the flag; Scar liked to be different. Distinguishable among even pirates. Where no two flags were the same, there was nothing like this one. Which meant that it was also an easy target for such government employed men, who were seeking the highest bounty that there was on the seas. It made her sick to think that Takeru could be in that much danger…perhaps if it was made known that he was the governor's son…

Men in blue coats flooded the deck faster than the pirates could defend it. At first there had been a plan to allow them to come over and then make it to their ship, but upon seeing the sheer volume of people it was deemed a suicide mission. They were down to a mere fifth of the crew, if even that.

None of them attacked. A man stepped forward, and he was dressed more elaborately than the rest of them, decorated with a feather-plumed hat. The man had golden hair that was just barely visible from beneath the hat, but it was so pale that it glowed almost white in the moonlight. His eyes were like Takeru's, Hikari thought, but harsher. Harsher because they were a ghostly pale blue, and did not run as deep as Takeru's did. But maybe she was just biased.

There was a smile on the man's face, one that said he believed he had achieved a great victory. But Hikari did not believe that he was so cocky; there was something else about him. Something very intimidating, and also very…familiar. She didn't understand why, for she had thought she would remember such a person.

His eyes fell onto her for the first time, and something flashed through them. Recognition. Hikari felt uneasy where she stood, seeing this man relax before her as if he had found a long-lost friend.

"Yagami Hikari." He said, and it wasn't a question. He spoke with a finality and authority rang through his voice. He couldn't have been much older than she was, but still he carried this with him. Almost like Takeru. Except that Takeru was feared, where it seemed that this man was respected.

Hikari clenched her jaw, too stunned to really say anything.

"Your brother is quite worried about you, you know. And he was rather disappointed that you could not be there at his wedding. He wishes for you to come home."

Hikari felt a pain in her heart; Taichi had gotten married. That meant he would have fully inherited their parents' estate. She had missed that day. She hadn't been there to support him when she should have been.

"We've been searching for you, at his bidding. As he is a well-respected man and an influential one as well, we have deemed it an important task to come and find you."

Finally, she found the strength to say something. "I'm not going anywhere."

The man smiled. "It isn't a choice, dear girl. Your brother is very concerned for your safety, and this is no life for a refined woman to be living." For some reason she felt that he was not taunting her. His voice was stern, but there was no malice in it.

"I'm not going anywhere until I've done what I've set out to do." Well, she supposed she had found Takeru. She knew where he was and how he was doing. But that wasn't enough anymore. She needed to know what was truly in his heart; if he was truly gone from her grasp forever.

Something gleamed in the man's eyes, as if he knew something. "Yes, well, I'm sure things have gone splendid for you."

His eyes flashed to the streets, where the sounds of shouting were rising above the buildings. The music from the tavern had stopped, and the town was eerily still, aside from the mob of angry pirates that was coming their way.

Thinking quickly, the man that was the commander of the brigade took action.

"Come over here then, Hikari. I wouldn't want you to get hurt in this."

"I already gave my answer."

The man sighed. "And I've already told you that you have no say in the matter." He raised his hand, and the sound of a dozen cocking guns followed. "I'll have your friends shot, if you don't come over. I realise you probably think I'll just have that done anyways, but I'm really only here for one thing. Come quietly, and no one else will have to suffer."

There was a rumble that went through the pirates; they were apparently undecided on the matter. In most if their eyes, she was just a wench to keep the Captain company while he was out on the sea. Only a few of them knew better, and even then it was pure speculation. It was solely Iori who knew the truth.

Hikari didn't like this. She knew that they would all die. The other three navy ships were positioned in such a way that they did have the advantage over the city. They were close enough to attack, but far enough away that they would not be boarded easily. This was not an assault mission but a reconnaissance one; she could see that now. The advantage was such that they could unload and attack if they had to, but they could run just as quickly if things turned ill for them. The pirates would not be able to gather themselves fast enough to make for any sort of pursuit. From what she could tell, they truly hadn't come to cause a bloodbath. And she couldn't just let the people with whom she had lived these passed few months to die just because she wanted to get closer to their captain. Sometimes, sacrifices needed to be made.

"I-I'll come." She said quietly, her tone resigned.

Just behind her, Iori clenched his jaw. If she went with them now, he didn't know what it would do to the Captain. It would crush him and confuse him more than what was going on with him now. Iori did look at the man as a friend, but he also saw the practical side of things. If Captain Scar was distracted, he wouldn't be the pirate he needed to be. But there wasn't much he could do about it at the moment, not with all the rifle barrels pointing straight at his head.

The girl crossed the deck towards the navy commander, stopping only when she was just beside him.

It was at that point that the rest of the crew finally made it down. It was Captain Scar who made it first, the look on his face telling just how angered he was at the situation. Iori noticed that he was holding himself up rather well; perhaps he hadn't had as much to drink as he'd thought. Well, there were other ways to forget, and he wouldn't be telling any of those to Hikari.

Takeru stood in front of the man, sword drawn. It was not poised for attack, though, but there was a look on his face that said that not even the threat of the guns would cause him to back down. He glanced to Hikari and for a moment his heart thudded painfully within his chest; he didn't want to see her on the other side. He didn't want to see her beside another man…especially not that man.

But then Captain Scar seemed to regain himself, and he appeared to relax. A light smirk crossed his features, and Hikari wasn't sure if she should be upset or happy. If he wanted her gone so badly, he should have just told her.

"It's so good to see you again, Commander Willis."

Willis tipped his hat, as if he were greeting a gentleman. "I would have to say the same for myself, Captain Scar."

He paused a moment, a smirk appearing across his own lips. The man gave a sidelong glance to Hikari, his lips twitching upwards just slightly. "Or should I say, Takaishi Takeru. It's been a long while, old friend." The way he said 'old friend' did not sound like he meant it at all.

It was at that point that Hikari realised what was going on. Takeru and Willis had been friends…sort of…when they were younger. The two were the sons of high-status men, and were therefore often stuck together. Hikari had not really been allowed with them, as she had been forced to spend time with little girls her age. She had seen Willis before. In fact, she knew him a lot better than she had remembered.

Willis had tried to court her. She didn't know why this was only coming to her now. She recalled dancing with a pale-haired man at a masquerade ball once. It had to have been him. He'd sent her letters and small gifts, though it was nothing all that aggressive. Most of the time she wrote back, writing to a man whom she never really remembered what he looked like.

"Willis…the letters…" she said, looking at him with slight shock on her face.

He turned to the girl at his side, momentarily ignoring the pirate captain in front of him. "Finally figured it out, hmm? I was rather crushed when you left four years ago. I was planning on coming to visit you so that I could court you properly."

As he said this his eyes flickered to Takeru. The other man's face had darkened considerably, murder clear in his eyes. Willis ignored this, having gotten exactly the reaction he'd wanted.

"I had no idea what you were harbouring on your ship, Scar. I had come with the intentions of capturing you, but now that the surprise is let out I might have to let you go just this once. I'll take the girl, though. Her family is quite upset that she's been gone for so long. And perhaps she can flourish into the woman she is meant to be."

Takeru did not like this. The thought of Hikari leaving him now…the thought of her potentially ending up with him…no. He couldn't let that happen. As confused as he was about things, he was determined not to lose her to him. Not to the man who had become his rival the day he took on the name of Captain Scar.

The sword that was in his hand was raised and pointed at the Commander. "You will not take what is mine."

And then, despite the double-barrelled shot guns pointing his direction, he lunged.

~*~

Calmer of the Storm: Wow…so that chapter ended up a little longer than I had anticipated. Haha. Oh well. I just couldn't find a good place to stop it. Maybe I still didn't. Oh well. It's what you get for now…haha. Don't forget to drop me a review!!

I just love this hope/light thing. I love the…I don't know, allegory? Is that the right word? At any rate…I think it marks the characters for who they are and is perhaps the one trait that makes it impossible to translate an AU story like this into another fandom…well, if I over do it, just let me know. Because, as I love it so much, I just may xD