I know that it's been so long since I updated, and I'm totally sorry for that! But I was in an accident in late January and was out of school for awhile. Then I had backed up homework and therapy to do, so I hope you can forgive me that it's taken so long!

Disclaimer: I do not own Shugo Chara!

Chapter Five

They say before you start a war,
you better know what you're fighting for.

Guards had surrounded Amu completely and she heard the order, "Kill all of them! All of the pirates as well as the princess!"

They're Tadase's father's guards. Why would they want to kill me? No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than she was yanked into a circle of Ikuto's men, Kuukai at the front with his sword out, ready to fight should anyone move closer. Her heart was thumping hard in her throat as she tried to think of how there could be something so traitorous going on from her almost-in-laws. Why would they chance ruining their treaty with her parents?

"Ikuto!" she heard Utau cry just as a blue-haired man threw himself into the fray.

Tears filled her eyes as she saw him stumbling, true fear filling her body. "Save Ikuto!" she ordered to all the men around her, taking her own knife from where she'd hidden it. When they didn't move, she hissed, "That is an order! Now go!"

Shocked, they scrambled to do as they were told, easily pushing their way through the crowd. The pinkette stood in the center of everything, disarming two soldiers before her hand was grabbed from behind. She cried out in warning that she was caught until she spun to see Ikuto swaying above her, his face pale and sweating. When he practically fell on her, she called out to Utau and Kuukai to help her and they were immediately at his side, taking him quickly from the scene even as the guards chased after them.

They made it to the boat in record time, throwing themselves onto it as the others joined them. They quickly set off, knowing that the guards would be following as closely as they could.

Ikuto hadn't let go of Amu's hand, though. Even when he'd started drifting in and out of consciousness, his hand was locked around hers, as if he were afraid she'd disappear. She hadn't missed Utau's angry glare, but she couldn't help the blush that came to her cheeks. She was definitely going over the deep edge for this pirate.

But she had to take care of him before she could have him.

As they laid him down in the bed, Amu turned to Kuukai. "Will you help me remove his shirt? He is bleeding from somewhere beneath it; we need to bandage it before it gets infected or bleeds out." The green-eyed man nodded, rushing forward to pull off Ikuto's shirt just as the captain fell unconscious. He tossed it aside then looked back at her for another command. "I need something to bandage the wound." She thought for a moment, then moved towards the ruined mess of her wedding dress. "We will use this." Tearing the material even more, she took a long piece and held it out. "Hold him upright so I may wrap this around his injury."

Kuukai went to obey, but Utau snapped, "Why are you listening to her? This is all her fault! He wouldn't have been hurt if it weren't for her!" The blonde turned on the princess, storming towards her before the first mate could stop her. Stabbing a finger in the smaller woman's chest, Utau shrieked, "If it weren't for you, this wouldn't have happened! You have no right to try to take care of him!"

At first, Amu froze, realizing that what the other woman was saying was true. But she quickly stiffened and took on an air of importance. "Excuse me, but kindly remove your finger from my chest. I have to help your brother. Unless you would rather he get an infection?" She raised an elegant brow at Utau, noting that she was fuming but had no argument that would make any sense in the situation.

Hissing in a breath, Utau moved out of her way, allowing Amu to move to Ikuto's side, though she didn't leave the room. "I'm staying here. I won't let you screw this up."

The pinkette gently bound the pirate's wound, though it wasn't terribly deep. She could barely hold back tears as she looked down at the prone man with sweat on his brow. Brushing his hair back from his forehead, she sat by his side as Kuukai dragged Utau from the room kicking and screaming.

It was all her fault, that much she knew. If she hadn't gotten off the ship, the crew would have just left the moment they saw the guards, instead of trying to protect her. Ikuto wouldn't have run off and gotten himself hurt in the process.

"I am so sorry, Ikuto," she breathed, leaning down to lay her cheek on his chest as the tears silently drifted down her face, landing on his skin. "This is all my fault. Please forgive me, love." She didn't know where the word came from, nor did she care. She just said it without a care.

She laid there for awhile, just gently rubbing his skin, more for her comfort than his. She wondered if he could hear her, but her thoughts became overrun with revenge and how she would get it for what they'd done to Ikuto.

Standing quickly, she strode to the door, throwing it open. "Excuse me!" she called to the crew, who turned towards her with varying amounts of distaste, awe, and shock. "I feel I must say something," she continued as they gathered around her, Kuukai moving to her side quickly. "Those guards were after me, as well as you. I heard the order to kill me with my own ears, which begs the question: why do you see me as so different from you?

"Your captain has been hurt, badly. It will take him several days to recover enough to be walking around, giving orders once again. He has already contracted a fever, as well, so we may need to dock soon for medical supplies. I am aware that the Royal Guard is now after us," she added as they started to argue, easily taking back control of the situation, "and that is why we will have to send out only two or three people. I know that the nearest port is not to far and also that there is a cove large enough for us to hide in while the others are getting supplies. I hope to have all your cooperation in this endeavor."

The moment she stopped speaking, silence fell over the crowd of pirates. They watched her with less distaste, more respect, sensing the easy control she would take over the situation.

Kuukai was the first to say anything after her speech, a strong power to his words. "All right, guys and Utau, you heard her! Let's get this thing hauling ass towards the port so we can get out of there before the guards have a chance to sniff us out!" He leaned over to whisper in Amu's ear, a smirk on his face, "Ikuto and Amu sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S—"

A blush rising on her face, she growled, "That is quite enough!" Turning from him, she returned to the captain's quarters, quietly searching through the room for anything that would calm down Ikuto's pain-filled moans. All she had to do was find something that could be used as a pain reliever for a few more hours; she was sure that they could get to the port soon.

Finding only a bottle of whiskey, she sighed, pouring a bit into a goblet for him to drink. It would just have to do.

What doesn't kill you makes a fighter,
footsteps even lighter.

It was almost unanimous that Amu take over the role of captain until Ikuto was well enough to return to his duties. Utau was furious over the decision, though she didn't do anything to oppose the crew's decision.

"Princess, where is the cove? We're close to the port, but we can't stay in that harbor with the guards so close behind," Kuukai asked as she stood at the bow, her mind stuck on the man lying in his bed, bleeding.

She had checked his wound several times, making sure that it was clotting properly, that his bandages were clean. Luckily, he seemed to be a fast healer; the worst of it was closed up, though too much movement would send him back into the state he was in before. The whiskey had given him a small reprieve, though small moans would still escape him once in awhile. She just wished that his temperature would go down soon, that he would wake for more than just a few passing seconds.

Kuukai's hand met her shoulder, waking her from her musing. "Princess?" he questioned.

She took a steadying breath and said, "I am sorry, Kuukai; I was a bit lost in thought. What were you saying?" Her hands folded politely in front of her, though they clenched tightly with worry.

"Uh...where's the cove? We're close to port—"

She jumped, hope blossoming inside of her for a safe trip. "Yes! It is just a little farther west. It is quite well hidden, but large enough for the ship, I am sure. Send out the three fastest men and have them get bandages and antibiotics—no matter what it takes." Her voice was low, giving her unspoken consent to steal if need be.

Amu still didn't fully understand how she had been voted captain, but she realized that it was definitely giving her a certain amount of pride. Before, she'd never truly had anything to call her own, never really been a leader. Though she wasn't a doormat in the least, she knew that she let some things pass by her. This new leadership position, however, with people depending on her for orders and ideas, was rather intriguing, to say the least. It gave her the feeling of belonging and being needed that had always been absent from her life before. Now, she was someone that could proudly hold their head high and announce, "I am necessary to someone, somewhere.

As Kuukai left to find those that would leave the ship and warn the man guiding it of where to go, Utau took her chance to step forward, practically hissing at Amu, "Ikuto's asking for you." As the younger woman went to move past her, the blonde caught her arm, a warning glare in her eyes. "It's your fault he thinks he's in love with you, you know. If you would just leave, never come back, this wouldn't be a problem." Leaning closer to murmured directly in Amu's ear, Utau said, "I could help you. I could get you off this ship before anyone notices. Ikuto will never be the wiser."

Eyes wide, Amu froze for a moment, disbelieving what she was hearing. There was a chance for her...to return? She could go back to her family, live with them once again?

But there was something going on with the Hotori family, she remembered; they'd ordered for her to be killed as well. "Bad publicity, you know." Ikuto's words sprang into her mind without pause, reminding her that she was safer on a ship with pirates than she was on land.

Gently taking her arm from Utau's hold, she said with disdain, "You should show more loyalty to your brother, should you not?" Holding her head high, she looked down her nose as best as she could at the other woman. "I have much more important things to do at this time than worry about going back to my kingdom. As you said before, your brother was hurt because of me; I do not enjoy having debts held over my head." With that, she strode to the captain's quarters, ignoring Utau's shriek of rage.

Before, she would have jumped at the chance, easily been led astray. But she couldn't entirely get past the feeling of being needed that came with her position on the ship. No, she wouldn't leave. Not until she knew that Ikuto was healthy. And from there, she would have to make a decision.

"Ikuto," she whispered as she slowly closed the door. "Have you awoken?" She was terrified, to say the least, though she hid it well. She wondered why he would have suddenly called her in there, asking to see her. Was he in pain? Was he slipping away to that place that only the dead could reach?

His head slowly turned towards hers on his pillow, his eyes glazed over. Someone had removed the blanket from him, though he was still sweating heavily. She knew that he didn't truly see her, only focused on the shape of her body. "Princess Amu?" he questioned, looking confused as he tried to place her. "I really did take you, yeah?"

He is delirious with fever, she realized, moving quickly and softly to his bedside. She grabbed a pan filled with cool water, dipped a handkerchief in it, then gently patted his forehead to cool him down. "Shh, you need to rest. We will speak once you are better." With as pale as he was, she wondered if he would simply pass out anyways or if he would try to keep himself awake just to say whatever he was going to.

Gaze leaving her face, he looked towards the ceiling. "Always so proper. You weren't that proper when we met in the courtyard at your palace the first time. You weren't even afraid of me when I caught you then. And you were so young." His eyes drifted back to her, though his head didn't turn. "You know, I think that was then I fell in love with you. Even though you were standing between me and the treasure I wanted."

She blinked at him. "What?" Shaking her head, she sighed heavily. "You are truly delirious. You must go back to sleep."

"Even though you're the Hinamori princess, I fell in love with you," he continued, as if she hadn't spoken. "Even though you're best friends with that Hotori kid, I didn't care. I crashed your wedding, stealing you and your dowry." He laughed without mirth. "Still, both the key and the lock belong to my family. By rights. But you wouldn't know about that. Only the kings are allowed to know."

"What are you accusing my family of, Ikuto?" she demanded, standing with her fists clenched at her sides. "Do you blame us that you are a pirate?"

"Yes."

There was a strong silence then as Amu fought to see reason. How dare he blame her family for making him the way he was! How dare he think that she would stand by and let him dishonor her family's name! No doubt he believed that his injury was her fault, as well!

Eyes narrowed, she snarled, "And I suppose it is my fault that you are hurt, yes? You want to string me by my toes or some other such torture in repayment, yeah?" She found herself hating the way he would say things, the way his voice would curl over her like a blanket. How she hated him at that moment when she thought he might throw her away like trash.

"No. I would do it again, given the chance. Anything to protect you."

She was too shocked to speak, so he went on.

"Once upon a time," he began, a mocking smile on his face, "there were three friends: Hinamori, Hotori, and Tsukiyomi. They were thieves, thrown from their countries, who had found each other in the wilderness. They tore through villages, playing the parts that would keep them fed. Hinamori was the charmer, for he had a loveable face that anyone would trust. Hotori was the brains, for he could come up with a foolproof plan from nothing. And Tsukiyomi was the brawn, for he was fast and light on his feet, quick with his sword.

"After a rather successful raid in which they found the Humpty Lock and Dumpty Key, they came to find themselves in uncharted territory. Few people lived there, most of them having shipwrecked on the far coast where it was particularly rocky. You would know it as the eastern coast of the Hotori kingdom now," he noted with a certain amount of contempt. "Being the audacious and ambitious men they were, the three devised a plan to become rulers there, three kings for one kingdom, using the Lock and Key as godly relics that frightened the other inhabitants into believing they were chosen by God himself to rule. The first to have a male successor grow to an age acceptable to rule would become the one true king then.

"But Tsukiyomi had already married, while young Hinamori was too proud of the riches they'd amassed and Hotori was too busy focusing on punishing the countries that had exiled them. Hotori became scared that he would lose all of his power and tricked Hinamori into helping him take the Lock and Key from Tsukiyomi after his son had been born. Hotori had a rumor spread around their slowly growing kingdom that the King Tsukiyomi had been burned by the relics; therefore, he was a child of Satan."

Ikuto's voice, though slowly getting softer, had a hard edge to it and a sneer formed on his lips. "The people wouldn't stand for a leader that was a worshiper of evil, and overthrew him, though Hotori and Hinamori kept their rights. They had no choice, they said. They had to exile him, his wife, and their small son. Once he was gone, Hotori took the eastern half of the kingdom for his name and Hinamori took the other.

"A century passed and my father, Tsukiyomi Aruto, went to beg the Hotori king—Tadase's father—to restore the honor of our family. He did not want what was his right to the kingdom, only wanted it to be known that we are not children of the Devil.

"The king said no, threw my father from the palace, and has had him chased ever since. My mother, sister, and I only barely escaped their last siege with our lives. I haven't seen my father since." His voice broke a little, but he continued on, his eyes drifting closed as Amu sat in shocked horror at her family's past treacheries. "I must get the Lock and Key and restore our honor. Then my father can come home to my mother. And Hotori will finally be tried for his injustices. All I have to do is prove it."

He fell asleep quickly after that, while Amu knelt beside him, terrified of what was to come. Surely he wouldn't go after her parents? He wouldn't kill the only family she knew for revenge, would he? But she couldn't let such acts go unpunished. She absolutely could not.

Taking the Key tied to his neck, she took out the Lock around hers. She needed to restore the deal that had been made. If it was truly his right to be king, it was his right. To have something like that taken away was no small matter.

But could she betray her family in such a way?

The songs are, respectively:

Angel with a Shotgun by The Cab
and What Doesn't Kill You (Makes You Stronger) by Kelly Clarkson.

I know it's been awhile and I hope this chapter was up to snuff! We're finally getting down to the nitty gritty story and it only gets better from here. (: