Hi guys! So, I'm totally not sure which AUs I'm doing and when, but… hey, that's part of the fun! I might post up possible AUs up on my bio, and y'all can let me know which ones you look forward to most? I'm not totally sure, but I'll try to figure something out once school lets up a little. Anyway, I don't own anything, but I do hope you enjoy the story!
Pirate AU: Sinking Ships and Hidden Treasure
There were more things to worry about than storms on the seas surrounding Beacon. The storms were a consistent problem, one with a solution that worked to save many lives.
It was the pirates that were the problem.
The worst pirates on the seas were the ones who would come as a surprise; their ships didn't have their names posted for the world to see, or the Jolly Roger flying on their flags. For all intents and purposes, they seemed like any law-abiding ship sailing the seas.
Some of these pirates didn't go out of their way to harm the passengers of their victim ships. In fact, they wouldn't cause any harm unless there was resistance as their treasures were being taken.
"Mwahaha! Take it all! That includes that hideous necklace she's wearing!" The nobility cowered in a crowd, their bodyguards collapsed on the ground to the side. "It's absolutely disgusting, but that jewel is still worth money!"
"Nora…" The boy sent his captain a look from where he was retrieving treasure, earning himself a bright grin and playful roll of the eyes.
"Okay fine, take off the jewel lady, and hand it to my first mate here! Ren, we can give it to Pyrrha; that red looks like something she'd wear!" Nora was planted confidently in the middle of the ship, watching as her crew efficiently piled the treasure into chests for easier transport. She had a very good crew, though Ren suspected that most of her respect was earned for how far she could send someone flying, not her leading ability.
Though her natural ability to get people to do what she wanted wasn't something to laugh at either…
"Do we even know when we'll see Pyrrha?" The other captain was even more notorious than Nora and her crew, as Pyrrha had an uncanny habit to completely disappear whenever her job was done. In contrast, Nora's crew had a more dramatic effect, with an uncanny ability to destroy things without actually meaning to.
Nora's destructiveness had definitely rubbed off on her crew.
"Eh, no! Duh! Pyrrha's like, a master of escape! Did you know her bounty is over five million Lien? We're slacking Ren! We're falling behind!" At a three million Lien bounty, Nora felt at a distinct disadvantage, prompting a dangerous competition against her best female friend. Nora directed her gaze at their victims, planting her hands on her hips. "Hey! Tell them they need to increase our bounty! What should we do to increase it even more? We could always…"
"Nora."
"Yes Ren?" It was confusing sometimes, who was captain and who was first mate, but the crew had learned very quickly that their two leaders might as well have been one person. For all the important decisions, both of them always had the same ideas… even if their personalities were complete opposites.
"We've finished." Ren gestured towards the chests absently, one hand remaining on his sword. Even when it looked like a triumphant raid, he never let his guard… he wouldn't repeat that mistake. Last time he'd let down his guard, Nora had gotten injured and the crew had nearly destroyed the ship they were on… without grabbing the treasure first.
"Oh! Okay, get it on the ship! Now, you all stay in your little huddle for an hour when we leave, and then you can start going back to… wherever you were going!" Nora pitched her voice so she could be heard over her crew's grunts, moving to avoid getting stepped into. "If we see movement…"
She let the implication sink in, hoping it was all the threat she needed. While she loved a fight, a good fight, these people would barely be a warm-up. Besides, she already got what she wanted; she didn't need to kill them.
It was a waste, and while it made their bounty fly up, it was also a pain to find people willing to take money covered with that much blood.
Sometimes literally covered in that much blood.
Nora grinned at Ren, following her crew easily as she turned and kept her eye on the ransacked ship. It would be so much easier to just sink it… but then there would be less of a chase! And where was the fun if it was easy to get away?
"Where to Captain?" One of the crew -what was his name again?- stood by as Nora jumped to their ship, landing easily on her feet. "Back to the south?"
South would lead them closer to the capitol… closer to their hideout. But also closer to Beacon's navy, which could be an unnecessary risk after this raid. There were a lot of offended nobles staring daggers into her back right now…
But to Vale? Vale was a chance to find Pyrrha, give her the ugly necklace -which was very important; it was almost Pyrrha's birthday- and she could stash some treasure there too. There was this handy island that had been uninhabited, and Pyrrha wouldn't mind the intrusion on her territory.
After all, Pyrrha had a getaway near Beacon, which had unofficially been Nora's for years. No other pirates dared to make large attacks in the area, knowing they were risking Nora's wrath. Nora's wrath could be as unpredictable as the seas they sailed on; one ship might make it out with a cheery warning, while the other washed up in bits on the high tide.
"We'll give our friends a chance to relax, and the Navy time to find a new target. We are off to Vale!"
()~~()~~()~~()~~()
"Ren!" It was not an uncommon sight to see their captain draped over their first mate, especially after they'd finished sorting through the treasure, the best pieces claimed by their leaders. The sight of all that treasure was enough to put all of them in a good mood, more than half the crew already drunk enough that they wouldn't remember the night.
"Ren, did you have some of the rum? It was really good! And I don't even like rum! But you know, those rich people have all the good stuff! Hey, do you think Pyrrha has anything good like us? I mean, she always has the good stuff, because she's really good at what she does, but does she have anything good now? We haven't heard anything about her in ages!"
"She had trouble with other crews," Ren noted, still working on his first drink. "Mutinies forming."
"I don't know why she'd have trouble with that! Her crew adores her, because she's awesome!" Nora had a strange attachment to the other pirate, and she never let anyone say a bad thing about her friends. If she'd been in the area and heard about mutiny rumors against Pyrrha, Ren suspected she would have barged onto Pyrrha's ship to take care of the problem herself.
"Money does a lot." And Ren was beginning to be concerned about their own situation. They always had enough to pay their crew, and take care of all the problems, but Ren was the type to worry.
Nora had solutions, but Ren was the one who found the problems in the first place. It was part of why they worked so well together, why their ship ran so smoothly.
If they'd ever had a mutiny forming on their ship, it would have to beat down one very connected team to take it down.
"Hey Ren?" Nora rested her chin on Ren's shoulder, resting most of her weight against him easily. "Do you ever think we should stop?"
"Stop?" It was an odd question, mostly because Nora wasn't the type to think about stopping their pirating. It was everything she had ever wanted: complete freedom, excitement, and a new adventure every day. Nora thinking about stopping was…
Well, it was completely unheard of.
"Uh-huh. I mean, I heard a few things last time we were in town! Like how people we knew as kids are settling down and getting married, and they have their lives, and roots and stuff! And we're still sailing around!" Nora resisted the urge to cuddle closer to Ren, knowing the crew could still see them. "Oh, and I heard this rumor that Pyrrha had this new cabin boy that she's smitten with. I mean, that was kind of old news, but since we haven't heard anything about her since, maybe she didn't stick around either! It just seems like everyone we knew is moving on to something else! Which is just a little boring!"
"You don't have to change," Ren shifted slightly so Nora could move next to him, sliding his drink out of her reach. She definitely did not need it. "As long as you're happy, isn't that fine?"
"Hmm… yeah, you're right!" Nora cheered up, taking a drink from the nearest crew member eagerly. "This is a night for celebration! Whoo hoo!"
A cheer rose up around the ship as the crew lifted their cups, bringing a grin to Nora's face as she stood up to go to her cabins. She appreciated a party, but on nights like this, when everything had gone well, she felt like the crew deserved a night away from the captain.
It was easier to party away from your authority after all.
Nora grinned at Ren as he followed her, knowing that he was doing so because he wasn't completely comfortable in crowds, no matter how much they respected you. Ren wasn't like her -which was totally fine with her- and if he had a choice, he'd much rather be by himself than surrounded by a bunch of rowdy people.
"What, you don't want to enjoy more rum with the crew?"
Honestly, Ren wasn't sure Nora should have had as much rum as she had. She had too little impulse control as it was; she didn't need alcohol to lower her inhibitions even more.
Not to mention she was even more frighteningly powerful when she had nothing holding her back. The first idiot to think of trying to take advantage of a drunk Nora still wasn't capable of talking about the experience.
"Not particularly." Ren's simple answer seemed to have pleased Nora, seeing as she linked their arms together once they were out of sight of the rest of the crew. Not that it would have mattered… the topic of their captain and first mate's relationship was the subject of many wagers among the crew.
To date, no one had won yet. Mostly because they all kept assuming that Nora and Ren would become a thing and be the strongest pirate family on the sea.
"You never drink though! That's why I have to drink for you!" Not really, but Ren's face at that particular statement was even more amusing than normal. "I mean, it doesn't even taste that good, I prefer something a little more sweet and a lot less alcoholic, but still! If someone doesn't drink it, it's just a big waste! So I drink your share!"
"Someone else would drink it," Ren pointed out, reaching out to open the door before Nora could get to it. Even on a ship, he could behave even slightly like a gentleman… not like Nora would have noticed the difference. Ren just preferred to do little things to make Nora smile.
"But that's not the same!" Nora pointed out, sounding as if it were the perfect reason and Ren couldn't find it in himself to argue when Nora talked like that. "Hey, you know, we should totally get something besides rum next time! We can just not have any alcohol on board! Ooh, but the crew might not like that! What do you think Ren?"
Ren smiled down at Nora as she bounced into her room, shaking his head silently. This was one of those conversations where she didn't need a response; Nora was just talking her ideas out loud, and Ren was the person who allowed her to talk out every single idea until she figured it all out.
And if it took all night, Ren would still sit up with her until all of Nora's thoughts were straightened out where she wanted them.
()~~()~~()~~()~~()
"Pyrrhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Where are youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu?" Nora, always giving her crew the strangest things to talk about, was leaning over the side of her ship, screaming at the top of her lungs. Two weeks they'd been sailing the waters surrounding Vale, and not one Pyrrha sighting in that entire time. Nora was getting uncomfortable at the lack of even the slightest rumor of where her friend could possibly be.
Shame too… she was looking forward to meeting this cabin boy of Pyrrha's too…
"Pyrrrhaaaaaaaaaaaa! I have a present for you! So hurry up and come see meeeeeeeeeeeee!" Nora continued her screaming as if it would possibly help anything. The crew, amused as usual by their captain's unusual antics, didn't react with anything stronger than a smile each. They were far too used to things like this to be shocked.
"Oh Pyrrhaaaaaaaaaa, where are yooooooouuuuuuuuuuuuu? I just want to…"
"Nora."
Nora stopped mid-scream, looking over at her first mate with a grin. "Yes Ren?"
Ren raised an eyebrow at his friend, trying not to look amused at Nora's bright grin. "I don't think she can hear you."
"But she might be able to hear me!" Nora reasoned, but she leaned away from the edge easily. "After all, we've been here forever; she must have heard we were here! Ooh, maybe we should…"
"We don't need to raid another ship. Especially in Pyrrha's territory." Ren, forever the reasonable one, let Nora dance around giving orders. They didn't need to raid, not yet… the crew was still reasonably content with what they had, and the Navy was always on the lookout for them… and here in Vale, they didn't know the situation as well as back home.
Anything, or any other pirate on the sea, could have made this even more dangerous territory than where they'd just left. There was no need to take the risk when there was no clear profit from it.
But if Pyrrha wanted to show up anytime soon, or if Nora decided to take them to port, that would make things much better.
"Hey, there's a ship! Pyrrha, is that you? Pyrrhaaaaaaaaaa!" Nora screamed one more time before dashing around the ship, ordering her men to get their weapons. "That's not the Pyrrha ship! That's a Navy ship! Ren, prepare for battle! We must defend our ship!"
It would be Nora who literally called out a Navy ship… she hadn't even meant to get their attention.
The cannons were much louder than he expected… not as loud as Nora, screaming about how they were attacking her ship, and about defending the stronghold. Ren grabbed onto the nearest railing as the ship was hit, using his other arm to grab Nora.
That was far too close to sending her flying over the edge… if he wasn't careful, he'd end up having to dive into the water to save her.
That was not something he wanted to do, not with cannons going off, and a crew that really wanted the Navy to sink. Having the captain and first mate in the water was a horrible situation to have with their unruly crew in battle.
"My ship! They're trying to kill my ship! Destroy them!" Nora was nowhere near as cheerful as she normally was going into battle, but the first shots actually hitting them had upset her more than Ren would have guessed. "Destroy them all!"
It was an order that the crew was more than happy to follow… and despite the severe damage to their ship, it was a battle that was quickly won.
Ren wasn't sure, but he was almost positive that Nora was too happy at the destruction they had unleashed upon the enemy ship; there wasn't enough left to make it worth salvaging anymore.
"We have been vindicated! We have defeated the horrendous enemy and rose victorious against the ones who would have destroyed us! Today, we make to the nearest port and go to celebrate!"
Nora got surprisingly eloquent when she destroyed something… if only she talked like that all the time, she could have made her living as a politician or an actress. Now however, her words had cheered the crew enough for them to cheer, except from those who were trying to fix up some of the holes in the ship -as well as the holes in some of the crew members.
"Nora, are you okay?" Ren's first concern, now that the battle was over, was to make sure Nora hadn't been injured in any way. It was more than just watching over his captain, but Ren had no intention of letting his friend walk around bleeding.
And Nora wouldn't admit to being injured herself… he always had to ask.
"Huh? Yeah, I'm just fine!" Nora waved her arms around as if to show off her lack of injuries, answering Ren absently as she gestured towards some of the men to help drag an injured crew member off the deck. "None of those Navy pigs got onto our ship! There was no chance that I was going to get… Ren, you're bleeding!"
Ren blinked, not moving as Nora grabbed his arm, pulling him down so she could look at the cut on his cheek. Something, some piece of the ship as it got hit, must have grazed his cheek while he was making sure Nora didn't fly overboard. "It isn't…"
"We are cleaning it. Now." That was the 'don't mess with me' tone. That was the voice that had the crew shrinking in fear whenever it was directed their way. To Ren, it was just enough to have him following Nora silently as she rambled on. "If it gets infected and you lose your face, that would just be pathetic! Not to mention, if your face starts rotting, then you're going to scare people for all the wrong reasons before you get dead because of it! So we're cleaning it, and I'm going to keep an eye on it, even if I have to pin you down to make you let me!"
And she would do it. She'd done it for much less than the cut on his cheek… all because he didn't want to eat the limes she'd set out in an attempt to keep the crew healthy.
"Nora." They were outside their cabin, and Ren didn't think that Nora realized that as she continued her rant about how he needed to take more care of himself and stop worrying so much about everyone else.
"What Ren?" She was definitely irritated, if the way she was talking was any indication. Nora crossed her arms over her chest, raising her eyebrows defiantly at Ren, as if expecting some kind of negative response to her demands.
"I don't worry about everyone else," Ren explained quietly, leaning over to rest one hand on the door, ready to open it. Nora was blinking up at him, silent as she waited for him to finish talking so she could decide if she was still upset or not.
Granted, Nora was always upset whenever Ren got even a scratch… but to be fair, he was the exact same way.
"You don't worry about everyone else?" Nora prompted when Ren was too quiet for just a moment too long.
Ren blinked at Nora, opening the door easily as was routine whenever they entered the cabin together. "I don't worry about everyone else," he repeated, getting his thinking back on track. "I don't… I worry about you."
Nora gaped at Ren for a moment before he slipped into the cabin ahead of her, waiting for her to start babbling at him while she fixed up his cut. After all, all he had to do was sit and listen to Nora… and most days, that was the most enjoyable thing Ren could think of to do in the world.
()~~()~~()~~()~~()
"Reeeeeeen… how long has it been now?" Three weeks since the Navy had tried to sink their ship, and since they'd fixed it up, Nora had found what seemed to be an uninhabited island to lay low on. "Can we go destroy things now?"
He still wasn't sure why he seemed like the captain while Nora just made rash decisions everyone went along with, but Ren wasn't going to fight it. He was well aware that he was the majority of Nora's impulse control, so if he had a choice, he was going to make sure Nora didn't do anything too rash. "No, not since the Navy has put out multiple ships just to hunt us down. Which might not have happened, if you hadn't been yelling for Pyrrha quite so loudly."
"Well, she might have heard me!" Nora protested, flopping onto the ground with a loud sigh, ignoring her crew as they swarmed the island for food and water. As long as they were in hiding here, they might as well stock up… and relax before the next fight.
It would come soon enough after all.
But first, Nora was insisting that they get Pyrrha that hideous necklace that had started this whole voyage in the first place. Disgusting as it was, she was very insistent that Pyrrha get this fancy ruby, since they'd gone to this much trouble already…
And when Nora wanted something done, it got done, or someone was going to have some explaining to do.
Ren sighed, sitting next to Nora quietly, looking out over the water for any sign of trouble coming. Even if Nora wanted to relax and give the crew some time, he couldn't find it in himself to unwind fully; someone had to be aware of any danger.
"Hey Ren?" Nora rolled over closer to Ren, barely brushing against him in the process. "Are you upset?"
"Why would I be upset?" He had Nora nearby, and she wasn't injured, and they weren't in the process of getting killed. What was there to be upset about?
"Because we're away from home, and things haven't exactly gone according to plan, and we're on an island instead of the water, stealing all the riches from people who don't deserve it since they can't protect it!" Nora stretched out as much as she could, squinting a little as the sun hit her face. "Plus, you're even quieter than normal! That's just weird!"
Only Nora would have been able to notice that he was speaking less than normal… Ren sighed, shifting so he blocked the sun for Nora, one hand shielding his own eyes. "Just thinking a lot."
"You're always thinking!" The complaint was light, and not very heartfelt. It was just the obligatory complaint, one that Ren had heard multiple times. "But you know, I was thinking too!"
Nora's thinking was never quite as deep as Ren's, but he found himself smiling anyway. Nora had this rare ability to make him happy and relaxed enough to drop all his walls. "What were you thinking about?"
He was prepared for a rant, some semi-incoherent babbles that he would figure out in a few moments, not a completely straight answer. What he got made him blink in surprise, shocked into complete silence for a long time.
"I was kinda thinking of retiring. Let someone else be captain!"
Ren stared at Nora, not quite sure that he understood what she was saying. Not sure if she knew what she was saying. Because this was Nora, and Nora wasn't the type to quit anything. Nora dove headfirst into the nearest adventure, no matter what the risks were. She wasn't the type to leave the pirate life for… for whatever she had planned.
"Let someone else…"
"Yeah, like you, if you want it! Or we could both leave and find ourselves a quiet place to live with all our treasure!" They certainly had enough hidden away, especially since Nora was fonder of hoarding her treasure instead of actually spending it. "I mean, we've been on the sea for years! Since we were kids and couldn't do much besides clean, and we've gotten so awesome that it's getting in the way! So, since we're so awesome, and we've totally made an impact on the sea, we should find another adventure! Because there's not really anywhere higher for us to go, except to beat Pyrrha, but I don't really want to do that, because then we'd have to hurt her! And I like Pyrrha!"
Ren just looked at Nora, realizing that she made sense. She was making a lot of sense, in her own, almost childlike way. She must have been doing a lot of thinking, because Nora didn't look like she was just babbling her thoughts out; She'd already known what she was going to say.
And since she knew that much, Ren knew that Nora had already made a decision… she just wasn't ready to admit it yet.
"…Nora."
"Yes Ren?"
It was so simple to get her attention. Just one word, and he always had her unfocused attention on him. Ren sighed quietly, making sure none of the crew was listening in on their conversation. "Whatever you decide, I'll go with you."
"Really?" Nora immediately cheered up, sitting up and tackling Ren into a tight hug, squealing loudly in his ear. "Yay! I wasn't sure what I would do if I didn't have you! Ren, you always make me feel better! Oh, so, what did you want to do?"
Nora was looking up at him expectantly, but when Ren went to answer…
"There's a ship!"
Both Nora and Ren looked out at the sea, reacting instantly in the same way. They were on their feet in seconds, carrying their weapons as insurance, just in case the Navy had found them, unlikely as that situation was.
"It doesn't look Navy…" Nora relaxed slightly, her eyes trained on the ship. "They have ugly decorations."
Ren didn't let down his guard, but he had to agree with her. From what he could see, and it wasn't much from this distance, the ship looked like a merchant's ship -even if it was one that had gone through a storm or two recently.
"Should we go after it Captain?"
"There might be treasure…" Nora's eyes lit up at the thought before they narrowed. "But it looks beat up… and it's coming this way! We don't have to go after it; it's coming straight to us!"
"Nora…"
"Ren, I won't do something silly! We'll pretend to help, scope out the riches, and then make a move!" To Nora, it was brilliant… and something they'd done more than once before. "Get ready men! We might get some good stuff today!"
Ren had pulled out his telescope, looking at the ship closely while Nora sent her orders to the men. Finally, when Nora took a break to breathe, he handed the tool to his captain, raising his eyebrows slightly.
"Huh? What is it? Did you see…" Looking, Nora saw a women standing in reds and golds, ordering the men on the ship to do something. Beaming, Nora started jumping up and down excitedly. "Pyrrha! It's Pyrrha, everyone relax! Pyrrhaaaaaaaaaaaaa! We've been looking everywhere for yoooouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!"
"She still can't hear you." Ren was quick to point it out, but that didn't stop Nora from yelling at her friend in-between setting up orders to help the other ship. It was becoming clear that the ship wasn't going to last another voyage… if it even lasted long enough to make the island.
"It's sinking men! Get in the boats and help them get to shore!"
"But Captain…"
"Go! It's Pyrrha, and if something happens…"
Nora was looking more violent at the thought of something happening to their friend, and that look was enough to send the crew running to obey. No one needed a reminder of what happened when Nora's orders weren't fulfilled fast enough.
"Pyrrhaaaaaaaaa!" The moment Nora saw her friend set foot on the island, she dove, practically tackling her to the ground. It was only Pyrrha's own abilities that allowed them to stay standing, the crews on both sides barely holding back amused laughter.
This wasn't a new sight; the rare times that Nora and Pyrrha saw each other always had the two of them practically glued to the others side. Even Ren had a hard time getting a word in when Nora and Pyrrha were together… which said a lot about Nora's friendship with the other girl.
"Hello Nora." Pyrrha managed to get some space so they weren't risking a fall into the water, looking towards the other ship. "You've done well?"
"Well duh! It's me! You look like you've had some problems though! Oh, but real quick, I have a present for you! Ren!"
"I have it." Ren had sent a man to grab the necklace while Nora had been screaming in Pyrrha's direction, offering the jewel easily. He wouldn't be too heartbroken at not seeing the jewel anymore; it was truly the most hideous piece of jewelry he had ever seen… and Nora took sick pleasure in staring at her herself as if looking at it would change anything.
"Oh. It's…" Pyrrha stared at her present, her face saying everything she wouldn't. Unlike Nora, Pyrrha made an effort to be diplomatic about these things. "It's nice that you thought of me Nora, but I couldn't…"
"I saw it, and thought, we should so give it to Pyrrha!" Nora interrupted, not wanting Pyrrha to say something that would require taking the necklace back. Instead of listening to Pyrrha's weak protests, she looked for something else of interest. "Hey, I don't know him! Heeeeeeeeeey! You! Who are you?"
Ren felt pity for the blonde, who suddenly looked as if he wanted to be anywhere else in the world. "Nora."
"Yes Ren?" Nora glanced over at her first mate, grinning brightly. She wasn't trying to be overly hyper, she was just excited at seeing her friend again… but there were more important things to worry about.
"Their ship is sinking."
"What?" Nora and Pyrrha both looked over at the ship, much lower than it should have been. "Hey Pyrrha, want some help with your ship? There's tons of wood here; we can patch you up!"
"That… would be a huge help. Thank you Nora." In their world, on the sea, help never came free. Friendships between two pirate captains were so incredibly rare, and more than often fueled by money, that it was harder to accept help simply because someone was willing to help.
"Yep! Hey, get chopping! We need more wood! And then… yes Ren?"
Ren put a hand on Nora's shoulder, nodding quietly to Pyrrha. "Perhaps we could all talk in private?"
The crews were taking too much of an interest in their captains for Ren's comfort. At least if they went to their cabin, they'd have privacy enough to talk freely with each other.
Nora still had no sense of security when it came to her private thoughts.
"Oh. Okay! There's food in my cabin too, so we can eat! Pyrrha, come on!"
"Um… coming! Jaune?"
The blonde looked up from where he was attempting to work, obviously surprised to be included in the count.
The cabin boy? Both Nora and Ren thought of the rumors, with the former grinning easily at the other. If this Jaune person was the one who was stealing Pyrrha's heart, Nora would make it her goal to make sure they became a couple… while she made sure to tease Pyrrha mercilessly!
()~~()~~()~~()~~()
"There's treasure on this island?" Nora ignored most of the rest of the conversation -mostly Pyrrha talking about how Nora needed to be more careful; apparently some of her raids had upset a few more influential people than they'd thought- and narrowed in on the most important.
Hidden treasure? Treasure that neither one of them had stolen and hidden themselves? Who knew what kind of riches they would discover once they found it?
"According to an old map Jaune found, yes."
This Jaune was either the luckiest boy in the world, or he was deliberately appearing clueless for some reason. Nora, who was already growing fond of the boy just for the way Pyrrha obviously felt about it, was more inclined to think it was the first option.
Jaune didn't seem like he was even capable of deceiving someone else.
"Then we should go find it!" It was that simple. Treasure was meant to be found, especially by pirates!
Nora beamed over at Ren, who blinked at her calmly before her next words had everyone in the room staring. "It'll be our last adventure as pirates! And it would be so awesome to end it with an amazing treasure hunt!"
"Last?"
"Nora, you're retiring? You and Ren?" Pyrrha looked at the two as they both nodded, blinking in surprise. She would never have expected Nora to have willingly retired; the adventure drove Nora more than the money.
Although the money was a nice motivator as well…
"Yep! So we need to make it a big grand adventure! Jaune, you're coming too!" Nora made the demand easily, knowing it would happen. They could leave the crews to fix the ship, and take care of any injured people, while the four of them had one big adventure together to find treasure! It was a perfect plan!
"I am?" Jaune stared before pasting on a cheeky grin, obviously less confident than he appeared. "I mean, I am!"
Pyrrha shook her head slightly while Nora giggled, babbling about their plans and staring over the map. Throughout their time on the island, they'd only explored the nearest areas for food and supplies; they hadn't take the time to look over everything.
They hadn't planned on staying too long, or doing a complete search. It had seemed like such an insignificant island…
While Nora planned out their route, with Pyrrha's help, Ren made the practical arrangements, making sure they'd have enough food for an unknown amount of time. Better safe than sorry… especially with Nora's appetite.
"Jaune, can you tell the crew what we'll be doing?" Pyrrha directed her question to the blonde, not surprised when he went straight to it. In some lesser degree, they seemed to have the same relationship as Nora and Ren: a bond that was completely natural, and one no one else seemed to be able to comprehend.
Perhaps when Pyrrha and Jaune spent more time together… they'd be able to read each other's minds like Nora and Ren seemed to.
"Hey Pyrrha, what's the story there anyway?" Nora, always nosy when it came to her friend's business, leaned forward, the treasure completely forgotten for the moment. "Are the rumors true? Did he completely seduce you so that you don't do your raids anymore? Or did you pull him from a ship before you sunk it, because you couldn't bear to let him go?"
Pyrrha, unbelievably, turned as red as her hair, eyes going wide. "Wh-what? Where did you hear that?"
That was Nora's cue to mercilessly tease her friend, despite the other's protests. "We heard it everywhere, didn't we Ren? It's a little old news now, because he's been with you for a while, but everyone was talking about it! Dread Pirate Pyrrha, tamed by her new cabin boy! And hey, after all that talk about how you were involved with other girls, it was certainly something new! Oh, and the news that you disappeared so you can train him to be your perfect lover, that was an interesting rumor!"
"Nora!" Surprisingly, it was Pyrrha and Ren who chimed in on that one, earning themselves a bright grin from Nora. She had succeeded in embarrassing Pyrrha, and she'd even gotten a reaction from Ren! This was a very good day. Next, she just had to get Jaune embarrassed too… just as if he were part of the team already!
"Okay, okay! Let's go find your Jaune and get searching for treasure! It'll be like a sleepover, except with dirt and bugs and a big pile of riches at the end! Whoo hoo!" Nora grabbed Pyrrha's arm, dragging her along without looking back at Ren. He couldn't even get annoyed by it, because they both knew that Ren would follow along behind with anything they could possibly need.
"You take good care of that ship! Pyrrha, don't worry, we won't let your ship sink!" Nora assured her friend as Jaune rejoined them, taking a pack from Ren without any hesitation. "And if I hear of any fighting, I'll make sure the ones who started it get a good beating!"
It might not be a viable threat against Pyrrha's crew, but Nora could see the effect it had on her own. She could be sure that any fights that broke out wouldn't be because of her crew… and maybe Pyrrha would let her beat a few unruly crew members if they caused trouble!
"Do we know where we're going?" Jaune asked after they'd walked into the forest, not sure where to go now that the map was out of his hands.
"To the center of the island! The map said that there were some old ruins and we'd find the treasure at the center! So, off we go!" Nora was ahead of the group, darting behind trees, calling back occasionally to tell them about something new that she saw. Ren was behind them, keeping an eye out for any potential threats in the area, while Jaune and Pyrrha strolled in between them.
In fact, if it weren't for the memories that their crews were behind them, fixing an almost irreparable ship, this could have been a normal walk for the two.
"Are they…" Jaune hesitated, not wanting to say something that might offend the other pair, and certainly not something he might offend with on accident. He didn't know the two as well as Pyrrha, but…
"Together? No, but… yes?" Honestly, even Pyrrha wasn't too sure about their relationship. "They're… not romantically involved, but they're closest to each other. Sometimes, it's like… almost as if they're bound together. As if they're one person in two bodies, instead of the other way around."
Jaune looked over his shoulder where Ren was walking, and he didn't think that the movement escaped Ren's notice. The other boy was a distinct contrast to Nora, silent and guarded where the girl was overly cheerful and friendly.
They seemed like complete opposites… but there was also the feeling that they complimented each other enough to make a formidable team.
Jaune looked around, not sure how he felt about the others just yet. They were complete strangers, and yet… it felt right to be travelling together, just the four of them.
A few hours later, as it was getting dark, Pyrrha tentatively put out the idea that they stop and rest for the night. It was something Jaune would have felt comfortable with, as he was already exhausted from the long hours of walking, but Nora…
Nora was not ready to stop.
"But we can still see! And if we stop, then it'll take longer to get to the treasure!" Nora waved a hand towards the darkness, completely contradicting what she'd said. It was too dark for anyone but the most abnormal of people to see without some help, and no one wanted to risk walking with a torch… mostly because they were afraid Nora would set the forest on fire.
"But Nora, if we stop, then we can move faster in the morning," Pyrrha reasoned, suspecting that logic wouldn't work on her excited friend. However, Jaune needed to rest and even Pyrrha would have liked a chance to sit down… it had been a long, exhausting journey these past few weeks.
"But Pyrrha, we could…"
"Nora."
"Yes Ren?" It was the magic of Ren, to have her calm immediately, moving back into the group effortlessly to beam at him.
"I'll make dinner."
"Really? Dinner! What are you gonna make? What did you pack in those bags? Ooh, and did you pick some of the fruit and stuff as we walked?" Nora was bouncing around Ren while Pyrrha and Jaune took advantage of her distraction to set their own packs down. "What, you're not going to tell me? Oh, it's gonna be a surprise! Well, it's your cooking, so it'll taste good, and we can talk to Pyrrha more while it waits! And Jaune too, but I have questions for Pyrrha! For one, how'd your ship end up in such bad shape?"
It took a moment for them to realize that the question was directed at them, both of them looking at each other before answering.
"We were finished with a raid; it had been an easy battle, no casualties on our side, big reward," Pyrrha started after a moment, not quite sure how to say it. She didn't want to admit it, but it had been her mistake that had led to all this.
Not that she minded meeting up with Nora, but all the problems had started when they'd gotten involved in that one attack. "But it was too easy… and we didn't realize that until after."
"Pyrrha! How did you get caught in…" Ren put food in front of Nora as a distraction, making a small gesture for Pyrrha to continue. Jaune watched with interest at the interaction, beginning to piece together how they worked together as a group.
"Well… Navy ships came from all sides, trying to take us down. It was a… well planned ambush." Even if she didn't like it, Pyrrha had to admit it was a good strategy, and a fantastic trap… one they almost didn't escape from.
"But you got away!" Nora got the words out somehow, her entire mouth filled with whatever concoction Ren had managed to make out of their supplies. Jaune was eating as well, admitting that if Ren hadn't been a pirate, he would have made a very good chef as an alternate career choice.
"We did!" Jaune couldn't resist answering, earning himself a cheerful grin from Nora. They were both optimists, and while someone watching might not have realized it, both of them were more intelligent than would first appear. "They didn't get close to catching us, because…"
"We had to sail into a storm to escape," Pyrrha broke in apologetically, instinctively knowing that if Jaune and Nora started, the explanation might take quite a bit longer than anyone else would prefer. "It was a lot worse than we first expected going in, but we did make it out."
"And right into a different storm," Jaune admitted, taking another bite of the food eagerly. It was so much easier to be comfortable when he wasn't getting stared at because he was Pyrrha's new favorite; right now, he felt like he was just Jaune, on an adventure.
Nora's eyes lit up, and Ren shook his head before leaning up against a tree to relax just slightly. It was easier to let down his guard with so few people around… and if past experience was any indication, Nora would keep them all up as long as she could talk… which could be all night long if she really wanted!
()~~()~~()~~()~~()
Four days later, keeping an eye on their diminishing supplies and running on very little sleep, the group was far less enthusiastic about finding their hidden treasure, and more concerned about their crew. Pyrrha was just ungracious enough to think that it was fine for Ren and Nora; they weren't planning on staying in control of their ships. But for Pyrrha, who still had every intention of keeping control of her crew, the continued absence could end very badly.
"Nora, the map is old; maybe someone already…"
"If someone was already here, then the island would have shown some sign of it! Besides Pyrrha, there's only the caves left! If we don't find anything in the caves, we can go back right away, okay?" Nora made the compromise, not quite ready to give up her adventure, but running low on energy herself. She was no longer running ahead to see everything first, but lagging behind to talk with Ren.
Their nightly talks had also gotten shorter, and Jaune would admit to feeling uncomfortable sometimes watching the other two. They were so obviously close, and the relationship was plainly intimate… even if it wasn't physical or romantic. It left him time to talk to Pyrrha, but the search wasn't going quite as anyone had hoped.
"Fine. Just the caves though. We'll need torches though; it looks dark inside," Pyrrha shook her head, not entirely content with the compromise. She had a responsibility to her crew, and…
Nora took a deep breath, nodding once quickly before linking her fingers with Ren's for reassurance. She wanted so badly for this to go well… Ren smiled easily, squeezing her fingers before releasing her to make a torch for the two of them. It was just part of their system; Nora would dive headfirst, and leap ahead, but in small confined spaces, they stayed as close as possible to each other.
Less chance of either one getting lost that way.
"Into the caves for treasure we go! And hey, that rock looks like a sloth! Ren, look!" Determined to be cheerful and infect everyone else with it, Nora pointed out a random rock that looked like her favorite animal loudly.
"I see it," Ren let Nora link their arms together, nodding to Pyrrha that everything was ready to go. Jaune and Pyrrha led the way into the cave, Nora and Ren following closely behind with their lights.
It was slow going in the narrow space, but eventually Jaune stopped, pointing to the wall. "Hey, that looks like the picture from the map! The one that was drawn on the back!"
The group leaned in, examining what looked like a crude drawing of a rose on the wall, comparing it to the map in the memory.
"Well…"
"It does look like it!"
"I could be…"
"That means the treasure must be this way!" Nora cheered, bouncing slightly on her heels. "Pyrrha, we're gonna be set for life! And Ren, imagine the stories they'll tell! You too Jaune! There'll be stories about all of us."
"We have to find the treasure first," Pyrrha reminded her, her mood rising at the sign they were seeing. If they could find the treasure, it would all be worth it.
"We'll find it! Don't worry so much; we'll have all the treasure we can spend! No, we'll have more money than we can spend!" Nora squealed quietly, squeezing Ren's arm tightly before pushing Jaune as gently as she could. "Now let's go, let's go! That treasure is calling for us!"
The group, powered by their growing excitement, sped through the caves, making marks to ensure that they would find their way back out. There was no point in getting their treasure if there was no way to get it back to their ships.
The caves, still as dark as ever, started to widen enough that they began to spread out a little, no longer pressed up against each other in their anxiety. They were close, they could tell; they just had to go a little…
"Whoa!" Nora felt herself falling, heard a small click and reacted instantly as Ren dragged her down to the floor. Just ahead, she could hear Pyrrha doing the same to Jaune, something banging into the walls around them.
After a moment of silence, all four lifted their heads, sending each other looks of surprise and embarrassment. For the most part, they were experienced explorers, and pirates of a higher order; they should have been expecting traps. It was the same thing they would have done to protect their own wealth.
"Well… we're all okay!" There was Nora, forever the optimist… but this time, it had the desired effect of making them laugh. Nothing like Nora's cheerfulness to make a near-death experience seem less serious…
"Let's be more careful this time?" Jaune suggested, getting to his feet slowly. Ren followed suit, reaching a hand to Nora to help her up, not willing to speak until his stomach stopped churning.
That was close… too close. He wasn't sure who had set off the trap, but if he hadn't heard it… Nora could be dead.
Unwilling to let Nora too far way, Ren linked their fingers together tightly after lighting another torch. Nora seemed to share the sentiment as she squeezed his fingers herself, their arms brushing against each other as they made their way carefully through the cave. The excitement was still there -there wouldn't be a trap if there wasn't something at the end- but this time, it was tempered with caution.
It seemed like hours when it started to lighten in the cave, the stones beginning to look like pieces of rubble. As the scenery changed, so did the atmosphere in the group, cautious excitement growing until all of them were restlessly moving faster.
"Does this count as a ruin? I don't know, I mean, it could be a ruined temple, but where's the treasure? Where's all the gold, and jewels, and money? We came all this way and…"
"Nora."
"Yes Ren?"
"We'll find something," Pyrrha murmured optimistically, relaxing as some of the darkness began to recede. As long as she could see, she could fight whatever was coming… and she would be more than capable of finding the treasure with the extra light.
"It should only be a little further…" Jaune risked pulling the map out, examining some of the details closely. "If the map is right, then we just go forward a little more."
"And then we find treasure! We should go now!" Nora started to run forward, nearly dragging Ren before he managed to stop her in place.
"Traps," Ren reminded her quietly, making sure she moved at a reasonable pace. There was no point in risking too much, not when they were this close.
Nora pouted, looking over at Jaune and Pyrrha for help. "But it's so close! We should go barrel through and…"
"Nora, we'll walk, and we'll find it, and then we'll take the best pieces back to the ships," Pyrrha promised, gesturing forward easily. Nora's mood was contagious, but no one wanted to take the unnecessary risk just yet.
Nora was bouncing anxiously as they walked, cheerfully pointing out everything that could be treasure to everyone else. "That looks like it could have been a necklace! And that's a thing that holds all the candles, but it's all gross and rusted! There's bound to be even more if we go… guys!"
This time, no one stopped her as she darted forward, because they were only steps behind. They recognized that glow… that was gold… and a lot of it.
"It's… It's beautiful!" Nora was practically glowing herself, surrounded by piles of gold. Just a single glance revealed closed chests, silks and fine fabrics, jewels of all kinds… It was enough to set them up for multiple lifetimes… it was enough to set up their entire crews for multiple lifetimes. "Ren, look at it all!"
Nora jumped onto Ren, arms wrapping around him while she laughed with pure glee, not paying attention to what Pyrrha and Ren were doing. They were rich, they were all beyond rich… they just had to get this treasure back to their ships, and they'd never have to do any work for the rest of their lives!
()~~()~~()~~()~~()
~Five years later~
"Nora, you can't jump from there!" Jaune was trying to stop the woman from leaping from the trees, looking over his shoulder desperately for Ren. The one time he needed Ren to be around and stop Nora from being herself would be the one time he was doing something else. "Nora, just climb down and we'll find Ren!"
"I don't want to climb down! It's not the same! And it's slower! Jaune, you're not being any fun!" Nora stuck her tongue out at Jaune, leaning off her branch dangerously. "You all said we'd have lots of fun when we were here!"
"We have had fun," Jaune protested weakly, trying to make sure that Nora wasn't going to fall too hard if she jumped. "No Navy, the four of us finding new things, spending the treasure… a new adventure every day. You've had fun!"
"But where's Ren?" Nora called down, deciding not to jump suddenly. It was no fun if Jaune was expecting it, and even five years later, teasing him about it was more fun than actually making him do something.
Five glorious years where they had let their crews go to spread the last legends of Pyrrha and Nora, and they had spent them exploring their island, finding something new every day. Every few months two of them would go to the nearest civilized port for supplies, or to sell off any new pieces that they had found throughout their explorations.
It was just Jaune's luck that Nora was overly excited just hours before Ren was due to return.
"I want Ren and Pyrrha!" Nora called down, swinging her legs excitedly. "They had that huge emerald we found last time, you know? I want to know what they got for it! And Ren will make us good food, and…"
It had been a challenge, getting a decent kitchen made, but it had been worth it. They had their privacy, their riches, and each other. That last part was mostly Nora's insistence that Pyrrha come back and join them once she retired, but as Pyrrha had to lie low for a while, her temporary hide-out had become permanent retirement.
"They're on the way," Jaune promised, his hands still moving in a vain attempt to get Nora to calm. Ren and Pyrrha saw it as they moved closer, amused more than either one would admit at their friend's antics.
"Ren!" Nora was the first to notice the pair, waving so cheerfully that it almost looked as if the movement would knock her off her perch. "You're back!"
Ren waved once, putting his hands back into his pockets as they moved closer. Nora would want to see everything they got in exchange for that bit of their pirate stash… but he would wait until they were alone to show her the diamond he'd found just for her.
And there it is guys! It took longer than I expected, especially now that I've had tests, and now I've got finals coming up, so… yeah, that was pretty much all that made it take this long. But now that I finished this, I wanted to get it up after it took so long! Anyway, thanks so much for reading and I'll see you in the next chapter!