Morg: Heyo! I know right!? Two chapters in one month is madness!

Ikuto: Not really.

Amu: But you have been updating a lot.

Morg: Heck yeah! Gonna get a lot of stories done and new ones posted!

Ikuto: Great.

Amu: Thank the heavens you don't own us.

Morg: Naw, don't thank them. It's my lack of funds fault.

Ikuto: Thank you, Morg's empty bank account.

~The Eighth Sea~

While the cove had been full of deadly sirens, it would have been much safer than the open sea. Especially, in the middle of a giant storm. No one had really been paying attention to where they were going. With so many injuries to look after and most of the crew just hugging each other and being thankful to be alive, they weren't looking at the sky.

Since that was the case, they basically sailed blind into a storm. It was raining before anyone even noticed that it was storming. From there, everyone was scrambling to get things tied down so that they could weather the storm. It was pushing them all over the ocean. The waves were huge and rocked the ship without mercy.

From her place inside her cabin, Amu clutched Utau's hand. They'd been ordered to stay out of the way. The girl that Amu was currently holding onto was pissed about that, which was part of the reason that Amu was holding onto her. She was trying to make sure that Utau didn't rush out in an attempt to help. The bump on her head wasn't a joke. Utau really did need to just wait for the others to take care of things. "They know what they're doing."

Grinding her teeth, Utau glared at the pinkette. She reminded herself that she wasn't angry with Amu. Still, it was easy to pretend that she was. "This is my ship, Amu. I'm the one that steers it. I know it better than anyone but maybe Ikuto. It sucks to just sit here and do nothing."

There was no way that Amu was going to argue with that. "I hear you. I would rather be up the mast helping to tie down the sails, but I also know that my muscles can't handle it right now. Plus, I don't really want to get wet again."

Shuddering, Utau squeezed the hand in hers. There was a point to what Amu was saying. After spending time underwater in the cove, Utau really didn't feel like getting soaked. Even if it wasn't saltwater this time. "I hate being unable to help."

"It might be the worst thing ever."

Having Amu there did make Utau feel a bit better. She might have been skeptical about Amu at first, but she respected the other girl now. Amu was hardworking and would never let others do the work that she could do herself. Utau was definitely okay with calling Amu a member of their crew. The girl had more than earned it. "I just wish that Kukai and Ikuto hadn't rushed right back out there."

Humming, Amu couldn't help but agree. It wasn't her place to say whether or not Ikuto and Kukai needed to rest. Utau definitely meant more to the two males, but they were the captain and the first mate. They had jobs to do that couldn't be done by anyone else. Amu respected them more for not thinking twice about going out into the storm. "I just hope they're staying safe."

Utau couldn't do anything but agree with that. What they needed was to find somewhere to take shelter. There was no telling where they were, however, due to the fact that they'd just randomly sailed away from the cove with the sirens. No one knew where they were and Utau couldn't figure it out without the stars. So they'd just have to wait out the storm. "Everyone else will watch out for them."

There was a truth to Utau's words. The crew was more like a big family than anything else. Amu had learned that quickly once she'd become more and more accepted by the people in the crew. She was very thankful to be with them. "Come on, we should go and see if Su needs help with anything. I'm starving."

Following the other girl, Utau didn't bother to keep her balance as the ship rolled underneath her feet. She used the walls to keep from falling and hurting herself worse as she and Amu headed for the kitchens and mess hall. There they found Su still cooking despite the weather. "Su? Need any help?"

Smiling, Su motioned to the chairs that were sliding around the room. "Have a seat. You guys look more like you need to eat than you need to help."

Rubbing her throat, Amu sighed as she did what Su said. "I don't think I can handle much right now. My throat hurts from all the saltwater."

Tsking, Su moved about to get other things for the two girls before her. She had heard all about what had happened in the cove and she wasn't exactly happy with the story. "I'll get you some soup then. I expect you to eat it all before you leave to go get some sleep."

Utau doubted that she'd be sleeping during the storm, but she nodded and did as Su commanded. Once she was finished, she placed her hand on Amu's shoulder as a silent goodbye before slipping out the door.

Sighing, Amu squeezed her eyes shut. She only opened them when Su was suddenly in front of her.

"Amu?"

"I'm okay. Just a bit shaken up still. Some sleep will do me good."

Su doubted that but didn't stop Amu when she got up to leave. Instead, Su went back to cooking for the other members of the crew that were certain to be starving once they finished their tasks.

Making her way to the bunk she still shared with Su, Amu groaned as she dropped onto the bed. When she closed her eyes all she could see was the bottom of the cove. That had her snapping her eyes right back open. The bottom of the bunk above her was much better to look at.

Pretending to be asleep when the others came in, Amu turned toward the wall and hugged herself as the ship continued to be tossed about. There would be no rest for her. Not that night and possibly not for a while.

XXX

The sea was calm so Ikuto allowed Utau to figure out where they were. Once they knew their position, Ikuto began looking for a nearby island on his map. They needed a break, each and every member of the crew was running on fumes and Ikuto wanted to give them a rest on land.

"This looks like a good one."

Looking at the spot that Kukai was pointing out, Ikuto gave a shrug of his shoulders. "We don't know much about that island."

Tapping his fingers against the map, Kukai looked up at his captain. It was clear to the first mate that the captain was in need of a break as much as the rest of them. "Then maybe it is time we go find out more about it."

With a sigh, Ikuto nodded. "Set the course, let's sail for the island. I want to spend three days there at least. If it is a nice place, then we'll mark it as a place that we should return to again."

With his orders, Kukai saluted his captain and left the cabin. It wouldn't take them too long to reach the island. Kukai was quite looking forward to having a break from the ocean for a few days.

XXX

The cove on the south side of the island was deep enough for them to get their ship in and anchor it near shore. They still used the small boats to get to and from shore, but everyone was glad to be on the island for however long they could spare to be there.

With a sigh, Amu dug her bare toes into the sand. She'd removed her boots almost right away to enjoy the sand and the land. Her legs felt funny, but she knew that they would for a little while. Sailing did that to everyone. "Come on, let's explore a bit."

Ran grinned before following Amu into the trees that lined the beach. "This place is going to be really relaxing."

Smiling in return, Amu pushed some of the leaves out of their way so that they could keep going further into the center of the island. There was a small stream that they found with fresh water. "We should tell the others about this so that we can restock our water supplies."

Too busy with looking around, Ran let out a surprised noise before hopping across stones to get over the small stream. "Look at this!"

Amu felt suddenly a lot more alert since Ran was holding something that was clearly supposed to be like a necklace. It was made of animal bones and seashells and it gave Amu the creeps. "We should take that to the captain."

Not one to argue, Ran brought the trinket back across the stream. She followed Amu back through the trees and to the beach.

Ikuto looked up and frowned at Amu's worried face. That was until he caught sight of what Ran was carrying. "What is this?"

"We found it near a freshwater stream."

Examining the necklace, Ikuto hummed a bit. "This looks old."

No one said anything as Ikuto continued to study the jewelry.

Sighing, Ikuto looked around at his ragged crew. "I don't think whoever made this is still around. But just in case I'm wrong, make sure someone is always with you. Don't go exploring on your own and be wary of dangers. Am I clear?"

Everyone chorused back that they understood. That still didn't make Amu feel all that much better. She was aware, however, that everyone needed this break. She couldn't throw a fit right then and there and get people back on the ship. Not when they looked the way that they looked.

Instead, she gave a silent sigh and looked back at the trees. She felt as though they were looking right back at her.

XXX

Night fell and the crew made fires on the beach and celebrated the finding of another piece of the map. Amu joined in with their party for a while before moving off to the side. She wasn't all that happy. Not with what they had to go through to get that piece of the map. Was whatever it led to really that important? Amu was starting to think that it wasn't.

"You know, I said that no one should go off on their own."

Shocked, Amu turned to find Ikuto leaning against a tree next to her. "I'm not really that far away from the others. I can still see everyone and if they turned to look, they'd see me, too."

Sighing, Ikuto moved to sit next to Amu. "That's not the point of the rule."

Amu knew that. But sometimes she just wanted to be alone. The last couple of days on the boat had been terrible for her. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw sirens ripping through the hull of the ship to sink it so that they could claim every member of the crew. "I know."

Ikuto wasn't entirely sure what he was doing. He'd originally intended to make Amu rejoin everyone else, but now that he was beside her, he didn't think he could make her do it. She looked terrible. "Are you having trouble sleeping?"

The question was asked so quietly that Amu almost thought that she had imagined it. She was having nightmares that kept her awake for most of the night. And when she did find sleep during the day, it was never restful. "I see them still."

Not having to ask to understand what Amu was talking about, Ikuto reached out to place his hand on Amu's shoulder. "We got out. You got Utau out. You should not be afraid of that place, Amu."

Squeezing her eyes shut, Amu let out a groan before looking up at the night sky. The stars were beautiful where they glistened so far above. They were pure and untouched. Amu was jealous of them. "It isn't just the graveyard. I see the sirens. They're breaking through the hull to drag us all to their seaweed chains. Everyone dies and I can't do a thing about it."

Ikuto hadn't been planning to do anything more than pat Amu's shoulder, but suddenly he was pulling her into his arms and rubbing her back. "I would never let that happen. We won't go back near that place. The sirens can't leave it."

Amu wasn't so sure but she wasn't going to argue. Ikuto could say that there were safe if he wanted to, but that didn't mean that Amu actually felt safe. She did feel better after he hugged her than she had all day though. "I am so thankful that Utau doesn't have any memory of that place."

Releasing Amu, Ikuto also took a glance at the stars. However, he wasn't really seeing them. No, he was sending his thanks to the heavens that his sister had been spared that sight. "She would not be handling it as well as you are."

"That's just it, Ikuto. I'm not handling it well at all."

The captain didn't have a reply right away for the girl sitting next to him. "You're a strong person, Amu. You were able to escape from that man that had wanted to marry you. You stowed away on a pirate's ship without knowing what your fate was going to be. You helped me trick that man back at the port and you've fixed the ship from top to bottom. Even if you aren't doing such a good job of handling the sirens right now, I know that you're going to be okay. You don't give up. This won't break you either."

Amu moved to say something in response. She felt tears in her eyes and wanted to thank the captain for his words. But something struck the back of her head before she was able. The world went black and Amu felt herself falling forward. Just before everything was gone, she heard Ikuto let out a grunt of pain.

XXX

Waking for only a few seconds, Amu swayed as she heard voices around her chanting something she couldn't understand. Then she was moving and everything was making her sick so she closed her eyes and fell back asleep.

The second time that Amu woke up, she felt someone very close to her. She tried her best to move away and found that she couldn't. All she could do was feel more of whoever it was she was on top of.

"Would you quit moving?"

"Ikuto?"

"Yeah?"

"What happened?"

Ikuto shifted for a bit before thudding his head down onto the wood below him. He knew what had happened and it wasn't a good thing at all. "I think we've been buried alive."

XXX

Snapping out of a trance, Dia scrambled up to find Kukai. The first mate was sitting beside the fire with Utau in his lap. They were just enjoying the way the light was flickering in the darkness. Ordinarily, Dia would never disturb them. However, this was dire. "Kukai! We must get back to the ship!"

Sitting up quickly, Kukai stared for a moment before he realized that it was Dia that had spoken. They all knew better than to question Dia's judgment. "What happened?"

"I'm afraid that this island is inhabited! And they got Amu and Ikuto! We have to hurry!"

Scrambling, Kukai got everyone moving. And though they were reluctant, the crew followed orders and returned to the ship. Especially, when they heard that Amu and Ikuto had been kidnapped.

Once everyone was on board, Kukai turned back to Dia. "How do we save them?"

Dia closed her eyes and shook her head. "All I can see is darkness. They're somewhere very dark. But I know we have to find them quickly. They'll die if we don't."

Squaring his shoulders, Kukai turned to look at the island that was supposed to be their place of rest. "We will go at first light."

.

Morg: There is no rest for the wicked.

Ikuto: This just isn't fair.

Amu: Just let everyone die and the story be over.

Morg: Doesn't work that way!