Morg: Heyo! Remember when you said I take forever to update?

Ikuto: This doesn't prove anything.

Amu: No, but you should show me how long forever is.

Morg: Neither one of you are funny. And I enjoy knowing that isn't my fault.

Ikuto: In a way, it is.

Amu: You make everything less fun.

Morg: Rude.

~The Eighth Sea~

Ikuto stood next to his sister as the crew worked to drop the anchor in the small cove next to the island they were hoping to spend the next few days at. He was ready to do just about anything to make sure that their stay there wasn't exciting. He wanted a boring few days on a beach without interacting with any creatures besides some fish.

Utau held the ship steady as the anchor caught and the ship drifted to a stop. "That should be a tight enough hold that we don't hit anything when the tide changes."

"Are you worried about the coral?"

Shaking her head, Utau tied off the helm. "Kukai kept an eye out as we came in. He signaled that it should be fine. I'll stay on the ship tonight to keep an eye on it."

Ikuto turned to smirk at his sister. "And I'm sure that he'll stay with you."

Ignoring her brother, Utau nodded. "Yes. Just in case."

"Sure."

"Shouldn't you be getting the boats ready?"

Laughing, Ikuto tugged his sister into a hug before quickly letting her go and calling out orders to the rest of the crew to get ready to go ashore.

"Captain?"

Stopping, Ikuto turned to find Dia leaning against the railing of the ship. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired," Dia responded with a soft smile. "I'm going to stay here, Captain. I don't feel like going ashore this time."

Nodding, Ikuto couldn't help but be thankful that Dia was going to take time to rest on their ship. "Is there anything you'd like me to bring you from the island?"

Dia felt her mind drift for a moment before she smiled. "You'll know it when you see it."

Ikuto scowled playfully before letting out an exaggerated sigh. "I hate it when you do this to me."

"I know."

Glad to see her smiling again, Ikuto left Dia where she was and went to help the others ready their boats. "Does everyone have everything they need? I don't want to row anyone back out here tonight!"

The captain received a chorus of people confirming they were ready. He didn't believe them for a second but gave the all-clear as Yoru approached him with their things. "Then let's get off this ship and see what sort of mischief we can get up to on land!"

Amu cheered with the others as she helped lower her rowboat from the deck of the ship after everyone was seated that should be. She and the other girls were ready with their tools to find the trees they needed to make the repairs that the ship desperately needed.

"Which way do you want to go first, Amu?"

The pinkette looked out across the water as she released the ropes on their boat so the others could row them toward shore. There were quite a few trees lining the beach they were making their way toward. "Let's see where we decide to set up camp and where the best place for us to work would be. Do you have our measurements somewhere safe?"

Miki scoffed at that before patting her chest. "I have them tucked into my shirt. They aren't going anywhere."

"If they end up wet then we're going to have to go back and make more."

Miki shook her head as she turned away from Amu to look at the island. "If they end up wet then someone else is going to end up dead."

Rima laughed at that as they neared the beach. "For someone that lives on a ship, you sure don't like to get wet."

Sniffing, Miki turned her head away from the other carpenter. "I live on the ship. Not under it."

Amu shook her head as she smiled without either of the two bickering girls being able to see her face. She returned the wave that Ran sent her from the other rowboat before turning her gaze back to the island. She really just wanted one of their stops to go smoothly. She wanted to cut down some trees and leave.

And really, Amu thought, that shouldn't be too hard of a task.

XXX

Ikuto kept a firm gaze on the girls along the edge of the trees. He wasn't even trying to be subtle as he watched them. Too many things tended to go wrong when the crew split up on islands. Hell, it went wrong when they didn't split up.

Dia had assured him that she didn't sense any immediate danger, but she hadn't on the last island. Ikuto shuddered as he pushed the memory from his mind. There was no reason to think about that.

He'd sent Nagi, Iru, Daichi, and Temari to do some scouting and see if they could find a freshwater source. He'd also been quite firm that they report back any sightings of any indications that they were not alone on the island. He would not ignore anything of the sort ever again.

While he made sure to keep an eye on all of his crew members, Ikuto kept making sure Amu was doing okay. He knew that no one was going to call him out on staring at her, but he was ready with an excuse if someone did. He likely didn't need it since Kukai had stayed on the ship with Utau. Ikuto had one anyway.

If anyone bothered to point out where his eyes lingered, Ikuto was ready to tell them that he was watching Amu because the last time she'd been on an island like this, things went badly for her. He was ready to tell them that he was just making sure that she was doing okay with being ashore again. He was ready to tell them to get back to work. He was ready to ignore them completely.

He was not ready to watch Amu laugh with the other girls as they cut down a tree and began to drag it onto the beach. He was not ready to see her smiling with everyone else while they worked. He was not ready to watch her tip her head back so that the sunlight fell on her face as if she was basking in it.

Swallowing hard, Ikuto dragged his gaze away from Amu as she met with Miki and Rima at the base of another tree. He didn't look back as the sound of the ax hitting a tree sounded. He was really glad that she seemed to be doing well.

"Sir?"

Turning, Ikuto found Kairi wiping his hands off on a rag. "You doing okay, doc?"

"Fine," Kairi said as he adjusted his glasses. "Musashi finally let me properly look at the gash on his arm. Thank you for not sending him off to scout."

Ikuto chuckled at that. "Of course, is there anyone else that you need me to make sure stays put long enough for you to look at them?"

"Just yourself and Amu."

"What? Why?"

Kairi sighed as he sat on the rock next to his captain. "You both went through some things. I've been meaning to talk to Amu since the sirens. She's not an easy one to pin down."

Ikuto glanced back over to where Amu was working with Nadeshiko to cut another tree to different lengths. From the look of it, Amu was tired of not having extra wood on hand. "She does always seem to be moving."

"Neither are you, captain."

"I'm fine, Kairi."

"You don't look it, sir."

Sighing, Ikuto looked back at the ship's doctor. "What do you need from me?"

Kairi studied Ikuto hard for a moment. "Do you need to talk about it?"

Chuckling rather dryly, Ikuto shook his head. "Not about being buried alive, no."

"You came very close to dying."

"I have done that before."

"That doesn't mean it gets easier."

Sighing again, Ikuto looked out at the ship. His ship. "It doesn't. And this time was especially bad because Amu was there. I wasn't just worried about myself."

"You are a great captain to worry so much about your crew."

Ikuto was well aware that no one else knew of his feelings for and about Amu. He wasn't about to tell any of them about them, either. "If I didn't care then none of you would follow me."

Kairi was silent for a moment before nodding his head just once. "That's true. There is not a single member of this crew that would be willing to sail with you if you were like any of the other captains we've met."

Ikuto grimaced at that. He knew some of the places his crew members had come from. "I'm honestly fine with what happened, Kairi. I'm more worried about the future than anything else. Dia's vision and the choices we have before us are weighing heavily on my mind."

Kairi studied his captain for another moment before getting to his feet and dusting off his pants. "And that's why we'll follow your lead."

"Because I worry?"

"Yes," Kairi responded while adjusting his glasses. "You care about us, Ikuto. You would not lead us into danger for selfish reasons."

"I would give each of you a choice. I would never make any of you do something you didn't want to do."

"And that's why you are our captain."

Ikuto stared after Kairi as the doctor walked away from him. He knew what his crew thought of him and what he thought of his crew. He'd just never had anyone say it quite like Kairi had. There was no doubt in the man's mind that the others would be behind whatever decision Ikuto came to.

That thought made Ikuto all the more aware that he would never make the decision without input from his crew. They would decide what to do together or they would not do anything at all.

The rest of the day passed without much happening. The members of the crew on the island completed their chores. Ikuto helped with building a fire pit and starting a bonfire for Su to cook over.

The gunners were able to find a small stream of fresh water and went about refilling the buckets and jugs they'd brought from the ship.

Amu and the carpenters worked to get the wood they had ready to be taken back to the ship. They'd have to change out with other members of the crew that had elected to stay on the ship for the first night the next day to begin repairs.

As the sun went down, Ikuto sat with his crew and watched as they laughed and joked about things amongst themselves. He didn't bother to join in on the fun, content to just watch it play out. He knew that they deserved the rest. The future wasn't looking so bright. He was not about to make them face it when they had time to put it off for one more night.

Amu dropped onto the sand next to Ikuto. "If we don't get the repairs done tomorrow, then it won't take much the day after to get them done. We could even do them while at sea."

Nodding, Ikuto kept his gaze on his crew. "If this island continues to be peaceful, I think we'll stay here for a day or two longer."

Amu didn't respond to that. She knew the weight that was sitting on Ikuto's shoulders couldn't be easy for him to bear.

They sat there for a moment longer before Amu cleared her throat. "I know that you haven't known me for long."

Ikuto winced at that but said nothing so that Amu would continue.

"But I want you to know that if the crew decides they don't want to help you get the final piece, I'll help you row a boat to that island to find the dragons. I'm sure Kukai will be able to handle the ship until we manage to rescue your father."

Ikuto's gaze snapped to Amu as her words registered. "What?"

"I'm sure Tadase and Kiseki wouldn't expect you to be on a ship that isn't yours. I'm sure they'll continue to chase The Lynx. Hell, I'll build you a small sailing boat to take us there. We'll get him, Ikuto. You don't have to give up."

Chuckling, mostly out of disbelief, Ikuto turned to look back at the fire as his brain processed what Amu had just said. She was trying to cheer him up. He knew that. Still, her words had him thinking. "Amu, I think you might just be a genius."

Smiling, though she wasn't entirely sure why, Amu leaned to nudge her shoulder against Ikuto's. "I know."

Shaking his head, Ikuto felt the night become that much more fun as a plan took shape in his mind. "You don't."

"Explain it to me then."

Getting to his feet, Ikuto smirked down at the girl still sitting on the sand. "Can't. Not yet. You'll find out with the rest of the crew."

Amu couldn't help but feel amused as she watched Ikuto quickly make his way to Kairi and whisper something to the doctor that had him standing and following Ikuto to the rowboats. Whatever idea Ikuto had just had, the captain wasn't ready to share it with just anyone. Amu could be patient and wait until he was ready.

As long as he was ready within the next day or two.

.

Morg: There we go.

Ikuto: Finally. A break!

Amu: Should have just said 'The End' and left it with them moving onto the island.

Morg: I am seriously glad that you have no say in my stories.