The Betrayed Marionette

~.~.~

In the dark Amu couldn't see a thing, but she heard Ikuto rush past her; heard the kicking of rocks and the creak of the ladder; heard it shudder and echo as he jumped to skip the broken step. He scrambled to the top and with all his might he banged and pounded on that doorway to the outside world, but it was shut fast, lodged tight with disuse and decay. Ikuto cursed quietly, his breath echoing about the pit, and landed back with a 'thud!' on the ground. There was a moment of silence. And then he began, carefully-

"Amu-"

"Don't say it." She snapped. "I know. I know we're trapped down here."

The truth of the matter was almost painful - more so in the pressing quiet that ensued. This was just their luck… To be left stranded on a desert isle in the darkness with no one to call for help. Amu was doing her best to remain calm, focusing on her breathing - in and out and in and out - for fear of becoming faint, when Ikuto sighed, feeling his way back to her.

"Well," he began with the air of one who is resigned to their fate; "it's only a matter of time until one of the crew comes upon us down here." He said. Privately, Amu admired his optimism, but said nothing of it. "I'll wager one of them will find this place on their way back to the boats, but as for how long that'll take…"

It really didn't bear thinking about, as far as Amu was concerned. She swiftly tried to change the subject. "At least we've found the safehouse." She uttered drily, but Ikuto wasn't listening. He was rummaging about in his pockets. Eventually he produced a tinderbox from somewhere deep within his coat - she heard it rattling about; smelt it as he blindly fiddled about with his matches. All of a sudden she was overcome by alarm. "Ikuto, don't-!"

His voice echoed back to her, filled with bewilderment. "What?"

Honestly, she thought, did men have no common sense? "What if there's powder down here?"

There was a pause - a pause of such length that in any other situation might've made Amu glad, for it was then she knew that he had understood her. Who knew what was laying about in those crates about the walls. She silently basked in her little victory of logic.

"Ah," Ikuto said. And then, after a moment of thought; "Well… We've not really much choice down here, have we?"

Again, alarm struck within her chest. He couldn't be serious! How could it have slipped his mind, she thought? Even pirate ships, filled with magazines of wood and ammunition, were strict about smoking!

"Ikuto!" Amu protested. "Are you insane? You'll blow up this whole damned pit!"

She heard a huff though the darkness. Ikuto's response was exasperated. "Fine!" He threw up his hands. "We'll just sit down here in the dark until someone happens to come upon us, shall we?"

To say that she was irked by his tone was an understatement. "Don't you get sarcastic with me, ruffian! I'd very much like to be found alive and uncharred when the crew comes back for us!"

All at once the echo seemed to snap back in Amu's ears. The bite of her voice, now reverberating tenfold round the walls of the pit, struck her to the core and immediately she shrunk back, cheeks burning in shame. Arguments with Ikuto were an unpleasant business.

Reflecting on her own actions, Amu was suddenly aware of the silence that had settled all around them. She gnawed on her lip guiltily. Perhaps he was right. Perhaps it would be foolish to just sit here and do nothing for hours on end. Finally, she caved. She thought of the tinderbox, though she could not see it.

"Do you… Do you really think it will be safe?"

Her voice sounded small and weak now, laced with trepidation as she considered their options. And it certainly didn't help that his response was altogether unconvincing;

"I suppose a little light never hurt anyone." He said after a moment. There was a pause. And then; "Besides…" A painfully familiar lilt of mischief crept back into Ikuto's tone. "I'd very much like to look upon your beautiful face once more, my love."

That suave, smooth tone she knew so well filtered through the darkness so much so that she could practically feel the smirk on his face. The heat rose on the back of her neck, creeping ever forwards onto that aforementioned beautiful face. Finally, unimpressed, but seeing no other alternative, Amu conceded.

"Fine," she resigned; "light it if you wish, but I swear to God, Ikuto-!"

She was interrupted by the smell of sulfur and the hissing of smoke. Amu flinched, squeezing her eyes shut as they awaited some dreadful flare of explosion… But none came. Even with so small a flame, it took them a moment to adjust. When Amu opened her eyes, Ikuto's features were highlighted, the firelight dancing in his eyes; dimmed in the glow, but vibrant and infinite as the sky at sunset. The rest of the pit slowly came into view. Beams held up the low ceiling. Crates and equipment were dotted about the place and piles and piles of old gold coins glittered in corners, filled barrels…

But that was not what made Amu's heartbeat stop. That was not what pooled her stomach with dread.

No…

Bones.

Bones upon bones upon bones.

With a dreadful, icy chill Amu realised… It was not rocks that she had landed upon; that was what had cracked; that was what she'd been idly scuffing about with her boot ever since they had landed down here and she recoiled, pressing herself up against the wall, staring down in utter horror at the upturned skull at her feet, it's dark, lifeless eyes fixed hauntingly upon her.

At first glance Amu couldn't count how many there were. She was too busy fighting back the rising panic, wishing that they were not buried alive in this forgotten grave to rot with them. They were everywhere. Ribcages jutting out from the soil; femurs abandoned to the earth; hands reaching up from the dirt as though desperate - fighting for the daylight and for the world they'd been so cruelly cut from. Some of them lay amongst bullets, broken up, their rags of clothing torn and tattered about them. Amu didn't want to know how they had gotten here. She just wanted to flee far from this place and all who haunted it.

"Poor bastards…" Ikuto whispered beside her. He stepped forth, waving the tinderbox as his only source of light. The firelight fell upon the walls. Dried and brittle parchments were nailed above what looked to be an old workbench and it was then that they knew for sure that this was indeed Kazuomi's safehouse, for Lock and Key motifs were drawn upon them amongst the symbols that made up his private code. Ikuto breathed; "How many have died for so small a thing?"

Amu did not know, but she did not want to be among them.

Just what had Kazuomi done to them?

"Look, Ikuto," she plucked up the courage to step back into the middle of the deathly pit and grabbed his sleeve with a shaky hand. The darkness was gathering at the edge of the safehouse - impenetrable despite their little light. It was an opening…

A tunnel.

Amu and Ikuto exchanged wary glances, as if daring the other to venture forth first. But it was a risky endeavour. To venture far could be their downfall, for on the one hand it was surely wise not to stray too far from the hatchway and their (hopefully) eventual rescue, but on the other it would be almost foolish to wait for a rescue that was not guaranteed. What if the crew never came across this place? What then? Were they to wait endlessly in the dark and decay alongside those who now lay scattered across the bottom of this God-forsaken hole? Yet there was so much at stake and so much to consider. How far did this passage go? Would it lead them to another opening? What if it was a dead end? What lay before them in this new adventure?

It felt like an eternity had passed when finally one of them felt the courage to decide.

"Come on." Ikuto urged bravely, though his gaze was reluctant as he shone the light upon the skeletons clawing their way across the entrance. "There's got to be something more down there."

And he pulled Amu, who was still stock-still in both terror and awe, gently to his side by the elbow, facing the passage, but he turned to one of the barrels and the crates before leaving and filled his deep pockets to the brim with gold.

"For the men," he said; "they've got to have something to show for all this."

Amu said nothing. She was staring ahead, all her focus on putting one foot in front of the other as they made their way across the cavern and into the tunnel, just praying that they would come out safe on the other side.

~.~.~

By mid-morning, Utau and her ragtag band of buccans had managed to make reasonable progress despite the heat. They had headed westwards, following a rise in the jungle where the forest paths were surprisingly clear when placed in comparison to the previous isle they had visited. The vegetation here was still overgrown, but the brush was far less intrusive and tangled roots quickly gave way to long grasses and shrubs and low-lying leaves standing stark and green against the flowering bushes, overshadowed by tall palms and other slender, towering trees that the pirates could not name. All seemed practically suited to the hotter, if less humid, climate. Birds cried faintly all around them. As they passed through a break in the canopy, sunlight radiated down like a halo onto the forest floor and shone so that they could see droves of great, deep blue butterflies dancing to their own intrinsic beat in the breeze.

By the time they'd reached the height of the isle's interior, they were all relieved to find a little well of water. It was a pitiful stream, trickling down from a rocky outcrop between the bushes, but it was clean and clear as crystal and, truthfully, the pirates were glad of the sight.

"Finally," Utau huffed with exertion after their onward climb, patting back her sweaty bangs and fanning her red cheeks. She ordered the men to rest a while and fill their water skins before they continued with their little scouting excursion. They did so gladly, washing their faces and drinking their fill as their quartermaster surveyed the area.

Utau stuck her cutlass into the dirt and looked around. They were still walled in by jungle on all sides, but visibility through the trees was fair and there was a distinctive breeze wafting in through the branches that told her that they were at high elevation and closer to the sea than they had been since starting out on their little endeavour. Indeed, the stream they'd all been enjoying seemed to fall away and out of sight just in front of her and on nearing closer to the edge of the clearing she found that there the ground dropped away suddenly and that the water fell noisily away down through a thicket of ferns that tumbled down to lower levels. It would be unwise to linger so close to the edge then, Utau reasoned, but nevertheless she remained, staring straight ahead, for the striking blue of the sky was visible through the leaves. Using her blade to brush aside the foliage, Utau found that there was nothing there to obstruct her view of the ocean and the sky above. They stretched infinitely on - azure and indigo and naught else for leagues upon leagues save for waves unbroken by land. She was standing atop a precipice - teetering on the very edge of the isle. She could have fallen to her death there and then, for the vegetation underfoot was slick and sodden with streamwater, but somehow Utau forgot this... And she could not deny that her heart was moved by the sight. In fact, all Utau found herself able to do was to wonder just when it was that the sight of the sea had begun to stir her heart so. After all, what good was to be said for this life she had so once vehemently hated? When had that oh-so frightened, teary-eyed little girl, taken unjustly from her bed in the middle of the night by a nameless horror and whisked away to be kept hidden from sight, grown into the intrepid explorer that stood here on the brink of the cliffside today, just wondering what lay beyond the horizon?

Or was it the sea she so craved? Was it the waters themselves? Somehow that didn't feel quite right. No…

Up ahead, a gigantic winged bird soared overhead, crying out for all to hear as it went.

'Ah…' Utau thought as her eyes followed the creature out and across the skyline… That was it. She realised it now.

'Freedom…'

It was not the sea itself. No. It was the desire to grow wings of her own and soar off to wherever the wind would take her - unhindered; unbound-

"Utau!"

The blonde could have absolutely obliterated the blaggard who saw fit to interrupt her in that moment. Fully torn from her reverie, she turned-

"Look! Over 'ere!"

-only to roll her eyes with exasperation. Of course it was him. It was no wonder.

"Kukai, what are you wittering on about?" she muttered, mostly to herself, before turning back to the group and picking her way across the clearing, but by this time the pirate in question was already off, hooting and hollering through the trees. Utau huffed. Honestly, she thought, he was like a distracted child, but obviously he'd spied something, so somewhat reluctantly she followed. "For goodness' sake - Kukai!"

Intrigued, the men behind her were close behind. They did not have to go very far. Utau could see the pirate in question a little way ahead through the tree trunks, stood towards the edge of the ridge.

"Over yonder! Look lads!"

When she emerged from the treeline, Utau and all the pirates found themselves standing upon what appeared to be a headland. Nothing grew here taller than the hip and the sun was blinding without the cover of the canopy, however that was not what made them squint and stare in wonder.

Below them the beach extended out into the blue waters to form a low-lying spit stretching all the way out to the shores of a second, smaller isle. Utau had known that there was a barrier isle marked on the map, but she had not expected it to be so big, if not very tall. Kukai was pointing excitedly at it. Presently, he came up beside Utau, a gentle hand on her shoulder (which in her daze she unbelievably didn't notice until much later on), and she followed his pointer finger up, up, up along the green side of the barrier isle, just at the point where its peak seemed split in two…

A point. A tattered flicker of white and a splash of red atop an extended beam.

"A mast!" she said aloud despite herself, her tone betraying her astonishment at such an unexpected sight.

"Aye, ma'am!" Kukai grinned. "On the other side! Oughta be a big one too."

"How old?" Someone said behind them.

There was a wave of murmurs as the crew beheld the sight of this new, mysterious vessel with a mixture of awe and trepidation. It was old, there was no doubt about that. The mast looked as though it was half-slumped against the rocky outcrop and the torn state of its flag spoke of some sorry affair long since passed. It had probably been swept against the isle by the waves in some disaster, Utau thought. A squall, perhaps, much like the one that had sent them straight to Musashi's Hidden Isle. Beside her, Kukai was brave enough to risk a playful little squeeze of the shoulder.

"C'mon, ma'am," he began, beaming in the sunlight. "What d'ya say?"

Utau turned her nose up out of habit, but, to her utter horror, she couldn't deny that she felt her cheeks flush pink at the sight of that roguish grin. She would kick herself for it later when she was safely locked away in her cabin for the night, away from those olive eyes that so warmed the soul of all who gazed upon them. It was inexplicable - unthinkable! - that such a power was concealed behind those emerald hues, not the least to Utau of all people whose stony countenance could absolutely strike a man cold to the core. But there was just something about them - something charismatic and welcoming; something that seemed to convey nothing but good health and harmony to all. After all, it was none other than their owner who had won over the trust of Her Highness so quickly. It was he who had been so bold as to gather the crew on her brother's capture and rally the toops, as it were, to his rescue. Utau supposed (if she was forced to think about it at all) that it had something to do with Kukai's uncanny ability to make the best out of every situation no matter how bleak. It had something to do with that carefree attitude; that happy-go-lucky streak that so defined his character. And, in all honesty, sometimes she was hard-pressed to find an explanation as to why it was that she felt herself obliged to find this pirate one of the most unbearable men on earth. Sometimes it was as if something had begun to… shift somewhere within her opinion of him.

Presently, Utau found herself in the midst of a dilemma. She could feel her face growing red - a shade that had absolutely never touched her cheeks before! She huffed, quickly looking away from the source of all her troubles. Quite frankly, she didn't know what was wrong with her. Thank god she could use the heat as an excuse if anyone noticed.

"We're not here to sightsee, Kukai." She said, thinking back to the matter at hand, and, though that in itself was true, she reasoned it was their mission to scope out this rock as best they could. But still… She looked at the extending spit dubiously. It didn't exactly look like the sturdiest of land bridges she'd ever seen.

If Kukai had noticed her change in demeanour, he was utterly oblivious to it. He hummed in thought. "Well, nah…" he began, finally taking his hand from her and using it to scratch the back of his head in a way that might have been endearing had they not been trekking all day in the midday heat in the middle of nowhere just waiting for their former captain to jump out of the jungle at them at any moment. Oblivious to this, Kukai went on; "But it seems to me like the kinda place your old stepfather'd been attracted to, ya know?" And he grinned again, rubbing his fingertips together deviously. "Maybe there's a bit o' something' shiny down there for us!"

At the mere mention of gold, it seemed that the crew could from then on find no fault in Kukai's plan. The men were whispering amongst each other, looking back out over the waters at the barrier isle with a newfound twinkle in their eyes, but Utau pursed her lips, regarding that place and all its peaks with apprehension. There was just something stirring in her gut that seemed to make her hesitate as she gazed upon that tattered flag, though she could not find any reason behind it.

But, in the end, Utau decided that, given her earlier unexpected display of girlish stupor, she probably wasn't in the best frame of mind to judge the situation at that moment and so, finally, she conceded to humour him.

"Very well." She said to Kukai after a while. "Fill up the water skins. We should make it there shortly."

Jubilantly the men whooped and cheered at the prospect of this new adventure and, filing their way through the grass, made it back through the way they had come. Utau paused only once, looking back briefly through the trunks of the trees towards the peak of the smaller isle. Then, all at once, the canopy swallowed them whole.

~.~.~

The air was stifling, the tension unbearable as inch by inch they delved deeper into unknown territory, tip-toeing cautiously lest some undiscovered evil be awoken at the fall of their steps or the slight of their breath in this hitherto uncharted place.

Amu and Ikuto were progressing slowly, unaware of how long had yet passed, yet it felt as though they had been going forever, descending down, down, down into the darkness with nothing but their little light to guide them. Ikuto led with the tinderbox held aloft, their shadows stretching long and ominously behind them. All the while Amu looked warily at the little candle and prayed it wouldn't go out. The very thought of being left alone down here in total darkness was almost too awful to bear and so she was constantly on the lookout for any debris that might have been suitable to turn into a makeshift torch. Eventually though they came across a pile of what looked to be broken support beams (for this section of the tunnel was undoubtedly a man made structure) and, with a bundle of frills torn from Amu's sleeves and wrapped tightly around it, they were able to make substantially more light than their little tinderbox ever could for which Amu was grateful. It felt less claustrophobic with better visibility, but all the same it was… strange down here. The floor was uneven, delving here and there into ditches or rising just enough that their heads began to brush the ceiling. The walls were riddled with little hollows, some extending so far back into the soil that even their torch could shine no light on them, but those that were shallow were marked with a telltale tinge of gold.

They knew by now that this must have been the reason for Kazuomi's presence on the island. Gold-lust must have led him to have his men dig deep into the ground, for the odd bit of metal or hilt of wood told them that this was indeed some sort of former mine. But, gold or no gold, that didn't make their situation any more rewarding. It was still hot; still cramped. At one point Amu saw a thick, hairy spider scuttle across the floor and immediately hiked up her skirt, making a mental note to most definitely try and procure some breeches for their next little island getaway. After all, she was a pirate now. Who cared about propriety?

It wasn't long after this encounter that the rest of the local fauna began to make themselves known. Ikuto didn't even see the curtain of webs until he'd already passed through them. He immediately stilled, frame rigid. Amu rushed towards him, taking a hold of his coat by the collar and throwing it towards the floor. Brushing off his shoulders, she looked at the ceiling warily. There was no telling how dangerous the makers of these threads could have been, though up close in the firelight what remained looked fairly tattered. They were most likely old, but neither of them were taking any chances.

"Anything?"

Ikuto's voice was unnaturally tense. Amu gave him the once over.

"No. No, you're fine." She breathed a sigh of relief and picked up his coat, shaking it a couple of times before handing it back. Ikuto took it reluctantly, a shiver creeping up his spine.

"Keep a close eye out. The big ones are ugly bastards, but the little ones probably pack a decent punch."

Silently, Amu agreed, but the edge in his voice made her lips twitch. She fought back a cheeky smile. "Ikuto… You're not afraid of spiders, are you?"

Suddenly the air between them felt a little easier, their peril forgotten at her teasing. Ikuto let out a breathy sort of chuckle.

"Please, Amu. I've lived with them long enough." And, now that the webs were behind them, he took up their light and continued to lead the way down the path. "You know a few years ago some moron - I think he was an old boatswain - accidently brought a whole nest of the things onto the ship." He said, ducking idly under a tangle of dry, leathery-looking roots that poked down from the ceiling. "We'd been in the east; anchored up on a popular little stopover for some supplies and this idiot trekked them in on some drywood he'd brought in from the jungle." A pause. Ikuto shrugged. "Turned out they quite liked our hold."

Amu felt her stomach drop. It must have shown on her now-pale face because he laughed aloud.

"I wouldn't worry, Your Highness, I haven't seen any of the little bastards in years."

She shivered despite the heat, her skin now itchy. The hairs were raised on her arms. She eyed their surroundings for any more dangers. "Ikuto! Don't make this any worse than it has to be! It's bad enough to be stuck down here in the dark as it is. I'll never be able to relax on your ship again!"

"They weren't venomous, or big, if that helps." Ikuto defended. "They were pretty easy to spot."

"Oh, well I'm sure relaxed now." She scoffed, muttering to herself as they picked their way over a patch of dry vines. "Spiders. Webs. I wonder what else might do me in down here! And keep an eye on that flame, Ikuto! Don't hold it so high!"

If he was being honest, he didn't even think he had been lifting their torch very high at all, but his eyebrow rose at her command.

"Would you like to take it instead?" He offered, if only to spare himself the argument.

"As a matter of fact I would." Amu replied, striding forth to bear the fire herself. The flames burned hot on her cheeks, her eyes swimming with gold as she turned back to add; "Don't be so reckless! You don't know what's down here! I'll bet that Ichinomiya probably left some powder hanging around. If he didn't want those poor souls back at the start of this tunnel to get out alive then he probably left a few surprises down here for them."

Ikuto hadn't been thinking about that - she could tell by the look on his face. "That's probably a safe bet." he admitted drily. He had to say, he didn't blame her for her caution. He hung back and graciously let Amu pass him, holding their little light cautiously and cast his eyes over the flickering walls. He had been thinking of at least trying to burn off a few of the dangling webs that hung above their heads, but, now that he reconsidered, Amu's tentative approach was probably for the best. Especially if his stepfather had rigged this subterranean maze, it was wise to pass through this place leaving as much as they could untouched. God, did he want to get out of this darkness. It was like taking the winding road down into hell, only at least then he might have had an inkling as to his destination, but down here, well, they had absolutely no idea what they were walking into or how long it would take.

Unsettled, they pressed on in silence.

At first their venture was thoroughly uneventful, though they went on with held breaths and cautious glances back into the gloom, poised for any danger they might yet meet, but it was not long before they came upon something of interest. Curious, Amu stopped to shine the light on the side of the passage. There was a gigantic delve into the rock just there - or once had been, they supposed, but now in its place there lay a pile of broken wood and rocky debris so wide that they had to press their backs up against the opposite wall to ease around it. It didn't take them long to realise that they were most probably looking upon the entrance to a side tunnel long caved in, but whether by age and decay or by purpose they could not tell.

And that was not all. It wasn't long before they found a similar feature some yards ahead. And another. And another all along the main tunnel at regular intervals.

"They've all been blocked." Amu murmured, looking with disappointment upon the fifth pile of rubble that lay in memory of a former passageway. "All of them…"

Ikuto grimaced. "I'll guess not by coincidence." He said. He thought back with a heavy heart to the souls buried in the bottom of the pit they had first found themselves trapped in. Suddenly it was as if the looming presence of their former Captain could be felt within every shadow, all-encompassing and inescapable. "Kazuomi must have caved them all in to stop his men from escaping."

Amu felt her stomach pool with dread for a moment, but as quickly as it came she realised; "That means there has to be another entranceway!" She gasped. A single ray of hope seemed to pierce the darkness of their predicament - blinding, filling her heart with a sudden optimism. Beside her, Ikuto nodded. As ever, her positive aura was catching.

And so they made on through the tunnels full of intent, pausing to examine every blocked pathway, taking their time to attempt to break through some of the stony barriers in the hopes of freedom, but for a long time none yielded and they were forced to press ont o the next. But still they would not be defeated. A fire of determination was burning in their hearts, teased with the prospect of a hidden way to the outside world. In the back of his mind, Ikuto had been starting to worry about the potential lack of oxygen, for they spent perhaps an hour steeply descending, but soon the path began to climb again and it appeared that some tunnels must have been closer to the surface than they initially thought, for they caught the sight of animal dens opening here and there and they saw vegetation roots creeping along the ceiling in the dim light of their fiery torch. Amu took much satisfaction in tearing up the last of her frills to feed the flames until they were forced to pluck some of the dry foliage to use as fuel. At one point, Ikuto tried to scramble up and follow the path of a root to the surface, but the dirt trickled down on them and they realised that, without caution, the ceiling would cave in on them entirely. They moved on.

"I wonder if this place was meant as storage once all the gold was mined." Ikuto said after a long while of silence. And, when Amu sent him a questioning glance; "For whatever treasure he hoped to find."

Amu pondered this quietly. Certainly these vast underground systems would make an ideal hiding place for copious amounts of gold even if the very notion of buried treasure was utterly cliché. Perhaps it was even the reason those men lay dead at the beginning of the tunnel complex, for surely any buried treasure location would have to have been kept a deadly secret.

Before Amu's mind could run away with her, she shook her head, continuing down the winding path. "Whatever it is, I don't like it." She said. Her thoughts travelled back to the Lock and Key motifs that Ikuto had found near the hatchway. At that very moment the Dumpty Key sat like a weight around her neck, yet something still felt empty inside at the loss of her beloved Lock. She mourned its absence nearly every day and it was true that her heart would not rest until the tyrant that was their former Captain was forced to give it up.

But then that brought other, more intriguing matters to the fore of her mind. Of course they would retrieve the Lock. Of course they had vowed to seek their foe and earn their just revenge for all he had done - for all the years of torment; for their imprisonment; for the blood that had been already spilt… But it dawned on Amu then that one day this would all be over… And on that day they would possess both the Humpty Lock and the Dumpty Key together.

With a thrill Amu remembered that night that she had sat and listened to Ikuto's stories by moonlight - of a pirate lord and the seven seas and fortune and wealth beyond measure…

In these trying times it was almost too easy to forget that somewhere out there might lie a Great Treasure.

Amu was itching with curiosity by this point. How could they rest until the two pieces had been brought together? How could they go on without striving to know what would be revealed when the Lock and Key combined for the first time in hundreds of years? They had been so consumed with their task - with the hunting of Kazuomi and their quest for vengeance - that they had not entertained the possibility and, now that Amu thought about it, she had almost quite forgotten. She glanced sideways at Ikuto. She wondered if he had forgotten too. Part of her wondered if he cared - he had been so blasé towards the whole story that she doubted he even thought it true. Even if it was, Amu realised that Ikuto was not in this for riches. Not for wealth nor power nor fortune. No, Ikuto was in this for his family. And that made her heart swell with pride a little.

"You think it's real then?" Amu asked after a while. "You think there really is a treasure to be found?"

She waited for Ikuto's response with bated breath, for it was not often that he expressed his opinion on the matter. In the dim light, Amu saw him shrug his shoulders.

"Who knows." He said frustratingly indifferently. "Kazuomi certainly believed it."

Unsatisfied, Amu pressed on. If there was one thing that frustrated her about her ruffian at times, it was that he still felt the need to guard his opinions, particularly those concerning the misfortunes of his own life. "It cannot be true," she went on; "you said it yourself - that it was a fairy-story."

Pondering this, they came to a stop in the dim light of the passageway. Ikuto hummed in thought. "Who knows…" he said finally. "Perhaps it'd make a nice payday for the crew for all their troubles. Unbelievable it might be, but it is the reason we're here. Why we're all here." And he laughed drily. "Sometimes I forget that it was not my stepfather's drive in life to simply make mine hell. After all, I only ever kept the Key to spite him."

That much was true, Amu thought, for it was sometimes easy to forget that Kazuomi's purpose was not merely to torture them - that they were not his ultimate aim. No, not them, but the treasure itself, yet every day the Lock and Key were kept apart the longer it would be until any of them stepped much closer to this mythical hoard of riches.

"But when we have them both," Amu whispered, the firelight creeping into her eyes, burning with curiosity; "the Lock as well, I mean… What would you do?"

Ikuto was silent, taken aback. Perhaps the thought had truly never crossed his mind before. She went on.

"The Great Treasure…" She began, eyes glowing in the light of the fire. "As the Captain of our ship… It could be owed to you."

There was a pause. Ikuto's face was unreadable. "To me?" he repeated faintly. And then he shook his head and looked away. "No… Not to me. I desire none of it. To me the possibility of a Great Treasure is but an afterthought. I…" And he paused, swallowing thickly. He seemed at a loss for words, drawn deep into his own thought. Amu waited patiently. After all, she knew better than anyone by now that even those as guarded as Ikuto could be made to reveal their thoughts with a little gentle coaxing and so it was with great anticipation that she watched as he tried to articulate his thoughts. "I just- I need to know." Ikuto said finally and his voice was firm, yet measured. "I need to know… why. Why run?" Even in the darkness, Amu could see the desperate confusion in his eyes. "I need to know what made my stepfather abandon us that night. I need to know what made him feel the need to flee… If he had wanted us killed, then he could have done it himself." Ikuto said. "Why leave us to the navy? Kazuomi was always unpredictable, but something inexplicable must have happened to leave so fearfully in the dead of night."

And Amu's heart was nearly rent in two, for there was pain there such as she had only ever seen in the faces of poor children who had found themselves lost in the midst of the crowd.

"Ikuto…" she whispered, inching closer. She reached out, searching to interlock her fingers comfortingly with his, drawn into the light of his eyes when-

"Ouch!" Amu hissed, waving her hand before her face.

Ikuto blinked. "Amu?"

"A spark!" She stuck the now-tender tip of her finger into her mouth, shoving the firelight into his grasp. They had been so caught up in conversation that she hadn't even realised that it had been burning low. "Bastard thing!"

Ikuto's face flooded with relief, not to mention humour, as he watched her curse over such a minor burn and momentarily he forgot their peril. That is… Until he heard it.

Somewhere nearby there came a hissing. A spitting. Amu looked down in bewilderment, expecting to encounter some sort of snake or hissing spider, but no, it was not the local wildlife that sizzled down here in the dark. Ikuto's face whitened. At their feet, intertwined with a cluster of roots, something was glowing. Suddenly the smell of powder was strong in the air.

Ikuto was quicker than she was. Without a word he grabbed her by the arm and dove down the dark tunnel just in time, for behind them there was a boom that shook the walls and within moments a cascade of rock and wooden debris had collapsed right where they'd been standing. Coughing in the almighty cloud of dust, Amu looked back to see that the passageway had entirely caved in. Her ears were ringing. They had been right. Kazuomi had left his men a surprise down here in the darkness and whatever traps that tyrant had left behind were still volatile in the dry, arid heat. But it was… Somehow hotter down here now, she thought. Somehow-

"Shit!"

More hissing. A flare of white light. It was above their heads - a long coil of line, the glittering of many sparks-

Amu barely saw a thing as Ikuto once again whisked her away, bolting down the passageway as one by one they flared into life until the entire earth was filled with the deafening thunder of rock fall, blasting dust into their faces, catching the tails of Ikuto's coat as they flew forwards to safety.

Only safety was hard to come by. Soon they heard the crackling growing closer. Orange lights were leaping up into existence behind them. In the delves and grooves of the walls fires were lighting, powder was spitting. They could only run. They ran so fast that their legs nearly gave beneath them. The traps had been brought to life. Kazuomi's devilry was at its most deadly. In desperation Ikuto threw down their torch behind them for fear of triggering any more unseen dangers, but it was of no use. All they could do was flee blindly, stumbling as each detonation rocked the very earth itself. In fact, they were so caught up in the terror of the moment, that it was only at the last moment that Amu spotted their salvation.

"There!" Amu grabbed the back of his shirt suddenly and pulled him towards her. "Ikuto!"

Ikuto gasped aloud in relief. Just to their left was another old passageway, blocked and barred with a skeleton at its feet, only this time with wooden slats - no stone or rock to block their path. Kazuomi evidently hadn't caved this one in as all the others. Ikuto never thought he'd be so grateful for his stepfather's actions in all his life as he and Amu slammed themselves against the boards. They were made of thick wood and held in place with iron, but they were old, dry and brittle to the touch so that they were able to boot it into submission. With a great crack and a shower of splinters it broke just in time, for the explosions behind them were growing closer. Smoke was filling the tunnel. The heat of the flames could be felt upon their faces.

Ikuto grabbed her hand, ducking into the newly-opened passage. "Quick!"

She didn't need telling twice. She dove, letting the darkness consume her, holding her free hand over her ear in anticipation of the almighty bang to come behind them and crouching down in the safety of a little hollow in the wall.

They were not a moment too late. The booming behind them was deafening, but brief. As the dust finally settled they stood, hunching over on their knees, coughing in the thick, acrid smoke. It took some time for them to realise that the ignitions were over, for their ears were so filled with ringing that they could barely hear themselves think.

Amu blinked, squinting as she attempted to make out their surroundings, but it was of no use. Even if they had still had their torch, the debris made visibility near-impossible and so it was that they found each other in the darkness and collapsed against the wall, breathing heavily, trying not to choke in the leftover fumes.

They stayed like this for some time, blinded and deafened to all around them, aware of nothing except each other's touch, grounding and comforting. But eventually Amu began to feel that flicker of fear creep once more back into her heart, for when she came to from her state of shock she remembered their peril. Ikuto's head was on her shoulder. He seemed unable to feel her as she stiffly looked about in the pitch black. And black it was, though it seemed somehow that the more she looked, the more she appeared to make out the details of the walls around her - the rough line of the hewn rock; the delves in the tunnel sides; the cavernous ceiling.

But there was something else. Something was gently caressing the ashen skin of her cheeks, sending some of the last, lingering particles of dust against her face. It was almost like a calm breeze, but surely, she thought, that could not be? They were miles underground! Bewildered, Amu faced into the direction of this phantom draught… And then she realised. It was not that her eyes were growing keen in the dark at all. No, and it was an absolute miracle.

'A light?'

"Ikuto..?"

He only heard her faintly, but still Ikuto raised his head, trying to face the direction from which he'd heard her, for he was utterly disoriented. He felt her stand uneasily, tugging on his hand gently to follow.

"Look."

It took a moment for him to figure out just where she was directing him, but when he did his heart positively swelled.

It was far off, but it was right before their path:

"Light."

Beside him, Amu nodded. She let out a breathy, shaky sort of laugh. "Light!"

It was impossible to resist laughing with her. Amu squeezed his hand. They were stood, suddenly revived, a new strength flooding throughout their battered bodies as they looked upon what seemed to them then to be the most inspiring sight on earth.

They flew at once, though that last dash seemed long and arduous, and when they reached the end of their path that little trickle of daylight was blinding and blessed on their faces. There was a wooden hatchway before them, old and decayed as the one on the other side had been. Fresh, green leaves and grasses spilled through the cracks and played upon their cheeks as they threw themselves upon it and tried to pry the thing from its hinges. Amu had in her hand a ring-shaped handle that she desperately twisted and tugged in the hopes of freedom. Ikuto took his blade and rammed it into the rusty hinges, grunting and straining against the old metal. Finally there was a 'click!' and a rush of air and with an almighty 'clang!' the thing broke loose, flying open into the jungle and the two of them stumbled out once more into the wide world beyond.

Reemerging into the late afternoon light, Amu looked around as if laying eyes upon the earth for the very first time. Never had the sigh of the grass in the wind sounded so pleasing, nor the cool caress of the sea air felt so invigorating. Their exhaustion faded as though long forgotten. She beamed, turning her head to the sky which had grown into a fiery orange at the coming sunset, though dark clouds were encouraging quickly upon them. In fact, they were still revelling for their freedom, oblivious to all else, when the heavens opened. Big, fat drops of tropical rainwater, renewing and revitalising, drenched them to the core. Ikuto's eyes met hers and, relieved and spent, a spark came into life between them. They laughed aloud in relief, breathless, throwing their arms around each other. Their embrace was tight, their lips meeting as though they would never meet again, hearts beating brilliantly in time as the rain washed away all the dust and debris - all the fear.

But then, out of nowhere-

"Ah-hem."

-instantly they realised they were not alone.

They broke apart. Quick as a flash Ikuto's blade was free and at the throat of this new intruder.

Kukai rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Uh, Cap'n..?"

Ikuto frowned. "Kukai?"

And, looking over the pirate's shoulder, he watched as one by one more familiar faces popped out of the undergrowth, Utau among them. Amu immediately smiled wide to see the sight of their crew again, but there was just something about the shamefaced way Kukai was looking at him that vanquished Ikuto's previously jubilant mood.

"Oh god." He lowered his cutlass. "Kukai, what have you done?"

And with Ikuto's unwavering gaze upon him, the pirate swallowed nervously;

"We might have a little bit of a problem…"

~.~.~

A/N: Well, it's rough, but it's ready! I wrote most of this chapter three years ago, but there were so many gaps that appeared for a long time to be impossible to fill, but it's here at last and I can thankfully move on! Once again I must apologise for leaving it so long between updates.

Til next time~!