#Bakura Saibot

[mrneighbourlove]

Red Typhoon: Ch 7. In the Court of the Crimson King

Bakura and Seth felt all their memories clone and strip apart into two separate beings. A vortex of blood swirled, meat solidifying muscle and blood turning into bone by dark magic. Everything burned between the two of them. As their eyes rolled back, and Seth’s started to scream as his vocal cords came into formation, a intense hatred toward the pain burned. This pain was not unlike the pain that brought them together in the first pain. Pain was the architect of their lives. As Seth’s body was completed, both bodies were shot backwards. When they’d reach consciousness, the two would decide who was the superior specimen in the court of the crimson king.

~

King Crimson's face started to contort as the blood magic constructed his face into a permanent scowl. The monster of a man stood over Mojo and Jugo, blood swirling around him. The battle for survival had begun. Lunging at Corsaire, his hands grew sharp bladed swords made of blood, swiping at the Captain.

THWANG!!!

The blades of blood would not pierce Corsaire's metal arm. If there was one thing the captain was eternally grateful for, it was the unbreakable arm that Rat bought for him. Mojo and Juju quickly got to their feet, piercing the king from the back with their blades.

King Crimson real face started to peek through as his disguise left him to heal his back and face. He had the scent of a man of the ocean, and long, dirty hair. Distinct tattoos ran from his neck down his back. A snarl left his lips, and raising his hand, the blood in the room started to churn, and tendrils from the liquid shot out to pierce the torso's of these peasants.

Corsaire did the only thing he could do at this point. Striking the wooden floor with his hand, the ground disappeared beneath his feet, Mojo's and Juju's. It was just in time as well, for another reason he did this particular move was because of Halvar. The young prince had swung by on a rope... and dropped a bomb canister.

King Crimson growled, taking his most valuable book and retreating as his office combusted into a terrible explosion. He’d make these upstarts pay.

~

Liz was leading the prisoners to safety, when she heard a scream down the hall. She recognized it immediately as her father. She knew she shouldn't have gone alone, but she felt compelled regardless. Rushing to his aid, she opened a door to find two figures dimly illuminated in the dark. One was leaned farther away against the wall, and the other was face first in the blood. His white hair was stained by the liquid, his body as mess from some unseen torture Liz had not witnessed. Carefully picking him up, she recognized it as the face of her father. "Father. I'm going to get you out of here."

As she started to carry him out, she noticed the other man reaching out to her. As he got closer into the light, it was revealed he was also Bakura. Liz was taken completely by surprise. "Father? What?"

The man she was carrying around her shoulder smiled, and with a quick motion, took her knife, stabbed her in the chest, and kicked her to the side. Liz landed into the blood with a loud scream of pain. Seth smiled, looking at Bakura. The two of them, with the help of King Crimson's magic, had separated into two separate bodies. It left them both weakened, their bodies shocked, however, Seth was ecstatic to begin his carnage on his own. "Finally. I'm free of you and your bloodline."

Bakura rose slowly, up against the wall. Gods. He was free of Seth, but his body was so weak from the ritual. He watched as Seth was forced from his mind, with a swirl of blood to clone his body as a temple for the alter-ego. Now this monster had finally hurt one of his girls. "Seth. You don't need to kill us. You can leave."

"No. No we both know that's not going to happen."

"Why?"

"Why? Because I hate you. Like you hate me."

"I never wanted to hate you."

"Really? All I did was protect your fragile mind from threats."

"You saw everything and everyone as a threat."

"Because they were."

"You're the reason I didn't have a good life."

"I gave you a life Bakura."

"No... I gave myself a life to live for. And if I have to kill you to keep that life safe, so be it Seth."

"The purple piper plays your final tune Bakura. Can't you hear it?"

As Seth raised his knife, Liz stretched her hand as best she could, grabbing Seth by the foot to sear his leg with fire. This was enough of a distraction for Bakura to tackle Seth into the blood. Seth's body was slippery in the blood, slithering like a cobra out of Bakura's killing reach. The Shiekah battled the Yiga, giving Seth punches as they rolled around. Seth hissed, slashing Bakura's skin with deep cuts.

Bakura fought with all his will, but he was getting tired. Seth gave Liz a kick to her stab wound, causing her to keel over. With a smile, he pushed Bakura to the ground and thrust one knife into Bakura's stomach, and stabbed downwards to stab Bakura in the neck with another. The Shiekah grasped Seth's hand, losing the strength to hold him back.

"First I'm going to kill you. Than I'll kill Liz. Than I'll fuck the hell out of Lex. Beautiful thing she is.” Seth licked his lips, his eyes full of insane hatred. “Than to finish, I'm going to find Adda, and I'm going to burn her, and her whole people at the stake. One giant extermination."

"Go. To. Hell."

"I'll see you there first Bakura."

Bakura's looked into Seth's rage filled eyes and saw their history. He remembered how as a young lad he was kidnapped by a rival clan. His body was sliced open, burnt, and exposed to all manners of pain. He remembered how his mind cracked, snapped, and contorted, as all he felt was fear and hatred. Finally, the hatred couldn't co-exist with the fear, and Seth was born to cope with the torture. Seth was a part of him that he couldn't deny, because the more he tried to, the stronger Seth became. A self cycle of hatred fueled their bond. Now Bakura wondered how things could have been different. Seth twisted the knife in Bakura's stomach and the Shiekah knew that he was going to lose.

"Mojo?" Corsaire held the back of his skull, wincing. "Juju? You two alive?"

"Aye, but wish me wasn't." Juju groaned aloud. "Everything hurts."

"Hurt'in lets us know we's alive." Mojo grimaced. "Where's we at?"

"I think... we're in the basement. And I hear screaming."

"Dat sounds like Bakie."

"Pretty sure it's Bakie."

"Let's go find him before the idiot gets himself killed."

"If we rescue him, he owes us drinks."

"Fuck a drink, he owes us a whole bar!"

Corsaire, Juju, and Mojo stumbled through the dark, heading to the sound of the screams. Before the brothers rounded the corner, the captain held them back. He heard the struggling, the conversation, and knew not only Liz was in trouble, but Bakura. There were... two of him. Seth's voice, he knew the difference, he could sense the bloodlust. So he stopped, took a breath... and fired.

Seth felt the bullet go through his chest, and he looked down at Bakura, shock filling his eyes. The madman’s face shifted from wrath to pure confusion. Bakura looked back at Seth, a moment of hesitation between them. Seth didn't move, processing how a bullet pierced his lung, but Bakura did. Taking the knife from his counterpart, Bakura thrust the blade into Seth's neck, and blood oozed from his throat down onto Bakura. The Shiekah looked back into Seth’s eyes as he pushed the knife deeper. Seth fell onto his side, and Bakura kept the pressure up, climbing atop the Yiga.

Many thoughts raced through Seth's mind, but he no longer had the capacity to speak them. Bakura’s eyes were filled with conflict, guilt, and then relief. Seth followed in suit, a light smile creeping on his lips. The hate. The hatred was disappearing. Maybe he could rest now. Finally rest…

Pulling the knife out, Bakura caught Seth and set him down gently. He put his fingers to Seth's palm, not breaking contact until he felt the last heartbeat go.

"You are... a giant pain in the ass to find." Corsaire staggered up to Bakura with Mojo and Juju not far behind. "And this," He gestured to the man's counterpart. "You can tell me about later. Right now, we need to get you and Liz back to the ship. You're both wounded."

Bakura didn't hear Corsaire, closing Seth's eyes. His doppelganger was a part of him for so long and now.... he was gone. He was out of his mind, and he was dead. Bakura looked back to Corsaire, a little dazed. "What?"

Mojo leaned down to pat Bakura's cheeks, almost like he would a kid's.

"Bakie, come on back ta earth now." Mojo looked at Bakura's face. "Hmph. Think he's lost too much blood, cap'n."

"Can you and Juju get him and Liz to the ship?"

"Aye, we's hurt, but not as bad as them."

They heard Liz scream as she gritted her teeth. Using her fire, she cartelized her knife wound. "I-I'll be fine. Where's my sister? Where's Halvar?"

"Halvar was supposed to meet back up with us, so I'm guessing he was rather occupied with guards... or something else." Corsaire helped Liz to her feet. "Lex is with Scarlet."

Bakura picked himself up. With one final look at Seth, he closed his eyes on the dangers of the past. Now, he would open them to the future threats to come. "We need to find him. This King Crimson is more dangerous than you know."

~

After the blast, King Crimson channelled the blood to heal himself. Damn these people. It would take forever to rebuild his office. One by one he'd hunt these bastards down. Starting with the Direnor. At first the Crimson King was surprised when he saw it was the youngest prince of Uskar, but that surprise was quickly replaced by excitement. The royal blood would do wonders for his power.

Using his blood magic, he churned the blood around Halvar to bring smells old and new to the prince's nose. As Halvar tried to focus his senses at the sudden burning sensation, King Crimson descended from behind him. With a hard chop the pirate stabbed his hand into Halvar's side. "Little Prince. So far from mommy and daddy. So foolish to come alone. It is little wonder that your people are losing the war against the Frost King. Your rusty chains of life will now come to an end. A Dirnor Prince is no match for a Crimson King."

Pain was nothing new to Halvar. During his training, he had been stabbed before, and Frost Ones had mauled him. Luckily, he never had anything life threatening. Whirling around, Halvar sucker punched the man in the nose, then slammed his foot into the pirate's neck. Growling, Halvar's eyes looked no longer human.

"A king is not a match against sheer will."

"Yes. But my people have always excelled at one thing better than yours."

"If you're going to say 'surviving', then you're wrong." Halvar drew his blade. "Direnors fight to survive everyday. Your kind, the witch queen's kind, may have lost their home. But they never had a constant enemy."

"Yes. You can smell my secret. Than you should know the answer. Magic." Touching the flowing blood that littered his entire home, many tendrils shot forward, stabbing into Halvar's leg, torso, and his sword arm. His energy was sucked out, and King Crimson launched a hydro pump of blood to knock the prince against a wall so he could drain Halvar easier. "I like my secrets. I like learning the secrets of others. I keep to the shadows, and fill my treasure trove with knowledge. Now that you know one of my own closely guarded secrets, you should know that I can't allow you to live."

Scarlet and Rat arrived with Lex flanking them and refurbished back into her garb, and the next moment Corsaire's group joined them. Scarlet didn't hesitate, swinging her axe at the Pirate King. King Crimson had grown incredibly powerful from Halvar's lifeforce, however, and used a hand of blood to grab the axe. Another torrent of bloody water threw her into a wall. Bakura tried to make a move, but he felt his knife wound ooze blood as he took a hard step. King Crimson stabbed him with a tendril from behind, and threw him into the ceiling. With a taunt of fingers, and many tendrils swarming around him, he waved for Corsaire and his men to face him.

Magic, of course, made the Lorleidians very formidable opponents. While most of the Lorleidians did not condone violence, Halvar supposed there was always an odd one in the group. Seeing the witch queen in action always filled Halvar with awe when he was a child. He never imagined having to face on in a duel... and that was his downfall. He barely watched Scarlet and Bakura be throttled before losing consciousness from his own damage.

King Crimson laughed as he took down Mojo and Juju, slicing open the backs of their thighs and using the blood to drag them away. Rat tried to use his brute strength to break the King in half. The Lorleidian Pirate Lord used a torrent of water to grasp Rat, and throw him around like a ragdoll, smashing the man into the ceiling, the walls, and the floor. He only stopped when Corsaire furiously shot his piece at the King. With a laugh, King Crimson engaged in a mock sword duel with Corsaire, using blood to make shift a sword against him. "Tell me Captain. Do you feel in charge? Do you honestly think you will see Seer once more, let alone the light of day again?"

Liz rushed to Halvar, while Lex rushed to Scarlet. It seemed her sister was safe, so Liz poured her worry into Halvar. "Halvar! Wake up! Please wake up!"

King Crimson used his blood magic to shift his face once more, this time opting to the face of Seer to taunt Corsaire. "Let me give you a secret Captain. I gave up on seeing you so long ago."

Blood could burn. This would have to be timed just right. He hoped that Liz would get his meaning as he tossed his pipe to her from his pocket. Maybe now was the time to fight fire with fire.

"Just a note, you filthy swine," Corsaire clanged his sword against the one made of blood as he made the signal to Liz. "Seer can't see."

"I'll paint him a picture of what I did to you." A dirty move, King Crimson used the blood all around them to stab Corsaire in the back. As one small tendril pierce the Captain fully through the bottom of his lower torso, Corsaire felt a lightning bolt of pain travel through him. The King followed up by slashing Corsaire across the chest with a claw hand formed from his blood magic. Paying attention to the last two girls, he tore away Scarlet and Halvar from them. "The children of Adda. With you two imprisoned, she'll have no choice but to bow to me."

Lex saw Scarlet reach out to her, and her eyes widened with a primal fear, which exploded out into a cry of resistance. "LET GO OF MY MOM!"

Lex's hair turned icy without her realizing it, and she froze all the blood around the room. King Crimson's eyes grew wide with panic, as he felt his additional life force be suddenly cut off. "You cur! I'll make you beg mercy for that!"

Liz sprung into action, her flames igniting, and she and her sister made an unconscious joint effort, both of them hurtling a bolt of fire and ice at the Lorleidian Pirate. King Crimson launched what torrent of blood he could in the form of tendrils at the twins, but they burned and battered their way through his magic. Calling all the blood he could in his mansion, he sought to bring a typhoon down upon them, drowning them if he had to.

Lex rose her hands, and the blood froze. Liz followed in support, burning the blood to steam. Both sisters advanced towards the King, working together to stay uninjured. King Crimson rose a hand to take a hostage in the form of Rat, but Lex took the gun Corsaire gave her, and fire a shot into his eye. The Lorleidian drew a claw hand to gut this upstart. It would take a few moments to repair his eye, however, that was when he lost vision of Liz. It was too late when he spotted her inches from his face. By injuring her friends and family, he had summon back the fire witch to the court of the crimson king. Liz's hair burned like cinder, and reaching a hand to his exposed injured eye, took a breath, and, on exhale, poured all her fire into the man. Lex froze his legs so he couldn't run, and everyone in the room boor witness to the end of King Crimson.

His body combusted into flames, fire rocketing out of his eyes and ears. His outside skin was completely intact, but everything else inside burned to ash. His body fell back, and all the blood inside his mansion simmered away. Liz, upon letting go of him, fell onto the floor, colliding with her sister. They were exhausted, the traces of magic in their hair disappearing.

The group was completely astonished by the twin sisters. They had battled their way to victory through a seemingly unstoppable force. Halvar didn’t think he could find Liz anymore attractive. His waging tail told him otherwise. Scarlet gave Lex a light smile. She was so incredibly proud of the girls. “Mom eh?”

Lex didn’t have any sarcasm in her voice, and she was so tired, she barely could nod. “Of course. You’re the closest thing I have to one. Like hell I was going to lose you…”

Corsaire saw the book that held Adda’s location fall from King Crimson’s pockets. Reaching over the dead Lorleidian man he picked the book up. They finally had the final key to find Adda. “Come on. We’re leaving. And we’re not leaving without saying a proper goodbye.”

The crew helped Lex and Liz to their feet, and quickly ran out of the mansions under layers, with Mojo and Juju setting explosives at key points in the mansions structure. Bakura couldn’t help but notice another look at Seth’s body as they passed by. His alter ego always did want a grand burial. And for what little it would mean to the psychotic assassin, Bakura made a silent pray for him, and honestly hoped he’d find peace in death.

The band of crusaders made it to their tug boat and rowed out. When Corsaire gave the signal to Bomba aboard the Sea Witch, his mate fired the cannons upon the island. The cannon fire ignited the explosives littered inside, and the whole mansion detonated in a firework of explosions, stone, wood, and whatever else was inside. They didn’t look back, simply ready to sail into the future.

[mrneighbourlove]

Red Typhoon: Ch 1. Dreaming of the Coming Storm

Revy took a silent breath as she crept through the snow with her pack. Although she wasn't a Direnor by blood, she developed their sense of being a successful hunter and warrior through her mother. The wilds of Uskar were wide, but full of danger that could creep up at any moment. Food was always a gamble to acquire, but Revy held faith in her skills, her spirit, and the support of her pack.

"Watch closely," Borghild whispered to Revy as the pair watched Boof from the other side of the frozen meadow. Deer were grazing on some twigs off the trees. The Avalanchel hound was waiting for the signal from his human. As soon as it was given, he would chase one deer in her direction. This would give Revy the chance to strike their prey with her weapon. "Breathe steadily. Only when you're ready."

Revy blinked only once in anticipation. The air was chilling, but she was prepared. The deer were massive, but it lead to a unique problem to solve. Unless one was incredible lucky, arrows would have difficulty taking down her prey at the first strike. For Direnor's, one could transform into a mighty beast to wrestle their prey down, but for Revy, she only had to tools in her hands, and the body and mind to support herself. She readied her axe. The blade would be able to get off a deep and long cut if she could strike properly. Feeling the shift in the air, she felt it was time. Throwing her hand down, she gave the signal to her companion.

"GRRR BARK BARK BOOF WOOF WOOF!!!" Boof charged out of his hiding place and toward the deer. The dog was smart, and chose the biggest prey. The larger the prey, the more meat for his family. He nipped at the heels of the buck, and led it right to Revy.

Revy wanted to impress her mom. She wanted to do her friends and family and clan proud. Give her little brother a symbol to look up too. Praying for her energy to not fail, sparks flew around her axe as she jumped from her cover, and with a mighty swing, she sliced off one of the back legs off the deer.

As soon as Revy sliced off the leg, the buck went down into the snow. It struggled to get back up, but Boof took this as his opportunity. He chomped his large jaws around the deer's throat, and pulled, hard. With a crack, the buck's neck snapped and then he released the prey. Sniffing it to make sure the buck was dead, Boof then sat on his haunches, and wagged his tail, awaiting his praise.

Revy waited for the electric magic to stop sizzling around her axe. She only recently discovered her new talent, and it was still difficult to find an instant off switch on it. Sheathing her weapon, she ran up to Boof, kneeled down, and hugged him around his neck. "You were amazing boy! Great work! You can have the whole leg I cut clean off!"

The Gerudo woman had recently turned twenty. Her growth was fast through her teenage years, now just coming over Borghild in height. With a smile, she gave her mom a grin. "How'd we do?"

"Boof boof bork!" Boof licked Revy's cheek several times as he stood on his back legs, putting his fore paws on her shoulders. Even though the dog was older in age, he still could hunt with the best of them. Panting, the dog then resumed his original sitting position.

"I think you and Boof did perfectly," Borghild smiled at Revy's accomplishment. "However, I think you need to be really careful with the electricity, sweetie. You don't want to accidentally electrocute yourself or Boof now."

"I know. I just feel I need to practice it now. Last thing we need is to be in a real fight, and for it to not be completely under control."

Revy gave a small grunt as she heaved the deer over her shoulder. "How long do you think we can keep this deer going on for?"

"Between your father and Trygve, we'll be lucky if it lasts us a week and a half." Borghild laughed, knowing how much her men loved meat. "I'm beginning to believe your brother eats more than your father."

"Bork!"

"Excuse me, your father, your brother, and your dog."

"Well, they are just hungry boys at heart." Revy grinned down at her companion. "That includes you too boy~"

"Bork!"

"Next time, I think you and your brother will do just fine hunting together without my supervision." Borghild tromped back through the snow with Revy and Boof. "What do you think?"

"That better not happen soon. He's only seven mom. You know how long I had to wait. It was exhausting just waiting for the years to count down."

"Ha! I meant he observes, and you hunt." Borghild laughed. "He still turns into a grizzly when he gets too excited or scared."

"Well, we know the real reason why we have to wait till we're of age to come out here." Even now, Revy kept her eyes open for the slightest sign of the scourge of the undead to rise. She took her lessons and stories on Frost Ones deadly seriously. The Gerudo hoped that it would be a safe trip back to the wall.

"Hopefully the reign of the Frost King will soon be over," Borghild sighed as she kept her hand on her blade at all times. "We both know that the King and Queen have been working with the rulers of Hyrule for a solution. Though, nothing can be done unless we first find where his lair is."

"When that happens, I'll lead the packs to strike him down myself." Revy gave herself a proud bump on the chest. With the growth of age, her dream of being a hero never faded.

"When that happens, we'll formulate a plan before you go charging in." Borghild booped Revy on the nose. "You're too reckless like your father sometimes. Remember what I told you all these years. A female bear only charges when protecting her cubs or feeling threatened." Then she added. "Otherwise, thinks carefully before striking her prey."

Revy's mouth was a gap as she gave a pout. "I-I'm not reckless! I just give it my all sometimes. I have YOUR brains you know."

"Oh? Then what did you call diving into the freezing cold river after that huge sturgeon after I told you not to?"

"I call that a moderate success. I caught it, didn't I?"

"You caught it, but you had a cold for two weeks." Borghild snorted in amusement. "Do you call that a success?"

"....It was completely worth it."

"See? Reckless and stubborn, just like your father."

"But I wouldn't have caught it without calculating its pattern. Like you do. So I think it evens out."

Reaching the wall, Scarlet kept watch. The Gerudo woman wore shining white and thick iron knuckle armour, her battle axe shimmering silver in the snowy sun. Seeing the two woman gave her relief. Her daughter and Borghild traveling out into those wild wilderness gave her heart pause every time they traveled out. She instructed the men on the wall to open the gates. Jogging down the steps, Scarlet was glad her helmet gave her plenty of heat in the icy temperature. "Congratulations on the hunt you two. There wasn't any complications, was there?"

"No mother. There wasn't. As you can see, I did just fine." Revy received a bark from Boof, the dog wagging his tail. "Correction. We did a good job."

"Bork!" Boof agreed with his human, both of them did a fine job.

"Revy here is getting to be a fine hunter." Borghild complimented her daughter. "I know she's eager to please and wants to fight Frost Ones, but I'd rather her be a scout or a hunter." She then added. "Though her and Boof make a great team, Scarlet. You should have seen them take down the deer."

"I bet it was amazing. You better run along kiddo."

"Moms. I'm not a kid anymore. I can handle myself as a fighter and I don't need the nicknames anymore."

"You'll always be our little girl."

"The only reason I'm letting you get away with that is because no one else is around to hear that." As Revy ran off with Boof, Scarlet gave a sigh. "She's grown up so fast. And she's set her sights for accomplishments so high."

"I know, I think it's good that she has dreams and wants to make something of herself, but..." Borghild sighed as she watched Revy head toward the house with Boof. "I just don't want her to get hurt or feel like she's failed."

"I don't think she'll ever believe herself to be a failure. It's getting killed that worries me. Don't really have anyone else besides her."

"Aw, come on now, that's bullshit, you got me and Rat." Borghild nudged Scarlet in the shoulder. "And little Trygve."

"I know... It's just..." Scarlet looked out to the wilderness. How many times had she thought about just walking out and never coming back? "I don't have a Voe or even a Vai in my life. I gambled everything on Revy. If I lose her... I can't lose her."

"If you want a Voe or a Vai, then there are plenty of eligible folks here, Scarlet." Borghild walked with the Gerudo back to her position. "Maybe you should settle down with a grizzly. I got a few friends I could introduce you to, unless you prefer your partner less... furry."

"I don't know if anyone would want to be with me, furry or not." Scarlet had been given the nickname the cold iron giant. The metal armour, obviously, but also how she seemed to brood and be introverted around Uskar. When people challenged her to feats of strengths, she usually beat them with indifference. She only tended to show excitement with people she found interest in, but they had yet to show interest in her back.

"You should go after her. I'll make my final rounds here than head back home."

"Don't give up, all right? Someone will come along." Borghild assured Scarlet and then chased after Revy. The girl was becoming a fantastic hunter, but still could not skin a deer that well. Besides, she wanted her girl to keep the fur to make into a blanket. As she neared the house, Rat was there with little Trygve, trying to teach his son how to polish a knife.

"Now, lad, you have to learn to take care of your weapons, because if you don't, they won't take care of you." Rat was carefully showing the boy how to sharpen the dagger, then wipe with clover oil for a finish. "Understand?"

"Yes, Daddy."

It seemed though, that Revy had not yet returned to the house. Borghild knew how her daughter liked to show off, and exactly where to find her.

~

Lex pampered her face with makeup after cleaning her lips. She took satisfaction looking back at the man she just drained. It was like he never felt the touch of woman before. Well, probably not of her caliber. Turning her body back to him, he was entranced by her tits. Lex gave them a bounce to keep his attention. “Ok big boy, a deals a deal.”

The man in question was a Hasai soldier, having been recently transferred to the Uskar defence force. Before that, he was bragging about fighting pirates. “Well, the details are simple. We fought a group of pirates on the black sea.”

“I want complicated details. Specific map points. The goddamn beards on your opponents if you have to. That’s what I worked for after all~”

“Hmmm, damn right you did. Alright, kid. I’ll tell you what you wanna know.”

Ever since she hit the ripe age of 18, Lex had being using her skills as the ‘most attractive woman of Uskar’ for the past two years to acquire information from sailors and travelers on any information that could lead to finding her mother and Seer. Every lead she marked on a makeshift map. She felt confident that she was narrowing in on a location. Giving the Hasai man a deep kiss, she moved him quickly along out of the brothel.

Daddy Bakura let her travel to Hyrule for five months to be with Revy and get a change of pace from Uskar. During that time, the white haired Gerudo learned as many tricks and trades in exotic businesses to get any man to talk. Sex was ok, sometimes great, but it was mostly just a tool for her. She was still waiting for one of the princes to take up her offer of some beautiful love making.

Today her sister was supposed to arrive in shore with Uncle Corsaire. Maybe they could exchange information if Liz was in a good mood. Almost never was these days though. How her sister made Prince Halvar her boyfriend with her constant travel was a complete mystery to Lex. Didn’t stop her from trying to convince the prince to settle down with a more stay at home girl.

Going outside, Lex noticed Revy carrying a massive deer into town. “Oh cool! That’s a big boy you got there!”

Revy gave a chuckle, not above flexing her muscles in front of the townsfolk. She liked to contribute and give hope where she could. “Yeah, it wasn’t that much of a challenge.”

“Ok Ms. Hero. Let’s all bow in your glowing righteousness.”

“Haha. Liz arrive yet?”

“No, not quite. I think she’ll be home soon though. Grandpa misses her. And I bet Halvar cries himself to sleep due to the worries he has over her.”

Revy gave a cheeky grin back. “You’re just jealous he doesn’t cry over you~”

“Well he totally should.”

It was never easy for Corsaire to be away from his wife for too long. After this journey, the captain was eager to stay at home for a few months. It would not be so bad to run some new sea tactics with the recruits for a while and let the others do a cargo trip. However, Orana asked him to take his niece, Liz, back home safely for Seer's sake. Having the little tyke follow him everywhere after Seer's kidnapping was annoying for a while, always having to watch her. Though, she did surprise him at her determination to get better, to be the best she could be. So it was vigorous training consisting of sword fighting on the top yards, swinging on a rope while aiming to shoot, and most of all, how to take a punch and get back up. The girl preserved all these years, and was now a fine sailor. The ex-pirate was still concerned about sailing to Uskar. The sea ice was getting harder to penetrate with each voyage. Soon, even the upgraded ships from Danjur would not be able to pierce it.

"Miss Frode," Captain Corsaire stood at the wheel and then called her forth. "Guide us to the port. I need to be ready to receive the royals."

"Yes sir." Liz called out, taking the wheel. The years had been hard on her without Seer being a light in her life. She made a pact with her sister and Revy to rescue Seer and defeat their mother. All these years of training was hard on Liz, but her fiery determination made her fiercely dedicated to improvement. A few years back, Prince Halvar asked her on a date. The young Gerudo accepted, and despite not being able to see each other often, they somehow made it work as a couple. Liz gave out orders to the crew, just like she was taught, as they pulled into the docks.

Halvar was there to see Liz. He was pacing back and forth, impatiently, trying to peer onto the ship to see her. He waited until she was of age to ask her to date. That was Rat's rule, and had been Seer's rule before... well, before he was kidnapped. His family never lost hope that Seer was out there somewhere, still alive. As soon as the ship was docked, and the planks were set to unload the cargo, Halvar bolted up onto the boat and looked for the beautiful Gerudo.

"Liz!!!" Halvar ran up to her, swung her around, and planted a deep kiss on her lips... and then turned blood red, and put her back on her feet. "I... um... I missed you."

A few of the crew whistled on the boat.

"Knock it off, that's my niece!" Captain Corsaire barked at them. "Do your damn jobs and unload the cargo before we all get frostbite."

Liz gave the crew a look of pure murder for the catty whistles. If they wanted that particular fantasy they could go bother her sister. Turning back to Halvar, she gave a warm smile back. Deep kisses was as far as they had taken their relationship so far, and perhaps a little cuddling from time to time. “I’m glad to see you too. You’ve been ok?”

"Been on more hunts and scouts, fought a couple of Frost Ones, but it's odd." Halvar shrugged his shoulders. "Lately, we haven't seen too many of them. We're not sure if the Frost King is having trouble finding more bodies or if they're not approaching because of our allies now. Either way, we're a little grateful for the break." He then asked. "But you, I'm sure you have some adventures to tell everyone?"

"I'm glad that the Undead King of the North is letting his grip loose. As for me, I helped lead my first engagement against Adda's pirate forces. We interrogated one of the prisoners we took in hopes of finding Dad. All we learned is that Adda's forces are placed strategically so that a long search would be disastrous to try and break her power up. I just wish we could find a proper location. That way we could save our resources and go in hard."

"It's been so long now." Halvar thought back to the day of when everyone learned Seer had been taken by Adda. Liz and Lex were beyond consolable for a while, until swearing to get their father back. Then, it was a race against time. "I'm sure your search will come to a close soon, but... have you given thought to what you're going to do if you catch Adda?" Halvar knew better than to refer to Adda as Liz's mom. She always gave him a glare for that.

"I want to kill her, but Lex is still salty about that whenever I bring it up. So I'll just settle with her facing the courts of Danjur, Hyrule, and Uskar." Liz squeezed her fist just thinking about it. She spent so many years preparing for the day, dreaming in detail about her revenge and bringing justice.

"Either way, the courts of our kingdom, Danjur, and Hyrule will all arrive to the same verdict; death." Halvar walked with Liz off the ship the docks. "For now, let's focus on a more happy note, your return home. Besides, I have something for you." The prince fidgeted slightly as he approached the guards waiting on him. No matter where he went, Halvar still had protection. Grasping a wrapped package, he undid the string and there was the traditional courtship gift; a cloak of fur. Turning back to Liz, Halvar held it up for her to see, blushing darkly. "I... I hunted this when you left for sea and have been working on sewing it into a presentable cloak and um..." He offered it to Liz, hoping, praying she'd accept, as he said the age old line. "I offer you this gift of courtship... if you'll accept?"

Liz froze up, her mouth hanging open. Such a public display of affection was so bold of Halvar. Was this the same man she left behind on her training? She thought from a pure intellectual viewpoint on this, as it helped her calm down. Don't panic. He loves you. You adore him. Most of all, he has your trust. That's right. You trust him. He won't leave or hurt you. Snapping back into reality, Liz realized she must have left him hanging on an answer for a while due to the worry that started to form on his brow. "I'm so sorry. You just sprung it up. Yes. I accept."

"Oh thank Rotar." Halvar released the breath he was holding. She just stared at him for a moment, and for a brief time, the prince thought Liz was going to run back onto the ship and sail away. He then smiled widely and wrapped the warm cloak around her shoulders. Liz was not like the other female Direnors who would only accept a white cloak, no, she preferred the darker colors. For that reason, he had hunted for weeks until he found the perfect shade of red-brown for his girlfriend. "I... I hope you like it."

"I do. You took the time to carefully choose the fur for me. I'm grateful for that." She gave him another kiss. Lex and Revy were running to the port, the latter still carrying the deer, when they saw Halvar offer his courtship. Lex gave a small pout. "Great, lost that love boat."

"Lex. You never HAD that love boat. And chin up, you can still score one of the older brothers. Maybe."

"Thanks for the confidence Rev."

With big smiles, both girls ran to Liz. Revy threw her deer to one of Halvar's guards and they each hugged Liz. "Good to see you!"

Liz hugged them back, trying to keep a professional air about her with so many people arriving at the dock. "Good to see you both as well."

Lex gave Halvar a wink. "See you finally did it. Congrats on netting my sister~"

The guard nearly fell over when Revy simply tossed him the deer without warning.

"It was her choice to accept or not." Halvar turned red again at Lex's comment. "Besides, I feel so lucky to have her at my side. She's a good woman, a strong woman."

"Bork!" Boof nudged Liz for pets, being demanding. He was the fluffy, adorable one, he should be the center of attention.

Revy held Boof back, rubbing his neck. "You can have pets later boy."

The white haired Gerudo gave a mischievous grin, eying the young couple together. "So when you two gonna bang one out?~"

Liz's expression grew with pure horror. "Don't say shit like that so loud!"

Lex received a hard punch to the shoulder from her sister for that. "OW! Settle down! Just a joke!"

"Whu-whu, we um, we uh..." Halvar blushed dark red all the way up to his ears. Intimacy was still foreign to Liz and him, and he was not about to make advances just yet. After all, it was the lady who said yes or no. The last thing he wanted was to get slapped.

"I can always teach you what a lady wants~"

"THAT'S IT!"

Liz tackled Lex to the ground, and started to slap at her face, with Lex giving giggles and grunts. Revy quickly intervened, pulling the sisters away from each other. "Hey, hey, hey! Enough! Lex, no trying to make Halvar hard and your sister mad!"

"Fine, geeze."

"You are insufferable sometimes Lex."

"But you love me anyways~ And if it wasn't for my knowledge of pleasing men, I wouldn't have come up with an accurate map on tracking mom down."

That caught Liz off by guard. "You've been doing what?"

While the prince was used to the sisters fighting a bit, he was not prepared to hear what Lex said about pleasure.

"I think... I'm going to um..." Halvar gestured to the land. "Yeah, I'm going to go and wait over there. That seems like a grand idea."

"Yeah! I've been getting information from sailors and travelers who seen mom and her forces. I've narrowed it down to a triangle of coordinates."

Liz wanted to argue about her sister whoring out to get information, but she was too tired to argue. "I'll take a look at it later. Just stay out of trouble. Have you seen Bakura?"

Lex took a sigh. "He's been doing 'deep mediation' out by the cave. Can't get him to come out some days. Kind of sad, but he says it he'll find Daddy through the 'spirits'."

Revy clapped her hands. “Well, we better get going. Who wants to help me skin this deer?”

~

In three days, it would be seven years. Seer felt of the calendar with his fingers and sighed. He was older now. Adda had never released him. Despite his pleas and trying to find means of escape, nothing ever worked. The one kindness she did allow him was that old mage. He could listen to Liz and Lex through her magic. At least he was able to keep tabs on their lives. Still, it was not the same as holding them close, giving them kisses on the forehead, and fixing them a decent meal. He wanted to feel their warmth on his hands again. Though, his little girls were not so little anymore.

Outside of the magic barrier that gave that hid her paradise, Captain Adda flicked the wind waker to open the imaginary gate that allowed her to sail safely to her paradise home. Her latest skirmish was bloody and brutal. Every once in a while she had to put her foot down on the island she controlled. Rebels were such a nuisance. Her trade agreements were fair, so who cared if she was a little hard on them. Everyone was finally at peace. Besides the major continents, she ruled the oceans. Flicking the wind waker again, her ship went past the barrier as it closed. It took another good hour to sail to the island's north port side.

Docking, she took another hour greeting her people, handing out and ordering who got what food and drinks, made orders for her lieutenants to carry out, and got herself a martini. Finally, she opened the door to her chambers, giving Seer a whistle. "Miss me handsome?"

"No."

The longer his time on the island, the more bitter Seer became towards Adda. He would begrudgingly amuse her with sex, the random conversation, and sometimes have to accompany her to see the rest of her people. That he hated the most, feeling like a pet on a chain once more. She wouldn't kill him, but rather keep him alive to torment him with the fact that he could not get away with her.

"Oh don't be like that." Adda sat down on the bed, yawning with exhaustion. "Tell me, girls treating you ok? Little Beck wanted to see you do whale tricks with a ball. Went on about seeing it in a book. I think the little gal likes you.”

"I'm not a pet." Seer snapped at her with a glare about the whale tricks. "And I'm not going to play with a ball for fish. You got me doing that already."

"She was just a six year old girl with a curiosity. What's up your ass?" Adda slugged back her drink and fell back on the bed. "It's not like you been shot recently or anything. Now that's something to be cranky about."

"I'd rather be shot than have to stay here. Then again, you know that, I've told you that, but it's like you have too much saltwater in your ears to properly listen." Seer got up off the bed, in a particularly bad mood since the anniversary of his kidnapping was coming up. "Tell your people to stay the hell away from me. I'm going for a swim." He then stopped and added as an afterthought. "Do not join me."

"They're just ordinary folks. You really want to be the one to crush the dreams of little girls who never seen a man transform into a whale? God, you are such a pussy. You want me to shoot you? I can do that, right now."

"Then do it!!!" Seer turned around, screaming at her. "I've been trapped here for seven damn years now, Adda! I haven't held my girls, told them I love them, I have no freedom! I'm a slave again! Shoot me, right here, through the heart! Put me out of my misery! Your crew missed the first time, but I doubt you will!" He demanded. "Do it! I can't take another day of hearing my girls from that blasted ball saying they're wondering if I'm dead or alive, hearing them cry because of me!"

"Oh fuck you, you blind piece of shit." Adda rose to her feet. "I had a plan. A really simple and easy plan that kept the girls safe for a while. I own the fucking oceans now. I am the Queen of the seas. I'm the greatest Gerudo chieftain that's ever lived. My people are happy. They're in a state of nirvana that has never been seen before. And all those that stand against me have no possible power to beat me or my forces. And I was going to give that to the girls. I knocked on your door to bring all of you with me. But you acted like a petty child. You ran from Hyrule, cheating me years to track you down, than you had the gull to tell me to leave. This 'suffering' you're feeling is nothing. I missed thirteen years, and now the additional seven years on top of that. Now that they're tough and smart woman, maybe they'll find there way here. Grow the fuck up, or shut the fuck up." Curious, she handed him an unloaded, cocked gun. "What you gonna do about it? You wanna rob them of one of their parents?"

"You're nothing but a murderer and a greedy soul who decides all your wrongs are righted by what you do for your people. Think what you want of me, but my girls will never be like you. Besides for all I know, you didn't want them." Seer sneered at her. "Dump them with me to get back at Bakura. Classy move, mother, using your daughters like they're dispensable. That's all they are to you, something to use." When Adda handed him the gun, Seer frowned at her. "You think I'm an idiot? This isn't loaded. I spent years with Corsaire on a ship, I know an unloaded gun to a loaded one." He threw the gun to the side with a huff. "The only reason you won't give me bullets is because you still want your toy at your side. Just like the girls, that's all I am to you; an object." The blind Direnor stomped outside, tossing his shirt and pants wherever before the water hit his feet. As soon as he was neck deep, he started to shift.

"YOU DON'T KNOW ME!!! I NEVER USED MY GIRLS!!! I SAVED THEM!!! HOPE YOU DROWN OUT THERE!!!!!"

The moonlight fell on the ocean as Seer swam around. All the life he ever found in the calm area of water he was free to swim in were the odd colourful fish that came and went. So, on this night, it was a shocking sight when he chanced an encounter with a whale under water. It was colourful as a rainbow, and had angel wings on its back.

Seer had never seen another whale here, despite his many years of swimming trying to find an exit.

"Can you understand me?"

"Hmmm? Of course I can understand you. Nice night for a swim, isn't it."

"Oh, I agree, the water is very nice this night." Seer felt relieved, but wondered if he was about to lose his break on sanity. Either way, it supposed this was not too bad. Talking to an angelic whale was the least of his worries, even if he was going insane. "I don't suppose you're a... messenger? The wings?"

"I'm the Wind Fish. Who are you?"

"Wind Fish? I think I've heard of you in Hyrule's tales..." Seer then realized he was being rather rude. "Oh, my apologies. My name is Erling Frode, but my friends call me Seer. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

The Wind Fish looked deep into Seer, his tone unchanging. "You seem tired Seer."

"I think tired is an understatement, Wind Fish." Seer, in reality, felt exhausted. He wanted to give up. Holding onto hope was such a lost cause. Adda would never let him go. "I'm trapped here and I cannot leave to see my family. No matter what I do, I cannot find freedom. My only way out of this place is death, and I'm denied even that."

"What is your wish for life?"

"My wish for life?" Seer repeated. "What I would want if I could have it?"

"You have great pain in your heart. What wish is on your mind? What do you dream of?"

"I only wish to be with my girls again, my family, back in Uskar." Seer sighed heavily. "I dream of hearing my girls laugh again instead of crying for my sake. I dream of us fixing food together in the kitchen again. I dream of telling Alexandra and Elizabeth to stop arguing and go do their chores. Memories of the past mix with what I want for the future. Seems silly, doesn't it?"

"Not at all. Dreams are a beautiful thing. And it's funny how they can come true. I have to go now." The Wind Fish started to fly away, surging out of the water and above the defence ships on the surface, not seeming to mind getting spotted or not.

"H-Hey, wait!" Seer shot up toward the surface after the Wind Fish. Though by the time he breached, the Wind Fish was already long gone. He couldn't sense him anymore. Dejectedly, Seer just lounged on the surface of the waves. "Don't leave me here alone..."

Seer heard a voice echo in his head. "You are never alone Seer. And your heart won't feel alone for long. Now wake up. Wake up…. Wake up….."

~ Seer woke up in bed, rested like never before, but both a hopeful happiness and yet some sadness in him. Beside him, Adda was stirring in bed, drying her face.

Seer did wake with a jolt. Was the entire encounter a dream?

"... either I drowned and you came to fetch me, or I fell asleep in the waves again."

"You went for a swim and than you must have came back yourself. I went to bed before you came back." Adda was oddly monotone this morning.

"Oh. I don't recall." Seer sat up in bed, rubbing his head, feeling for a knot or a scrape. No, he definitely did not knock his skull. The entire encounter must have been a dream. "I don't remember much... I must have stayed in my other form too long again."

"Did you have any weird dreams last night?" Adda kept her attention away from him, still looking to her left at the wall.

"I'm certain I did, though I'm not able to recall them all. Why? Talking in my sleep and disturbing your beauty rest again?"

Adda didn't give him a smartass remark. "I dreamed I wanted to be with girls and I wasn't a monster to Bakura. It was so... peaceful. I wanted it to be so real..."

"Sounds like you wish to turn back time." Seer stretched his body, feeling stiff from being in his other form.

"Maybe. I saw this... giant colourful fish in the sky. No idea why. It asked what I wanted. I said to have the family I always wanted and-" Adda paused. For a moment of vulnerability she shook with emotion before reeling it in. "Forget it. The whole things stupid. I just got this feeling I'm going to see them again soon."

"You have the family you've always wanted out there, Adda." Seer pointed in the general direction of the door. "You even told me it was your dream to create this paradise for the Gerudo."

"That's different. I'm their Queen. A Queen who was chosen for this life. I'm talking about being a mother to my own kids."

"You had that chance too, before you pursued the war." Seer fixed his long hair back into a tail. "Just like Scarlet did."

"Don't say her name." Adda turned to him, her brow curling with anger. "I'm tired of having the same argument with you over and over regarding my choices."

"Then let me go and you'll never hear my voice again to remind you of said poor choices."

"So you can lead your forces right back to me? No thanks."

"Now you're the one being stupid. I don't even know where the hell I am."

"That's the whole idea. To keep your pod of savage whales away from the innocents of this island."

"Those savage whales don't attack innocents, only those who dare to hurt their own." Seer retaliated at her remark. "You took the girls, and in return, we attacked."

"I had the right to those girls. If you really thought I was a monster, you would have killed me in that ice cold water, or here in my sleep." Adda spat back bitterly.

"Just because you're their biological mother doesn't give you any right to them. The people who love them, take care of them, doesn't have to be blood to be their family." Seer argued with narrowed eyes. "And I never said you were a monster." He leaned a little closer and said bluntly. "I just hate your guts. If I killed you, Lex would hate me. That's the last thing I want. I think more of those girls than you ever will. I gave my life to them. You? You decided to make yourself Queen and to hell with everything else. Want me to shut up? Then turn me loose."

"I was going to make them both royalty of the seas. You have no idea about what I think of them." Adda snorted back. With a shrug of her shoulders, she tried to change the conversation. "You wanna stop talking and fuck for a while?"

"Well, you screamed at me to drown yesterday, so I think I might go back out for a long swim and see if that happens." Seer replied sarcastically. "Seeing you're a self proclaimed queen and all, I think you can handle waiting to fuck for a day or so." He then added, just to mess with Adda. "Besides, Bakura is a better fuck than you."

"Seer, don't be an ass." Adda pushed him to the side and went to her wardrobe. At Bakura though, she turned her head to him. "You did not."

"He slapped my ass, I buried my face in his abs, the rest is history."

“Tell me than. What did it feel like?” Adda stared coldly at him.

"Why do you want to know? Jealous I'm a better lay?"

“To see you bullshitting me. What was it like Seer?”

"A fight for dominance, that's for sure. You know Bakura has a fetish of grabbing the neck a bit?" Seer was going off of what he sensed from the man. While Seth was always in the back of Bakura's mind, the other soul residing in the assassin's body still influenced a few actions. For once, Seer was grateful for his powerful sense of smell and echolocation. He could read Bakura's body language and predict his thoughts without a single word. "Burying my face into a pillow, muffling my moans just until he senses I'm ready to cum. Sometimes, he even denies me that, wanting me to beg a little."

“You know what it was like for me? It was knowing that he the someone I could trust. He made me feel vulnerable like no other man. When he fucked me, I didn’t care about anything else. Because he was naive enough, stupid enough, or maybe kind enough to be so open and gentle too.” Adda punched Seer back onto the bed. “But you would have said that if you ever made love with a man like Bakura. You’d know he made you feel complete.”

"Now that's a steaming pile of shit right there, Adda," Seer actually snickered. "Because if you were so complete with him, then you really screwed up by leaving him, and better yet, dumping his daughters with me. You know he told me he wanted to kill you for what you did to him? Making him lose years of his daughters' lives too? Isn't it funny how these things turn out." He was now full out laughing, almost a hysterical tint to it. "And you! You kidnapped me out of petty revenge! Not on him, but on your own daughters!!!"

“Shut your fucking mouth Seer.” Adda was so close to beating the life out of the man. How many times did she have to say her case over and over? Bakura threatened her. Hurt her deeply due to that psychotic personality in him. How could she ever leave her kids with him?

"Oh, I thought I was fucked up, but compared to you? Nah." Seer managed to get his laughing under control and then got up off the bed. "I almost, almost feel sorry for you, Adda." He walked outside to the beach, feeling the sand underneath his toes. "A lonely paradise is all you have now."

“And a lonely prison is all you have. If I’m not happy, I’ll make sure you’ll never be either you prick.”

"Heh, you might keep me trapped here forever, but remember this, Adda," Seer was not going to let her get to him. Oddly enough, the tiny break of hysterics might have been what he needed to release some stress. Besides, the dream he had with the whale left him feeling optimistic of sorts. "Whether I die here or see my girls again, at least I know I have their love."

“You robbed me of that chance for twenty years. I’ll earn their love soon. And with you stuck here, you can’t stop me.”

"It's your own fault for dumping them off without a word." Seer countered. "Think that all you want, Adda. Though you're forgetting that I'm not the only one who loves Elizabeth and Alexandria."

Adda whirled on Seer, decking him hard against the face, knocking him out. She was so sick and tired of listening to his bullshit. No more. She was going to give her girls the world.

[mrneighbourlove]

Red Typhoon: Ch 8. The Waters of The Red Queen

On the Sea Witch, most were resting in their cabins. The crew would need a few days of rest before traveling to the new destination. Corsaire had plucked a book from King Crimson’s body, which had the location of Adda’s secret island. This had to be where she was keeping Seer. Though, he and the crew would not be able to rescue Seer without proper rest and healing. Everyone was eager to go, but the captain put his foot down and would not budge until his crew was healthy once more. Halvar was resting in the same cabin with Liz. He was rather sore from the fighting, and angry that King Crimson had gotten the best of him. Though, he could not complain too much. After all, Liz was making sure to take care of him, and for some reason, that made his tail wag faster than he thought it would. Bomba, however, thought he was in heaven when Scarlet came back and gave him a huge hug, and squished his face into her tits.

“You should have seen it Bomba! Lex called me her mom! She and Liz were spectacular!”

Revy looked to her dad, and back to Lex, growing the happiest grin. Lex was a tad embarrassed. She had to endure Scarlet gushing about them while her sister stayed with her boyfriend, treating his wounds. “It wasn’t a big deal or anything.”

Revy slapped Lex’s back lightly. “Mom says you and Liz saved everyone’s lives. You did a great job, sis~”

"Aye, I'm sure the lassies were doing their best, though me thinks seeing you in action would have been hot as fuck---" Bomba's words were muffled by Rat.

"Bomba, no cursing in front of the wee ones." Rat told the first mate with a huff. "You know a-better than that."

"Iphms hm demm!"

"What?"

Bomba removed Rat's hand from his mouth.

"I said, 'it's the truth!'"

Scarlet set Bomba down, and gave him a kiss. "Mojo and Juju almost died. Same goes for Halvar. Someone of your size being drained of blood would most likely not have made it. I'm glad you stayed safe on the ship."

Lex looked to Corsaire, who was reading over the book that held all kind of information. Not just on Adda, but on the Kikai Kingdom's military operations, Danjur sail routes, the biggest names of slave traders and their practices in Labyrmma and Al-Daida, and even the most value of navy officers families in case they were taken for ransom, including Corsaire's own. She cleared her throat to get his attention. "We did good, right?"

"I don't know, you see me produce ten times the blood of a normal man when me's very excited in the great down under---HMPH!" Rat covered Bomba's mouth again, and then smaller man nipped at his friend's hand. "Damn it, Rat! Stop that! The girls are old enough and know what sex is!"

"Keep your naughty thoughts to ye self when around the wee ones."

"... oooh, so you're saying me should dirty talk Scarlet in the bedroom?"

"Good water spirit, help us." Rat muttered under his breath.

Corsaire was so deeply into the book that he almost did not hear Lex.

"Oh? What? Oh! Yes, you and your sister did very well." Corsaire looked up from the book to Lex. "You need to rest though. Facing Adda is not going to be easy for either of you."

"I want to know your plan. Are we facing her alone?"

"Adda has the Wind Waker." Corsaire shut the book for a moment. "Our first objective is to get that out of her hands or else, she has the larger advantage. True, the sails that I collected are fast, but I don't know how they will fair against the Wind Waker. It's wind versus speed in our case. I have the Danjuran and Hylian navy heading to the location as well, but will not enter until they see my ship."

Lex gave a silent nod. Her somberness was joined by Scarlet's own. The door was arriving closer and closer that they'd face Adda. Scarlet walked towards the captain, her heavy heart bringing weight to every step she took. "If we're lucky, we can catch her off guard. Captain Corsaire, but if I may have your word on something. Most of the Gerudo on that island aren't fighters. If we give Adda a little time so see us coming, she should be able to evacuate my tribe underground. I just ask we don't bomb the island."

"Aye, Scarlet, we don't kill innocents." Corsaire stood from his seat and put a hand on her shoulder. "We're not going to harm anyone as long as they don't try to harm us. You have my word on that."

"Thank you. When all this is over, they might need some guidance."

"Guidance?" Corsaire repeated. "What do you mean, Scarlet?"

"If Adda isn't there anymore, and you don't want them to seek revenge..." Scarlet took a sigh, having time to think about this. She looked at Revy and Rat, as well as Lex, and even glanced at Bomba. This might hurt them, but it was on her mind. "...they'll need a strong role model to lead them to good lives and set up a new system to govern themselves. A least for a while."

"... you want to stay on the island."

"I think it's what I need to do for a while."

Revy stood a little fast. "Mom? Are you serious?"

"It's your decision, Scarlet." Corsaire told her. "Like I said, we will not harm the innocents. Though, if Adda has hurt Seer in any way," His metal fingers curled into a fist. "I'll kill her myself."

Scarlet didn't say anything. She didn't want to argue. Revy walked towards her, taking her hands. "Mom. I'm sure that we can have someone else govern. You got a family back home."

Scarlet pushed the hair out of Revy's eyes, giving a light smile. "It's something I need to think about. And it wouldn't be too long if I did."

"You promise you'll take the time to think of both sides? I'm sure Bomba would love to move back with use to Uskar if it meant being with you."

Scarlet gave a light laugh. "Now that's not fair. Using manipulation. Mousa teach you that?"

"Hey!" Rat crossed his arms. "Manipulation? She learned that all on her own."

"Either way, we'll have someone take care of your affairs in Uskar if you do decide to stay on the island after the battle."

"I taught her that." Lex said, with a perfectly proud smile.

Scarlet shook her head, and gave Revy a hug. "Let's just get through this all first."

~

Liz finished her nap with Halvar. Her next step was getting him clean. Taking him to the shower, he wasn't sure what the purpose was, until she started to taking his bloody clothes off. "Hold still, I need to give you a bath."

"Ow, ow, ow..." Halvar tried to keep his winces to the minimum. He healed faster than the usual human because he was a Direnor, but that did not mean that pain was not present. Groaning, the young prince gave a small chuckle. "You know... I envisioned you taking off my clothes a little differently."

Liz felt her cheeks flush, so she started by spraying him with cold water. "You want to stay warm smart guy?"

"YIP!" Halvar yelped when the cold water hit him. "Okay, okay, okay!" The fox pouted at her.

Liz switched to hot water and started to sponge his wounds, and than working on his furry tail. "You made me worried sick. I thought that madman killed you for sure."

"Direnors are resilient, Liz, I'll be all right." Halvar purred slightly as the water turned warm. "I'm sorry that I worried you."

"I had to save your cute little ass." Liz scrubbed harder with the sponge, really cleaning out the blood stains in Halvar's tail.

"I have fought Frost Ones, monsters of the ice, and trained against other Direnors, but I guess I'm not that good against magic."

"Well, I sure turned up the heat against that bastard. No one hurts my Halvar."

"Hrm, you looked very ravishing doing so as well." Halvar continued to purr softly as Liz rubbed his tail and his skin. "You know, I have a good idea I think you might like."

"What's that?"

Without warning, Halvar pulled Liz into the shower with a grin.

"You in here with me."

Liz gasped as she became soaked. Her hair became a mess and her clothes got so wet, Halvar could see her nipples bleed through her tank top. The Gerudo officer gasped as her lover had the balls to pull that off. "I'm soaking wet! You naughty man."

"Only on your skin, my beautiful lady." Halvar nibbled on her ear lobe. "I need to make you wet inside too, don't I?"

"Halvar..." Liz pressed her hands against his chest. Her lover had been so, so patient with her. But they both knew that they were coming closer and closer to a beautiful moment of passion. "We can't have sex on the shi-AH!" The Gerudo gave a yip as Halvar nibbled her ear.

"Heh, ever heard the saying of 'what he don't know, won't hurt him'?" Halvar nuzzled her neck.

"Halvar. I.... I want you. Forgetting all the teasing my sister does... I do want to know what sex is like.  With you... because you've made me trust you with the fact that you could never hurt me." Before Halvar could pounce her, she held a firm hand on him. "But I respect my Uncle. I don't want to be kicked off the mission. I need to face my mother."

"... I understand." Halvar pulled his nose away from her neck, her sweet scent getting the best of his urges. "You have to stop playing with my tail like that, though, because um..." He cleared his throat. "It's almost like a... 'happy trigger' if you know what I mean."

Liz let go of his tail. "I'm sorry. I'm... I'm scared Halvar. I'm scared about how this is going to go down. I want Adda to pay for abandoning me. But I want her to answer every question I have for her. She needs to give me the time. I won't be denied. I can't be denied."

"Hey, hey," Halvar pulled her closer, having her forehead against his. "Sometimes life won't give you all the answers, and other times, you wish you didn't know what you did. It's a strange thing." His blue eyes looked at her gold ones. "I don't know how it's going to go down either, but... does it make you feel better knowing I'm here?"

"It does. I love you. I don't say that often enough to you."

"I love you too, Elizabeth." Halvar smiled at her. "Listen, I'll be here no matter what, okay? Foxes are stubborn that way, you know. Keep trying and trying and trying, until success. I guess I'm just a bit more patient than some foxes because, well..." He turned slightly red. "I waited on you a long while, didn't I?"

"You have. And I promise, when we make it through this, and we get off this boat, you're gonna rock my world you beautiful fox." Liz gripped Halvar and gave him a deep kiss, letting the shower pelt them.

~

Adda starred in disbelief around the table of pirate captains. Her capo’s had gathered at her word. They dared not question her any longer. They saw how dangerous she could be seven years ago when she brutally executed two captains who dared wish to abandon her rule. She was currently over the battered body of a messenger, the last surviving member of King Crimson’s crew.

“I don’t want you to be alarmed. This piece of shit was a coward. He told me how he abandoned his Capo. Now, we all know what we do to cowards, don’t we.”

The other captains nodded, agreeing with Adda. She dropped a bloody bat and put both her hands on the table. “Now I have sources telling me, that a massive navy is coming here. All because King Crimson couldn’t keep things together. In his death, he’s fucked things up for us. But things aren’t impossible to fix. We’re the richest, biggest brotherhood of pirates in the world. We control the ocean. We control whole islands. Nobody fucks with us.”

She slammed her hand on the table, startling a few. “WHO FUCKS WITH US?!”

“No one!” The captains shouted back.

“That’s fucking right. Now, I want whatever scouts you can muster to bring as many men and ships here as you can. We got cannons. We got mercenaries. We got the absolute firepower to tear these fucks apart! Do you here me?! Once this is over, no one can stop us from taking more wealth! NO ONE WILL FUCK WITH US!!! NOW GO!!!”

The other captains rushed out, and Adda turned heel, walking back to Seer. She got a line of cocaine and put it on their table. King Crimson’s death was getting to here. The navies of Hyrule and Danjur finally found her island home. They must have. That Lorleidian fucker was one of the few who knew how to find her. He could find a needle dropped in the ocean, so if that bastard Corsiare had his book of secrets, than he certainly could find her. Relax. She had to relax.

Seer's senses were as keen as ever and he smelled the drugs. It made him feel sick to his stomach. Back in his days at the brothel, there was no telling what those slave masters gave to him. Opium was usually the drug which calmed him most, but he did recall some cocaine and possibly some heroin. In a twisted sense of humor, Seer used to call it the 'high of the day'.

"Adda..." Seer tried to keep his voice from shaking or sounding uneasy. "Do you... really need to do those drugs? It's dangerous."

Adda almost never used drugs. And she never did them around Seer before. She snorted a line and looked back to him, shaking her head. "F-FUCK!" She peered at him, like he was unpleasant fart in the wind. "My whole life is dangerous. My new slogan. Let's. Get. Dangerous."

"Adda, that stuff is addictive." Seer frowned at her attitude. "I... was an addict for years. Please don't go down that road."

"WHY NOT!" She turned on him, her emotions riling up. "It's making me feel ALIVE! And god knows how long I have to be, with your little bitch ass, fucking swine squealing cunt Captain Corsaire arriving soon. He wants my head on his wall! He's bringing the fucking navy, because he killed King Crimson. More like peasant maroon! I trusted that dickhead with this location, with the infrastructure of booking and secrets. And Corsaire blew him the fuck up! I have word that the navies of Hyrule and Danjur are coming here. HERE SEER!"

"... Captain Corsaire won't hurt your people, Adda." Seer kept his head, not wanting to rile her up further than she already was. "The navy won't either as long as they don't attack them. If you handle this with a peaceful manner, then nothing will happen."

"Oh right. I can just tell him to fuck off and he'll look past that he sees me as a criminal. What the fuck kind of peace do you think is coming out of this? Huh? HUH?!" Adda gave him a push. She leaned down to take another shot of cocaine.

"You are a criminal, but that doesn't mean Corsaire isn't without mercy." Seer tried to reason with her. "Think of your people. If they attack, you're not going to win. Not with the Hylian and Danjuran navy at his back." At the shove, he furrowed his brows, his sensitive ears hearing her move to take another hit. Knocking all the powder off the table into the floor, Seer growled at her. "Do you want the twins to see you as a doped up druggie mother?!"

"I'm not a fucking druggie!" Adda scowled at him. "And now you ruined the fucking coke you cunt! Not gonna lap it off the ground." She paced the room, not calm and now drugged up as well. "You want me dead. He wants me dead. I've never had the chance to be a mom because I have the stress of being a fucking Queen who wanted to save and rule the sea. Fucking Onsluaght making me go to war. Fucking Seth for abandoning my children. AND YOU!" Adda turned on Seer, grabbing a fistful of cocaine, dangerously waving it around Seer. "Fucking you for never loving me. You piece of shit. You colossal waste of my time. You've never supported me! You manipulate me! Belittle me!"

"You're turning into one!" Seer argued. "Corsaire won't kill you as long as you hand me over! If you're afraid of being captured, then run! Just let me go and they might forget about the whole thing! Stay here and no more pirating! Don't risk getting killed!" When she started shouting at him, he yelled back. "I did love you for a time, but you broke my heart when you abandoned the girls and then I found out they weren't mine! You're the piece of sh---"

The man could have kept his wits about him if it was not for the cocaine. Seer could smell the drugs and panicked. It was an instant fight or flight response. His facial expression said it all. Without thinking twice, he punched Adda in the face and ran for the door. He didn't even bother discarding his clothes before seeking refuge in the water.

Adda held her face, and with her emotions out of wack, she started to cry. "FUCK YOU SEER! FUCK YOU!" Adda grabbed her rifle and took aim. Another change, normally she wouldn't shoot him, but do to that punch he threw, and the drug fueled high, she shot Seer in the leg as he was ten meters away from the water.

She slowly took her time to get to the beach and drag him by the hair to a bunker. "Belittle me again. Punch me again. And I will shower cocaine on you."

"GAH!!!" Seer screamed when the bullet struck his leg. Grimacing, he held the bullet wound, trying to stop the flow of blood. When Adda started to drag him by the hair, he actually snarled. If she was going to fight Corsaire, it would be better to end it now. The lives of his crew, his daughters, the innocents here were at stake. Seer did not want anyone to get hurt. A leg for a leg, he thought, as his sharp teeth grew in his mouth... and he clamped down. Hard.

Adda screamed. And with that bite, she kicked him, driving her foot down on his temple. "BASTARD!"

Despite the pain, Seer still held on as tight as he could. It took a lot to knock him out unless it was drugs. So many years in the brothel, so much pain and despite, he had a high tolerance for it. He had to immobilize her somehow, someway. His hands held onto her belt so she could not get away. Despite the bullet in his leg, Seer was able to get to his knees and tried to pull Adda toward the water.

Adda fell down, terrified of being ripped apart. "Let go! LET GO OF ME SEER!"

"RRRRRRRR!!!" Seer's transformation was becoming more apparent. Even his voice was distorted, growls coming forth from his mouth. "You have kept me captive, so now I will keep you under the waves. They will hold you, just as you've held me."

Adda knew that she was left no choice. Taking her revolver, she fired a shot point blank into the top of Seer's head. She held a tiny bit of hope that he was tough enough to take it and keep his stupid little brain in tact, but not enough to keep standing for the next hour.

"ARGH!" Seer screamed and released her leg with his teeth. If he was not partly transformed with thicker bones, it would have killed him. At least with the rushing adrenaline, he was able to apply the old concept of 'mind over body'. He hobbled his way to the water, diving beneath the waves. Once the transformation was complete, Seer rested in the deepest area he could swim to recover.

"You... piece of shit. Wanker. Go away. Better negotiating that way." Adda dragged herself up the beach. Fine. He could swim about. Maybe even away when Corsaire arrived. The Pirate Queen looked back to the ocean, and she collapsed against in her bed alone. She could deal with her very own apocalypse in the making in the morning.

~

Bakura felt... empty. He didn't expect to, but he did. Without the constant mental guard against Seth needed any longer, he felt a void. There was all this peace he didn't know what to do with. His mind tried to focus on the mission at hand. He had so much space to think now. Today was the day. He noticed other naval ships gathering. Very soon, they'd come face to face with Adda again.

Walking to the bridge, he checked on his gear as he waved Corsaire over. "Captain. How are you feeling?"

"Anxious." Captain Corsaire looked at the horizon. The destination was close. He took a sharp inhale. "I'm worried that Adda might have gotten news of us and hurt Seer. Or killed him. To spite me."

"What if she.... disposed of Seer. One way or another years ago?"

"Then she'll never see the inside of a cell." Corsaire's voice was cold and angry. "I'll kill her."

"And if she has let him live this entire time?"

"If Seer is alive and unharmed, then I'll reconsider." Corsaire took his original place back at the wheel to guide the ship. "I won't hurt any innocents, but she needs to hand over Seer without a fight or else."

"Well, I know you didn't bring this navy for just one man." Bakura closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He knew how things would play out. With a smile, he gestured at his clothing. It was much whiter, cleaner in design. "Do you like it? Thought it worked better with my mental space now."

"No... I brought it because I know Adda, more than likely, will fight." Corsaire chuckled at Bakura's little flare of fashion. "It suits you well."

"Thank you. It's..." Bakura made a twirl of his hand around his head. "Some getting used to."

"I have one suggestion," Corsaire took off the bandanna from around his neck. He always wore an extra one in case one of his men needed it. Tying it around Bakura's head, he then said, "There."

"It's like having an evil brother for so long. Now he's gone and I don't know if I miss him or if I'm relieved. I don't suppose you know what I'm talking-" Bakura paused as Corsaire put the bandana around his head. "Why are you giving me this?"

"Heh, I had a brother too, you know. Younger, more ambitious, and... a slight sociopath." Corsaire told Bakura as he fixed the ends of the bandanna a bit more straight. "Gharhad was willing to sacrifice his moral grounds in exchange for money. Trafficked drugs, slaves, killed innocents, raped women... he was killed by the Lorleidian queen years before I met my wife for raping her sister." He admitted. "Yes, I do miss him, but I missed the man he used to be, not the one he became." Then he explained. "Well, all members of my crew have one. It's about time you did."

"I... I don't know if I was Seth. Or if Seth was someone else. I can't help but wonder if its my fault he took on all my hatred. All my rage. If he had a separate soul... than I hope he has peace. Even for a bloodthirsty psychopath." Bakura felt the headband and gave a bow. "Thank you Captain."

The crew started to gather on the deck as a thick layer of fog rolled in. They had arrived at the barrier. Revy gave Lex and Liz a firm smile. "Listen. No matter what happens, I'll look after you two."

Liz gave a worried look. "Don't do anything stupid. You have promise that you won't take any hits for us again."

"Well, I'm not sure about-"

"Promise us."

Revy gripped her sword handle, and gave a tiny nod. "Ok. I promise."

Her sword hand was slightly shaking. She was worried about dying on this mission. About leaving others behind. Looking to Halvar, she gave a slight worried smile. "Hey Halver. I know that Lex has guys waiting for her, and you got Liz. I don't suppose you heard about anyone waiting for me back home have you?"

"I can think of a few people who admire the lovely Revy." Halvar assured his friend. "Though they're right, you know. You don't need to play hero this time. Liz and Lex have their magic to help them, and you need to focus on keeping yourself safe. There's going to be a lot going on during this battle. We can watch out for each other, but most importantly, watch out for yourself."

"He's right," Rat told his daughter. "So you be careful."

"I will be careful. Trust me." They watched as two ships full of magicians from Hyrule started to dispel the barrier.

~

Adda was pacing her runway. At the edge of her island, she constructed an artificial metal bridge for ships and blimps to dock at, as well as artillery cannons for defense. Her armada of pirates were stationed around the island. The perfect barrier that surrounded her island started to flicker, breaking the illusion of peace. She had run out of time. Taking the Wind Waker, she needed her hostage. With a grin, she had one of her men track Seer's sent, and with the flick of her wrist, she cast a melody. A torrent of water cast Seer outwards from the water, and as he was shot from the ocean, Adda fluttered his whale body onto the bride with a hyper strong current of air. "Change back. Unless you want to have all your blubbery ears go ballistic when I play my next beat."

Seer was growling furiously in his whale form. He tried to bob back over to the water but Adda was not having it. The Direnor even tried snapping at her, but still the wind kept him away. So, he was forced to change back into his usual form.

"What?" Seer spat. "What now?"

"How's that leg?" Her own leg still had his bite marks clearly visible.

"What do you care?"

"Pick him up." Two Iron Knuckles in red armour hogtied Seer into chains. They made sure it would hurt if he tried to transform, as the shackles had tiny spikes. They'd dig in if he grew bigger. Adda grabbed Seer's cheeks and squeezed them with one hand, like he was a naughty child. "Cheer up sunshine. The day we've been waiting for has finally arrived." She motioned the two iron knuckles to hold Seer closely.

In a surprise move, Adda flicked the Wind Waker, and dropped the barrier, saving Corsaire half an hour. Her platform was five stories higher than any regular ship. "Come on. Bring my girls here...."

"...?! What?!" Seer nearly lunged forward at Adda, but the two Iron Knuckles held him back. "Elizabeth and Alexandria?! They're here?!"

Adda walked to the edge of the bridge, and taking out a telescope, watched Corsaire's ship in the distance, along with a large navy of her enemies. "I wonder what he's thinking. How he should have taken the kiss with me seriously? Oh I bet he's pissed. Well, tough. Now where are my girls. Get closer so I can see them."

"... he's probably thinking about putting a bullet between your eyes." Seer said bluntly. "If he has the navy behind him, and I know he does cause I can sense the ships, then you better just do what he says. Wind Waker or not... I sense magic with him."

"I have a legion."

One of her Gerudo pirates ran to Adda, a tinge of fear in her voice. "My Captain. The other ships are requesting your orders."

"Don't fire until they fire. They launch one flare, decimate them. But keep our hands off the trigger for now."

"Understood."

As Adda looked back, she noticed how fast Corsaire's ship was traveling towards her. Taking a look at his sails, she shook her head in disbelief. "Damn. He got all the magic sails."

Seer snickered when Adda mentioned the sails. Years ago, Corsaire mentioned he would like to collect all of the remaining sails. Of course, the Direnor never thought he'd do it once he became a family man. Maybe he gathered them all to combat Adda.

"Speed versus the wind. How interesting." The Direnor had an amused smirk on his face. "The Sea Witch is an old ship, but be warned, Adda. You've never seen her in action. Corsaire built that ship himself. It's never lost a battle."

"Yeah. As long as he doesn't do anything stupid, he can keep his ship." Adda peered through with her telescope, and she saw Bakura was doing the exact same thing to her. Both dropped their scopes, looking off in the closing distance at each other with their own eyes. Adda's wit in her voice dropped. "Bakura..."

"What I meant was, the Sea Witch is called that for a reason---what?!" Seer perked up when he heard Bakura was on the ship. "Oh, thank the goddesses and gods, he's looking after the girls."

Adda looked again to see her daughters. They were looking at her. Scanning the rest of the ship, she saw Corsaire's original crew, as well as Scarlet. It hurt Adda to see her old friend here. "Looks like everyone you know is here Seer. One big family reunion."

The Gerudo Queen closed the scope, and taking out the Wind Waker, flicked it in a horizontal motion. She was conducting the air to give her perfect clear communication to Corsaire for when she yelled down.

Everyone on the boat now had a clear view of Adda, but not yet Seer. The tension filled everyone as they sailed next to the battle bridge.

"Cap'n," Rat stood beside of Corsaire. "You think we's going to be able to get through dis without blood?"

"That's up to Adda," Corsaire held the wheel steady. "If she has hurt Seer in any way... or if she killed him... she's not leaving this place alive."

"... I understand, cap'n."

"Remember our motto?"

"Aye, cap'n." Rat repeated the words that held their crew together. "No cause justifies the torment of innocents."

"Aye." Corsaire told him. "Get ready."

Adda raised her hands in a grand gesture. "Twenty years Captain Corsaire! Been a long time, hasn't it!"

"Not long enough." Corsaire replied with a frown. "I'm not here for idle talk or pleasantries, Adda. Where is Seer?"

Adda smiled, tilting her head. "You really want to know? I suppose it is why you came here. No point in teasing you any longer. Don't mind the chains. Just for show. Seer's a slippery son of a bitch." The Gerudo captain motioned for her two ironed guards to drag Seer into view. Their grip on him was absolute.

"Seer..." Mojo breathed, feeling relief at seeing his old brother-in-arms. "He's okay... and he grew a beard!"

"He's alive, cap'n." Juju whispered to Corsaire. "Not hurt, from what me sees."

Corsaire did his best to show no reaction. It would only give Adda a twisted sense of pleasure. Yet, his grip on the wheel tightened.

"I do not wish to fight anymore than you do, Adda." Corsaire stated his intentions clearly. "I have orders from the Hylian Navy, the Danjuran Navy, and the kingdom of Labrynna to obliterate you. However, if you return Seer, then I will order the ships under my command to turn around and you will not see me again."

"HA! Do you know who the hell you're taking to? I'm the Red Queen of the Sea. You don't think I've acquired the firepower to sink every ship out there coming closer?"

"ADDA! You can stop this now!"

Adda was taken aback when Scarlet spoke to her, but she didn't show it. Her face was neutral as she looked Scarlet in the eyes. "I'm going to tell you this once. You do not have the right to speak to me that way. Not anymore. Now be silent Scarlet."

Scarlet closed her mouth, as if Adda's word was law. The Gerudo Captain shook her head. "No. I've worked too hard to listen to petty threats Corsaire. I want one thing. I'll even give you Seer for it."

Adda pointed to her twins. "Girls. Come here."

"Don't you dare!" Seer spoke up when he heard Adda's demand, thrashing in the hold of the Iron Knuckles. "You're not taking them! Bakura!!!" He shouted across the water. "Don't let her have them!!! She'll use me to get to them---" He was cut short by a punch from one of the Iron Knuckles.

Liz and Lex flinched as Seer was punched. They had waited so long to see him again. But another reason they traveled all this way, faced perilous danger, and given up so much of their lives to training was to confront Adda. Liz clenched her fist. This was their chance. "We accept Adda!"

"What?!" Corsaire turned and looked at the girls, mouth agape.

"WHAT?!" Rat nearly bellowed. "You can't do dat! You know how Adda plays these games! She'll find a way to trick you and keep Seer! Hold him captive to get you two to a-do what she wants!"

Groaning, Seer had a little blood run down his chin from a busted lip, yet he heard what Liz said.

"What are you doing?!"

Lex shouted up to Seer. "This is why we came here. Anyone one who's stupid to try and stop us can try." She raised an icy hand to Rat and Corsaire when they took a step towards them. Revy was terrified at her friends actions, thinking they were going mental. Adda, however, was ecstatic. "That's my girl..."

Liz took a deep breath. "We’re confronting here. Step aside."                  

"... no pressure, but don't screw up." Corsaire muttered under his breath. He then turned to Adda. "Your ship or mine?"

"Rather simple, climb up girls." Adda motioned some of her crew to throw down a trolley. Liz and Lex looked to everyone on the crew and smiled with reassurance. Climbing on the small trolley, before Corsaire could protest the unfairness, Adda had her girls pulled up. It took two minutes to carry them up, but once they arrived, Lex and Liz rushed Seer for a hug. Seven years of isolation from their father, now finally reunited. Adda allowed them to do so.

Due to the chains, Seer could not hug his girls, but so at ease when the twins wrapped their arms around him.

"Oh, my precious girls... by the spirits, you're both grown!" Seer kissed Lex's forehead and Liz's. He was trying his best not to get emotional, but his voice cracked. "I have so many questions, so much I want to know, but you two shouldn't be here. I don't want Adda manipulating you."

"I missed you Daddy." Lex kissed his cheeks back.

Liz nuzzled herself against Seer, and whispered so softly in his ear. "Trust us. We aren't leaving you again."

Adda slapped her hands together and rubbed them together. "Okay. A deal's a deal."

She gave a whistle, and before the girls could react, her Iron Knuckles took Seer and threw him over board next to the sea witch. Adda laughed as she threw the key to his shackles down towards Corsaire.

"SEER!!!" Corsaire threw off his hat and commanded. "Bomba!!! Take the wheel!!!"

"Aye, aye, cap'n!!!"

Luckily for Seer, he could hold his breath a long while. He sensed movement in the water and then felt arms around him. Captain? What was he doing in the water?! He had to command the ship! Corsaire fumbled with the chains before finally unlocking the lock. Pushing off the ocean floor, Corsaire helped to pull Seer to the surface.

"You bitch!!!" Corsaire bellowed from the water and spouted bitterly. "No wonder you couldn't hang onto the twins or your men! If this is what you do to those around you, then fuck you! Fuck your ship, fuck this so called title of queen of the seas! You're nothing but a dirty, lying, two-timing whore that not even the kraken itself would eat off the ocean floor!!!"

Adda flicked her Wind Waker, and a strong wind cut his voice off from reaching her. She looked at the girls, for the first time really looking at them. Liz and Lex looked so much like her, especially Liz. The girls felt the tension in the air, but all three were speechless, coming to terms with where they were in life.

Adda sighed, giving a faint smile, and found herself the first to speak. "My girls.... I've waited so long for this moment. The three of us. You’ve grown up wonderfully."

To her surprise, and even Liz's, Lex was the first to reply, rather bitterly in fact. "No. You don't get to do that mom. You don't."

"She's right Adda. What, in the past twenty years, makes you think that you deserve us."

Adda looked around, knowing this wouldn't be easy. She had to recollect her thoughts. "You don't think I didn't try? You don't think I don't know how to be a proper mother to you two? Do I look like some normal human being to you?"

"I wanted any mother in my life! What about that was so hard for you?" Lex spat through gritted teeth.

"So what, being a pirate meant so much to you?"

"I was thrust into this life. I was thrust into being a mother to you two. Than, I was thrust into a war. I wasn't going to raise you two in a bloody conflict. I had no idea Seer was going to take you both away from me!"

"So you decided to kidnap him?! To punish him?! Do you have any idea in that stupid head of yours how his disappearance affected us?!" Liz screamed towards Adda, her fury building.

"He hurt me. He stabbed me in my heart. Of course I had to punish him. He took me away from the two things I care about the most. That I've dedicated my life towards."

Lex shook her head. "What are you talking about mom?"

"All of this! The control. The riches. The power! I couldn't be a normal mother, so I built this society all for you two!" Adda looked pleading, her eyes tired, yet hopeful. "You two deserve the seas, and I wanted to give them to you. I wanted to give you the greatest gift I could to make up for my short comings. I know you two have the charm and power to rule. I give it to you willingly. Because I love you two."

Liz and Lex were dumbstruck. Adda had sacrificed so much happiness of herself and other beings, all for them. It was then both came to the realization of what they felt for her. Pity. Liz couldn't take it, and her face crumbled apart. "All these years... all this suffering. And for what? A grand prize. All we wanted was you mom. You as a mother in our lives."

Adda relinquished the hand she stretched out towards them, overwhelmed by rejection. She could see it in their faces. "Lex... Liz.... I did it all for you."

Lex shook her head, and she was the first to bring magic to her hands. "Mom. Please come with us. It's over. I can try to get you the help you need in prison."

"Girls... you're breaking my heart."

"You broke mine." Lex had tears falling down her face.

"... I tried to tell you so many times, Adda." Seer called to her from the water. "Why do you think I kept telling you, over and over, that you lost your chance? The girls don't care about a crown, or riches, or even power. All they wanted was someone to love them. They just wanted a normal mom. A mom."

Adda face looked like a sad madness filled her expression. She reached a hand towards the girls. Scarlet and Bakura were overwhelmed by shock. "She's going to give it up..."

"My girls... what.... what have I-

And perhaps Adda would have seen the light, if hell didn't break loose. Flying through the clouds on death's wings, Onslaught, Terror of the Sky and Sea, descended upon the navies of the free governments. This was the moment he was waiting for. His enemies didn't expect him, and with a blast of plasma, he tore apart the capital Danjur cruise ship. His crew of Aeralfos dropped bombs they carried, flying fast and hard against other ships. In retaliation, one of the Hyrule’s ships fired at Adda's bridge. The shot knocked Adda back, and sent the twins falling back into the water.  

Just as Rat pulled Corsaire and Seer onto the Sea Witch, the bombs caused all the crew members to topple over onto the deck.

"WHAT THE EVER LIVING FUCKITY BALLS OF FIRE IS GOING ON?!?!" Bomba yelled as he climbed back to the wheel on Corsaire's ship, the ensuring blast having knocked the crew off their feet. "Acrobat! Release the sails!!!"

"She's attacking us!" Corsaire pointed to the dragon. "That thing is under her command---" He was cut short when one of the blows struck near Adda's ship.

"It's Onslaught." Seer told the captain, a look of panic in his eyes. "The girls! We need to the girls and get out of here!"

Adda had no idea that Onslaught attacked first, only seeing the shot from the enemy navy. Her crew pulled her to her feet. "Captain! Your orders!"

The Pirate Queen golden eyes burned, and she screamed out her command. "All ships! Kill the invaders! Get the villagers underground! And bring me Corsaire's head!"

Onslaught flew by, seeing Adda still held the Wind Waker. "All of our enemies are here."

"Spread my order."

"Of course." Onslaught flew around the legion of pirate ships. "Kill them all! Take no prisoners! And remember! HAVE FUN!!!"

[mrneighbourlove]

Red Typhoon: Ch 6. Looming Epitaph

Halvar was a light sleeper, so he started to wake when Liz rolled over in the bed. True to his word, it was just a night of comforting cuddles. It did make Halvar snicker when Liz talked in her sleep. It was something along the lines of 'stupid horse shit' and 'I didn't burn the toast'. He thought it was absolutely adorable.

Liz was in her p.j's, and rested on his chest. Slowly waking up from just making a rant about 'bloody pirates', she held Halvar close. "You feeling ok?"

"Heh, I'm fine. I don't know about your 'burnt toast' being okay." Halvar snickered.

"Oh shut it." Liz pinched his nose, giving him a peck.

"... you know, I've been doing some thinking." Halvar then suggested to Liz. "When we get back to Uskar, I know it's traditional for the royals to live in the Grand Halls. Though, I also know you like your privacy. Do you want me to build you a new house?"

Liz shrugged. “Is that something you want to do? I know your family cherishes their traditions.”

"They do, but I'm not the firstborn son, so technically, I don't have to follow them." Halvar reminded her. "We could always make our own little world if that's what you want."

“Ok.” A blush crept on Liz as she held onto Halvar. She always felt she should keep pushing her boundaries. “Halvar? Don’t laugh... but can I hold onto your fox tail and brush your fox ears?”

Now, it was Halvar's turn to blush.

"Um... I... I guess you can, but they're sensitive." He let the insinuation hang in the air.

"Maybe... I can give you something in return? Something you've wanted to see for a while?"

"Your butt." Halvar blurted out before he thought and then covered his face with his hands. "Rotar, sorry. It's just that you have such a fantastic ass."

Liz took a few deep breathes. With a shy smile, she nodded. "Ok."

She stood up, turned around, and bending over, slowly dropped her pants for Halvar to look upon her ass. Liz even slowly pulled down part of her panties so he'd get a clearer look at her bare bum, but nothing totally lustful down lower. "I-Is that satisfying?"

"... whoa." Halvar actually started to purr a bit from the view. "So round and like... the color of cinnamon." His hands slowly traveled to her ass, and gave it a squeeze... before just burying his nose between her cheeks, taking a deep sniff of her scent, his exposed fox tail wagging so fast.

Liz gasped, NOT expecting him to push in. She didn't complain though, leaning down ass in the air as Halvar continued to bury his face in. When his tail wagged close, Liz took hold of it, grasping the length of the tail, rubbing the soft fur with her face. "H-halvar."

"YIP!!!" Halvar jumped when Liz suddenly grabbed his tail, turning blood red in the face.

"Y-you ok?" Liz turned to him, getting on her knees, but still holding the tail. Her hands rubbed the length up and down. It was the softest material she ever held.

"Y-Yes, but if you k-keep rubbing it like that then---" Halvar inhaled sharply. "You're going to get a r-reaction!"

"What reaction?" Liz kept rubbing, leaning closer to Halvar, inches away from his lips. "You're very soft Halvar. I love your fur. And you're so cute too."

There was an opportunity to pounce and Halvar did exactly that. With his lips pressed to Liz's, he pinned her on the bed, purring loudly. Already, he was semi erect from her playing with his tail.

Liz kissed him back, moaning. She kept rubbing his tail as they continued to kiss. Oh how she loved kissing him.

"HEY!!!" Corsaire rapped his knuckles on the cabin door where Liz and Halvar were sleeping. "No sex on my ship!"

The young prince was so startled, he fell off the bed with a thud.

Liz screamed as Halvar took her off the bed with her. "W-were just kissing Uncle!" The young Gerudo couldn't stop massaging against Halvar's tail. It was just soooooo soft.    

"Kissing, and we all know what that leads to, don't we?" Corsaire said again. "No sex. Keep your hands to yourself."

Snatching his tail back, Halvar blushed darkly.

"We know, Captain Corsaire."                                          

Liz huffed. Others might put up with it, but she wouldn't. Not giving a damn if Halvar looked, she got undressed and into uniform. Quick as she could, she went to confront her Uncle. "Captain Corsaire. I find your lack of trust in me disturbing and completely unjustified."

"... darling, it's the dicks and the hormones I don't trust." Corsaire simply stated. "I was your age once, and I know how it goes."

"Than you mock my lover. Permission to speak freely."

"I'm not mocking anyone, Liz, I'm stating me rules on me ship." Corsaire groaned, not wanting another argument. "You can fuss about it all you want. Once we reach land, I don't care if you two want to do something then. But not on me ship."

"Captain. I've done plenty of thinking, and it's absolutely unacceptable that you've been treating the younger members of this crew like teenagers. For instance, why is my sister still in her room? You haven't even made any attempts to talk things over with her."

"Liz, I'll say this once, and once only," Corsaire was getting tired of hearing this. "You have been on me ship for years now. You know the ropes, you follow the rules, and you're safe. I trust you to do the right thing. You're a wonderful sailor. Your sister, on the other hand, is a loose cannon. She disobeyed my orders, put us in danger, got Revy hurt, and nearly got herself kidnapped. I'll be more than happy to trust her when she shows that she can listen and follow orders." He stated very firmly. "Until Lex wises up, and realizes that she has to listen and think of everyone before she acts."

"She did stop Eltontor from fleeing. Yes, in the long run she got Revy hurt. I know this. But Revy was proud to fight." Liz took a step closer, standing tall. "You're right. Lex is a civilian. But she's just someone who wants to feel love. Love and the respect that comes with it. Being hard on me worked for me, but it can't work for her. And if I might add, you've been on edge for this entire journey. The Captain I know would have never allowed my father to slip into that monster that tried to kill me, let alone let that same monster traumatize him. Bakura still hasn't left his chambers either. I find your command slipping, sir." With a nod, she kept her voice calm and firm. "I think it would be best for everyone, now that Bakura can't help her, you sit down with Lex, and be kind to her. I'm more than certain she's felt enough guilt now to change. Sir."

"The captain you know..." Corsaire's voice was very hard. "Is resulting to old tactics of his pirate days to find your father. Your uncle isn't a knight in shining armor, lassie, he's done things he's not proud of. Your other father knew the risks, and if he can't keep his other damn self under control, that's not my problem. I'm responsible for my men, yet Bakura is responsible for Seth. If you have a problem with my command, then you're free to leave, Elizabeth, yet I'd like you to stay and keep your sister under control. I'm doing my best to hold everything together at the seams where Adda clipped them to pieces." He then added. "I will talk to Lex, though I will not promise everything will be running smooth after this."

Liz's expression grew dark, and she pointed a sharp finger at her Uncle. "Don't. You. Dare. Compare yourself to a pirate. You are not our enemies. We will NOT lower ourselves to Adda and the rest of the monsters that follow her. You go down that road, and she will have already won. With us at each others throats." Liz turned on him without saying another word, returning to her cabin.

"Goddess damn women... where's my spitfire to handle these girls when I need her?" Corsaire muttered under his breath. "Ain't no damn babysitter." Grumbling, the captain knocked on Lex's door.

"Yes?" Lex had spent that last better part of two weeks in her room like her Uncle wanted, thinking over her actions in catching Eltontor. Why did her Uncle Corsaire think she was a liability? She just wanted to do her best for everyone. She didn't want to be kicked off this mission.

"Requesting entry."

"You may enter Uncle..."

Corsaire entered the cabin and shut the door behind him.

"Your sister wishes for me to talk to you." The captain told Lex. "Are you ready to talk?"

"I am." Lex was sitting on the bed, very shy. She looked like a mess, her makeup having been runny from crying.

"Do you want to start or shall I?"

"...Do you think I'm really a bitch?" Lex sniffed, gripping the sheets. "I just... I just wanted to show that I'm not useless. My sister is a navy officer. And Revy's a hero. So what does that make me? Just some pretty bitch?"

Sighing loudly, Corsaire leaned against the door.

"No... I don't think you're a bitch." The captain kept his voice low and soft. "I was wrong for yelling at you. My temper got the best of me because I was afraid." He then told Lex. "Look, Alexandria. I know you want purpose in life, and I know you want to try to help as best you can. I admire both of these things, yet sometimes, you are brash and reckless. This cannot be with a mission as critical as this. However, there are reasons I have rules in place to keep everyone safe. If you don't follow those rules, then bad things can happen like they did with Eltontor." He took a deep breath and then tried to be as blunt, but less callous, as he could. "If he would have gotten away with you, then there's no telling what he would have done to you."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I was stupid." Lex couldn't look him in the eye, not wanting him to see her cry.

"Do you understand why I'm telling you this? And why I was upset with you now?" Corsaire felt like he was talking to one of his own kids when they had done something wrong. "... and why I need you to listen to me? I'm not trying to control you, or make you feel inferior. I'm just trying to keep you safe. For Seer." He told Lex. "Seer would be crushed if something happened to you. And if it happened under my watch, I'd never forgive myself."

"I-I understand. I won't disobey you again."

"... does your uncle still get a hug even though he's a mean bastard sometimes?"

Lex looked up finally, and her face breaking down into tears, she ran to her Uncle and hugged him deeply. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

"Hey, hey... shh, don't cry." Corsaire told Lex softly as she hugged him tightly. "I'm sorry too, okay?"

"Why are you sorry???"

"I shouldn't have brought you girls along." Corsaire said to Liz with a defeated tone. "All I've done is put you in more danger. I should have just told you to stay in Uskar."

"Now that's what I don't want. Your pity." Lex brushed her tears away, trying to calm down. She was being embarrassing. "I have to find my mother. I need to confront her. That's my quest. I need to see it through."

"I'm not pitying you, Lex, I'm simply worried for you. There's a difference." Corsaire then asked. "If you find her, confront her, then what?"

"I'm gonna talk to her. I want answers." Lex knew her Uncle was going to interject, so she quickly added, "And I'll freeze her feet to the ground so she doesn't go anywhere either."

"... you do know there's a chance that Adda isn't getting out of this alive." Corsaire frowned. "If you're... not ready to face that, I'll understand."

"Can you give me a chance? Please? That's all I ask for."

"Yes... I will." Corsaire then asked. "Though, you're going to have to promise me to listen. For your safety and everyone else's. Is that clear?"

"I promise."

Just then, a knock came at the door. Revy had taken the time to recover, already limber and ready to go. "Uncle Corsaire. Dad says the island is in sight."

"We'll go into port and be careful. Remember, we're not naval officers, we're pirates. We have to make them believe that." Corsaire then gave the order. "Everyone goes in pairs again, and we have to make sure that we're careful. This 'King Crimson' is probably a lot more so dangerous than Eltontor was."

Bakura was dishevelled as he came out of his room. He had bags under his eyes, and his hair was a mess. Gripping his weapons, he looked out to the mansion in the distance. "Captain Corsaire. I should provide recon before we go charging in. This isn't a major port for pirates and sailors to come and go. This is someone's established business. We should know what we are up against first."

"Recon?" Rat seemed a little tense. "Bakie, you really shouldn't go alone."

"It what we- shut up- I'm trained for." Bakura was already getting his gear together.

"Daddy? Are you ok?" Lex took a step forward to check up on him, but Bakura raised his hand to her.

"I'm fine sweety. Just fine."

"Are you sure you're okay to do it?" Rat pulled Bakura aside to speak to him. "You don't have to a-do this if you don't a-want to."

“Of course I’m okay with it. It’s the mission. Now let go.”

"... all right, Bakie." Rat sounded reluctant. "If we don't hear from you in an hour, we're a-coming to look for you."

“An hour? I can give you that.” Bakura slipped his mask on. Sometimes, he wondered what clan he belonged to more. The Shiekah. Or the Yuga. He felt his bloodlust growing and a need to kill and complete his mission. “Captain Corsaire. Is an hour adequate for you?”

“I’ll try and find a window.”

Liz frowned, gripping her hips tightly. “I don’t like this.”

"I don't either, but we can't exactly stop him." Halvar held Liz around her waist. "Besides, your dad is very capable. I'm sure he'll be just fine."

“I’ll return shortly.”

Diving from the boat, Bakura swam his way to the island, able to surprisingly go quickly. Reaching the island, Bakura argued with Seth in his mind. His dark side wouldn’t stop hissing from the blackest corners of his soul.

“You have nothing to give your friends. You’re useless on this mission. Leave it.”

“You’re nothing but a rat that ruins everything, like a pestilence.”

“I help you. I keep you safe.”

“You ruin lives. Including my own.”

“I am you. I’m more you than you’ll ever be.”

Bakura discovered a small sewage drainage, and with a little effort, pried open some bars. Crawling through a pipe the size of a large wolf, Bakura eventually heard voices below him. They were muttered. A few were scared. He than heard a scream, followed by an echoed silence. Continuing to crawl forward, he found an opening and hopped down.

Landing, he hit the floor with a splash. A liquid was up to his knees, and it ran along the floor. Bakura drew his knife and walked along the corridor. It quickly become apparent the area was built like a grid. Continuing, Bakura found a doorway that was far away from the murmurs behind and above him. Opening it, the Shiekah discovered an alter. There were torches in a circle of blue fire. The whole thing seemed ritualistic. However, now that there was light, it dawned on Bakura what he was standing in. It was a river of flowing blood.

“Bakura Saibot. Adda has told me much of you.” The voice came directly from behind Bakura. Even Seth was shocked that they were so easily sneaked up from behind. “You’ve done well to get this far. But you must know that you won’t find Adda.”

Seth was screaming at Bakura to let him take control, but Bakura drowned it out. His sweat was pouring down. The man felt his hot breath circulate in his mask. He had to act fast.

“I’m fascinated by you. A man with two minds. Two souls in him. You should know that there is a price for coming into my court. A toll. I require a soul.”

Bakura moved fast, faster than he’d ever moved before, drawing his sword. Ultimately, it wasn’t enough. The only look he got at the man in the dark was his darker skin and red tie, before a tendril shot out from his attacker and stabbed through Bakura’s stomach. His face drained of blood as he gasped for air.

“Two souls. One body. I will take the one who is most worthy.”

Bakura and Seth felt a wave of unspeakable magic channel through them, and they screamed in agony. A torrent of blood swirled in front of him, and he was not sure if he was hallucinating from the pain, but a duel image of himself swarmed in the blood. Seth screams grew quieter in his mind, and more external, and Bakura’s own pain and sounds of torment filled the halls.

~

An hour had passed, and no sign came from Bakura. Liz and Lex were barely keeping it under control. Revy looked to her Uncle, tapping her sword. “What’s the plan now?”

"He never shot the flare." Bomba was looking at the skies with a telescope. "Been an hour. Think we should go look'in for him."

"It's not like Bakie to not check in." Rat remarked to Corsaire. "He doesn't like to a-worry the girls."

"Maybe we s-sh-should go look for him?" Pockets asked.

"Aye, we should go, but some of us have to stay with the ship." Acrobat volunteered. "Me's not so fast on me legs. I'll stay here."

"He can't stay here alone." Bomba spoke up to the crew. "Me's staying with him. Gotta have someone here ta help him."

Scarlet looked to Bomba and gave him a nod. “Good. Best you stay on the ship. Don’t need you getting hurt. And you can man the cannons if we need them.”

"Maybe you should stay with Bomba, lassie." Rat told Scarlet. "Acrobat and Bomba can man the cannons, but they're shit for a-fighting close range."

"HEY!" Bomba huffed at that statement. "I can fight!"

"Not like we can." Rat patted the man's head like a child, earning a scowl from Bomba. "You can hold your own at long range, but at a close range, you a-stink."

"Or perhaps you should stay. I'm looking after my daughter."

"Revy's not going." Rat told Scarlet. "We's already talked. She needs longer to rest. Besides, Cap'n trusts her to get the ship out of the harbor if something happens and he can't. Besides the crew and Liz, she's the only other one who knows how."

Scarlet swallowed her fears with a slow gulp. "Than who will look after you?"

"Scarlet, I's in a gladiator ring for the first half of me life." Rat assured the woman. "Me survived all that time. Stabbed, burned, and even mauled by a tiger. Death ain't gonna be knocking on me door. He'll have to a-come after me when me's sleeping or else, death's gonna get a fight."

"Everyone needs backup." Scarlet gripped her axe tightly.

"He has backup, Scarlet." Corsaire nudged Rat in the side. "We's always had each other's backs. Rat will be fine."

"Besides, more important you's a-looking after Revy." Rat chuckled in good humor. "Me's more scared of what Borgie will do to me if her cub doesn't come back."

"Mom... can you go with Liz and Lex?"

The twins looked towards Revy, who looked unpleased that she was being benched for this raid. Her mother held a bit of surprise and worry. "Why hon?"

"Because if I can't look out for them, I want someone who can trust to do so. Can’t protect my Uncles here and my best friends at the same time ya know."

"Heh, we can always use another set of eyes to watch those two troublemakers." Corsaire grinned in good humor.

"I'm not a-"

"Yes you are." Liz interrupted her sister. Turning to Revy with a light smile, Liz patted her shoulder.  "Revy. Always the hero looking out for us."

"You each have your orders," Corsaire told the young girls. "Though most importantly, your first priority is to stay safe. If you feel unease, then trust your gut."

"We will Captain Corsaire." Liz gave a salute.

Scarlet put her suit of armour on, and painted her chest plate in Corsaire's flag design to give more of a pirate look to her background. "Let's get a move on than."

The crew sailed into port, the members staying on the ship waving goodbye. The group marched up a paved pathway, leading up to a mansion on the hill top. As they neared the door, a man in robes answered the door. "Which crew do you fly your colours under?"

"We're here under the brother captains, Hazir and Azir."

"I see. And did you bring a human cargo to join the auction?" The servant tilts his head, looking at Lex.

"That we did. Look at this beauty here," Corsaire yanked harshly on Lex's arm, shoving her forward. "A mixed blood, but sure turns head, doesn't she? Has a little bit of a temper sometimes, but I know your men like to break their pets."

The man grasped her by the neck, and held on of her arms. Lex was miffed her Uncle volunteered her, but she would act out her role for the sake of the group. Even if this man's hands were disgusting. "Yes. She is. Bring her and follow me."

"Keep it together, Lex, we know you can do this." Corsaire whispered in her ear as the group strolled into the mansion. "Don't let us down."

"Just don’t let them fuck me."

The servant lead the group through the mansions halls. Psychedelic art littered the walls, that was bizarre and eerie. The servant pointed Corsaire to another room as he took Lex. "What is her ethnicity?"

"She is a," Corsaire thought quickly, knowing that there was no hiding Lex's Gerudo heritage. However, the white hair could play into their favor. He had to give them something rare to be considered for entrance. "Gerudo and Uskarian mix. Her father is an arctic fox, hence the white hair." He gave a little tug on one of Lex's braids. "Pretty, isn't it?"

"She is. Starting price?"

"Considering she was a tough one to get, I'd say I'd start at the very minimum 300,000 rupees."

"Very well." The servant waved his hand and a secret door opened. "Make your way down the staircase. Follow the forward path until you reach the fourth doorway on the right. Do not enter any other door."

He took hold of Lex and started to walk away with her. Liz looked at her sister with worry, but a nod of encouragement for her to not hold any fear. Lex nodded subtly back.

Before the group had left the ship, Corsaire had given Lex one of his smaller guns. He had Lex keep in on a garter strap on her leg, just in case she needed to use it. He figured if she was going to dress in a provocative manner, she might as well make use of it.

Lex was thrown into a cell and told to get naked, or they'd force her to get undressed. She did as she was told, deciding to hide the small gun in her thick hair. Better than some other places to hide the weapon. When the servant came in, he placed a chain around her neck and lead her away.

Meanwhile, the group went down the hall. Below them, they heard a steady stream of water flowing. Liz looked to Corsaire, checking her compass. "We're going to split up, obviously?"

"We're going to split up, but we're also going to cause a distraction." Corsaire then handed each crew member a pick pocket kit. "Free the slaves here. We're not leaving them to their grisly fates. I'm heard that this King Crimson has a knack for cannibalism for the more unfortunate ones. Not sure if that's true, but I don't want to risk it." He ordered. "Scarlet, Liz, Rat, you go to the left. The rest of you are with me."

"Someone should go see this auction through so that we know Lex is safe." Scarlet mentioned to Corsaire.

"We's can go, cap'n." Mojo offered. "Juju and I's the best sharp shooters. We can take 'em done wif'out be'n seen."

"But cap'n can't go alone." Juju told his brother.

"No. You stay with the captain. I promised Revy I'd look after Liz and Lex. Liz, you stick with the men. Mousa, you come with me to see the auction."

"Scarlet, the auction is... distasteful." Corsaire gave her a fair warning. "Don't be surprised by what you see."

"That's why Liz isn't going." Scarlet pulled Rat's hand to follow her down the hall. "Go. Find Bakura. Find this Crimson King."

"We'll find him. You two stay safe." Corsaire took Mojo and Juju with him, and kept Liz close.

"Oi, Scarlet, you's pulling kinda hard." Rat had to trot slightly to keep up with her. Something was bothering her.

“I just want to get out of here.” The two of them entered the room. It contained a glass window with two cushioned seats and a buzzer to raise prices. The room had a podium in the middle to show off slaves for purchase, and other windows in a circle for buyers to view in. Above all the buyers was seating area with a black throne. Sitting on it was man in a red tie.

Scarlet and Rat were too late to watch a current auction end. A small naked boy stood on the podium, a servant speaking. “And for 100,000 silver coins, the seven year old Danjuran boy goes to Mr. Gillian.”

The boy was taken away to his new master, another slave being brought forward. Scarlet squeezed Rat’s arm. This slave was a pale girl, the age of a teenager. She had dark hair and red eyes. “This is a rare find. A species known as the Mortuus, hailing from the unknown country of Malus. Captain Faliz is pricing her at 150,000 gold coins. The bidding starts now.”

Rat felt his insides twist. He had seen this several times throughout his younger years, but it never failed to make him shudder. The gladiator had to keep a hand on Scarlet for balance, lest he feel dizzy. So many fights, so close to freedom, but his master always extended his chains. Still, he had to keep it together for Seer. His eyes wandered over the crowd, until he noticed the description of the man Bakura saw in his vision.

"There."

Looking up on the throne, they saw the Crimson King atop his seat. They didn't notice he had bought the girl. The servant spoke allowed. "King Crimson has spoken! The girl is his! Master, her fate is yours!"

King Crimson raised his hands, and liquid around the podium churned. The slave girl looked around, scared at was going on. Her thoughts of fear were dashed by overwhelming agony when tendrils rose up and penetrated her body. The girl was drained of her bodily fluids and soul, and Scarlet and Rat watched in horror as her body became reduced to a frail, thin husk. The King radiated a dark red glow, before sitting back down. One servant dragged the corpse away while another one spoke. "180,000 silver coins to Captain Faliz. Now, the next item is a fine crossbred between a Gerudo and a Uskarian. Behold her."

Lex was dragged onto the podium, frightened at seeing a corpse dragged past her. She was naked, with chains around her hands. "This woman is starting at a price of 300,000 rupees. Bidding begins now."

"No. NO THEY DON'T!" Scarlet drew her axe and smashed her way in. Swinging, she cut the servant in half. She’d not see any other innocent be slain here. "LEX! FREE YOURSELF!"

Lex did as she was told, and used her ice magic to break her bonds. King Crimson watched in fascination, but he also knew that his base was compromised. While his servants would deal with these Gerudo, he'd find the other intruders. He quietly stood up and left to seek his prey out.

Rat went to chase after King Crimson, but was blocked by his guards. He picked up one man, tossed him against another, and then punched the last man, knocking him out cold.

Liz was with her Uncles, Mojo, Juju, and Corsaire. Halvar had been instructed early on the boat to come in right behind them to cover their flanks. She felt content that although he wasn’t with her now, he was safe nearby. With fury, she finished hacking a man down. The four of them had found a group of slaves that were waiting to be auctioned off. "Listen to me, all of you. We have a ship. We can save you if you all flee now."

"Liz, you shoulda lead 'em back to the Sea Witch." Mojo finished unlocking the chains from most of the slaves. Some were weak and malnourished, but still had the strength to stand. A few were hurt, but others were helping them move. "Dey don't need ta be in the crossfire."

"You know the way and the ship." Juju handed Liz one of his smaller pistols. "Get 'em out of here."

"There's... a lot of blood here." Corsaire watched the blood swirling, moving even, almost as it were alive. "We need to be careful."

Liz kicked the blood with her feet, cringing at the liquid. "Alright. You two go find our target. I'll be back."

"Liz, tell Bomba to give you a few canisters of his black powder," Corsaire told the young woman. "Have Halvar come back with you. We're going to blow this place to kingdom come."

"Understood." Liz ran off, leading the slaves down a safe path.

As Corsaire investigated, he found a chamber with multiple maps and books with leather covers laid on a desk.

The Captain looked around the room, with Mojo and Juju covering him, finally settling on peering through the various books. In a red book bound in human leather and written in blood, he flipped through the pages. Finally, he find his treasure. Under the name, Captain Adda, Corsaire saw the description of a vanishing island. The book held details of the slow path the island moved in, but, most importantly, a spell that would reveal the island to the rest of the world, and allow ships to enter its waters. Other information included Adda's mental weaknesses, with notes on how perhaps her daughters could be used against her.

As he finished reading, the excitement building at finally having the answer to find Seer, he heard a sickening sound of pierced flesh. Turning, he found Mojo and Juju falling into the blood floor. A man in a red tie stepped forward into the light dim light of the torches. His arms had crimson clawed hands, fingers as long and sharp as machetes. He held the face of Corsaire's long dead brother. "Didn't you know it was foolish to snoop into information that is not yours?"

Corsaire felt like he was frozen in place for a moment. Gharhad... his younger brother, what was he doing here? No, he had to get a grip on reality. It had been years, and Gharhad was dead. The actual sea witch, the Queen of Lorleidi, had killed him for raping her sister. There was no way he could possibly still be alive. Clenching his fist tightly, Corsaire had a stiff jaw when he spoke.

"If you really were my brother, then he wouldn't have attacked my crew mates." Corsaire glared at the man and drew his pistol. "Not to mention, Gharhad is long dead. Nice try, fake king. You won't fool me."

Mojo and Juju were stuck. The blood was almost like glue. Yet, that didn't keep them from trying to move.

"I know. Zarazu is quite the inspiration in power, isn't she? Did you know how much water is in the human body? It's intoxicating to consume. Imagine what someone like her could accomplish with just a little blood magic. But go ahead, shoot me. Shoot your brother in the head. Let my silence drown your internal screams." King Crimson started to drain the brothers, stabbing them both with tendrils from his hands, smiling cruelly with the face of Gharhad.

Corsaire did not hesitate and fired the gun.

The bullet pierced through King Crimson's head. It was enough for him to release Mojo and Juju, but all Corsaire got out of the King was a laugh as the blood poured from his head. "Useless... Useless... Useless... I can't be killed by the likes of you fools. Now watch and wait. I will gladly write out your epitaph."

[mrneighbourlove]

Red Typhoon: Ch 5. Cool as Ice, Hot as Flames, this is the Beat of the Mad Crocodile Rock

Corsaire had fought his way out of the bar, luckily without getting shot. There was a loud commotion in the casino, people screaming and running in every direction. He saw Eltontor picking up Lex and ran toward the pirate. Firing a single shot, the bullet nicked Eltontor's ear.

"LET HER GO!"

The bullet entered behind his head, and Eltontor roared, his clawed hand squeezing into Lex instead of letting her go. Raising his gun, he fired a bullet the size of a cannon shot towards Corsaire. "Somebody kill that rat!"

Revy and Rat were the first to hear, and saw a commotion of crocodile men firing at Corsaire. The Gerudo lady took notice of the massive crocodile with the golden eye. "Dad! That's Eltontor! And he has Lex!"

"Revy, get his attention and I'll a-go behind him." Rat told his daughter as the two rushed toward the crew. "Keep out of the line of fire, and watch your steps. Keep your guard up around these men."

Corsaire had dove behind a stack of barrels, the ale inside gushing out onto the docks. He then kicked one barrel forward that was not busted, and ran behind it. The crew men had to avoid the barrel and he took the advantage; shooting them dead on.

Revy did as she was told, raising her blade. "HEY! You ready to crocodile rock and roll?!"

She jumped down from her cover and drew her sword. Eltontor growled, firing a shot at her. Where did these people keep showing up from? He had to get to his ship. Adda would pay handsomely for one of her daughters back.

When his internal radar picked up Rat sneaking up from behind, he gave a low click for his first mate to arrive.

Bursting from underneath the weak ice, a normal, yet massive Crocodile snapped at Rat.

Rat saw the other crocodile jump out of the water. Even though it had been years since he had fought as a gladiator, he still knew some dirty tricks. Not to mention, he had fought against this kind of breed before. Yelling, Rat grabbed the first mate's tail and swung him around... colliding with Eltontor.

Eltontor gasped as he was struck. "GET OF ME YOU FATASS! EAT HIM!"

The crocodile turned around, and waddled to Rat, jaws open and ready to devour him in a death roll if it caught him. He started running onto dry land, moving through the jungle with Lex in hand. Revy followed him, wishing how she had a fire arm. Even a bow and arrow would do. "Get back here with my friend you creep!"

"Revy!" Rat tossed his daughter his rifle. "Aim, breathe, and fire!!!" Then he turned his attention to the crocodile. "I'm going to a-turn you into a nice trophy."

Corsaire tried to follow, but was blocked by other crew members.

Halvar's sensitive ears picked up on all the commotion. He smelled the rest of the crew, along with gunpowder and blood.

"Liz... I think your sister is in trouble." He sniffed the air. "... her scent is going... this way!"

Bakura, Liz and Halvar ran as fast as they could. They came into the clearing to see Revy fighting Eltontor in an exchange of gunfire. She had little experience using a rifle. Rising up, she went to shoot Eltontor... only to have the massive Crocodile man bound on her cover. She had hesitated on firing and it cost her. Unable to draw her sword quickly enough, Eltonor clawed her across the lower chest with one of his hands. Her blood sprayed across the rock as she fell back, clenching her wound. If she hadn't jumped back, she'd be holding her guts in instead of just trying to stop the blood. The Crocodile Captain smiled with a toothy grin. "Looks like I have two Gerudo as my pets now."

Liz screamed as she saw Revy be nearly gutted. This brute had both her sister and her best friend at her mercy. Rushing down to face him, she thought about all her anger. This man worked for Adda. Adda had ruined her happiness. So this man would face her wrath. Her fingers cackled, and as he raised his gun to fire at her, Liz beat him to it, raising her hand, and instinct took over for her. A blinding light made Eltontor fire into the air, and Liz turned that light into a searing flame, launching a bolt at the crocodiles bullet wound in the kneecap. Her target screamed and fell back, and she jumped on top of his stomach, straddling him. With fists of fire she started to beat his face in. "GET! AWAY! FROM! MY! SISTERS!"

"Liz, wait!!!" Halvar watched as his intended beat the ever loving shit out of the man. The pirate captain was unconscious now, and he pulled her off of the man. "We still need him alive to find your father! My love, look at me." He held her face in his hands. "Calm down... we have him. We'll take care of Lex and Revy. Let's get the bastard back to the ship to interrogate him."

"I...I..." Liz breathed heavily, looking down at the scarred, burnt face of Eltontor. "I'm sorry... I lost control."

"H-he might think its 'hot'." Revy chuckled making her pun, blood leaking from her mouth now. "I should be the one apologizing. He got me good. I keep taking stabs wounds for you two..."

Bakura was getting to work immediately on Revy, grinding up herbs and getting bandages ready. "Liz, Halvar, get Lex awake and make sure she's ok."

"I'll get the pirate, make sure he's a-bound tight." Rat came into view and tossed Halvar a pair of cuffs for wrists, connecting the ankle and neck. Corsaire had made his way through the jungle area with Rat. The captain of the Sea Witch did not look pleased. "You two help Lex, Revy, and Bakura. We's heading back to the ship now. Put Lex in her cabin." Corsaire had a deep frown etched into his face. "And keep her there."

"Captain?" Halvar wanted to make sure he heard right. "Keep her there?"

"She's not leaving that cabin until I talk to her."

Scarlet made it back to the ship with the rest of the crew after a few minutes. "Rat? Where's Revy? I heard we're leaving. Did we get our target?"

"Aye, dat we did." Rat had Eltontor over his shoulder while Halvar and Liz helped Revy walk. Thanks to Bakura's touch of magic, she was fine, just in need of rest. "Cap'n... cap'n's not happy with Lex though."

Rat watched Corsaire tromp onto the ship and give orders to the rest of the crew to ready the sails.

"I'm here mom. Don't worry. We got the scaly punk. I'll be fine." Revy walked off, hiding the discomfort she felt from her wound.

"Should I have a talk with Lex?" Scarlet didn't want to step her bounds, as it was Corsaire's mission after all, but she sometimes felt the twins looked up to her as a mother figure.

"She disobeyed orders from the cap'n," Rat sighed, noticing Corsaire's permanent scowl on his face. "Caused a ruckus and our daughter got hurt. He's a-going to give her an earful. You could warn her if you like but won't do no good."

"Well, perhaps I should talk to her, give her a cushion. How did we catch Eltontor anyways?"

"Eh... Liz burnt him."

Scarlet took a step back, her face quickly building with an abundance of emotion. "She did what Rat?"

"Burnt him. See?" Rat turned to show Scarlet the face of Eltontor.

Scarlet started to lose control of her breathing. "And Lex? How did she fair against Eltontor???"

"I don't know, the harbor just turned... icy."

"By the gods. By the gods!" Scarlet laughed aloud, disbelief over taking her. She ran to Liz, who was processing the mission. "Liz! Show me your fire!"

"What?"

"You can use fire now, can you not?"

Liz nodded. She hadn't given it much thought, but the knowledge to use magic was swirling around in her mind now. Had her emotions being pushed to save her loved ones unlocked a talent? She lifted her palm out and decided to give it a try. A flame flickered out, surrounded by an extra light.

Scarlet was ecstatic. "Come on! We're getting your sister!"

"We are? What about-"

"The Captain can lecture her after! Come on!"

Lex had finally started to regain consciences and her head was killing her. Her natural reaction was to touch the wall next to her and lean into it. It felt nice and cold. When Scarlet burst in with Liz, she screamed in celebration. "It's true! It's true!"

Lex did not appreciate the screaming. "P-please stop."

"Lex! Look at the beam!"

The white haired Gerudo did so, and saw a smooth layer of ice. "What?"

"Your sister has fire! You have ice! Don't you know what this means?! You're Twinrova!!!"

The twins were thrown for a loop. Twinrova? The magic Gerudo twins of Fire and Light with Ice and Darkness? Liz's mouth dropped. "No. No we can't we be."

"Why not?! It makes so much sense!"

"We aren't important enough to be-"

"Nonsense. Destiny has made Captain Adda the greatest Gerudo woman on the planet. The fact that you two are Twinrova, her children, is only fate and power having cultivated. This is amazing you two!"

All Lex gave in response in her current migraine was, "Cool."

Scarlet clasped her hands. "I know we have mission, but between traveling, I can tell you both the importance about this. Right now, you have to have a talk with Captain Corsaire Lex. He's very coarse with you."

"What? What did I do?"

"I don't know. But we can talk about it after. We'll talk when you're done Lex. Let's go Liz."

Rat was a little confused about the whole 'Twinrova' deal but was sure Scarlet would educate him later on the matter. After restraining Eltontor in the cargo hold, Rat turned his attention to Revy. He was sure that his daughter was a little shaken from the whole ordeal. After all, this was her first real fight. For now, he was getting Revy into a cabin to rest and recover from her wounds.

Once the ship was far from the harbor, Corsaire descended the steps to Lex's cabin.

Lex heaved over the toilet, still feeling the effects of her roofie.

Banging on the door, Corsaire was not going to let Lex ignore him right now.

"Open the damn door."

"It's unlocked Uncle." Lex's only comfort was using her ice to cool her head. Felt really good.

Marching into the room, the captain closed the door behind him. He was downright angry at Lex's brashness. It had caused trouble for everyone, including a few members of the crew getting hurt. If she had listened to him, the entire ordeal could have gone smoothly. Over the course of his career, both as a pirate and a navy captain, he had done this thousands of times.

"You disobeyed my direct orders, Lex."

"I'm sorry about that. Did we catch him though?"

"Sorry isn't going to cut it, Lex." Corsaire snapped at her. "You caused a fire fight, you caused your friend to get hurt, you caused trouble. This could have been avoided if you listened to me."

"Did we catch him?" Lex repeated, ignoring his anger.

"At a cost, and that should never happen."

"Ok than. I was the one who found him. I was the one who played it safe. It's not my fault that he cheated, than decided to run off like a coward and order gunfire on us. I'm the one who stopped him from fleeing. We would have lost our only lead in finding my mother and Seer if I didn't act. Tell me I'm wrong. If not, maybe you can show me some respect!" Lex's face grew hard, holding down the contents of her stomach. "You think I don't care that Revy got hurt? Of course I do you smug asshole. But that's the risk we all took. I'm puking because I was roofied. What did you lose in this dice roll?"

"YOU DIDN'T LISTEN!!!" Corsaire shouted so loud that the whole ship heard it. "This is exactly why I didn't want you to come along! You're a liability, Lex! Someone always has to watch your ass! You give no thought about how your actions affect others!!!" The captain was done being nice and holding his tongue. "I have never lost a man before, and this time, I came close because of your arrogance! We have followed the same protocol for finding information and no one has gotten hurt under my watch. Because of your actions today, we'll be lucky if one of Eltontor's men doesn't alert Adda that we're close to finding her!" He swore under his breath. "If you want respect, you have to earn it first and stop being an entitled bitch like Eltontor called you. You think anyone is going to respect you parading yourself around and acting all high and mighty?! You may be sought after in Uskar, but this is not your home! This is dangerous and you have no power here! You're not royalty, you're not a warrior, and you're certainly no asset to me or my crew, putting us in danger!!! This is my ship, and you will follow my orders or goddess so help me, I'll have you on the first boat back to Uskar!!!" He then ordered. "You are confined to your cabin until further notice. When you start acting like a rational adult, and think of others before yourself on this ship, then I'll consider letting you out."

The entire crew winced at the verbal beat down that Lex received from Corsaire.

"Oi... I don't think I've ever heard him that mad." Rat said quietly to Scarlet.

With a strident 'slam', the captain exited Lex's quarters before she had a chance to say one word to him.

Lex was immediately broken down, and started to weep, her voice squeaking as small as a mouse. "I-I just want to be important and help everyone."

Bakura took his mask off, waving Corsaire over. He was unaware that Corsaire was going to verbally crush Lex, and it threw his mindset for a loop. "A moment?"

"I'm not talking to anyone right now." Corsaire held up a hand before Bakura could say a word. His shoulders slumped and he rubbed his forehead with one hand. He was not trying to be rude, he simply needed a moment to collect his thoughts. "Later. If you need something, ask Rat."

"Just be careful. Lex is dangerously close to becoming like her mother. She just wanted to help. Be careful when pushing her. She's my daughter after all." And that was all Bakura left it at. He should have watched over both his daughters. Perhaps things have gone differently, but he wasn't there, so he couldn't judge either the pros or the cons.

"If she wanted to help, then she would have listened and stopped acting like a brat for goddess' sake!" Corsaire snapped, and then his face fell. "Sorry. I'm not angry at you. Go attend to your duties. This will blow over soon. Let me know when the reptile is awake."

Bakura's face twisted with a primal rage. Lex was wild, he couldn't deny that, but like hell would he continue to stand by and let anyone chew her out doing her best. How dare this man berate his daughter for trying. This twist of rage, however, is all Seth needed to break through. "You should trust our daughters abilities, Captain. You know what, it's been too long since I hurt someone for information."

When Bakura spoke in union, it was a sign his mind had either lost control, or he was shifting control over to Seth. The Shiekah lead Corsaire to the lower levels and made a palm strike on the reptilian crocodile, and twisted. Eltontor suddenly screamed with pain and terror awake. Seth brushed his hair. "One fat crocodile wide and awake."

"I want to, Bakura." Corsaire stated with a hard tone. "But if Lex cannot control her actions for the sake of others, then it begs the question of if I can."

Down in the cargo hold, the captain watched as the reptile man jumped awake. He held a dagger, using it to get rid of the grit underneath his nails. "Now, we can make this really easy for you, crocodile, or you can chose the hard route and my friend here," Corsaire gestured to Bakura. "Will pull all your claws out, then your teeth, maybe an eye or two, and after that, your scales one by one."

"It's Seth."

Eltontor was terrified, and everything hurt like hell. How could the pain get any worse. "W-what do want to know?"

"Excuse me, my friend Seth here will..." Corsaire waved his dagger for emphasis. "Dismantle you." He then stated. "I will put this as simply as I can for your reptilian brain; I want to know the location of Captain Adda's home."

"I d-don't kn-" Seth immediately cut him off by ripping two claws out of the croc's fingers. Eltontor screamed loudly in pain. "I DON'T KNOW THAT!"

"Hmmmm. Maybe you need to see more clearly."

"What?"

Seth grinned, and taking the knife, cut out Eltontor's artificial golden eye. It took a good ten minutes for the crocodile to stop screaming.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I go out of order? Let me get a tooth." With a sharp pull, Seth tore out a canine. They hadn't even gotten a lick of information yet, and he already had done so much damage. However, Eltontor was scarred stiff now.

"Maybe you should go for the balls next, he hasn't said one word yet."

"I DON'T KNOW! VERY FEW PEOPLE DO!"

Seth grinned, and gave the croc a few punches, breaking his snout and an arm. The reptile was bleeding all over Corsaire's floor now. Seth snapped his fingers at the dazed crocodile. "Bakura loathes violence like this. Little man was on your end of a torture interrogation himself once. Now, I want you to answer a question. Would a man in a red tie match the description of someone who can find Adda for us?"

"Y-yes."

"Details, or you're going to make a very nice purse for my wife."

"He keeps his real name a secret. He runs his organization in the shadows and acts as a partner to Adda. Goes by the name, King Crimson."

"Partner? Interesting. Never knew Adda liked to share power." Corsaire raised an eyebrow. "And where can we find him?"

"She needs to. You think, even with all her might, she has the resources to run the muscle and intelligence that controls the sea for her? You can find him on Dios Isola. But I doubt you'll get him to help you..."

"Oh, we're not asking for help, we're demanding it." Corsaire walked over to Eltontor. "You see, over seven years ago, Adda kidnapped one of my brothers and has held him hostage since then. So, I'm taking a page out of my brother-in-law's book, he's psychopath, borderline me thinks, you see." He held the dagger right underneath Eltontor's chin, pressing the tip into the skin. "If anyone gets in my way, I'll simply blown them into tiny bits, put their parts in my chum bucket, toss it into the sea, then dunk Adda feet first into the shark invested water and watch with glee as she gets eaten little by little for hurting my brother. Get my drift, purse bag?"

"Yeah! I do. I'm sorry for calling your niece a bitch. And all the rest of the trouble. What more can I give you?!"

"Hrm, I don't know, Seth, what more can he give us?" Corsaire glanced at the assassin with a small smirk. "Got any ideas?"

"I think you should just skin him slowly. We got what we need. But it doesn't mean we can't have some fun. Surely you want to avenge your niece."

Eltontor's remaining eye was bulging and bloodshot with pain and terror. "T-THAT'S NOT FAIR!"

"He did try to roofie the brat. No telling what he's done to other innocent ladies." Corsaire played along with Seth's insinuation. "You know what, I'm feeling generous. Instead of me, the captain, deciding the appropriate punishment for trying to take advantage of my niece, I'll let her father decide. Sound good to you, Seth?"

"Gladly." Seth took his knife and drove it into Eltontor's neck, precisely to make it a drawn out death. "Hey, Corsaire. You'll get a kick out of this."

The Shiekah shook, and blinking, Bakura's face turned white as he came back into consciousness. He saw what he had done, the crocodilian man raising his mangled hand out to him. Bakura threw himself back, panicking at the area around him. "D-Did we torture him? Did you let me torture him?! What-" Bakura was flashing back to his own torment. "What the hell?! What the FUCKING HELL CORSAIRE!!!"

"We got what we needed." Corsaire was showing hardly any concern at all. "We have another source to find Adda. The shadow man with the red tie or whatever. This," He motioned to the reptile. "Is merely chum now. Go clean up. I'll take care of the body." Pulling Bakura out of the way, the captain then stepped on a hidden mechanism in the cargo hold. It opened up trap doors, depositing Eltontor into the sea for the fishes to fed upon at leisure. "He's of no worries to us now."

Bakura was flushing emotion. "You- you SON OF A BITCH!!!"

The Shiekah threw into a frenzy, kicking Corsaire as he leaned down to pull the trap doors back up. "YOU LET ME BE A MONSTER!!! YOU KEEP INSULTING MY DAUGHTER!!! YOU'RE FUCKING DEAD!!!"

Corsaire turned swiftly and punched Bakura with his metal arm, sending the man flying into the wall. He then held out his gun, the barrel of it in contact with the man's forehead.

"I didn't let you do anything. Your other half did it." Corsaire said coldly with a glare. "If you want to go back home with Lex, then be my guest. We're here to rescue Seer, and I'll not have your temper tantrum or Lex's foolishness get in our way after seven years of my brother being a hostage."

Years of mediation, ruined in one swift stroke. Seth needed less than half an hour to ruin everything Bakura stood for. Again. Bakura started to break down. "Get me out of this room! RIGHT FUCKING NOW!!!"

"Exit's this way." Corsaire merely dragged the man along with him by the arm. "Control yourself, and clean up." He opened the door to Bakura's cabin.

Bakura went to the deck and vomited overboard, disgusted by his own actions. He couldn't control his head space, and all he heard was Seth mocking him. "QUIT LAUGHING AT ME!!! THIS ALL YOUR FAULT!"

"Cap'n?" Rat overheard Bakura's yelling. "What's wrong with---"

"His other half got the best of him." Corsaire went to the wheel to steer the ship. "Check on him and make sure he rests."

Scarlet was heavily concerned. She had seen this behaviour once before. It was after Seth had killed two of her crew mates, and made Adda question everything about her relationship with Bakura. The man had exiled himself, drowned in hysteria and grief. "Bakura?"

"Did anyone hear that?"

"No. That room was pretty sound proof."

"My daughters... my daughters could have heard." Bakura looked hysterically at Rat. "What if your daughter heard he was back, on this ship with her?"

"Look here, Bakie," Rat put his hands on Bakura's shoulders. "We's all have slip ups. You's back in control now. We didn't a-hear anything, so the girls didn't a-hear anything." He patted Bakura's cheek with his rough, calloused hands. "You's fine. No one's saying anything, aye?"

"I'm not fine. I'm not. I'm never going to be ok. All this shit with Adda, you losing Seer, is all because I can't keep HIM in check! I should have settled down Adda years ago and been a family man! I'm a fuck up, I'm- FUCK!" Bakura tore away, smashing his hand against his face. "I need to not think. I need something, anything, please."

THWANG!!!

Down Bakura went after Bomba hit him in the head with one of Seer's old frying pans.

"BOMBA!!!" Rat yelled at him. "What in the fuck?!?!"

"... what? He was freaking out, and he said he needed not ta think. Can't think when you's sleeping."

Scarlet shook her head sadly. "I wish you had the life you desired with Adda, Bakura."

~

Adda waved her magic weapon and allowed Onslaught to fly in from a small hole she created in her island fortress. The dragon landed by a landing pad next to her bungalow. With a snarl, he gave a cheeky growl to Seer. "How's your pet?"

"He's fine. Don't worry about him. What I need to be worried about is why my ladies found Captain Eltontor's body mutilated and floating in the sea. You do your job like I asked and look into it?"

Onslaught took note at how Adda had the Wind Waker at all times on her whenever he was around her. If she didn't, she'd be the lower pirate in this relationship, not him. At her snark, he growled. "I did. I think you'll find my report quite interesting."

"Well, spit it out."

"One of the people spotted chasing after him was the infamous Captain Corsaire."

"Corsaire? Where is that name familiar..."

"Fuck you, lizard." Seer gave Onslaught the finger, knowing he could get away with it for now. He was not really paying attention to detail until he heard Captain Corsaire's name. His skin tingled. After all this time, his captain was still looking for him?

“He’s the Captain that slew the Kraken.”

“Oh yeah.”

“That’s not all, a white hair Gerudo was seen with him.”

Adda held down her emotions, but she was excited. “My daughter?”

“I’d assume so Adda.”

Seer swallowed thickly, getting nervous. Liz and Lex were always together, so if he saw one, that meant the other was close. He did not want his girls to get hurt. There was no telling what would happen. Adda claimed she wanted the twins here with her, but at what cost? His old crew mates, his daughters, and possibly Bakura... when would all this bloodshed end?

Adda waved him off. “Leave Onslaught. Scour the oceans and find my girls. Alive and unharmed.”

“Very well.”

Onslaught took off, flying through the hole. Adda closed it, and turned back to a Seer, visibly excited. “Come on! Let’s go check in on the girls!”

"... what?" Seer had been so deep in his thoughts, he spaced out for a moment. As Adda dragged him along, he was silent.

Adda snapped her fingers to her magician. "Old one. I want to look in on my girls again."

"Very well. You and the blind man shall see through the ball. Touch it, and your souls will peer in."                                                                                                                                                                          

Adda took a deep breathe and did so. What the two of them saw was Lex on a ship, stuck in her cabin room. She was sitting on the floor and crying, ice forming around her from her emotions. With a yell, she grabbed a pillow, freezing it, and with a throw, it shattered against the wall. "STUPID UNCLE CORSAIRE!"

Meanwhile, looking in on Liz, she was expressing her fire to Revy and Scarlet. "I don't know how long I can keep it up for."

"That's amazing! You're really good at that!"

"Mom, she doesn't need a hype man."

The magic faded as Adda pulled away. Gasping, she looked to Seer like she won the jackpot. "My girls! My girls are TWINROVA!!! That's fantastic! Ooooo that's FANTASTIC!!!"

"..." Seer still said nothing. After 'seeing' his girls, he removed his hand from the ball. This was bad. With magic, Adda would only want the girls even more to use for her benefit. Slowly, he started thinking about a hard choice. If he found a way to kill Adda, she would never be able to have her grasp around the twins. Her people would kill him for it, and he'd never see them again, but it would be worth it. His girls would not have Adda looming over them all their lives, always having to watch their backs.

Adda kissed Seer suddenly, positivity filling her. "This is fantastic Seer! You'll get to see them again. Well, not see, but you get the point. And I'll be able to pass on the legacy I built up for them! They have the power to control the seas! And with the two of them, they'd be unstoppable! Oh YES! THAT'S MY GIRLS!!!"

Adda did a little jig, so excited. She was tantalizingly close to seeing her daughters once more.

Adda treated him as a prize, a pet, a trophy. Perhaps he should play the part. She would not let her guard down now with the girls being so close in reach. He had to be careful. Maybe those years as a slave would pay off later. Manipulation was always part of a brothel slave's game. Seer had to trick her into thinking that he was on her side now. Slowly, but carefully, he would lay out his plan in motion... and attack when the time was right. Emotion... he had to play on emotion. Adda would believe that.

"... maybe... you were right." Seer's eyes were tearing up, and he tried to wipe away the tears that fell. "I never knew the twins would turn out so strong. I'm so proud of them. They've gotten so far." Play the part, play the part, he kept telling himself. "I just... I don't want them to get hurt."

"Seer. I'd never hurt them. I'd kill myself before I laid a hand on them." She put both her hands on his cheeks. "I want to give them the world. That's the least I can do for all the lost time."

"No, not that, I know you won't hurt them!" Seer sighed, trying to appear distressed. "It's just... they're on a ship now. Who knows what the other pirates might do to them. That's what I'm worried about."

"Seer. I'd skin anyone who'd dare lay a finger on them." Adda was brutally serious. She liked how Seer was behaving, giving a sigh. "I'm... I'm really tired. And I do hope they find us, so they can find me."

"I doubt there's anyone out there stupid enough to give them your location, Adda." Seer knew she was buying it so far. Just a little more, see if he could push it. "Even if there was, then... we can't just... sink the ship. They're on it. We'll have to ensure they're safe first. I don't want to risk the twins getting hurt, or even Revy. Scarlet was on the ship too." He looked sad. "Revy grew up with the twins, Adda. I know they wouldn't want their best friend in a fire fight."

"I can capture them all. Maybe... maybe Scarlet can come to her senses too." Adda gave a faint smile. "I've built a paradise Seer. If they just fall in quietly, no one will get hurt. No one."

"I don't want anyone hurt." Seer knew Corsaire's tactics. He memorized them over the years. It had been a long while, but he still recalled every single detail. Adda knew that he was a cook on Corsaire's ship, but what she did not know, was he helped with everyday tasks where he could. Once a pirate, always a pirate, including playing the best part of all; a concerned father. He would use it to his advantage. "There's been too much pain over these years. I just want it all to stop. I just want my girls again." Playing on Adda's heartstrings would be like playing a fiddle. "I want to make sure they're okay. I haven't talked to them in so long, and I don't know what's going on in their life. Are they in love? Do they want to travel? Have they finally learned to ride their horses properly that I bought them so long ago? Do they still have sleepovers with Revy?" His shoulders slumped. "So many unanswered questions... so much time passed." He ran a hand down his face, his voice getting thick. "Magic allows me to see them, but... it doesn't allow me to hold them again."

"We'll hold them soon. Would you like to hold me in bed? It's been so long."

"... I believe that would be nice." Seer rubbed the back of his neck with a chuckle. "I've been sort of a dick lately. I'm surprised you'd still want me."

"You have been a dick. And I've been really patient with you." Adda grabbed his hand and lead it to her face.

"... would you believe me if I said I'm sorry?"

“I don’t know...”

"Hrm, well, maybe I can do that thing with my tongue that you like so much and change your mind?" Seer resulted to flirting a little. Adda would definitely fall for that, if she thought he was sincere. "Tug on your hair a little while I take you from behind? You really liked it when I nibbled on your nipples with my sharp teeth." He went on with a list of details, making sure to keep her attention. "Or maybe I should just tease you all over with that vibrating thing you have."

“You playing on my emotions?” She gave him a long look, studying him. “You’re being awfully nice.”

"Maybe I am." Seer shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe I'm not. Or maybe I'm just in a good mood since the twins are displaying signs of magic. I mean, if I recall correctly, this... Twinrova thing, it's a big deal in Gerudo culture, right?"

“It makes them demi-gods. Or so I’ve been told.” Adda grinned, trailing a finger down his chest. “How about we just settle on you fucking me until I can’t stand?”

"Is that a challenge?" Seer had a small smirk on his face.

“It is.” Adda tore is shirt to pieces and lead him back to her quarters. A small part of her told her that Seer was playing her. Right now, she didn’t care. She craved this attention at the moment. Why ruin a good thing?

[mrneighbourlove]

Red Typhoon: Ch 10. The Battered Shoreline of Home

It was a long and silent journey back to Uskar. No one was ready to speak of what happened. Corsaire took it hard, barely eating or sleeping. He felt like he failed his crew mate. Mojo and Juju did not speak, but found comfort in each other's presence. Acrobat sat in the jolly roger with Pockets, both of them shedding silent tears. Halvar barely knew Bomba, but Liz and Lex were close to him.

Liz and Lex held onto Seer close for most of the trip, the former switching to Halvar when she felt the need to find comfort in him.

Revy was crying with her dad and mom. She knew uncle Bomba more than the twins, so it hit her harder. And every tear stung with her eye missing. Scarlet cried in silence, no sobbing, but the weight of the loss overwhelming her. While the navies gathered and Corsaire had come to grips with the battle, Scarlet had traveled onto the island. She told the Gerudo villagers to form a free government, or that they'd be wiped out. They never did find Adda or Bakura's body. She didn't have any hopes they were alive, as she couldn't bear the thought of hope at the moment.

Seer sat on the bed in his cabin with Liz and Lex on either side, holding his girls close. There were no words, he was just so relieved that the twins were safe and he was back with them. So many years had passed, and his girls were grown, but he would always want to make sure to care for them. Rat held his daughter close, whispering words of comfort into her ear. The grief hit him too, silent tears streaming down his face. Bomba had been with them all since he was a nine-year-old kid. Losing a family member was never easy.

Liz and Lex slowly started to reveal what they did in the seven years Seer was gone. Liz gave light smile. "So... I've been dating Halvar. He even gave me a gift of courtship."

"Goodness, you're wanting me to pay for you a wedding dress already, huh?" Seer had to get a little humor in the room to lighten the mood. "I had a hunch that his crush would turn into something more one day. As long as you are happy, that's what matters to me."

"I am."

Lex rubbed her head against Seer's neck. How the whole situation ended on the island was unfair. She traded one lost father for a dead one now. "I'm still looking, but I got lots of guys who would do anything for me."

"Well, I won't object to you having a few suitors chasing after you." Seer chuckled. "Though, you have to make sure you settle on a good one. I won't have no man trying to be mean to my little girl."

"Of course not daddy." Lex sighed as she rested against him. "I'm so happy you're back... I just wish everyone could have lived..."

"I do too, sweetheart, but..." Seer sighed, holding his girls tighter. "I'm just glad you two are safe."

A knock came at the door with Scarlet opening it. She had bags under her eyes, heavy with grief. "We're pulling into shore now. Everyone's waiting, including your family Seer."

"Come on, girls. Wash your faces, and Liz, go get Halvar. I know his parents will be wanting to greet him." Seer tried to manuever off the bed, but the twins held tight. "Sweethearts, I'm not going anywhere. I promise. You can let go now... girls, I need air."

Both twins held onto their hugs until Seer nearly turned purple. Liz waved goodbye as she went to the deck with Halvar. Smiling softly, she gave him a kiss on the check. She looked over to see Revy wincing. Even with an eyepatch, her socket was burning from the icy cold.

The reunion with family was a sweet one for Seer. His parents were overjoyed to see him home once more, having been brokenhearted by his kidnapping. His family lost him twice, and yet, thought themselves blessed that he returned home both times. There was a big dinner for him and the girls, to celebrate Seer's return.

Obviously, there was not joy everywhere. The crew were mourning the loss of their brother. Bomba had been the youngest of them all, the 'kid brother' to everyone. He was always joking or laughing, and never had a bad thing to say about anyone. There was never a time when he was not smiling. The loss hit the crew hard. Corsaire felt responsible for not being able to protect Bomba, seeing he was knocked unconscious by the dragon. Yet, at the same time, everyone was grateful for his sacrifice. Otherwise, Onslaught would have killed everyone there.

There was a big feast celebrating the crusaders who rescued Seer. Revy kept wincing at every change of temperature. Not only had her right eye been cut out by Onslaught’s claw, but she was left with a deep horizontal scar alongside her face. At her father’s encouragement she walked over to Kanisa’s table, smiling best she could. “Sir Vidar? I don’t suppose you have any advice on the pain do you?”

"By Rotar, lass," Vidar titled her chin up to get a better look. "You've got a deep one. You try some arrowroot from Hyrule? That helps with the inflammation."

"I think we have some at home if you don't." Kanisa offered. "Maybe some compresses would help too?"

"I'd really like that. Fighting a dragon isn't all its cracked up to be."

"Why do you think the rookies beg to fight me and not Na'seema?" Vidar asked in a dry tone. "She's a smaller dragon, sure, but pretty damn fierce."

"Come by after the party and I'll lend you the compresses and arrowroot, okay?" Kanisa told Revy with a smile. "I'm sure it will help."

"Thank you."

Revy turned to see Borghild with her little brother and Boof racing towards her. They were in the middle of a hunt when the crew arrived on shore. Revy almost broke down seeing them. She had no idea how much she missed them. Calling her dad over, she ran to give her mother a hug. "M-mom! Boof!"

"Oh by Handeh, Revy, what happened?!" Borghild held Revy's face in her hands and then cracked a wide grin. "Your first scar!!! Oh, we'll have to tell the story at every family gathering!"

"Sissy got an owwie." Trygve patted Revy's leg. "Kiss it better?"

"WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF!" Boof was old, but he was so excited. He ran toward Revy, jumped up on her... and promptly knocked her over, licking at her face.

Revy let her dog lick her. It was the first good thing she felt on her face since the battle. "Oh my boy. I've missed you."

Getting up, Revy smiled at her little brother, patting his head. "I'd like that little bro."

After a kiss from her brother, she chuckled, but held some sadness in her voice. "I got a bunch of scars on the journey. This one on my face was from a terrible dragon that I, Lex and Liz killed."

Her expression turned to full sadness to match her tone. "We wouldn't have been able to pull it off if Uncle Bomba didn't sacrifice himself. The monster had this thick armour protecting his heart. When he... devoured Uncle Bomba, his insides blew up, giving us the killing blow..."

"Look, Revy," Borghild held her girl close. "Your Uncle Bomba loved you. He loved your father, and all of his brothers on that ship. I'm sure he would do the same thing again to save all of you." She sighed and then told her. "Sometimes, even here, we make the ultimate sacrifice for the ones we love. I'd do the same for you and my family."

"I don't want anyone else to die..." Revy held her mother close back, squeezing in the hug. "Dad and Scarlet really need you."

"I know, sweetheart. We'll take care of them together, okay?"

"OK."

Lex looked towards her Uncle Corsaire. He barely moved since the feast started. Looking around, no one else was talking to him, so she sat down beside him. "Uncle Corsaire... you want something to eat?"

"Huh?" Corsaire had been lost in his thoughts. He was trying to think of how he was going to tell his wife what happened. Orana would be devestated, so would his children. "Oh! Eat? No, Revy... I'm not hungry."

"It's Lex Uncle Corsaire." Lex didn't expect him to be so out of it. "Would you and the rest of the crew like to stay with Seer and the rest of us for a while?"

"Lex? Oh... sorry... I just... I can't seem to think right now." Corsaire rubbed his forehead, dark circles under his eyes. He had not slept since Bomba's death. He looked horrible. "I have to report back to Hyrule soon. I got to..." He took a breath, his shoulders sagging. "Fill out paperwork and arrange a funeral."

"You need to grieve first. Can't it wait? Seer needs you too." Lex wrapped an arm around one of her Uncle's. "Please... come eat with the rest of us."

"Bomba needed me too." Corsaire retorted lowly with a defeated expression on his face. "I... I need to rest." He stood from his seat and headed toward the direction of his room.

"Uncle Corsaire... Uncle Bomba would have wanted you to be with the living. Please come with me." Her voice was pleading.

"... I just need some time alone, Lex." Corsaire sighed. "Please, just let me rest for a bit. Then I'll come out and talk to everyone. I simply... don't have words right now."

Lex was speechless, but lowered her head, returning to her family in defeat.

Liz was with Halvar and his family, going over their conflict against the likes of Captain Eltontor, King Crimson, and Onslaught over their journey.

"Lex?" Havlar noticed Liz's sister's demeanor. "... Corsaire?"

"He doesn't want to eat with us. I don't think he wants to do anything..."

Liz frowned, giving her sister a smile. "He won't do anything dumb. Just give him some time, and he'll grieve with the rest of us."

"Ok..."

Liz smiled, knowing how to cheer her sister up. "Hey, why don't you tell the High King how we saved Halvar from being gutted by King Crimson."

Lex's smile peeked in, and she nodded. "Oh yeah. Foxy boy here got the jump on him. Couldn't handle a bit of magic."

"Not that isn't his fault. I love him, faults and all." Liz gave Halvar a kiss on the cheek.

"Hey, at least I kept him distracted so you two could kill him." Halvar sulked slightly. "At least give me that."

"Well, you did wonders in keeping us protected from that Dragon we killed. My brave fox prince. You'd make a mighty king too." Liz gave Halvar another kiss, this time on the lips.

"He protected his future mate," Torbjorn boasted. "Of course he's brave, he's my son!"

"I'm glad you're all right, though I'm proud that you faced your enemies despite being unsure of their strengths. That's what a true warrior does; fights to the end!" Sigegar told his little brother with a shoulder nudge.

"You got a few scars to show off too." Ragnvald grinned. "The ladies like that."

"It matters that he was careful as well." Brigritta smiled at her boy. "Tried to think of a way to keep the foe distracted so the twins could get to him."

Lex smiled with mischievous glee, whispering into the couple’s ears. "Didn't you two make a promise together once you returned to shore~"

Liz's face burned bright red. Why, in gods name, did Lex have to bring that up in front of Halvar's family.

Halvar was so red in the cheeks, it appeared someone had painted his skin.

"Um... I mean... we..." He stuttered.

"Well, you two better go at it than. I'm going to go find hang out with some friends. Have fun!" Lex giggled as she scampered off.

Liz slowly looked to Halvar, squeezing his hand. "Well?"

"... ladies first." Halvar was still blushing, but gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"My King, my Queen. If you'll excuse our presence."

"Go have fun." Brigritta winked at Liz. "I don't expect to see you two until the morning."

"MA!" Halvar was severely flustered now.

Liz took Halvar's hand, and power walked to the bedroom. "She's right you know."

~

Scarlet was with Rat, Borghild, and the kids, when they heard sobbing coming from the bathroom.

"Scarlet?" Borghild knocked on the bathroom door. She heard Scarlet crying and wondered what was wrong. Her friend had been in the bathroom an awfully long time. "Are you all right? Are you sick?"

“Borghild?” Scarlet turned to her, holding a little stick. It had a plus sign on it. “Bomba. Bomba and I-“ She couldn’t even finish her sentence.

"...? What's that?" Borghild pointed to the stick. Uskar did not have pregnancy tests. They simply would smell it when the hormones in the female's body were changed enough to indicate pregnancy. "Why does it smell like pee?"

Scarlet took a few breaths. She spoke with hurt emotion with her explanation. “I use it for when I miss my monthly cycle. Borghild. I’m pregnant. I’m pregnant with Bomba’s child.”

"... pregnant?!" Borghild's eyes lit up like a candle. She pulled Scarlet closer and started sniffing her. There was a slight change in her scent, but barely noticeable. "Oh... OH." The realization hit Borghild. "But... this is a good thing!" She took Scarlet's hands with a bright smile on her face. "Another little addition to add to the family! Part of Bomba and part of you! Oh, I'll help you with the baby clothes, and setting up the nursery! You can stay here, with us! We'll help you!!!"

“I’m so scared. Why? Why can’t Bomba be here?”

"Don't be scared, Scarlet, you're going to be okay." Borghild assured her friend, giving her hands a squeeze. "I know you're be a good mom. We'll do it together, all right?"

“Alright.” Scarlet wiped her eyes as she walked down to the table with Rat and Revy. Her daughter looked up from cleaning dishes.

“Mom, you Ok?”

“Revy. You’re going to have another sibling.”

Revy dropped the brush, over come with shock. “I’m what?!”

Rat actually dropped a plate, causing it to shatter on the floor.

"...?! You're pregnant?!"

“I am. Bomba is the father.” She held her stomach, so concerned for the beginning of the baby.

"Oh... well, that's great news!" Rat then started to laugh. "You broke cap'n's rule, didn't you? You a-rocked the boat."

"Rocked the boat?" Borghild then put two and two together and started giggling. "Ooo, Scarlet, you naughty girl."

“We didn’t do no such thing.” Scarlet gave a light smile. “We rocked the bed.”

"... found a loophole, did he?" Rat started to laugh, really laugh since Bomba's death. "Oh, that's just like him."

“Yeah.” Scarlet let Rat finish laughing, then she took his hands. “Rat, I want you to know, I’m not leaving this one. I won’t do that again.”

"Aye, you will." Rat gave her hands a squeeze. "Borgie and I will help you, and I'm sure Revy and Trygve will be a good big sister and brother."

Trygve was standing there with one of his little toys when he heard the news. He walked over to Scarlet and stood on his tiptoes, trying to pat her belly.

"I wanna brodder." He looked up at Scarlet. "Got a sissy, wanna brodder."

Scarlet gave a laugh, patting the little tykes head. “You’re most likely going to have another sister from me. You’ll have to ask Borgy for a brother.”

"Noooo!" Trygve pouted. "I wanna brodder!"

"Now, now, son, we'll just have to wait and see, won't we?" Rat picked up Trygve and told him. "You'll have to be a good big brother and watch after your little sibling, yeah?"

"Share my toys." Trygve held up the little wooden bear he was playing with at the moment.

Revy nodded, so happy for her mom. She needed this. Scarlet always felt she needed to redeem herself, even though Revy loved her. Now she had the chance to do so. “It’s going to be awesome mom.”

~

Bakura looked over the sea. His face was covered in bandages from the explosion he was caught up in. Not even he was fast enough in teleporting away. He had dragged himself onto the island, and rest in a hidden cave as the battle raged on. When he was able to stand, he found it was long over. Knowing he couldn’t stick around, Bakura had snuck aboard a ship sailing to the country of Zaire in order to find a better life. The sheikah finished writing a letter and sending it off. With a sigh, he turned to Adda, his smile muted by his face being covered. “Well, now its up to them to find us. If that’s what they wish.”

Adda sat back on a bench, taking a breath of the sea air. She had taken a good share of money to go into hiding and to buy a house when her and Bakura fled together. The Gerudo woman wasn’t entirely key on Bakura letting Seer know they were alive, but they had a long, long talk about trust. Bakura wasn’t content on letting them all think they were dead. “You know they’ll probably kill us.”

“Neutral territory. And after all the losses, and dethroning you power, they might not care. It’s also their choice on the matter.” Bakura walked back towards her, putting an arm around her.

Adda felt his face and sighed. All these bandages in the way, and who knew if they could ever fix him. Regardless, she found she couldn’t stop loving him. "If you believe that's best."

"I do. It's hard to breath. I can't travel out to the cold of Uskar anymore. If they want to see me, they'll have to find me." Bakura kissed Adda's cheek through his bandages. The cruelty of the years that stained the seas red with blood finally seemed to be swept away by the tides. Looking at the sunset, he prayed the best of lives for his girls and Seer. Perhaps, in time, they could meet again under more peaceful circumstances.

[mrneighbourlove]

Red Typhoon: Ch 4. Finding Gold for Body and Soul

The ship was a marvel on the waves, skyrocketing and breaking modern records. Magic was on the side of the crusaders. It took a bit for the crew to get adjusted to the ships speed, but they found that as long as they didn't reach outside of the deck over the water, they didn't feel the speed. Everyone had a chance to catch up on lost time.

"And then, when me wife was screaming profanities at me during labor, I made the mistake of a-telling her that it wasn't my fault, we both did the deed." Rat was telling the amusing story about Trygve's birth. "And then she punched me in the balls."

"BUWAHAHAHA!"

The entire crew was laughing at Rat's expense.

"You think dat's bad? Me wife threatened ta chop off me balls!" Juju snickered.

"Me wife kicked me out of bed for a month!" Mojo chuckled.

"Missy Orana chucked Corsaire overboard when Nakeso was being born." Bomba held his sides from laughing. "He said, 'Can you quit pacing, I'm trying to get some sleep!'. Wrong thing to say."

"Dad, oh my god, you're so embarrassing." Revy snickered next to him, giving him a light punch in the shoulder.

Liz sat contently next to Halvar, finding comfort in leaning against his frame. Scarlet gave a chuckle at all the men's stories. Her own pregnancy was hell to get through. She wanted to tear the doctor in half from her underhanded comments that all she had to do was 'push' and that is was 'easy'.

"I's learned my lesson."

"Me too."

"Women are scary creatures."

"I's not sure what scares me more. Me lady on her monthly or the kraken!"

"HAHAHAHA!"

"I still can't believe cap'n ever entertained the idea of kids." Bomba took a sip of his drink. "He doesn't even like kids!"

"I tolerated you, thank you very much, and I like kids fine, I don't like brats." Corsaire told him dryly. "You were a brat and a troublemaker."

"I's not that bad!"

"You almost capsized me ship playing with that black powder numerous times."

"Almost is the key word in that sentence."

"Not to mention, you's gotten us chased out of ports before due to your lovely pickpocket talent."

"Aw, thanks cap'n!"

"That's not a compliment!"

"Well, you were a family. So that has to count for something, knowing you could always pull each other out of trouble, through thick or-" Scarlet was happy for a moment, nostalgia hitting her, before sadness slapped the Gerudo back down to reality, and she stopped talking. "You have no regrets. Be happy with that."

"Heh, we's always tried to be there for each other. Didn't have no one else." Mojo told Scarlet. "Corsaire rescued me and me brother. I's albino and dat's bad luck where I's from."

"We's stowed away on his ship and he let us stay." Juju added onto his brother's words. "We's safe with him."

"T-T-Took us out of th-the circus." Pockets gestured to himself then Acrobat. "N-Never saw me... saw me as a f-freak."

"Helped me recover when me legs were both broke beyond repair." Acrobat patted his thighs. "Helped me learn to walk a little again."

"Took me away from the gladiator rings." Rat clasped his hands together. "Reunited me with Renegade after so long of thinking me old friend was dead."

"Saved me from the streets and... and Seer from the brothel." Bomba's voice fell a little. "... Seer loved to cook for us. Never once asked for anything but ingredients for the food. I miss his calm chowder."

"Fish tacos."

"Vegetable medley."

"Chili soup."

"Roasted flounder."

"Braised pork."

"... yeah... he always fixed us food. Knew what it was like to be hungry. Didn't want us to ever feel that way." Bomba sighed. "Despite what those horrid people did ta him, he still has a golden heart."

With that, a thick cloud of sadness swept through. Everyone missed Seer dearly. Halvar could have sworn he was feeling Liz heat up against him, when Lex decided to lighten the mood. "And he is the BEST at story telling! I love the tale how he'd say that Captain Corsaire was a legend of the sea for taking down two Krakens, and it would be a riot if Uncle had to go up against a third. Think we can fight a big squidy Uncle?"

"Heh, Seer was there when we encounter the krakens. He was scared out of his wits too, kept telling me that they were very, very angry." Corsaire smiled a little at the mention of the old tale. "Makes sense now that he could sort of understand them, him being a Direnor and all."

"We all made it a-out unscathed, thanks to him and Missy Orana." Rat pulled Revy a little closer, holding her closer. "Us, krakens, and the ship."

"Liz would tell me the stories that Seer told her when he was on the ship with Corsaire." Halvar finally spoke, resting his head on top of Liz's. "I really enjoyed the one where Rat basically threw Corsaire onto the balcony so he could speak to Orana again."

"Uncle Corsaire isn't really good with the ladies." Liz gave a chuckle. She was grateful to how quick Lex was to cool her off.

"Hey I was just fine with the ladies." Corsaire crossed his arms. "Then Orana just... happened to catch me."

"More like you chased her."

"I did not!"

"Did too, lovesick dog."

"Remember when he was depressed after she went home to Hyrule?"

"Sulked for days in his cabin."

"I did not sulk!"

"HAHAHAHA!"

"You sound like a sulker Uncle Corsaire." Lex giggled.  

"Look! He's doing it right now Dad!" Revy pointed, laughing at her Uncle's embarrassment.

"Ah, shut it yous." Corsaire huffed. "All of yous need to get some rest anyway."

"Agreed. According to the charts, we should arrive at our destination by tomorrow afternoon." Bakura spoke up, having kept his eye on the ship while the group had their fun. He felt like more of an outcast than Scarlet. This was, in some ways, all his fault that Adda did what she did.

"You need to eat before you sleep," Corsaire told Bakura as he stood from his barrel seat. "You didn't even touch dinner. Rat's cooking isn't that bad. Need your strength, so eat then go rest."

"Cap'n's orders, Bakie." Rat gave Revy a gentle shake. "Hey now, me love, don't doze off on me just yet. Let's get you to bed."

"Huh? I'm not sleepy."

"Oh yes you are. Listen to your father young lady."

"What-*yawn*-ever mom." Revy was indeed sleepy.

Bakura continued looking at the stars. "I'll eat in a minute or two. You all have a good nights sleep."

"Taking first watch? Very well." Corsaire stretched lightly and then said. "Come get me for second watch. Men, off to bed."

"Aye, aye, cap'n."

"That means you two, girls." Rat told Liz and Lex. "Halvar, you's sleeping with the men."

"Whu? I mean, of course I am!" The prince blushed.

Scarlet gave a light frown. "Rat. Liz has a Voe, I think they have the right to stay in the same bed."

Liz looked over her shoulder to Halvar, a curiosity forming. How long had they been a relationship for now? Cuddles in the day on a couch were one thing, but what of cuddling at night? More soft spoken than she meant to, she turned to the Prince "Halvar.... would you like to share a bed. With me?"

"No hankie pankie on me ship!" Corsaire yelled from beneath, earning a few snickers from the men, knowing the captain was a protective uncle as well.

"There's a difference between sharing a bed for sleep and sharing a bed for... that." Rat was still a little off put by the sex conversation with the twins and his own daughter. It was always a touchy subject for him, especially with him having to work in the pleasure houses as well when his old master made him for extra cash. "Besides, Liz doesn't need to go and get pregnant right before a battle. Tis dangerous."

"We are NOT going to have sex!" Liz shouted at the men, appalled that was the first place they'd jump to. Lex snickered, giving her sister a tap. "Why not? Heard a rumour that being a virgin is never a good thing going into battle. Trust me, you'll both love it~"

Revy quickly pulled Lex away before Liz lost it. "I will THROW you over the ship so help me god Lex!"  Her max embarrassment couldn't be reached any higher. Liz turned to Halvar, sighing. "I'll just go to bed if you aren't comfortable."

"Pin me down and lick my dick!" Bomba's voice rang out from beneath the deck. "Fuck me like a big, bad bitch! We won't stop til you say when! Next time won't you bring a friend~~~~!"

"BOMBA SHUT UP!!!" The entire crew yelled at him.

"All you's don't appreciate my singing talents."

"More like wailing talents."

Halvar's face was bright red by this time, but he finally found a way to speak.

"I um... I'll do what you want, Liz. You're my lady, and I want you comfortable."

"That's not what I asked..." Liz sighed. If Halvar didn't tell her that HE was comfortable first and foremost, than she wouldn't force him. "I don't want to demand anything of anyone. I'm not my mother..."

Liz walked to below deck. Glaring at her Uncle with a deep growl, Bomba received a hard punch in the stomach for embarrassing her, and she slammed the door to her bed.

Lex patted Halvar on the back. "Pussy move dude. You didn't answer her question if you yourself wanted to join her."

"It's customary for the females to initiate... that part of the courtship." Halvar told Lex with a frown. "I'll go talk to her."

"I don't know if she's in the mood for talking right now. Maybe in the morning?"

"I... I guess..." Halvar said good night to everyone else and stopped at the cabin where Liz was staying. With a sigh, he told Liz through the door. "I'm... I'm sorry if I upset you. I think it's just hard for me to get the normal Uskarian customs out of my head, even though I know you're not required to follow those. Please don't doubt my love for you, ever. You're amazing and so sweet and... I feel lucky that you look at me the way you do. Sweet dreams, Elizabeth."

Liz heard his words and felt them sting. She hated herself now for not being more forward with Halvar, and in her self-pity, bit into her pillow so no one could hear her cry.

Scarlet was making her way to bed when she saw Bomba recovering from his gut punch. "She hit you really good."

"Aye, tis nothing I can't handle." Bomba shrugged and held up his hands, missing a couple of fingers. "Dis here hurt a lot worse. I was being stupid with the black powder and it came back to bite me good."

"Well you were being more stupid here. Do none of you have daughters? You didn't think your words and laughter didn't have an effect on her?"

"I's has no kids." Bomba shook his head. "Cap'n, Rat, Mojo, Juju, and Seer has kids. Acrobat and his man thinking 'bout adopting. Pockets doesn't want any kids; too scared of them being born like him with four arms. Doesn't want the kids to feel like he used to; like a freak."

"Well you all guaking about what she does in bed was insulting." Scarlet gave him a jab, and her voice was loud enough for any of the other men to hear. "At least Bakura was wise enough to know when to keep his peace. I bet even Seer wouldn't judge."

"Hey, she's our little girl and we want her to be treated right, dat's all." Bomba jabbed Scarlet back. "We know Halvar is a good laddie, yet we don't want Liz put in a bind either. Wind up pregnant when we's going to war with Adda is not a good thing. Dat, or worse, Halvar gets her pregnant and something happens to 'em. We's seen it before and don't wish it on her."

"She's not stupid enough to get pregnant. You insulted her core. She wanted to have a moment with her Voe, and all you idiots ruined it for her. She's strong, but she's also still a girl." Scarlet jabbed him back, harder this time.

"I'm not saying she's stupid, I'm saying it could happen!" Bomba poked her harder than before. "You's and Adda were pregnant during fighting and something coulda happened then! We's would have never had these sweetlings with us if something woulda happened to ya!" The first mate was not backing down from this argument. "If she wants a moment with her man, then dat's something they's both gotta agree on. Dey's from different cultures, and Halvar's trying to respect her and everyone else in her family too." He huffed and crossed his arms. "Liz wasn't raised Gerudo, she was raised as a Uskarian. If you's gots a problem with dat, take it up with Seer. He did right by those girls."

"I DID MY FUCKING BEST FOR MY DAUGHTER!" Scarlet picked Bomba up, pinning him to the wall. "I made sure to keep her away from the fighting! Even though it broke my heart and Rat's! And for all the shit my sister in arms has done, the smartest thing she ever did was give Seer those twins! So if I got a problem its with anyone, it’s you asshole!" She dropped Bomba and turned, the stress of the mission having boiled over now. "Fuck... I... I'm sorry. God damn it..."

Bomba yelped when Scarlet pinned him against the wall with a loud bang. She had a good foot in height on him, and was certainly the stronger of the two. However, Bomba was one to never give up, and always found a way to get the upper hand in the end... in most fights. When Scarlet dropped him, he fell onto his ass with a thud and rubbed his throat.

"Hmph." Bomba frowned at Scarlet. "You's ever stop to think dat maybe you doing something 'good' for someone else is 'bad' for you?"

Scarlet, turned to him, and Bomba knew he made a mistake. "What. Else. Was I. Suppose to DO?! HUH Bomba?! I loved my Captain! She was MY LIFE! She saved me, she was my closest friend! I trusted her word as the only word I needed to trust." Scarlet towered over him, picking him up and holding him tightly by the shoulders. She didn't even care that others could be listening, which they certainly were. "Tell me, would you ever have question Corsaire's word? His trust? Because when I was at my lowest, most worried for the new baby I had, I listened to Adda's. Would YOU have done differently than me?"

"Cap'n Corsaire saved us, and he's our brother... but he doesn't expect us to live our lives for him." Bomba told Scarlet, honest as could be. "Your cap'n might have saved you, but dat doesn't mean you have to live your life for her. You's your own person, lassie." He told her, honestly. "Me cap'n would never tell me to abandon me kid. He doesn't put himself first. He puts his... his family first. His friends first. Dere's a difference 'tween Corsaire and Adda." He was not sugar coating his words.

"Adda does put her family first. She gave us homes. She allowed us to choose our occupations once we become of age. She gave me the choice to leave her... us Gerudo are her only family she has. She did what she thought was best for us." Scarlet put her hands to her face and held her breath, slowly exhaling. "And that's why I'm terrified. You're all going to kill her. She won't stop. She won't. And you'll have to kill her."

"You call dumping her kids off and making you choose 'tween your baby and her a 'sister'?" Bomba actually laughed dryly at that statement. "If dat's the kind of definition of family for Gerudos, then I's really glad the girls weren't raised there. Family don't hurt family. Don't make 'em choose 'tween kids or her." The first mate then told Scarlet. "Look, lassie. I can argue with ya til me blue in the face, but what your cap'n did was wrong. End of story." He shook his head. "We's don't want to kill her if she'll just give us Seer. She don't, then it's gonna be a fight. Cap'n never let us down before; he's never lost." He sighed and then said to Scarlet. "We's used to be pirates, but we's never hurt innocents like she did, never took for our own gain. We's stole from those who stole from the others. Cap'n never liked fighting, but he's damn good it if he has to."

"You ever hear about the battle of Fan-Shen Bay?"

"I's heard of a lot of battles, lassie."

"This one was personal. When the great war happened, there was a giant power grab for riches and power. We didn't start the war. It was slowly building up, and I think you and your crew were lucky enough to miss it. Captain Adda saw an opportunity with the Wind Waker. We had the power to put a stop to heavy hitters like Onslaught and keep him grounded. But more importantly, we, a tribe of Gerudo women, had the potential to come out on top. To bring order. As we got into the war, it quickly dawned on us that our night with your crew left us pregnant. My crew, my sisters in our tribe were terrified for us. We couldn't pull out of the war. And Adda, couldn't leave the twins with Bakura. He still had that monster Set in his mind at the time. And... and we couldn't get back to our island sanctuary. It was under siege at the time." Scarlet knew it sounded like she was making excuses to him, but this was the first time she found the will to fully explain herself. "Should I have stayed with Rat? Maybe... but I had to help my sisters. I had to make sure that they lived first. So we took the girls to Rat and Seer, and I returned to the war. The Battle of Fan-Shen Bay occurred a week after I returned to my captain. In that battle our ship was torn apart by cannon fire and we crashed into the bay. Now I want you to imagine what would happen if we had little babies with us. They would have died. I saw girls that couldn't swim drown that day, or torn apart by cannon fire. And I am grateful I returned. Adda was knocked unconscious. My sisters were panicked as we were pinned down by enemy fire. So I took command. I used ever bit of magic and skill I had to protect my sisters as we rounded our forces for a retreat. If I had stayed with Rat, I'm certain my whole tribe would have been wiped out that day. So the choices I make haunt me either way. Abandoning my daughter for 13 years, or knowing if I abandoned my crew they'd all be dead. Tell me how to heal my soul from that?"

Revy was in horror from hearing that story, having listened through the crack of her door. Why did fate have to always leave people with horrible choices. Scarlet felt like crying. "I'm... I'm tired defending myself. Adda might be rotten to the core, like everyone keeps saying, but she loved us.... and I loved her too. Please understand that."

"Me thinks either way, you's just tormenting ye self." Bomba was no guru on giving advice, he said whatever popped into his head. Yet, sometimes, his blunt statements made perfect sense. "You's were stuck either way. Yet... dere's one thing me doesn't understand." He finally asked the question everyone had been thinking. "We's coulda helped hide ye. All of ye. Why didn't you just... ask for help?"

"Didn't want to drag our enemies to Hyrule. Maybe we wanted to be more than just another tribe. Or maybe we were just stupid." Scarlet's lip quivered. "I feel stupid... Like a waste of breath."

"Maybe a little bit of both." Bomba was not very good at comforting females, so he took her hand and gently patted it. "Tis okay to feel stupid. Look at me. I's the silly one of the crew, and me mouth gets me into bad situations. Me crew calls me stupid sometimes, but dey still love me. No one tis perfect. We's all human and make mistakes." He shrugged his shoulders. "Sometimes, the best thing to do is... move forward and try to put the past behind ye." The first mate gave her a small grin. "Can't make the same mistakes again if ye don't wanna."

"Thank you Bomba." Scarlet squeezed tight, and looked into his eyes, feeling the warmth of his comfort.

"Me thinks you need to do more thinking, lassie." Bomba was truthful with Scarlet. "Thinking of what ye really want. Tis ain't 'bout Adda no more, 'bout you."

"You're right... Are you the wise one out of your brothers?"

"HAHAHA!" Bomba started laughing at that question. "Aw shit, no. Seer was the wise one. Me's just the kid... well, me used to be a kid then, sneaking into his kitchen to steal a bite of food."

"Well, you show qualities of a man now." Before Bomba could make a remake, Scarlet lifted him up off the ground, and planted a deep kiss on him.

"HMPH?!?!" Bomba was not expecting a kiss, that was for sure.

Scarlet's lips were fine, and she held the kiss for more than he thought she would. Pulling away, she had a light, floaty smile. "Thank you for talking with me. I needed that."

"Uh-huh..." Bomba was a little out of breath from the kiss and partly dazed. "No... no problem, lassie. Good talk'in, and... very, very good kiss'in."

"I'm going to check on the girls. I'll see you in the morning?" Scarlet set the dazed man down back to his feet.

"Hm-hm, morning's good." Bomba tried to snap out of his stupor just for a moment. "Wishing you sweet dreams, lassie."

"Sweet dreams Bomba." Scarlet gave him a hug into her breasts, than turned with a wave goodbye and settled for the night.

"Heheheh... boobies." Bomba snickered as Scarlet exited his cabin to check on the girls.

~

The morning came, and the crew prepared. A week out of sea and they had arrived at their first destination. They quickly dropped one of the sails to cut the speed as to not draw mass attention. The island ahead had a jungle interior, with a bustling port of other pirates coming and going. Liz was hazy, regretting crying herself to sleep the night before. She barely looked Halvar in the eye, embarrassed by her actions. Everyone was getting equipped properly. Liz was wearing a modest outfit, with a trench coat to give her an air of authority. Revy wore a simple shirt and pants with light armour underneath, and Scarlet was suiting up in her Iron Knuckle suit.

Bakura looked over the sea, turning to Corsaire. "You ever been to this island before?"

"Aye, many years ago." Corsaire made sure to guide his ship into port slowly and carefully. "Rescued Mojo and Juju here. Can't say they're happy to be back."

"We's gonna be fine, cap'n." Mojo assured Corsaire. "We's grown now, not wee lads. We can take care of ourselves."

"We'll stick together, and we's be okay." Juju agreed with his brother. "We's help looking after the girls too."

"Bakie, you's going to be okay a-doing this?" Rat asked Bakura, hating to inquire, but he had to do so. "I don't want your... other half... going too crazy if we's gotta fight."

"We... we've come to an understanding. I believe that horse kick really did a number on him. But I can keep control." Bakura patted Rat's shoulders. His attention than turned to Lex. She was walking out in a very seductive fashion. Proper, yet very alluring. "Sweet heart, what are you wearing?"

"Uh, what are YOU wearing? Baggy pants? And Ms. Scarlet, don't you think you should wear normal clothing? You can magic up your armour at any time right? You need to scream less, "I'm a big bad warrior, rrrrr." You know what I mean?"

"Lex, we's here to find out information, not for ye to find a husband." Acrobat told his niece. "You look like you's trying to bait and hook a man."

"Lex, let Scarlet wear her armor if she's a-wants." Rat then turned to Revy. "Me love, you stay close to me, you hear? I's not underestimating your fighting ability, but I promised your Mama I'd keep you a-safe."

"Aye, all the ladies stay close to us, captain's orders." Corsaire told Scarlet, Lex, Liz, and Revy. "You never know what these crooks might try."

Lex rolled her eyes. "I KNOW I'm eye candy. That's my speciality. How many women have you muscle heads ever ran up to, transfixed by their beauty, and not to mention, tell them anything to get their attention. I can make people talk to help us find our target."

Scarlet nodded, impressed. "Excellent point Lex. I suppose my intimidation factor could lead to an issue. And we ALL have our strengths and weaknesses." The Gerudo woman powered down her armour, the magic making her appear back in regular clothing once more.

"Regardless, all of you ladies are staying with one of us." Corsaire ordered firmly. "Is that clear? You will travel with one of us at all times. This island has been known to kidnap females and sell them into the slave rings."

"Eh. Small advantage I can only hope for is that Adda has made Gerudo feared enough for no one to pull that shit, but don't count on it." Scarlet nodded to the three girls.

Bakura used his skills as a bounty hunter to formulate a plan. "Be careful when asking information. When we find Eltontor, we play it safe. Interrogating him will be difficult unless we get him isolated."

"So we need to set a trap for him." Rat suggested. "Get in his good graces and then get the information we need."

"If he doesn't willingly tell us, we'll make him talk." Liz spoke up, hyper focused on the mission ahead.

"No one goes alone," Corsaire told everyone. "Acrobat, Pockets, you search the fishing docks. Mojo, Juju, stay with the ship, I don't want anyone trying to get the bright idea of hurting Mojo. Rat, Revy, you go search the trading posts. Lex, Liz, you're with me, we'll search the taverns." Then he ordered. "Bomba, Scarlet, you take the markets."

Bakura checked his blades, and polished his mask. "Girls, stick to the captains orders. Halvar, you come with me. You can probably pass off as a slave boy if anyone asks any questions about you."

"Hey!" Halvar objected at that remark. "Slave boy, my ass."

"Halvar, do as he tells you." Corsaire told the young prince. "We need to get you back home to your parents safe and sound."

"... can Liz come with me?" He asked the captain. "I feel better if she's at my side. I want to protect her."

"Very well." Corsaire gestured to Halvar. "Liz?"

Liz thought about her actions last night, how she wished she could be a better girlfriend to Halvar. Maybe they could use this chance to take care of themselves. "Well, I suppose it can't hurt to look after you as well Halvar."

Bakura waved her over. "Alright. Anyone asks. I'm an Yuga bounty hunter, you're my partner, and this is a Direnor slave we acquired."

"Grr... fine." Halvar agreed to go along with the farce because this was Liz's other dad. He did not want too many tensions since he intended to marry Liz.

"Is everyone else ready?"

"Aye, cap'n."

"Let's find this guy. Seer's counting on us." Bakura finished slipping his mask down and the ship pulled into the dock.

Everyone set out, Scarlet ready to summon her armour at a moments notice. Looking around, she was hit with an air of nostalgia at all the unlawful trade occurring around her. Smiling to Bomba, she nudged him. "You miss this at all?"

"Eh, a little." Bomba looked around at all the merchandise. "Me's content to work for Hyrule now. Better money, safer, and can still be close to cap'n and me family."

"Not gonna lie. Cracking heads and getting rich with all the laughs and joy with my sisters is a feeling that I wish I could recapture sometimes."

"Not like you can't recreate that feeling with us." Bomba suggested to Scarlet. "If you're bored in Uskar, then come work on the ship with the cap'n and me. We could always use a bit of extra muscle!"

"I go where Revy goes. That's how its always been for me."

"Aye, and me admires your dedication to your wee one." Bomba nodded his head. "Though, you know, Reveka is grown now. She knows how to fight, how to take care of herself, and one day, she'll have a family of her own. She'd want you to be happy doing what you like. She wouldn't expect you to chain ye self down cause of her."

Scarlet knew Bomba was right. Borghild had told her the same so many times. "I haven't really found anyone to settle down with."

"Well, even if you haven't found a mate to settle down with, it'd be fun for you to come along with us." Bomba reminded Scarlet. "We's not pirates no more, but we still know how to party and have fun."

"I'll give it some thought..."

"All righty, then." Bomba looked around the market at the various booths. So far, he did not see no crocodile man. He did, however, see an object which caught his eye. Approaching the stand full of flowers, he paid for a single gerber daisy. Once in his hands, he waltzed back to Scarlet, stood on his tiptoes, and put it behind her ear. "There. No lady can be sad with flowers."

Scarlet looked down at him in surprise. Her shock was evidence she didn't know what to make of the action. "No one has ever given me flowers before."

"Eh? All ladies deserve some perdy flowers." Bomba stretched and then put his hands on the back of his head. "Especially a red flower like you."

Scarlet took the flower and smelled it closely. "Lavender... I love lavender."

"Lavender? Me's not too good with the names of flowers, lassie." Bomba told her. "Next time we's seeing some at a booth or what not, you show me. Learn a little from you 'bout perdy blooms." He then held up a pocket of coins he had taken from another customer with a grin. "And me learn you a little about pickpocketing."

"Well, aren't you sneaky." Scarlet threw him another bag that she snatched off a man walking back to his boat.

"The sneakiest, lassie, don't you forget it." Bomba then showed Scarlet one of the daggers he took from her, that she had hiding in her belt with a laugh. "Me could steal your undies and you wouldn't know it."

"You know what, I'd like to see you try." Scarlet wiggled her hips, her heart beating every glance she took at Bomba now. Walking to a clerk, she got his attention. "Oy! Got a question for you."

"Me gets 'em, me gets to keep 'em." Bomba snorted at her little wiggle. "As a trophy."

As Scarlet approached the clerk, he looked up at her.

"Yes, miss?"

"How much would it cost for a box of condoms?"

She let her words drip in the air as she gave a cheshire grin back at Bomba, savouring his reaction.

"Three rupees, please."

"..." Bomba's face turned red for a minute before he snickered. "Only one box?"

"I'll take three boxes." She was starting to get a little red herself. Turning to Bomba once more, her pearly white teeth grinned at him. "If you think you're man enough to handle that~"

"Me can take anything you throw at me. Even if ye throw ye self."

"We have a buy two, get one free special." The clerk then asked. "Also, if you're interested, we have a buy one get one special on lubes today. Our three most popular edibles are strawberry-banana, coconut-lime, and peach-mango. In the back of the store, there's lingerie for the ladies and the men if you're interested."

"I'll take four boxes and each of the lube. Lingerie isn't necessary." Scarlet started to take her rupees out to pay.

"Very well, miss." The clerk bagged up her purchase and took the payment. "For buying the specials, we've played a complimentary bottle of oil in the bag just for you and your lover. Thank you for shopping at Noctural Pleasures and have a good day."

"Me guesses we need to find a room next." Bomba chuckled with a wide grin. "Cause cap'n don't like it when we's rock the boat."

"After we find our target." Scarlet paid a boy on the dock to bring the new cargo back to the ship. Leaning down, she pinched Bomba's cock, satisfied he was growing an erection. "Let's go little man. Who knows how long it will take to find him~"

"Hmph, you's a tease, that's what you are, lassie." Bomba sulked at being denied at first and then yipped when she fondled his privates. Grasping her hand, he tugged her along in the streets. "Come on, hurry up, daylight's burning, and I wanna fuck, so let's find this reptile."

~

Halvar, Liz, and Bakura walked through a large pub, looking around. The older man made sure to keep an eye out on the two young adults every once in a while. Liz tapped her foot, some impatience getting to her. "Can you two cover my? I'm going to duck into one of the bathroom stalls quickly."

"Sure thing Liz."

Once Liz was out of sight, Bakura gave Halvar a slap on the back. "Look alive kid. You're way too focused on my daughter right now."

"Hey!" Halvar turned slightly red in the cheeks at Bakura's statement. "... she's beautiful. I can't help but look at her."

"Well, you haven't exactly inspired confidence in me that you're the right man for her. If all you're going to do is drool like a dog, and hump like a dog thinking about her..."

"I'm not a dog, I'm a fox." Halvar did not like being referred to as a dog. To a Direnor, it was an insult. He was often seen as a meek prince, but right now, he was mad. "I respect her, and I love her. I've made no advances because I want her to be ready to take that intimate step. I've been there to encourage her and help her through hard times." He said before he thought. "You don't exactly inspire confidence in me that you're a good father figure. After all, you did try to kill her once." The prince then said bitterly. "Don't try to bring me down with you. I'll be there for her thick and thin, no matter what the future brings us. I'd happily give my life for her, or any children we have in the future. I'm a good man, and Liz has accepted my offer of courtship. If she was not pleased with me, I'd know. So back off and butt out of our relationship. It's for me and her to decide what we wish to do, not you."

Halvar couldn't see it behind that mask, but Bakura was shocked, which quickly turned into him being impressed. He gave Halvar a slap on the back again and laughed. "That's the spirit lad. I'm how Lex would say, "Just fucking with you". Well you need to be there for her. And I think Liz would appreciate a little boldness. Just an inch."

Bakura held his hips and shook his head with a chuckle. "It's my job as a father to look out for my girls best interest. Sure, a part of me tried to kill her once, but what family hasn't wanted to kill each other at some point! If you're going to lay down your life for her, you have to be smart about it. You can't let anything distract you. Take, for example, if we find Adda, and you happen to be alone with a bombshell like her, what are you going to do?"

"Hmph." Halvar tried not to show he was sulking at the teasing from Bakura, and crossed his arms. "Liz wants to find Adda, we cannot let anything distract us now when we're so close. However, if we were alone together, and she was comfortable, and only if she was ready, then I would not object to mating. She is a fine woman and sometimes it's hard to hold myself back. My father and mother taught me to respect a female or else, she might claw your eyes out."

"Oh yes. Or she could see the demon in you, and make a catastrophic choice. If you catch Adda... let me get a chance to talk to her."

Before Halvar could ask more, Liz came out. "Alright, sorry for the wait. Was talking to a girl in the bathroom. She mentioned pirates like to hang out at a place called, "The Sun Pyramid."

"Hmm, I'll ask around for what that is. You two stick together."

Bakura left the couple alone as he asked around.

"Unlike you, I'm in control of my 'demon'." Halvar huffed at Bakura, and then quieted when Liz approached the two of them. He was exactly too keen on her overhearing their conversation. Though, as much as he hated to admit it, Bakura did have a point. It was now or never, he supposed. Anything could happen with this fight with Adda. "Liz?" Halvar turned to look at her. "I... I'm sorry if I embarrassed you the other night. Or if you think I don't want to mate with you, that's not the case. Sometimes, I keep repeating these proper rules in my head, and it's only gotten in the way. I don't want you to ever think you're a problem, you're my lover, and I'm yours." He took her hands, and kissed her knuckles. "Whenever you're ready, I'm happy to love you."

"Halvar..." Liz looked sadly at his hand. "I wish I was stronger with this aspect of my life, like other Gerudo woman. I just didn't want to hurt you. I didn't want you to feel forced into a situation, like... my mother would do to others." She looked back to him, kissing his fingers back. "I want to take things slow. Can we just... cuddle in bed? Like normal couples do?"

"Hey," Halvar tilted her chin up to look at him. "Whatever you want, whenever you want. I'll do what you're comfortable with, okay? Never think you're disappointing me. I love you too much for that."

"I... thank you." Liz leaned in to give him a quick kiss on the lips. "Let's ask around, shall we?"

~

Lex waved to the many pirates that were giving her whistles and cat calls. It didn't take long for her to get a lead out of one. She told him to meet her at the peer so she wouldn't have him nip at her feet the whole way for the rest of her search. "So, the Sun Pyramid. I wonder what we'll find there Captain Uncle."

"Was it really necessary to flirt with every male specimen on this island?" Corsaire groaned, wondering why he did not send Lex with Revy and Rat.

"Hey, they flirt with me! Besides, you said you wanted to look out for me, and keep me away from the nasty men~" Lex tickled her Uncle's chest teasingly. "Just jealous they're dropping better one liners than you give Princess Orana?"

"I invented one liners, lassie." Corsaire grumbled under his breath. "And I didn't give one liners to my wife. I treated her like a proper gentleman... and the first one liner I gave she only laughed at me, so I didn't give her no more."

"I bet. Well, I'm gonna keep doing what I do best. Being fabulous as fuck~"

Lex tapped her sunglasses as they walked through a jungle path. The Sun Pyramid was an actual pyramid, having been modified into a giant entertainment centre. On the right, exotic dancers, the left, a fighting ring for people to sort their shit out, but the main attraction was a giant casino.

"Holy shit. Think of all the money we could make here."

"Lex, we're here to get information, and get out. Time's a tick'in."

"I'm just saying." Lex took a deep breath. "Alright. I'll take the lead." Standing up on a staircase, Lex shouted loudly. "Who wants to gamble against me?! 100,000 worth of rupees on me!"

"IGNORE HER, SHE'S DRUNK!!!" Corsaire shouted and pulled Lex off the staircase and over his shoulder. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?! We're not here to stand out!"

"That's exactly what I'm doing. Getting attention." Lex pushed him away as some men approached. One was reptilian.

"Who's this guy?"

"Don't worry, he's my bitch."

"You serious about playing little girl?"

"That's woman to you scaly. And I am. Serious about winning."

"Alright. Who else wants to play with this spitfire?"

"... I hate you so much right now." Corsaire hissed under his breath to Lex, and then saw the crocodile man approach. "... she's only interested in one player at a time."

"Oy. Bitch. Did I give you permission to speak?" Lex raised her sunglasses at her Uncle, trying to act cool.

"I'm her uncle and I'm supervising her night out." Corsaire corrected Lex with a harsh slap on the butt as if she were an unruly kid. "Can't have no man taking advantage of my little girl now."

"Hmmm. And her I thought she was kind of gangster."

Lex yelped, and part of her spirit crumbled. Her image was being shattered by her Uncle. An cold anger built up inside in her. No one trusted her abilities. They either thought she was just a kid or a slut. She gave him a hard kick to the leg. "You're ruining my mystique. So piss off and get me a drink, while I take every bit of fucking coin these losers have."

Lex turned back to the man, glaring at her opponent, before giving a smile and a pretty face. "I am a gangster sweety. How about you draw your cards. We can do some Blackjack."

"Ha. Sure thing." The crocodilian man pointed to a dealer to cut them a deck.

"OOF!" Corsaire nearly dropped Lex when she kicked him. He growled at his niece, giving her a glare. Seer would not want her dealing with the scum of the earth. She was not in Uskar, the men here were not honorable. The bastards here would take advantage of her, cheat her, or worse, try to drug her and sell her as merchandise. "Fine." He snapped at her. "Don't come crying to me when they get the one up on you." With that, he stormed off to the bar. However, as Corsaire watched Lex play, he noticed how in control she was, how comfortable. Her porker face was on point, switching between cold, and full of playful emotion to throw her opponent off.

"So tell me, you seem so different than the other men here."

"It's the scales right? Humans love the scales."

"I do." Lex looked to the dealer. "Hit me."

Looking at her cards, she frowned, making a jiggle with her body. Her opponent thought he won. "Alright. I'm playing my hand." He placed a jack and a seven down. "You seem disappointed."

"Oh, I am!" Lex threw her hand down. A three, a ten, and a seven. "That I didn't get a full 21~"

"Fuck me..."

"Your rupees please~!"

The reptile growled. He thought he was tricking some kid. He wasn't supposed to actually lose this money. "Look. I need to actually get my money from my boss."

"Ooooo, what's the matter, need to cry to your captain? Why don't you bring him here? Maybe he can win the money back."

The man thought of that. "Stay right here sweetheart. He might just want to meet you."

Lex turned to her Uncle in the distance to give him the finger. As she waited, she saw the biggest reptile, barring dragons, in her life stomp forward. He was a big crocodile man, with a thick brown coat, a hat with a peacock feather, and a golden artificial right eye. His smile was filled with sharp, jagged teeth. "Hello sweetheart. My name is Captain Eltontor. How'd you like to make a wager?"

"Fuck me, she actually did it." Corsaire watched from the bar. He decided he'd only interfere if things got out of hand. If Lex wanted to play this game, she could.

"Oooo my~ Aren't you a big boy~"

"You don't know the half of it little snow flake~"

Lex giggled, hoping to fully entrance the big crocodile. She felt so much pride that she was the first to find their target. "So you aren't mad I beat your little boy in some gambling are you? I was thinking of buying some golden earrings."

"I think a golden chain would look better around you~"

"Oh stop it, you naughty man~" Lex waved her hand in a fun gesture. "So what's this gesture you have?"

"Oh, quite simple, I was thinking of a game of chance."

"Chance?"

"Yes. How'd about it?"

"Depends, what we talking here?"

"I love this particular game." Eltontor snapped his fingers and received a glass of liqueur. Pouring it into a bottle, he made it so it almost overflowed. "The rules are simple. You keep dropping coins into the glass until it spills. You can put as many coins as you like in, but if you spill, you lose."

Lex had never played this before. "Sounds fun."

"So I was thinking we could play for more than just money." The croc smiled down at Lex's body. The Gerudo smiled back, but not for the same reason. This is what she wanted. A chance to find her mother.

"I can agree to that. What do you want?"

"Well my dear, I was thinking when I win, I'll take you back to my ship. We can have all sorts of fun there."

"Ok. And if I win... you have to tell me where I can find Captain Adda."

That took Eltontor by surprise. "Captain Adda? The Queen of the Seas? Why do you want to find her?"

"Girls got her reason. I heard you know a way to find her, or, just as good, someone who does."

Eltontor grew visibly more nervous, tapping his claw. His instincts were telling him to drug this girl and take her away. "Well, little lady, I suppose I might."

"Than do we have a deal?"

"We do." Eltontor made a special click with his mouth and some of his men got them two different drinks.

"Your move, babydoll~"

Lex picked up five coins. This prompted everyone around the table to 'Ooooo' her. Eltontor chuckled. "You like to take big risks, I can tell. I wonder what other big things you like~"

"Please take your hand off the table dear." Lex breathed deeply, very, very carefully placing her fingers over the glass. Letting go, she dropped the coins. The liquid shifted, but didn't spill. Lex relaxed back into her set and took some of her drink. The young Gerudo woman felt confident she understood the level of liquid in the glass now.

"Hmmph. Impressive. My move." Eltontor took a coin from the side of the table, and put it over the glass. Smiling, he squeezed some hidden cotton, pouring additional liquid into the glass, unknowns to Lex.

Dropping his coin into the glass, Eltontor hid the cotton he used, and the glass shifted, but once more, didn't spill. "Heheheh. That was close. Your move."

Lex starred at the glass. She saw how the liquid shifted around. With one coin it shouldn't have moved like that. She should have had enough space to place one or two more coins in. What gives? Lex took a coin, uncertain.

"Well girly?"

"Give me a moment."

"I think we know that you lost."

"Shut up."

"Well, not everyone can be so certain."

Lex was afraid. She felt like she was going to lose. She gripped the glass with one hand, and steadily held her coin over the glass. She was gonna lose. She was going to be this freaks plaything. How could she fuck this up? She didn't want to. She didn't want to fail. So, to her surprise, and everyone else, when she dropped the coin, it didn't spill.

Eltontor was in shock and disbelief. "What? WHAT?!"

He quickly took a coin and dropped it in. Did he not pour enough liquid in? His glass shifted and the liqueur spilled out.

Lex smiled. Somehow she won. "Yes. YES! I DID IT!"

Eltontor threw the contents of the glass out and looked at it. Ice had formed above the tip of the edges, giving it a tiny little room for error. "You cheated me."

"What? No I didn't. Tell me about Adda you piece of luggage!"

"You little bitch. I think I know who you are now. You're one of Adda's girls, aren't you?"

Oh shit. That was not part of the plan.

With a loud 'clang' Corsaire's metal hand slammed on the table, causing the rupees and the drinks to clatter. The ex-pirate was pissed. He gave a cold stare to Eltontor, and put a hand on Lex's shoulder.

"Call her a bitch one more time and see where it gets you, lizard." Corsaire did not know if his reputation with the kraken still preceded him, but he did not care. No one was going to mess with his niece, even if she was acting like a little shit. He would make sure she was all right for Seer's sake. "She belongs with me. You think I didn't see that cotton? You think I don't know how you cheated and won this game? Or for the fact of the matter," He picked up Lex's drug and took a sniff. "That this roofie you put in her drink has a salty taste and oil residue it leaves on top? I know all your tricks and I know you're going to apologize or else, I'll beat your ugly skull in until they'll have to identify you by your bones. What's it going to be, reptile?"

Eltontor knew EXACTLY who this man was. How the hell did the legendary kraken slayer end up here? He was supposed to be retired. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, nah. How about this." The crocodile, grabbed the table and threw it at Corsaire and Lex, running through the casino to reach his boat. "WASTE THESE FOOLS! MILLION FOR THE MAN’S HEAD DEAD! ANOTHER MILLION FOR THE GIRL ALIVE!"

Corsaire reacted quickly, catching the table, ducking down and pulling Lex with him, using the furniture as a shield. He drew his gun, and shouted, "If anyone dares to fire at me, I'll set the damn kraken on their ship!!!" He leaned out from behind the table and fired a single shot... busting through Eltontor's kneecap.

Eltontor screamed, but still lurched along, his weight able to keep him up. His reptilian crew were the only ones to fire at Corsaire. Lex hated this and ran to the left. "I'm going after him! They want YOU dead, not me! Asshole thinks he can cheat ME!?" Lex growled, dodging the commotion all around her.

"YOU GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE!" Corsaire nearly screeched at Lex, trying to chase after the girl, but the bullets kept him pinned. "LEX!!!"

Lex found Eltontor getting into a speed boat, trailing blood. It started to take off, and Lex felt her heart sank. She fell for this pirates tricks. Once again, that cold sense of failure hit her. If they lost him, they lost a chance at her mother.

“No. NO YOU’RE NOT GETTING AWAY!” Lex willed it, and she thrust her hands to the water. The entire channel froze, lurching Eltontor's boat and sending him flying and skidding across belly first on the ice back towards her.

Lex was completely shocked. She had ice magic. She was a wizard! As she felt her new found confidence, and ready to tear some questions out of him, that was when the roofie hit her. Slumping to her feet, her head was suddenly killing her, and she threw up. Eltontor smiled, walking up to her. With a slap across the face, he knocked Lex to the ground. Picking her up with one hand, he held his cannon in the other. This little girl would make a great companion and a meatshield. Lex cursed in her haze. They found their quarry, but the plan was starting to fall apart. She heard Eltontor cry out in victory as her mind started to go blank. "Let's go men!"

[mrneighbourlove]

Red Typhoon: Ch 9. The Storm

The battle for paradise island had begun. Onslaught had plunged the waters into pure chaos, and ships sailed to engage one another. Lex and Liz were struggling in the water, when they felt someone tugging at them. Revy had dived in after them, struggling to swim. "Will you two please kick!"

"Take the bitch down!!!" Corsaire shouted his orders, the age old command of his arm thrust forward in an indication to take aim. "FIRE!!!"

"The girls!" Seer stood on the ship, trying to find his balance. "Bakura! The girls!!!"

Bakura dove into the water, and as he was underwater, he noticed one of Adda's counter measures. Breed Gyrog were unleashed into the waters, and one in particular was massive. Swimming to intercept the fish from reaching the girls, Bakura took a bite to leg. The sheikah struggled under the water, stabbing into the monster to let him go. Revy was able to get Liz and Lex onto the side of the boat. "UNCLE SEER! BAKURA NEEDS YOUR HELP!"

"Cap'n, there's something inhuman in the water." Seer's heightened senses were picking up the Gyrog zipping through the sea. He did not notice it before, the blast having stunned his senses. "Hold on, I'm coming!"

"SEER!" Corsaire exclaimed in exasperation. "I just fished you out of the water! Don't make me jump in there again!!!"

"I'll be fine! The chains aren't constricting me anymore!"

He dove back into the water and started to shift. When he was fully transformed, he bit the Gyrog in half and maneuvered to where Bakura could hold onto his fin. Then, he swam in the direction of Lex, Liz, and Revy. Squeaking at the ladies, he swam underneath them, letting them crawl onto his back.

All of them crawled onto Seer's back. The ocean was turning into a blood bath. Pirate and Navy ships pulled up against each other, tearing one another apart with cannon fire. Bakura patted Seer's back. "We need to get on the ship old friend."

"Taaaaaakeeee... brrrrrreaaath." Seer's voice sounded so strange in his whale form, much deeper and sort of harsh. "Hoooold oooonnnn." With that, he dove under the water and hurriedly swam back toward the ship.

Adda's capital ship veered around the island, focusing cannon fire on Corsaire's support ships. "Tear them all apart. I want every one of those fuckers rotting in the ocean floor."

Using the Wind Waker, Adda started to call upon storms to ravage her enemies.

With the sails, Corsaire's ship was able to dodge the cannon fire. However, the Hylian and Danjuran Navy were having locked in battle with the other ships of Adda's. The captain expected Adda to play dirty despite any deals. Still, he had one final idea that could possible take down Adda's ship and get that blasted wand out of her hand.

"BRACE FOR IMPACT!!!"

Adda wasn't expecting a full on tackle by Corsaire, but it certainly worked. She fell backwards, dropping the Wind Waker, and felt her ship tipping slightly to the right. With a growl, she grabbed her shotgun, inserting the shells. "Bastards. Come on. Come get me."

Adda's crew members were getting reorganized when Corsaire's men and woman invaded the Pirate Queen’s Capital ship. It was the size of a massive cruise vessel. Scarlet deliberately attacked the non Gerudo members of the crew, using her battle axe to rip apart a few Zora and Lizard men. Looking down at Gerudo engineers, she spoke in their native tongue. "Lie on your hands and knees, and you'll be spared."

Some did. Others didn't. "You're the traitor!"

Bakura took his sai, and made quick work through the light hitters. He had to find Adda before Corsaire, but as he was pushed back by an Iron Knuckle, he knew that would be unlikely.

Corsaire was old, but he was still damn sneaky. His ship was holding onto Adda's, and she could not reverse out of the situation. His ship could go forward or backwards, despite the sails, for in the bowels of his ship, there was an engine. The Sea Witch was his own creation, and he knew he'd be damned if he didn't cover all the potential bases of a battle at sea. Finding Adda, he took aim with his pistol.

KA-POW!

His shot went straight through Adda's hat and knocked it off.

Adda reeled back, and she shot towards Cosaire with her buck shot. Cocking the next shell in, her blood was pumping. She shot as Corsaire as he dove for another spot of cover. As Corsaire shot again, Adda hid behind a pillar.

Once Seer had ensured the girls and Bakura were safe on the Sea Witch, he decided to finish his task that he was unable to the last time there was a battle. Come heaven or hell, he was determined to sink that awful ship of Adda's. Swimming at full speed, he rammed against the ship, the wood breaking in the hull.

Adda rolled, firing at Corsaire's cover with two shots.

"Will someone take that deranged woman out?!?!" Corsaire loaded his gun while the mast covered him. "Mojo! Shoot at----WHOAH!!!"

Seer ramming the ship caused it to started to turn on it's side. It was sinking.

Adda took the change of the ship in stride. With gravity on her side, she jumped kicked Seer, her foot driving into his chest. Up close, she wore her Gerudo Golden Gauntlets, amplifying her strength to ludicrous levels. She wore a fine black sea coat, and her hair was wild like fire. Drawing her sword, she smashed Corsaire's gun out of his hand by directly cutting the revolver. "Let me give you the kiss of death Corsaire."

The blow stunned Seer in the water, but luckily, just for a moment. In his Direnor form, he was able to take a hit much more effectively than when he was a human man. There were broken bones, but no pain he had not known before. Before Adda could shoot his captain, this time, Seer was not going to show any mercy. Lunging out of the water with his mouth wide open, Seer attempted to chomp around Adda's midsection.

"MOTHER FUCKER!" Adda dodged, throwing herself away, and giving Corsaire enough time to grab his sword, and Seer to transform back into a human and not leave himself exposed.

In the sinking ship, Lex, Liz, and Revy were fighting other Gerudo. It disturbed them to be fighting girls their age, some even younger. The three tried their best to avoid killing them if they could.

Scarlet threw herself between Adda and Corsaire. "Sister! This needs to stop!"

Adda eyes glared with sadness and fury. "You lost the right to call me a sister of the tribe when you left me alone."

Another explosion from a Hyrulian Cannon rocked them, sending Scarlet sliding away. Adda grabbed her sword, and barely intercepted a strike from Corsiare. Bastard was aiming for her neck.

The transformation and back exhausted him, but Seer had to help fight. His crew was outnumbered. Corsaire and Adda were sword fighting from what he could hear. The captain was using his arm as a shield, yet Adda was just as good as Corsaire with a sword. He had to end this. Feeling on the ship, there was a dagger beside a body. He grasped it, charged toward Adda... and sunk the blade into her back.

Adda gasped, the stab knocking the wind out of her. With a quick motion of pure adrenaline coursing through, she got a hit one Corsaire's leg, getting him to one knee. She gave him a kick to the face to hurtle him away. Whirling on Seer, she punched him with the hilt of her blade, and amplified by the gauntlets, she broke one of his ribs and threw him against the door to the bridge. Grabbing her revolver, she cocked it, and fired. She no longer had any hesitation. Seer wanted her dead. So she’d end his life first.

The girls had fought their way to the deck of the ship. They'd still have half an hour, maybe more, until it sank. Revy couldn't believe her luck when she found the Wind Waker. She smiled at her mom, who was being guarded by Bomba. "MOM! I GOT THE WIND WAKER!!!"

Liz saw her father being throttled by Adda. When her mother pulled out that gun, she moved on instinct. Jumping, Liz threw herself in front of Seer, taking the bullet. No one saw where it entered, but Liz's body landed with a thump against the deck.

Adda froze, her world going cold. Her blood drained from her face as she saw her daughter, limp on the deck. She dropped her gun as she lost sensation to her fingers. What had she done. "No.... oh god no."

"LIZ!!!" Halvar screamed when he saw his lover get shot. He tried to make his way to her, but the Gerudo woman kept him back.

Seer was on his knees, gathering Liz into his arms. His breath hitched. She was not breathing.

"No, no, no, don't you die on me!" Seer shook her hard. "Liz! Wake up! Wake up!!!" He laid her flat on the ship and pressed his mouth on top of hers, trying to force air into her lungs. Feeling of her body, he gasped when he felt blood on his hands. Her chest, she was bleeding, there was blood, if he did chest compression and pushed the bullet closer to her heart… "Liz!!! Please! Please wake up!!! Answer me!!!"

His little girl.... was she gone? She could not be gone. Seer's despair turned to rage. He snarled at Adda, "You... you did this!!!" Slamming her against the mast, Seer had always been rather meek in person. But now, he was a completely different man. His hands were gripping her shirt holding her off the ground. The features of his Direnor side were showing, but were horribly distorted. He was going into what the Direnor's called a 'Berserk Hold', unable to hold onto rational thought. "You murderer! Your quest for power killed your daughter!!! Killed my Elizabeth!!! I'm going to rip you limb from limb and make you pray for death!!! Tell me, Adda," His voice was starting to become distorted as well. "Was it all worth it?!"

Adda looked blankly down at Liz, reaching a hand for her when Seer easily threw her about. Her voice cracked, as tears left her eyes. She realized how much of a monster she grew into. "No."

Bakura saw the whole situation play out from Seer stabbing Adda to her shooting their daughter, but was unable to interfere in time. As Seer threw Adda against the wall, Bakura was rushing to his daughter, intent on saving her life. "Seer, you need to calm down!"

When a Direnor was in a 'Berserk Hold', it was as if a veil was pulled over their eyes. Seer could not think rationally. The only objective on his mind was to kill Adda for taking his precious Liz away from him. With the massive amount of strength surging through his body, his other hand grasped Bakura around the throat and brought him closer to his face. Half of Seer's face resembled a twisted version of his Direnor side. There were jagged teeth coming from his uneven mouth and his eyes were almost black.

"Don't interfere unless you want to die alongside this filth."

With a heave, Seer tossed Bakura halfway across the ship. Then he dragged Adda by her throat over to the side of the ship, taking her overboard with him. He intended to make good on his threat of tearing her limb from limb.

Idiot. Bakura was in the middle of surgery on Liz when was pulled from her. Seer didn't even notice Liz coughing blood from the wound as the bullet Bakura was getting out was slightly moved. The man ran as fast as he could to Liz, his adrenaline kicking in. "No, no, no, no."

Diving next to her, Bakura focused, praying for a miracle. And he was given one. The knowledge Seth kept from him on teleportation magic was free to explore now. Taking a deep breath, Bakura felt the bullet fall from inside Liz's body into his hand. Gasping with relief, he quickly applied what healing herbs he could to put inside his daughter's bullet hole.

Adda was gasping, her hands around Seer's hand. She was feeling her life drain. Taking a small dagger, she stabbed it into his hand, desperate for him to free her.

Seer felt no pain. Nothing registered in his mind. He was not himself, he was going to live up to his name; a killer whale. The Direnor was halfway shifted and opened his large jaws to bite off Adda's head.

"I won't let you succumb to your demons." Bakura dropped two portals. One sent Seer hurtling into the sea by some enemy ships. If he wanted to bring destruction, he could do it out there, and not biting Adda's head off in front of Lex.

The second portal dropped Adda in front of Bakura. She looked up at him, terrified of the look of anger in his eyes.

"NO NO NO NO!!! DAMN YOU BAKURA!!!" Seer was screaming profanities and frustrations as he headed back toward the Sea Witch and Adda's ship.

The moment Adda was back on the deck, Corsaire pulled a gun and held it point blank to the back of her skull.

"Give me one good fucking reason why I shouldn't blow your head off right here."

Bakura didn't look at Corsaire as he spoke, his eyes deadlocked with Adda. "Because you'd be executing her in front of my daughter."

Lex was watching in the near distance, knowing she couldn't stop her uncle even if she wanted to.

Adda slowly stood, her body slumped against a beam. Bakura grabbed her by the collar, and with Corsaire’s gun pointed to her head, Adda was sure she was going to die. Instead, Bakura’s expression softened. “Liz is going to be ok.”

“…I never meant to hurt her.”

“I never meant to hurt you.”

"Do you think she deserves to live after all she's done?" Corsaire was angry. This woman had kidnapped his brother. She had hurt so many innocents. "Nothing justifies the torment of the innocents. That is what my men and I have always lived by. She," He knocked the end of this pistol against her head. "Has killed those who did nothing against her. I've had to explain to many families of why their loved one is not coming home. I had to search for years to find Seer, and now, she has hurt her own flesh and blood. She is a killer. Not just for the incident that happened in Uskar, but Hyrule, Danjur, and Labrynna too. If she lives, she'll cause more destruction and death. Scarlet begged me not to harm the innocents on this island and I won't, but the same cannot be said for Adda."

Adda fell on her hands and knees, not making a move to defend herself. She merely looked at Bakura. "I never stopped loving you. I want you to know that in the end. I’m sorry for being so petty."

"I know. And despite you hurting me by protecting the girls from Seth, despite all the pain you brought about with the destiny I threw you down, despite all the destruction for the sake of power.... I could never find the will to stop loving you."

Adda was stunned. Everything she did, and he didn't stop loving her back. Her defeat was now final. "You foolish man..."

Bakura looked to Corsaire, swallowing the bulge in his throat, causally speaking. "She can be my responsibility. Locked up in Hyrule. It was Seer who shot my daughter indirectly by stabbing Adda in the back. I can look past that because Liz is going to live. She's going to grow up with the fox prince. And Lex is going to find so much fortune in her life. Shoot her here, now, in front of them, and they'll never forgive you for that."

"Seer did nothing, this monster shot Liz." Corsaire snapped at Bakura. "Adda cannot be your responsibility if you're in love with her. Too many conflicts, Bakura, you know that. Take Lex and Liz away, and step aside. She's meeting a bullet right here and now. I can live with the girls hating me, but I cannot live with the fact of knowing Adda might try to hurt my loved ones again." He ordered the assassin. "You pledged your loyalty to Uskar and Hyrule all those years ago, and to my ship, my crew, and myself. I order you to return to the ship with the girls."

"It was an accident on her part. I won’t let you execute her here. " Bakura spat back.

Lex was going to run to her mom if Scarlet didn't stop her. "UNCLE CORSAIRE! DON'T YOU DARE!"

"We can't stop him Lex..."

Adda stood up again, looking Bakura in the eyes. "It's ok.... we should let this happen. This is what I deserve."

Bakura shook his head in denial, but slowly, it was dawning on them they had no happy way out of this. "You and Seer. You're acting mad, you know that?"

"Says the crazy man." Adda's voice was defeated, even when she traded humour.

"Got that fixed."

"Did you now.... we could have been so happy together, couldn't we?"

"We could have..."

Adda walked forward to give Bakura one last kiss. If this was the last time, at least she would have it with a man that loved her.

Before Corsaire could execute her, a floosh of air rushed behind him, and he was sent flying by the claw of Onslaught. The dragon grasped Adda and Bakura with his claw tail, squeezing them together. "How touching. But you've let your weakness drag you too far down. Goodybe Captain Adda!"

Onslaught threw the two of them at the end of the ship. Seer looked from the water, Liz was just opening her eyes, and everyone else starred in horror as Onslaught's mouth charge up his plasma. Releasing his fire, a beam headed straight towards Bakura and Adda. They took one last look at each other, than, everyone witnessed as they were caught up in a massive explosion.

"Long live the Queen." Onslaught flexed his wings out, giving a roar of victory. With the only person who knew how to conduct the Wind Waker dead, he would finally rule the oceans uncontested.

Revy saw this armoured dragon. He radiated death, his aura making her legs shake. In an instant, he blew Bakura and Adda up, and possibly killed Corsaire. He saw the monster smiling down at Liz with a toothy grin. So, with all the courage she could muster, she jumped to attack. Throwing her axe, she sent it flying at the unprotected foot of the dragon. Onslaught at didn't care at first, until Revy snapped her fingers, and a bolt of lightning flew down from the sky into his foot, the axe acting like a lightning rod. It certainly shocked him awake. The dragon growled as he got over his first bout of pain. "Magic?! Shame you can't pierce my heart little snack!"

Onslaught walked towards her on two feet, and reeling his arm back, swiped at her with his claws.

Corsaire was knocked unconscious, and floating in the water. Luckily, at the last possible moment, he had lifted his metal arm to protect his chest from the sharp claws. He still had a sizable knot on his forehead and some scratches. Seer swam over to his captain and held him, above the surface for air. Corsaire coughed and sputtered, groaning, but still alive. The Direnor could sense the dragon's presence and decided the best thing to do for the moment was to look after his captain. He did not have the best fighting abilities and would just get in the way.

Revy, was not so lucky. She drew her sword, protecting her body from three out of four claws, but Onslaught slapped her across the ship, one of her eyes being cut out by the one claw that reached her flesh. With a toothy grin, he looked towards Rat. "Adda told me you begged for Scarlet to stay and raise her kids. Did you know I was the reason she had to fight her little war? And tell me, was this brat I just hit yours or Adda's?"

Rat's breath hitched when he saw Revy tossed around by Onslaught like a rag doll. It took every fiber of his being not to rush to his daughter. He had to keep his cool. Years in the gladiator rings were starting to pay off now. He never thought he'd be grateful for it, but now, he sure as hell was.

"Aye, me did, but me's not ashamed of it." Rat had to think quick on his feet. The dragon had an armor-like body. His bullets would not pierce it. He had to have something with more power behind it. The gunpowder barrel... Onslaught was close to it. If he was fast enough, he could draw his gun and shoot it. Maybe the blast would at least stun the dragon for a while so the crew could get away. His fingers twitched, ready to react. "You's just a big, fat lizard who's a bully. Why don't you go a-crawl back into your hidey-hole and stay there?"

"How about this instead?" Onslaught swatted the barrel Rat was eyeing with his tail towards the gladiator, and fired a bolt of plasma as got close, igniting it near Rat. The dragon was intelligent, having followed Rat’s eyes to the barrel. His feet and wings were the only exposed parts of his body. Explosions and firepower could hurt him, but he could regenerate. His foot was already stitching itself together from the axe the brat threw. Magic was his only weakness, but he wasn't concerned. That's why he had the near indestructible armour around him. It was almost invincible from the outside.

Lex rushed to her sister, looking on in terror at Revy being injured. "Sis! Get up! We need to help them!"

"I... I can't... I'm too weak."

Lex saw Halvar making his move against the dragon. "Our best friend is dying! Your boyfriend is gonna commit suicide being out there! Get up!"

Rat was knocked overboard by the explosion, the fire burning various parts of his skin.

Halvar, however, reacted by shifting instantly. His huge fox form leapt across the ship and onto Onslaught's back. Growling, his teeth pulled at the armor, trying to rip it off the dragon to expose a weak point on his neck. His claws dug into the metal, the horrid screeching sound filling the air as Onslaught tried to shake him off.

Onslaught roared, thrashing about, until he used his tail to reach up and grab Havlar by the fur with its claw. Throwing the fox onto the ground, the dragon turned on him, and bit down into his neck. He would have applied more force for a killing bite, if Scarlet didn't slam her axe down, cutting deep into the dragon's right wing. He released the prince with a roar of fury, and blasted at Scarlet. Her armour kept her alive as she was shot down a floor into the sinking ship.

"Liz! Scarlet said we're Twinrova. We have to work together to beat this guy!"

"I'm feeling too weak Lex. We're nothing..."

Lex squeezed Liz's hand, he magic radiating. "No. We're a team. That's what we are."

Liz looked back into the hopeful eyes of her sister, and she pushed her own magic back towards her. Their energies combined, and a beauty of blue and red light radiated from them. Stepping from the light was a singular woman. Her hair glowed of fire and ice. With a smirk of confidence and courage, she fired a beam of the two elements at Onslaught, just as he was about to dig into Halvar. The blast sent him flying through a mast, and the whole beam fell on him. Throwing it off him, he felt his armour effected by the intense temperatures of their magic. The bitch actually made Onslaught worried for his life. Flying into the air, he gave a roar, and fired a stream of plasma at the witch. Twinrova fired her magic back, and the two streams collided, forming a ball of energy in the middle, until they both detonated. The magic backlash nearly tore the ship in half. As Onslaught was pushed back by the explosion, Twinrova went over Halvar, shaking him awake. "Halvar? You ok?"

Halvar's thick fur had protected his neck, but Onslaught's teeth still had cut through to his skin. With a nod of his fox head, he signaled he was all right. Nudging the fused twins onto his back, the Direnor showed his teeth to Onslaught, growling.

The remaining crew members were trying to help some of Adda's leftover girls. Mojo and Juju were helping those who could walk onto the Sea Witch, while Pockets carried the injured. Acrobat was readying the sails, knowing that the Sea Witch was their best chance to try to outrun this dragon. Seer had climbed up the side of the ship with the unconscious Corsaire, taking him below deck to a bed. Bomba, however, had been hurt pretty badly. During the ensuring chaos, a stray shard of metal from the dragons blast had struck him, piercing his liver. He knew he did not have long, having already lost too much blood.

Onslaught roared, charging towards Halvar on wings of death. Twinrova jumped off Halvar, delivering a punch of fire that exploded against the dragons face, revealing a side of his skin as his armour was torn from his head. As she shot a blast of ice close range, freezing his chest and arms so he couldn’t grab her, Onslaught's tail snatched the woman by the leg and threw her next to Revy. Knowing the wolf would intercept, he flexed, breaking the ice, and shot a blast of plasma at the girls.

Halvar did the only thing he could do. He ran toward the girls, grabbed them both in his massive mouth and dove into the water.

Onslaught was already flying next to them, a cruel smile as his plan had been calculated perfectly. Grabbing Halvar, he held him close, and pile drived him directly onto the Sea Witch. The girls were sent rolling to either side of the ship, and the dragon kicked the wolf away with his clawed foot.

Scarlet grabbed Bomba and jumped off the sinking ship back onto the Sea Witch. "Stay here. I'll get you medic once I tear this things head from his body."

Onslaught looked upon all the faces of the crew, plasma simmering from his mouth. "Pathetic. Once I'm done here, know that I'll raid Hyrule first."

"GO TO HELL!" Scarlet swung her axe, smashing it against the dragon's face in series of heavy blows. Onslaught's skull was even split apart as she swung directly downwards. It was not enough to kill him, however. No steel could. Firing a bolt of plasma at her feet, he knocked Scarlet down. With a snarl, his tail grabbed her and smashed her against the deck of the Sea Witch, breaking her armour apart. His wings flapped hard to make wind gusts that kept the twins and Revy down. His jaws opened wide, ready to snap down on Scarlet. "Time to die Gerudo!"

Bomba was wheezing and already starting to see black spots. He knew his time on this earth was not much longer, yet, his friends were in danger, his brothers needed help. Watching as Scarlet tried to battle Onslaught, Bomba got to his feet. Coughing, he spat up blood in his hand. Then, with a determined grunt, Bomba wiped the blood from his mouth and saw Onslaught getting ready to make dinner out of Scarlet. He was never a big man, nor was he considered one of the stronger crew members. At that moment, however, Bomba was the strongest force on earth as he rammed into Scarlet, Onslaught's jaws snapping around his midsection instead. The blood splattered everywhere, on Scarlet's face and ran down the dragon's jaw.

"Oh, me lovely lassie... how me wishes we had more time." Bomba choked on words. "You're... quite the woman."

Scarlet looked at Bomba, complete terror filling her face. "B-Bomba! NO!!!"

Onslaught, with no hesitation, threw Bomba into the air, and bit down into him as he came down. SNAP!

His jaws cut Bomba in two, his upper half being swallowed, and his legs dropping to the floor. The entire crew went silent with terror initially. With a disturbing chuckle, Onslaught scooped the legs up and gobbled them down.

Mojo and Juju were screaming for their fallen brother. Pockets was too stunned to move, paralyzed by shock. Acrobat was yelling at the others to do something, to fire upon the monster, to avenge Bomba. Seer heard the broken wail from Scarlet and rushed back to the deck after making sure Corsaire would be fine. He smelled blood. Bomba's blood.

"No..." Seer felt his heart clench in his chest. "Not... not Bomba!!!"

Revy and the twins felt hopelessness as Onslaught roared with laughter. The dragon scraped his claws against the ships deck, then stood tall. "Show your respects for your fallen man! Know that he'll be digested, and become part of me! But don't worry, you'll see him all very soon!"

Onslaught flew just above the deck, and charged one final beam of plasma to tear the ship apart.

Bomba always used to joke that when he died, he was going out with a bang... either that, or death by tit suffocation. Though, what the crew did not know was like all good bomb makers, Bomba had a self-destruct option should the worst ever happen to him. He refused to ever be a burden to his crew, and boldly declared that he would gladly take down the enemy with him. In all their years together, never did he have to act upon that promise.

Until now.

Inside of Bomba's necklace, he kept the deadliest powder on the planet. A pinch would bring any palace to ruins. He kept a teaspoon of it inside a small metal rod on a string around his neck. Every crew member assumed it was just a necklace and never knew of the true contents inside of it. If he pulled the top of the rod out, it would cause a spark and ignite the powder.

So Bomba got his wish. He was not going to be dragon food. He was going out... with a bang.

The plasma from inside Onslaught's stomach ignited it, and his body exploded. A massive detonation tore his body apart, his metal shell having no protection from a blast that came from the inside. What was left of him was almost a skeleton of burning muscle fibres. Half his head was gone, and 90% of his body was lost, scattered across the sea. What was left of his brain generated the simple thought over and over of how this could have happened. He was Onslaught, Terror of the Sea and Sky. Wasn’t he invincible?

Twinrova and Revy saw a heart beating, pulsing with dark magic. Already, yet at a sloths pace, the dragons body was trying to repair itself. He would get no chance. The Gerudo ladies poured their magic together, and with a scream of righteous fury and grief, fired a blast of lightning, fire, and ice which launched the rest of the body out to sea, and a second denotation rocked the battlefield. An explosion of magic blew what was left of Onslaught to atoms and scattered him into the wind. The war out on the ocean had come at many prices too terrible to speak, but with the word of Adda falling and disappearing, and Onslaught detonating, the morale of the remaining pirates plummeted. They either surrendered to the navies, or fled. The war on the sea was won.

Twinrova took a few deep breathes of exhaustion, than split apart, a bright light singling the defusion. Liz and Lex both fell unconscious, while Revy fell back, finally feeling the sting of her missing eye.

Meanwhile, Scarlet fell to her knees where the blood stain of Onslaughts first explosion took place, where her Bomba laid. She looked to Seer, and a part of her wondered if it was all worth it. So many lives lost, all to save one blind man.

"... we... we need to get the girls taken care of." Seer tried to keep his emotions in check. "And get the Sea Witch away from this sinking one." He pulled Scarlet to her feet. "Come on... our work isn't done yet."

[mrneighbourlove]

Cruel Red Sea (Finale) : Ch 10. The Unforgiving Tide

"Great, now I'm having to deal with the other you." Seer muttered to himself under his breath. He got up and went into his bathroom to splash cold water on his face. Hopefully, there was still some of that sleeping tonic to help him doze. If he was asleep, he would not have any chance of scaring or hurting anyone. "If you're going to be a dick about this too, then just leave."

Seth did what he did best. Grabbing a belt, he suddenly wrapped it around Seer's neck. "You haven't made a good impression on me, Erling Frode..."

Seer was not expecting any violence. As soon as the belt went around his neck, the man's hands did not reach for the leather, but backwards behind his head. He clawed at the assassin's eyes, and put all his weight backwards, slamming him into the wall.

Seth hissed like a snake, followed by laughter. "That's more like it."

With a growl he made a sharp kick at one of Seer's kneecaps.

During all his years with Corsaire, the captain attempted to teach Seer some self defense. If Seer was being honest with himself, he was not much of a fighter. He was best in the water, where his heightened sense of echolocation was like an actual pair of eyes. However, that did not mean he could not throw a punch or two. As he fell forward, Seer grabbed the back of the man's neck and flipped him over his shoulder... into the tub.

Seth gurgled as his head was dunked in the water from a morning bath. He gripped the tubs edge to pull himself out. "Bakura's not going to remember any of the new scars I'm going to mark you with. I love slaves."

Now that pissed Seer off. Grabbing Seth's head, he slammed it against the edge of the tub and held the man under water.

"If you were going to kill me, you should have done it before drugging me, asshole!"

Seth yelled in pain, blood and a dent in his forehead forming. His mind was getting hazy. Relying on his own technique, he was glad that weakling Bakura never learned it. Able to move three meters, Seth pressed both hands on the tub floor. A small portal opened up beneath him and Seer. It took the men into the living room, falling with a tumble from the roof. Seth got to his feet, grabbing a knife. "Hope that hearts beating fast now, because I'm going to rip it out!"

Seer's sense of perception was thrown off when the two of them fell through the portal. Yet, he was not giving up, that was not part of his nature. Knowing Bakura, the man had weapons everywhere on his person, probably even one up his ass. Feeling wildly, Seer felt of the fire poke and swung... hitting the man right in the jaw.

Seth gripped his jaw and hissed in unbelievable torment. Damn that Bakura for leaving his mask off. He turned to Seer, deciding to mock his other, and perhaps uses the mans feelings. "Did you know Bakura likes you? Loves how close you are to the girls? Even wants you to fuck him."

Seer stumbled to his feet, holding the poker as tight as he could. His blind eyes were moving here and there, placing Seth's voice.

"If you're trying to throw me off, it's not going to work." Seer told him, holding the poker like a bat. "Get the hell out of my house."

"Yes, you're right. Perhaps I can go play with dear little Liz. Reminds me of her mother." Seer received a stab into the back of his shoulder from behind.

Seer inhaled sharply as the knife made contact, swinging around and trying to hit the man with the poker.

"Even if you take me down, the others won't let you lay a finger on those girls." Seer had to think quickly. If only he was near the water. Should he take a chance and make a run for it? Would Seth even follow him? "They'll hate you forever. Do you really want that?"

"You think I care? I know it will break Bakura's heart. And perhaps his mind enough for me to finally be perfectly in control." A demonic glee left Seth as he gave a kick to Seer’s chest. "Oh Mr. Frode. Thank you for such a beautiful idea."

"No wonder Adda broke up with you, you're crazier than the Frost King." Seer swung at him again, barely missing the man. If he wanted to play this physiological game, he'd respond in turn, ten times worse. "No wonder she gave me the girls, I'm the more adequate father. No wonder she wanted to get back at you for hurting her! You think that you're some high and mighty assassin, someone that can just kill people for fun? Look what it's gotten you, you blabbering moron! You lost two precious treasures, a potential happy life with Adda, and worst of all, you pissed me off." He had to knock him out. Bakura would regain control then. Seth had him cornered in the kitchen... which was his mistake. He heard one step, then two, and took a chance. Holding up the poker to block Seth's assault, Seer grabbed the iron skillet... and slammed Seth across the head with it.

"You little blind rat. Adda is a mere play thing to me. She stole my toys from me. That is all the girls are to me." Seth grew into a rage, smacking Seer around. A kick to the ribs, a punch to the face. Using his portal, he appeared behind Seer, throwing himself for a dropkick to launch Seer into the kitchen. "First, I think I'll skin you alive for whatever family member of the day comes by. But not before tearing your ears out. You can go deaf and blind before I slay you. Liz will learn to enjoy the agony I bring upon her after I-" Mid his monologue, Seth received the skillet across his head. It didn't knock him out, but the strike was so hard to the head, his brain lost control of his legs, stumbling back before crashing to the floor hard. "M-my legs. I-I can't boove my regs. Wrut iz goiiing on? B-Bastard."

"You won't touch my girls!" Seer bellowed as he brought down the frying pan again across Seth's back. "You will never win, you asshole! You bastard! You're the reason Adda doesn't want the girls to know their heritage! Go to hell!!"

Seth grabbed a knife, snarling. He'd make Bakura pay for placing him into this situation. "I think not Mr. Frode."

Mustering the strength, Seth used a portal to fall outside of the house, away from Seer's reach.

"NO!" Seer felt of the ground where Seth fell through, knowing that he would not catch him in time. He nearly tripped over his own feet trying to get out of the house. "ELIZABETH!!!" He ran at full speed, knowing it was not a good idea, but did so anyway. "ALEXANDRIA!!!"

Revy was playing with Boof at the stables, when she heard a knock at the barn doors. Turning around, she saw Liz. She didn’t mean to have it show, but hurt filled Revy’s face. “H-hey Liz.”

The twin sighed, feeling incredibly awkward. “Hello Revy.”

“You here for your horse?”

“No… I wanted to see you.”

“Is this because you were acting stupid?” Revy meant for it to sound endearing, like how Rat explained his situation with Corsaire.

This only made Liz flush with anger. “WHAT? Stupid?! You can’t call me stupid when I was coming to apologize!”

Crap. Revy messed up and she messed up hard. “Liz, I didn’t mean it like that.”

“You think you’re so cool, don’t you. Well you know what, the only thing that’s stupid was me coming here.”

“Oh no, I don’t think that at all… my sweet.” Both girls turned to see Bakura step into the barn, bleeding. Both, however, knew, from the smile on his face, that this was not Liz’s father. “I’m here to take back my blood I gave out.”

Liz ran to the back door, but Seth was faster. His mind was fuzzy, and his legs still wobbly, but the killing intent pushed his adrenaline. Grabbing the knife, he planned to bring an end to Bakura’s bloodline, so that he would finally be free of this place. Plunging forward, his knife made a wet sound as it found flesh.

Looking up from falling, Liz saw Revy over her, the blade lodged into her chest. Seth’s face twisted with fury. “Useless, useless, useless. You gained nothing but a death.”

Revy coughed up blood as her lungs filled from the wound. She saved her friend. That was all that mattered. “No jerkface. I gained a front eye view to the show.”

She gave a faint whistle,  and Seth looked up to see a horse rear up, kicking him straight in the face. The twisted personality flew back into a wooden pillar, losing consciousness after all the fighting.

Rat and Borghild heard the screaming from Seer and knew immediately something was wrong. The pair ran out to the barn and found Bakura out cold, his head bleeding and his face all swollen and purple. Revy, however, needed a healer immediately or else, she would die. The Grand Hall was too far away so Rat was trying to stay calm. Borghild transformed into her bear form, and ran as fast as she could to Bjarke's and Naira's house. Naira was the only Dusa nearby that could stop this. As soon as Borghild was outside the door, Rat kicked the door down to get Naira's attention. The Dusa quickly got to work and managed to stop the bleeding.

Seer on the other hand, looked half wild from running through the snow. He did not even put on his boots or his coat, just booked it as fast as he could in the direction of Rat's place.

"ELIZABETH! ALEXANDRIA!" Seer was half hysterical. "ANSWER ME!"

Both girls were gone, but he heard slight coughing from Bakura. Even in his panic, and Bakura's broken state from the wounds, he could tell Seth was gone. "S-seer..."

Seer heard Bakura's wheezing breath and followed the noise to find him.

"Where are the girls?!"

"D-Doctor. S-tabbed... Re-revy. Gods... was a-aware af-fter you h-hit me. Couldn't... stop it..."

Oh by the goddesses, Seth stabbed Revy. Seer felt his hands shaking, wondering if the alter personality hurt his twins.

"Did you hurt the twins?! What happened to you?!"

"No... didn't hurt... our girls..." Bakura started to dip back into sleep. Was he going to die? "C-can't... hear him.... R-revy got a horse... to kick him." Bakura felt his pocket with the arm that wasn't broken from being thrown about. A red potion stumbled out. "G-give... to the girl..."

"You take it." Seer told Bakura, hearing a loud whistle from Bjarke's house. Orcas frequently communicated this way and he sighed in relief. Revy was going to be okay, she was just scared and sore. "I can hear Bjarke. He's telling me that Revy survived, she's all right. I have to find the twins. Take the damn potion and hurry up."

"I... should just die in peace... or leave... Besides, c-can't drink..."

"You honestly think I'm going to let you die after you stabbed me? I deserve the chance to stab you back." Seer took the potion from Bakura, poured it in his mouth and then found the man's face. Putting his lips over Bakura's, he passed the potion to him. Wiping off his lips, he then said, "Double personality or not, the girls still deserve to know you."

Bakura felt the effects of the red potion heal him, as he gained his strength back, he kissed back. He told himself it was on instinct. "Thank you. I'll make sure I live for them..."

"You better, or I'll fucking come back and haunt you until you die." Seer ignored the kiss back for now. There were more pressing matters. "We need to find the twins."

~

At the Dusa’s, Liz was a mess. "Revy! What were you thinking?!"

Revy could only give a faint smile. "I was thinking I was stopping your dad's evil side from killing you. Thought it would be cool..."

"It was cool, but you almost dying isn't! You're my friend! I love you, you dummy!"

Revy's smile was still weak, but it turned very coe. "See dad? I got her to still be my friend."

"Aye, but don't you ever do anything like that again. You yell for your Daddy, you understand?" Rat sat beside of his daughter while Borghild was curled up next to Revy on the bed to keep her warm. Being a grizzly bear had its perks, for example, like immense body heat. Kissing Revy's knuckles, he told her. "You're too young to be a hero right now, me love. Please don't ever do anything of the sort again. Let your Daddy or your Ma handle it."

Scarlet BURST into the room, having been told quickly what happened. "REVY! REVY ARE YOU ALIVE?!"

Revy groaned from all the coddling. "I'm fine everyone. Honestly. Liz would have died if I didn't save her. There was no time..."

Lex walked in with her dads, having waited for them, and doing her best to explain Liz and Revy were stable.

"Scarlet, calm down, lassie. Reveka is all right, just sore and tired." Rat tried to assure the Gerudo woman. "Just needs to rest."

"You could have just tackled her out of the way, don't ever try to get in the path of a sword again."

Liz decided to speak up for Revy, looking directly at Bakura with uncertainty. "...Seth was too fast. She did tackle me out of the way, but only had one direction to do so from. If it wasn't for her action, I'd have been dead."

Bakura sighed, thankful Liz made the difference of personalities. Lex ran up to Revy on the other side of the bed. "Then you really are a hero Revy."

Both the twins gave her a kiss on each cheek as a reward of gratitude.

Seer really did not know what to say. On one hand, he was grateful that Revy saved Liz. Yet, he still felt guilty about the whole situation happening. There was nothing he could have done to prevent it, though something nagged at him. If he could have just calmed down... the fear of drugs... still just thinking about it, made him feel sick.

Bakura gave a deep bow of regret. "I am so deeply sorry. Seth took advantage when my psyche was weak. If its any consolation, I can't hear his voice in my head. Perhaps all the trauma you gave him did something."

"You need to get that bastard under control!" This time, it was Borghild who spoke up, rising from her position on Revey's bed. "I don't care if you got another soul in your mind, it went after your girls! What kind of father do you expect to be if you can't even control your own demons?!"

"Borgie---"

"Don't you Borgie me!" She snapped at Rat. "This is my baby and I won't have that maniac around her until I know he's able to be safe!"

"You're absolutely right... I can only do my best through mediation to keep him locked away. I'm so sorry for what I've done."

Scarlet was on Borghild's side. "Adda isn't the best woman, but she was right when she was concerned with that side of you. I want to beat your brains in right now just to fix whatever’s in your head."

"...Respectfully, I don't need any more collisions to the head."

"Maybe I should just remove it then, just to be safe." Borghild growled at Bakura. "You hurt my baby, and you can't even be trusted around your own daughters. Don't come back until the demon in you is gone."

"... let's step outside, Bakura." Seer tugged on the man's sleeve.

Bakura nodded, saddened by the events. Lex and Liz didn't look at him with fear, but with confusion, and a little bit of pity.

Outside, Bakura shook his head. "They don't understand it's psychological. How I wish I could just exorcise myself."

"No, a lot of people do not understand the mind." Seer said softly to Bakura. "I... couldn't help the way I reacted before. My fear was overtaking me and I triggered you."

"No... the fault is mine. And mine alone. Perhaps I should keep my distance some more."

"... what are you thinking?"

"I stay on the outskirts of town on a rent. You coordinate visiting times with the girls."

"If you think that is best until you get Seth under control, then I'll do my best to come with the girls."

"I'm in the best control I've always been in Seer..."

"If that's your best, I'd hate to see your worst. Something tells me that you can control him at will, just like I control how I shift."

"I keep my will up as a constant barrier against him." Bakura shook his head. "I should be leaving Seer."

~

A few months had passed now. Life was returning to the everyday usual routine. Tonight, however, Seer had the house to himself. Revy and his girls had a sleepover at Rat's house. It was nice to have a little quiet time, but Seer was so used to having the girls around him. The quiet felt foreign. Yet, he finished his usual chores and made sure to keep the logs burning in the fireplace. He was reading a book, drifting his fingers over the braille when he fell asleep in his chair.

From high above in the cold winds of Uskar, a beast on silent wings glided over the barren country. The dragon had learned how to be a master of stealth, flying gracefully, despite the thick armour that covered its body. On top, his rider had planned steadily for this day. Captain Adda would have her children. "Remember Onslaught. Five minutes at most. You touch down, we grab my girls, than we leave a distraction. Understood?"

"Of course."

They flew a little more, before the Hylian dragon folded his wings and dive bombed down. Adda held on tight to the harness and her hat, refusing to let something like the cold air get to her. They landed on the ground with little impact, only the snow fluffing in the air as the mighty beast felt the ground below him. "I smell Dragon kind here. Hurry before they wake and smell my own scent."

"You see anyone come out of any of these other houses, you blast them."

The Gerudo Queen of the Seas hopped of her hired mount, and took the shotgun off her back. Giving it a pump, she crept to the house. Going to the door, she was surprised to find Seer left it unlocked. Blind fool. Man as fragile as him needed to more careful. Cold air poured momentarily into the house as she entered, quick to quietly shut the door. Walking around the corners, she carefully made sure her hands weren’t trigger happy. At the fireplace, she found Seer, sound asleep. He looked so peaceful. Like a snug seal.

Seer was asleep, snoring softly. He had aged slightly, a touch tiredness under his eyes. Mainly, it was the damage to his heart which caused the sudden stress upon his body. Yet, thanks to Bakura's rare potion, he would be around to see his twins live to be mothers one day. However, the thin outline of the scar still remained. It was distinctive on his skin, so long and so wide. Forever, it would serve as a reminder of just how close he came to death.

The book in his hands had the title in braille and Hylian on the front, curiosity of Corsaire. It was a cook book, Seer's favored hobby. He had a few titles on his mantle, but the one with the worn cover was the baking novel. The twins loved to bake together when they were younger, sometimes they still did so with him. In each book were tabs, the favorite recipes of his girls marked with care. A double folded tab at the top was Lex, and a single fold was Liz. He had his ways to tell things apart.

Alone with nothing but her own thoughts, Adda saw the scars on his chest. Her desperation caused this pain against Seer. At the very least she could leave without him knowing she had taken her girls back. In her back pocket were some needles to inject the girls with to keep them asleep for the trip. Quickly going to the door, she opened the girls room.... only for them to be gone. No. This wasn't happening, she wasn't being screwed over again! Stomping back to Seer, she gave him a tap on the crotch with her firearm. "Wake up Seer. We have to talk sweetheart."

Seer was drowsy. He heard a voice talking to him. Did the girls come home? Was it morning already? However, his nose quickly let him know that it was not the girls. The twins did not smell like sea water and gunpowder. Jolting awake, he knocked over his chair and the book fell from his lap.

"Adda!" The blind man felt the hair rising on the back of his neck. "What the fuck are you doing here?!"

"Where. Are. My. Girls." She pumped her shotgun with silent frustration, her plans being ruined by this man she felt so conflicted for driving her mad.

"Like hell I'm telling you." Seer's sensitive ears heard the shot gun and he glared at her. "You missed the first time. Here to finish the job?"

"You think I wanted this for you? Honestly?"

"You shot me with a harpoon, what other objective could you possibly have had other than to kill me?"

"My crew shot you with a harpoon. As you tried to sink my ship. I didn't want you getting hurt. If I didn't mean that, I'd have shot you either now, or saved myself the trouble when I first knocked on your door here." Adda shook her head, lowering her gun. "You and Bakura... goddamn you. Goddamn you both for making me... feel the things I'm feeling. Now where are they Seer? I can find them now, believe me. I got a dragon who's ready to rain hell down and sniff them out."

"Go ahead and shoot me. Go call your dragon, make a scene, they'll know whos' here." Seer was as blunt as he could possibly be. He steeled himself for a shot, a punch, a kick, anything. "I'm not telling you where the twins are. I'd gladly die before I let you get your hands on them."

She went to the window and pulled out a shirt of Lex's. "Onslaught. Can you track this?"

"Hmmm, yes."

"Good. Cause we're picking them up now. You can eat anyone else who tries to stop us."

"No you won't!" Seer lunged forward and slammed into Adda, knocking her into the wall, her gun going off into the house. He wished like hell that Bakura still lived here. "My girls are not going to live a miserable life of a pirate! My girls are going to grow up and become loving mothers, unlike you, who abandoned them! My girls are smart, talented, and absolutely worthy of anything their heart desires! They have souls made of pure gold and I will not let you steal that to lock away, to use them and toss them aside!" He growled at her. "You leave them alone to live their lives, you let them be happy. You want someone, you take me."

Adda had been practicing against Seer's particular bullshit. Turned around making a sweep at his legs to knock him to his feet. Before she could scuffle, Onslaught made a low growl. "A female dragon is barking up a storm in her barn. I think she heard you two. We need to go."

Adda looked down at Seer, wondering what she could do with him. Thrice he had fucked her now. Only one of those ways she had allowed. If she wanted to see her girls, they'd have to come to her. Thinking it over, she knew the perfect way to punish Seer and get what she wanted. She had to be a little more patient is all. "...Very well Seer."

Kicking him lightly down, she pulled a needle from her pocket, and injected Seer. Blackness overtook his senses and he fell into a slumber.

Seer did not know how long he slept. He woke, cursing under his breath and holding the sides of his skull. His head felt so heavy, almost like he was hungover from drinking too much mead. The memories of what happened slowly caught up to him. Adda took him. By now, the twins probably knew he was taken. Na'seema had alerted them of what transpired or perhaps Bakura put together the clues. Either way, the important thing was that Adda did not get her hands on them. His beautiful girls were safe. However, it did catch him by surprise that he was not chained.

He could smell the most beautiful sea air that had ever graced his nose. Everything around him felt completely peaceful. Adda had brought him to her paradise island, an island hidden by magic and filled with the greatest luxuries known to man. The captain herself was watching the sunset, disrobed from her rough winter clothing to something more freeing. The air was always just hot enough to be relaxing. Sitting on a bench outside their shared cabin, Adda didn't even notice Seer get up.

Seer was disoriented from the drug that Adda gave him. He could not sense his surroundings like he usually could. Stumbling over his own feet, he crashed into what he deemed was a nightstand and then fell flat on the floor. Groaning multiple swears, the man managed to pull himself up again and felt around for a door.

Adda turned to him, a light smile forming her lips. She said nothing as he stumbled his way forward, but gave a chuckle as he made his way to the door.

"Oh great, I was halfway hoping that you just killed me instead of keeping me a prisoner." Seer muttered in an annoyed tone at her laugh. "Where's the bloody door?"

"To your left."

"Not going to stop me?"

"Don't need to." Adda shrugged her shoulders and leaned back on the bench.

"... where am I?"

"My paradise island I wanted to start my family with on...”

"...? You brought me to an island? You know I can just get in the ocean and swim away."

"Nope." Adda gave a light snort of amusement.

"What do you mean, nope?" Seer knew then something was not quite right with this place. "It's an ocean, I'm a whale, I can easily swim away from this."

"It's a magic island with a magic sea around it. You'll find yourself swimming right on back."

"Then I guess you did throw me in a prison." Seer then outright asked. "Why not just shoot me and put me out of misery? Out of your way?"

"Because I like you too much to do that... and the girls wouldn't want that too I suppose." Adda went to a cooler to pop open a bottle of beer.

"You didn't care what the girls wanted when you were trying to take them from me, you were focused on what you wanted." Seer was not going to fall for her trying to disarm him with sweet words. "Why did you bring me here? Really."

"....You don't want to believe me? That's fine. I'm done trying to convince you." She slugged her beer back. "You want a drink?"

"Why should I believe you, Adda? You wouldn't even face me when you left the twins with me all those years ago." Seer waved the drink away, not wanting to risk getting drugged again. "Give me one damn good reason I should believe you when you weren't honest with me about the twins."

"Because I've lived my life of lies now. What is a lie going to help me now? They don't work on you Seer. So maybe the truth will."

"Then tell me the truth."

"I ruined things terribly with Bakura. My first shot of happiness. I gutted my relationship with you, all to get back at some loony. That wasn't fair to you Seer. Not at all. Now I've got this great ol pit in my stomach... I've only had two men truly love me. For me... And now I've opened my eyes to what I am. I can't change that Seer. But maybe I can live the rest of my life in peace... in love... at least before my sins catch up to me. I've dealt with devils of men and been a tyrant myself to get where I am today, but now my whole tribe is living the best life we've had in millennia and millennia and millennia thanks to me. They'll be set for over a few centuries. And so will Lex and Liz. I know those girls will find me one day, probably in the near future. They'll want to see me than... if they don't want to kill me of course." Adda gave a hardy laugh from that. "Someone's gonna kill me.... but before that, I want to be with the human being who gave me real happiness. I want to be with you while I wait for them Seer."

"Then leave the pirate life." Seer told Adda, almost had a slight tint of pleading in his voice. "Leave the danger behind. Start anew with the girls, don't try to force them to do anything. Give them time to know you, just as Reveka has had time to know Scarlet. Try to... try to be an actual mom for once. Give up chasing power, it will only bring you ruin."

"...That's too late for me Seer. A year after I met you I shot a Danjur Prince in the head. He lived, but he was pissed. Or the fact I gave that dragon something of human value that I can never trade back. Had you asked me that on our first night together things could have been different."

"It's never too late to try to right the wrongs of the past. It's never too late to try for a future." Seer did not believe it. "Don't give up. My captain chased his greed and it almost killed him. Don't let your climb to power kill you too. As much as I hate what you've done to me, what you've done to the girls, I don't want anymore death, not your death. Bakura told me he still loves you, he was hoping you'd come back to Uskar." It was true, Bakura did still have feelings for Adda, so Seer was not lying. "Lex does want to know you, even though Liz is testy. There's potential for a bad start to have a good one... don't you want what Scarlet has now?"

"I do... but I can't Seer. I'm ensnared into this life. All I'm asking is for you to give me comfort as I die."

"There's nothing I can say to convince you, is there? You rather give up than trying?"

".... I'll kill more people by leaving Seer." She got up leaning on the railing, looking for the tropical beach. "I'm not given the option."

"... do you think there would none who would want to leave with you?"

"It's politics and culture Seer, I’m the Queen. Can’t ever give that up. Not to mention that I'm a war criminal if I leave." She shook her head. "It's getting late. Would you like to come to bed with me?"

"... all that and now you want sex?" Seer could not help it, he started to snicker. "You get right to the point."

"I said bed you blind little fucker. Never said sex. Unless that's what you want of course~"

"... huh, I thought this is the part where you would order me to surrender the booty or walk the plank." Seer shook his head. "Though you could get me off this island and take me back to my girls." He then looked somewhat sad, thinking about the twins. "I know they're wondering where I'm at. I hope they don't do anything stupid, especially Lex. She acts upon her emotions..."

"I bet she does. Just like I did." Adda took her clothes off, and went to Seer, unbuttoning his shirt. "They'll find me. Lex is sure to be quick about it too."

Seer knew the twins would be looking for him. When Corsaire received news of what happened, there would certainly be hell to pay. His captain never let him down, never abandoned him, and treated him like family. It would not be long until someone found him, he hoped. All he could do was wait. Until someone rescued him, Seer was very much a prisoner, once again, in invisible chains.

Adda felt confident in her plan. The girls would come to here now. All she had to do was wait, and perhaps have some fun while doing so. "Now come on, we have years of catching up to do."

~

Liz and Lex couldn't believe it. Seer's entire house had been burn to the ground. Their home, their father, gone. Liz clenched her fists. "Lex... she took him. She took our dad. You can't possibly care about her."

"I don't know what to think Liz... I just want my daddy back."

Revy ran back with Na'seema, disappointed her dragon friend couldn't find Seer.

"They're gone... I'm so sorry you guys."

"I searched all over the sea and Stra'tuso covered the skies." Na'seema warbled lowly with a hung head. "Adda took him and just... disappeared. His scent ended outside the house."

Revy looked to Kanisa and her father arriving. Her mom was about to give birth. Why did this have to happen now? "Dad? What are we going to do?"

"We're going contact Cap'n Corsaire, Revy, and for a-now, the twins are going to live with us." Rat told Reveka, having been shoved out of the house by Borghild. She did not want him looming over her as the contractions slowly grew closer and closer together, giving him a stern order that she'd be just fine with Scarlet. Rat figured it was best to listen rather than risk his manhood. "We're going to find Seer, don't you a-worry about that. If anyone can find him, it's cap'n."

Liz brushed her face, wiping the tears. "No. We'll find him."

Lex and Revy were confused. "What are you talking about sis?"

"We are going to grow up. We are going to train hard. As soon as we are old enough we WILL find our Dad. We WILL make Adda pay for being the worst mother in history. Uncle Rat, I appreciate the help, but I'm going spend as much time as I can with Bakura. He can teach me skills I need to learn. And I want Uncle Corsaire to teach me how to be a ship captain. I WILL be the one to find my mother."

Revy nodded before her dad could protest. "Of course. I'm going to learn the best I can from my birth mom. I'm sure she will help best she can as well."

Lex was silent, before nodding. "I... I know things about how to find mom. I want to help too. I want to see daddy again."

Liz looked to her sister with a little dismay, but sighed it off. They each wanted to see their father again. "Ok. Then lets make a pact. We'll find and take down Adda together. We'll save Seer."

Revy put her hand in. "Come on you two, let's do this. You ok with this dad?"

"If you're serious about training and finding him, then you have to be able to defend yourselves first." Rat told the girls. "You hold your own, I won't a-stop you."

"We'll be ready in a year."

Liz liked Revy's attitude in helping her. She wanted to be hero so bad, than this would be a good start. "Ok. We're agreed."

"I can't be a princess without daddy handing me down to the groom." Lex put her hand in with her sister.

Revy grinned wildly with her friends. "Then let's get to work ladies."

[mrneighbourlove]

Cruel Red Sea: Ch 9. Darkest Couple Looms Over

Outside, Lex ran out to cry on her own. Revy sat down, gloomy by the fire. She never had a fight like that before in her life.

As Seer and Bakura were returning inside to warm themselves, the blind Direnor nearly had the breath knocked out of him when Lex ran straight into him, hugging him tightly. He heard her crying and instantly, he was on his knees. Feeling of her face, he tried to shush her.

"Alexandria, my beautiful girl, what's wrong?" Seer asked, his white eyes wide. "What happened?"

"Liz was mean! She had a fight with Revy! And she told me that I would grow up to be nothing special. That we will never be able to transform like you! I-I just want to a Princess!" Lex sobbed deeply into Seer. Bakura was a little envious, but put his daughter first, patting her head.

"Ssssh. Let it all out."

"Hey, hey, that's not true at all." Seer was still weak from healing, but still could pick up his little girl. With her arms around his shoulder, he stood again and held her tight. "Listen, sweetheart. You may not be a Direnor like me, but you're special in your own way. I don't know anyone who would make a more beautiful princess than my darling Lex." He told her softly. "One day, you're going to travel and see the world, and the world is going to be so jealous of how stunning you are. Not only are you beautiful, but you're talented and so smart. Then, some day, you're going to be a grown woman and marry a special man. You'll have a family of your own." He booped noses with her, his forehead against hers. "And I'll be a very proud grandpa."

"She called mom the b-word and other daddy lowly."

Bakura made a face of confusion. Had he ever been called lowly by a child before? "Where is Liz now?"

"With Halvar I think... she want's Revy to leave with her perfect family back to Hyrule."

"Well um..." Seer was not really sure how to address this issue, but tried his best. "She's allowed to have her own opinion. True, your mother hasn't really done us any favors, but I don't think Bakura deserves that." He fished a handkerchief out of his pocket and dried her face of tears. "As far as Reveka goes, I think that your sister owes her, as well as yourself, an apology." He then offered. "You want Bakura to take you home while I talk to your sister? He'll be staying with us for a little while until he gets his own place."

"I can do that Bakura. Reveka is sitting alone. You should let her parents know what happened. I'll make sure Lex gets into bed and talk to her more about her feelings."

"Is that okay, Lex?" Seer asked his daughter. "I'll be home as soon as I get your sister."

Lex nodded. "That's ok Daddy... thank you for the horsy again. Have a goodnight."

"Tomorrow, you'll go riding and feel better, yes?" Seer handed Lex over to Bakura, making sure the man could support her weight before he let go. "You'll learn how to brush Whiteout, put on a saddle, a bridle, clean his hooves, feed him... so much to do. But for now, you comb your hair, brush your teeth, put on your pajamas, and go to bed. I'll give you a kiss when I get home."

"Ok. See you later Daddy."

Bakura gave huff as he carried Lex away. He was glad she was just under the age of starting her growth spurt. The Shiekah rushed through the snowy night back to the cabin.

Before Seer tried to find Liz, he found Rat at the table with everyone else. Rat was heartily telling the tale of how Captain Corsaire wrestled in the clutches of a kraken. The King and Queen of Uskar loved the story, especially with the quartermaster's dramatic flare. He was just at the part where Corsaire was hacking off his own arm to survive when Seer approached him.

"Rat? I need to talk to you for a minute."

"Aye? Borgie, you take over for me?" Rat got up from his chair and kissed her cheek.

"Do I have to?"

"You tell it just as good as I do."

"Very well, if you insist."

While Borghild was talking to Torbjorn and Brigritta, Seer told Rat what happened. The two friends both agreed that this could be resolved tomorrow. It was late and the girls needed their rest. So while Seer went to find Liz, Rat found his daughter by the fire.

"Reveka, love?" Rat sat next to her. "Seer told me what a-happened."

"He did?" Revy looked from the fire to briefly gaze at him, than back at the fire. "I think Liz is angry how my life has unravelled compared to hers. I don't know what to do to help her."

"Love, Liz isn't angry at you. She's angry at her situation and looking for someone to a-blame." Rat pulled his daughter a little closer. "None of this is your fault. You wouldn't a-blame her if you only had me, would you? Heh... for a while, it was that way."

"No... but I'm not the one with a villain for a mom and morally questionable birthdad. I got to grow up with my biological dad. You're awesome! And Borghild is an even greater mom! And than it turns out Scarlet is really cool too! I understand her anger, but it still makes me sad..."

"Ah, me lassie, sometimes there are some things that even we can't control, we can only try to be there for those who love us and care about us." Rat told Reveka with a heavy sigh. "Don't ever think this is your fault, love. Just try to understand where Liz is coming from, listen to each other, and this will get better, I promise."

"I hope she wants to be my friend still. I've never been in a fight before..."

"I'm sure she does, Reveka. I think right now, Liz is just frustrated and taking the blame out on you. It happens, even happened with me and Cap'n Corsaire."

"You two got into emotional fights? About what?"

"When Cap'n Corsaire and Princess Orana first met, he didn't know she was a princess. She didn't a-tell him." Rat thought back to all those years ago. "We called her Missy Orana and she sailed the seas with us for a while. You know the story." He cleared his throat. "When she left to return home, Cap'n Corsaire was convinced it was over. He and I argued about it, me a-saying he'd never been happier. I finally convinced him that if he didn't go after her, he was a-stupid. That if you really love someone, you don't want to let them go. Cap'n came to his senses after we argued, and we went to get her."

"That's a beautiful story, but how does that apply to me and Liz?"

"Cap'n didn't want to lose Orana and I helped him see that he was being a-stupid." Rat then looked at his daughter and asked. "Do you want to lose Liz? Or Lex? If not, then sometimes you have to help them see they're being a-stupid."

Revy internalized her thoughts. Heroes sometimes had to do their jobs, even when they weren't wanted. "You're right. I'll go tell her right now!"

"Wait, wait, wait, don't raise your sails just yet, love." Rat caught her by the belt before she could run off. "Seer's a-talking to Liz right now. Let's wait until morning, aye? Be thinking about what you wanna say."

"B-but what if she needs me?"

"Right now, she has her daddy." Rat assured Reveka. "She'll be okay, sweetie."

Revy gave a sigh, but hugged her dad. "Can you have mom tuck me into bed? I'm really tired."

"Aye, me love." Rat picked up Reveka. "I'll carry you, me love. We'll get your Ma and Scarlet, then we'll go home. It's late, and you and Boof need your sleep." He whistled for Boof, who was currently chewing on a bone given to him by the guards. "Boof! Come on, boy." The dog perked up, and dashed over to Rat with the bone in his mouth. "Aye, dat is a good boy. Time to go home."

When Seer finally found his way to the Prince's room, he'd get no reply from Liz. She had fallen asleep next to Halvar in the middle of reading a story about pirates on a treasure island.

"Oh! Um... Mister Erling, sir." Halvar did not dare move, not wanting to wake up Liz, so he whispered to Seer. "She fell asleep."

"It's all right, my prince." Seer carefully walked over to the bed, using his walking stick to make sure he did not trip. "Liz, sweetheart... come on. It's time to go home." He managed to pick her up with one arm, her head resting against shoulder. "Thank for being a good friend to her."

"It's no problem, I like Liz. I mean, she's my friend so of course I like her, she's really sweet and um... yeah."

"Heh, I understand, my prince. Good night."

Luckily for the Prince, Liz didn't catch his stumbled confession as she stirred awake. "D-Dad?"

"I'm here, sweetheart." Seer slowly made his way out of the room. He was not as fast as he used to be with this heart condition now, but he'd be damned if he let it keep him from holding his girl. "We're going home now."

"We are?.... ok." Liz went back to resting against him.

"Yes, we're going home." Seer sighed as Liz dozed in his hold. "Everything will be better tomorrow."

~

For Captain Adda, anything was but better at the moment. It took a two weeks to travel back to the Great Bay. First fourteen hours was her simply conducting to warmer and shallower waters so her crew could repair the ship, sending a message out, following the final hours sailing around in erratic patterns so she couldn't be tracked. The island paradise would have to wait. Arriving at her destination, Adda docked at the iron fortress. It was a massive island, heavily fortified with steel walk ways that lead deeper in. Mines in the water could be activated to raise up at any time, and the pirates had made the fish that swam through accustomed to human flesh.

Adda used the fortress as he beacon for those who pledged allegiance to her to rendezvous and coordinated plans for her pleasure and business. Making her way to a throne she stole from Danjur, Adda sat down on, deep in thought.

"Seer... that damned bastard. He just had to make things difficult. He couldn't see things from my prospective. He can't see anyone's prospective. I suppose that's a fault of the blind."

"Captain Adda?" One of her crew mates gestured to a messenger. "There is news from the kingdoms" She handed the captain a sheet of paper. It had Captain Adda's face on it, yet in place of the wanted dead or alive, there was a reward of high value that read "Shoot on sight". "It seems you're quite famous now, captain. The High King and Queen of Uskar has put a bounty on your head." She then pointed to the various posters of Adda's face. "Not to mention, Hyrule, Labrynna, and Danjur have all agreed with Uskar. They're all offering rewards too."

"Captain Adda, I'm sorry to disturb you, but you're going to be late for your meeting with the other pirate captains." Another crew member informed her. "There are a number of issues to the various captains wish to discuss."

Once everyone was in the appropriate meeting room, there were pirate captains who looked uneasy. Many were worried about their ships and their crew. Treasure could always be easily gained later, but with this new order from several kingdoms, anyone associated with Adda was in danger. While the captain was sure she controlled the seas, she could not be in several places at once, not to mention, take on a whole armada. The Wind Waker was powerful, but the news of these Lorleidians... could the Wind Waker be combated? There were too many unknown answers.

"Captain Adda," One captain took this chance to address her. "I come with unfortunate news. We of the Hondui Band withdraw our support. I cannot risk the lives of my men and women due to your recklessness."

"We of the Kirkeecane Tribe withdraw our support as well." Another captain felt anxious. "There are death sentences out for anyone who is under your command. There is no way we can defeat an armada as massive as Danjur's. Not to mention, Hyrule has these new foreigners there who supposedly can control elements."

"We respected you on the sea, but you decided to attack land. We cannot follow you there." Yet another captain spoke. "You went too far."

Adda took her seat at the head of the table. Listening to the concerns of her underlings, she tapped her arm rest in agitation. "I think you all need to think rationally. Tell me, how do you see the potential threat of a continent away affecting you. How do you think I went too far? We need to be clear here gentlemen."

"If all the countries are sending out warrants for your death, we will not have anywhere to go for supplies."

"Supplies? Ha! We won't have anywhere to go at all! Nowhere to go upon land!"

"You can't protect all of us, you can't be everywhere at once with the Wind Waker."

"And not all of us have fancy ships like you do."

"Besides, we saw what those Direnors could do. Those were only a few, imagine what all of them could do in the water!"

"Not only that, these Lorleidians could nullify the effect of the Wind Waker if their magic really is elemental like the rumors say."

"You went too far and killed innocents! There were children in the bay that were swept away like flies!"

"Another thing! The captain who killed the kraken, he's part Hyrule's navy now! If he took out a kraken, he can take out any one of us."

Adda turned to her messenger. "What of the Kikai Empire?"

"Openly, they are allied with Hyrule. But they don't dare cut off trade with us. They still use pirates to fuel their economy in secret as they repair. We've just received some experimental gunpowder actually."

"Good." Turning her attention the men, they held two strikes. "The Wind Waker is legendary. No fleet dares approach me. It can tear dragons from the sky, and ships or beasts from the sea. As for the rest of you, it's one bloody continent we lost for now. And a Kraken that Corsaire was lucky enough to put a powder keg in its mouth. Termina is still a whole country we can smuggle about our work. The Great Sea holds plenty of islands to hide about. And if it makes you milkdrinkers more at ease, I'll consider the bio-weapons we were offered to help patrol the waters around our ships. I'll ask again. Raise your hand if you want out."

"Whether they trade now or not, the Kikai Empire would be a fool to piss off Hyrule after finally establishing a truce."

"Gunpowder won't stop a whole nation."

"Legendary or not, it's magic won't last forever and when they come for you, and they will, I refuse to let my crew be in harm's way of a witch queen and her dragons."

"And Danjur's armada."

"If he can take down a kraken, he can take you down. The kraken was arrogant in its size and might and you are becoming thusly more so."

"Not to mention, it's foolhardy to say a mortal owns the sea; the sea belongs to the goddess and I'm not going to be damned for saying it belongs to you."

The last one reminded her of Rat. That bastard said the same thing. Just then, a shadow flew over the clearing mid her thoughts. Perfect timing.

Getting up, Adda walked across the table, and flicked something forward that had been hanging behind her. This was a special beauty. Modifying a rifles design she created a weapon that used shells to create a powerful spread of gunfire in close quarters. Pulling the trigger, she ruthlessly blew the head off the last man. She than looked up and nodded to the man who called her arrogant. He was pulled up by a clawed tail, right into the jaws of a terrifying dragon. This beast was known on the seas as Onslaught, an intelligent creature that had only merely thought upon partnering with Adda in the past. Somehow she got him to consider her offer now. As her own girls and the other men stared in horror, Adda pumped her weapon, a shell dislodging as the smoke cleared from her gun. "I will say this once. All you mother fuckers belong to me. I am the Queen of the sea. I am power incarnate. Stick with me, and I will reward you in all the pleasures and desires you could ever want. But leave me or get in my way, and I will spread your brains across the floor. Just like this fucker here. DO ANY OF YOU GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT?! BECAUSE NOW IS THE FUCKING TIME TO ADDRESS IT!!!"

The men said nothing. Captain Adda always had a backup plan to the original backup plan. However, a few of them were silently trying to figure out a way to get out of this band. Sooner or later, the sea goddess or the kingdoms were going to come after all of them. Perhaps death was easier than rotting in eternal damnation for offending the sea goddess or living out the rest of their lives in a prison. Either way, Captain Adda had just made a few more enemies who were plotting against her.

“Good. Otherwise you can take it up with Onslaught.”

The dragon took a wet crunch out of the captain he devoured, speaking through the meat that started to get stuck in his teeth. “I’ve got your scents too. It’ll be a pleasure working alongside you all. Otherwise, I’m always in the market to purchase more willing brain matter. Absolutely delicious.”

Adda smirked to the men. “You heard him. Now all of you get back on the sea. Those against us have changed nothing.” She now had to speak to Onslaught about a personal matter that would be rectified.

~

Morning arrived in Uskar. Seer, as usual, was the first to wake. He grimaced slightly, feeling the small twinges in his chest from the healing wound. It was still sore. He worried about his health, not wanting to leave the girls alone. The healers said he would slowly recover but maybe not be the same as he originally was. Either way, Seer would not give up hope as long as there was a chance. Stretching, Seer made his way into the kitchen to start breakfast.

Liz was making her way out of the house, having an awkward silence with Lex when both twins woke. The last thing she wanted was an earful. In fact, some peace and quiet by the wall sounded good to her.

Seer heard footsteps. Lex had lighter footsteps when she was walking, practicing her princess mannerisms. So, it had to be Liz, wanting some time alone on the front porch.

Liz was putting on her shoes, ready to head out to be by herself. Maybe she'd feed Blizzard first, than go to the wall. Maybe she'd hear a Frost One's roar if she was lucky.

"Sweetheart, serve yourself some breakfast and wake up Bakura for his." Seer told Lex as he stroked her hair and then gave her forehead a kiss. "I'm going to talk to your sister, all right?" Heading outside on the porch, Seer stopped right behind Liz. "I hope you're not thinking of leaving without some breakfast. I fixed your favorite this morning."

Liz froze, giving a nervous chuckle. "Hey Dad. I grabbed some bread on my way out."

"When I fixed you pancakes? You wound me so, Elizabeth." Seer sat down on the porch swing and patted the open spot beside of him. "Come here, love. We need to talk."

"I suppose I can't just run away?"

"You could try, but I doubt you'd get very far, Liz. Problems never go away until you face them."

"...You're right." Liz sulked as she sat next to her father.

"Tell me what's going on, sweetie." Seer pulled Liz closer, letting her head rest against his shoulder. "I can't help unless I know."

"....I'm angry."

"About your mother? Or are you angry at me?"

"Everything..."

"Let's pick a starting point, sweetie." Seer ran his fingers through her hair to soothe Liz. "You're angry because you feel like you don't have a good family?"

"Yes."

"Heh, well, that's an understatement." Seer tried to lighten the mood a little. "Your biological mom is crazy, you just met your biological dad who is an assassin, your sister wants to be a princess, and I'm blind. We're quite the bunch."

"I hate it."

"Is there anything I can do to make you feel better, sweetie?" Seer asked Liz. "I know we're not the picture perfect family like Revy's family might seem to you, but... I promise that no matter what happens in the future, that I'm going to be here for you. You're my girl, whether you're of my blood or not."

"Don't talk about Revy. It's not fair she gets to have everything go well for her and be perfectly happy."

"Now, now, that's not very nice. Do you think Revy would blame you for her situation if this was reversed?"

"She gets two have two amazing moms and a terrific dad with a big fluffy dog that's gonna live for at least another ten years." Liz sulked into herself. "And her sibling will probably be amazing too. If she's lucky she'll get a brother who gets to transform. Who will know his mother isn't some crazy killer who won't stop until she claims you."

"Yes, Revy does have all that, but it doesn't mean you don't have anything, sweetie." Seer told Liz honestly. "I'm not exactly high on the potential mate list, my darling. I wish like hell I could give you an amazing mother, but I cannot force an attraction. I wish I could give you more siblings too, maybe a brother or another sister that you could love and they would love you. Though, you're not alone, sweetie." He then said. "Lex does love you, despite her girly ways. You two are so different, but so alike at the same time. Your mannerisms, the way you eat, the way you talk, how you even make that annoyed groan when I make a bad pun. Reveka, I'm sure she'd fight off a horde of Frost Ones for you. I'm sure she sees you as her sister, has all these years since she doesn't have any siblings. Even when her half-sibling is born, you and Lex will be the only ties to the Gerudo she has." Seer then added. "I know you just met Bakura, but I think it'd be good for you to get to know him. He might seem a little... off. Though, I'm sure this is hard for him too. I know you don't have a mom, but... I guess two dads won't be so bad, I hope?"

".....It's not the same Dad. And what will I have? What's my future going to give me?"

"Well... I think a certain young prince has a crush on you." Seer chuckled at the remembrance of Halvar keeping Liz warm with his fur blankets. "So there's always the chance you might be royalty someday. Even if you don't decide that path, your Uncle Corsaire would be more than happy to let you go on travels with him in the navy. Perhaps you could stay here, study healing magic under Naira. There's so many choices, sweetie, but you have to decide to make the most of it. I can't do it for you, I can only be here for you. Do you understand?"

Liz was taken aback by her fathers words. "Halvar has a what on me?"

"Let's just say that Halvar kept you company and watched over you while you cried yourself to sleep last night." Seer tried to keep a grin from forming on his face. "And stuttered out a few choice words that enabled me to put two and two together."

"Oh my god..." Liz scrunched her face up as she felt a blush. How was she going to deal with this information. "Why'd you tell me this? I'm not good enough for royalty right now."

"Ha!" Seer chuckled in amusement, knowing his daughter was embarrassed by her tone of voice. "Cause I can." He teased her lightly as he hugged her. "My little girl is the best."

"Daaaad, stop it. You're embarrassing me. How am I suppose to look Halvar in the face now? He didn't say anything naughty about me did he?"

"Hrm, I don't know, I can't recall, it all happened so fast." Seer dramatically slumped against her. "I was in such shock from his apparent confession, the bravado, the splendor, the thought of my baby girl having a boyfriend. Ah! My heart!"

"Oh god..." Liz held her face in embarrassment.

Seer laughed as Liz fumed in mortification. His little girl always was embarrassed when it came to romance. She even gushed at the kissing parts in books!

"Feel a little better?" Seer asked as he took her hand, and kissed her knuckles. "I don't like my precious girl being sad."

Liz gave a sigh. "I was a jerk. I think I'm gonna grow up to be like mom..."

"No, sweetheart, you are far from ever being like your mom, because you're going to apologize and set things right."

"Revy shouldn't be a friend to someone like me. She's so pretty and strong. She doesn't need someone like... like me anymore."

"Wrong." Seer booped Liz's nose in response. "Friends don't give up on friends. Do you think I'd be here today if Uncle Corsaire gave up on me?

"No..."

"Then you have your answer." Seer stood and held out his hand. "Come on, now. You're going to eat some proper breakfast and apologize to your sister. Then you and Lex can go and ride your horses after you apologize to Revy."

Walking into the house, Lex gave a glare at Liz, but one more out of poutiness than actual spite. "I heard Halvar has a crush on you. Why you going after my main squeeze?"

Liz's mouth dropped. Lex had been spying again. "Lex! Halvar is just a friend! Besides, you like his eldest brother the most!"

Lex dropped her mouth in return, embarrassment of Liz calling her out in front of dad. "N-no I don't! He just has big muscles. And royalty. That doesn't mean I'm planning anything with him."

"You're both 13 years old, and you're not going to date until your of age anyway, so I'd put boys out of my head." Seer told his two daughters with a snort. "And Sigegar is way too much of an ass-I mean, butthole for my girl. Apologize to your sister, and both of you eat your breakfast. Remember, you got to take care of your horses today!"

"Daddy! We can date now. 13 IS of age. You can't stop us from dating boys below 18 years of age." Lex protested. Calming down, she waited to hear from Liz.

The redhead took a deep breath. "Lex... I'm sorry I said you were nothing. I can't control how you feel about our mom. And I shouldn't berate you for those feelings you have. I love you sister."

Lex gave nod, her high and almighty tone calming down. "I love you too Liz."

"No, 13 is the age that you're allowed to learn how to wield weapons in Uskar with training, not for dating." Seer shook his finger at Lex. "Don't argue with me. You girls are going to finish your education, learn proper methods of defending yourself, and won't worry about boys until you're ready for a family. End of discussion." He then smiled when he heard the twins making up, and sighed. At least that was one more thing off his list to worry about for later. "...? Is Bakura not up yet?"

"No. He's sleeping like a bear." Lex said. Liz took her seat and started to eat pancakes.

Inside the guest bedroom, Bakura laid out on the bed, half naked and fur blankets having fallen off him mid sleep.

"Good goddesses, I'll go wake him up. You girls make sure to clean your plates then put them in the sink." Seer then walked in the direction of the bedroom. He heard the snoring. Evidently, Bakura was definitely sleeping like a bear in hibernation. Then again, when was the last time he had a decent sleep? Knocking lightly, Seer tried to announce that breakfast was ready but kept hearing snores. He suppose Bakura was like Mojo and Juju; he had to shake them to wake them up. Going inside the bedroom, Seer was not aware that Bakura was a messy person and sprawled his clothes all over the floor. "Bakura, get up, I have breakfast ready---" The blind man then promptly tripped over Bakura's shoes, and fell on top of him.

Bakura gave an oof as Seer crashed upon him. His senses hadn't detected any danger, but apparently a falling blind man did not count. He was shocked to find Seer grading his face against his abs, a blush filling his cheeks. "S-seer? What are you doing?"

"Imph fhell." Seer's words were muffled by Bakura's chiseled abs. The blind man pushed himself off of Bakura, still leaning against the man to find his footing. "I fell." He repeated. "Over your boots, I think."

Bakura kept hold of his arms. "You should felt your way around better."

"Excuse you, this is my house, and the twins know better than to leave shoes lying around for a blind man to trip over." Seer huffed at him with a pout. "I came to kindly inform you that breakfast was ready before I fell on you."

"You? The blind man made breakfast? I think I'm petrified to try your cooking." Bakura gave a chuckle.

"I've been cooking longer than you've been killing I bet, sassy pants." Seer smacked Bakura's belly in retaliation for the teasing, earning a loud 'thwap'. "Get your snoring self up and come eat."

Bakura felt the blind man smack his hard stomach, and looked up at him with a grin. "You seem awfully attracted to my body Seer."

"How so? I can't even see it." Seer managed to stand upright and carefully took his foot and moved Bakura's boots under the bed. "Though I will admit, your stomach feels like a rock."

"Because I work out." Bakura stood up, holding Seer's arms. "But you can feel it, can't you."

"Feel it, touch it, sense it, whatever you want to call it." Seer was not as easily embarrassed about his body or someone else's. He grew up in a brothel, so modesty was quickly thrown out the window. He was just unused to affection from an interested party. It was probably why Adda caught him off guard. "I hope you like pancakes."

"Hmmm, we'll see Seer." To get a little back, Seer received a smack on the ass as Bakura went out, putting on a shirt.

"HEY!" Seer yelped when Bakura's hand slapped his backside. "Hmph. No whipped cream for you." He rubbed his ass as he walked back into the kitchen. "Girls? Was breakfast good? Tell this non-believer that your father can cook."

Lex decided to be cheeky. "Its only as good as much as I can date right now."

"You remember that next time you want rabbit stew."

Lex stuck his tongue out at Seer in good fun. "Eat the pancakes other dad!"

Bakura took his seat. Applying some syrup, Bakura took a bite, getting an audible reaction of pleasure out of him. Quietly, he continued to eat.

"... I hear a fork and knife going to town, so I'm taking a guess and saying that you owe this blind man an apology." Seer crossed his arms. "Petrified of my cooking, my butt."

"It's good." Bakura wiped his face with a napkin. "I'll have to thank you some how."

"Uh-huh, you can thank me by helping me wash dishes and do chores." Seer felt around on one of the shelves for his heart medicine that Naira gave him. One pill a day was not so bad, but he hated how tired and cold it made him feel. Still, he had to put up with it for his girls. Downing the pill in one gulp, he then said. "The girls have to learn from Angorn how to ride today, so they're going to be gone most of the morning. When they get back, it will be time for their studies."

"Ok Daddy." Lex gulped down her water. Liz nodded. "I suppose I should go talk to Revy.:

"Yes, talk to Revy first before you go riding." Seer reminded both of his girls. "I expect both of you back here no later than lunchtime to eat and start on your studies. Scarlet is stopping by later to give you lessons in Gerudo, so I expect you to give her your utmost attention and be polite. After you're done, you can do what you like until bedtime."

"Yes dad."

"Of course daddy." Both girls gathered their things and headed outside.

"All right, you two have fun!" Seer called after the twins. "Be careful! And remember, lunchtime! I'll be listening for you two!" After all these years, Liz and Lex knew how Seer was. He wanted to keep a routine to give them both a sense of foundation and responsibility. Perhaps the horses would be a good start for the girls to show they could learn to take care of another living creature, therefore be responsible for it and their own self. He hoped. Once the twins were gone, Seer returned inside the house to clean up the mess from breakfast. "The girls will be fine. They know their way around here."

"I'm not too worried about them. They seem to know their limits." Bakura was already half way cleaning up the dishes.

"They know how to push their limits too, especially Lex." Seer chuckled as he took the spot beside of Bakura. While the assassin washed the dishes in the sink, Seer dried. "I think they'll like having you here."

"I'm glad. I like being here."

'This place is barren. What good can we do hear? Kill him. And leave.'

Seth. Bakura guessed the voice would come around by now. "My other doesn't think so. But alas, I care not on his opinions."

"Hrm, well, I'm assuming this 'other' personality of yours doesn't like the cold." Seer attempted to jest lightly. "Either that, or doesn't think he has a place among the twins."

"He tends to not like others in general." Bakura finished the last of the dishes. "So, how often does family come to check in on you?"

"Oh, there's a rotation." Seer laughed. "I keep telling them I've been blind since I was a kid, that I'll be okay. Yet, they refuse to listen now even more so that this happened." He gestured to his heart, the scar on his chest. "Raynor, my father, comes by on Sunday, Rat on Monday, Angorn on Tuesday, Bjarke on Wednesday, my brother, Eskie on Thursday, my sister, Halldora on Friday, and my aunt, Hallfrida on Saturday."

"You never have a moment for yourself?"

"Oh, they don't stay all day." Seer told Bakura with a shake of his head. "I'd go crazy if they did that. No, they usually just stop by to help me with some of the things I can't physically do just yet, or just in check in. Rat, Angorn, and Bjarke take turns chopping wood for me and Eskie goes fishing for me. They're worried about me shifting or doing harsh physical labor until I'm completely back to normal." He finished putting up the dishes, so very carefully back on their shelves. "It's nice to have a big family. My sisters and my brother have children who get along splendidly with the twins and Revy. We all look after each other; it's part of being a pod."

"That's very noble... I think I have a better solution for you than what your people have provided." Bakura went to grab some medicine from his supplies.

"It took some getting used to for sure." Seer then put away the silverware and wiped his hands dry on the kitchen towel. "I didn't even know I had a family here until Uskar was discovered."

Bakura came back, dressed in his usual attire. "Get on the table and take your shirt off."

"...? What?" Seer was not sure if he heard Bakura correctly.

"Take your shirt off and get on the table. On your back, chest outwards."

Seer's face turned blood red.

"I'm not going to strip for you!" He blurted out suddenly, the embarrassment evident in his voice. "If this is a seduction attempt, you're really going for the finale."

'He's right you know. There are easier ways to fuck him.'

Bakura growled, only wanting to help. Pushing Seer down, he ripped off his shirt. "Stay still."

"What the fuck are you doing?!" Seer did not have his usual strength and could only flail around as Bakura basically hefted him onto the table. He yelped in surprise when Bakura tore off his shirt, the cold instantly causing him to shiver. "Let go!"

He suddenly felt a hot slap around his heart, a steamy cream filling him. "Breathe. Stop flailing like a salmon turning red."

Seer felt the heat on his chest and gasped, inhaling sharply. He still did not know what Bakura was doing, anxiety clouding his mind. There were several times in his youth that he felt helpless against the woman or the man trying to torment him in the brothel. This was bringing back bad memories, that horrid feeling of being restrained.

Bakura made shiekah prayers, applying the jell further. He only let go to grab the few herbs he had on him. Grinding a blue, red, and green herb together, he made a fine powder. "It's a drug. Eat this."

"NO!" Seer reacted negatively to the mention of the word drug, smacking Bakura's hand away. He was drugged for too long, out of his mind, having only gods and goddesses know what done to him. There was a slight trace of panic across his features.

"It's a healing remedy. And this is the only herbs I have, so stop flailing you imbecile. This will help you!"

Seer knew he had to calm down or his heart was going to suffer for it. He tried his best to swallow the feelings of despair, that anxiety threatening to consume him, that terrible feeling of helplessness. With a shaky hand, the blind man felt of the drug and brought it to his nose. It was not opium. He repeated that several times in his bed. It was not the bad drug, the was the good drug. It could help him. Slowly, he popped it into his mouth.

Bakura took a spoon and fed him five times. The drug took a moment, but Seer felt a joy flow through his body. His brain gave him signals of colour and his body felt light as a feather. His heart started to beat fast and healthy.

Not only did the drug start to work a miracle, but it also made Seer feel sort of lightheaded.

"... whuuut... is dis?" He slurred slightly.

"Herbs from my clan. It's highly illegal, but perfectly healthy. Should be the perfect remedy to your heart. That scar isn't going anywhere though. You feeling ok?"

"Reeemeeedeee..." Seer actually felt sort of drunk, his words slurred. "Feel sort of... sssilly."

"Hmmm... you're high. A notable side effect for first time users. And on top of that, I gave you the strongest dose.”

"Nooo..." Seer held his head. "Dun wanna be high... drugs... bad." The blind man was having trouble thinking straight. "You... jerk wif da chiseled abs..." He was starting to say whatever first came into his mind.

"This is very good drug, I assure you." Bakura decided to make a makeshift sign of no disturbance at the front door. Seer couldn't be seen like this.

"Used ta... be high all da time..." Seer got off the table and stumbled along the hallway, trying to find his bedroom. It felt like the ground was moving underneath his feet. "Stupid... slave masta... kept me dat way cause I..." He giggled suddenly, as he knocked into wall. "Fought a looot... then took meh eyes. Can't see, can't run~~~!" He said in a sing-songy tune, even waving his hand to the words. "Run like ah little bunneh..."

Bakura paced around him, his feet silent on the floor. "Well, the high should wear off in five minutes after consumption. I hope you aren't mad when you come down. There's been plenty of effects to the mood to various consumers."

"I'mma... I'mma kick joor fan... fantastic... ass..." Seer stumbled into Bakura, still snickering. "Joo jerk..."

"Really? You aren't so bad yourself."

'You gave him an open compliment.'

"I doubt he'll remember."

Bakura packed up his medical kit and returned to his bedroom. About a minute or two and Seer would feel like himself.

In about a minute or two, Seer was in his bedroom, laying on the bed. Groaning aloud, he held the sides of his head and cursed four different languages. He thought it was a side effect of the medicine Naira gave him. Oddly enough, he did not remember coming into his bedroom.

Bakura gave a knock. "You ok in there?"

"My head," Seer gritted his teeth. "Is pounding. What happened? I remember you telling me to strip and that's about it. Did I get something on me?"

"I gave you a healing remedy for your heart. I believed your primitive medicine was lacking. Your welcome."

"You did what?!" Seer could barely stand the sound of his own voice. "Is that why my chest feels like it's been next to the fireplace?!"

"Of course. You got a little high for a moment. But it was nothing but positive effects." Bakura took a look at a clock on the wall. "Anyways, I think I should be heading out in an hour. I'm going to meditate until than."

"The hell you are, you're staying right here until I feel like myself again." Seer slammed a pillow over his head. "I got a history with drugs, I don't like getting high."

"It was a one time use. You're fine."

"You don't know that!" Seer protested. "What if I start to get high again from it dispersing throughout my body?! I refuse to let the girls see me that way!"

Bakura grabbed Seer by the face, with both cheeks. "I wouldn't let them see you like that. You're fine Seer."

"You don't know that, Bakura, I was an addict for years before Corsaire came along!!!" Seer was adamant that the man stay. "Stay!"

Bakura sighed. "I need to mediate Seer. You can do it with me."

"I'm not going anywhere, I'm staying right here until I know for sure that drug won't cause me to go loopy." Seer was not moving from his bed. "Just lock on the door on your way out and put a chair or something under the doorknob."

"What can I do to make you calm down and trust me." Bakura was getting incredibly agitated. He helped this man be able to be physical enough for his girls, but instead of thanks or a silent pleasure, he was being berated.

"Just... sit there, please." Seer asked Bakura quietly. "And make sure I don't go nuts. I don't care if you want to do your meditating in here, just make sure I don't harm the girls. I've been violent under the influence before, and the last thing I want is to hurt you or them, or anyone."

"I can't mediate with you acting ballistic. I helped you from your heart condition! You will NOT have a relapse! The drug has finished making its way through your system. Now will you stop acting like a baby, and believe my word!!!"

"Oh, go fuck yourself!" Seer was beyond understanding at this point. "I'm grateful for your help healing my heart, but you will not call me a child for being afraid! Believe your word?! If you want me to believe you, then stop being a jerk about this!"

Bakura went still. His body shook for a moment, ending in the crack of the neck. A deep breathing of the cold air was heard, and the eyes of dark mind fell on Seer. "Well Seer... You should have listened to Bakura."

[mrneighbourlove]

Cruel Red Sea: Ch 8. Party Blowout

Seer took a week to recover and had improved slowly enough to walk about. He was able to walk without getting winded and could do most of his chores without hassle. Bjarke chopped wood for the fire, since that was about the only chore that Seer could not physically do just yet. There was still the constant, dull pain, though he tried his best to ignore it. Rat, Borghild, and Revy stopped by one night with a big feast for everyone to share. The next night, Bjarke, Naira, and Bjarke's dad, Sten, arrived with a meal the next, trying to give Seer a break. Then, surprisingly, Seer received a guard at the door, saying the High King and Queen was stopping by to greet him. Once he relayed the news to the girls, he told them to get ready in their nicest clothes. Since it was hard to raise his arms above his head, he asked the twins to help him with his hair. He wanted to look presentable as well.

Lex was surprisingly happy helping Seer. To tell the truth, it warmed her heart to do dress up and makeup with her dad. "Your ponytail looks wonderful Daddy~ I found a ribbon at the market that goes perfect for you!"

Liz quirked an eyebrow. "Where did you have the money to buy that ribbon?"

"The money was lying around."

"Thank you, Lex, I appreciate your help. You and your sister do some of the best braids." Seer then groaned aloud when Lex announced how she 'found' the ribbon. "Please tell me you didn't take your sister's allowance again."

"No. I did not steal from Liz."

She was oddly specific.

Quickly changing the subject, she sat in front of Seer. "Can you comb my hair Daddy? I want to look perfect. Princess Kanisa helped me fashion my own dress, and this is the first time I get to wear it!"

"Hrm, no more stealing ribbons. Or anything else for that matter, Lex." Seer took the comb from his daughter and waited for her to sit in front of him. Carefully, his hands found her hair and started to comb through her beautiful locks. "Do you want braids? A bun? A tail like mine?" He chuckled and then said. "You and your sister will look amazing, you're both my two, beautiful girls. I might not be able to see, but I can tell that the both of you are going to be absolutely stunning women one day."

"It's hard to put all my hair into a ponytail. That department can rest easy in the hands of Revy and Liz."

Liz looked curiously at the shining earing Lex had on her left ear. "Hey, were did you get that earing?"

Lex smiled. It was a gift Adda stuck onto her in the water. A shining pearl taken from a water dragon's lair. "This? Just something Kanisa didn't want anymore."

"And now... the finishing touch." Seer gently fixed Lex's hair into a braided bun, connecting four braids together to make the actual bun. Once he was done, he carefully slid her flower hair pin inside the bun to hold it in place. "How's that look, sweetheart?"

"Beautiful! I'm royalty!" For the first time since Adda showed up, she turned and gave her dad a kiss on the cheek. "My knight!"

Liz giggled at her sister's compliments. They never saw the High King's Palace before. This trip was just what they needed. "Well Sir Knight, can you do my ponytail?"

"Of course I can." Seer patted the spot in front of him and started to work on Liz's hair. "Lex, make sure you get your heavy coat out of the closet, and Liz's too. I don't want you girls freezing in those dresses. You can take off the coats when we get there, all right?" Liz's pony tail was more so fancy than his, Seer placing a couple, thin little braids with pins shaped like flowers here and there. "Not too tight?"

Seer was so glad that Lex seemed cheery and so did Liz. Things were finally getting back to normal. "And when we're all ready, I have a surprise for you two outside."

"Really?" Both girls spoke at once. When they spoke in union, it was a rare and sweet treat for Seer.

A knock came at the door, and the sound of barking. Revy couldn't contain her excitement. "Mom, mom, mom! Hurry! I want to see if Lex and Liz are ready!"

She petted her dog, enjoying his company in such cold environments.

"Yes, a surprise for both my sweet girls." Seer pulled both of them in close and kissed their foreheads. "Coats! Go on, put on your coats. And I have to find my boots, are they still at the door?" Hearing Revy at the door, Seer went to open it for her. "Come on in out of the cold. Oh, have Boof with you?" He held out his hands and the snow dog nuzzled them. "So soft."

Revy motioned Borghild to join them. "Mom says she's impervious to the cold. But she needs to come in too!"

"We don't want to keep your father and the others waiting." Borghild came in out of the lightly falling snow. "Are the girls almost ready?"

"Yes, they're just grabbing their coats." Seer then suggested. "Revy, why don't you and Boof go say hello to the twins? Make sure they have their coats."

Revy ran in to their rooms, and was instantly amazed. "You two look beautiful!"

Lex smiled, batting her eyelashes in practice. "Thank you."

Liz smiled, giving a bow. Here dress wasn't like a perfect fairy tail like her sister, but it was beautiful. "I like your wild ponytail Revy. And your lipstick looks good too. Say Revy, why aren’t you in a dress?"

“My Gerudo mom, Scarlet, said that prettiness comes from the inside!”

“Oh…” Liz lost her smile. It seemed Revy had been growing close with her biological mother.

"Do you know the High King?"

"No. But they're a powerful clan."

Lex wanted everything to be perfect on her arrival. Revy was a little too loose. Walking up to her, she adjust her shirt and hair. "I hope they let you in."

"Well of course. You two look like Princess'. And every Princess needs a heroic escort. I'm escorting Princess Kanisa! What's two more gonna hurt~"

The girls all giggled, putting their fur coats on. Lex was so glad she was gifted the stylish coat she wanted. Walking outside, they waited for the adults.

As Seer walked with the girls, he oddly took them in the direction of Rat's house. Instead of going inside the cabin, he took Liz and Lex around the side to where the barn resided. Borghild and Revy followed, Boof running through the snow happily and wagging his tail. The snow dog followed Revy everywhere she went and was a good pet for her. As soon as Seer was in front of the barn, Rat walked out with two horses, one on each side. Both were huge plow horses, good for farming fields and trustworthy steeds to ride through the harsh weather.

"Liz, Lex... your birthdays are in a couple of weeks and I figured after the events that transpired, it would do you good to have your present early." Seer chuckled and motioned to the horses. "Liz, yours is the gray one with white spots. His name is Blizzard. Lex, yours is the white one with gray spots. Her name is Whiteout. Happy birthday, my sweets."

Both girls squealed with joy, running to their dad. "THANK YOU!"

Revy clapped in excitement. "Horses?! That's so cool!"

"Now, this comes with responsibility. Until our barn is finished, you'll have to come here and take care of your horses." Seer hugged his girls in return. "If you show me you can take care of your horse, and be a safe rider, then I might consider letting you stay out a little later. If you can take care of your horse, that means you're learning to take care of yourself. Does that sound fair?"

"The girls needed a way to get around Uskar when the snow becomes thick." Borghild booped Reveka's nose. "A trusty steed to help them get where they need to go. After all, it's almost time the girls start their apprenticeships."

Revy scrunched her face up at the boop and bared her fangs. “Moooom. Not the nose. So if Lex and Liz have horses, can I get a dragon soon?”

"The dragon chooses you, silly, not you choosing the dragon." Borghild laughed at Revy's question, picking up the girl. "And maybe you'll get lucky and one of Na'seema's hatchlings will choose you. If not, then there's always when we visit Hyrule. Besides, what's wrong with a good dog and a good horse?" That was her fear of heights talking. "It's a lot safer on the ground."

"That's my good girls." Seer nudged them to the horses. "Go on, say hi, don't be shy. Then we'll go to the High King. All right?"

"You sound like Klinge mom..."

Lex and Liz walked in perfect sync up to their pair of horses. Despite their social differences, when they tackled new challenges together, they do so without hesitation or emotion clouding them. Each reached out to their respective horse.

"Hey, he doesn't like dragons, I like them okay, I just don't like the idea of falling." Borghild told Reveka with another boop to her nose. "Besides, you have Boof, you don't need a dragon."

"What do you think, little ones?" Rat asked as the girls petted their horses. "Pretty, yes?"

"I had the crew help me pick out what they thought was best." Seer told his daughters. "I know very little about horses, so I asked for their help. Uncle Rat has graciously allowed us to use his barn until ours is done, Uncle Mojo and Juju named them, Uncle Bomba tested them for riding, Uncle Pockets made sure to help Uncle Corsaire get them here to Uskar, and Uncle Acrobat made your saddles. So the first thing you two girls need to do is write them all a thank you letter."

"Yes! Thank you Daddy!" Both girls gave Seer a deep hug, super glad for the generosity the crew provided.

Revy gave a fun bite at the finger her mom booped her with. "This dragon bites!"

"You can ride them tomorrow," Seer told his girls with a smile. "For now, let's go before we're late."

~

The High King and Queen had invited Seer's family, Rat's family, as well as Bakura and Scarlet to a small gathering. It was a simple feast for everyone to eat and celebrate. Since everyone had a role in scaring away Adda's ships, it was a way of showing thank you. Originally, it was just going to be the High King and Queen, yet Halvar decided to come along as well. He did not want to stay with his older brothers or sister for a night of babysitting.

Scarlet felt awkward, staying in her armour to keep warm. She didn't know why she felt lonely in a room full of people.

Bakura gave a formal bow to the King and Queen, both hands together. "Your majesties. May I have a request?"

The High King and Queen sat at the head of the table as their guests arrived. Both instructed Halvar to be on his best behavior if he wanted to stay with them. When Bakura approached them, Torbjorn acknowledged him.

"Speak your request."

"I am the biological father to Lex and Liz. I wish to become a resident and, if I must to do so, a servant for the people of Uskar, so that I may be closer to my daughters."

"A citizen of Uskar... it's very rare for a stranger to wish to stay here in this frozen land we call home." Torbjorn pondered over the foreigner's request. It was not an unreasonable one. Besides, he did save little Lex from the crevice and fought against the pirate. "What do you think, my queen?"

"I believe we should honor his request." Brigritta nodded her head to Bakura. "He has shown to be a good fighter and only wishes to become part of his girls' lives. As long as he upholds our laws and traditions, I don't see why not."

Bakura nodded respectfully. "Thank you. I don't wish to be rude, but I have another request. I wish to know what you will do with Adda."

"Adda? The pirate captain?" Torbjorn stated. "If she comes into our waters once more, we plan to face her head on, and take out her ships. However, with the size of her army, we have asked for help from Hyrule."

“I want a bounty on her. She can’t keep moving about freely with no care for others.”

‘No care for you.’ Bakura’s alternate thought.

"Very well. We will communicate this to Hyrule, who will in turn speak to Danjur and Al-Daida. We will make sure that Adda has no where safe to go."

"Thank you."

At kids gathered around, taking their coats off. Revy was amazed by the architecture of the palace, looking around and waving to Direnor kids. Liz was attractive, but Lex was a knock out in her dress. She saw Halvar, and gave him a wave. Once she got his attention she flew him a wink and a nudge to come over.

Halvar turned the darkest shade of red when Lex displayed such a flirty nature. He awkwardly waved back in return, but did not leave the table, sinking down in his chair. His mother and father ordered best behavior and he was not going to get in trouble by starting up something with the twins. He had seen them bicker before and had no desire to get in the middle of that.

"Please, sit and enjoy the food." Torbjorn gestured to the table and then saw Seer approaching with his daughters. "Erling! How are you recovering?"

"I am doing much better than I was, thank you for asking, my king." Seer pulled out the seats for his daughters and then took one himself. "Just a scar now."

"My brother is a fighter!" Rat boasted at the table. "Nothing will take him down so easily."

Lex sat beside Halvar, smiling with charmful glee. His youngest sister was nowhere in sight. Her plan would go smoothly with just a little luck. "Hello Halvar. How are you doing this evening?"

"Good." Halvar spoke very quietly, focusing intently on his plate. He was rather uncomfortable with Lex's flirty ways, but tried his best to still be polite. "I hope you like the food."

"Bakura, since you are staying in Uskar, we would like to offer you the position as one of the scouts." Torbjorn told the assassin. "Your skills are noteworthy in combat, but we also need someone to go beyond the walls and look for potential hunting areas as well as those which are not safe. You may decline if you wish."

"I'd be honoured." Bakura took his seat beside Seer. Brushing his hair back he craved into his fish.

Lex nodded in agreement. "So Havlar, I heard you wanted to read Kanisa's book on Gerudo history. Do you like Gerudo girls?"

"I... I think they're good fighters." Halvar still spoke barely above a whisper. "I like reading about their fighting styles."

"Lex, don't let your food get cold. I'm sure you, your sister, Reveka, and Halvar can mingle after we eat." Seer reminded his daughter. "Liz, make sure you finish your greens."

"Here sweetie," Borghild placed a good portion of smoked meat on Reveka's plate. "Eat up. And don't push what you don't want under the table to Boof."

"Whaaaat? I'm not gonna-pffff." Revy just finished giving Boof her Broccoli.

Lex started to eat the food presented to her delicately. Liz nodded in respect to her dad. "Yes Dad. Can we share a story around the hall after dinner?"

"Of course you can." Seer then told his twins. "Do not leave the Grand Hall without me. We'll go home after we mingle. I don't like you girls out by yourself when it's dark."

Boof happily ate the broccoli. He pretty much ate whatever the girl gave to him except a couple of vegetables. He did not like radishes or turnip greens. Impatient, he pawed at her leg under the table for more.

"Uh-huh. Here's some more broccoli, you eat it this time." Borghild put some on her daughter's plate. "You too, Scarlet." The pregnancy hormones were making her a little assertive and overprotective at the moment. "You need your vegetables. Eat up."

Scarlet snapped out of just looking at everyone celebrating. She wondered how her band of sisters were doing without her. "Oh? Of course. T-thank you."

Revy barely ate the broccoli. "Mom. It's not cooked. It's so hard to eat."

Scarlet looked over with a small internal sigh. "Eat your food Revy. It'll help you swing an axe."

Revy looked over to Scarlet. "Really?"

"Yep."

Revy took a deep breath and started to eat the broccoli faster.

"Huh. I should have thought of that, then I wouldn't be finding Boof eating all her veggies under the table." Borghild took a bite of her fish. "Thought about what you would like to do here, Scarlet? We could always use another blacksmith."

"Bakura," Seer decided to start a civil conservation. "If you like, we can talk about the twins after dinner."

"I'm not a good smith..." Scarlet slowly ate her food, sighing seeing Rat so happy.

Bakura was surprised, looking at the blind man in curiosity. "I don't see the problem with doing that."

Lex patted Halvar's leg. "You want to go talk somewhere after dinner?"

"Well, what do you like to do?" Borghild asked. "We can always use help somewhere."

"Even babysitting." Rat shrugged his shoulders. "If you wanna work with kids, you can a-help parents out who have to work and watch the children."

"We can all go talk." Halvar jumped when Lex touched his leg. "It'd be rude not to include Elizabeth and Reveka."

"Good." Seer carefully took a sip of his drink, bring the cup to his lips. "I'm sure you have questions."

"I-I'm sure I can figure something out." Scarlet took more slow bites of her meal.

Lex shrugged her shoulders. "Don't you want some alone time?~"

Liz, not realizing what her sister was doing, nodded in agreement with Halvar. "That'd be cool. What has your family been up to Halvar?"

"You can let us know. It's good for a person to have something to do." Borghild gestured to Rat. "He's a good fisherman, I work in the forge, and Reveka's showing to be wonderful at training horses and dogs."

"Papa and Mama have been working on the trading routes with the witch queen!" Halvar perked up at Liz's question. "I mean, the Lorleidian queen. She's sending some more dragons next week with more supplies, but the blizzards have been a pain. We've been working on trying to select the best days for optimal weather!" He started rambling. "The wind dragons can push away the clouds with their magic, but it's hard for just a select few to counter a whole storm, so if they come in bigger numbers, then we can get more supplies and..." He continued to rant about weather patterns and how cool the wind dragons were for nearly a solid minute. "Oh! And the queen is sending in new saddles too! For a few to learn how to ride dragons!"

Lex quirked an eyebrow. "Do you want to learn how to ride a dragon?"

"YES!" Halvar nearly shouted and his earned a look from his parents. "... yes, I do want to learn. It would be so cool to fly!"

Lex thought about how to win Halvar over. Than she got an idea. She got a wonderful, awesome idea. "You know, I'm close friends with Na'seema. I could convince her to give you a ride."

Liz gave a chuckle. "You sure about that?"

Lex shot her sister a look to not ruin this. Things were going well so far. "Duh. Of course I can."

"Oh! I've ridden on Na'seema's back before, but just not flying." Halvar sighed sadly. "She's not going to ride with anyone right now though. She thought she'd have eggs for sure this time, but it was a false pregnancy. She's really sad. Hopefully, maybe next time she'll have eggs."

Lex, Liz, and Revy went silent from laughs, plots, and fun. This was news to them. Liz turned to her dad, looking for a confirmation, and hoping it would not be true. "Dad? Is that true?"

"I... I didn't know." Seer admitted to his girls. "Rat? Did you know?"

"I did, but I didn't want to spoil dinner." Rat frowned. "Na'seema was checked by Naira this morning since her eggs never came. Evidently, her body was readying to have eggs, but there were no eggs. It happens sometimes when a female really wants a baby. Her body just... fooled itself into thinking she was pregnant."

"Will she be all right?"

"Yeah, Na'seema is a strong dragon, she's just needing some a-time alone."

Revy felt really sad by that. She promised she'd go see and comfort her after dinner to herself.

Bakura cleared his throat. "Why don't the four of you kids go hang out with the other children?"

"They're at a party with their friends, but we can hang out in my room." Halvar volunteered. "I know it's time for 'adult talk'." He nearly rolled his eyes. "Come on, girls, Boof, let's go in my room and we can play a game of checkers!"

"Awesome!" Lex took Halvar's hand, letting him lead her away.

Bakura nudged Rat and whispered to him, noticing Scarlet look sadly as Revy walked away. "She needs something to fill her life."

"Aye, me's agreeing with ya, but unless she takes that first step forward, I cannot force her." Rat made a seesaw motion with both his hands. "She has to want it for herself."

"My king, my queen, I thank you for the feast." Seer finished his food and gave a polite bow. "I must speak with Bakura. Please continue to enjoy yourselves."

Bakura gave everyone a nod at the table and followed the blind direnor to the outside of the hall. "The air is chilly tonight."

"You ought to be here when a blizzard comes through the land." Seer knew the man had not experienced the horrid weather of Uskar just yet. "I know you wish to speak to me, and have questions about the girls, their life, your new life here. I'll do my best to answer them."

Bakura silently agreed. "How have they been growing up? How did you manage in my absence?"

"Lex is the demanding one." Seer chuckled at the recollections of the girl's temper tantrums if she did not get exactly what she wanted. "She wants it, when she wants it, how she wants it, and wants it right then. She's a little self-centered, but I can tell she really does love her sister and Reveka. And she's obsessed with looking girly-girly, hates to be in pants and a shirt. Loves dresses, jewelry, the works." He then switched to Liz. "My sweet Liz, goodness, she has a heart of absolute gold. She's the polar opposite of her sister, but she worries too much for others sometimes. She always seems to be putting others before herself, though she has this awful habit of moving things around. I keep telling her to put it back where it goes so I can find it. I don't know if she's doing it on purpose to mess with me or not. Maybe, she's good for pranks that way." The blind man smiled to himself. "It was difficult managing twins at first. I had to find them a wet nurse, and a babysitter while I worked in the palace of Hyrule as a cook. I felt bad because I honestly did not know what to do. Though as time went on, I could tell the difference between their cries for food or to be burped, if they wanted to play, or needed a diaper change, or just wanted to be held. As they grew, goodness, I can't tell you how many times I stumbled over their toys or accidentally put on their clothes backwards. Not to mention, if one got sick, the other followed. Having them both sick at the same time was a nightmare." That was something he did not care to repeat, especially with puke or diarrhea. "Though I'd do it all over again, because I live for their smiles, their laughter, their happiness... I may not be able to see them, but I can sense them. Blood or not, they're my girls. I'd give my life for them."

Bakura looked down to the ground. He felt shame that he could not do what this man did for him. "Thank you Seer. They needed a father to look after them."

"Look... I'll admit that I might have overreacted when you first came here. I was terrified you were going to take them away from me. I honestly don't know what I'd do without them." Seer would at least admit he was mistaken over this one issue. "I should have let you talk to them, yet I let my own selfish desires get in my way. You are their biological father and you have a right to know them."

"Thank you for admitting your faults." Bakura gave a smile at that. Even he with his formal speech, wasn't above making playful jabs.

"Hmph, don't get used to it, I just don't want my girls mad at me." Seer definitely was not above teasing either. "Hard to cope when two precious girls are pouting."

"Wise words regarding little ones." Bakura felt the bark of the tree, getting a sense of the land and grounding himself. "Is there anything you wish to know of me?"

"Hrm, not sure what all you'd be willing to tell me." Seer turned his head in Bakura's direction, his blind eyes blinking a few times. "I can sense you, but not see you. I can tell you are a deadly fighter, that there's another side of you, yet you won't hurt the girls, but do not necessarily care for others. It's part of what I am, a Direnor, that allows me to sense these hidden things about you. Whatever you wish to tell me, I will listen."

"Do you think me a threat because I could switch into a murderous personality?"

"In some ways, yes. In other ways, no." Seer was honest. "It does make me uneasy. I don't want the girls to see that side of you; to be afraid of you if you want to be in their lives. However, I know that you can use it to protect them as well, if necessary. It's a mixed feeling."

"Seth does what he desires. His unpredictability to be calm or beyond savage even scared Adda."

"... did this other personality of yours, Seth, as you call him... did he do something to Adda to make her doubt your capability as a father? Is that why she left the twins with me?"

Bakura felt uneasy bringing this topic up. "...Yes."

"Do you mind elaborating so I'll know what not to do in the future?"

"We happened to be raiding another pirate vessel together when an enemy with magic used a spell of confusion. It had different effects on me, such as bringing Seth to light. He mocked her abilities... and killed some of her crew for making fun of him. Maybe I deserved what she did to me."

"No one deserves to lose a child." Seer said quietly, feeling bad for the other man. "Losing a kid... it's like a piece of your soul is stolen."

"I was broken before... And I was a threat. After that, I came to my senses. I tried to justify my actions. That the crew I killed was just hired help. But she didn't care. She was had a reputation to uphold, and that I could have killed on of her girls. We spat words at each other, which ended with me calling her a filthy whore. With that, I believe she set her plan in motion to get back at me."

"You never know what Adda is thinking, or what she will do. I fear she may return for the girls or our lives; she gets rid of us, nothing is stopping her from trying to take the girls except for the ones who love them here." Seer shuddered at the thought. "I don't want them with her, in danger, on the sea where the unpredictable can happen, will happen. I want them here, with me, with their family who loves them."

Bakura gave a chuckle. "What do you think of Adda? Because can I tell you a secret? A part of me still loves that sailor."

"We had a spark a long time ago and I fancied her simply because she was willing to look past the fact that I could not see." Seer laughed. "That, and she had a way with words."

"She does, doesn't she?"

"I didn't let that work on me this time." Seer rubbed his chest where the scar was forming. "I knew what she wanted; I could sense it. I was not going to let her use me, and then take away the most precious part of my life."

"Hmmm... it hurt to see her again."

"I didn't see her, I punched her." Seer snorted.

Bakura sighed, almost like he was ashamed of himself. "I don't know if I could. She's my deepest hatred... and yet I still find in the corners of my mind why she was my closest love."

"Love is fickle sometimes, Bakura. Part of the reason the girls don't have a mother; I don't have a wife." Seer shrugged his shoulders. "I couldn't stand the thought of the twins getting close to someone to have them leave."

"Hmmm. Very true. Very true."  Bakura scratched his hair in contemplation. "Where would I be now if not for her I wonder."

"Still killing people that piss you off?" Seer jested in good humor. "Creeping along silently in the night?"

"I'd probably be very lonely. Or incredibly dead."

"Let's keep you alive for a little longer," Seer reached out and found his shoulder, giving it a pat. "After all, you have nearly thirteen years to catch up on. You have to get to know the twins, so let's keep you breathing."

Bakura took his hand, giving it a small squeeze. "Thank you for allowing me into their lives Seer."

"Don't make me regret it." Seer told the man. "Make them happy and keep them that way."

"Of course. As long as you do the same."

~

Lex jumped on the bed beside Halvar, holding onto his arm. If only she was alone with him. "You have a really nice bed Halvar. Is your pillow made with cotton?"

Revy was looking around, trying to see what kind of toys a prince would use, while Liz looked through his book collection. "You collect stories?"

"Um... yeah, my parents got it for me from Hyrule. It's supposed to help with my allergies, I think." Halvar shrugged his shoulders. "The healers say I can't have feathers. Oh! Papa and Mama gave me those books, and a few are from Princess Kanisa and Queen Zarazu." Halvar saw this as an excuse to be descriptive and hopped off the bed to point out which titles were new. "And this one is my favorite! It's a book of Hylian fairy tales! Princess Kanisa gave it to me." He flipped it open to a tale about a hero defeating darkness. "If this hero can defeat evil, then my people and I can too!"

Revy got really excited. "I know this one! That's Link defeating the Demon King Ganon! He had the whole triforce at the time! It looked like he would escape from the sacred realm and plunge the world in darkness, but the hero put a stop to him!"

"Yes!" Halvar exclaimed with a nod of his head. "I absolutely adore stories of good fighting the battle against evil and winning! And this hero, Link, had so many friends to help him! There's the Gorons, the Sages, the Fairies, oh! And he could even turn into a wolf one time and had the... the..." He paused and looked at the book again. "Twi... Twili? Twili princess help him! Her name was Midna!"

Lex gave a sigh. "Midna's so pretty. Too bad Twili aren't so easy to meet. Impossible even..."

"Yeah, the last time the King and Queen of Hyrule were here, he told me how they had to destroy the overall entrance to make sure nothing dark could ever take advantage of that power again." Halvar thought back on the story from Covarog. "That was a big fight between him, Vul'kar, and the queen."

Lex leaned against the door, giving a small pout to herself. Revy and Liz were taking all of Halvar's attention away. "We were just born before that happened. Lucky to be alive when you think about it."

Revy gave a nod of agreement to the prince. "Real shame. I hope to be a hero myself one day and fight an evil as big as Vul'kar! When I hit eighteen, I'm going to start learning how to defeat the Frost King!"

Liz gave a roll of her eyes. She loved Revy at times, but sometimes worried about her ego with battle. Lately though too, something about Revy was slowly making Liz… mad. "Sure, and then you'll sweep all the boys of their feet."

Revy was taken a little aback. She recognized Liz's snark, but it was never positioned her way. "So? That's not what being a hero is about."

"If you want to be a hero, I'd say go for it. Though, I'm not sure if your father or your mother would like that." Halvar shook his head. "You're going to be a big sister soon, so they'll probably want you to look after your kid sibling. My older brothers and sisters look after me." He was just thinking aloud. "Besides, heroes have to go through a lot of stuff. Look at how much my parents go through, the King and Queen of Hyrule go through... Link doesn't really seem to do a lot of fun stuff or have good endings sometimes." He frowned. "It seems like he just wants to sleep and forget."

"But it's about standing up to evil. Showing that good CAN be on top!"

Liz shook her head and gave a huff. Revy was so bright, so pretty, so damn happy all the time. She never had any hardships in her life. Something about her started to really annoy Liz, but she didn't know why.  "Halvar's right. You're being too optimistic and dumb about going about being a hero."

Revy knew something was up now. "Ok, what's going on with you?"

Liz immediately got defensive and her snark went way up. "I don't know. Why don't you fill me in, Miss perfect life."

"Liz, you're being super aggressive."

"What? Can't handle a little aggression?"

"I want to know why you're acting so mad all the sudden!"

"How about because you think you’re some hotshot with two loving moms, a dog, and a dad, with a brand new sibling on the way!"

Revy took a step away from Liz. "...you're jealous of-"

"HARD NOT TO BE WHEN YOU ACT LIKE YOU'RE THE HERO OF EVERYONE AND YOU DON'T HAVE A PSYCHO MOM! Look at me, I'm Revy, did you know my birth mom's an iron knuckle? WOOOOOOW!"

Lex flinched from that. "L-liz. Our mom's not-"

"Ooooo yes she is. I don't want to hear another word about her from you Lex."

Revy was utterly shocked. She knew Lex and Liz had been dealing with their mom showing up roughly, but while Lex had thrown the odd tantrum, it seemed like Liz was holding it together. However, it was clear now she had merely been bottling it up. And to be truthful, while not boastful about it, Revy was vocal about being happy with three loving parents now. "Liz-"

"Why don't you take your beautiful hair, your two moms, your fluffy dog, and your dad back to Hyrule if you're so happy!"

Lex started to pout. "Liz, you're being mean to Revy! You should go!"

"Yeah? So you can try and hook up with Halvar? We aren't even Direnor! We come from a lowly assassin and a bitch Pirate Queen! We will never be anything special!"

A moment of stunned silence filled the room as Liz got the last of the bile that had been filling up inside her out. Seeing Lex tear up, regret started to take shape in Liz. Before she could say anything to Lex, her sister stormed out of the Prince's room. To her embarrassment, servants to the Queen and King had been listening in.

Revy looked at Liz, pain on her face. "....You're in a lot of pain. But you have no reason to be mean. If you still want to be friends... we can talk later...."

Trying her best to not get emotional, Revy quietly left the room. Liz knew her mistake, and wondered if she as vile as her mom. Sitting on Halvar’s bed, she held herself, rationalizing in her mind her actions. Why was she so toxic against her sister and closest friend?

Halvar watched the argument go down and winced. He and his siblings had their share of spats, sure, but it was not this. It was not so full of hate. What was going on with Lex and Liz? There was a lot of unresolved issues between them and the new family members. This Captain Adda sure stirred up a lot of emotions with the twins. Bakura seemed to be trying to take part of the 'new dad' role slowly, not wanting to overstep his bounds. Scarlet wanted to be a part of Revy's life, but seemed reluctant to do so. All of this was so new to the twins, but also scary. As Liz sat down with a flop, the young prince was quiet for a moment. Then he carefully placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Liz?" Halvar spoke softly. "I'm sorry that you're sad but... maybe it would help if you'd just tell someone else how you felt instead of getting mad at your friends?"

She didn't look at Halvar as she yanked her shoulder away, but she didn't move from the bed either. "How can anyone know how I feel. How can you? You're a prince. You have a loving family of misfits who can take care of each other. I have a blind father with a cardiac condition now. As well as a sister who's obsessed with the finer things in life, which I know will be her down fall. Your mom isn't... you're mom didn't leave you all these years with questions and wrath built up inside you. She didn't make you so cold to those that only wish the best for you. At least Lex can get ahead in life by looks and street smarts. Give it five or ten years. I bet she'll have some noble around her finger.. Revy's gonna do great. Big, beautiful strong Revy. Hero Revy. And what will I have? Nothing but this rage against a woman I know almost nothing about."

"You're right, I don't know anything about that." Halvar had a good family who loved him and loved each other dearly. There were troubles here and there, a fight or two, but nothing that could not be fixed. "I know that it might seem like the world is falling around you, and there's nothing you can do about it. But... isn't it good that your dad still loves you? That no matter what, he'll still be there for you." He tried to give her a smile. "I'm your friend. I'll be there too."

Liz didn't reply, simply resting her head on his shoulder. "...I feel like I'm broken..."

"Well... that's okay. Broken stuff can get fixed." Halvar told Liz as he gave her a hug. "Just cause it's broke doesn't mean it's no longer good."

Liz buried her head into Halvar's shoulder. He couldn't say she was a crybaby if he didn't see or hear her sob.

Halvar said nothing when he heard her sniffling. He just continued to hold her, letting Liz get in control of her emotions. After a moment or two, the young prince suggested, "Would you um... feel a little better if maybe we read a little bit? You can pick out whatever book you like. Or would you like to maybe..." He stopped and looked around the room. "Hey! What about tobogganing?"

She took his hand to stop him from running about. "...Reading is ok."

"I got a book on Lorleidian culture you might like. The very first ruler, Queen Lorleidi is a good read."

“…Ok…”

[mrneighbourlove]

Red Typhoon: Ch 3. Crusaders Sail Onward

"It's been a while since we got the old crew together, hasn't it, Cap'n?" Rat was loading some cargo onto the Sea Witch with Corsaire. "Been so many a-years. We were all on the sea a long time together, but now, we's got families and responsibilities. It's hard to get the whole gang in one place."

"Well, I for one, am glad."

"Eh?"                                    

"You all have your own lives now. That's what I always wanted for all of you."

"Heh, I know, cap'n. Doesn't mean we don't miss you."

"I miss all of you too, though, I'm just glad all of you have found your place in this world."

"Hard to believe you're a father of three now."

"I can't believe you married a bear."

"HA!" Rat laughed at that comment. "Well, she's quite the woman, as is Missy Orana. I mean, Princess Orana. It's hard to stop calling her that."

Liz ran to the ship, excited the with the news she brought, it meant one more nail to place into their departure. "Captain Corsaire! They’re coming into shore!"

"What are you waiting for then? Go greet them!" Corsaire waved her off. "And for the sea's sake, make sure your Uncle Acrobat doesn't slip in this snow. Metal and ice don't mix!"

"Sure thing! Revy's really excited to see them Uncle Rat. Might want to reign her in."

Down at the shore, Revy was shooting colourful flares to signal to her band of Uncle's coming into land. How she loved every single one of them, and it had been far too long seeing some of them.

"I-I-I really don't like th-this." Pockets' teeth chattered horribly as he clung to the saddle for dear live. "W-Why did we have... have to t-take dragons?!"

"Cause cap'n told us ta hurry." Acrobat told his long time friend. "And if cap'n says to hurry it up, we's hurrying it up."

"We really need ta git on these lizards more often!!!" Mojo was having the time of his life with the wind in his face. "Where do I buys one?"

"You don't buy one, they's choosing you." Juju told his brother while hanging onto his bandanna. "You's has to ask the Lorleidians 'bout it."

"Do the loop de loop again!" Bomba was literally bouncing up and down on his saddle in excitement. "Again!"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Aw, you's no fun."

They saw different colour flares being shot from the shore line for the dragons to land safely. Revy was like a firefly in the distance, buzzing around excitedly.

"Hey, dere's Reveka!" Mojo pointed out the flares.

"Woohoo! Revy!!! Hey!!!" Juju waved to his niece.

"She likes me best, I'm the coolest uncle." Bomba declared with a flick of his wrist.

"Pfft, you wish, we's all know that I's the favorite" Acrobat argued. "Who convinced Rat ta get her da puppy?"

"I-I-I did." Pockets tried to hold back a snicker.

"Hey!"

Once they all landed, it quickly dawned on the how big she had grown. She stomped like a giant at them as soon as they got on their feet, and scooped as many of the men she could in a bear hug. "It's so good to see you all in one place again!"

"Ooof! Easy on dis old rigger, Reveka!" Acrobat grunted when she picked him up so easily. "He's not as young as he used ta be."

"Y-You've gotten so b-b-big!" Pockets was still taller than Revy and gave her a gentle pat on the head, ruffling her hair. "Grow so f-fast!"

"Heeey, dis ain't cool, why's the shrimp taller than me now?" Bomba crossed his arms in a fake pout. "Ah well, some ladies prefer der men fun size anyways."

"Bork!" Boof made his presence known and demanded pets from every man. "Woof!"

"Ah, good ta see you, Boof-Boof." Mojo scratched the dog behind his ears. "Revy taking good care of ya?"

"Bork!"

"Aye, she always does, doesn't she?" Juju laughed and then asked. "Revy, how's your wee brother?"

"He's doing really good Uncle Juju. I've been making sure that he's got a lot of meat on his bones. Ooh! Check out this out!" Revy took a step back and drew her sword. Concentrating her magic, she thrust her sword upwards, and a lightning bolt from deep up in the sky struck down, and her blade sparked in a cone of dancing electricity. "I'm an electric warrior!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!"

There were multiple exclamations as the men made sure to keep Acrobat out of the way.

"Dat's really cool, Rev, but could ya do it when I'm not... in proximity?" The old rigger asked his niece. "I's much like a lightning pole now with these new legs."

Revy noticed his legs sparking. Shit. Metal. Metal very, very bad. She quickly stabbed her sword into the ice next her to dispel the lightning. "Sorry, sorry, sorry. That would have been bad. But pretty cool overall right?"

"Aye, pretty damn cool."

"Bomba, don't curse around the lassie!"

"What?! She's an adult now, I'm pretty sure she's heard damn before, as well as shit---"

"Bomba!"

"Ass---"

"Bomba, shut up!"

"And fuck, but who knows?"

"Well, I consider myself a pretty hardcore mother fucker if I do say so myself. Bring all the bitches in~" Revy snickered, happy to fuel her Uncle Bomba's antics.

"Oh, good water spirit, ya rubbed off on her ta much, Rat's gonna have ye head." Mojo nudged Bomba in the shoulder.

"Rat's gotta catch me first, and I'm quite younger than him." Bomba snickered.

"Ye's still a brat, and ye know it." Juju nudged the other shoulder, causing Bomba to laugh.

"Wh-Where's your mother?" Pockets asked Revy. "W-We wanna make s-s-sure she knows we'll take... take care of you!"

"Aye, she knows, Borghild trusts us with her little cub." Acrobat wrapped one arm around Revy's shoulders. "Though, I believe we's all going to need a little of dat famous Uskarian mead before we---"

"Don't even think about it," Rat's voice interjected, chuckling as he saw all his former crew mates. "That stuff knocked your ass out for three days last time."

"Well, I think I used up two of my three swears for the year anyways. If you want change you should see how Liz and Lex have changed." Revy turned and waved to her dad. "Hey Dad! They all made it!"

"By the water spirit, you weren't joking when you said you got new legs!" Rat bent down to look at the metal working on Acrobat's hips, thighs, knees, and ankles. "Dat Lady Asakonigei made 'em for you?"

"Aye! I take 'em off at night, but beats the crutches any day. I can finally run again!"

"N-Not fast."

"Not fast, but still."

"Cap'n is glad you's all here, I's glad you's all here."

"Seer's our brother, Rat, we'd brave maelstroms and sirens for him."

Liz took her time walking with Rat, but when she saw her other Uncle's she felt a bit of hope. Seeing her dad again felt like it was fated and set in stone with them all gathering here. "Hello everyone. I'm happy to see you arrived safe and sound."

"Sheesh, time passes too quickly nowadays, you's all gone." Bomba sighed deeply with a sulk. "And you're taller than me too."

"Cap'n finishing the ship preparations?"

"He is. Once that's complete, we're hitting the ocean. In the meantime, we should gather the others and say our goodbyes."

Revy followed Liz back to town. Lex was having her 'friends' carry all their luggage to the ship for her. Least they could do after the going away gift she gave them all. "Ok boys, careful with the luggage. Some breakable glass in those bags you know."

"Lassie, dis is a rescue mission, not a... a slumber party." Bomba watched as piece after piece of luggage went on the ship. "I mean, I's understanding of a lady's need for... uh... personal products, but... isn't dat a bit much?"

"It's potions, maps, weapons, and gold for gambling. We might need to do all sorts of negotiating." She bent down to kiss Bomba on the cheek. "It's good to see you Uncle Bomba. All the rest of you too Uncles."

"You lassies need ta practice shooting?" Mojo asked the girls. "Brought my training guns 'case you's out of touch."

"We can set up targets." Juju offered. "Someone steal Cap'n's hat."

"I heard that!" Corsaire said from the ship, looking over the ledge at his old crew. He grinned from ear to ear. "Good to see you all again, mates. Missed you much, that's for sure."

"Never thought we'd be on ta Sea Witch ta hunt other pirates, cap'n." Acrobat had to chuckle at the irony. "So much for thief's honor."

"Well Uncle Acrobat, thieves don't have honour. They steal. And by stealing, they ruin lives. Dad was stolen from us afterall." Liz bitterly said. With a deep breath, she dropped her shoulders.

"Tis an old pirate saying, lassie." Acrobat patted one of her shoulders. "We's gonna get him back."

"D-Don't be sad," Pockets told Liz with a smile. "We's gonna find S-S-Seer, we p-promise."

"I'm not sad. I'm angry." Liz turned at the sound of people gathering. Borghild and little Trygve arrived with Scarlet, and Halvar came with his bag and his family behind him to see him off.

"We'll be awaiting your return, son." Torbjorn told Halvar as he handed the young prince his bow and sack of arrows. "Be careful."

"I'll be fine, Father." Halvar assured his sire. "I'll have the whole crew with me, and besides," He looked over his shoulder to Elizabeth. "I have to support Liz. I love her and want to be with her."

"We understand." Brigritta then wrapped an extra cloak of fur around Halvar's shoulders. "Keep warm and be alert. The seas are just as dangerous as our lands."

"I will, Mother."

Borghild had Trygve on her hip, carrying him to the docks.

"Scarlet? Are you sure about this?" Borghild asked the Iron Knuckle.

"I'm sure. I have to make sure Rat and Revy don't get themselves killed. I'll see they return in one piece." Scarlet had enjoyed how close she had gotten with Borghild over the years, and gave her a close hug.

Revy bent down to Boof and patted his head. "I need you to look after Trygve until I return Boof. You understand boy?"

"I know you will, Scarlet." Borghild returned the hug and then added. "You make sure you come home in one piece too. You're our family, you know. Revy might be full grown, but there's nothing wrong with her having two mama bears."

"Wwwwwwhhhinnne." Boof pawed at Revy, not liking the fact that his human was going away without him. The two had hardly been separated ever since she was little.

"I won't be long boy. I promise." Revy hugged her dog close. He was getting old, and she wouldn't risk his life on such a dangerous journey.

Bakura finished bowing to Vidar, having finished a sparring match to make sure he was in shape for the journey. Walking to the group, he gave a bow to Corsaire's crew. "I assume you are the many uncles my daughters tell me about. It's a pleasure to meet you all."

The crew was a little surprised by the bow. The men certainly were not used to such respect. So, the crew showed their acceptance the only way they knew, with a good, old-fashioned punch to the shoulder.

"Aye, we's his old crew and the self-proclaimed uncles." Mojo slung one arm around Bakura's shoulder. "Been with Cap'n for years now."

"We helped changed the wee ones diapers when they's were babes." Juju slung one arm around Bakura's other shoulder. "And rocked 'em to sleep when Seer needed a break."

"Sang jaunty after jaunty," Acrobat added. "After jaunty."

"L-L-Liked 'Tipsy Toe Tease' the b-b-best." Pockets thought back to those years ago.

"Tipppppsy toe, tipsy toe, tease! What a bar wrench you are for me!" Bomba belted out with a dramatic flare of his arm, then jumped up on a barrel. "You sneak into bed, leave me dead, face all rrrrrreeeeddd!!! Sneak out in the morn, I'm so forlorn, things go to norm! I'm pleasing, wheezing, dreaming, of my tipsy toe tease!"

Revy and Lex gave a giggle, remembering the song well. Liz bit her lip to not snicker at her poor father being slung around by the crew. Bakura simply gave a smile to the bizarre crew. "Well, thank you."

Scarlet hoped things wouldn't be too awkward with her coming along. "Hello gentlemen."

"I can sing 'Whale Farts' too."

"No, no, just... no, Bomba."

"What? That one always made Revy giggle."

"Whaaale fart make tsunamis and fish make great suuushi---"

Rat clamped his hand over Bomba's mouth so Scarlet could greet the crew.

"Ah, so... no breaking noses dis time, right?" Mojo asked in good humor.

"We's glad you's coming with us, we need da extra muscle." Juju told Scarlet.

"I got muscle!" Bomba had removed Rat's hand from his mouth and flexed in front of Scarlet. "See? Not bad for a shortie."

"Well I'm glad to help." Scarlet raised an eyebrow at Bomba, and leaned her head down to him. "Your energy sure hasn't changed little man."

"I'm fun-sized, all over baby." Bomba winked at Scarlet. "Wanna check just in case?"

Rat promptly smacked a hand to his face and sighed deeply while the rest of the crew laughed.

Unknowns to Bomba, he might have just struck gold with that. "Well, I guess we'll have to see you prove it on this journey, won't we."

Before the men could process if that was genuine interest being sent back to Bomba, Scarlet turned to the girls. "Get on board. We're heading out ladies."

"Yes mom!" Revy went over to Borghild and her little brother, giving them one more hug. "I will return. I love you both so much."

"I love me a giant woman." Bomba whistled as Scarlet walked on board.

"Bomba, she could crush ya like an egg." Mojo shook his head.

"What's wrong with ya?" Juju asked.

"There's nothing wrong with wanting her to walk on me."

"BOMBA."

"I wonder if they carry heels in her size---"

"BOMBA!!!"

"Okay, okay, I'll hush now, you's just jealous cause I got me an older woman."

"Will you shut up?! That's Reveka's mom!"

"Yeah, and? I can't think a mom is hot? You know what a MILF is, right?"

"Oh, for fuck's sake, if you don't shush right a-now, I'm throwing you into the water!"

"Aye, aye, me's a hushing."

Scarlet gave a light smile as she walked aboard. Liz walked up with Halvar, and Lex joined them right after. Revy dried some tears forming from Boof pulling on her pants. "Mom, can you take him? If he gets pulling, I just might stay."

Boof insistently pulled on Revy's pant leg, trying to keep her from going on the ship without him. When Revy removed his mouth, he wrapped his forepaws around her ankle. The snow dog did not want his human to go without him. Borghild gently took Boof's collar, setting little Trygve down so he could say goodbye to his sister.

"Boof, be a good boy. Reveka will be back soon, you just have to wait." Borghild assured the dog. "Be careful, my sweetie. Remember, a mama bear only charges...?"

"Only charges after using our heads first." Revy gave them all one last hug. "I'll be back. I promise."

With that, Revy ran onto the ship before she had any more second thoughts. "I'm... I'm ready to go dad."

"We'll bring them back soon!" Corsaire called to the families waiting on the docks. "Anchors up, Pockets! Unfurl all sails, Acrobat! Bomba, check cannons!" He started barking orders as the Sea Witch pulled away from the port. "Mojo, Juju, check engines! Rat, keep us on course! Elizabeth, overhaul the ropes for Acrobat! Scarlet, furl the extra sails! Reveka, stock gunpowder! Alexandria!" He paused and then looked at his niece for a moment and then said, "Make sure Pockets has the nipper to bind the anchor."

"Does that include Scarlet, cause she's a bombshell too."

"BOMBA.

"Okay, okay, I'm a git'n."

Lex knew very little about going about a boat, but she made sure to help best she could. "Yes Uncle!"

Liz got right to work. "How fast do you think we'll go with these sails?"

"Fast enough, I hope." Corsaire took the wheel and watched as the glistening sails unfurled. "She's an old girl, but she's never let me down once. I know she'll get us there."

"Well, I hope magic sails turn out to be real!"

Bakura looked around, wondering what the journey ahead would bring them now they had finally departed. "Is there anything I can do Captain?"

"You're a fancy, high-jumping assassin, right?" Corsaire pointed up to the jolly roger, where Acrobat was working the ropes. "Think you're up to help him work the ropes?"

"I believe I can." Bakura took a few steps forward, and climbed his way up to Acrobat, making sure to help. Liz watched, hopeful that the ship would pick up speed. "Gods, give me this..."

As all the sails were unfurled, the magic started to work. The usual white sails turned into a golden color and shimmered. It was then, the speed increased, and kept increasing. This was no time to be slow, so Corsaire braced himself and held onto the wheel tightly.

"Everyone, hold on!!!" The captain told his crew. "We're going to get our brother!!!"

[mrneighbourlove]

Cruel Red Sea: Ch 7. Shock Recovery

The night passed, and turned into day. Bakura couldn't believe that Adda had actually left. He suppose she wanted to take care of her crew though. The last he saw was a huge gust of wind lift the ship out of the water, and fly just barely above the waves. She must have put in overtime conducting the Wind Waker.

Seer's family managed to fetch him from the sea. The blind man was gravely wounded and required immediate care. It took some time, but Naira managed to heal him along with the help of the mages who provided medicine and first aid. His heart muscle was inflamed and damaged, but he would live. Slowly but surely, he would be able to resume some since of normalcy, but not be able to withstand major strains upon his heart.

Rat sat in a chair beside Seer, refusing to leave his friend's side. Naira had healed him and promised to let him know when Seer woke, but Rat was having none of that. He would stay, no matter how long it took. Three days, and four nights passed before Seer roused from his slumber.

"Nnn..." Seer mumbled trying to focus his thoughts.

"Seer!" Rat jumped up from his place on the floor. He had to get some rest at some point, and decided sleeping on the floor was perfectly fine. "Seer! It's me... how do you feel?"

"... m... mmy... girls..."

"They're okay, they're okay."

Scarlet felt incredibly awkward staying after Adda attacked Seer and his pod. Major injuries had occurred from her using the Wind Waker. A few people even MIA. But she did her best to be supportive. Hearing Rat scream in excitement, she timidly knocked on the door. "Is Seer ok?"

"He's a little out of sorts." Rat replied as Seer mumbled incoherent words. "I think the a-painkillers Naira gave him made him a little loopy." He then asked. "Are the twins okay?"

"Mmmmy girrrrllss..." Seer slurred his words.

"They're okay, Seer, please just try to rest."

"Yes, Lex is moody, but Revy is trying to keep both of them in good spirits."

"Eh, nothing new there." Rat shrugged his shoulders. "Seer? You want some water?" He held up a cup to the man's lips. "Come on, a-drink a little for me. There we go, down the hatch..." Once the cook had taken a few sips, his blind eyes kept drooping. Even though he had slept for a few days, his body was exhausted. "Better?"

"Mhhmmhmm..." Seer managed to mutter.

"Good, good, just rest. I'll tell the twins to come see you after while, okay?"

"Mhhmmhhm." Seer dozed off into sleep again, snoring softly.

"... sweet goddesses." Rat sighed, his whole body relaxing slightly. "I was afraid we were going to a-lose him."

Scarlet nodded, never quite meeting Rat's gaze. She knew it was wrong to still have feelings for him, but she did. And she didn't know if he still hated her. "I-I'll make sure Revy is doing alright. Than I'll let you two go see Borghild. I suppose you'll want me to find a ship out of here soon."

"Nay, I'mma stay here with Seer for a while longer." Rat shook his head. "Borghild and Revy will be good company to you." He fixed Seer's blankets and replaced the rag on his head with a fresh one. "Look, Scarlet... you a-hurt me and Revy by leaving. I... never read your letters. I didn't want a-false hope. It's so much more than cruel hope. Saying you'll be free one day," He thought about his past when he was a gladiator. How many times did his boss promise freedom only to say it would never happen? "But always end up back in a-chains. You're here now and my Reveka wants to a-know you. She's better than me at forgiveness, she's got her mother's sweet heart." He paused and then added. "And I don't mean Borie's heart... I mean yours."

Scarlet flushed, taken by complete surprise. "R-rat. I.... I don't know what to say."

"Look, Scarlet, we all make mistakes. We's all a-human." Rat admitted. "Perhaps Reveka is right and I's being too harsh. I want to a-forgive you but... it's hard. Most of all, I don't want to see my Revy upset. If keeping her happy means you staying here, then that's a-fine with me." He said very quietly. "I cannot stand to see my little wee one sad."

"I don't want her to sad either... Can.... can you try to forgive me? So I can forgive myself?"

"If you give me time, perhaps I can." Rat told Scarlet softly. "I's need time."

"I... I understand." Scarlet brushed the hair out of her eyes. "You know anyone who'd like a strong axe swinging Gerudo here?"

"Heh, Revy does, if that answers your question." Rat added a few more logs to the fire to keep the room warm for Seer. "Though as far as single men? I'm pretty sure there's a-few who would fancy a strong woman."

"Hmmm. I should talk to ya about how Liz and Lex are doing so you can tell Seer."

"Oh? News about the wee ones?"

Scarlet took Rat's hand and lead him to a separate room away from Seer. "Meeting Adda has made big effects on them Rat."

Rat stood in the doorway, still wanting to be able to keep an eye on Seer.

"I's expected no less."

"Lex is angry in a rebellious way. Liz in a cold way. Seen both this behaviour in their mother."

"Hmm... I can't honestly say I's ever had this problem with Reveka." Rat rubbed the back of his neck. "She's such a sweet little thing."

"I know. But both need a mother in their life. Lex has been making drawings of being a pirate and dressing up as one. I think she really felt cheated she couldn't even talk to Adda."

"Lex doesn't understand that Adda is dangerous, could have put her in danger with all this war and fighting and plundering." Rat really did not know what to do. "Either way, Bakie's still here. Maybe she'll be sort of content at least getting to talk to him."

Scarlet looked at him in worry. "Those girls don't need another dad. They need a mom Rat. Gerudo girls can live without fathers. It's our mothers who shape us."

"Then I's lost for an answer." Rat gestured to Seer. "Direnors select mates based on their ability to survive. Seer... doesn't have much going for him. His family helps take care of him, but as far as a mate, he's had not one woman approach him. Even if one did show interest, Seer has always put his girls first."

"Then he better be more strict with them until they hit eighteen. After that... who knows. I think Liz will shut herself off and never let anyone close. Or worse, hurt those she lets close. And Lex... well knowing us Gerudo, you better get her man who can take care of all her needs here, or she might go after her mother."

"What do you suggest Seer do, Scarlet? He's done the best he can." Rat looked at his sleeping, injured friend. "It hasn't been easy for him, either. I... don't know how to help him."

"You never tried to cure his blindness?"

"No, his retinas were damaged severely when he was a slave." Rat shuddered visibly. "By a hot poker. That's why there's so much scar tissue around his eyes. If someone were to attempt to heal them, Seer would have a sensory overload, or worse a mental breakdown. His brain wouldn't be able to process the information. Dat's what they told me."

"That sounds like hogwash. Bet if you ever tracked down a great fairy, he'd be fine..." Scarlet sighed. "I know he's your friend, but in his condition... I don't know how well he'll function Rat."

"It's what the doctor in Hyrule said." Rat did not think Doctor Boveir had any reason to lie. "Seer would like have to... learn everything all over again, almost. Like he'd be holding a cup, but his brain would have to tell his eyes that it's a cup. Evidently, the doctor had seen it before." Unfortunately, Rat had to agree with Scarlet on this. "Aye, I know, Scarlet. Yet, Seer won't give up. He wants to be here with his girls... and the aftermath," He took a slow inhale. "We'll deal with it when it comes."

"Ok..." Scarlet didn't think anything by it when she gave him a hug. "You gonna be ok?"

"Aye, I'll be fine. These wounds won't hold down the old 'Renegade' for long." Rat gently patted her back at the hug. "You check on the twins, Reveka, and Borgie for me? Tell them I'm still with Seer. Oh!" He then remembered. "And Bakie too. He's a sneaky bastard."

"I don't think that's his name. But will do."

~

When Seer got better, both his girls checked on him. They seemed distant, but both thanked him for saving them from the cold water. Lex seemed precise on that it was the cold water, and not Adda, she was saved from. Liz pulled on Seer's shirt. "Do you need a heart transplant?"

"Heh, no sweetheart, I don't need a heart transplant." Seer assured Liz with a weak smile. It was still taking him a while to get back on his feet. He tired easily and had to rest more often than he liked. It was even a chore to chop vegetables for dinner. Slowly, he was easing back into his usual routine. "It's just a deep wound with some damage. I'll be back to my usual self in no time, but I'll just have to be a little more careful. So don't make me chase you around too much." He said in good humor. "Woe is me when you start chasing boys. I'll have to buy a horse to keep up with you and your sister."

Liz quivered her lip. "Is there nothing we can do? You're in worse shape than ever Dad."

Lex stopped drawing at the table to look at Seer. Her Daddy had been terribly injured. Why the hell did he have to play hero?

"Sweetie, sweetie, please don't cry." Seer could smell the salt on her face, and rubbed his thumb across her cheek. "Your Daddy indeed is in bad shape, but that doesn't mean he can't get better. Until death comes for him, he promises he's going to be here to take care of you both. Nothing is going to change that." He sat down on at the table and motioned for Liz to join him. "But first... we all need to talk."

"I don't want you to always take care of us. Why can't you take care of yourself as well?" Liz dried her tears best she could before she had a meltdown. Lex put down her drawing to pay attention to her dad.

"Elizabeth, that's the duty of a parent." Seer patted her head gently, kissing it. "To always care for their kid, until the kid can take care of his or herself. You and your sister still need me. So until you're grown and gone with a family of your own, I'll be here in any way I can." He set aside the cane he had been using to keep his balance. "Now... there's some things I'm going to say, and I'm going to say my piece and then you can. Understood?"

"Yes Daddy."

"Yes Dad."

"I know we all view things differently, and that's okay. You're allowed to have an opinion. However, you both are not allowed to do whatever you want, including putting yourselves in risky situations." Seer took a steady breath. "I know you are both mad at me, and that's all right. Lex, I know you feel that I took away a chance to meet your mother. Liz, I know you feel that I've been keeping secrets." He paused again to catch his breath. "Though I did what I did for good reasons. I wanted to protect you both. I was afraid of letting you get hurt." He sighed, clasping his hands together. "I was wrong to keep secrets from you. I honestly did not know you were mine until a few years ago, so for that, I am sorry. Though I swear I will keep treating you well and loving you just as I have in the past." Then he switched topics. "On the matter of Bakura, I did not know he was your father. He's proven to be somewhat... trustworthy. If you would like to know him better, I'm not against that. However, Adda, I did keep you from her for good reason. The woman is dangerous, manipulative, and she's at war. I was not going to let her take the both of you into the middle of a battle on the sea. I won't... I can't lose you two." He then held up his hands before the twins said anything. "If you wish to seek her out when you are older and of age, I won't stop you. Until then, then both of you are living with me. It is my job to protect you, provide for you, keep you safe, and love you. I will hear no argument against this." He stood his ground firmly. "You will listen to me until you can take care of yourself as an adult who is of age. What rules I make, what boundaries I set, is for your own benefit. Is that clear?"

Liz thought over his words carefully. She slowly nodded over every point. "Clear."

Lex didn't say anything.

"If there is something that is bothering you or you wish to discuss or think a rule might need to be loosened, then we will all talk about it together. I will hear your reasons, you will hear mine. I will not implement a rule without a good reason." Seer promised his girls. "As you get older, and show to be trustworthy, capable, and levelheaded, then we will talk about change." He turned his head in the direction of Lex. "Alexandria?"

Lex huffed and puffed, feeling the anger rising, until she finally let it out. "You're broken egg shells of your former self, 'Daddy'. You get winded stirring a pot of soup now. You can barely read a brail story, and you've thrown all family activities out the window. Why? Because despite how dangerous you claimed she was, you wouldn't even allow my mom the time to sit down and talk when she knocked on the door civilly and handed you flowers. Instead what did you do? You chased her out. You cornered her. And because you had to play hero, she scratched you back. You have no attraction to any woman, less than you did. You never gave us a mother. And I talked with Scarlet. There is no war. There hasn't been one since after our first birthdays. So you tell me exactly what you think a winded, blind man can do to make our lives better. The answer is you can't. We have to make ourselves better for the next five years."

Those words stung. Lex was bitter, hateful even, toward him. Seer worked hard the entire time he had the times to make them happy, to provide for them, and give them the love he never had as a child. All he wanted was to see them smile and grow into beautiful young women that would one day have families of their own. Though, it seemed in a few short days, he had lost them both.

"Even if there isn't a war, there are still people who come after her, who would use you and your sister to get to her. I refuse to let you two be collateral damage in a fight that doesn't even concern you." Seer chose his words carefully. "She was going to take you both away from me, Scarlet told me that as well, and I know I told you both the very same words. I played 'hero' to allow Adda to know I would not go down without a fight; that I would fight, and could fight, for you both, give my life if I had to, anything to keep you two safe and away from danger. And you dare to chose her instead of the man who loved you and provided for you all these years when she dumped you, abandoned you, and tricked your own birth father into thinking you were dead. Yes, Alexandria, that is the kind of so-called mother you have. Why do you think I wouldn't let her take you? You would end up dead, or worse, just like her."

The blind man then said through gritted teeth. "If the next five years is you hating me for doing what I had to do to keep you safe, then so be it. I will not have you growing up to be a lying bitch like Adda, someone who tricks others, who hurts others, who preys upon others' weaknesses for personal gain. Mother or no mother, I have my own reasons for not seeking out a female due to past occurrences. You have mother role models in the village as well as from my family. You are not without love there." He coughed once or twice before finishing. "Get used to it, Lex. I'm not dead yet. You can either take the options I presented or spend the next five years more so bitter than a Frost One. What's it going to be?"

Lex scowled. "You're no longer half the father I wanted. And I'll be listening to mom over you for a long time. But I suppose you don't care. After all, I can't be like Liz all the time, now can I!!! You’re the worst!" She pushed her chair out and went to her room, slamming the door in teen angst.

Liz got really quiet for a while.

Seer felt like the war was won, but the battle was lost. Mistakes were made, and things were said that could not be changed. All he could do now was wait and hope that within time, things would be better, perhaps even return to normal. Rubbing his chest, he could feel the tingles underneath his rib cage. The first to-do on his list was to recover. As soon as he was better, he could go back to doing his usual routine. Perhaps Bjarke would show him how to hunt better in the water and he could feel like he contributed more.

"Liz?" Seer asked his daughter very quietly. "Do you hate me as much as your sister does?"

"I wish I was never born... that way you wouldn't be hurt."

"Silly girl." Seer pulled Liz into a hug. "If you were never born, I'd never know the happiness of having such a beautiful, kindhearted daughter. You're my treasure."

"Lex is right... you hurt yourself. But it was because we were born. Now we  never play catch. Or go for runs in the snow anymore. I don't even know if you'll be alive for my wedding now." She looked up at him, sad and angry. "Why did you have to fight! Why did you have to prove a goddamn point Dad?"

"Elizabeth, listen to me," Seer held her cheek firmly, making her look at him, but not hard enough to hurt. "I'm not going to always be like this. I'll get better, I will. I've survived a lot of things I hope I never have to tell you about. Though I promise you, that I'll be there to play catch, go for a little run in the snow, and walk you down the aisle at your wedding." He then answered simply. "Adda told me I was a blind cook who couldn't even fight for my girls... and I proved her wrong. If she ever tries to take you again, she'll have a whole pod after her ships."

"...You should have just killed her... but now she is out there. And Lex WILL go to her..."

"I wanted to, love, I thought about biting her in half when I had her in my jaws but..." Seer sighed. "I knew if I did that, your sister would never forgive me... and I'd be no better than Adda."

"...I talked to Bakura. He want's you to send a request to the High King to make her a public enemy. At least capture alive. Some people on the docks got..." Liz paused, not wanting to finish. "They couldn't deal with the weather."

"I'll have to thank him for that, but I'll do so tomorrow." Seer wobbly got up from his chair and then righted his balance. "... you want to sleep beside of me tonight, sweetheart? I don't want you afraid or worrying about me."

“No… no I’m ok. And it wouldn’t be fair to Lex. I don’t think she hates you Dad. She’s just hurt… and dealing with this differently than we are.”

"Then I'll do my best to do better than my best." Seer placed his arm around Liz's shoulder as the two of them walked down the hallway to his bedroom. "Heh, your sister knows where to find me if she has a nightmare. Are you sure? If you get scared, you can always change your mind."

"I know Dad. I know."

Lex cried in her room, reading from the bottle she found. Walking by the shore yesterday she had a knack for spotting gleams of glass or jewelry. Inside, it was a gift from her mother. The letters from her mother kept her going.

"Hey kiddo. I'm sorry we couldn't get the chance to talk, or have anytime together. I wish I could have been a better parent for you. These next few years are going to be rough if I can’t get you sooner, but think of me. Don't hate on your dad's. They did what they thought they had to do. Probably an enemy of Uskar now, what with that attack. And it’ll be hard to replace the ships I lost. But hey, it wasn’t all bad. Got to do some cool things while I was here. Stole from this blonde Lorleidian woman without her noticing, built a snowman, and I got to see you and Liz. Your sister most likely hates me. I can understand that. But I want you to know, in my own broken way of showing it, I love you both. Tell Scarlet I hope the best for her, and she knows where to find me if she changes her mind. I hope she does. Don't worry, she'd never snitch my location. Speaking of which, made a map when you want to find me. So here's some tips to be a good lady though. 1# Find the cutest and richest boy nearby. Make him long for you. Sugar daddies will get you far. 2# You are a Gerudo. That is a damn fine trait. Work it. 3# Never let anyone walk over you. Some chick thinks she's better? You put her in her place. Have some other notes for you, but its minimal stuff. Remember Lex. I love you. You and your sister are gonna be Queens someday. ~ Your rocking mom, Captain Adda."

[mrneighbourlove]

Red Typhoon: Ch 2. Fellowship of the Sea

Bakura Saibot mediated in the cave. For the past seven years, he carved the ice out, making a sanctuary to collect his thoughts, and looking to the spirits for answers. He had done his best to catch up as a father for Liz and Lex, giving them everything he could, but the girl's hearts wouldn't rest until they found Seer. Adda needed to be found, and when she was... what would Bakura do? All these years, all this anger, and yet he couldn't shake her smile. It haunted him of what could have been.

As Bakura meditated, looking to the spirits for guidance, he felt a murmur, a gentle wave float in his mind. He concentrated, relaxing and letting go of his outward distractions, and focused inward. He heard loud arguing, gunfire, and ships sailing. He saw the snout of a crocodilian man, and a man with a red tie. All these images didn't make sense, until each one repeated over and over, and they linked into an image of Adda and Seer sitting a top a bungalow. Bakura opened his eyes in shock and came back to, the last sound that rang through his ears was the cry of a whale.

"Hey Bakie, don't mean to interrupt your thinking and all, but it's time for supper." Rat's voice echoed into the cave. "Liz is home, and everyone is gathering at mine and Borgie's place." He had little Trygve on his shoulders, his son's arms rested on top of his head. "I'm sure she'd be happy to see you there."

Bakura stood up, catching his breath. "...I saw him."

"...? Eh? No one's in here except you, Bakie."

"I saw Seer and Adda."

"What?" Rat was not following Bakura's words. "You saw them? Bakie, it must have been a dream, they're not here."

"My mediations. It finally paid off. The spirits gave me clues to Seer and Adda!"

Rat never understood mediation and he was never really big on spirits. Though, Bakura seemed pretty hyped. Was it actually possible that he had the location to Seer and Adda?

"I... think you need some a-food, Bakie. And if you do have the location then... eh..." Rat told the assassin. "Forgive me for sounding skeptical, but how can you be so a-sure?"

"Because I want to be. I want to have hope." The three of them headed back to the Kanisa's house. Inside, Revy was proudly describing her successful hunt with her mom and Boof. Liz sat next to Halvar, just content to relax after her long journey, and Lex was chatting it up with Kerugan, asking him if he had a handle on any of the girls his age, and pro tips to make girls comfortable.

"Rat? I thought we were all meeting at your place?" Kanisa asked. "I'm bringing rabbit stew, do you need me to bring something else?"

"No, that's not what we're here for." Rat set Trygve down on his feet. "Bakie thinks he knows the location of... of Seer and Adda."

"Bork?" Boof tilted his head at the mention of Seer's name. He had not see the man in a long time.

"Seer?" Vidar repeated. "It's been seven years, Rat. Corsaire has combed pretty much every inch of the seas and has come up with nothing. What makes you think Bakura knows?"

"Hey, if he has an idea, at least let him share it." Rat shrugged his shoulders. "It could be a-good or a-bad."

Liz and Lex stopped what they were doing and focused their current attention on Bakura. Lex was shocked, and a little excited. "Daddy?"

With all eyes on him, Bakura took a breath. "I had a vision in the cave. I saw a link that lead to Adda and Seer. First was a reptilian pirate with a golden eye. Than a man in shadows with a red tie. Following this, I saw Adda and Seer, clear as day."

"... a reptile pirate?" Vidar was trying to keep a straight face. "Sure you weren't puffing on something?"

"Vidar." Kanisa gave her husband a look. "Be nice."

"Do you have any idea how absurd that sounds?"

"Vidar!"

"Hey, hey, we can at least ask Cap'n if he knows of any reptile pirate." Rat was trying his best to be supportive of Bakura. "Cap'n knew a lot of pirates back in the day, still does."

Liz's mind raced. She thought to all her studies of Adda's known accomplices. Her mother had an army that spawned many loyal to her, with many being creatures and monsters. Some had laid low in infamy to keep a low profile, while others, such as the Dragon Onslaught, had gained a monstrous reputation for raiding military vessels in Adda's name. At her dad's description, she went through her mental list. "I know who he's talking about."

"You do?" Rat actually looked surprised.

"What about the man in a red shadow with a black tie?"

"It was a black shadow with red tie."

"Whatever."

"I don't know. Some pirates hide in shadows more. But they tend to know the location of one another. I think..." Liz stood up, analysing in her mind this development. "I think Dad's vision is telling us an order. If we find the first captain, we find this man in shadow, and from there we find Adda."

Revy stood beside both her moms, with Scarlet having a hand placed firmly on her daughter's shoulder. She regretted not knowing where to find Seer sooner. The paradise island Adda was most likely hiding him on was magic in nature, and slowly moved across the oceans undetected. The old location she gave didn't give Corsaire his friend back.

"Who's this crocodile captain than sis?"

"A captain by the name of Eltontor."

Now it was Lex's term to be excited, and, without a word, she dashed to her house to grab something.

"Okay, we know the 'who' but we still don't know the 'where'." Rat was trying not to let too much hope rise in his chest. All of them had been disappointed before and he did not want that to happen again. "Or what to expect."

An air of silence went through the room, despair leaving its mark. How many times had they hoped before in finding Seer? Every lead they came up with before had dried up. Suddenly, with a force to dispel the sad environment forming, Lex kicked open the door. "Holy crap! We got it! We got it by the balls!"  

"Lex, we a-talked about this language." Rat said dryly. "A proper lady doesn't---"

"Just tell us what you have." Vidar interrupted the man.

"Well, through MY hard work, I've been getting information from sailors and travelers. Including some navy officers. And using that information, I've documented every bit of information regarding mom, or any pirate for that matter!" Lex put down charts she had been making for the past two years. "This includes maps, names, and routes. I've triangled many pirate hot spots. And the name of one Captain Eltontor was described to me two weeks ago! He was last seeeeen... HERE!" Lex tapped specific map coordinates. "Right here!"

"Uh..." Rat looked at the charts and then frankly said, "I don't want to know, do I?"

"Okay, I hate to burst a hole in your bubble, but two weeks means we don't have a prayer of catching to wherever he is now." Vidar had to be the one to say it. "Look, even if he is still in that area, he won't be for long. That, and how can we get from here to there in an adequate time? It takes 3 months to sail from here to Hyrule. Danjur is nearly twice that."

"Well, I'm going." Liz stood up, a fire burning in her.

Revy was taken by surprise at how soon Liz reacted. "But Liz, you just got here!"

Bakura nodded in agreement with his daughter. "So am I."

"We can't go without a proper plan." Rat told the Liz and Bakura. "Adda's forces are a-large and vast over this sea. We's going to have to be careful. That, and we need a ship... or more like ships."

"We have a plan. And we have the navies of Uncle Corsaire to back us up." Liz was adamant about going. "If we go in small, we could be undetected an track down these other pirates before we amass on Adda herself."

"You have a plan, Liz, we have to talk this out with Cap'n and be rational." Rat was firm about this. "If we rush, Seer could get hurt. We have no idea what we're going to face with that giant lizard of hers or the number she has behind her. Let's talk to Corsaire, draw up a plan, and then... this old quartermaster might just have to call up his old mates for another sea journey."

"Than what are we waiting for. Let's go to him now." Liz grabbed her coat off Halvar and stomped out the door to be the first to leave the house.

Revy quickly grabbed her coat as Bakura and Lex followed after.

"H-Hey wait! I'm coming too!" Halvar chased after Liz.

"Bork!" Boof followed after Revy, loyal as ever.

"Eh, looks like the celebration is going to have to wait until Seer gets home, Kanisa." Rat said his goodbyes and then followed after the troupe, dragging Bakura with him. "Come on, Bakie, we's gots to get you suited up for a sea voyage."

Scarlet grabbed Rat, unable to stop Revy. "You can't be serious in letting our daughter go."

"Scarlet, it's not a matter of letting her, she's an adult now." Rat told the Iron Knuckle. "She wants to be there to help her best friends. If Borgie was going, wouldn't you want to go with her?"

"I don't want her getting killed! She can't go out there!" Scarlet tried to go past him.

"Scarlet!" Rat stopped her by the shoulders, and gave her a hard look. "Reveka knows what she's doing. Besides, do you not trust me? This 'mousa' as you called me knows how to watch after our little girl. Don't make Revy stingy to you cause you're not wanting her in danger."

"But I..." Scarlet's shoulders sunk in defeat. "She can't get hurt. I should at least go with her, shouldn't I?"

"That's up to you, Scarlet." Rat then gently reminded her. "You don't have to if you don't a-want to. We both know this isn't going to end well for Adda."

"I... I don't know if I can face Adda again. But I have to watch over my little girl. I made promises to myself that I'd never abandon her again."

"You do know that if you go you's... you's going to be against Adda." Rat was not going to sugar coat it. "This isn't going to be a reunion for you two, it's going to be a fight. I may not be your Voe, but I's still caring about you, all of us do. Borgie, Reveka, Trygve... we's your family now."

"I know... she was a sister to me. Someone I loved. But I have you all in my heart now." Scarlet took a deep sigh, trying to not crumble. "We should get going if we want to catch up to them."

"We's all going to understand if you don't want to go. You make up your mind while we prepare, okay?"

"I... I understand." Scarlet walked over to the couch by the fire and sat in contemplation.

~

At the hotel Corsaire was staying at, he was quickly startled awake just as he was getting an early sleep. It didn't take long for Bakura and his daughters to explain the plan they had in saving Seer from the clutches of Adda.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, one at a time! One at a time!" Corsaire had to yell over the multiple conversations. "Look, I understand you're all eager to leave right now, but the ship isn't ready yet. We need to finish restocking, chart a course, and most importantly, alert Hyrule and Danjur to Adda's location as soon as possible. We're going to need to send word with Stra'tuso's family that delivers cargo to Hyrule and Danjur, it's the only way that's possible."

"Stra'tuso's sister and brother leave tomorrow since they just dropped off cargo a few days ago." Rat told Corsaire. "Not to mention, we's going to have to figure out a way 'round that... Wind Chime thing of Adda's."

"Wind Waker."

Liz took a breath, hoping to come across as clear. "Adda's Wind Waker is one of a kind, and is on her person. When we get that bridge, we'll cross it. First, we need to find someone that knows the location of her secret, hidden island."

"I believe my vision tells me that the man in the red tie will know. And this Captain Eltontor can lead us to him."

"Captain Corsaire, if our target doesn't know an exact way into Adda's island, we have mages in Hyrule and Danjur that could possibly know spells to disenchant Adda's protect dome, right?"

"It's possible, depending on if another mage made the dome or if an ancient artifact made the dome." Corsaire knew little of magic, but his wife Orana had taught him a little. "We have three problems as of the moment. The dragon under Adda's command, the Wind Waker, and the unknown number of ships she has. We're going in blind unless this red tie gentleman can give us more information." The captain grimaced. "One of the first rules of war on the sea is to know exactly what you're up against. We have no clue."

"So that's the a-bad news, what's the a-good?"

"The good news is Adda's arrogance came back to bite her in one way."

"Oh?"

"Remember that sail we made a deal for all those long years ago?"

"Aye."

"Let's just say that this captain might have been collecting the rest... and took down one of her old ships with the last sail, a month ago."

Liz was ecstatic. "Really?! We got them all?!"

"What do you think Hyrule was building me that new, big, fancy, ship for?" Corsaire had to snicker a little at Liz's outburst. In some ways, she was still just a kid. "It took me a long while, but I finally have all of the sails. So that's one surprise Adda will not know of, however... we're not sure what's going to have more of an advantage; the sails or the Wind Waker."

"The Wind Waker for a large scale battle." Bakura thought about the future, and the war that would happen. "We can use this specialized ship to hunt down our targets that will lead us to Adda, and also get in close to Adda herself. If we disable her and her tool, we can stop her from controlling nature. That will even the playing field."

"This might seem like a dumb question to you, but how do we even dismantle this Wind Waker?" Rat asked Bakura. "From what Reveka says, it's damn old and dangerous."

"Well, Dad, according to Hylian legend, its just a baton. If its not in someone's hand to physically wave around, all the spells the current user did should stop, and no one can cast anymore magic. Just, get it out of her hand."

"We can always cut her hands off." Liz offered.

Lex quickly interjected, disturbed by any talk of maiming her mother. "Or we just smack it out of her hands and quickly subdue and arrest her."

"So our first objective is to get the Wind Waker away from her," Corsaire held up his hand to stop the sisters from any further argument. "That way we can get closer. Once that's out of her hands, the second objective is to keep her busy while a few of us find Seer. Last, but not least, we have to make sure that there's an exit. Just because we get in doesn't guarantee us an out."

"You know that there will most likely be casualties. When we reach Adda, we will be at war. At most, her people won't fight. She's already formed an army out of others, so we most likely won't have to kill a lot of Gerudo." Bakura rubbed his hair, thinking about the inevitable reunion. "And Lex, when we face Adda, you have to understand, anything can happen."

"But, we aren't savages. Right? We aren't just gonna assassinate her, right?"

"Either way, once we arrest her, Adda has a death sentence." Corsaire frowned. "You know Hyrule and Danjur both have a warrant for her arrest. Once we bring her to the courts, it will be a death sentence in Danjur due to her shooting Queen Annuciata's brother, Dario. He's very sore about that eye he lost." He then added. "In Hyrule, the best we could hope for is life in prison, but I doubt that is going to be the case."

"I.... I know." Lex looked sad, not meeting anyone's eyes. Bakura gave her a hug. He wouldn't say it outloud, but he understood her feelings.

Liz looked to Halvar, concerned about his well being. "You've never left Uskar before Halvar. Are you certain that you are up to this?"

"This concerns Uskar just as much as it does Hyrule and Danjur." Halvar reminded Liz. "Adda fired upon innocents and some of our people died. We never did a thing to her, and she attacked us outright. Besides, I'm not letting you go alone." He turned slightly red in the cheeks and said sheepishly. "Direnors don't leave their loved ones to fight alone."

Liz processed his answer, and she took his hand. "Ok..."

"I'll get in contact with me old crew mates, have them meet us. Otherwise, once we have any slight idea what we're up against, all that is left is getting more ships and drawing out a battle plan."

Scarlet knocked on the door, peering in. "Captain Corsiare?"

"Yes, Scarlet?" Corsaire stood from his chair. "We're leaving tomorrow as soon as the ship is restocked. I assume you want to talk to Rat and Reveka?"

"Yes."

"If you need me, I'm going to be getting some sleep." Corsaire said goodbye to Rat and the rest of the group before returning to his room.

"Scarlet?" Rat looked at the Gerudo and then at Revy. "What did you decide?"

"Mom. You ok?"

Scarlet sat across from them, taking a sigh. "I worry about you Revy. I know that you're older now. I know that you're strong and smart too. But this task ahead of you... I can't stop worrying."

Revy had her hand taken by her mother. "Revy... I love you. I wasn't there for you for the first era of your life. Now I want to protect you. But even I know that its not my place to protect you forever. And I can't stop you from going. However... will you let me look after you one more time? Please?"

Revy gave a small smile, trying to not let her warmth for her mother overwhelm her. Moving closer to hug her, she nodded. "Of course. I'd feel so much better with you and Dad by my side."

"We's all going to have to be careful and look out for one another." Rat told the two girls and then hugged them both in his huge arms. "First things first though. Scarlet's going to need to go over the basics of a ship with you Reveka, and I's need to find me old guns."

Scarlet felt so happy hugging them both. It felt like the family she could have had, if she hadn't made the biggest mistake of her life.

Revy hugged them both back. "We've been sailing before dad."

"Yes, but being on a war ship is different. And I doubt you ever had to work on a ship. In the morning, I'll take you out. Ok?"

"Ok mom."

The three hugged each other once more, hoping that they'd all return once their journey was over.

"Let's get some dinner and rest before our big day tomorrow."

~

Onslaught clicked his claws as he sat in the dark, reading the report from the Eastern Front. It seemed that the navies of Danjur and Kikai had gathered together recently to fight off raids. It was disappointing the Kikai Empire had cancelled negotiations with the Collection. Adda had insisted on calling her armies simply, 'her forces'. No name or organization in it. It maddened Onslaught. In time, their forces had grown radically. And as their power increased, Onslaught often wondered if he'd need Adda anymore. Unfortunately, she held respect of many. And most importantly, she held the Wind Waker. As long as she had that, and showed no notable weakness, she held an advantage over him. How could he fight a force that could ground him and send him hurtling from the sky? So the Dragon decided to wait for an opportunity to present itself.

One of the other major lieutenants, code named King Crimson, waited nearby in the shadows. "Onslaught. We need to discuss our most recent hits. Hyrule is allowing dragons to nest on the Charlie and Delta islands."

Onslaught narrowed his eyes. "Unsettling. But not impossible to deal with. We can bomb the islands to drive them off. Do so after they hatch the chicks. They will rather flee forever than risk their young being hurt. We can retrieve our smuggled goods than."

"I understand. Captain Adda wants to know if your fortress can be used to store the cache of diamonds and gold that was recovered from Termina."

"Yes. Of course. I can have my crews airlift it up. Anything else to discuss?"

"No."

"Good. Then go into hiding and gather information on this gathering of Danjur and Hasai."

"Understood."

Now that this meeting was over, Onslaught starred back into darkness. He felt a shift in the air, and felt a feeling in his gut that change was going to take place in the near future.

[mrneighbourlove]

Out of curiosity, how old is Halvar in Cruel Red Sea? Love the chapters so far and am waiting with baited breath for the next one - this is one of the reasons why I sit in my car after work and don't leave the parking lot until 7 p.m. It's a must for me to read your stories before driving home. They're just. that. good! 😊 p.s. Can you tell me who your characters are again?

Halvar is currently 17 in Cruel Red Sea.  My characters include Liz, Lex, Revy, Scarlet, an upcoming Dragon named Onslaught, Bakura/Seth Saibot, and of course, Captain Adda. Every other character is a creation of @ridersoftheapocalypse Thank you so much for being inspired to read. Hope reading in a car isn’t too cold though!