Hello all my lovely followers! :3

Here I have for you a very special treat. I decided I could not wait to post the second part to High Seas Golden Skies. Well that and I've got a major case of writers block for Infection T.T

I am really excited and anxious about posting this. I hope you enjoy where I'm going with this and it meets everyone's expectations.

This is just a taste of what's to come. ^^ Look forward to new faces!

Without further adieu, I give you,

PART TWO: Sandseas and Flame Filled Skies

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN SOUL EATER

Prologue

The Pirate Captain was seated in a dingy little hole in the wall of a café, halfway across the world. The scent of alcohol and sweat wafted around him as he sipped on his drink carefully, half-lidded eyes observing the room casually. He was waiting for something, something important that would be arriving shortly.

He flipped through the daily news sheets lightly, listening to the inane chatter of the other patrons. They were speaking in another language, one he still had not entirely grasped but could make out the most of it. His own ability for the tongue was limited, coming out broken and clearly foreign most of the time, but it didn't matter to him really. That was what his translator was for.

She was a timid girl with dark, shoulder length hair and big grey-blue eyes. Slightly underdeveloped and on the petite side she could practically disappear if she wanted to, especially with her shy tendencies. She was eager to please though and Soul had hired her as in addition to being an excellent and diplomatic translator she spoke his own language perfectly. She wasn't from the Farlands either despite living there most of her life.

Why have a translator when he understood most of the language one might ask? Why not just improve his skills? He liked the edge it gave him. People would assume he didn't understand them and would often slip up with information, assuming his timid translator wouldn't relay everything. He'd saved himself a lot of money making deals in the market that way, and shocked a fair amount of people trying to insult him slyly in their own tongue.

He ran a hand through his snowy locks and turned his gaze to the door. Subtly, he leaned back in his chair, closer to a pair of conversing traders. They were complaining about some new tax that had been put into place. They only held his interest momentarily, the tax didn't effect him, what kind of Pirate pays taxes?

His interest was peaked again by another conversation, the two speaking didn't make much sense to him. It took him a moment to realize they were speaking in code. Referring to a drug den nearby.

He sighed and sat forward again, his chair scraping on the dirty floor as he righted himself. It was all the same here, drugs and slaves. They ran this city and he was growing tired of it. He missed home, missed Dark Port, and though he was loathe to admit it he missed an infuriating Naval Captain he was ever regretting leaving behind.

She was on his mind often. Especially with his knowledge of her potentially being under attack. Though he supposed she was a very capable woman and could generally take care of herself.

The crew had taken some time to adjust but they seemed much happier now that they had been in the Farlands for a few months. The majority of them could speak the common tongue now and were happy enough to gamble, whore and drink themselves silly when they weighed anchor in one of the many port towns that peppered the coast line.

One of the nice things about the Farlands was the lack of any real government to reign their piracy in. They had taken more ships in these past months than they had in double the amount of time back in more familiar waters.

Some of the crew was not entirely happy here, Tsubaki, the former Naval Doctor being one. She couldn't stand the slavery and injustice that often went on around them and was too sensitive to let it go. Black Star was surprisingly successful at distracting her though, steering her towards the magic districts with all their dazzling tricks and glamour.

The majority managed well enough, regardless of what went around them. They let things slip by them and focused on what they enjoyed about the place. They made the best out of their situation, lying low and away from home while things quieted down.

Here the Navy couldn't touch them.

But here he thought about the Navy often. A specific person to be more truthful. He had been getting word about Grigori from different sources. Merchants that had come from there. He'd even paid a few to make sure they asked about her specifically while there so when he spoke to them they could give him the most accurate information about her situation as possible.

When he'd heard she resigned from the Navy a part of him had hoped she might try to contact him and he had been sorely tempted on several occasions to do the same. But he tried to separate himself from it and quietly watch on her situation from afar.

No thrilling or terrible news had come really. Just that she was still in Grigori and still no longer with the Navy. She was alive and well as far as he gathered from the bits of information he gathered.

And this was why he was currently sitting in this dive of a café by himself. He was waiting on a merchant he had hired to gather for him. They had sailed to the Western lands and back over the last few months and should have information for him at this time in regards to her.

He wasn't expecting anything important really, just confirmation that she lived and wasn't in any kind of trouble.

The front door opened, a bell hanging above it jangled a little announcing to the café the arrival of a new customer.

The man was dressed in the common breezy clothing of the Farlands. Long, light robes and loose, thin wore a cloth wrapped about his head and drawn across his face to avoid all the sand that blew through the streets and often coated the city. Only his eyes were visible. Brown eyes with a friendly gleam.

Soul recognized him as his informant. He did not wave him down though, only waited for the merchant to pick him out and then manoeuvre his way between all the tables to where Soul sat.

He slid into the chair across from him and unwound the cloth from the lower half of his face. The normal pleasant look he had, had gone sombre upon meeting the Pirate Captain's gaze.

"I come bearing the information you seek." He said in a soft tone, he was practiced at speaking in such a way that made it difficult for strangers to eavesdrop.

"You had an easy trip I hope?"

"As easy as crossing the straits can be," he murmured. There was a long pause between them, the merchant played with his moustache nervously.

"What news?" Soul asked softly. That sombre, sad look had reappeared, masking the nervousness the man had been throwing off in waves.

"The news I bear is not what you truly desire Captain Soul Eater. I do not bear glad tidings as I wish I did." His heart jumped into his throat, beating quickly. He didn't speak though, he only waited for the man to continue. "When I went to the small town of Grigori it was during a time of mourning…I arrived in time for a funeral." He took a breath. "A funeral, for the one you were asking about. She was killed.'

His expression went blank. His fists clenched, knuckles going white. His teeth ground together for a moment before he managed to get out a single word. "How?" He was struggling to maintain control. Struggling not to lose his mind and throw tables.

The man sighed heavily, his gaze pitying. "They were calling it an accident. Something wasn't right about it though. I'm a pretty intuitive individual and there was something hidden beneath the surface there." He fiddled with his sleeve. There was something deadly about the calm façade the Pirate Captain was maintaining. "There was a fire, on a fishing boat. They are saying she drowned."

Soul's brow furrowed. "Impossible, she swam so well she was basically part fish."

"Perhaps the fire was her undoing then? All I know is she no longer with us."

The Pirate Captain was hunched over in his seat, gripping his glass tightly between his hands. His expression was hidden within the shadow he cast across the table. The merchant twitched nervously, unsure what to make of the snow capped pirate.

Abruptly, there was a crash and the tinkling of broken glass. Soul had gripped the glass too tight and it had shattered under the pressure. The merchant began standing up to assist him, chattering in alarm. His hands were bleeding from where the glass had cut into him as it broke.

Mechanically, Soul stood, shaking off the merchant's attempts at assistance. He tossed a handful of coins onto the table, they clattered, one rolling most of its way across only stopping when it bumped into the other man's hand.

Without another word, Soul turned and left the café.

He wandered through the streets for hours. Using up what was left of the sunlight as he went. The sky grew dark and what little lights there were came to life. He didn't know where he was going, what he was doing. He had no desire to do anything.

At one point during his wanderings he had heard one of his crew members shouting for him. He recognized Kid's voice and then later Liz and Patti's. He could only assume the others were searching somewhere too. That or they weren't aware he was missing yet. He couldn't find it in himself to care though.

His feet carried him for hours, all throughout town and right into one of the less desirable districts of the city.

The district was darker than most, nearly everything here was battered and broken. Including the people. There were very few people around in this part of the city, most of them preferred to be indoors by nightfall to avoid the undesirables that wandered the streets after dark.

It wasn't long before Soul realized the streets were empty. It was only him now. A knocking came from nearby. Perhaps he wasn't going to be alone for long.

A door to his right flew open, spilling light out into the night. A man and woman emerged kissing feverishly. They were not what really grabbed his attention, it was the music. The moment the door had flown open the faint sounds of a smooth jazzy beat had washed out into the streets.

The man and the woman appeared to be intoxicated, though with what Soul wasn't entirely sure. They were falling about in the street giggling hysterically now and again before going back to their feverish kissing. Soul stepped over them, his curiosity drawing him in. He slipped in through the open door.

A staircase lead down to another door. This one not shabby like the one on the outside. Whatever was down there wasn't a grimy as something in the area would be expected to be.

It was a set of double doors at the bottom of the stairwell, heavy and polished. A shining gold nameplate was bolted onto the door. In curling script, 'The Black Room' was scrawled. Beneath this declaration there was a small engraving in the shape of what Soul could only describe as a demon's head.

He paused, the music was louder here just outside the door. It was clearly coming from within. In addition to the music he could hear chatter of conversation, the clinking of glasses and hysterical laughter. As he contemplated going in, weighing the pros and cons of it. The door opened.

A man appeared, or what he could only assume was a man. The man in question was wearing an elaborate mask. It was painted red and designed with holes for the man's black beady eyes, a wide and gaping mouth full of sharp teeth and a pointed nose. At the top of the mask protruding from the forehead was pair of horns bent outward at the middle on either side. It had an impish quality but still had the ability to intimidate.

Soul was startled at first but then the man with the Demon face chuckled and gestured for the Pirate Captain to come in, in a welcoming sort of way.

"Would you like to come in Misterrr-?" the Little Ogre's voice was muffled behind the mask as it spoke. Drawing the last syllable out in question.

"Soul Eater," he deadpanned in response. The man's black eyes twinkled from within the hollows of the mask.

"Welcome Mister Eater, won't you come in?" he ushered him fully inside. "And might I ask how you heard about our little…establishment?"

The establishment in question was a large room. Fittingly named. It was done in mostly black, with splashes of red as well. The lighting was dark, only a soft glow from the candles that surrounded the room allowed enough light to see by. The floor was chequered, in red and black. Heavy looking, red velvet curtains lined all the walls, drawn together at the corners and tied with golden tasselled ropes. There was a roaring fireplace against the far wall but the flames were a startling blue instead of the regular gold one would expect. Around the fireplace were several cushy looking armchairs and a plush looking sofa, all black. A gramophone set on a small table gave off the jazz he had been hearing, though now that he was in the room he realized it was skipping after every few moments.

The Little Demon didn't seem to mind though, he began doing a strange little dance that didn't even accompany the beat.

Soul realized that they were not the only people in the room, there were a few scattered tables, all black, with patrons seated at them in matching black chairs. They were chatting, drinking, laughing. Something about them was…off, though. Eyes glazed too bright, grins stretched too wide. A strange darkness stained some of their lips and others fingertips.

"I…sort of stumbled on it by mistake. Two of your patrons left the door open," he managed to answer after taking in the room. He noticed people would occasionally stand and push past the curtained walls, disappearing elsewhere. Sometimes alone, sometimes in groups or pairs.

He imagined the Little Demon man frowning behind his mask. "Oh my, well that just won't do it all. Can't have them letting any old riff raff in here. What if you were the authorities?" he chuckled a little. "But how lucky for you to have found this place."

"What exactly, is this place?" A woman slumped across the table suddenly, practically drooling, her eyes blank. A group of what he could only assume were employee's of the place, all wearing different demon masks of their own, scurried out to collect her. They in turn vanished behind one of the curtains.

The Little Demon bowed deeply. "This, is the Black Room. A place where people come to escape. Here they are not subject to the trials and tribulations of the real world. Here they succumb to the soothing abandon of their own…madness." The grin on the mask's face seemed fitting for the man's tone as he spoke.

"A drug den." Soul simplified bluntly. The man chuckled.

"More than a drug den. We hold higher standards than that. We offer-" he paused, searching for the right word. "Enlightenment." He finished in a satisfied tone. "The people who come here are facing a despair or disaster they cannot cope with, or perhaps they are searching for a higher knowledge or power. We offer them a solution. The Black Blood they call it fondly, Madness or Insanity they call it on the streets."

Soul was quiet. His expression still blank.

"Mister Soul Eater, how would you like to forget what ails you, feel more powerful than you ever have before, escape your…reality?"

"How long does it last?" He murmured.

"Only as long as you desire." The Little Demon replied cryptically. He didn't wait for Soul to agree. "I think I have the perfect room for you."

He allowed himself to be led to one of the far walls, the man guided him through a break in the curtains Soul had not seen before. It felt like they were pushing through a velvet tunnel instead of just stepping through a break in the curtains. The fabric was smooth and soft against his arms and face. After a moment he realized the Little Demon was no longer with him, a small spark of alarm filled him and he began to hurry.

He broke through the curtains suddenly, stumbling into a dark circular room. Black all around, seeming to stretch out into nothingness, the only way in or out was the set of red velvet curtains he had come through. The floor was the same chequered pattern of the room he had just left.

The centerpiece of the room drew his eye. A polished, black grand piano with a cushioned black bench placed in front of it. Swirled in patterns around the room were candles with electric blue flames like the fireplace past the curtains. They were all set in silver, twisted holders in varying heights, some as tall as him and some only a foot off the ground.

Soul approached the piano, running his fingertips across its top fondly. He pressed a key lightly, letting its deep note ring out into the room.

A rustling drew his attention away though and he turned. The man in the Demon's mask emerged again from between the curtains. This time followed by two other workers, both in masks as well, who bore a table between them.

They set the table down and placed a silver pitcher of some sort of liquid down as well as a crystal chalice, a bizarre looking contraption he'd never seen before, a small silver piece that looked like a sewing needle and what appeared to be incense and its holder.

Soul seated himself on the piano bench. "How did you know I would like this?" The Little Demon shrugged his shoulders.

"I have a gift for knowing."

"How does this work then?" The two workers vanished through the curtain and Soul's own Little Demon approached the table now.

"It is your choice really. We have a number of methods for enjoying the Black Blood." He gestured to the table. "You can quite simply, drink it, sip it, chug it. Whichever suits your fancy." He gestured to the incense this time. "Or you can inhale it, we simply light the incense and you sit before it and breathe. A favourite with those who dislike the staining the Black Blood can cause. Or if you aren't opposed to a bit of pain you can prick the tips of your fingers and dip them in, the Black Blood is incredibly lively, it soaks into your skin and binds with your blood. And finally, we have this lovely." He gestured to the contraption Soul had never seen before.

"This turns the Black Blood into a vapour. You light the little fire beneath it and it boils the Blood which escapes as steam through this lovely little gap. Then you can inhale it and absorb it through your pores."

"Which is least potent?" Soul asked.

"The incense."

"I'll go with that." The Little Demon sighed as though disappointed. But went about bringing the incense to the piano. He sat it on the piano's lip and turned to glance back at Soul.

"I would assume you'd like to be near to your friend here as you indulge." He tapped the piano lightly. Soul nodded.

A thought occurred to him. "Does this cost anything?" The Demon's eyes sparkled.

"The first indulgence is free." He cooed. Then he promptly struck a match, lit the incense and bowed his way out of the room. His deep chuckle still echoing around long after he left.

Soul twisted himself around so he was facing the piano properly. For a moment he watched the smoke from the Black Blood infused incense curling its way through the air. He didn't dare to breathe for a moment. Contemplating what had lead him here.

The deepest sense of regret and pain filled him as he thought of Maka. She had truly managed to worm her way under his skin and now she was gone. If he had only forced her to come with him that night on Shibusen's wall she might still be alive. The guilt was eating away at him and his heart was twisting painfully in his chest.

He took a breath, the smoke slipping into his lungs as he inhaled. He set his fingers to the ivory keys of the piano. The sound echoing out into the room. Dark and twisted, like his soul.

He let the madness overtake him.

A/N: Don't kill meeee! *cowers* I know this is a terrible way to leave off especially after making you all wait so long! Take comfort that I will be posting the first chapter today as well. This was just a tidbit to get us started and set the mood for whats to come.

I really really hope you enjoyed. Please review and let me know your thoughts! Unless your thoughts involve murdering me -.- in which case perhaps its better for me not to know...ehehehe

-Song :3