I actually took one week and six days to write this. :3 It's only today on the two week mark that I post it. Ahem, so we got pretty busy over the last two weeks, I suppose. When I first posted Chapter 2, I came home from school and had 13 new emails. The next day? 8. GUYS JUST CHILL OUT IT'S NOT THAT GOOD. Last week we had how many of each? We went from 3 favorites to 16. From 9 watches to 22! Lovelies, don't give mommy love she doesn't deserve. ;w; Especially when she takes so long. Ahh, now this chapter is going to confuse you at first but I hope you'll quickly get it. And if you're still hopelessly lost on what's happening, skip to the author's notes at the bottom. NOW ONTO REVIEWS!

GothicKitty: Yes, he knows. :]

Bluebird Rain: Thank youu~ *le rubs your face* I think there's another cliff hanger in this chap too~

Kingdomheartslover13: Spamano is my OTP I can't believe you don't read/like many of them. As long as the writing isn't too simple I'll read it~ But maybe I'm just so awesome that your pirate-loving eagle eye watching for mistakes likes me. :3

SilenceofCrimsonSnow: Everyone says he knows...'cause he does~ But does he exactly remember~? Does he know the way you think he knows~? Find out on America's hit show, SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE!

96: My awesomeness was always awesome. It was interesting the whole time. *le pouts jokingly*

YoungFanBunny24: Thanks for your love on two of my stories~ As for "The Three Little Italians," I wasn't exactly planning on continuing it. It was supposed to be a one-shot. But so many people (three XD) have asked for a second part so maybe it'll be a two-shot? MAYBE. Don't get your hopes up, then I'd be running three stories at once and that's confusing!

"So how do you feel about the lad?" A father asked son. "Quien? Lovino? I think he's kind of cute but he's a little too fiery. Fusososo, imagine if he was in a dress though." the son laughed, recalling the young prince he had met earlier that day.

"He sure is a lively one! Fusososo!" The father laughed jollily alongside his son. Once the father had calmed down and wiped the tears from his eyes, he tried to retain a more serious demeanor. "So, I know it's wrong, but do you think you'll have a problem marrying un chico? I wouldn't want my precious Antonio, my one and only son, to be unhappy for the rest of his days."

Antonio pondered for a moment, tugging on the brown mop of curls on his head as he thought. "I could get used to him!" The thirteen year old smiled brightly. "Two kings sounds weirder than King and Queen though, huh?"

The father pat Antonio's head affectionately. "It does. And once you take my place as king, you won't just be the king of Iberia. You'll be the King of all Europe." "That sounds like a big deal. You think I'll handle the pressure?" Antonio asked the king, his emerald eyes wide with concern.

"Everyone in the kingdom loves you. You're sure to win the hearts of all your new people over, so don't worry about that. But the work is a little troublesome. Especially when you're as lazy as Papa here." the king of Iberia laughed, pounding his chest with his fist to contain his laughter.

"Papa! You always know just what to say~!" Antonio said gleefully as he launched himself at his father in an attempt to hug the older man.

At last the Carriedo men had returned to their own kingdom, safe and sound within the borders of the castle. Almost as soon as the first of the royalty stepped out of the horse drawn carriage, a guard was at his side to escort him into the castle, another one appeared after that to escort the other.

Antonio laughed as he followed the stoic guard inside. "So, how was your day, amigo?" he asked, causing the guard to glance back ever so slightly before giving a slight nod. Obviously in no mood to answer. Antonio huffed and looked away.

This was boring.

Maybe after his siesta he could go out among the townspeople. Enjoy a day with 'em since he was still in his raggy clothes 'disguise'. No one would even know he was the prince.

His father wouldn't mind either since he had done this several times, coming back with merely a scratch on his hand from tripping on the cobblestone sidewalk. But then again, Antonio never did pay attention. He tripped ten times more on the slippery halls of the palace. So perhaps outside was safer than inside?

Either way, he had to tell his father before he went but, ah, first he had something to take care of.

Antonio trudged up the grand foyer stairs made of marble, almost slipping and cracking his jaw on a higher up stair several time. See! The floors are almost like deathtraps.

Finally the teenager reached his destination, his room. He opened the nicely carved oak door and stepped in before closing it. His room was rather large and had windows with clear curtains hanging on them. Towards the inside wall where there was no windows was his queen sized bed. He sighed and plopped down at it, looking up at his yellow ceiling. He let out a content sigh before allowing himself the pleasure of taking a siesta.

What? You thought he was doing something else more important? Antonio had mentioned that he would be taking a siesta before going out!

A good hour had passed before the Spaniard had woken up. He wiped the sleep from his eyes with one hand and held himself up with the other. If he allowed himself to lay back down, no doubt he would fall back asleep. He let out one gaping yawn before stretching and cracking his back with a few satisfying pops.

Now fully awake, he noticed how messy he must look. Well, just his bed rumpled clothes, more like it. After all, no matter how much he brushed his hair, he'd always wake up with the "straight out of bed" look.

Antonio smiled before shuffling out of bed, walking a little slowly to the door. He tried to make himself more awake for once he entered the halls but failed, though a sleepy smile held fast. The tired prince wandered throughout the grand halls of the castle, glancing at the occasional clock hung up.

After thirteen years of life, Antonio had learned the basics of his father's schedule so no doubt he'd find the older gentleman in his office attending to official matters.

Eventually, the Spaniard reached the king's office. He stood in front of the door, dazing for a bit before he finally blinked away any other emotions and smiled as he casually walked inside the office.

Just as predicted, the king was sitting inside on a large chair behind a desk. A small candle was already lit despite the gleaming sun still shining bright. "Papa," Antonio smiled as he walked to his father's desk. To be quite honest, the room intimidated him. It turned his father's normally energetic aura into a serious and sluggish one. Not to mention how small the room made the tall boy feel.

The king looked up briefly with his reading glasses on and gave a small hum in acknowledgement. "I'm going out into town, just thought you should know." "Si, go. Thanks for telling me though," the king said sincerely before waving his son off.

Antonio simply smiled and raced out of the office and into his room where he quickly slipped on some old torn shoes before racing down the stairs with a sudden burst of energy. No matter how many times he had done this, Antonio loved the sensation of becoming one with his people. Blending in as yet another person in the crowds and no one near important as he really was.

Everything was calm and peaceful for the most part, other than the usual bustling and calls of street vendors to "try this fish" or to "look upon the finest of jewels." Antonio occasionally stopped and looked at all the trinkets the market around him had to sell. When something really caught his eye, he pulled out a bronze coin or sometimes a silver and handed it to the vendor before storing his new toy in his pocket.

He smiled happily as he strolled along the docks now, enjoying the sound of the ocean and the beautiful sun touching his skin. Oh look! Another cargo ship was coming in. It was off in the distance and only it's gray shape was distinguishable.

Antonio hummed as he sat at the edge of one wooden platform and hung his legs over, feeling the cool splash of the water crashing on rocks below him.

The boy spent what felt like hours watching the ship in the distance roll in but what was in reality a few minutes. As the ship came closer in the ten minutes, and it had come in quick, quicker than it should've, you could easily make out some of the finer details on it.

It was bigger than any average boat and had been carved beautifully with had a nice groove running up and down the entire ship. Since it was larger than the others, it seemed to hold more people thus windows being all over the side of the ship but that wasn't what caught his eye. It was the big black flag with a simple skull and crossbones billowing in the breeze.

Antonio gasped and held in a breath as he examined the dark ship further. It was pirates! Has anyone else seen it? The prince looked around wildly, clambering to his feet and almost slipping into the water beneath him. Everyone hadn't even taken note of the large ship coming in abnormally fast!

He had to warn them! They were his people! He had to warn them.

Why had no one listened...? Why?

Everyone thought he was a mere child playing games with another and called him "cute."

Not one had taken his warning seriously. All but one, that is, and that didn't make much of a difference. The one who had payed him mind was the first one to die once the pirates landed. He was boy of seven, he took his heed seriously and went to fight off the pirates without his mother's nor the very one who warned him's consent.

Now all you could hear in the air were the screams of the people around him. The unsuspecting people trapped in houses and stalls burning or the people being cut down one by one by the people attacking them. Some children were even left behind in all the panic.

Antonio winced as he saw one baby, dropped, literally get trampled on. This must be hell. This never ending chaos.

Suddenly a sharp stab hit his back and retreated just as quick as it came. The prince gasped and collapsed to the cobblestone path he was standing on, feeling blood ooze disgustingly out of his wound. He glanced up with watery eyes at the man who had stabbed him in the back.

A disgusting man with yellowed teeth and long greasy black hair let down under a red bandanna. The man was gruesome. It'll be a terrible way to die, looking at this man's disgusting face instead of being elderly and being with the one he loved when he died, like he had always planned.

The Spanish prince shut his eyes tight and waited for the killing blow before he heard a new voice. He peeked an eye open and saw a man in a long red coat mysteriously come out of the fire. The brightness from behind the man made Antonio wince, soon it wasn't only brightness making the prince wince. It was the gross sight of blood on the new man's coat, the smell of it.

"Diego," the new man snapped angrily. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" he hissed. Antonio's attacker, Diego, shrinked back at the growl of the other man and if he wasn't paralyzed in fear, our Spaniard would do the same.

"I told you there are thirty fucking members apart of this crew we need new young recruits. This boy seems to be the perfect specimen, young, strong, and you had the gall to attack him. If I didn't have a heart, I'd bound your hands and toss you into the fire!"

At this point, Antonio was reminded of the fire and suddenly the suffocating fumes became noticeable as well. When did he begin breathing this quickly? Well, this wasn't good. Surely it wasn't safe to inhale all these gases. How did the pirates bare it? The prince got dizzy and suddenly his head collapsed and everything went dark.

It was dark and hazy, just like all the other days he had been aboard this hell hole.

A familiar snicker of a pirate sounded as a sudden brightness filled the dark room. Antonio winced and tried to push himself further into the wall he was leaning on, hoping to escape what was next.

He knew what would happen to him. It happened everyday. The beatings got worse when he refused to acknowledge what they were saying.

"Hey, kiddo~" The man smirked, using an endearing name on someone like himself. "Can you tell me exactly who you are again?"

"Antonio Fernandez Carriedo, prince of Iberia." the usually cheerful boy spat angrily.

An immediate sharp pain hit his back. "Wrong!" the pirate yowled loudly.

"You are a pirate! Nothing more nothing less! Now what are you, you delusional boy?"

"I'm the prince." Antonio insisted.

Another crack of the whip.

At this point, the prince was crying, he couldn't bare it anymore.

"What the fuck are you?" the pirate screamed, not impatient in the least.

"I-I'm a pirate." he whimpered, wincing as he prepared himself to meet another whip.

Nothing.

The pirate narrowed his eyes and retreated.

Why didn't the deceitful man hurt him? He would hurt the prince...but not a fellow pirate?

But he didn't hit him again so maybe...he is a pirate...

Years have now passed. A young man of eighteen stood proudly at the head of the ship at the wheel. This young man had been aboard the ship for five years and had easily topped the ranks with his favorable personality and was now first mate.

The day was clear and the winds sailed strong, it seemed that they would be able to make it to their next destination just in time for sun fall.

A door opened and a clicking of boots sounded below him. The captain must be out. "Hola Captain~!" the first mate crowed cheerfully.

The captain looked up from the deck below him, sending a lazy smile at his first mate. "Hola, Antonio. You holding up well?" "Si!" "Well even then, I want you to rest, I'll have another man take over," the captain said, a certain fondness in his voice. "After all, I want you in the raid tonight. I wouldn't want a precious friend to me, almost like a son, to miss out on such a great loot!"

Antonio laughed jollily as he watched the captain pace to another crew member and point at him and tell him to trade places with him.

There's no place he'd rather be. He'd been a pirate his whole life, hadn't he? And this must be the life that was made for him.

"Fire!"

The guards were guarding this city.

The young Antonio, now twenty three, dodged bullets easily, blocking some with his axe or using useless members nearby as a shield.

Damn, this wasn't good. Too many people were going to die and then they'd need a whole new crew. New recruits might mean that loyalty wouldn't be in the right place. Well, once it was taught to be loyal or death was sure to be painful they'd be good enough to make a decent crew...

Suddenly an order from the far side of Antonio's vision screamed. "Retreat!"

It wasn't bad that they were retreating, they were a pirates. To brave through the weak and cower away from the strong. It was nothing out of the ordinary.

Antonio immediately dropped the corpse of once a crew member that he had used as a shield and ran.

He ran in the general direction of the captain, seeking comfort in the other's strong presence.

"Captain," Antonio gasped, trying to catch some air as he ran once he was finally running alongside him.

"Don't worry," the captain smiled, crinkles forming at his eyes. How old was this man now? The once young man who had taken him off the streets and onto his ship. (Or so he was told.) About fifty or so?

Out of all the shots in the background, there was one louder than any of the others. It ringed in our Spaniard's ear. It was a death sentence of someone important.

Antonio's heart was pounding in his ears and everything seemed to be in slow motion. Antonio glanced to the side to see his dear captain still smiling when it happened.

A bullet fired right in the back of his head.

It didn't take long for the already dead man to fall. Antonio wanted to collapse with the man and yowl in grief but he knew he couldn't stop.

He was the captain now. He couldn't stop. He couldn't abandon those on board. He couldn't.

Tears traced Antonio's cheeks as he ran, never stopping to say goodbye.

His biggest regret to this day.

Three more years, on this day, it was the anniversary of the beloved captain's death. They were going to raid the very same city he died at.

They were going to burn it to the ground and make sure everyone there knew what it was like to lose someone. Everyone was going to know the pain he had endured for years.

After the death of his captain, his best friend, Gilbert, had become first mate. Then Francis, his other best friend, became head chef.

These were the only two people to even see remnants of Antonio's old personality. After the death, he had grown a cold exterior. He craved to see other's hurt. They all needed to hurt...so badly.

An hour had passed since the raid began and Antonio finally stepped off the ship.

He walked through the fires and ignored the splatting of blood vandalizing every wall. Instead, he stopped dead in the middle of a fire in the grand courtyard, looking down at the cobblestone sidewalk of this place. He smirked. This is the exact spot at the exact time his captain had died.

Antonio fell to his knees and gave the sidewalk one long stroke. The captain was like his father. Allowing a single tear to flow, he stood up once more. He spat on the place where the captain had died and cursed himself for even becoming so attached to another when all it would do was bring pain.

He then made his way back, ignoring how tips of his red coat were burned and boarded the ship, immediately to be greeted by Gilbert. "We have something to show you~" "We?" "Well, Francis and I but Francis got it for you! He thinks it's totally awesomer than this necklace I got you." the albino smiled, dropping his loot into the captain's hand.

"Did every crew member return with something?" Antonio asked coldly. "All fifty-six members!" His first mate reported with a salute.

Suddenly Francis appeared from behind the mast. Which looked odd. Why was there rope around the mast...it wasn't usually there...It's a waste of perfectly good rope!

"Ah, I have something extra special for you as well," Francis purred as he strolled over to his captain. "Que? 'Awesomer' than Gilbert's necklace?" Francis nodded and pointed at what was tied to the mast.

It was a man. He looked to be in his late teens or early twenties but that didn't exactly mean he was pleased. He twitched and looked at Francis.

He leaned down and forcefully grabbed the boy's chin, inspecting every feature of the cowering thing.

"Why'd you bring me a boy, Francis? This is nothing I can use. He looks scrawny as well, wouldn't do well working either." Antonio demanded, angrily. Such a waste! He could've brought back something much much more valuable than a worthless street boy. It would've been fine if they needed members but...they didn't.

"W-well, he was just so cute. Not to mention he had the gall to stand up to me. A feisty one comes once in a blue moon, figured you'd like to keep him." he explained nervously, wringing his hands around one another.

"I don't. We have fifty three members and we don't have room for another. Goddammit Francis, you're lucky you're one of my best friends otherwise you'd be off this ship along with the boy." he hissed, pointing to the ocean. Good, his crew members had successfully done the order retreat without even receiving the direct order from himself.

"Désolé," Francis apologized. "I'll get twice as much loot next time... Now what shall you have me do with the boy," he glanced in the other direction, avoiding eye contact with his captain.

"Well..." he growled, beginning his sentence as he stood up, throwing the boys head out of his grasp and wiping his hands on his pants in disgust. Antonio smirked as he heard the boy's head hit the mast painfully once...twice!

When he turned to see if the fragile little boy was crying he only saw the boy's hat had been flipped off. Oh no, this wasn't an ordinary boy. Not at all. That curl...! What a great catch. He needed to apologize for calling Francis out on this. This may of been better than he thought it originally was.

"Forget everything, amigo. This may of been the best gift yet."

Woot! Woot! I finished! Editing is my least favorite part. Bleh, I should have one of you guys edit it for me. =w= But sadly, I can't do that. Anyways, for those of you who suspect you won't get this chapter at all, it's pretty much a sum up of everything that happened to Antonio throughout his years. This chapter is to avoid any things later on like, "TELL ME YOUR PAST SPAIN-SENPAI." "OKAI, CHILL. SO I WAS LIKE KIDNAPPED." LE FLASHBACK. Okay? No. I hate flashbacks, bleh! Just a waste of story in a chapter. If you're going to waste chapter space why not just dedicate a whole chapter to it. Sorry for ranting. Anyways, I liked this chapter and I'm sorry it's shorter than the last, the last chapter wasn't even supposed to be that long. I was just going to end it at the part where Francis kidnapped Lovi but y'know, whatcha going to do? GOSH DARN IT I RANTED AGAIN. Forgive me. ;w;

Till next time R&R~! -Le Love Mother