Calmer of the Storm: Alright…this is the last chapter. I can say right now that some of you are going to be angry at me for it, as it is a little open ended. If there is enough demand I MAY right an epilogue, but it really depends on you guys. As far as I'm concerned, the story is finished.

And so I would like to say thanks to you all; firstly to those who reviewed. Obviously reviews aren't everything, but they do make me feel happy. If it weren't for you guys, I probably wouldn't have continued on with the story. And thanks to all who fav'd and read the story; I really appreciate you taking your time to enjoy the story.

So there you have it! The last chapter of my (most likely) last huge story!

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Chapter Twelve: Hope and Light

Her breathing was laboured and her brow was covered in sweat. Takeru looked down upon the face of the woman he loved…the face of the woman he might never see full of life again. Her skin had drained of all colour and she was now paler than a ghost in the moonlight. As Captain Scar he had faced many things; stared death in the face more than a few times. But never in his life had he ever been so afraid like he was now.

In a matter of mere hours she had gone from bad to worse; in the first stages she had writhed in pain, which had been heart-wrenching enough. But now she lay in silence, standing only just this side of death's door.

He already knew he was losing her. He already knew that, once this one last mission was over, she would be going home. She hadn't informed her brother of anything yet, and now it was probably a good thing, because it looked like she wasn't going to be going home at all. But she had made her decision before they set out. In that moonlight bathed moment that seemed so long ago now, Takeru knew that the two things he loved…this woman and the sea…could never work together. They were two desires that warred within him, two rabbits to chase. And when one chased two rabbits, neither was caught. Takeru had chosen his rabbit to chase even if he had been forced in that direction by the hands of fate.

But seeing her there lying before him on the brink of death, he wasn't so sure anymore. His mind went back to that night when their lives had been so drastically changed. The only thing that had been running through his mind was that he had to protect her. Seeing her within the vice-grip of a man four times her size had caused his young heart to beat furiously within his chest and his vision to swim. He had left with the satisfaction, despite his own circumstances, of knowing that she was going to be okay. He had seen her running across the field alone and not followed by any of their captors. In everything that he was, through Captain Scar and right down to the very depths of his soul, Takeru knew that he could never truly live without her. Knowing that she would one day end up in the arms of another man had not seemed so difficult at the time…but now, for some reason, it was different. Maybe it just hadn't sunk in before. She had asked to go on one last venture with him, and he had more readily agreed then than ever before. Maybe it was because he knew he could drag it out; maybe he could prove something to her. And now, because of that decision, she was going to die.

In the little make-shift infirmary that was in the heart of the ship, Takeru suddenly lost all of him that was Captain Scar. In front of the Doctor he allowed himself to become the boy he had been during those dark first few weeks of his capture; forsaken and void of hope. His light was fading…the reality of it was just too striking to ignore.

The Doctor pulled the cloth from her forehead in order to re-soak it, for her burning skin had rendered it useless. He watched his captain with a sombre expression, knowing that it would be hard for him when the girl passed on.

"Is she…suffering?" Came the broken voice.

A sigh escaped the doctor's lips; he knew this would be difficult. But if there was one thing the boy knew how to do, it was being able to tell a liar. "Very much."

Takeru's head sunk into his hands. "It's all my fault. If I hadn't let her come…if I had persuaded her to stay…"

The Doctor replaced the cloth on her forehead, "Don't blame yerself, sonny. Ain't gonna do ya much good 't all."

There was no response, but the Doctor knew the boy wasn't going to let it go.

"If only this, if you 'ad just done that…iss never gonna end, boy. So don' wallow in what ya coulda done, 'cause it ain't worth it."

Takeru clenched his fist. "But I could have stopped this. I could have-"

He was cut off after a sharp pain on the side of his head. Incredulously he looked up towards the Doctor, who was now clearly very frustrated.

"Nothin'. You coulda nothin'. If ya could see the future, mebey, but…" He allowed his words to trail off as he saw a sudden spark flash through the boy's eye; some sort of recollection.

Takeru swallowed hard, those words from a while ago ringing through his ears. 'I will help you in your time of greatest need, boy'

The Captain suddenly scrambled to his feet. "The witch. We're going to see the witch."

The Doctor's eyes widened suddenly, not knowing where this decision had come from. Even now Takeru had told the rest of his crew nothing of what had passed between him and the old woman. All they knew was that he had come out of there very angry, but also very much alive.

"Now what in the blazes would bring that on?" The Doctor was nervous about this, though Takeru did not know the exact reason.

"She said she'd help me in my greatest time of need."

The Doctor knew a thing or two about the witch. He knew there were always strings attached. "How do ya know this is that time?"

Takeru clenched his jaw. "It doesn't matter. I don't care, maybe it's not. But I have to try."

"Ya could lose everythin, boy."

"I'm about to lose it all now!"

A moment of heated silence passed between the two, but eventually the older man nodded his head. Takeru was angry, though the Doctor had to admit, it was better than moping. Moping people didn't get anything done.

With that Takeru stood from his stool and stormed out of the infirmary, taking his fury and letting it out on the crew. They would be working hard tonight, that was for certain. None of them would rest. But they would do it for the captain that they followed so loyally. For he whom they would lay down their lives, giving up one night of sleep wouldn't be too much of a sacrifice.

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Two days. It had taken two days to reach L'isola di Vita, and during those two days Hikari only got worse. When Takeru wasn't manning the helm of the ship he was at her side, sleeping less than even the rest of his crew did. It was painful to watch her there, her body succumbing to the pulls of the poison. Every once and a while she would convulse as it reached new thresholds within her body, and he could feel his heart dying along with her. If he lost her now, Takeru knew he would lose it all. Ending his life had never been something he had condoned, but he knew what he would become. Takeru would forever be dead, and Captain Scar would take over. And it would be a Captain Scar without the rationality and the light that drove Takeru; a most terrifying thing indeed.

The ship was run aground again, the tide low as it had been the first time they'd come. The girl was placed onto a stretcher and a select few members of the crew accompanied her. The Cook did not venture out, though his brother did, for he feared that if things went ill with their captain it would be even worse for him. This fear would have not stayed his hand, however, had Takeru not insisted he remain behind. Someone needed to lead the crew, even if only for a short while. The Doctor went to keep an eye on Hikari, though he knew there was little he could do for her now save for trying to ease her passing.

Time could not have passed slower for Takeru. If he'd thought that the previous trip up this mountain had been long, this was an eternity. Time was something that they did not have, if they wanted Hikari to live. As the seconds ticked by her life slowly ebbed from her body. Hikari was a fighter, but her body had never been very strong. Against the poison she would not win. It was a miracle that she had lasted even this long. This was their last chance…their last hope. Takeru knew that he would give up everything for this girl, which was perhaps what he was about to do. He would ask the witch to give him a chance to tell the girl he loved her, and then he would allow her to do with him as he pleased. Perhaps she would take cloak that he wore as a trophy to add to her collection, for he wore no distinguishing rings and he had no gauntlets. No matter how much of a pirate he had become, he knew that Hikari had to live. Even if it meant living with Willis…at least she would get what she deserved.

When they reached the hut, Takeru signalled for the men to put the stretcher down. "I'll take her from here." He said quietly. The uncertainty showed through his quivering voice, and he did not care to hide it. He was not sure if either of them would make it out of this alive, but he had to try.

"Captain…" Iori took a step forwards as his friend began gathering the girl up in his arms.

Cradling Hikari against his chest, Takeru looked to his first mate. "It'll be alright. If something seems to be going wrong, get everyone out of here. You'll have to succeed me eventually, 'cause we all know that the old fogey won't want to lead the crew for very long." He was speaking of the Cook, of course.

Iori only sighed, shaking his head. The two shared a glance and Takeru began the last few steps towards the forsaken-looking hut.

As he stepped inside he saw that not much had changed, right down to the dark clad figure in the corner. On his way over Takeru had run through a list of things to say in his mind, but they escaped him now and his throat was dry. She knew he was here, he had not been quiet in his entrance, and yet she said nothing.

Finally it was too much for him. "Please…I…I've come for help."

The figure finally stirred, as if waking from sleep. "I said to only come at your time of greatest need." The way she spoke indicated to him that he had made a mistake; that this was not in fact his time of greatest need. To think that things could get worse than this…he didn't even want to think about it. But his mind went quickly to the other indication of her words; now it was over for him.

"Take me, then, but save the girl. She is an innocent party. Allow for her to live and I swear to you I'll do whatever you ask of me."

The woman sat up a little straighter on her stool, then slowly turned around. Her green eyes met his blue ones and for a moment neither of them moved. Takeru had resigned himself to doing whatever it took; to giving whatever of himself he had to in order to save the delicate girl that was in his arms.

Finally, the woman's face softened. In that moment she suddenly looked very tired and very…old. One might have gone so far as to say that she had even smiled. Takeru was not sure what to make of this sudden change of demeanour, finding himself more nervous than he would have if she had turned on him.

"I shall do as you ask. There is no need for anything further, though, for I see that you have come to realise the importance of the girl you carry. She who is more valuable to you than your own life…that is a greater treasure than what man can ever find."

With this the woman stood, motioning for him to place the girl down on a mat that he had not noticed was spread out on the floor. Had it even been there before? He wasn't so sure.

As he followed her directions Takeru couldn't help but feel a little cheated. This was the great treasure that so many had died to seek? The love of a woman was precious, he knew that now, but to be led to believe that it was 'power and riches beyond that of what any mortal man could comprehend'? It was just a little too much for him.

He was standing back now as the older woman fed Hikari a strange smelling solvent. Though nothing had been said she chuckled while placing a cold cloth across the girl's head. "You, dear boy, really are a pirate through and through."

Takeru stared at the woman with an incredulous look; there was no way she could know what he had been thinking.

"You think I can't see what is written all over your heart? The thoughts of the mind are mostly silent, but it the heart that screams loudest. Why do you think men are so easy to overtake? Women are too, of course, but it is only young men that come seeking. And it is much more difficult to deceive a woman when you yourself are one." She was rambling, he figured. But it was making him nervous.

She did not speak for another while longer, doing things to Hikari that looked normal and routine. But he thought he noticed the colour returning to her cheeks, though it could very well have been the dim lighting in the room.

Finally the woman stood. "She will not die now."

Relief flooded through the young man like nothing he had ever felt before. He felt his knees become weak and he almost fell to the ground, except that the woman did not look so happy.

"But she will not live, either. Not with only this treatment."

At this, Takeru felt himself becoming angry. "You said you could help me! You said you could save her, you are supposed to be the most powerful woman in the world! How can you tell me these things, how can she not die and not live at the same time?"

"She will simply remain in this state until her time is up, be it old age or other disease."

Takeru felt his knees give way and he fell to the ground. To never have Hikari well again…to see her forever in this state. He would never be able to tell her he loved her, regardless of whether she wanted him or not. Now he would never know. He cursed the hope that had been built up in the last few seconds; it came crashing down on him fiercer than any tidal wave he had ever seen. She may as well have died, if this was to be her fate.

The woman watched him, her heart breaking at the despair that took the boy. To live without his light…it would not be easy. She did not want to think of the man that he would become. She knew what it was like to live without hope; to dwell in a place forever alone while despair consumed and tormented. It was not a life she had chosen for herself. Light without hope was simply despair, though it was all consuming and severely incapacitating. She had been weak, secluding herself and seeking to fulfill that hole with anything and everything. The ability to see was a wonderful thing, if one had a filter. But her filter had been lost long ago. He had turned her away for other things, and it had quickly been his end. But for hope to live without light…the darkness would consume him, turning him into a creature that would surpass anything else, and he truly would become the most fearsome pirate to sail the seas. It would not be a pretty sight, she knew, and she could see that he would meet his end in the worst possible way. She was old and brittle now, though, and details were not so forthcoming. But she had not cared to look in quite a very long time now. At least, not since the boy had first come to her.

"There is hope, dear boy, you just need to find it. You once asked me what treasure I guarded and if I would give it to you. I will tell you what I guard and I will give you what you truly seek, for your eyes have been opened."

Takeru was uncertain as to what this had to do with Hikari and helping her. If there was hope, he was sure it was lost, wandering someplace he could not find it. But something told him to listen; perhaps he could at least walk out of here with something more than what she had already promised. If he couldn't have Hikari, maybe he could have what this woman had refused to give to so many others.

The woman sat down again, this time just above Hikari's head. Her eyes faded to a distant look as if she were seeing something in the far distant past.

"I have been around for far too long, clinging to something that is no longer mine to cling to." Her voice was soft and as cryptic as ever. Takeru knew better than to interrupt. Apparently time was not an issue now, seeing as Hikari would not die. His thoughts were bitter as he considered this, however, for it also meant that she would never again truly live.

"It is difficult, living in despair. It renders one utterly useless, taking away the will and the very ability to live. I found strength in stealing hope from others, though it was not lasting. That is where the stories come from, you know. I do not devour the hearts of men, I simply take their hope. While I do not kill them myself, I found ways to make it so that they would never truly wish to live again. There were few that escaped me, only those who were daft enough or clever enough to escape my advances."

Her eyes flickered to the present, resting on Takeru. "And then there was you, one who reminded me so much of the hope that fuelled me all those years ago. Those like me find it in many capacities, sometimes it is a friend or a brother…but many times it is a lover. I live with the memories of all those who have gone before me, and of all those who have supported them."

The woman stood again, rising as she had the first time he visited and going to the gauntlets. "These are all I have left. He was my hope, and I was the light that guided him. He was a fool, though, a pirate greedier than anything I had ever seen. The sea took him, in the end. The sea does not forgive those who do not respect it."

It was a sad story, but he was not certain what it had to do with him or Hikari. Unless she was telling him that he was the thing that would sustain her…that he would keep this immortal-looking woman alive.

Her eyes turned to him. "I thought about it, you know. I thought about forcing you to remain with me, to be the thing that kept me going. But I knew that if you existed, so did she." The woman motioned to Hikari. "We do not exist long without the other, for we cannot. But I'm sure you've already got that figured out."

The Captain clenched his jaw. "And yet you tell me that I must live without her again."

The woman smiled softly. "I said no such thing. Merely that the treatment I gave her would not be enough. Her body was meant for a power that I cling to, a power that must be passed on in order for her to live."

"Power? What kind of power?" The young man was thoroughly confused now.

"The power to read the hearts of men. Occasionally one can see into the future, depending on the strength of that heart. It is the power to drive away darkness and despair, but cannot do so alone. It is the power to bring light and life to all those who truly seek it, and even more so to those who deserve it."

His eyes were wide now; none of this made sense. And yet, at the same time it almost did. It would explain why she was so inexplicably compelling; why people searched long and hard and risked their lives for her. She did hold a power that was not attainable by pillaging and stealing, and yet it was only attainable by certain people. His eyes rested onto Hikari's sleeping form once more; she seemed to be that kind of person.

"What does this have to do with me?" He asked quietly, his eyes still fixed upon the girl.

"You are the thing that will sustain her. As long as you exist her power can be kept at bay. Others will seek it, as they realise what has taken place. There are those who know of my true power, just not its true secrets. These secrets must never be known. If it is found out that it is simply despair that can take her…" She looked at Takeru with pleading eyes, "You must be strong. You must not use it for your own gain. You must make sure that no harm ever comes to her." The woman was not so menacing now, her form reduced to that of an old and frail woman.

"Since I can remember Hikari has been the only thing I've truly lived for. When I thought she was gone from my life I allowed myself to become consumed by the pirate that they were turning me into. When I found her again I wanted nothing more than to take back what we had, yet I was much too stubborn. Now that I have stood on the brink of losing her, I know that I will fight with everything I am to keep that from happening again."

The old woman nodded after a moment, apparently satisfied by his answer. The conviction in his voice and in his heart was much too strong for her to ignore. As much as she wanted to cling to this last bit of life that she had in her with everything she had, it was time to let go. It was time to pass on the gift that had been passed to her so long ago. It was incredible how things came full circle…she just hoped that this boy had the brains about him to respect the sea. No one commanded it, though they liked to think that way. But she felt as though there was hope for him and a second chance for herself. Through Hikari and Takeru she would be allowed to live out the life that she had been meant to.

"Allow anything to happen to her, and I promise you the curse that will befall you will be greater than anything you can ever imagine." She became so dark and menacing in that moment, Takeru could only dumbly nod his head. He began wondering if maybe he should just lock Hikari up somewhere and never let anyone else near her…

Before he really knew what was going in, the woman had placed herself at Hikari's head once more. Her hands surrounded the girl's face, and she closed her eyes. What happened next was not something that he could ever describe, for there were no words for it. All he saw was a bright light as the two of them began to glow. It almost seemed as if they began to flicker in and out of existence, something that had him so afraid he didn't know what to do with himself. If he had been tricked…

The light then got so bright that he couldn't see what was going on, for he had to turn away. The old woman could feel the transfer of her power; the ebbing of her very life force as it drained from her and filled the void in the sleeping girl. Usually this was done through death and rebirth, but she had thrown things out of sequence. This was her punishment, to willingly have to give up her life in order to save the one that was to succeed her. Refusing to do so would have broken the chain, and there was no telling what could have happened if she had done that.

When it was done the old woman had only the strength to remove her hands from Hikari's head. A great sigh escaped her lips, and just before Takeru could thank her he watched as she began to fade away. At first he wasn't sure; he just noticed that there was sand piled around the spot where she was kneeling. But then he saw that her very body was turning into the sand, and he was suddenly very afraid. He hadn't expected this to happen! But before he could do anything, before he could try and save her, the last bit of her body disintegrated. A gust of wind, coming from the closed end of the house, blew through the room and caused the sand to disappear into nothing.

Takeru would have dwelled on this further were it not for the fact that Hikari had begun to stir. Immediately he rushed to her side, knowing that he had a lot of explaining to do. But for the moment he would remain quiet, for he was not sure the state that she would be in.

Hikari groaned, her head pounding and she felt as if she had been standing in front of a canon as it went off. Confusion washed over her features as she looked up into the face of Takeru, who was now cradling her head in his lap. She was about to ask what had happened when suddenly she remembered it all, but these memories were not her own. Realisation dawned on her and understanding filled her body. Somehow she knew what had been bestowed upon her, though she didn't know what that would come to look like. All she knew was that she needed Takeru, and there was no way she could leave him now.

Before she could do much else the Captain wrapped his arms around her, lifting her up to his chest. He held her like he had never held another before, knowing that he had gotten a second chance. If she would change her mind and remain with him, he knew he could be a better man. He would never be one that deserved her, but he knew now that he couldn't live without her. And if he thought he could, he now had an excuse not to.

Pulling away just enough so that he could see her face, Takeru smiled. In that moment he felt more peace than he had since that night that he had been first taken away from her.

"Takeru…" she whispered, lifting a hand to brush the locks of blonde hair that had fallen into his eyes.

The young man said nothing, and in response ducked his head so that he closed the gap between them, gently touching his lips to hers. No longer was he afraid of what she would do; as far as he knew he was losing her anyways. But he wasn't going to let her go without a fight anymore. He wasn't going to give her up to another man when he had every right to claim her for himself. When their lips met Takeru knew that things were right; that no matter how badly the government wanted his head, no matter how many crimes he had committed…this was where he belonged.

And Hikari wasn't thinking anything different. This was what she had dreamed of since seeing him again and even before that; since realising that she was in love with him. The kiss was simple but it did more for her heart than anything ever had. She knew that there was no going back now; no matter how much her brother begged and hunted she would not return to him. Willis was the furthest thing from her mind in that moment; that moment when things were finally as they were supposed to be.

Hikari could feel the anticipation behind the kiss as it was allowed to continue, and there was nothing she did to stop it. Takeru's grip around her tightened and she could feel as he did everything he could to get closer. His lips moved against hers with a deepening ferocity, though it was one that did not scare her.

There was no telling just where things could have gone, were it not for the sudden clanging of the beads at the entrance to the hut. A band of five pirates, led by the first mate Iori, came crashing into the room and effectively scaring the couple. The younger man's eyes fell on his Captain and his now-lover, shock and confusion, along with embarrassment, crossing his face.

"M-my apologies, Captain. There was a bright light and we weren't sure if everything was okay in here or not…"

Looking a little more than annoyed, Takeru sighed and allowed the girl to disentangle herself from his body. "And it took you this long to respond? Let's go, then. The others will be waiting." Hikari couldn't help but smile at his response; the red tinge to their captain's cheeks would not be lost on any of them.

"You're alright, then." Iori said, his eyes landing on the now-risen girl.

"Yes. More than alright, I should think." She cast a look to Takeru, who was just now exiting the hut.

"You still need us to make a detour for you?"

Hikari shook her head. "No, I think I'll be staying."

There was something in her voice that told him there was more to this than what they saw. There was no woman in the hut save for Hikari, though it was evident by the freshly extinguished fire that someone had been living here before. Whatever had happened he would have to get out of them later, when they had all had a good night's rest. Hikari still looked a little off, though he wouldn't question it. He just hoped that everyone would get a decent night's sleep, for the concept now seemed rather foreign to them all. It was at this point that Iori realised he was the last to leave the hut, and he did so in a hurry. He didn't know why, but there was something about the place that gave him the creeps. Hopefully they would never have to come back here again.

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