"Merely three days after she told me her story, we heard shots and the ship was breaking apart more than I could keep it together. I thought this was her chance to escape, but when I freed her from her chains, Ironjaw's men found me, cornering us until Tasue had arrived when she fell from the deck. She saved us, then Damion did when we got to the next level. Then… Alloy…" She glanced at her eyes. "You saved Kakeha with your words… and when you beat my captain."
"Don't mention it." Her smile narrowed, "I hate people who devalue others' lives."
"I hear the story, but Kakeha here has been running from the Syndicate for a decade." Damion began. "Alloy, even if we need a navigator, there's a chance her being with us might bring us trouble later, I'm surprised Yukio isn't doing anything about this."
"The only thing I know, is we encountered pirates. After hearing this story, I don't think I'd dare to ask the Syndicate about it." Yukio commented.
"Alloy-san, please, you are the leader of a guild. I told you this story so you may sympathize. Please take Kakeha with you!!" Tella begged, her face entirely covered in dried tears.
"So you're a navigator…" She said, clearly showing she didn't hear the entire story.
"Yes. The stars are my guide." Kakeha replied.
"Well… can they guide us too??"
"The stars guide everyone who watches them."
"Can you watch them for us??"
"What do you mean??"
"No one really knows anything to do with navigation here." Damion intervened. She remained speechless. Alloy's smile returned, wider.
"Kakeha, join us!! Travel the world with us as our navigator!!"
Unsure and surprised, she looked at Tella. Tella in turn nodded, telling her to do it. She added a remark, "They aren't bad people, you can learn to trust them."
'Trust.' Kakeha thought, 'Trust. I haven't trusted anyone since… it happened. But what she said' No one should be afraid to live. 'She meant it, with her entire being.' Alloy seemed to already have an influence on Kakeha when she faced Ironjaw.
"I don't want to be afraid to live. Alloy-san… I'll join you. Maybe… this is the path the stars wish for me to take."
"YES!!" Alloy yelled.
"Welcome." Damion smiled.
"We have a new member!!" Tasue shouted.
And so, Kakeha joined Alloy's crew as their navigator. She had three members, four, including herself. She wanted nothing more than to celebrate, however, Tella was still in cuffs, Damion had noticed this, as well as Kakeha's blank gaze at them.
"We'll go out and let you talk. Alloy. Tasue. Let's go.
"The three walked out, "Yukio." Alloy said. "Let them talk."
"I will." He said. Putting back the compasses in his coat. He looked at Kakeha, "We're here if you need anything." He glanced at Tella, sighed, then walked out to the deck as well. Closing the door behind him.
"Her story…" Alloy began "Did she like the sunset??"In everyone's blank expression, Damion sighed and walked to the front of the deck. Tasue behind him.
"Alloy-san, you need to listen more… especially to your new crew mate." Yukio mentioned. She chuckled nervously.
"I was never used to listening to people," she walked to the right side of the ship. Her hands crossed on the bulwark. "Ivy used to retell what they said to me during the sunsets we'd watch together." The wind caught her hair as it flowed.
Tasue then jumped next to her, "Was Ivy your friend??" Her umbrella violet open, shining her purple hair more than the sun could. Damion walked up to them as well. "Yeah, but I'd like Kakeha to be here for me to tell you all what happened."
Just then, Kakeha opened the door and stepped out with new clothes. They all heard the door open and watched. All of them held starstruck expressions. From the bottom, with brown sandles, she had on sleek, silk looking blue pants and a white off-shoulder blouse. However, her clovered eyes and her hair, her luxurious black gleaming hair with white streaks that were dirtied while she was aboard the ship. They girls ran to her.
"KAKEHA!! YOUR HAIR LOOKS LIKE THE STARS!!" Alloy remarked.
"YEAH!! ITS BEAUTIFUL!!" Tasue added.
"Th… thank you…" she smiled nervously. "I'm done talking with Tella… she's asked for you." She said, looking at Yukio. Who went back inside.
"Alloy-san… thank you for letting me join you. I hope I'll be of help." She said.
"Don't worry about that!!"
"Alloy… she's here now, what were you gonna tell us??" Damion spoke.
"Oh!! Yeah…" she sat down.
"There was a woman who appeared in my kingdom not long ago, my friend, Ivy, seemed to recognize her, but all she did was steal a sword from my uncle, a famous one, you somehow remind me of it, Kakeha…" she sighed and continued. "I messed up trying to get it back and she got away with it, but, the next night, she attacked again, killing and injuring many with the goal of getting Ivy, I don't know why, I don't care what for. After they left, I don't remember much, but I was told I lost control. I was lucky I didn't hurt anyone else, but that woman, Perilius… she's strong, every time I confronted her, I was always interrupted, either thinking about my parents or someone or something else stepped in. And because of that, I lost my best friend. Kakeha…" she glanced at her.
"Yes??"
"You don't know this, but I set out to find my parents, I was found when I was eight years old and raised by the best man I know, but I have always wanted to know who my real parents are. They could be looking for me too, they could be great people in the world and not know about me!!" She sulked down. "I just wanna find them… tell them about all the friends I've met and all the ones I'll meet from now. The places I… we'll go."
"I hope I get to meet them too, Alloy-san. May the stars lead us there." Kakeha mentioned with her hand placed on her shoulder.
"Yeah," Damion and Tasue agreed.
Alloy then stood up, a smile back on her face. They watched her walk to the front of the deck and suddenly, she clutched her stomach and fell to her knees.
"ALLOY!!" They shouted as they ran to her. Yukio heard them and opened the door wide. Tella tried to peak from inside.
Alloy then stood up and ran to the bulwark and removed everything she ate in the least elegance in her entire life… at least what she remembers.
"Ritta was right…" she murmured.
"What?? Damion asked.
"You can't cook…" she coughed.
His face went blank. The dumplings he tried to make earlier did not sit well with Alloy's stomach, and soon enough, Tasue ran to her side and did the same. Then, Damion leaped to the other side of the ship and did the same. "We need to find a cook…" Damion coughed up.
"I TOLD YOU!!" Alloy remarked.
"Alloy-san, you guys, I thought you ate our food…" Yukio began.
"Your rations taste like stale moss…" Damion said. Driving a sharp knife through one of the three troops.
"Can moss get stale??" Kakeha asked.
"He should know… he lived in a swamp for years!!" Alloy continued.
"Aniki lived in a swamp??" Tasue asked.
The deck was filled with lively chatter, Tella had moved to the door to see Kakeha's smile and a chuckle out of her, she smiled as well, believing a better fate caught up to her before a worse one would.
"There's an island we're close to, we will find cooking supplies and maybe find recipes while we're at there." Yukio mentioned.
"OKAY!!!!" Alloy replied. Damion then turned back to feel his cooking reject him once more.