In the Dead of Night [Arc Part 2]

Miku blinked in surprise at how quickly and casually Anton had accepted her suggestion. It was also during this surprise that Anton had quickly moved behind her and grabbed her with all four of his arms.

A high pitched yelp actually escaped Mikus lips before she could stop herself. A part of her was worried that he was in fact trying to arrest her, another part was yelling that a man was forcefully embracing her, and a small more quiet part of her was surprised at how gently he was handling her.

Of course all these thoughts were vocalized as "Wha- No, let g-, Oh we're in the air now! This isn't ok- I think I'm gonna be- Hey, watch those hands!" And many other objections, accusations, and exclamations of surprise mixed together. The woman wasn't sure if she was angry, scared, or relieved herself. Maybe it was a mix of all three.

Eventually Miku quieted down and got used to the motion of Anton's leaps. If any emotion radiated off of the Rascal it was most likely petulance at being carried like this. Her arms were crossed and a pout firmly set itself on her lips as they leaped from branch to branch.

Miku’s attitude didn’t improve much during the trip but it did allow her mind to wander, most of those thoughts revolving around the bastard who was currently carrying her. ‘Why was he so trusting? Why hasn’t he tried anything yet? What’s his deal? Why join the dirty corrupt Marines?’ These thoughts along with others swirled in her mind and she couldn’t quell the curiosity that was brimming inside of herself. Even if she asked her questions would he even give her proper answers or simply ignore her. Relationships between Pirates and Marines were easily comparable to water and oil for good reason.

The Rascal was pulled from her thoughts when Anton had stopped leaping after his last landing, she was naturally prepared for another leap but it never came. Instead she was gently, not that she cared, released and put down onto the rather sturdy branch they now occupied. Miku simply nodded in response to Anton’s statement and took a couple of pointed steps away from him, patting herself down and straightening out her clothes despite them being not actually crumpled or anything. She looked back at Anton narrowed her eyes and took a deep breath before releasing it and forcing out what was owed. “Thank you… for the help… Anton.” Miku decided to use his name instead of any one of the multitude of nicknames she had given him thus far. Though she immediately turned away and decided to find a nice spot to declare her own.

The yawn that Anton released was contagious and she couldn’t resist releasing her own. Miku decided to go up against the main trunk of the tree and settle herself right against her, so she could sleep in an upright position in case something happened. As the bluenette got as comfortable as she could while sitting back against the tree she watched Anton morph back into his purely human form. It wasn’t as disgusting as she once may have described it, though that may just be her not being as disgusted by him as a person. Eventually she decided to at least ask one of her questions and see if it could lead to a proper conversation between the two.

“Hey Anton,” Miku said with a slight moment of hesitation as she waited for him to give her his attention. “Why did you become a Marine? Don’t you know how corrupt they are?” The question was genuine and Miku had really only come across the corrupt kind in her life so far, so meeting Anton was definitely a shock. He seemed like what people often described the Marines were supposed to be, but why couldn’t someone like him have been around on Centaurea where people needed him the most? The old bitter feelings of resentment were swirling in her again but for once they weren’t directed at Anton simply for the uniform he wore.

The Rascal listened intently as Anton actually answered her question, she had half expected him to ignore her. It was a surprisingly happy tale of family glory and upholding the greater good, something that seemed to fit the man before her quite well. Until he revealed the end of his brother's tale, at the end of pirates. A common story for most Marines who don't manage to retire, or so she had heard. She made no comments about his tale and simply absorbed the information. It was certainly thought provoking, hearing how Anton was practically peer pressured into becoming a Marine. Wasn't family supposed to protect you from such things?

When Anton called himself a screw up Miku actually chuckled a bit. "I don't think you're doing too bad of a job, Anton." Miku said with a teasing tone. "I mean, sure you can't catch me but I'm an unfair comparison to other pirates." There was a small teasing smile on Miku's face as she looked to see Anton's reaction. His ending statement about bring a sense of justice back to a chaotic world really struck a chord with the Rascal and she grew a bit more somber.

"Funny enough, I didn't want to be a pirate at first. Not that most kids probably ever do, I think." Miku started off when the question was tossed back at her. "Why a pirate? To be honest, I was practically labeled one just for standing up for people. Where I'm from, the Marine's aren't dressed as nicely as you." Miku said looking up at Anton's once pristine uniform that she could tell he at least took care of when he wasn't fighting for his life. "Back home, Marines and Pirates were no different. There was no real law, no real governing body, just survival of the fittest. Marines would bully taxes out of people for their protection despite most people having only a single berry to their name. Pirates stole anything that wasn't bolted down with little to no resistance from the Marines. So no real difference." Miku said all this with a distant look on her face as she began to remember her years of surviving along with other kids on the streets of Centaurea.

"So, one day, I find out about a dirty deal between a local 'doctor' and a few of the local Marines. The doctor would take any young troublemakers out of the hands of the Marines in exchange for berries. The Marines made some quick cash and the doc got some fresh subjects. I tried tackling it alone but back then I wasn't as strong as I was now and I was barely able to hold my own against most thugs. However I happened to run into a pirate who was investigating the same rumor I had confirmed, you probably know him by his wanted poster, Magic Man Nathaniel." A fond smile finally appeared on Miku's lips as she remembered meeting the surprisingly kind man. At least, he was kind to her and her little brothers and sisters.

"Together we managed to shut that operation down, and he took all the responsibility despite my involvement. At that point, I had grown tired of my own home and decided to sneak aboard some ships to travel. I couldn't afford to pay passage as I was just an urchin and no one would believe a girl as short as I am would be of any help aboard a ship." Miku looked at Anton with a small pout as if she just accidentally confessed to a crime before smirking mischievously.

"Anyway, I randomly traveled and kept running into scumbags who took advantage of others who were in similar situations as I was. So I would teach them a lesson by beating them within an inch of their lives or until they got the point, including corrupt Marines. Eventually I started getting called the "Rowdy Rascal" because of my tendency to start trouble and... my... stature..." Miku admitted begrudgingly before continuing.

"It was at that point that I was being branded a pirate just for delivering my own brand of justice and helping people. At that point, I couldn't exactly walk up to the Marines and explain my situation, now could I?" Miku asked Anton before immediately continuing her story. "Anyway, I decided to embrace the label and became Miku E. Sato the Rowdy Rascal of the South Blue." Miku threw her fist into the air as if she was punching something neither of them could see above her. With her blue eyes staring into the night sky through the canopy of trees she spoke a random thought that occasionally drifted into her mind on late nights. "Though, I wonder, if I had met someone like you before that, would I be wearing that uniform too?"

It was at this point that Miku realized that she had spoken for quite a while, "Wow, I really went off on a bit there didn't I? Sorry, Anton, hopefully I didn't bore ya to sleep."

Miku wasn’t sure what to expect after baring so much of her past to Anton, a part of her was mortified that she had spoken so much. Her eyes shone with a rare vulnerability but she refused to make eye contact with the Marine. So when she heard Anton apologize for what she had gone through it hit her rather hard. No one had really listened to her full story since she had set out on her adventure since meeting Nathaniel. Let alone someone who believed her despite how it may sound to anyone other than herself. It actually caused a weight that she hadn’t felt on her shoulder before lightening, as if she had simply gotten used to carrying it.

Her blue eyes actually began watering a bit before she quickly brushed her eyes and made sure to tip her hat down as if she was preparing for sleep. “Yeah, well, I guess we’ll never know now.” Miku said in a wistful tone as she folded her arms and began to settle in for the night. “Hey, Anton.” Miku said as she began to feel the aches and exertion of the day start dragging her to sleep. “You’re alright… for a Marine.” She said sleepily as her head dipped and she began to fall into a much needed slumber.

Dreams of a life that could have been filled her head, her adoptive mother never succumbing to her illness thanks to the medicine supplied from a kind marine. That same marine protecting them from the horrible thugs that ruled Centaurea, all while promising to save as many as he could. Miku growing up and joining the ranks of the Marines to protect her home and her friends. A different version of the Rowdy Rascal that could have been.