When the Indians saw Baekhyun's ship approaching, they immediately started reorganizing everything. Tents were put up for the crew, food was laid out, and the men and boys lined up to greet them.

Baekhyun took one look at the camp and scrunched up his face. They were always trying to up to him for his gold. He didn't really need their help. He and his crew could get by easily on seafood. They were  very skilled in fishing and some were very talented in spear fishing and harpooning. But a lifetime diet of seafood didn't sound very tempting to Baekhyun. He ate a lot of fish, of course, but Baekhyun was a picky eater. He missed real meals every now and then. Baekhyun took a swig from the bottle in his hand.

"Hoooome!!!!" Jihyun exclaimed loudly, stretching her arms over her head. She stood next to Baekhyun, and squinted to see the faraway Indian camp. "Look, oppa, they're preparing a welcome party!!" She pointed at the large group of men and boys near the coast.

Baekhyun tore his eyes away and walked back towards his room. "They're welcoming my gold!!" he shouted bitterly.

The ship slowed to a stop as it slid onto the sand. Boards clacked onto the sand and men started running off, forming a semicircle around the chief. There was a lot of talking and shouting. Jihyun excitedly ran and greeted the chief, bowing gracefully.

Baekhyun threw away his now-empty bottle and walked down the ramp slowly. Silence spread like fog through the camp, women and children peeked out of tents cautiously.

Baekhyun surveyed the camp. It had gotten smaller than it had been a few months ago. The men were skinnier and more rugged. Baekhyun grumbled. It must have been a bad year for crops.

~~~~~(^-^)~~~~~

"Look Leo! Pirates!" Lay whispered excitedly. He watched as Baekhyun and his crew were led into the camp.

Luhan pointed with his stick at Baekhyun. "Look!!"

His eyes widened. "Look at his neck!"

The boys looked closely. Around Baekhyun's neck, hanging on a thin piece of twine, was a large purple pearl. Taemin's pearl to be exact. It was the mermaid pearl, one of the most valuable things on the island.

"We have to go tell Taemin-hyung," Luhan said, already walking back into the forest.

The boys scrambled after him. The ran through brush and over roots expertly. They knew this forest like the back of their hand. They jumped over rabbit holes before they could see them, dodged branches hidden by other branches, and barely squeezed through the smallest of spaces, all at full speed.

"HYUNG!!!!!"

Taemin was busy sharpening his wooden spear and trying to ignore Minhee. When he heard the boys, he dropped his knife and wielded the spear. "What is it?" he asked the breathless trio, peering past their head and into the jungle.

"Byun... Baekhyun... is back," Luhan gasped, trying to catch his breath. He leaned forward with his hands on his knees for support.

Taemin's eyes narrowed sharply and he slammed the base of his spear into the ground. He stood up straight with a fierce look in his eyes.

Minhee's head leaned out of the wooden cage they had locked her in. She still couldn't believe they actually had a cage. She would be able to get out if her hands hadn't been tied behind her back. "Who's that?" she asked. Although she wanted to keep complaining about the cage and unfair treatment of a fellow human being, her curiousity won her over.

"Be quiet, girl," Taemin snapped, giving her a quick scowl. "Luhan, give me a full report."

Minhee started protesting immediately. Taemin shot her a dark glare, silencing her.

Luhan saluted ridiculously and began to speak in a chanting tone. "Yes, sir! Byun Baekhyun, pirate captain, arrived ten minutes ago to the indian camp! His ship is on the eastern shore! Crew numbers 17 people! He still has that girl with him..." Luhan's serious face changed mysteriously at the last line. He softened. Minhee couldn't figure Luhan out sometimes. Maybe he had something to do with the girl.

"And hyung!" Lay burst in, interrupting Luhan's thoughts.

Taemin turned to Lay, lowering his spear. Lay hurried out in front of where Luhan was standing very straight.

"He has your pearl!!" Lay said energetically.

Taemin spun the spear in his hand and stabbed it forcefully into the grass. "Is this true?" he asked, shifting his eyes to Luhan.

Luhan nodded slowly. "He's wearing it." He rubbed the spot between his collar bones to show Taemin.

Taemin looked at the each of them one by one. "Prepare boys... I'm going to get it back."

~~~~~(^-^)~~~~~

"And the crops?" Baekhyun asked.

The teen shook his head. This was Sparrow, an indian Baekhyun saw as loyal. Sparrow had short cropped hair, unlike the other indians his age. He was skinny, but fit and ran faster than Baekhyun thought was possible for humans. All in all, Sparrow was very useful.

Baekhyun and Sparrow were standing in the sand near his ship. Baekhyun had been asking him questions about the camp and the tribe. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore and his ship didn't allow anyone else to overhear anything that might be said.

The young captain glanced at the camp again, confirmed his crew was getting along fine, then turned back to Sparrow. "What happened to the crops? I know there wasn't a drought this year."

Sparrow leaned in close to his friend. "It was that boy," he whispered. "Lee Taemin. He knocked down a torch one night and half the field burned."

Baekhyun's jaw locked angrily. Half of the tribe's field could have feel his crew and the tribe for months. "Didn't I warn you guys last time?"

A half-sigh escaped Sparrows lips. "It didn't work. I guess the traps were defective or something. He couldn't have seen them."

Baekhyun scowled. His hands clenched and unclenched and his blood boiled. His eyes lingered over the edge of the jungle. Baekhyun took a deep breath, glaring between the trees. "His rats have probably seen us by now," Baekhyun said calmly.

"They'll come tonight. For this." Baekhyun reached up and rolled the pearl gingerly between his thumb and forefinger. "Set the traps in the evening. When they're building up the fire."

Sparrow nodded quickly, glancing up as people approached. Then some man called for Baekhyun and the two started walking back. Before they parted, Baekhyun muttered, "and make sure they work."

"Huh?" Jihyun looked from the tall indian boy to her brother. Make sure who works? She shrugged it off. The crew was already working. She figured Baekhyun was probably just being picky, as usual.

~~~~~(^-^)~~~~~

Night fell and everyone was preparing a feast to welcome Baekhyun and his crew. Loud shouts and cheers could be heard coming from the bonfire. Baekhyun sat next to the chief. In his drunken stupor, Baekhyun was laughing loudly to the chief's lame jokes.

Sparrow, who sat next to him, leaned over and whispered to him. "Captain, you shouldn't be drinking so much. The pearl--"

"I shouldn't drink?!" Baekhyun interruped. He cackled with maniacal laughter. "Why, Sparrow, my friend, this is a celebration!!" He raised his glass in the air, the contents spilling over onto the dirt. "CHEERS to me!!" he roared.

The tribe echoed him with a "Cheers to Baekhyun!!"

Baekhyun's smile disappeared. He tilted his head in confusion. "Cheers to Baekhyun?? I'm your captain!"

A nearby crew member stuttered, "Ah y-y-yes, of course! Cheers to the captain!!"

His cheer was echoed, and with a smile, Baekhyun continued his merry celebration.

Sparrow shook his head and got up to leave. He wouldn't get anywhere talking to Baekhyun when he was like this. He patted Baekhyun's shoulder once, and then hurried off into the shadows.

The flames made the shadows on Baekhyun's face dance. His eyes were unfocused when he looked at the chief. "Where did she go?"

The chief was a fat man. He wore little clothing and had a long braid down his back. His face was dirty and scruffy, and he was old. But to the tribe, he was a pillar that kept them all strong. But right now, he was acting as silly as Baekhyun.

"Who?" the chief asked with a smile. "Your girlfriend?"

Baekhyun hit the chief in the arm lightly. "No, stupid... I mean Ji... Jihyun." He pointed to the empty spot next to him.

~~~~~(^-^)~~~~~

Jihyun crept away from the bonfire. She hated when they partied like that. They were loud and annoying, and if she wasn't careful, she could get hit, or worse. She was heading back to her tent when she saw a shadow slip past.

Her heart skipped excitedly. She was hopeful. Maybe it's him, she thought to herself. She followed the shadow until it came to a stop. She immediately ducked down behind a crate as the shadow looked around behind it.

She examined him carefully. Yes, him. The shadow was unmistakeably the figure of a man.

He was really tall, and he looked over his back suspiciously. Suddenly, he bent over and seemed to be fumbling with something on the ground. Jihyun strained her neck to see, but the long grass hid whatever thing the shadow was messing with.

A cloud passed over the moon and they were suddenly cast in a dark shadow. Jihyun hid lower, afraid she would be found. Because she couldn't see, she focused on listening to the man. The sound of clinks and clacks could barely be heard over the breeze that filled her ears. Clinks she recognized. It was a noise she heard daily, all day long. The sound of chains.

The cloud passed over and allowed the moon to brighten up the plain. Jihyun strained her eyes. The man was lean and tall with short hair. He suddenly straightened up and ran off soundlessly. He was fast, and Jihyun could only watch as his coat danced in the wind behind him. His style of running...

"Sparrow!" she suddenly gasped. Jihyun looked back at the spot he had been standing. The chains... Make sure they work. Was this what Baekhyun had been talking about? she wondered.

~~~~~(^-^)~~~~~Flashback~~~~~(^-^)~~~~~

7-year-old Jihyun laughed wildly as she ran. "Uncle! Uncle!!! You can't catch me~!" she sing-songed.

River suddenly stopped chasing the small child and yelped. Jihyun stopped so suddenly, she almost fell, and then turned back to look at her uncle. The flowers that had been carefully tucked in her braid fell out and flew away. He was staring at her wide-eyed with his hands out in toward her.

"Stop it right now," he said carefully.

Jihyun's smile slowly faded. "Uncle, what's wrong?"

He motioned toward the ground with a nod. Jihyun followed his eyes to a spot in the grass right in front of her. There were chains and sharp objects on the ground. If she had kept running, she would have run into them.

"What is it?" she asked, backing away from the scary items.

River pulled her closer to him protectively. He led her back toward the camp. "That's a trap... for wild animals."

~~~~~(^-^)~~~~~End Flashback~~~~~(^-^)~~~~~

"A trap?" Jihyun whispered. Suddenly, the shadow reappeared, creeping from the jungle toward the camp. No. It was a different person this time. It was him.

He snuck closer and closer. Jihyun's eyes shifted nervously from the man's outline to the spot where the scary trap lay. She knew she shouldn't. Him falling into this trap, or one of the many other ones around the camp was exactly what Baekhyun wanted. But as he crept closer, Jihyun's heart raced with worry.

"Don't!!" she exclaimed when the shadow almost reached the trap. "Taemin, don't come closer!"

There was a flicker of light. Then he was gone.

Jihyun waited for a long time, but he was really gone. She was a little diappointed, but there was nothing she could do. Her heart was racing. This was the second time she had ever spoken to him.

Taemin was actually watching from afar. It was that girl. He thought she had disappeared. But he guessed she was with the pirate now. He decided to leave. He had already been found out, but he didn't think she would tell anyone. For some reason, he hadn't been stopped yet. He assumed it was because of her. She was watching from behind a wooden crate.

She suddenly stood. "Taemin-ssi, it's dangerous. Please go home."

Taemin floated high over her head. She hadn't found him yet. He looked around them. Light from various torches and the bonfire cast a soft glow on her back. There was no one around. She was alone. Taemin suddenly let himself drop a few feet. "Who are you?" he asked.

Jihyun jumped with a sharp intake of breath, her eyes flying up to where Taemin was suspended in the air. Her eyes widened. This was him. The owner of the shadow she's been chasing for a long time. His hair was messy, his wavy bangs seemed to be tickling his eyelashes. But behind his dark brown-red hair were big and dark round orbs, full of curiousity, and reflecting firelight in perfect silver flecks.

Like the idiot she was, she had forgotten his question completely. She looked over her shoulder, making sure no one was approaching. She was completely flustered, quickly swiping her hair away from her face, hoping she looked okay.

At a time like this, you shouldn't be worried about your face, she scolded herself. It's dangerous for Taemin here.

The corners of his lips quirked up suddenly, displaying a dazzling smile that gave "perfection" a whole new meaning. After one last look at the camp, Taemin tipped an imaginary hat at her and flew off.

A few seconds later, JIhyun heard her approach. "Jihyun-ssi!! Where did you go?!"

Jihyun got up and started walking back. "I'm here... I just came to get air!" she announced, distracted. She was watching the last traces of Taemin disappear into the night.

~~~~~(^-^)~~~~~

A/N: I really love writing this. Fantasy-ish is so fun to write.

I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it~