Blood.

It's a scary thing to see as a captain. Of course it means someone has been injured; that's a given. But when there's so much blood -- enough to soak through someone's clothes and kill them -- that's when it's terrifying. Because out on the open ocean, if you're without a ship surgeon blood is the scariest thing possible. 

You might not be able to save whoever's blood that is. 

Now, we're not on the ocean at the moment, obviously. In fact I have no idea where we are, on a map. That's less frightening than it is worrying. Especially now, when there is blood. A lot of it. Soaking into the back of my shirt. 

But it isn't mine. It isn't Eric's and it certainly isn't Shima's, who is cowering in my arms -- leaving everything and nothing up to my imagination. 

Eric just killed First. 

Breathing erratic, I spin around, covering Shima's eyes with one hand and I watch as First's headless body tumbles to the ground --

"Eric, you --" I gasped, somehow unable to look away. It isn't frightening, which shocks me more than the blood pooling around my feet. "You just -- him --"

He wipes his dao on First's cloak. "I killed him." His voice, usually so calm and even, shakes slightly. 

"Eric, his head is rolling on the floor." I said. Shima whimpered and drew closer to me. I remembered suddenly that he was young, and I pulled him into my arms. 

Eric bit his lip. "I know." 

I breathed out. "You...did that for me. So I wouldn't...die." 

He nodded.

"I'm sorry you had to do that." He opened his mouth to protest, so I continued. "Murder is...hard, for people like you."

He nodded again, eyes drifting to Shima. 

I also looked at the Shinigami. I was confused as to why he was so shaken. Didn't he do this all the time? Wasn't he a death god?

I decided to ask. It was probably a bad idea to bring any of his life into the already broken situation, but hey. I'm a brat. We've been over this. 

"Shima, love?" I asked quietly, pulling back slightly so I could see his face. I was surprised to see his sharp eyes were wet. "Um...what's up?" 

He took a deep breath, stepping away and facing the door, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. "I don't deal with the bodies." He paused, and the silence weighed over us like rain clouds, heavy and dark. "I keep records because I..." He swallowed hard and tapped his foot, seemingly impatient to speak. "I'm weak. I can't look at this sort of..." His eyes welled up again and when he spoke again, his words were strained. "Apparently...when I died, it was very..."

An unfamiliar protective feeling coursed through me, and I pulled him back into an embrace. "Sorry, darling." 

He chuckled dryly. "Don't, it's my fault." Shima sniffed one last time before putting space between us once more and glancing at Eric. "You two should go." 

I very stupid idea struck me suddenly. 

Eric gave me a pleading look. As in, don't you dare you stupid, unpredictable, emotional --

"Shima, come with us!" I exclaimed, grinning and grabbing his hand, jumping on the balls of my feet. "You know, we've never had a supernatural entity on our ship before. I'm sure that your...spiritual presence would flatter our establishment!"

"Spiritual?" Eric muttered skeptically. 

 Shima was glancing between us, uncertain. "Me, him, your ship. Like, permanently?"

I smirked, giving Eric an 'I always win' stare. "Why yes! However long you wish to stay!"

He frowned, slowly shaking his head. "I'm immortal. You'll all die and I won't go with you." 

The words were harsh but true, a fact I had to remind myself of. "Yeah, but...it's better than here, right? You don't like it here." My grin morphed into a sad smile. "If I've learned anything, it's to make due with what time you have." 

Shima shifted, uncomfortable. "You'd be...adopting me? I'm not normal, you know." 

I rolled my eyes. "You're excellent at stating the obvious, even better than I am." 

He cocked an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Oh, stuff it," I snapped. 

Eric walked forward until he stood beside me. "You two do realize we're discussing this over a dead body?"

His voice was so dead and dry I would have laughed if he wasn't making a very good point. Shima and I wasted no time in scooting out of there, Eric on our tails. The door slammed behind us. Luckily, we were alone in the hall. 

"Please come with us," I begged Shima, making use of my well-practiced pout. "At least for a bit? I'll miss you. And you can tell me more about the future." Besides, if someone finds out you were a witness to your leader's death and the murderers were missing, I doubt it would work in your favor, I didn't add. 

He was torn, I realized smugly. 

He caved suddenly, sighing and rolling his eyes behind his thick frames. "Fine, I'll freaking come with you, geez." 

I gave an exclamation of joy and hugged him, grinning. "My friend, we'll get you some normal clothes and a sword, and you'll fit in just fine!" I gave his weird attire another glance.

"Whatever, if you insist..." He waved me off, but I could see a smile playing on his lips. 

Eric lightly brushed my shoulder. "We should hurry." 

I jumped away from Shima, already distracted. "We should!" I announced, grabbing his hand and then Shima's. "So...how, again?"

Both of them were as lost as me, judging by their silence. 

"What did First say?" I asked, shifting uncomfortably at his name. "Something about us...willing ourselves back?" I grinned, "It sounds like some weird fictional shit."

"It sort of is." Shima pointed out. "I could transport myself to Earth in a second, but I don't think I can take you with me...that's a higher-level Shinigami thing." 

I blinked, snapping my fingers. "How did we return from where we were with Adeena and Jack?" I wracked my brain; somehow my memory was foggy. "Didn't Adeena sort of...tell us to go?" 

"Yes." Eric nodded, "But we had decided it was time to get back, remember? So that it wouldn't be any more difficult than it already was."

"Point taken," I said. "So...we just need to decide to leave?" 

"I guess," Shima shrugged. 

"Well, I'd like to go," I said cheerfully, bumping hips with Eric. He smiled slightly. "I'm sure Eric does too, so..." My gaze drifted to Shima. 

He looked a tad guilty. "Gimme a sec..." He closed his eyes, and his image flickered. Once he was again solid, he sighed and looked at us again. "Alright, we can --" 

I blinked, and we were no longer in the Office. 

Instead, the smell of salt assaulted my nose, and the floor rocked beneath my knees -- someone was holding my hair, jerking me into place and pushing me to the ground. I recognized the wooden planks I was faced with as the deck of the Pearl. 

We were back.