The Pirate and the Princess

Six years ago…

"I'm back." I sighed as my eyes fluttered open and I saw parents leaning over me. Not my birth parents, those liars, no, my real parents. The ones who I've always seen as parental figures. The ones who were there for me and Crysie when we were hurt. The ones who agreed to teach me how to use magic, not fear it. My real family.

"Oh my god! Ashlyn!" She yelled as she hugged me. I could feel her cold skin against mine, but for some reason, it didn't really bother me. I noticed tears dripping down her cheeks as she tightened her embrace on me. "I'm so glad you're okay."

I smiled. "Me too, Mom."

She looked shocked but smiled. "How are you-"

"I don't know." I lied. I didn't really want to tell her that her husband's worst enemy came to tell me the truth about my parents.

She just smiled and hugged me again. "For whatever reason, I'm just glad you're okay. I don't know what I would do if I would've lost you. You're like a daughter to me."

"And you're like a mom to me," I say with a smile.

Suddenly the door swung open, a voice calling from behind her, "Babe, I don't think I can hold them off much longer."

"Stay away from my daughter, Frost!"

Mom just rolled her eyes and stepped away from me. I couldn't help but giggle at the shocked look on his face. "Ashlyn?"

"Hey, Dad." I expected him to be caught off guard by what I said, but he just smiled and hugged me. Once again his cold skin against mine didn't even seem to bother me. I hugged him back and smiled. I was home, with my real family. The ones who didn't doom thousands of children into eternal suffering. But something was missing. Someone…

"Get away from my daughter!"

"Ashlyn?" Mom said. "You're awake?"

"No thanks to you." I heard Elsa mumble.

"Where's Crysie?" I asked them all. I noticed that Jack and Elsa's expressions turned to frowns at my words, and a scowl formed on my "father's" face.

"She's where she belongs." He growled.

"My daughter does not belong on the Isle of the Lost!" I heard Elsa scream.

And at those words my heart shattered. My best friend, my...sister, was gone. She's on the Isle...she's suffering just like all those other kids.

"Bring her back." I whispered, but loud enough for them to hear.

"She almost killed you." Belle sighs. "She's too dangerous to stay here."

I saw Jack send a glare her way and Elsa pulled me closer, causing my "father" to growl at her.

"Stay away from her!"

Elsa sent a venomous glare his way and grabbed my hand. The cold of her skin didn't bother me, not anymore. I sent her a fake smile as tears welled up in my eyes.

"It was an accident." I whimper.

She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. I glared at her. "She's your daughter! Do you really not care about her enough to even try to fight for her? Did you even ask what really happened?"

I didn't give her a chance to say anything. I got out of bed and ran to my room. I heard her screaming my name and my parents chasing after me, but I ignored it. I grabbed a picture of me and Crysie from beside my bed. It was her ninth birthday. Next to us were her parents, they were smiling, Jack's arms wrapped around Crysie, while Elsa's were wrapped around me. We were like a family. It just felt right. How could they not even care about their daughter? My...sister. She doesn't deserve this.

I walked towards the window in my room, as I opened it I felt a cold breeze. One that reminded me of...Crystal. Any doubts I had instantly disappeared. This was for Crystal. With one more glance around my room, after silencing out the screams of my name behind me, I jumped.

You would think potentially falling to your death would be terrifying, but at that moment I wasn't scared, just determined, determined to save my sister from a pain she didn't deserve. That no one deserves. I tried to remember everything that he taught me about my magic. Let the wind guide you, I told myself, and then again, and again. Finally, I felt a gust of wind, it was powerful, and I couldn't control it, the wind blew against me, shooting me off into the night sky. It was dark and I could barely see anything, but that didn't stop me from screaming. Why the hell is my magic not working? This was the first thing he taught us, I did it before, why not now.

I'd be lying if I said the wind blowing against me didn't feel nice, but it didn't calm my nerves. Last time I tried to fly I got put in a coma, this time I feel like I'm about to die. Instantly all that determination I had is replaced with fear, guilt. This was my fault. It's my fault she's there. And with that thought I used my magic to direct the winds towards a shimmering white dome.

I finally felt free, relaxed. Never before had using magic been so much fun, but this wasn't time for fun, I had to bring her back.

No, it couldn't be!

I could see glowing yellow eyes in the distance, and a shadowy figure. The thing that attacked me and Crysie. It let out a loud sound as it started racing towards me.

"Wind!" I practically screamed, but nothing. "Wind?" Again, nothing.

It raced towards me, causing me to shudder in fear. No, don't fear it. If I don't fear it I can win, right? That's what he said.

It kept coming, faster and faster. I felt a horrible pain in my chest, causing me to scream in pain. My vision began to blur, and my magic faded, I fell. I felt something flow through me, all hopes of survival instantly fading. I'm gonna die right now. Never gonna say goodbye to Ben, or Crysie, to my parents. Nobody. I fell straight to the floor from a height which should've killed me. I felt my legs give out, along with an unbearable pain searing through my body. I screamed in pain as I saw the puddle of blood around me.

To say I was scared was an understatement. I looked around for the shadowy figure, but it was gone, disappearing in an instant. I was practically begging to go home, but the thought of Crystal suffering because of me kept me from it. I tried to get up, but I could hardly feel my body right now. I felt the blood dripping down my leg and the pain coursing through my body from the fall. I tried to call for help, but there was nothing. Nothing came out, not a scream, not even a whisper. It was just quiet. I felt my vision begin to fade, but I had to focus on Crystal. I couldn't afford to die right now, not when she could be out there suffering.

I practically begged for something to happen, for my magic to start working, for someone to find me, to go home, but nothing. I felt tears dripping down my cheeks as my vision completely faded. But then, I felt something cold. Like a mist. The cold feeling wrapped around me, around my leg, my waist, arms, around everything that was hurting. It was colder than anything I ever felt, colder even than Crystal's ice magic when she hit me. But as that coldness wrapped around me, the pain began to fade. Slowly I felt my legs again, then my arms, then everything else came after. I felt alive and healed. All the pain I previously felt was gone, I felt whole.

My vision began to return, I wasn't bleeding anymore, almost as if it was a dream, but...the blood around me proved otherwise. There were no scrapes or bruises left on my body. it looked completely normal, just a bit lighter, almost as if a weight had been lifted off of me. My breathing steadied, the tightening in my chest coming to a complete stop, almost like magic.

But he said it wouldn't work here. It couldn't work here. So why does it now? Why for me?

"What the hell just happened?" A voice muttered from behind me.

I turned towards the source of the voice, but it was hidden by the shadows.

"Who's there?" I cried.

They let out a dry laugh and walked closer. "What's a beauty like you doing here?" The voice asked.

I shuddered in fear but turned towards where I thought the voice was coming from. "I-I-I'm here to look for somebody."

They let out another dry laugh. "Lass, nobody gets out of this place."

I sighed. "Then I'll be the first." I say, using all of my courage to not stutter.

They laughed and walked closer to me again, at least, I think they did.

"You've got fire lass. I like fire." The voice laughed.

"Who are you? Show yourself!" I shouted.

They walked forward out of the shadow's, revealing a boy, maybe a year older than me. He was wearing a red leather jacket, one similar to the one Captain Hook wore in the stories. He had short black hair and light grey eyes. Honestly, they were kind of cute. He had a silver thing on his hand, definitely Captain Hook's kid. Oh, shit, is that a hook? He's gonna kill me. I'm gonna die. I'm never gonna get to see Crystal again, or get her out of here or-

"What's your name lass?" He asked.

In complete fear of him trying to kill me, I slowly turned around, my back facing him. Great idea, Ashlyn, now he'll kill you with your back turned.

Without another thought I sprinted away from him, running as fast as my legs could possibly go. I heard him let out a low growl before starting to run after me, only making me run faster. It was almost impossible to see, not only was it the dead of night, but there was hardly any light here, just garbage, just like Hades said, exactly what my dad lied about.

If I wasn't running for my life right now, I'd probably kick something in frustration, but that's not really possible when a psycho is chasing after me. Although, it's not like I gave him a chance to explain. I never gave him a chance at all. And if Hades was right, then they all probably carry weapons around, even at my age.

I began to slow down, trying to slip into a dark place where he wouldn't see me. Of course, that's always a great idea. Hide in an alley, you definitely won't be killed there. Well, not in Auradon, but here…

I hid behind a building, peeking only my head out to see if he was gone. A few seconds passed, nothing, minutes, nothing. Finally I decided to go out and see if he was there. Right as I took a step I screamed in terror.

"Hiya!" He screamed from behind me.

I turned towards him and used most of my will to not slap him. Dad would kill me for that. Both of them.

He walked closer to me and placed his hand on my shoulders. "Now why did you run, princess?"

I just shuddered in fear as I eyed his hook. He seemed to have noticed because he slowly hid it behind him.

I visibly sighed in relief and looked him in the eye again. His grey eyes staring at me, taking in my every feature. "Better?" He asked.

I shakily nodded.

"What's your name princess?" He asked again.

Do I tell him? What will he do? He's here because of my dad, do I tell him the truth or…

"E-Ella." I lied. Please don't kill me Hook.

"Pretty name for a pretty girl." He...flirted? "Parents?" He questions.

"Jack Frost and Queen Elsa." I answer immediately. They aren't as hated around here as my real parents.

He nods. "Harry Hook." He introduces himself. "Son of Captain Hook."

I nod, much more confident than before. He's much nicer than I thought.

"How'd you get here, Ella?" He asks.

"I'm looking for a friend. My sister."

"That doesn't answer my question." He taunts.

"M-magic." I answer, not sure of if I should be telling him.

He nods. "Yes, I know. I saw you fall from the sky. How are you completely healed? Magic doesn't work here."

I shake my head. "I don't know." I answer honestly.

He eyes me suspiciously but shakes it off. "Follow me lass."

He starts walking away, but he stops in his tracks at the sound of my voice. "How do I know I can trust you?"

He chuckles. "You can trust me lass, or you can find your own place to stay. There's a lot more dangerous and unforgiving people here than me, like Maleficent's daughter."

I shudder in fear at the mention of Maleficent. She's the evilest villain here, at least according to dad. But according to him, Hades was also a villain. And he's not. At least I don't think he is.

He starts to walk away again, me slowly trudging behind him. I'm here to find Crystal, not bunk with a pirate!

The entire time I was following him I heard screams in the streets, some of people arguing, some of terror, some of pain. Screams of...agony, just like Hades saId. I tried to tune them out, I couldn't hear them any longer, but I couldn't. They just got louder and louder. I expected a reaction from Harry, but he just walked along, as if it happened everyday. Right, that's because it does, at least according to what Hades said.

Harry just continued walking, ignoring all the screams. He glanced back at me a few times, but quickly turned around. After a few minutes we arrived at a small building by the water. It was run down, dark, devoid of light, the calm sound of the water being the only thing I could hear.

He led me towards the building, not even knocking on the door, just sneaking through a broken window. The room was completely empty. No bed, dresser, nothing. In the middle of the floor was a pillow and a small tarp, which I think was supposed to be a blanket.

The room was completely dark, no lamp, nothing. Just pitch black, the only light coming from outside.

"Stay here for the night. Don't let anyone know you're here. I'll come for you in the morning." He tells me.

I turned around to argue, but he was gone, or at least hiding. Without many other choices I sprawled out on the hard floor, laying my head against the pillow. Unlike the pillows in Auradon, this one was hard, almost as if it was filled with rocks. The floor was hard as concrete, and the tarp was colder than the heat it provided was worth.

Was this how people here always slept?

A million thoughts were coursing through my head as I laid on the hard floor in the pitch black room.

Where is Crystal? Am I ever gonna see her again? How could they not care about her? Did I overreact? Why did dad lie to me? Harry has nice eyes. What else did Hades want to tell me? Do they even miss me? Harry's kind of cute. Who's Maleficent's daughter? Is she as scary as her mom? Harry's pretty nice for a pirate. What is this place? Where is Crystal? Again.

All those thoughts spun around in my head as I stared at the ceiling. The last thought in my head before I finally fell asleep was, "I promise I'll get them all out. They don't deserve this." And with that, I fell into a deep sleep.

I opened my eyes to see a grassy expanse and a blue sky. The sun was shining down on my home in the Beast's Castle, in Auradon. I looked around, we were happy. There was a loud chime, a bell, wedding bells. Mom always told me about their wedding, I wonder who's getting married now. It'd be rude to intrude, right?

I looked towards the water, expecting to see the Isle, but it was gone. No dark cloud, the floating Island was there, but it looked...happy. The sun shun down on the Isle, in the exact opposite way it was yesterday. It wasn't polluted, damaged, destroyed, just home.

There was the sound of another bell, and a loud commotion. I turned to see hundreds of people rushing towards an old building. A church? I've never seen one of those, they all were destroyed years ago. I felt someone grab my hand and pull me along with them towards the building.

Please say I'm not being kidnapped.

As we entered the building I saw hundreds of people. Snow White and Prince James, Princess Aurora and Prince Philip, with no Audrey in sight, Elsa and Jack Frost, and my parents, but they all looked younger.

Mom was really pretty and dad looked...kind of nice. Not like how he did when I asked about Crystal. Crystal's parents looked happy. As soon as they saw me they smiled, but didn't say anything.

I turned towards my real parents, still confused as to what was going on.

"Do you Adam, take Belle to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

What?! Are they getting remarried?

"I do." He says.

The guy turns towards Belle with a smile. "And do you Belle, take Adam to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

What the hell?

"I do."

They both smiled at each other, while I sort of mentally gagged in disgust. I tried to physically do it, but my body was moving involuntarily.

"You may now kiss the bride."

They leaned in while I tried to look away, but yet again, my body didn't move. What the hell was going on?

There was a burst of applause.

I was mentally wishing my eyes would roll into the back of my head and I could look away, but unfortunately, my body had a mind of its own.

I turned around and saw Jack and Elsa walking towards me, but instead of walking to me, they walked through me. I just stood there in shock as I watched Jack shake hands with a guy completely in black. He had blue hair, pale skin, and….wait, is that Hades, you know, the god of death?

And who's the girl next to him?

Wait...that's the girl who dragged me in.

They all continued talking as if I didn't exist, but then the girl turned towards me and smiled...at me, right? I turned around to see if there was anyone behind me, but there wasn't, just me. She didn't move away, just looked at me, smiling, with adoration in her eyes.

Who the hell is this girl?

She broke eye contact with me and turned back towards Jack, Elsa, and Hades, smiling and laughing.

"I have an announcement!" Dad shouted after a few hours of me watching the group talking, laughing.

God no!

Everyone turned towards him expectantly.

"My wife and I have discussed this. And instead of a honeymoon, we are creating a new era."

Everyone turned towards him in confusion, while I just glared at him. Don't do this. Don't do this.

"We have hidden in fear of these monsters, these villains, for too long. They steal, and they kill, and destroy our lives! It's time to bring an end to their reign. It's time to protect the kingdoms from these villains!"

"Yeah!" The crowd cheered.

"With the help of Fairy Godmother we will send these villains into exile on an abandoned island, imprisoned and forced to live a life without magic."

No!

"It's time these villains pay for their crimes!"

"Yeah!"

No!

He then turned towards me and pointed at Hades and the girl behind me. The one who noticed me, I think. "Starting with these two!"

Hades and the Lady looked like they were about to explode in anger. Hades literally, into flames. Fairy Godmother started to cast a spell, but a blue beam knocked the wand out of their hand.

"Villains can change!" Jack Frost shouted, standing in front of Hades. How did those two become friends?

"And some aren't even villains." Elsa adds, defending the other girl.

They exchanged a worried glance with Hades and the girl, and then in a small flash of white, the two disappeared, but not until the girl shot me one last smile.

I woke up in the same dark room I was in last night, breathing heavily. As I looked around I noticed it still looked dark outside, but there was loud commotion outside. I laid there, trying to contemplate what I just saw, but I still didn't understand it.

Was it a memory? That's the only thing that could explain it. Why would I dream about mom and dad's wedding. But it's not like I was there the first time, so why would I remember it?

Was it someone else's memory. It was exactly like what Hades showed me. Was it his memory? But I saw him. He didn't even notice that I was there.

But if nobody else could see me, then why did the girl smile at me. Not at someone behind me, but at me. Me.

I was like a ghost to everyone else, but she saw me.

Why could she see me?

Thoughts circled around in my head, but stopped suddenly when I felt something cold against my neck.

I opened my eyes and nearly screamed. A thirteen year old girl with beautiful light brown hair, a red jacket similar to Harry's and chocolate brown eyes, was holding a sword to my throat!

Oh my god, she's gonna kill me.

"Who are you!?" She demanded.

Shit! Do I tell her my real name or the fake name I told Harry? Now that I think about it. She looks kind of like Harry and dresses similarly.

"E-Ella," I mumbled.

"How the hell did you get here?" She demanded.

"H-Harry led me here." I choked out. It's kind of hard to talk when you have a sword to your throat.

"Harry?" She questioned.

I nod slowly. Again! Really hard to nod with a sword to your throat.

"Where is he?" She asks.

"I-I-don't know. He left last night after leading me here. He said he'd be back in the morning." Time to try my luck. "Could you lower the sword so I can answer your questions without being careful not to accidentally slit my throat.

She rolls her eyes but lowers the sword. "Where are you from, Ella?"

"Auradon," I answer simply.

She immediately shoves me against the wall, once again holding the sword to my neck. "How the hell did you get here?"

"I-I'm looking for my sister. Crystal."

She was about to respond but was cut off by another voice. "Harriet, lower the sword." A warm female voice said.

I turned towards the source, a beautiful woman with blond hair, brown eyes, and wearing a red leather jacket. I swear, they all wear red. It's just in their blood.

"She's an intruder." Harriet growls.

"She is our guest." Her mother corrects. "If Harry brought her here it means she needs protection, not to be threatened.

Harriet rolled her eyes, but lowered the sword.

"Who are you?" I asked the woman.

She smiles at me. An Auradon smile. Weird. "My name's Emma, I'm Harry's mother."

"Oh, um, I'm Ella." I lie.

She looks at me weirdly but smiles. "Well, Ella, it's nice to meet you."

I smile. "It's nice to meet you too, Emma."

Harriet gags in disgust behind her. "Can't we just kill her? She's from Auradon anyways." Harriet complains.

Emma smiles warmly at her, turning her back towards me. "Just because she's from Auradon doesn't mean she deserves to die. Especially not at your hands."

Harriet pouts, but walks out of the room. "Sorry about her. She's a bit violent for her age."

I chuckle. "Harry told me everyone was like that here."

She sighs. "Unfortunately. After Adam's declaration, everyone was exiled here. Without proper law enforcement, it fell into chaos. The only way children survive here is violence."

"Why would dad do that?" I muttered.

"Your name's not really Ella, is it?"

I freeze as I look at her. Shit! She caught me. Me and my dumb mouth. "O-Of course it is." I lie.

She glares at me. "Something everyone knows on the Isle...is how to tell if someone's lying. With or without magic, Ella."

I just stayed quiet. "It's okay if you don't trust me with your real name. The fact that you didn't use it was smart. You might not have gotten such a warm welcome if people knew who you really were."

"Please don't-"

"I won't. Just promise me. If you do ever get out of here and see your dad again, remember that the Isle is also a part of Auradon."

I nod. "Thank you, Emma."

She smiles. "Your welcome, Ashlyn."

I froze. How does she-

"An alert about your disappearance will go out soon. I recommend you find your friend first." She says before turning around and walking away.

"Wait! Where do I find Harry?" I asked.

"By the docks. A huge pirate ship. You can't miss it."

I smile at her and climb out the window. It was only a few feet off the ground, so I was able to get out without much issue. I could hear Harriet complaining from inside and Emma's voice was louder than before now, despite me having left the room.

I could also hear another voice. A little quieter than Harriet's. A girl, maybe a few years younger than me. Her voice was quieter than everyone else, but she was still practically screaming.

Are they arguing about me?

A small part of me wanted to walk back over there and listen to their argument, but remembering I had somewhere to go, I ran off. I was given a bunch of glares as I ran through the busy streets. Some people were grinning wickedly, some laughing, but all of them were focused on me.

I might need to change my look if I'm gonna be here long enough to find Crystal. These guys all look like they want to kidnap me and…

Oh god no! I need to find Harry, fast! I started walking a bit faster through the streets, ignoring all the prying eyes on me. I finally made it to an alley and my heart started to beat faster.

An alley? Great idea Ashlyn! You're gonna get yourself kidnapped!

This isn't Auradon, Ashlyn! Stop running into alleys!

I slowly exited the ally, and seeing no prying eyes I sprinted as fast and as far as I could to the other side of the Island. Finally, I noticed a huge black castle. It was much smaller than our castle in Auradon, and it looked like it was about to collapse, but that did not make it any less terrifying. More even.

Dad told me Maleficent's here. This must be hers. Which means I should probably run.

I started to follow a small trail, seeing a small bit of glistening blue in the distance. Usually I would try to hear the water, but seeing as screams constantly echo through the place, it was a bit difficult.

I figured, this is an island, meaning if I walk in the same direction long enough I'll make it to the edge. From there I should eventually find the huge pirate ship that Emma was talking about. It probably is on the other side of the island if it wasn't in sight from there.

A few minutes later, after having been completely lost in my thoughts the entire time, I finally made it to the huge pirate ship Harry's mom told me about. There were a lot of people there, definitely not just Harry, in fact I don't know if he's even there.

I was about to walk over when an important thing came to mind, these people don't know who I am, and will probably try to kill me. I quickly hid behind a building, leading me into another alleyway.

Seriously Ashlyn! What is with me and alleys? It's like I'm begging to get kidnapped.

I slowly walked forward, but stopped in my tracks when I felt something cold hit me in the back of my head.

"Sweet dreams, princess."

I felt a throbbing pain in the back of my head as my vision began to return. The room was dark, devoid of light, leaving me alone to my thoughts and my pain. The pain in my head hurt almost as much as my chest did last night before I healed for some reason, but this time, it didn't heal. Not yet, at least.

I felt something cold dripping down my neck, my vision was blurred, there was this ringing sound echoing in the room, and I felt dizzy. The room was spinning, and I felt like I was about to collapse.

Suddenly the ringing stopped or there was a loud sound and something came into view, kind of. It was this blue blur, maybe a bit of green. Human, that's for sure, dark skin, I think, azure blue eyes, and weird blue and black clothing, similar to Harry's. This must be someone like him. A pirate. Right?

"What's your name, princess?" The blue blur asked.

I closed my eyes and pursed my lips. If I was able to move I would've turned away, but that was kind of impossible since I couldn't really move at the moment.

Why didn't I just stay away from the alleys? It was like I was begging to be kidnapped.

I felt a sharp pain against my arm, almost like something was cutting against the skin, is she trying to cut my arm off? Please no. "What's your name." They demanded again.

I painfully shook my head, regretting the decision immediately. The figure looked at me weirdly before swinging something at me. I felt a throbbing pain in my chest now. There was no blood, just pain.

"Name?!" They practically screamed.

"E-Ella," I stuttered.

My vision was beginning to return to me, despite the pain I was in. The blue blur formed into a figure, a girl, taller than me, maybe the same age as me. Wait, did someone the same age, or younger than me, kidnap me? This has to be a joke right. It was their parents, right? Or maybe Harry? But why would Harry kidnap me after offering me a place to stay? Is she-

"Good girl." She teased with a wicked grin. I hate her.

I just shut my eyes and tried to ignore her, which failed terribly when I felt something sharp against my arm. The pain dug deeper and deeper into my arm, leading me to the verge of screaming in agony, but not yet.

"Where are you from, Ella?" She asked. This time I did open my eyes. She was just staring at me, almost as if she was trying to find out if I would lie to her about that.

"I think you already know." I muttered under my breath.

"Where. Are. You. From?" She growled.

"A-Auradon." I answered.

She smiled. "How the hell did you get here?"

"I-I ran," I answered. Lies. Well, not lies, I did run away, I just flew here, not ran.

"And why?" She interrogated.

I pursed my lips, but didn't say anything. A mistake, considering I felt something collide with my stomach this time. I wanted to throw up, or to cry, or scream, beg to go home, but I didn't. I just stayed silent.

"Why did you run?" She growled.

I shook my head again.

Another mistake, as something cold brushed against my skin. "I'll ask you one more time. Why did you run?"

"I was looking for a friend." I answered. "My sister."

She smirked, "No more questions, princess."

I smiled, or at least tried to, "So you'll let me go?" I ask, hopefully.

She smirked. "Gil!" She shouted.

A few seconds of silence passed before the door swung open and a tall kid with dirty blond hair walked in. He was wearing a torn brown vest and had baby blue colored eyes. For being a villain, at least I think he is, he seems kind of nice.

"Yes Captain?" He asked, practically bowing down to her.

The girl smirked, "Throw the princess overboard," She commanded.

I'm sorry, what? Overboard? What do you mean overboard, like into the water, like tied up, like drowning? What?! What did I do for her to want to kill me. Other than be stubborn. Kill me? She's gonna kill me! I'll never see Crystal again, Ben, our parents, Harry…

"No, no, no, no, no!" I cried, basically screaming, begging for my life. It tried to flail my arms around, or to run, but my arms and legs were bound in some strong force, something like rope.

The girl just laughed and the boy, Gil, slowly trudged towards me. It didn't seem like he wanted to do this. He was frowning and refused to look me in the eye.

"Gil!" She snapped. The boy nodded slowly and walked towards me, wrapping his arms around my waist, before forcing me up.

"No! No! Don't do this!" I cried, no, I begged her.

She let out another dry laugh before slamming something into my stomach, again. She just laughed again, she enjoyed this, my pain, she enjoyed it. Maybe she really does deserve to be here. Maybe dad was ri- No. He can't be. Maybe she's just acting out, maybe she just handles her anger like this, instead of crying, or storming off to her room. Dad can't be right. Right?

"Gather the crew, they'll want to see the princess's suffering, after all her kind did to us. Those damn heroes."

"Revenge? Is that what you want?" I ask, my voice quiet as a whisper.

The girl smirks, "You've lived happily while we've been stuck here on this island suffering!" She screamed. "Nobody ever thought of us!"

I frown. She's right. Nobody even thinks about how people here are treated. The fact I didn't find out until now proves so. Nobody tried to look into the Isle. They didn't know how dangerous it was. And all these kids are suffering for that.

My thoughts were once again cut off by the blue haired girl, "They forgot about us!" She growled. "It's time one of you learns how we've felt all these years."

I open my mouth to respond, but no words come out. She's right. We forgot about them, but...

The girl smirks. "Make her walk the plank." She orders.

The boy roughly nods before dragging me towards the door, and this time, I don't fight it. I don't struggle at all, I just stay still. Tears were streaming down my cheeks, I don't want to die, I want to see Crystal again, I really miss Ben, I do want to see my parents again, and a part of me wants to see Harry again, but then again, maybe this is all his idea. Maybe he just was leading me to my death, but I know he didn't. I don't know how, or why, I trust him so much, but I do. He didn't do this, I know so, but that doesn't matter now, cause I'll never see him again. This girl's made it pretty clear that I'm just gonna drown in a few minutes.

We left the dark room, but even being outside there wasn't much difference in the amount of light. It was still dark, cloudy, but you'd hardly notice it over the screaming of the crew ahead. They all were cheering, for me, to be killed. They want me to be killed. What psychopaths.

But this is how they were raised, they didn't have another option, right?

I felt something wrap around my mouth, preventing me from speaking. Something cold was attached to my right leg, it was heavy, almost dragging me to the ground.

There was a chorus of laughter as I felt something rough collide with my stomach. I fell to the floor in pain, but the pain disappeared as quickly as it came. Then it came again, but like before it disappeared in an instant gone, like magic. The girl didn't seem to notice anything, but I did. And it's not like I could tell her, 'hey, I have magic, so maybe you shouldn't kill me.' Not with this cloth thing covering my mouth, aren't they supposed to be for drying things, not purposefully trying to drown me.

The girl ether noticed I was healing,or wasn't satisfied by my silence, because she pulled some sharp object out and pointed it towards me. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain, coursing through my body, the worst pain I'd felt in my life, a pain so bad that it felt like someone was carving holes in my soul. I felt broken, empty. No magic, nothing. I'd never see Crystal, or Harry, or my parents, I was going to die here, and they were going to enjoy it.

I let out a muffled scream from beneath the cloth, crying out in pain, causing them to release a chorus of laughter.

My cheeks were stained from my tears, my throat sore from my screams, and my heart bleeding.

They were gonna kill me, I'm gonna die.

My vision disappeared in an instant, a cloth wrapping around my head, blocking my eyesight. My knees collapsed under me as I fell to the floor. Rough arms dragged me up before guiding me somewhere. It was narrow, unsteady, it felt like it was about to collapse. It was practically bouncing as I was pushed farther and farther down it, causing me to lose my balance. I felt myself swaying, but the arms wrapped around me kept me from falling, not yet. There's no satisfaction in that, is there?

I heard another chorus of laughter followed by a cheer. The arms left my side, leaving me alone, chained, beaten, and on the verge of death, but the only thing I could focus on, was that these things happen to people here. Not just me. But to everyone. They go through this and we turn a blind eye to this.

The plank, as the girl had called it, wasn't steady, I felt myself wobbling, but something kept me from falling, and not a physical force. There were footsteps behind me, but I didn't turn around, I couldn't, not with my legs binded. I could hardly stand. I could practically hear her smirk echoing in my head, that wicked grin plastered onto her face.

I was scared...

"Wait!" A voice shouted, a male voice, sort of familiar, light scottish accent, I felt heart stop, it was Harry, but why was he here?

"What do you want Harry?" The girl complained.

"Why, to kill the lass myself." He announced.

What?! I knew I shouldn't trust him. I knew he-

"I propose a challenge! Me versus the girl, I win, I get to push her off myself, but if she wins...I teach her how to be a pirate."

The girl scoffed. "And why should I let you do this challenge of yours? She's my prisoner."

"Aye, captain." I could hear the smug tone in his voice, 'But I found her first, meaning she's mine."

I felt the footsteps retreating, followed by someone dragging me off the plank.

"Remove the chains." The girl commanded.

A few seconds passed and I could feel the weights being lifted off of me. What is Harry doing?

Everyone laughed at me, I was weak, and they knew it. I stood no chance, and now Harry isn't even playing fair.

But this is the Isle, nothing's fair.

I heard his sword unsheath and his footsteps coming towards me, "If you want to win lass, I'd recommend you use a bit of that magic I saw." His voice sent chills down my spine.

How do I fight him if I can't see him, and he left this stupid gag on, so it's not like I could point that out.

I felt something sharp cut against my arm, but once again, just like the pain was once there, it was gone.

Then another, and another, but as quickly as the pain came, it disappeared.

Then his voice came again, as quiet as a whisper, "You can't see me, but you can hear me," He taunted, "Fight, use your magic. Doesn't matter if you don't see me, hear where I am."

I felt everything come to a pause after that. I could hear his footsteps coming towards me, the sound of his sword being dragged against the ship. He was taunting me, and he knew it. He wants me to win, but how?

His sword came slashing down towards my right arm, but I pulled it away in time. He swung again, causing me to retreat backwards and bend to the floor. I could feel something coursing through my veins, adrenaline, maybe.

He quickly swung towards me again, and in a stupid act of bravery I reached for the sword as he swung it. My hand collided with the sharp blade, but I felt some power, coursing in me, pushing it back.

He slowly retreated, his footsteps becoming lighter, he was testing me.

Everything was silent, completely quiet, but then there was a small creek, followed by a soft bang against the floor, footsteps, they got closer, and closer...

And when he swung, I reached towards him. I didn't know what I was hoping for, but I didn't see any other way to win.

I felt something, not sharp, a bit rough, and holding onto it was skin, Harry's hand. The handle! I grabbed the handle and pulled it towards me, but it didn't budge, he was too strong. He swung his sword backwards, causing me to lose my grip.

He charged towards me, and this time, I didn't move, I could feel that power coursing through me stronger than ever before, and focusing only on it, on the magic coursing through my veins, I reached out towards him. I felt my magic getting stronger, but it didn't move. It just was blank, no beam of light, or ice magic, nothing.

But then I heard the sound of someone crashing into wood, into the floor.

Almost as instinct I reached for the cloth tied around my eyes, and ripped it off. As my eyes opened and my vision returned, I could see Harry lying on the floor of the ship, and everyone staring at me in awe. I ran towards him and bent down to help him up, but then I felt something cold against my neck. Without even thinking I grabbed the blade and threw it on the floor, I have no clue what gave me that burst of energy, but something did.

Harry smirked, "You win lass."

His words took a while to sink in. I...won, I beat him. I mean, he let me, but I beat him. There was no cheering, or laughter, nothing, just silence.

Her dry laughter broke the silence. But it wasn't followed by more laughter, just silence. Her voice was the only sound I could hear, not the sound of the waves crashing, or the screams of agony from the children, just her terrifying laughter.

Suddenly the laughter stopped as she glared at me with steely eyes, a smirk playing it's way onto her lips, "Gil!" She screamed.

The boy she yelled for immediately ran towards her in...fear? Are they all scared of her too?

She strutted towards me, as terrifying as ever, "You have more use than I thought, Princess."

"I have no use to you." I growl. I don't know what gave me this sudden burst of confidence, and why my tone was so...scary, there, but I do know that those two things might help me survive a little bit longer here, or get killed.

"Put the princess back in her cage," She demands.

No, no, I'm not going back to that room. I'm not staying here. I-

"No, you won't," Harry growls, "We had a deal!"

The terrifying blue girl laughed scornfully, glaring straight at me, avoiding Harry's gaze. "She's not made to be a pirate, mate. She's just another one of those damn princesses. It's not worth my time to train a brat like her."

Brat? I am not a brat! I am understanding and kind and-

"Then I will," Harry growls. Not even sparing a glance towards me.

The girl threw her arms back and laughed, again, she's laughing a lot, but her expression quickly hardens, "And why do you care about her, Harry?"

There was a small beat of silence before it was broken by the boy from before grabbing hold of me.

"Let me go!" I screamed, kicking him in the leg.

His grip loosened on me for a second and I ripped my hand away from him, and without even thinking pushed him to the ground. He was surprisingly light for how tall he was, but that didn't matter right now. I just pushed someone, a kid, someone younger than me, I mean, he was trying to take me against my will, but at least it was only due to the girl's orders.

I didn't even have time to look around at people's reactions, even the girl that's tried to kill me, since my arm was ripped away from someone else. Harry, I can tell just by his touch, it's familiar, and doesn't scare the hell out of me. The ship began to get further away as his grip on me tightened.

The girl's question would have caught me off guard if I wasn't being taken against my will at the time, her words kept repeating in my head, "Why do you care for her, Harry?"

Why does he care for me? Judging by the solid look on his face, I'm not gonna get answers anytime soon.

A few seconds of silence passed, but as soon as we were out of sight of the pirate ship I was roughly shoved against a hard, ice cold wall. I tried to worm my way out of his grasp, but he kept me pinned to the wall, no matter how many times I tried to smack him.

Bold move on my part.

"I told you to stay put," He growled, "You were supposed to wait."

I rolled my eyes out of instinct and groaned, "Well, it's not like I asked your sister to hold a sword to my throat and threaten to kill me."

He chuckles, "You were supposed to stay hidden."

"Oh really, and where was there to hide?" I ask, my voice traced with venom. Venom, that's a strange word, it was hardly used at home, it was like how Crystal's parents talked to my dad, the one that lied to me my entire life, the one who did this to all these kids, to Harry, the one who banished Crystal here. They always spoke with anger, and with...hate. But I don't hate Harry. "Where could I have hidden Harry?" I ask, a bit more calm. "Maybe under the tarp? Ooh, maybe I could fit inside of the pillow case. I mean, I'd have to empty it out of all the rocks you put in it, but if hundreds of rocks can fit, so can I, right? Or maybe, you just wanted me to hide in the water and drown. Would that have been better? Is that what you wanted?" I screamed.

He just stared at me, his expression impossible to identify, "Let it all out," He urges.

I sigh, "I don't know who to trust." I admit. "I mean, you save my life one minute, and the next you're trying to kill me. You save my life again, and then yell at me and make me wonder if you just want me dead? Do you want me dead, Harry? Is that what you want?"

He doesn't laugh, or chuckle, he just...frowns? He's actually upset?

"Follow me lass," He says, beginning to turn away from me.

He really doesn't care, does he? Is this all just a game? I mean, why should he care? We met last night, it's not like we've been friends my whole life.

"And why do you expect me to still trust you?" I ask.

"I don't."

"But you still trust me?" I wonder aloud.

He chuckles, "You seem like the trustworthy type, I'm betting you trust a lot of people you shouldn't."

He has no idea.

"And are you one?" I ask.

"You'll have to wait and find out."

I roll my eyes again, he's starting to annoy me. "That doesn't answer why you still trust me," I say.

He smirks, "Because you're smart enough to know that you don't have a choice."

He's calling me smart, and insulting me in the same sentence, and bossing me around! But, he does have a point, he's been here his whole life, if anyone could protect me here, it would be him. And I don't know my way around here, I'm an easy target, that girl proved so, so what choice do I really have?

Damn it, he's right!

I don't have a choice. It's either go with him and possibly survive, or go on my own and get kidnapped again, and possibly worse.

I really don't have a choice!

Reluctantly, I ask, "To where?"

He grins, "Why, to start your training of course."

I'm sorry, what? Training? That whole pirate thing was serious? "B-But I-I don't want to be a pi-pirate," I stammer, and lie, sort of. It could be sort of fun, I guess.

His grin doesn't leave his face for a second, "It's that, or stay an open victim to everyone here like, I don't know, Maleficent." The thought of being kidnapped by her makes me shudder, and he definitely sees it, considering his grin only grew wider. He's winning me over, and he knows it.

The Isle is a part of Auradon. My parents denied that for so long, but the people here just want change. Change for themselves, and in Emma's case, her children, Harry and Harriet. I'm the one who can make that change according to her, I can fight for them, right? But Crystal is my top priority at the moment.

If I become a pirate, then I get to be around Harry all day. That sounds like a plus thing, he's starting to grow on me, he's stubborn and annoying at times, but he's the only friend I have here, if we are even that. He can teach me how to fight, maybe even use a sword like he does, that could be fun. He could teach me how to defend myself and not get kidnapped after every corner. Not to mention, there is a slight chance I might get a cool outfit like Harry's, leather could be a fun choice. But most importantly, I can get closer to finding Crystal, and getting off this dumb island, and leaving my new friend.

No, don't think about that for now, just accept the damn offer.

But what will my parents think? Does it matter what they think? I mean, they lied to me my entire life about the Isle, then sent my best friend there as a punishment for something that wasn't her fault, why the hell should I care about what they, or anyone else thinks. I have to do this, not only for myself, but for her.

With a slight nod I begin to follow him, ready to learn. "Teach me," I say with a lot more confidence than I actually feel.

His grin widens, "Then I think it's time you meet my family."

"I already did," I retort.

He shakes his head and smirks, "But not my father."

"C-Cap-Captain Hook?" I stammer.

He nods, "Well, who else?"

A thought comes to mind, causing me to release a breath I didn't know I was holding, "Is he like-"

"My mom?" He finishes.

I meekly nod. "No, far from it. Mom just cares about my sisters safety, but dad, well, he goes all out. You're gonna need to be able to survive long against him if you have any hopes of surviving here," Harry explains.

I don't speak a word, just start walking after him, with only one thought going through my head, "He saved my life, only to endanger it again, but then again, this is the Isle, and so far my life's at risk around every corner, so maybe he's right, maybe I do need to learn how to defend myself, because if I don't, I won't last a day here, and definitely not long enough to find Crystal and get out of here, but what about Harry? I mean, he's kind of my friend, I can't just abandon him after I find Crystal, right? So then what do I do?"

Huh, I guess that was more than one thought.