The sun was hot and bright - the perfect weather for a raid, in Endymion's opinion.

He stood at the bow of his prized ship, telescope pressed to his eye as he sought out their next raid target. Kunzite, his silver-haired first mate, stood behind him. "You're sure about this, Captain?" Kunzite asked. Endymion lowered his telescope and turned around, jumping down to Kunzite's level. 

"Of course I'm sure. It's a simple plan, especially now that Lord Demande is out of the picture. Jadeite, Zoisite, and Nephrite will lead the village raid, while you and I head to the estate for the girl. No detours, no distractions. Simple enough?" Endymion replied, his voice low and rough. Kunzite nodded, his lips pressed into a firm line. 

"Yes, Captain," he said, following Endymion to the center of the ship. The crew was preparing for the upcoming raid, sharpening their swords and clearing space on the deck for all of the new merchandise they would be getting. Endymion grinned before heading to his quarters to make sure all arrangements had been made for the girl. After double-checking the window seal, the lock on the door, and that all possible weapons were disabled, Endymion went back out to find that they were nearing land. 

"Anchor!" he heard Zoisite shout from the watch deck. A group of men hurried by, hurling the ship's heavy anchor with them and preparing to drop it into the ocean as Nephrite steered the boat into the docks. 

Knowing it was time, Mamoru climbed up the halyards and looked over his men. They all were giving him their full attention, ready to move on command. "Men!" Endymion shouted. "Let us continue to live up to the reputation of Luna and her crew! Today, we take the prized possessions of Lord Demande, and we will leave no stone unturned! Aye!" 

A chorus of "Aye aye, Captain!" echoed across the boat, and the anchor was finally dropped as the ship reaching its position in the docks. Relentlessly, Endymion's men began to pour from the boat, sprinting down the ramp and starting their raid. Screams of men, women, and children could already be heard, but Endymion drowned them out as he approached Kunzite. As usual, his first mate knew exactly what he needed and had retrieved their horses out of the cabins. After sharing a smirk with Kunzite, Endymion mounted his white stallion and sped off towards the renowned Demande estate.

Serenity was going to be a wife.

She had known this fact since she was a little girl, and yet now that the wedding was two weeks away, she found herself anxious as if she was only learning about the news for the first time, instead of having had years to get used to it. When she was little, like almost every other little girl, Serenity liked to imagine her wedding. How she would be wearing a beautiful white gown, walking down the aisle, toward the man waiting for her, the love of her life.

Unfortunately, the face of that man in her daydreams was never Lord Demande. Not even after she knew she would be marrying her once she grew up.

They were friends, true, but all she’d ever had for him was platonic feelings. There was no… spark there. She’d thought maybe it would come eventually, but it never did. Even in the few times he stole kisses from her, kisses that she never wanted to give and had only ever made her feel awkward and uncomfortable. She knew the union of their powerful families would make both of them have even better lives, and yet… a small part of her still daydreamed about that faceless prince.

She daydreamed about him running into the church just before she made her vow, to swoop her up into his arms, steal her from her groom-to-be, and run off with her on horseback into the sunset.

It was a ridiculous dream, one that she knew would never come true.

And sometimes she felt kind of guilty about dreaming about it in the first place. This wedding… it was her duty. She had been raised to be a proper lady, and a proper lady’s job was to marry well and benefit her family.

Serenity sat alone by the window of her room in Lord Demande’s estate. She’d just finished sorting out the flowers and decorations, and was now looking toward the bright sun outside with the same secret longing she always felt. To run away.

“My lady?”

The familiar voice of her best friend and lady-in-waiting, Mina, broke her reverie. Serenity turned to her and smiled. “Mina. Have you come to fetch me for dinner?”

“Not quite yet,” Mina replied, walking further into the room after closing the door. “What are you doing? You know, I’m concerned about you. You have that far-off look on your face again. Where did you go, Serenity?”

“Nowhere,” Serenity answered with a giggle. “What a silly question.”

“I did not mean physically,” Mina rolled her eyes. She stared at Serenity for a long time, until Serenity felt self-conscious and averted her gaze. Mina reached toward her and squeezed her hand. “Are you okay?”

Serenity nodded. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be okay?”

Mina smiled uncertainly. Serenity had long sensed that her friend knew more than she let on; that she knew Serenity wasn’t happy about the marriage, but Mina never asked. Serenity could see the question in her eyes, but she never voiced it out loud. Serenity didn’t know if she wanted Mina to say it or not. She didn’t want to lie… but she didn’t want to voice her secret truth either. Maybe Mina was just as afraid in hearing the answer.

“You know… whatever happens, you’ll always have me,” Mina said instead. “I’ll always be by your side. You know that, right?”

Serenity’s face brightened. “Of course.” Even after the marriage, Mina was still going to stay with her, which was her consolation in all this. As long as she had her dearest friend by her side, Serenity knew she was brave enough to face anything in the world.

They reached the estate with little-to-no trouble. Demande's array of guards were easy to take care of, and Endymion remained unscathed by the time they reached the front doors of the estate. Dismounting, Endymion and Kunzite shared a look before kicking in the door. There was a chorus of shrieks from maids who had been bustling about, but again Endymion ignored them. With his first mate following close behind, they explored the house quickly and efficiently, taking valuables and placing them into a large bag which Kunzite carried on his back. The guards that patrolled the mansion were a little more difficult to take care of, but as usual, none were a match for Endymion and his best friend. He suddenly paused, his eyes searching and his ears listening for any sign of a young blonde lady.

It took a while for her to notice it, but suddenly Serenity realized something was happening. She heard screams from outside, and the sounds of a commotion. “What is going on?” she asked, seized by fright but moving toward the door instinctively.

Mina immediately moved in front of her. “No, stay. I will check it out.” She stared at Serenity determinedly. “Promise me you won’t move one step outside this room. And lock this door behind me. Do not open for anyone unless they identify themselves.” Serenity nodded vigorously, and Mina slipped outside.

With trembling hands, Serenity locked the door—twice—and stepped back. She looked around the room, feeling trapped. Should she hide? Her closet was big enough, but… what was going on anyway? The sound of yet another loud clang of swords and something breaking made her jump. She rushed to the window, and with horror saw the army of people swarming toward the front of the mansion. Each had a sword or a scary weapon of some kind. Some of them were already running back outside with bags filled up to the brim with jewels, coins, and other precious items.

Were they being robbed?

Meanwhile, Mina was in the midst of the chaos itself. She had grabbed a sword from a fallen guard, but she now found herself feeling overwhelmed. She had had some training in secret, having always been fascinated by the art of sword fighting, but she was nowhere near as good as the guards in this house, and most of them were already down.

She finally planted herself firmly in front of Serenity’s door, with the sword drawn in front of her, putting up a performance that convinced even herself that she would be able to cut down anyone who even came close to this door.

Regardless of her abilities, she knew anyone who wanted to get into Serenity’s room would have to get past her dead body first.

"This way," Endymion said, nodding his head towards a separate corridor. Kunzite nodded and the two crept quietly down the hall, ears peeled for any signs of a threat. Endymion guessed that the Lady would be heavily guarded, so he wasn't going to take any chances with this. If the plan was going to work, they needed to extract her quickly and without any problems. 

Endymion peeked his head around the corner, spotting a woman with long blonde hair and a sword in hand standing outside the door. She was practically screaming, "Here's the princess!" 

Smirking, Endymion gave Kunzite the go-ahead. Kunzite nodded and went forward, sword drawn, making the girl aware of his presence. "Stand aside, my lady," Kunzite said, walking closer and closer. He suddenly paused, frozen in place, but continued walking shortly after. What had gotten him so shaken up?

The captain remained hidden, ready to get into the room once Kunzite had the woman distracted.

Mina realized her mistake the moment a tall, silver-haired man with a sword walked up directly to her. By standing guard in front of Serenity’s door, she’d pretty much pointed out the fact that Serenity was behind it. She should have stood in front of a different door instead, or better yet, be a decoy. Everyone always said she looked so much like Serenity…

And now her lady might die and it would be all her fault.

Her heart skipped a beat when her eyes met the man’s grey ones. And she immediately wanted to smack herself. This was not the time to be… enthralled. He was one of the people attacking this mansion! He was probably a murderer and a robber, and she wasn’t going to let his politeness and the fact that he hadn’t immediately stabbed her lull her into a false sense of security.

Mina stood up straighter and steeled herself, her eyes blazing with determination. “No,” was her only answer. Simple. Straightforward. Honest.

She was prepared to die for her mistress. She couldn’t let them do anything to Serenity, and if they should, she would rather not be alive when that happened.

Endymion watched from the shadows as the blonde girl defied Kunzite's order. He resisted the urge to chuckle to himself - such a brave woman was not common these days. He wondered how Kunzite would react, but was confident that his best friend would handle the situation accordingly.

"Very well then, you leave me no choice," he heard Kunzite say. In one swoop, Kunzite disarmed the girl and hoisted her over his shoulder, holding her firmly by her legs. He began to walk down the hall, away from Endymion, clearing the path for him to enter the room where their target was hiding.

In just a few long strides, Endymion reached the door and attempted to throw it open, only to find it locked. Rolling his eyes, Endymion stepped back and threw a hard kick at the door, splintering its hinges and sending it flying open. He entered, eyes immediately landing on the beautiful girl on the other side. He took her in, from the long golden hair to the big, crystal blue eyes. 

This was her, all right.

"My apologies for the intrusion, your grace, but I'm afraid you and I have some business to attend to. The way I see it, there's two ways we can go about this - one, you surrender now and leave with me quietly, or two, you put up a fight and I drag you out of here. Make your decision, I don't have all day."

Mina shrieked in fury as the man simply picked her up as if she weighed nothing. Her sword was brushed away like a toy, so Mina resorted to punching his back as hard as she could with her fists. The result was about as effective as punching a wall. “Put me down, you barbarian! Serenity! RUN!!” she yelled back toward the room, her heart plummeting with each step away. Fear gripped her—not for her own life but for Serenity’s. If Serenity died…



She heard Mina’s screams, and her blood ran cold. Serenity looked around—where was she supposed to run? She rushed to the window, but she was on the second floor, and the tree outside didn’t exactly look sturdy. Plus she wasn’t really a good climber at all—if she tried to escape and ended up breaking her neck, she wasn’t sure that was the better option.

The doorknob rattled, and she planted herself against the window. If she couldn’t run, then perhaps she should hide? But there was nowhere to hide. Nowhere she wouldn’t be found, anyway.

She didn’t have any more time to think before the door was kicked in, and she shrieked at the forced intrusion. She froze in place the moment she saw the man behind it, his eyes locking hers with its deep blue color, the color of the seas.

He spoke to her with his deep voice, and Serenity’s mind scrambled to keep up. Business? What kind of business could she possibly have with him? And that wasn’t really a choice, was it? Despite herself, she felt the urge to protest at his ridiculous attempt to be reasonable. If he was taking her anyway, she didn’t intend to make his life easier.

“What do you want with me? I don’t even know you! And where is Mina? I swear, if you’ve hurt her—” she stammered, not actually knowing how to finish that sentence.

She had never wished to see Lord Demande more in her life.

As she pushed herself back even further, the window opened and she stumbled out into the balcony. An idea suddenly struck her. The man had demanded she come with him, which probably meant he wanted her alive.

It was a stupid gamble, and possibly something she would regret, but Serenity clambered onto the balcony and stood on its precipice. “Do not come any closer, or I swear to God I will jump.”

Kunzite couldn't help but let a small grunt escape his mouth as his hostage pounded her fists against his back. He still had several healing wounds from the last battle across his arms and dorsal side, and having this girl beating him up certainly didn't make him feel any better. With a huff, he moved as fast as he could back through the castle, hoping that Endymion would follow soon after. "You pack quite the punch, for a girl," he said, emphasizing the word 'girl' as if it were an insult. He decided soon after saying that sentence that he would probably regret it in about five seconds.



Endymion's eyes flickered with panic for a split second, but he quickly masked his unease with a smirk. He took slow steps forward, looking the young woman straight in the eye.

He didn't know if it was because he couldn't look away, or because he was trying to be intimidating.

"Your friend is joining my men on our ship. If you'd like to see her again, I suggest you come with me. I would hate to tell her that her beloved Lady Serenity took her own life in an act of recklessness and disregard," Endymion said. He was standing almost arm's length away from her now, the slight breeze pushing his bangs out of his eyes. His eyes turned cold and stern, full of seriousness. "If you jump, you can die knowing that the people of this land will be paying the price for your death. And yes, that is a threat."

“Who are you calling a girl?” Mina replied in aggravation. “I am a noble woman who does not deserve this barbaric treatment!” This time she kicked him as hard as she could on the chest. The assault would continue all the way back to the ship.



She saw it; the fear in his eyes. He had not expected her to do this. Would he really let her die?

Her heart ached for Mina. She couldn’t let those men take her. Who knew what kind of horrible things they’d do to her? Serenity didn’t know what she could do to help, but at the very least, she’d want to try. And if for nothing else, she’d want to be there for her friend the way Mina had been almost all of her life.

Mina would never forgive her if she killed herself.

As infuriating as it was, the man was right. It was not an option. Especially if he meant that threat of making everyone else pay too.

She looked into his eyes and saw determination, saw that he wasn’t bluffing, and defeat filled her.

She opened her mouth, about to curse him one last time, when the wind blew harder, and she lost her balance. Her foot slipped from under her and she screamed as her body started falling away from the balcony to the ground so far down below.

In that split second, she looked to the stranger who had intruded into her home, wanting to take her away, and wished he would catch her.

Kunzite knew he was going to be covered in bruises and would probably get a ton of moon turds from the men on the ship when he got back, but he pressed onward, tightening his grip as much as he could.



Endymion anticipated Serenity's reply, knowing she probably had some smart remark or plea on her lips.

He felt the gust of wind. He knew it was enough to push her frail body off of the edge, especially in that wretched dress. He moved as her feet slipped from the railing, his body filling with the adrenaline he would need to catch her.

His hand was suddenly in hers, holding onto her tightly as she dangled from the balcony. She was heavier than he had anticipated, probably due to an influx of royal sweets, but not too heavy for him to pull up.

"See what happens when you play around like a child? I've got you, now grab my arm with your other hand," he instructed, making his voice louder so she could hear. The last thing he wanted was to dislocate the arm of Diamond's plaything. He knew that if Serenity was injured in any way, his plans would fail miserably.

A powerful grip and a jolt halted her fall, and Serenity’s breath was knocked out of her. She slowly looked up to her savior and found the stranger holding on to her for dear life. Despite her fear, she managed a scowl when he decided to use this dire situation as an opportunity to scold her.

She didn’t comply immediately, still feeling stubborn and wanting to say no just because he had asked her to do something. Why should she listen to anything he said when he clearly meant her harm?

Yet at this moment he was her lifeline, and if she remained as stubborn as she was, she was probably going to die.

Grudgingly, Serenity lifted her other arm and grabbed his with her free hand. “Don’t…” she hated to say it, but her fear overruled everything the moment she glanced down and saw just exactly how far the ground was. “Don’t let me go, please.”

An ironic thing to say considering what he wanted to do to her.

Endymion raised an eyebrow, waiting for the stubborn girl to follow his instructions. He knew she was stubborn, but this was borderline crazy. Finally, she grabbed his arm, and he couldn't help but flash his signature charming grin at her plea. "Trust me my Lady, I won't," he said quietly.

With a small grunt, he pulled her up enough so he could grab her waist with his other hand. With one flourish, he lifted her over the balcony and into his arms, not waiting for her to say anything before he let out a high-pitched whistle.

"Hold on tight," he said. With confidence, Endymion stepped onto the balcony's rail and leaped off, holding Serenity tightly in his arms as he sailed to the ground. Her dress was flapping wildly as the descended, whipping him in the face a couple times and causing mild agitation.

Just as suspected, Endymion landed square on the back of his faithful steed, Serenity still safely in his arms. He maneuvered her so that she was sitting in front of him on the saddle, and waited. Just a few seconds later, Kunzite appeared on his own horse, the other girl they unintentionally had to kidnap sitting in front of him. Glad to see his first mate had gotten out of the mansion unscathed, Endymion kicked his horse's sides and the two men headed back to the ship.

Serenity felt the whoosh of air as she was pulled up and into her captor’s arms, but the feeling of safety only lasted for a moment, because the next thing she knew, he was telling her to hold on and he just stepped off the balcony. She shrieked as they fell, wondering if this man was crazy after all—if he was just going to have both of them fall, why even stop her falling in the first place?!—but then she suddenly landed with an oomph on something solid, without broken bones or much injury to speak of, miraculously.

Serenity didn’t realize what was going on until she saw the horse’s head in front of her. Her attention was quickly distracted by the appearance of a second man, who, to her horror, had Mina with him. She called out to her friend, whose eyes widened in shock and terror upon seeing her mistress’ state, but they had no time to talk—the horses were soon off.

“Where are you taking me anyway?” she asked, fear for her and Mina’s future mounting. “I don’t even know who you are! Why would you do this?”

Endymion rolled his eyes and glanced at Kunzite as their ship appeared in the distance. "Silence yourself, for once," he snapped, hoping the coldness in his voice would keep his captive's mouth shut. "I may not want you dead, but she means nothing to me," he said, referencing the woman on Kunzite's steed.

They finally reached the ship, large and regal, and Endymion's crew welcomed them with amused smiles and loud cheers of triumph. Knowing the drill, the crew quickly lifted the ship's anchor and set sail for the wide open sea. Not letting go of the two girls, Endymion and Kunzite held the women's wrists behind their backs as they pushed them towards the ship's cabin. A crew member opened the door, and the two women were shoved inside.

"Do not try to escape. Unless of course, you think a shark will treat you kinder than I," he commanded.

Without another word, he slammed the door shut, leaving the two girls alone in the dark.

Serenity resisted an urge to growl—for it was unladylike—when her captor told her to be quiet. She really shouldn’t have begged him to save her life earlier. But Mina… She glanced at her friend, looking just as frightened but determined. She already knew what Mina was thinking. She’d do anything to protect her lady, as she always had. Serenity worried for what she might do in order to achieve that. And now she was being used as leverage for Serenity to behave. Such barbaric behavior! She should have known they were pirates.

She shrunk back as they arrived at the ship and was welcomed by the crew, a sea of unfamiliar and threatening faces. Certainly she and Mina would not last a day in this crowd. Panic seized her when she realized the ship was setting sail. As soon as it was in the ocean, Demande couldn’t give chase, and then she’d be lost forever. Her struggles, however, were pointless, as the men were stronger than both of them, and before she knew it, she had been shoved into a room inside the ship.

“A shark would certainly have more manners than you!” Mina yelled before the door closed, then huffed in annoyance.

Serenity was glad that at least they were together. Mina turned to her and rushed to hug her, causing her to cling back onto her friend like a lifeline. “Serenity! Are you okay? Did those barbarians hurt you? I swear, if they harmed even a single piece of your hair, I will cut off their—”

“I’m okay,” Serenity assured her quickly, biting back her tears. She quickly deduced it was probably best that she didn’t tell Mina how she’d almost died because of her own foolishness. “But why have they taken you as well? Damn it, I think it must be because I asked about you. They figured out you’re important to me and decided to take you as well. I’m so sorry, Mina, this is all my fault.”

“Don’t be silly, it’s not your fault. Besides, I failed to protect you earlier, at least this way I’ll get another chance. Don’t worry, Serenity, we will get out of here, if it’s the last thing I did.”

Serenity stayed in her friend’s arms, hoping fate would have mercy on them both and grant them a quick death. Her imagination on what they might want from them was too horrifying to think about.

“Come on, we have to look for a way out of here,” Mina urged, pushing her off gently, before she began exploring the room, searching for hidden cracks or passages they could go through. She cursed about how dark it was, and Serenity suddenly realized she had never missed Lord Demande more than she did right now.

“What do you think they’re going to do to us?” she asked in a quiet voice, still unmoving from her spot.

“They’re pirates, who the hell knows? Sell us as slaves, probably. Nobles always fetch a fair pri—” Mina stopped short when she saw how pale Serenity’s face had gotten. “Serenity, don’t think about that! Our first priority is getting out of here, okay? I’m sure Lord Demande would send help as soon as he hears about this. We’re going to be alright. Now, please, can you help me find a way out?”

Nodding tremulously, Serenity finally moved, touching the walls of the room to find a way—any way—out of there.

Hours passed, with the girls having no luck in finding a way out of the ship's cabin. Meanwhile, Endymion and Kunzite monitored the crew, making sure the ship was being run smoothly so they would make their next destination on time.

"Captain!"

Endymion turned, seeing one of his crew members scrambling towards him. "What?" he said, uninterested.

"There's a ship on the horizon, Captain. Crossing paths is inevitable," the man said.

Endymion ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. Not that an incoming ship would be a problem, but he just wanted a break from the constant action.

"We'll engage. Prepare the men," Endymion said, directing his command to Kunzite. The silver-haired first mate nodded and went to alert the other men. While the men were busy preparing weapons, Endymion made his way to the ship's cabin. He wasn't sure how he would be met by the two women within - surely they would try and attack him - but he wasn't in the mood to play games. After all, he was only trying to save them.

He opened the door, bracing himself for measly hands pounding on his chest or some other futile action.

There was no way out. The two of them had ascertained this within the first hour, but Mina had continued to pace and fiddle with things, restless. Serenity knew she didn’t deal well with just sitting helplessly, waiting for whatever fate was to befall them. When they heard the door being opened, they both scrambled to their feet.

“Serenity, stay back,” Mina hissed, and as the door swung open, she let out a battle cry and charged at the man who entered, not even caring who it was, intending to beat him to a pulp with her bare hands.

“Mina, stop, they’ll kill you!” Serenity cried, horrified for the consequences her friend would suffer for her defiance.

Endymion cursed. Even though he expected an attack, he didn't expect his attacker to be this aggressive. He struggled to contain her, but eventually managed to hold her hands behind her back. The dim light from the window revealed that this was the friend of Lady Serenity, and not Serenity herself.

"If you would just give me a moment," Endymion growled into her ear, pushing her onto the ground.

"Hurt me, and you'll both die. An enemy ship is on the horizon, and we will be engaging in battle soon. Unless you want to be taken hostage by a group of unruly pirates..." Endymion paused, realizing they probably thought he was an unruly pirate, and chucked. "Well, more unruly than myself...considering I have no plans to sell you or sexually assault you...then I suggest you stay here."

He crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for a catty response.

While Mina growled in displeasure, Serenity was seized by terror that their capturers would hurt her. She looked at her friend as the man spoke about an impending battle with yet more pirates. Great. This probably meant they would die either way. He might say he didn’t intend to harm them, but for how long? And whatever he actually had in mind for them, she couldn’t be sure it wouldn’t be worse.

“I can’t be sure what you’re telling is true. For all I know, it’s Lord Demande chasing you and I’d be better off showing myself. If you want us to trust you, then at least tell me your name,” she demanded, standing tall despite being in no position to make demands.

She had half a mind to try and get his sword to do something, but she knew she couldn’t get past the others out there. They were vastly outnumbered. And whoever was out there… well, she would be taking a gamble if she bolted out without heeding his warning, but she was also sick of being told what to do by a stranger. Perhaps if she could form some kind of relationship with him, however tenuous, he might start sympathizing with her and Mina.

Endymion scoffed. "By all means, leave the room and go to the other ship. I won't be saving you when you do," he said.

Serenity's demand made his blood boil. He didn't take orders from prisoners. But there was something about the determination in her voice, something about the curiosity she held that compelled him to tell her.

"Endymion. Captain Endymion."

He heard shouting from outside of the room, and took that as his cue to leave. Without another word, Endymion opened the door and left, locking it behind him. To his surprise, the enemy had reached them faster than expected. The two ships were close now - close enough for battle to begin.

"Endymion!" Kunzite shouted, waving him over. Endymion swiftly walked to the deck's edge, standing next to his first mate and staring across water to the captain of the other ship.

"Give us your cargo and we'll go on our way," the opposing captain yelled. His hair was long and blonde, and he had some odd face paint on. Endymion only chuckled.

"Funny, I was about to say the same thing," Endymion yelled back.

Just as it had happened hundreds of times before, battle suddenly erupted. There were no more words, no negotiations, just battle. Sword in hand, Endymion didn't hesitate to fight back. "Men! No one enters the cabin, understood?" he yelled. There was a chorus of "Aye!" and "Sir!" from his crew, and Endymion know they had this in the bag.

The loud sounds of battle filled the atmosphere around them - the clang of metal, the shouts of pain and fury, of agony as blades cut through flesh and bodies fell to the ground. And Endymion was right in the middle of it all, facing the opposing captain.

Saving her? Serenity wanted to retort that he was not going to do any saving anyway, until she remembered how he’d saved her from the balcony. But that was just because she was worth more alive than dead to him, right?

At least she got him to tell her his name. She hid a satisfied smile—if nothing else, it would make it easier for Lord Demande to hunt him down later if she knew his name. Either way, it was a small victory. She’d gotten him to agree to something she asked. It would be much easier from here.

They were soon left alone again, the door locked behind them.

Mina was pressing her ear to the wall, trying to listen. “It seems like a battle is going on,” she said after a while. “I can hear shouts and clashes of steel. Serenity, you’d better stay back, just in case someone manages to get in here. Enemy or not, we should be careful. I still don’t trust that so-called pirate captain.”

She seemed frustrated at their helplessness, so Serenity grabbed her and pulled her toward the back of the room. “Calm down. You’re my lady-in-waiting. You’re not my bodyguard. My safety isn’t in your hands. I won’t blame you if anything happens to us. In fact, I’d feel guilty if something happened to you.”

Mina still looked like she wanted to argue, but the two of them finally huddled together and waited among the sounds of swords clanging in the distance, eyes trained on the door, not knowing what would enter through it the next time it opened and only able to hope for the best.

"Tiger's Eye, I wish I could say it was a pleasure, but I'm afraid you're more of a nuisance," Endymion remarked. "Is this really the way you wish to die?"

The opposing captain laughed maniacally, twirling his blade between his fingers. "Oh Endymion, still as charming as ever. I hear you have some rather precious cargo. Some worth dying for," Tiger's Eye cooed. 

The blonde man's eyes floated to the cabin, and Endymion felt a pang of protective anger. He wouldn't let anyone lay a finger on those girls - especially Serenity. "You'll have to go through me to find out, won't you now?" he challenged. 

Tiger's Eye shrugged complacently, and almost too fast for Endymion to react, he lunged with his sword. Endymion took a step back, slicing upwards with his own blade to put Tiger's Eye off-balance. The two clashed back and forth, neither seeming to have the upper hand. But where Tiger's Eye may have had Endymion beat in agility, Endymion had him beat in intelligence. The moment Tiger's Eye's eyes floated back to that cabin, Endymion was ready. In one strong flourish, Endymion swept Tiger's Eye's legs out from under him and tackled, sending them both toppling to the ground. Victorious, Endymion pressed his  knee onto Tiger's Eye's chest and his blade to his throat. 

"I'm giving you one chance - leave, and never return, or die. I would hate to tell Fish Eye the news," Endymion growled. 

Strangely, there wasn't a trace of fear or worry in Tiger's Eye's expression. Instead, he seemed almost...cocky? "My apologies, old friend," Tiger's Eye said, "I must have forgotten to introduce you to our newest member."

Before Endymion could react, there was a splitting pain in his left shoulder. He let out a cry of agony, looking back to find an arrow stuck in his body. With a roar, he yanked the arrow out and sliced his blade across Tiger's Eye's throat, sending blood pouring out all over the deck. The life was immediately gone from his opponent's eyes, but Endymion refused to dwell on it. Instead, he searched for the source of the arrow, seeing a man with fiery purple hair standing on the deck of Tiger's Eye's ship. There was fury in the other man's eyes, but also defeat. 

"Men! Return to the Zirconia!" the other man shouted. In a scramble, the opposing pirates rushed to the side of Endymion's ship, leaping from one deck to the other as they tried to escape the pursuit of Endymion's men. Kunzite was by Endymion's side.

"Captain, should we go after them?" Kunzite asked. Endymion shook his head, looking down at the Tiger's Eye's dead body. 

"They've taken enough losses for one day," he said, a slight twinge of sadness in his voice. "Get this deck cleaned up, and send any injured men to me. Tally our losses, and report back within the hour."

Kunzite nodded and did as he was told as Endymion headed for the cabin. He opened the door without hesitation. "Don't be afraid, it's only me," he said, hoping he wouldn't get assaulted this time. After shutting the door behind him, he felt his way over to the nearest lamp and lit it, filling the room with a faint, warm glow. 

He assessed both women, but his eyes lingered especially long on Serenity. "Are you both alright?"

The sounds of fighting continued outside, until eventually the noises quieted after what seemed like forever. Serenity grasped Mina’s hand tightly, unsure what had happened. Had the ship’s attacker won, or had Endymion prevailed? For a moment she felt a strange worry over the thought of seeing those beautiful deep blue eyes staring at her lifelessly from a corpse on the ground. But that was silly, right? He’d kidnapped her. Why should she feel any concern over his well-being? She should hope someone had cut him down. Or… at least arrest him. She wasn’t particularly excited about murder.

When the door reopened, she jumped, shrinking back further against the wall even as she knew there was no more space to go. Mina clenched her jaw in determination as she stepped before her. Serenity immediately recognized their captain’s voice as he announced his arrival, but when he turned the light on, what made her gasp was the giant gash of wound on his shoulder.

“Am I alright?!” she asked incredulously. “Well, not particularly, emotionally, but you… Are you aware your shoulder is bleeding?!” she pointed with trembling hands. “You need to get that cleaned up! An infection could lead to a whole host of problems!”

She closed her mouth when she realized what she’d just blurted. She’d… not only showed outright concern over his health, but she’d also yelled at him for it. Would he be angry? She could see Mina looking at her in confusion, having never seen her so outspoken about anything, but in light of everything that had happened today, she deserved to feel a little bit hysterical, didn’t she?

“I… Sorry. I didn’t mean to yell. You should… get that treated,” she added timidly.

“What my lady meant to ask, is,” Mina stepped forward and stood squarely against him, despite being dwarfed by his height. “Who were those people? Did you just murder a bunch of innocent people? That’s what pirates do, isn’t it?” she demanded.

Endymion's mouth almost dropped open at Serenity's reaction to his wound. To him, it was just another scar - it was strange to have someone else show an inkling of caring. Sure, the men of his ship were all brothers and they looked out for one another, but they were men. They rubbed dirt in their wounds and often inflicted them on each other for fun. 

He almost - almost - smiled, but refrained. If she thought she could charm him into releasing her, she had another thing coming. 

"This is nothing compared to the wounded men outside," Endymion said, remembering the blood from Tiger's Eye's throat all over the deck of the Luna. "But thank you for your concern." 

The other blonde's question struck a nerve, and it was all Endymion could do to keep his voice level. She was a brave one, that was for certain. "Those pirates," he said, "Are not people. They scourge and they rape and they murder. That, my ladies, was the pirate crew of the Zirconia, one of the most dangerous pirate ships on the seven seas. But, of course, they were no match for us. They have retreated, for now, but they will return. My men, on the other hand, do not murder. Not a single one of us has murdered in cold blood after boarding this ship. Choose your words carefully, my lady, before you offend the wrong person." 

Endymion stepped away from her and opened the door to the cabin, preparing to go out and attend to his wounded men. He paused and turned back, looking Serenity straight in the eye. For just a moment, he was rendered breathless by lamplight flickering off of her sparkling blue eyes. He composed himself, and said, "Dinner will be brought to you within the hour," before shutting the door and forgetting to lock it behind him.

Just as suspected, almost half of his crew was wounded and in need of attendance. Without hesitance, he began to attend to them all, applying different salves and topicals that the crew had taken from Demande's region. They had been running low on bandages, but thanks to the raid, they now had plenty. Kunzite waited patiently beside him, handing Endymion whatever tonics and tools he needed to get the job done. Finally, every man had been helped, and the crew was back to its normal evening tasks. Tired and sore, Endymion leaned against the railing of the ship's sides, looking out at the sea. The saltwater sprayed his face, stinging his eyes, but he loved it all the same. 

"Excuse me, Captain," Kunzite said beside him, clearing his throat. Endymion was brought out of his trance and turned to see Kunzite holding a needle and thread out for him to take. With a sigh, Endymion accepted the items, and the satisfied First Mate left to check on the dinner preparations. Grumbling, the captain sat in a chair on the deck and removed his shirt. The gash was going to be difficult to stitch himself, but it wasn't anything he hadn't tried before. He thought of Serenity, practically scolding him to take care of the wound, and chuckled to himself. She was a spirit, that one. 

Heaving another sigh before taking in a sharp breath of air, Endymion began to stitch up the back of his shoulder. The angle was odd and he could hardly see, so all of the ship's crew could hear the strings of curses coming from his lips as he attempted to stitch the wound shut. "Just another day as Captain," he growled to himself.

Mina looked skeptically at the so-called captain as he explained that those pirates were bad, but apparently these pirates were good. Was there even such a thing as good pirates? Then they wouldn’t be called pirates, would they? Besides, they’d injured people in the Demande estate and pillaged it. Not to mention they’d kidnapped her lady and herself! Just because they haven’t murdered anyone didn’t mean they were good people. They were still pirates. But one look at Serenity’s warning expression told her she had better keep her mouth shut.



Serenity watched silently as he left, telling them that dinner would be served soon. What kind of dinner would they even give hostages? Not that she was particularly hungry or anything. She wasn’t supposed to go around accepting food from strangers, least of all a pirate captain who’d kidnapped her. What if he was going to drug her or something? And then next thing she knew, she’d wake up with only half a kidney or worse. Sure, he’d said he wasn’t going to do any of that, but… what did he want with them, then?

“Don’t trust him, Serenity. What he said was obviously all lies. He has kidnapped us, and that means he’s up to no good. I saw him take a lot of stuff from Lord Demande’s estate, too. We have to escape the moment we get a chance. Also, Lord Demande must have started looking for you by now. He’ll be here soon, I know it. We’re going to be okay.”

“Are we, though?” Tears brimmed in Serenity’s eyes. She’d never felt so helpless in her life. If only she knew what Endymion wanted…

Mina went to hug her, and she sobbed quietly, selfishly thinking she was grateful that Mina was here. If she were alone, she didn’t know how she would bear the fear and terror of this ordeal. How much longer were they going to be prisoners? Would Lord Demande find them soon?

Well, they were probably the messiest stitches he had ever done, but they would suffice. Endymion stood from his chair and looked around his glorious ship, watching as his men laughed, joked, and monitored all of the components necessary for the ship to sail. Everything was as it should be - hopefully it would stay that way. 

Nephrite, the designated chef of the Luna, approach him with two plates in hand. Endymion looked over the meal of mashed potatoes, mutton, and carrots. Not really a meal fit for a lady, but it Serenity would have to deal with it. After thanking Nephrite, Endymion directed him to Kunzite, who accepted the plates and went to deliver them to the two blondes in the cabin. 

Kunzite knocked gently before turning the knob, surprised to find that it was unlocked. Had Endymion forgotten to lock it, or had he done so on purpose? Ignoring it for now, Kunzite opened the door and immediately laid eyes on the...handmaiden, was she? Lady-in-waiting? Regardless of her title, her beauty was undeniable, and neither was the spark in her eyes. 

"My ladies," he said, setting the plates down on a small table for them, "Dinner is served. I take it you're enjoying your stay?" He smirked, giving a small chuckle at his own joke.

She didn’t expect to hear a polite knock on the door, and turned to see that it wasn’t Endymion this time. She figured as much; he’d never felt the need to knock before. But then she recognized the man standing there as the one who’d kidnapped Mina.

Serenity eyed the plates warily, frowning at his insinuation that they were, by any means, enjoying their stay. “What do you want with us? If it’s gold or money, Lord Demande has plenty. And where are you taking us anyway?”

Mina stepped forward and squared off against the silver-haired man, trying not to get distracted by those grey eyes of his. “You can return the food to wherever it is they came from. We’re not going to be stupid enough to eat anything served by pirates. For all I know it’s all drugged. I hope your captain appreciates the thought of us starving to death because we’d rather die than help you with whatever nefarious plan you have for us.”

It was a bluff because she didn’t really want Serenity to die, obviously, but she was determined to make as many problems as possible for these kidnappers. If it came down to it, she’d be willing to taste test the food so that Serenity can eat it safely, but for now she was curious how much these pirates needed them alive and how much they were willing to do to keep them that way.

Kunzite shrugged, meeting the woman's challenging gaze. "Starve, if you'd like. But would that not defeat your purpose for existing? To protect and serve her? Perhaps she means less to you than you make it seem." There was a mischievous twinkle in Kunzite's eye - he was trying to see just how far this woman would keep up this charade. 

"You are mistaken to think that all we care about is monetary and material. It's not money or gold we are after - we have plenty of that already - it is something much more. If I may give a word of advice, I would suggest you devote less of your time to defiance and questions, and more to silence. We have no use for you - only the Lady Serenity. We will not hesitate to leave you behind at the next port if necessary. And then your charge will be all alone, with no one to watch over her besides us...pirates."

The word tasted bitter in Kunzite's mouth, and he said it with a dripping sarcasm that was impossible to miss. He took a step closer to the woman, realizing suddenly that he still didn't know her name. "And believe me, my lady - a woman as beautiful as you does not want to be left alone at the next port."