Jordan POV-

The wind was blowing against her flushed face and recently detailed bed-hair. Despite the comfort the cold should have brought, she felt none of it.

All she could register was the barely conscious feel of her own body, and her arms leaning against the wooden railing of the flying ship as it moved. Below her, the only thing she could see was fluffy clouds passing by like morning fog.

As a child, Jordan had often thought clouds would feel a fluffy mattress or cotton candy, turned out it was just water all along with no feel to it as they passed through her fingertips.

With a sigh, Jordan leaned her head forward and brushed through her stands of hair, tempted to pull hard enough to rip each strand off her scalp and the thoughts inside her head along with it.

That blow was meant for you.

He deserved it. He wronged you many times. Threatened Stefan.

He died because you sent him out there. That was your plan.

He died because he knew Dianite would take you captive and torture you just as he had been tortured before

If the pirate cared so much, he wouldn't have hurt you in the first place.

You just killed someone's brother. Now he has a sister in pain.

Then he shouldn't have played you for gold.

Then if you don't care about him, now come you can't say his name either?

...He isn't important. You have to help those who treated you right.

Those that actually care about you. Ianite. Your new family. Stefan.

Jordan let out a frustrated scream. She was sick and tired of arguing with her own mind about him! Four days on this flying ship and she was already going insane.

Shaking her head, she grabbed a bit of her torn red cape just to focus on something other than her thoughts, but even that particular plan wouldn't last very long, it never did.

Thankfully, before her ever growing thoughts could come back, Jordan felt an arm go around her shoulders and saw a warm mug placed on the railing before her.

"Please don't drop it. I don't want to go diving through the sky just to salvage the priest's favorite tea mug" Tom said from her right.

Sure enough, once she turned around she saw a barely awake Tom, rubbing his eyes awake with his free hand.

"Thanks" was all she said before turning back to the clouds bellow.

Tom let out a long sigh and leaned closer to her, resting his chin on her shoulder and wrapping his arms around her waist.

"You should be sleeping you know?" He whispered, his voice fighting against the breeze around them.

"I know, just came to get some fresh air" she said, leaning against his muscled form behind her while clutching her chilling tea with both hands like her life depended on it.

It was true that she was still upset, but even in the highest degrees of depression, she would never dream of risking Declan's wrath. Perhaps that's why Tom had brought up that little fact about the mug's owner, to give her something else to focus on.

"Sonja got scared when she didn't see you in bed"

"Please tell me she didn't wake you guys" Jordan said, turning her head back a bit to see a smirking Tom, still leaning against her.

"Gave me, Stefan, Tucker, and the pirates one hell of a scare. Of course I volunteered to find you, had to fight Stefan for it too so you owe me" Tom said, letting out a laugh.

It was well known that no one was happy with the sleeping arrangements. That was actually the real reason Jordan was up on the deck so early in the morning. Sharing a room with Sonja wasn't anything new because of all the sleepovers they'd had before, but sleeping in the same room as a distraught Amy...that was something else entirely.

Hearing her quiet whimpers at night....let's just say Jordan did everything in her power to not be in that giant room for that long. Sure, Jordan was exhausted because of it, but she had put that sleepless time to good use by training on the deck where no one would hear her.

The supplies for the trip as long as all extras such as weapons were stored on the lower "floor" of the ship, the girls sleeping quarters were on the level above that, then the boys, then the floor with their dinning and kitchen area.

On that last floor were also the stairs leading to the small supply cot that was about a third of the length size of the ship, the rest of it was the main deck were she was currently at.

Lastly, above that little room was the command center and Declan's and Champwan's small bedroom, but that area could only be accessed through the stairs on deck.

Beautiful design by the wizards. But Jordan would die just to share a room with anyone else but the pirates.

The whole situation was in play just because Declan didn't trust 'people to keep hands to theirselves' , he didn't want to deal with that chaos or maybe seeing her and Dianite together had broken something in him for him to be so afraid of catching two people together.

Right now, Dec and Champwan were awake in that room on the other side of the ship, making sure the navigation towards Ianarea was going smoothly.

It was rather surprising that neither of them had heard her training earlier. Maybe they did, but had wanted to give Jordan some space.

Good.

Everyone had been trying their best to 'help her cope' with the death of...the pirate, in their own ways of course. Her friends were always trying to keep her company and making her laugh, while the pirates were kind enough not to talk to her, perhaps they were just ignoring her so they wouldn't kill her...

Stefan helps, a lot.

Being in his presence has some sort of calming effect over her that brought her peace like nothing else, he always has the right thing to say, and he sings her songs that calm her mind.

Despite that, Jordan felt bad. She didn't want Stefan having to be around her all day just to ease her pain, he needed to rest and eat, not have to keep her together.

Besides, Jordan had been trying her best to keep all pain away because... it wasn't fair. Here she was crying over the pirate when his sister was also mourning! Jordan had no right to be sad and upset.

"Stop that!" Tom said

"Stop what!?"

"Thinking like that. It wasn't your fault and you know it, Sparkles" Tom added

"How did you...?"

"It's written all over your face, though I suppose you can't actually see your own face so you wouldn't know" Tom mused, laughing at his own joke.

"What I'm trying to say is that he knew what he was signing up for when he left with you. In the end, instead of making another mistake with you like he usually does, he did the right thing. An honorable death." Tom added

Jordan turned around to look at his face.

"Is that how you see it?" She asked

"Yeah. Old habit I guess. When I was in training for Dianite's forces, we were taught that there was no point in life without an honorable death. It must have been the general's way to motivate us but also give us something to look forward to...a fate to be remembered past death. To become a legend"

"So you want a big glorious death instead of a long happy life?" Jordan asked, taking a sip out of the delicate black mug.

It took a while for Tom to answer, long enough that she though he might not say anything at all.

"I think I did. I grew up thinking Dianite would be the only being in this world that could give me that glory I was looking for...now I'm not so sure. I can't imagine what my life would be like without all of you guys" Tom said, his face softening

"But you better not tell anyone that" he added, pinching her cheeks playfully in warning.

"We wouldn't want anyone to know you have soft feelings right?" Jordan challenged, turning around fully to face her friend.

When she did, Jordan noticed the silouette leaning against one of the wooden poles nearby.

Amy.

Jordan had the vague sense of letting out a strangled cry at the sight of the female pirate, causing Tom to turn around.

Tom must have thought the pirate was here to kill her, as Tom assumed about everyone on this ship, because he slowly inched his green fingers towards the sword strapped at his waist.

Jordan quickly grasped Tom's wrist and stopped it before he could reach the hilt.

"Mind if we have a chat Captain?" Amy said, her voice soft and fragile but with enough bite that Jordan knew the pirate DID have some resentment towards her.

"Captain? I thought you..." Jordan questioned, but paused mid-sentence, thinking better of bringing up her brother.

"I am Captain now. But didn't you once tell us you were a captain as well? Captain Sparkles?" The pirate said "So let's talk, Captain to Captain"

Jordan placed her hand on Tom's shoulder and turned him to face her.

"Go back to sleep. I got things in order here" she whispered to her friend

"What if she tries something!? She's been crying for four days straight and now she's all composed? Nah, I don't think so" Tom whispered back, but not as quiet.

"I'll be fine, just give us a minute. And no snooping" Jordan warned, pushing her friend slightly out of their embrace.

Tom huffed in annoyance but conceded a step back, eyed her sword as a reminder to use it if necessary, then made his way back towards the stairs to the lower floors.

Once they could hear his footsteps against the wooden stairs fade, Amy made her way forward towards Jordan.

The pirate's eyes were still lined with red against her pale skin, her long brown hair slightly tangled, doing nothing to hide her tired appearance.

Once Amy leaned against the railing before them, she noticed Jordan's mug which was still resting between her hands.

Wordlessly, Jordan handed the pirate the mug. The girl eyed it for a few seconds before reaching for it and taking a large sip.

"There is no alcohol in this" Amy complained.

"I'm too young for alcohol" Jordan added, crossing her arms against her chest to ward off some of the early morning cold she had failed to feel before.

"Rupert did mention you were a light weight. Half a bottle of rum later and you and Stefan passed out" Amy said, taking another sip of the tea despite not finding alcohol.

Jordan decided to ignore that comment of the day she tried to drink away the pain in her soul and failed miserably, only earning an earth shattering headache and a new mental reminder to never drink alcohol again. Stefan and her had both agreed to never even come within sniffing distance of rum ever again, no matter if they were on Earth or Mianite.

Instead, she looked the pirate in the eyes and tried her best attempt at a smile.

"Besides, isn't it a bit too early to drink?" Jordan asked

Amy twirled her cup this way and that, before shrugging.

"Not really. I've been drinking since I was 14 years old, had a lot to drink for I guess. Sometimes, rum was my breakfast, lunch, and midnight snack" the pirate said, now turning away from Jordan and looking over at the passing clouds below them.

They were changing colors, the pale white clouds Jordan had been staring at earlier were now filled with yellow and orange tones, signaling the rising of the sun.

A beautiful sight Jordan never thought she would witness, at least not on a flying ship. Maybe in an airplane.

"You sneaked out of the room again. Earlier this time than last night" Amy said, filling in the silence between them.

"Didn't think you'd notice, or care for that matter" Jordan said, not as a snappy remark, but in question.

"You're not exactly as stealthy as your fox friend" Amy added

"Is that what you came here to tell me?" Jordan asked, again, her voice soft not reprimanding.

Amy finished the contents of the black mug and leaned her hips against the railing, crossing her arms as she turned to look at Jordan.

"You look almost as bad as me Champion. I'm here because that needs to stop now" Amy said bluntly, her eyes looking Jordan up from head to toe as she frowned at whatever she found lacking.

"Im not gonna lie to you, when you came back and my brother didn't...I thought about killing you. I had lost everything but my brother, and now he too was gone, taken from me. But then I realized the fault wasn't yours, it was Dianite's and Furia's. When I saw you fight against Furia on the other ship, all that anger and pain, I knew you felt pain for my brother too. How could I punish you for that?" Amy added

"It was my plan that went wrong. I wouldn't blame you if you decided throw me off this flying ship to my death, I wouldn't stop you either" Jordan added, looking down at her crumpled white shirt.

In the silence that followed, Jordan wondered if Amy truly would push her off the railing.

"My brother sent me a message before he died. No one else got it, it was just for me. Wanna know what he said, lass?" Amy asked

"Something tells me you're gonna say it no matter what" Jordan said, still not daring to look at the girl.

"He told me that his death wasn't wasted, that he was giving his life to something bigger than himself. Ezra told me that he would save the day, so that YOU could save the world" Amy said, making Jordan look up.

"So save it. Push the guilt and pain aside, because with those two things weighing you down, you won't be able to do a damn thing" the pirate added, leaving Jordan frozen.

"You really think I could do such a thing?"

"I'm hoping you can, so that this can all end, because I know my brother won't rest until he knows we are all safe."

"I still don't know how you can forgive me so easily."

"I told you it wasn't your fault, it was Lord Dianite's....so make him pay for it. Make my brother's death worth something" Amy said, tears falling down her cheeks.

"....an honorable death" Jordan said Tom's words quietly.

"No. His death was never about him, it was about you. You are his legacy, and in my book, that's worth more than honorable acts ever will. You were my brother's first and only love, and I made him turn against you in a selfish attempt to keep him safe. Ezra should have chosen you then and sent me to the burning depths of the nether...but now he chose you. Chose you to save us all" Amy said, wiping the tears away from her face and then proceeded to hold Jordan's hands in her own "So save us, save the family I have left. You asked why I came up here to talk? It was to beg you, beg you to protect us all"

First love!?

Jordan froze, her hands shaking from something other than the cold. But the look on Amy's eyes, the sadness within...

"I'll do everything I can" Jordan said

Amy's muscles relaxed and she gave a firm nod.

"We are done moping from now on, both of us. We have a lot of work to do if we want to restore Lord Ianite to his full strength. Then, then we take the fight to the lord of the nether" the pirate said, her eyes still swollen and red but full of determination.

Kill Dianite.

Something Jordan thought she would never be ready for, and at some point in her life never even considered as an option. But now, the thought brought a smile to her face. Not one of the pretty smiles she used to give the lord of the nether when they were together, but rather a thing full of wickedness.

"Sounds like a good plan to me Captain Bluebeard" Jordan replied.

"Then it's settled Captain Sparkles, we are about to get ourselves some much deserved revenge" Amy said, before suddenly looking behind her to where the masts of the the ship were located.

"You can stop snooping Rupert, I know you're there" Amy yelled at an area masked in shadows where a very shocked Rupert emerged from.

Amy gave him a bright smile, some color returning to her face despite the slight traces of sadness in that smile.

Rupert walked over and took the mug from Amy's hands, then he placed his large coat over her shoulders. Because of their height differences, the coat was so big on Amy it almost dragged on the floor, but Jordan supposed that was a good thing given how cold it was.

"You drank something, and you're out of your room" Rupert said, shocked at his own words. Then he looked Jordan's way with an expression she couldn't quite decipher.

"Needed some fresh air. Good thing you're up so early, you can help me with breakfast. Whoever has been cooking for the past few days has no idea what they are doing" Amy said, grabbing Rupert's arm and pushing him towards the stairs to the lower deck.

Before they made it to the little cot's entrance, Amy stopped and turned around to face Jordan, who was still by the railing.

"See you at breakfast champion, but you might want to change clothes, I know I will" Amy said

Jordan let out a small smile and nodded before turning back to the railing, facing the brightened clouds below her.

"Also, you can stop hiding too, handsome" Jordan heard Amy yell.

After quickly turning around and scanning her surroundings she noticed Stefan coming out of the opposite wooden mast where Rupert was previously hiding in.

He quickly walked over to her and smiled while rubbing the back of his neck. A gesture Jordan had become very acquainted with, it was something he did when he was nervous or embarrassed.

Once he reached her side he placed another cup of tea before her.

"Didn't mean to snoop. When Tom came back to the room I thought you would be up here all alone and I thought you... might want something to drink" Stefan said

Jordan, feeling lighter than ever, let out a laugh and took the mug in one hand and wrapped her other arm around his waist, curling up against his warm chest.

"Good. Someone else stole my tea earlier" she said "Thank you for worrying Stef"

"You seem better" he said, his muscles relaxing after a while, bringing her closer to him.

"I am" Jordan said breathlessly.

"Save that answer for someone who isn't me. It's ok to be hurt and scared, Claire. With me it's ok" he said

Jordan couldn't be more great full to have him in that moment because she knew he meant it.

"I guess what I meant to say is that I will be ok, I'm starting to get there" she said, taking a sip out of the tea and bringing the cup to his lips so he could take a warm sip as well.

As soon as she fully savored the tea, Jordan knew Stefan had made it himself. It was a tendency of his to put way too much sugar on his tea, afraid it would be too bitter for her. But Jordan found she liked the sweetness, she liked it a lot.

Stefan didn't ask her to tell him what happened with Amy, he just hugged and drank tea with her in silence as they looked at the clouds.

"You know something? Being in this ship, by this railing, it's making me think of Titanic. Had I been in a better mindset when we boarded, I might have spread my arms out like wings and stood up on the other side of the railing like Rose. Might have even made you hold me in place like Jack" she said, a small smile on her lips.

Stefan looked down at her face and smiled as well.