A/N: This is set in a Pirates of the Caribbean setting, but I doubt any canon characters will be making an entrance. This is my first fic on this site, so I apologize in advance for any mistakes I may have made. All characters and places are my own, but I do not own PotC. Just shoving a disclaimer in there to be safe.

Chapter 1

Most prisons aren't very pleasant, because that would defeat the general purpose. But some prisons don't have that extra luxury called 'space', and so some prisons are particularly unpleasant. The one on the lonely Caribbean island Meda Risgo is a very good example.

It's made of cold, hard stone, and you can here unsettling sounds like rats skittering on the floor, heavy breathing, moans of pain, and the occasional peal of psychotic laughter. The smell doesn't help much. It's like something mixed with sweaty socks, moldy cheese, a rotting corpse, and human waste. The cells are all crammed together, and you can only fit two people, at most. And that's if you're trying to drive them mad. It's not exactly the ideal place for a midnight stroll.

Yet one eighteenth-century night, a young hooded girl, whom we're going to call Silent Sue for the moment because why not, was taking a midnight stroll. To the prison. She might have had trouble with the guards, if they were people to take seriously, but they weren't. One was passed out and drooling on the ground, and the other was nervously pointing his bayonet into the night. Sue may or may not have been making horrible growly noises from the shadows.

Sue swept through the cells, glancing at the inhabitants as she passed. She paused, peering into a cell that looked empty at first glance, but continued on at the drunken moan that came from within.

Finally, she stopped at a cell with a figure slumped against the wall, sleeping. Or so one might think. Sue was a smart girl, so she stood there waiting, knowing that he was perfectly conscious. She did, after all, have all night.

Suddenly, the prisoner's head shot up, "Can I help yeh?" he snapped, "Or would yeh like teh go on standing there all bloody night?"

Sue sighed impatiently, "Actually, I was wanting to speak with someone. Perhaps I got the wrong person."

"That depends," Edgy Ed (yes, we're giving random names to all virtually unknown characters now) leaned forward, narrowing his eyes, "Who exactly were yeh lookin' fer?"

"Well..." Sue seemed to think about that, "I have been told that there is a Curatrix youth in prison, and I wanted to speak to them. You seem to be the only one who fits the 'youth' part of the description."

Ed looked around, "So I am. But what makes yeh think I'm actually a Curatrix? And, fer th' sake o' argument, say I am one. What if I'm also a dangerous criminal? Did yeh consider that?"

Okay, timeout. A brief explanation of Curatrix. Basically, they're half-angels that are connected to some mortal through a spiritual bond that is represented by two identical gemstones. The Curatrix is supposed to protect their charge, and is given powers needed to protect that specific person. Like wings. Enough said, more will be explained later.

Sue laughed skeptically, "For one, you are no older than myself, fifteen years old or perhaps sixteen. And if you are indeed a Curatrix, then you could not possibly be a criminal. I have read about their nature. But then, why are you in here? I mean, you must have done something."

"Nothing very important," Ed shrugged, "I nicked a few coins off o' some drunk who'd stolen 'em in th' first place. I stowed away on a little merchant ship. Once, I 'mocked a government official' but I don't think they remember that."

"Well, how do you fancy leaving? I can help you." Sue held up a ring of keys, apparently from nowhere.

Ed raised an eyebrow, "And how do I know yer actually going teh help me an' not, say, turn me in?"

Sue snorted, "Why on earth would I rescue you only to put you back in prison?"

Ed was silent for a count of three, "I guess I see yer point. But why would yeh help me?"

"Can you not just accept my help without so much criticism?"

"I dunno," Ed shrugged, "It's a cruel world, mate, an' I'm not real eager teh trust meself teh a stranger."

"Well, if you are sure you do not want to leave, I can just leave you to rot."

Ed sighed exasperatedly, "Yeh know what? Fine. Whatever yeh can do teh me will beat rotting in a cell with a bunch o' drunks." He stood up and went over to the bars, watching her expectantly. Sue began trying keys in the locks, until finally, with a satisfying click, she pulled the door open.

Ed grinned, stepping out of the cell. He grabbed Sue's wrist and they ran through the prison, back the way Sue had come from. Suddenly, Sue stopped, which made Ed stop, too. He frowned at her, "Now what? Did yeh perhaps ferget about some scary beastie out there?"

"No," Sue bit her lip nervously, "But... the guards."

"How many are there?"

"Two, but one of them was passed out cold when I came in."

"Okay, hold on," Ed crept forward and peered cautiously around the corner. The one guard was indeed still unconscious, but the other guard was still awake and alert, if nervous. Ed looked around at the ground and spotted a loose brick that had come out of the floor in a corner. He snatched it up and took careful aim. With a quick flick of his wrist, he hurled it at the guards head. The brick collided with the guard's head with a sickening conk, and his eyes rolled upward into his head.

"U-um..." Sue put her hands over her mouth, wide-eyed, slightly scared now of the person she'd just rescued. Maybe he is a dangerous criminal after all...

Before she could try and stop him, Ed stepped casually out of the building, breathing in the warm, Caribbean night air, "Aaaah," he sighed, grinning, "that's much better. Thanks mate," he added, turning around to face Sue, "I owe yeh one."

"Um..."

"Well, I'll just be on me merry way. Thanks again, mate." He turned to walk away.

"Wait!" Sue called out, "I have something for you!"

Ed spun casually on his heels and walked leisurely back to her. He held out his hand expectantly. Sue pulled a small drawstring bag out from her coat and pushed it into his hand.

"Open it," she invited.

Ed tugged at the string, and looked inside. His mouth fell slightly open as he saw dozens of coins, enough to feed a starving man for weeks, "Where did you... how.. what..."

Sue smiled under her hood, "Do not look a gift horse in the mouth," she advised.

"Well..." Ed pulled the bag shut and tucked it away somewhere, "I guess this is goodbye. See yeh later, mate." He turned to leave again.

"Hold on," Ed looked at her, "What is your name?"

Ed thought for a moment, "I'd say we should keep our names classified, mate. Hopefully, I'll be gone by noon tomorrow, and we'll never ever see each other again."

"But..." Sue fretted, "what if they ask you how you escaped? What are you going to tell them?"

"Havin' second thoughts, mate?" Ed laughed. Sue pouted at him, and he sighed, "Alright, fine, I'll say it was..." he grinned, "wild luck."