It was a quiet night aboard the infamous pirate ship the Jolly Roger, which sat docked in one of the Enchanted Forest's many port towns. Captain Blackbeard and his crew, who had just returned from an exceptionally fruitful voyage to the realm of Arendelle, had abandoned their ship in favor of the many pleasures that the port had to offer. The pirates had congregated in the largest tavern they could find, and were liberally spending their spoils on food and drink. They talked and laughed loudly without a care in the world.
However, not every member of the crew was joining in the festivities of the night. One of the pirates lay asleep on his back in a small hammock in the corner of the Jolly's sleeping quarters. His disheveled raven hair fell into his eyes, and there was a dusting of three-day scruff across the bottom of his face. A faint scar ran up and down his right cheek, and his left hand was missing completely, a jagged scar covering the skin at the end of his wrist. Thick lashes framed his eyes, which remained closed as he turned onto his side and continued his peaceful slumber.
The pirate was not there to guard the ship, as one might have been inclined to believe. Captain Blackbeard was infamous throughout the realm as the most cutthroat pirate in history, and everyone in the land knew that the Jolly Roger belonged to him. No one had ever attempted to steal his ship, knowing that even if they did manage to obtain it, they would not get far before they were captured and killed by its captain. Even the Evil Queen Snow White's forces left the ship alone.
No, the dark-haired pirate was not there to guard the ship. The pirate was left alone aboard the ship because he was a lowly deckhand who was looked down upon by the crew. He had not received a large enough portion of the spoils to make the trip into town worth it; a humble meal of bread and cheese was all that he would have been able to purchase. Even if he could have afforded more grand fare, the other members of the crew would not have welcomed him to sit at their table or share in their merriment. They would have told him to go back to the ship, and the cowardly deckhand would have obeyed as he always did.
During the day the abuse of the crew and his own cowardice haunted the deckhand, and made him wish for a better life, a life in which he possessed bravery and valor. He often found himself daydreaming about what it would be like to challenge Blackbeard to a duel and win. In his mind's eye, he could see himself defeating Blackbeard and taking his precious ship. He could see himself, no longer Deckhand Hook, but Captain Hook, terror of the seas, commanding the Jolly Roger under a firm yet just hand. Sometimes his musings felt more like memories than dreams, but whenever they began to feel too real, he always pushed them aside. He was a deckhand, a slave to the whims of the Jolly's crew, and he would do well to remember it if he wished to survive.
But none of those thoughts haunted the deckhand on this night, for tonight he was dreaming the sweetest dream that his mind had ever managed to conjure. In his dream, he was in the company of a woman - a beautiful woman with hair like the sun and eyes like emeralds. She was looking at him with a look of adoration and - dare he think it? - pure love upon her face. She whispered his name, his real name: Killian. She said it so softly, her voice filled with as much love and tenderness as her eyes. He smiled up at her, running his fingers through her hair, pulling her closer, meaning to close the distance between them and kiss her. Swan, my beautiful Swan, was the only thought running through his mind as his eyes began to close in anticipation of the kiss.
Just as her lips were about to meet his, he jolted awake, his sky-blue eyes flying open and seeing only the darkness of the room rather than her jade eyes. He took a few deep breaths trying to steady himself, and ran his fingers through his already messy hair. He laid back down and closed his eyes, attempting to gain a few more hours of much-needed sleep. The rest of the crew would not be back until later in the day, but he still needed to awaken early in order to make sure the ship was spotless before his captain's arrival.
And yet, he could not keep his mind from drifting back to the woman in his dream, the woman his dream-self had called Swan. He had the craziest idea that he had seen her somewhere before. But that idea was ridiculous. He would have remembered someone like her.
Eventually, after much tossing and turning, he drifted back to sleep, only to be awoken a few hours later to bright sunlight streaming into the cabin. Realizing he had overslept, he bounded out of the hammock and began to dress quickly. Five minutes later, he was on deck, beginning his chores and praying he would have them completed before Blackbeard and his crew returned.
In his agitated state, he gave no thought to the mysterious Swan woman of his dreams.