Author Notes:

So far, this one is my most favorites and because of that, I'd like to dedicate it to all the people reading my fic. I love all your kind reviews. Thank you all again for reading (and for putting up with my excessive author notes).

We be Pirates

It was a bright sunny day in the Artisans home world, but dark clouds could be seen on the horizon. No one took note of them, however, and the atmosphere was filled with the spark of anticipation and coming adventure. On this bright day, Marco the balloonist found himself surrounded by creatures on his dock. They included six young dragons, a mole, a fawn, a cheetah, and a rabbit. Along with them, there was a medium-sized wooden ship anchored at the dock with a ramp descending from it.

"Alright. I think that's enough good-byes," said the mole, also known as The Professor. "The sooner you all leave, the sooner we can fix the mess that has engulfed our worlds."

"Don't worry Professor, we'll get things worked out," said one of the dragons, a purple one known as Spyro.

"Yes, and while you do so, take notes on the Lost Realm for me. I'd like to add them to my records," said the Professor.

Spyro groaned and rolled his eyes. He was just as curious about this lost world as the Professor, but he would rather explore it freely and not record his every step. Fuchsia seemed to notice his expression and spoke up.

"I'll keep track of that for you, Professor. I don't mind."

Spyro gave his friend a grateful glance and then turned towards the ramp of the ship. A green dragon, the smallest of the six, stood close behind him.

"Why, thank you Fuchsia. I appreciate it," The Professor replied. "Well, off you go then," he stated, gesturing the dragons towards the ship.

"Good luck Spyro!" said Hunter the cheetah and Bianca the rabbit in unison. They stood together, Hunter with his arm around Bianca's waist and she with a paw gently holding her belly. They both waved, though not in unison.

Spyro never had found out what was different about her. Perhaps she was just fatter, and she currently had an upset stomach from nerves? Oh well. He waited by the ramp as first Fuchsia, and then the other dragons climbed it onto the ship deck. Behind her were Shade, Dawn, Cinder, and finally Stella. Right as Spyro was about to walk up the ramp, the fawn known as Elora ran over to him and threw her arms around his neck.

"Take care of yourself Spyro," she said with a bit of emotion.

Spyro looked shocked at first and then felt slightly uncomfortable.

"Um, thanks, Elora. I will."

When she released him, he climbed up to the deck standing near the bow and then turned to wave at his friends.

"Hurry back Spyro. We'll miss you," Bianca said as a final farewell.

Suddenly the anchor of the ship pulled itself in and the ship started to move un-captained. No one thought anything out of the ordinary, for it was an enchanted ship borrowed from Breeze Harbor and it was supposed to move by itself.

Spyro waved until the dock became a tiny spec and then he turned around to find Stella staring after it. At first, he thought she would confront him about Elora's behavior, and was relieved when she didn't.

"Do you think we'll ever see it again?" she asked in an almost sad tone.

Spyro sat down and was silent for a minute, and then he answered reassuringly.

"Sure we will. You have nothing to worry about. After all, you are with me. I'll make sure we come back in one piece."

Smiling at him, she scooted over and leaned against his chest, closing her eyes. Grinning warmly, he curled his tail around her, resting his chin on her head. Shade sat in the shadows cast by the cabin, which was located near the center of the ship. He stared at the couple with a look of disgust on his face and then he turned to look out to sea. Fuchsia had gone inside the cabin, probably to look for paper to start recording their trip with. As for Cinder and Dawn, they were nowhere in sight.

Then suddenly Cinder's rear end appeared from below deck. He seemed to be dragging a large box behind him. Finally, he managed to pull the thing up the stairs and dropped in on the deck with a thud.

"Hey, look what I found!" he said excitedly.

Just as the words left his mouth, Dawn burst onto the deck from behind him, wearing a bandana and an eye-patch. She stood on three legs. In one of her front ones, she brandished a wooden sword.

"Avast ye scurvy dogs!" she exclaimed, swinging the sword at the air.

Cinder quickly put on another eye-patch and grabbed another fake sword, brandishing it in the air before him.

"Arg! We be pirates!" he yelled.

Both Spyro and Stella started in surprise and looked up at the two. Shade was surprised as well but only looked at them with mild shock. Realizing whom it was, he rolled his eyes and continued staring out to sea. He was surrounded by idiots and sappy people. When her shock wore off, Stella blinked a few times and then smiled. Spyro shook his head and laughed.

"Did someone say pirates?" asked Fuchsia, sticking her head out the cabin door. At the sight of the blue and red dragons, she raised an eye ridge. "You two are weird. Try to keep it down, I'm trying to think."

"Aye aye Cap'n!" Cinder responded, walking over and placing a captain's hat on her head.

Fuchsia just rolled her eyes and then disappeared back inside the cabin. Once she was inside, Cinder and Dawn turned to each other.

"Prepare to fight, ye yellow-bellied puffer fish!" Cinder boasted, and the two started dueling with their fake swords.

Spyro and Stella watched them with amusement. As the fight progressed, Spyro got to thinking about what lie ahead. It was nice to have friends with him for a change. Especially when exploring unknown lands, and if he was going to have to fight all three of his enemies again, then he didn't really want to be alone.

That evening...

Night eventually fell and everyone was standing outside on the deck going over their plans. The sky was a dark navy blue with faint wispy clouds on the horizon. The tiny white pinpricks of stars were scattered across the sky's vastness, complementing two large white moons.

"Let me run over it again, just to make sure," said Fuchsia's voice, "From now on, everyone is to stick together. No one strays from the group. And if you really must, take at least one other person with you. Nobody gets left behind. Everyone get that?"

"For the second time, yes. Don't worry so much, Fuchsia. We'll be fine. I live for this kind of stuff," Spyro answered her.

"Well, I just..."

"Yeah, I know. You want to be prepared, and you're doing a great job. But don't worry so much. Relax and enjoy yourself."

With a sigh, Fuchsia nodded.

"Hey, I know what we need! Music!" said Cinder suddenly.

He and Dawn still wore their pirate costumes. Shade's normally emotionless expression turned to one of dread.

"Row row row your boat

Gently down the stream..." Dawn started singing.

"Uh...Dawn? This is a ship, not a rowboat," Fuchsia interrupted her.

"I know!" Cinder broke in.

"Come all ye sailors, and listen to me

Yo ho and a bottle of rum

We're on a ship that's sailing the sea..."

"Yo ho and a bottle of rum," Dawn joined in.

"Oh please..." Shade muttered, and he disappeared down the stairs that led below deck.

Now Dawn and Cinder started dancing around, pretending to be drunken sailors while the others laughed. Cinder sang the verses while Dawn sang the chorus.

"If you ever are sickly, or worried with fear"

"Yo ho and bottle of rum"

"Grab up a bottle and give out a cheer"

"Yo ho and a bottle of rum."

Just then, Shade returned from below deck carrying a large stereo, which he set down.

"You'll have a pint, while a quarter for me"

"Yo ho and bottle of rum"

"Drink till yer..."

In a simple motion, Shade clicked a button on the stereo and a hard rock song blared out of it. The voice singing to it was yelling at the top of their lungs. Everyone except Shade covered their ears. Cinder waddled over near Shade on two legs, a very clumsy process.

"WHAT THE HECK IS THAT!" he yelled over the stereo.

"MY KIND OF MUSIC!" Shade yelled back, staring at Cinder with an 'if you touch the stereo, you die' expression.

"IT'S KIND OF LOUD, DON'T YOU THINK?" Fuchsia shouted, directing her question towards Shade.

Everyone had gotten used to the volume and had taken their paws off their ears and were looking around with surprise.

"NO!" Shade responded.

Seeing that Shade was distracted, Cinder reached over and pressed another button. The music suddenly changed to a pop song.

"Ooo! I like this," Cinder said.

Shade's gaze snapped onto the large red Peace Keeper with a look of utmost rage. Just as Cinder started to dance to the pop music, Shade pounced on him and they went rolling across the deck. The thud made from Cinder hitting the deck caused the stereo to fall over and the song switched to a classical one.

Stella squeaked when Shade and Cinder rolled by, and she hid behind Spyro. The others watched with wide eyes as the two wrestling males rolled past them in-sync with the music. They came to a stop near the bow of the ship, Shade pinning Cinder down. Although he was much smaller than Cinder, he was a rather good fighter. Kicking at the Beast Maker, Cinder shoved him off and they both got to their feet and started pacing in a circle. Both their heads were held low as they glared into each other's eyes.

Before they could attack again, the others snapped out of their surprised states and intervened. Fuchsia grasped hold of Shade by a foreleg and held him back, while Stella grabbed Cinder's tail and Spyro stood in front of him, blocking his path.

"Stop it you two!" Fuchsia commanded.

"He started it!" yelled Cinder.

"I don't care who started it, I said stop it!"

Shade struggled somewhat as if he were going to lunge at Cinder again, but then he turned and shoved his way out of Fuchsia's grasp, heading towards the cabin and disappearing into it. Fuchsia gave one glance to the others and then followed him. Out on the deck, Spyro and Stella let go of Cinder. Stella went over and turned the stereo off.

"The nerve of that guy! All I did was change the station. He acts like I insulted him or something."

Spyro and Stella glanced at each other and then looked back to Cinder.

"You're right. I don't know what his problem is. He didn't have to come with us," Spyro responded.

Stella looked at him somewhat shocked.

"I say we kick him off the ship!" Cinder blurted.

Scared, Dawn huddled in a ball with one wing shielding her face. Her eyes peered out from under it.

"I-I don't think he really meant to hurt you, Cinder," Stella said meekly.

"You're taking his side?"

"Y-yes, well, no. He just... I think he's had a tough life. You shouldn't be so hard on him."

Spyro looked from one to the other, unsure of what he should say.

"Come on, Stella. He's a freak. I wouldn't be surprised if he joined Ripto or something. After all, we all know he hates Spyro. I still say we throw him overboard. I knew we should have never let him come."

"But..."

"We're not throwing anyone overboard," Spyro stated flatly.

Stella and Cinder turned their attention to him.

"No one gets left behind, remember?"

"But he..." Cinder protested.

"He stays. No matter how he acts, he stays."

Snorting with defeat, Cinder stalked off and went down below deck. Dawn stood up and walked to the top of the stairs as if she were deciding whether to go after him. Then she sat down and stared into the dark depths.

"Should we follow him?" Stella asked quietly.

"No, just let him cool off," Spyro replied.

Inside the cabin, Shade slammed the door behind him only to hear it open again. Glancing around ready to jump whoever dare follow him, he held himself back when he saw it was just Fuchsia.

"Are you alright Shade?" she asked.

"I'm fine," he snapped, walking over to sit in a corner.

Fuchsia noticed that he limped a bit.

"You're hurt."

"Leave me alone."

"You know, you did start the fight."

Shade didn't respond and just sat facing the wall, thinking about his past. The thoughts made him glare at the wood in front of him.

"Actually, your music wasn't that bad, even if rather loud"

Shade still didn't respond, so Fuchsia decided to leave him alone. She chose a corner of the room opposite him, walked in a tight circle, then lay down in a ball with her back facing him. What she couldn't see was that Shade actually smiled, however slightly.

The next morning...

Stella was awoken by a loud boom, though her eyes remained shut tight against the light of the morning. She and Spyro had fallen asleep on the deck while Dawn slept at the top of the stairs. Cinder had never come back on deck, so they had assumed he fell asleep below it. Fuchsia and Shade remained in the cabin. Another loud boom met her ears and she groaned, trying to snuggle deeper into the warmth of Spyro's side. They'd slept side-by-side all night and Spyro had wrapped his tail around her and draped a wing over her back.

Still, a third boom caused Stella to jolt awake and look around in surprise. The booms were cannon shots fired by another ship on their starboard side. Instantly she jumped to her feet, causing Spyro to jump up in alarm.

"What, what is it?!"

A fourth boom answered his question. At the sight of the ship, Spyro's jaw dropped.

"Hurry! We have to wake the others!"

Stella didn't need to be told twice. Quickly she dashed over to the cabin door and threw it open.

"Wake up! We're under attack!"

Fuchsia and Shade's heads both came up. Fuchsia nearly bumped hers on a hard, wooden surface. Apparently, she had decided to move sleeping spots in the night and was now curled up under the table in the middle of the room. Shade had slept in the same dark corner he'd been in the night before.

"What?" Fuchsia asked, but Stella was already gone.

Spyro headed for the stairs. As he passed Dawn, he shook her.

"Wake up Dawn!" he said before leaping down the stairs.

Dawn lifted her head and blinked sleepily. Downstairs, Spyro found Cinder sprawled out on a pile of rope, his mouth open and a string of drool hanging from his lower lip. Spyro shook his shoulder.

"Cinder, get up! We're being attacked!"

"I don't want to go to school, mom... Twinkle twinkle little star..." Cinder said in his sleep.

Spyro shoved him off the rope nest.

"The British are coming! The British are coming!" Cinder yelled, getting to his feet. Looking around, he found Spyro staring at him as if he had something obscene written on his face.

After blinking a few times, Spyro yelled at him again.

"We're being attacked, come on."

With that he dashed up the stairs, followed by Cinder. On deck, they found everyone else.

"What do we do?" Stella asked no one in particular.

"We need to fight back. Are there any cannons on this ship?" Fuchsia asked.

"Nope. Already checked," replied Cinder. He was, after all, a Peace Keeper. It was his instinct to examine any weapons the ship might have had.

"Are there any weapons at all?" Stella asked, bordering on hysteria.

"Just us," The spotted dragon replied again.

"Great. Now, what?" muttered Shade.

"This couldn't possibly get any worse," Fuchsia stated.

Not a second later, another boom sounded and the companions were all thrown against the port side of the ship. The sound of rushing water below them met their ears. Fuchsia groaned and smacked her head against her paw.

"I stand corrected. Now we're going to sink."

The enemy ship was now close enough that they could all see their attackers on it. To their surprise, they were real pirates. Gnorc pirates to be exact. Seeing them, Cinder reached up and pulled off his eye-patch. He'd left it on overnight. Dawn had long since taken her costume off. Another cannon shot fired from the enemy ship and the heroes were thrown against the railing again. This time Stella was flung over the edge into the water, screaming.

"STELLA!" Spyro yelled, jumping in after her.

"Dragon overboard!" Cinder yelled, grabbing a life preserver and tossing it over.

"They can swim, you idiot!" Shade yelled at him.

Just then, the sound of wood hitting wood could be heard and they all looked to see that the pirates had set down a plank, making a bridge between the two ships and were starting across.

"Well, in that case..." Cinder pulled the life preserver back up by the rope tied to it and tossed it at the first gnorc coming across the plank. It hit the pirate square in the head and made him fall back. This created a domino effect with the other pirates behind him, some falling off into the water. "Yes! Score!"

The distraction was only temporary before more pirates started coming across.

"Well, so much for that idea…" Cinder said, backing away from the pirates.

The other dragons followed his example. The pirates were amazingly fast and quickly swarmed onto their ship and had them surrounded, brandishing many all-too-real swords at them. The next thing they knew, all four of them had been hog-tied and were being carried across the plank to the enemy ship. Their dragonflies had been placed in jars. Once across, the pirate gnorcs tossed them on the deck where they all landed hard on their backs.

"Get your filthy hands off me!" Fuchsia yelled.

"You better let me go right now, or you'll be sorry!" yelled Cinder.

Dawn was silent, staring at all the pirates in terror. She might have tried putting them to sleep, but there were so many of them and she wasn't a full adult. Shade also didn't say anything, but he did growl.

"Tie up ther traps ye scurvy dogs, les they be lighten the whole ship a fire!" ordered a rather large pirate. He was obviously the captain, as he had on the hat for it. A very mottled-looking parrot sat on his left shoulder.

"Squawk! Ship a fire, ship a fire," it mimicked its master.

The pirates did as they were ordered, tying up first Dawn's, then Fuchsia's muzzles. Cinder was just about to spit fire when a fat gnorc pounced on him and tied up his snout before he got the chance. He was forced to let it out via smoke from his nostrils as he glared at the gnorc. When the pirates approached Shade, he growled and bore his teeth at them. One pirate was just about to reach for his mouth when Shade snapped at him.

"OW!" the gnorc yelled in pain as he held his hand, which was bleeding. "The little bastard bit me!"

A few of his fellow pirates snickered at him and unfortunately for Shade, another came up behind him and tied his mouth closed. If looks could kill, the one Shade gave him would have done so. He gave off the impression of a bomb ready to explode, his breathing was hard and smoke trailed from his nostrils.

"Now put em down below," the captain barked.

The gnorcs obeyed and the four dragons with their imprisoned dragonflies were tossed below deck.