I don't own Skies of Arcadia

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Aika stumbled face first into her bed with the journal held snugly to her chest. Her head was still reeling by the information she had just read. "MMmmph." she mumbled into the sheets.

Turning her head slightly, she could see the moonlight shimmering through a crack in the wall and cast it's glowing shadow across the ground. Talking just to hear something other than the thoughts in her head, she whispered, "Utter grief...after they marry." The thought struck her as hard to follow.

But, her parents did die so long ago…

She picked up the journal again and cracked it open. A few of the pages she had already read were torn apart, thanks to Vyse, but that didn't matter. She wanted to find out more, to find out if there was any way that she could prevent such misery from every coming true.

Turning the page, she found another entry:

"We were too shocked about that odd prophecy that we didn't talk all the way back home. I sneered at him a few times and he glared at me…the tension was too thick and I couldn't stand it…

"When we got back to the island, I just took off and went to the only people who I thought would understand the pain I was going through."

===

Dyne couldn't stop laughing at his friend when she told him what had happened. "Why the hell are you laughing?" Lake snarled as Dyne grabbed his stomach. His face was already turning a shade of purple from lack of air.

On the other side of Dyne, Rain had started to chuckle as well. "It's just that the thought of you and Raven--" Rain broke off as another wave of laughter erupted from Dyne. He fell off his chair and lay on the ground, trying to breathe.

"It's just…imagine what kind of spawn you and him will have!" Dyne roared once again.

("SPAWN!" Aika cried out.)

Rain began to snort at the thought as well. "A little red head prankster with a fiery temper and an equal charm who doesn't know when to shut up! That'll be scary!" It wasn't long before she joined Dyne on the ground, laughing hysterically at the thought.

Lake stared at the both of them before her lips started to twitch upward in mirth. Thank the moons for friends who could make a person forget their troubles.

A week later, Lake woke up and expected to hear the sizzling of food like she did every morning. Usually, it would only take her parents a total of five days to do what they had to do, then come home. Next time, they had promised that she could come with them and learn the trade of being a pirate.

She opened her door and looked around. Nothing. They weren't home yet.

Lake cocked her head in curiosity. Where were they?

She dressed and decided to bum some food off of Rain. She always had plenty of food at her house since she was one of the best cooks around.

However, the second that she opened the door, she felt the atmosphere of Pirate Isle slice through her. She shivered violently, wondering what was going on. Several people were heading toward the headquarters located beneath the ground. One of them, Lake recognized.

"Briggs!" Briggs stopped and turned around, watching Lake make her way toward him. "What happened?"

Briggs hesitated a moment as he stared at Lake. "Blue Rogues have been captured by Black Pirates."

Lake shivered again as a thought jumped around her brain. She quickly suppressed it as she forced herself to ask, "Do you know who?"

Briggs shook his head. "There's a briefing going on, right now." He bid her farewell and quickly walked a path to headquarters.

Lake's mind quickly cleared. Briefings were only called by the captain, which meant that Dyne's parents had returned, meaning that they were okay. Dyne's father always knew what to do, so everything would be fine.

She followed Briggs down the dirt road that led to a dead end. Once he tapped on the wall, it began to tremble revealing a doorway that led to a platform inside a cave. She stepped onto it, followed by Briggs who turned onto a bridge that led to a small log cabin not too far away.

She was just crossing the bridge when she saw Raven leaning against the doorway of headquarters. She hadn't seen him since the Shrine Island incident. She let out a breath at seeing the overall change in him. His silver blonde hair, for the first time, was in disarray. He wore little or no expression on his face and under his eyes were baggy, as if he hadn't slept at all.

Standing back, he let Briggs past him, but stopped Lake from entering.

She jerked her head toward him and stared at his red, rusty eyes. Her breath caught in her throat at the loneliness and tiredness that she saw in there. Was it his parents? And if so, why isn't he letting her go inside to the meeting? "Let me through."

"No."

His voice was hard and firm, something she had never heard from him before. She turned fully toward him and crossed her arms, debating whether or not to treat him normally or be sympathetic. "Let me through," she repeated.

He sighed, placing a hand on her arm. He squeezed it softly and said, "Trust me, Lake, you don't want to go in there."

She pulled her arm away from his grasp, not wanting to admit she enjoyed feeling his warmth seeping into her arm. "Last time I trusted you, I ended up bald."

"That was when we were four years old!"

"..." She shoved him aside and entered the room. Amazingly, there weren't many people in there. It was just a bunch of teens and young adults. Where were the parents?

Normally, at the head of the table would be the captain. However, the captain wasn't present. Only Dyne. He face was hard as stone and his hands were tightly clasped just underneath his chin. He looked up as Lake entered and for that brief moment of their eyes meeting, Lake knew.

Raven, Dyne, and her parents were all captured.

Raven shut the door and leaned against it. He crossed his arms as his eyes scanned the room. All of the occupants were of their young twenties or teens. Anyone older had already gone in search of the other their crew or were too sick to make it to the meeting. Finally, he rested his eyes on Lake who stood starkly still since she entered the room.

Dyne rubbed his temples almost instantly as the door shut and he slowly got up. "I--I'm sure by now that all of um, you have h-heard that a few, er, of our crew, including our c-captain, was captured near Nasrad. Reports s-say that after a chance meeting with the, um, Armada, they were badly damaged and the Black P-Pirates took advantage of their distress…" Dyne fell into silence, too shaken to continue.

Lake began to stir. The thought of his family out there was really effecting Dyne and everyone could visibly see that. It wasn't a good sign for a captain-to-be and it looked like everyone was thinking the same thing. She didn't know what to do. She, herself, felt like falling into several pieces and she needed some fresh air, or to escape, she didn't know which. But, when she turned around to leave, she caught Raven's eyes.

He looked at her meaningfully causing her to stop in her tracks and then he turned his eyes back to Dyne. "So, what are we going to do about it, Dyne?" he said with a forced grin. "Sit on our arses all day and blubber on and on while the old people get all the fun?"

Dyne glanced at his long time friend for a moment. Dyne's face was blank for a long time and then suddenly, a smile lifted the corner of his mouth. "Hell no. We try to get them back, of course," Dyne said matter-of-factly. Lost was Dyne's apprehension, tiredness and stutter. Left was the Dyne that Raven and Lake knew well and Lake mentally thanked Raven defusing the tension, even if he sounded like Grounder manure as he said it.

Raven scratched his chin as if in thought. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go! I need to roast me a few Evil Pirate bums--"

Dyne held up his hands to silence him. "We can't go yet. Remember, acting quickly and rushing are two completely different things. We need a plan."

Everyone seemed to grow just a little easier as they listened to this version of Dyne.

"We only need a few stealthy and strong people to take with us into the fight. Everyone else will remain on ship following Briggs' orders. We also need a quick ship to catch up with them. Raven," he said turning to his friend, " you have an eye for ships. Go and find any ship worth using. Briggs, Lake, and Ben, get all the women and children down here and anyone who isn't coming with us will be guarding over them. When we're set, we head over to Sailor's Island. Remember, we need information first."

Dyne looked at every one of their faces to make sure they understood, then said, "Dismissed."

"Aye-aye, captain."

Rain was checking the ship for any mechanical error with Dyne while Raven and Lake were checking and cleaning weapons.

"Thank you."

Raven looked up suddenly, his face void of all expression as he stared at Lake. "I'm sorry, I thought I just heard you thank me."

"I did."

Raven finished cleaning the gun in his hands before he said, "I can't believe hell already froze over."

Lake automatically kicked him in the shin and then laughed at his hurt expression. She liked when she gave him pain.

They fell into a nice companionable silence as they continued cleaning. Finally, Raven decided to break it and add his own turmoil into the mix. "We never discussed anything that happened on Shrine Island."

Lake's hand froze over the sword that she carried and she dragged her eyes up to meet his. However, his own were averted, staring at something in the distance, on the other side of the ship. "I don't think we should bring that u--"

"SHHHH!" Raven half stood up and blocked the sun's rays from his face with a hand. He squinted in the direction trying to claim a better look and Lake could only follow his gaze.

Off on the helm of the ship, Rain and Dyne were arguing frantically. Lake nor Raven had ever witnessed such a phenomena, but low and behold, there it was. "Let's get closer and hear what they're arguing about," Lake whispered as she grabbed Raven's collar and heaved him closer.

The soft wind blew, carrying pieces of conversation to hungry ears.

"I…you…don't you care how I feel about this…never see you again…"

Dyne seemed to pause as he inhaled Rain's words. For a moment neither of them moved, each frozen to their spot. Suddenly, Rain turned on her heel ready to flee. In that moment, Dyne's arm shot out and grabbed her wrist.

"…can't…run away, Rain…love you…"

Raven and Lake seemed to hold their breaths as Rain and Dyne leaned closer to one another and kissed.

"Holy crap!" cried Raven as he fell back on his bottom as soon as they had snuck back. "I didn't know about that!"

Lake, felt her nostrils flare out in brief anger and then whirled her head around to stare at them only to turn back to look down once again. She continued cleaning the remaining weapons, although more mechanical than before.

"And it appears that you didn't either," Raven muttered under his breath.

Lake glared at him for a moment before she returned to her task.

"Oh, come on, Lake. You know you've got something to say. I mean, you like the guy, don't you?" Raven finished his pile and sat back, waiting for her response. She looked as if she were trying to rub away a piece of dirt that didn't exist instead of talking, so he continued. "You're not even going to call me a Ghastling baby eater?"

Lake sighed and dropped the weapon on the ground. She forced herself to face Raven. "I just want to go save my parents." With that said, she stood up and left him by himself.

Raven watched her with half lidded eyes, trying to figure something out. She didn't look as bad as he thought she'd feel. She was either hiding it well, or she wasn't in love with Dyne.

Raven smirked and began to work on the weapons she had left behind.

Thanks to all those that reviewed. They are what keep me writing stories ( Yes, I'm a review whore).