TITLE: Carpe Diem (Seize the Day)

AUTHOR: ArcherofDarkness

SUMMARY:

RATING: PG-13

WHY: language, violence, and cuz I want it to be!

DISCLAIMERS: I own Xyra (Zy-ruh)

As soon as the landlubbers' feet had touched the deck, I took my bag of solar surfer supplies below to my cabin to deposit them; soon afterwards, I was back at the surface to wait for the launch. The captain and Arrow weren't in sight and the crew had stopped working, I rolled my eyes.

"BACK TO WORK YA SCURVY DOGS!" While most just muttered a curse and saluted before returning to work, I noticed that the scorpion was seizing me up in his golden eyes. He noticed me glaring and then gave me a poisoned grin and bowed deeply before climbing up the mast on his six legs.

Despite the weather, a shiver ran up my spine; my hair was standing on its end. The captain had good reason to be suspicious. Making a mental note, I watched the progress of the crew; they were not to be trusted.

As soon as the last crate had been stowed away, the captain and the two landlubbers emerged from the Great Cabin and Arrow walked over to me.

"Please take Mr. Hawkins and Dr. Dopplar below to meet the cook, Hawkins will be working as cabin boy, captain's orders."

I touched my hat, "Aye sir. Mr. Hawkins? Dr. Dopplar? Please follow me for the present."

The teen stuck his hands in his pockets and the guy in the spacesuit shook his hands out, but both followed me down to the galley.

"Mr. Silver? I'd like you to meet Mr. Hawkins and Dr. Dopplar, who financed the voyage."

Silver looked over and continued to chop the vegetables and strange looking squid-things. He mixed them all up into a stew and handed the boy and the doctor each a bowl with a spoon.

"Have a taste of me famous Bonzabeast stew!"

The doctor lapped at his while the boy stirred it around in disgust. Silver nudged the lad and coaxed him to try a bite, but the spoon got it first. I hid my grin as Hawkins was introduced to Morph; I'd met it the day before and quickly befriended it.

"Hawkins will be taking the role of cabin boy, in your charge."

Silver, who was tasting a bit of seasoned broth, suddenly choked, "What!"

"Captain's orders," I said forcefully, "See if you can't get this landlubber in shape, eh?"

He cast me a sideways grin, "Course miss, now, what's yer first name lad?"

The boy shuffled and spat out, "Jim."

"Well then Jimbo, I'm sure that we'll get along just fine!"

I smirked, that kid was going to learn a little respect. "Would you like to watch the launch Doctor?"

"Would I! Does an active galactic nucleus have superluminal jets!"

I stared…it's true, but what kind of mentally stable and socially structured person would say such a stupid thing! I sighed and walked back up to the deck, followed closely by the slow clunk of the socially retarded doctor.

I took my position at the quarterdeck along with the first mate and captain; the crew scrambled to their places along the yardarms.

"Free the sails, would you Mr. Arrow?" the captain said nimbly.

"RELEASE ALL SOLAR SAILS!"

As the crew went about with its work and Arrow continued to shout out directions, the landlubber cabin boy was running around, getting in the way. As the ship rose up, the gravity of the spaceport didn't reach us anymore, so the artificial gravity was quickly turned on. I was glad to notice that the cabin boy didn't fall on his face like the doctor.

Finally Arrow shouted down to the power control room to get under way; the captain turned to the doctor.

"Brace yourself."

He just mocked her and stuck his abnormally large nose in the air. As the ship geared up, I realized something; the doctor was in front of me.

Oh, shit.

But before I could do anything, the ship had blasted off and I was flattened by the stupid blunder of a doctor.

Glaring, I picked my way out of the mess of metal, my back aching from the impact; the doctor barely noticed me though and knocked me down again as I struggled to free my foot from his space suit.

My head was spinning as we quickly got out of reach of Montressor's star, there was a pod of Whales…or Orcus Galacticus if you want to get fancy. It was rather humorous when one of the whales decided to get rid of some…er, waste products by squirting them on the doctor.

The captain laughed too.

With most of the crew out of the ratlines, I scurried up to get a good look of where we were going. The captain had told the Bo' sun that we were headed to the coordinates 5120 x 874 x 90008.

Silver emerged from below deck and began to talk to the captain; I couldn't make out what he said, but obviously the captain didn't like it and said something rather sharp. Soon afterwards, the Hawkins boy was mopping the deck, Morph keeping a close eye on him.

After a couple hours, the fog of the nebula we passed through, the Odysseus Nebula, began to set along the deck. I swung my legs out from one of the yardarms and surveyed the scene below. One four-armed crewmember knocked into Hawkins, clearly meaning to be intimidating, and it worked. Soon though, the cabin boy noticed a little more was going on in the fog.

There were four of the crew talking in whispers as the Hawkins boy swept by.

One of the crew was perched on another, it's really pretty strange actually because one looks like a head and the other, a body. The cabin boy must've thought that it was just three and been surprised, because he kept staring even after they warned him off.

Then came the scorpion.

I swear, he appeared out of nowhere!

He crept down the mizzen and hissed at Hawkins for a second, but obviously the boy didn't know how to reply and was soon pinned up against the mast by a claw.

Well, that got me moving. I slid down the main mast and got to the scene just in time to hear Jim say: "Too bad my nose works just fine!"

God, that kid was no smarter than a Durf!

The scorpion whisked a claw across the boy's face, I saw blood and then I acted. With one swift sweep of my foot, I knocked Bright Eyes' feet out from under him and glowered.

"Sailor! What is your name!"

"Scroop."

"Scroop, Ma'am," I hissed, "And while you are on the ship of the Admiral's Navy, you will not pick a fight with any other person! Am I quite understood sailor?"

He glared.

"Am I understood?"

There was a clunk as Silver came up on deck, he gave Scroop a look and the scorpion quickly became less menacing. Arrow also appeared on deck.

"Yes Ma'am."

I sighed and went to the Great Cabin to speak with the Captain.

Knocking on the door, I heard a "Come in!"

I opened the door with a squeak, "Captain?"

Amelia put down a globe of the so-far-explored universe, "Ah! Miss Robethian! What may I do for you?"

I swallowed, "It's the crew ma'am, they are disrespectful. I don't trust them in the least."

She grinned, "Well, disrespect is hardly a reason to suspect mutiny. I'm going to need some proof."

"Scroop, the scorpion, he drew blood on the Hawkins Boy, not to mention, they whisper at every time that someone isn't standing directly over them. I know it isn't much, but if I could have my blade back, then it might help keep them in line, give me a little protection. I swear never to use it unless the need is dire!"

I waited for an answer but Amelia just began to laugh, "AH! Xyra… Well, actually, you are thinking just like me. I trust this crew not in the least, and yes, I will grant your sword…er…what is it?"

I waited until she brought my weapon out, "I call it Mornie Rávo, or Lion from Darkness. My mother used it, her mother used it, and so forth. Since then it has had many names. My marne taught me the very uttermost power of it, since then I have mastered it."

Amelia gave me a prying look, "What language do you speak besides the common tongue?"

"I speak fluent Latin," she gave me a shrug, clearly saying 'I've never heard of that.'

I grinned and swept off my hat, "Good night Cap'n…oh yes! I wanted to know if I could make a little, er…noise, music!"

She smiled, "I don't mind, as long as it ends at twenty-two hundred hours, that is my bed-time you could say."

I laughed and saluted again before clipping the Lion from Darkness to my belt; my shift was over and I had four hours to do whatever I wished!

I dashed down to the galley and found a couple purps and a boiled potato for dinner; as I was leaving, some of the crew was coming in to eat, some looked at my blade and thought it wise to salute. I grinned, my first impressions about theirmutineering spirithad been right.

Once in my quarters, I took off the Lion and reached in my bag for my diary and quickly wrote:

Dear Diary 9-17-2837

2nd day of working on Legacy, suspect mutiny. New cabin boy landlubber, as well as doctor. Captain also suspects. Got permission for playing G and V as well as F and anything else. Found solar surfer 1st day. Kicked Scroop's arse, was fun! Miss home.

Xrya Robethian

I put it back and reached in the second pocket, which actually doesn't contain anything, but is like a portal to a vault I have back on the planet Preyte, I keep everything in there, so I pulled out my pretty little violin case and oil rag to cushion my neck. Very quickly I tuned the strings and played a scale, then I turned serious.

In a rush of excitement, I played Vivaldi's third movement of The Seasons, frankly, there is no better piece of music! When that was done, I wiped down the strings and put it back before pulling out my guitar. It was acoustic, which was just as well because an electric would make too much noise, and all the crew already hated me.

I slipped the strap over my head and shoulder before pulling out a pick and began to play.

There's a place off Ocean Avenue

Where I used to sit and talk with you

We were both 16 and it felt so right

Sleeping all day, staying up all night

Staying up all night

There's a place on the corner of Cherry Street

We would walk on the beach in our bare feet

We were both 18 and it felt so right

Sleeping all day, staying up all night

Staying up all night

If I could find you now things would get better

We could leave this town and run forever

Let your waves crash down on me and take me away

There's a piece of you that's here with me

It's everywhere I go, it's everything I see

When I sleep, I dream and it gets me by

I can make believe that you're here tonight

That you're here tonight

If I could find you now things would get better

We could leave this town and run forever

I know somewhere, somehow we'll be together

Let your waves crash down on me and take me away

I remember the look in your eyes

When I told you that this was goodbye

You were begging me not tonight

Not here, not now

We're looking up at the same night sky

And keep pretending the sun will not rise

Be together for one more night

Somewhere, somehow

If I could find you now things would get better

We could leave this town and run forever

I know somewhere, somehow we'll be together

Let your waves crash down on me and take me away

I took a short breather and then began to play again, a song that I had heard long ago.

No sleep

No sleep until I am done with finding the answer

Wont stop

Wont stop before I find a cure for this cancer

Sometimes

I feel I'm going down and so disconnected

Somehow

I know that I am haunted to be wanted

I been watching

I been waiting

In the shadows all this time

I been searching

I been living

For tomorrows all my life

In the shadows

In the shadows

They say

That I must learn to kill before I can feel safe

But I

I'd rather kill myself then turn into their slave

Sometimes

I feel that I should go and play with the thunder

Somehow

I just don't wanna stay and wait for a wonder

I been watching

I been waiting

In the shadows all my time

I been searching

I been living

For tomorrows all my life

Lately I been walking, walking in circles, watching, waiting for something

Feel me touch me feel me, come take me higher

I been watching

I been waiting

In the shadows all my time

I been searching

I been living

For tomorrows all my life

I been watching

I been waiting

I been searching

I been living for tomorrows

In the shadows

In the shadows

I've been waiting

Finally, I stretched out my neck and put the guitar back in its case and then into the safety vault. Then I pulled out one of my most favorite books in the entire universe, Treasure Island by Robert Louis Silverstein.

I got to about the fifteenth chapter before I was interrupted by a knock on my door.

"Come in!" It was the landlubber cabin boy. I checked my page and shut the book with a snap. "Hawkins! What a lovely surprise, how may I help you?"

Please review…M'kay? Otherwise I'll sic' Timmy on ya!

Timmy: TIMMY!

Me: yes…TIMMY! And then Cartman…and his phonics monkey

Erick: What the Fudgy wankles does that mean?

Stan: Shut up fat ass

Kenny: MFFTH mff-GACK!

Stan: Oh my God! They killed Kenny!

Kyle: You bastards!

Me: Yes…review…or Kenny gets it!

And also, those songs belong to Yellowcard (ocean avenue) and The Rasmus (In the Shadows)