June 12th 1775,
Reyna couldn't believe her luck. They'd attacked a small supply ship heading for the colonies only to discover that is was packed with British soldiers. On top of that those soldiers in question seemed to be very determined to survive. Reyna spun through the ranks of red soldiers, sight partially obscured by the cloth she wore around her face to conceal her identity. They fell like dominoes, most of them didn't even have time to raise their weapons. Reyna yelled as a blade caught her in the side, she spun around to find herself looking up at a tall British officer. Their face was obscured by their large brimmed hat, but from what Reyna could make out they were young. She smacked the blade away with her own.
"You'll have to do better then that, blood back," she growled at the soldier who's grip tightened on their blade. They didn't speak, instead they just launched them-self at her. She quickly parried and swung her blade around the other side, but the soldier simply switched hands and caught her blade on the tip of hers, spinning around the sword to try to through her off balance. With the speed of a viper Reyna had switched hands and was pressing the soldier backward. The entire battle seemed to fade as the two fenced. The officer was every bit as quick and skilled as Reyna was. Reyna swung towards the soldier who swung their blade down to block it, big mistake. As soon as the swords collided Reyna let the force of her opponent's blade launch the butt of her sword into their skull. They stumbled away, hat askew, but the cloth that hid her own face only allowed her to see a few stray locks of black hair fall from their hat.
"Ergh," the soldier growled with frustration and swiped their sword down towards Reyna's face. The pirate barely had enough time to move to the side in order to not get her face cut off. She felt the fabric around her face snap and it fluttered to the ground leaving her exposed in front of her opponent. She waited for the shock that they had been fighting a girl. That was always amusing. What she didn't expect was for her opponent to freeze and actually drop their weapon. She blinked as the metal clattered to the deck. She looked up at her opponent. Face still annoyingly obscured by that hat.
"What? Weren't expecting to find a girl under that?!" she growled and launched herself forward for the kill. The solder simply stood frozen, they caught her arm, forcing her blade to stop it's dead descent. They reached up with their free hand and cupped her face. Reyna tried to pull away, but they were strong. They traced the old scar on her temple she'd gotten from that battle two years ago. When she'd lost... her.
"Reyna?" The soldier whispered her name, as if they said it too loud they might get in trouble. Reyna tried to pull herself away from the Red Coat.
"How do you know my name?!" she snarled and the person winced as if she had hit them.
"I guess you wouldn't recognize me now. Not with this uniform," they muttered sadly and slowly retracted their hand from her face to pull off their hat.
Black hair spilled from the hat like ink, falling messily down to the girl's shoulders. It stuck out in every direction like it was trying to find something. Shocking blue eyes stared at her from milky pale skin. Those eyes she had tried so long to forget. She remembered the exact amount of freckles on the girls cheeks and nose, fifty-three and within seconds had counted each one. She was unbelievably attractive, thick lashes and sculpted brows, but there was a seriousness to her face that had never been there before. Reyna forgot how to breath and stopped trying to escape.
"Thalia?!" she choked out and the British red coat grinned, and her entire face lit up. It was the same wild reckless grin that made Reyna's heart flutter. Her stomach did some unnecessary back-flips as she noticed how close the two were. Battle raged around them, people screamed, pirates laughed, fires raged, metal clashed, but all Reyna could see was the British girl in front of her.
"You do remember me!" she exclaimed triumphantly, her voice was just as musical as she remembered it. Thalia rested her forehead against Reyna's and she found a sudden knot in her throat and heat in her cheeks. She couldn't move, she was paralyzed as she stared into the electric depths of her eyes. Thalia was grinning so broadly she feared the girl's face might crack in half.
"I-I uh," Reyna managed to stutter out as she felt her stomach do somersaults and her heart beat like an injured bird's wing.
"I haven't seen you in two years and all I get is a 'I-I uh'," Thalia asked, but Reyna could tell she was just teasing. The British princess hugged her and Reyna felt the cold facade she had built up over the months melt. She was just a little thirteen year old again, caught in the embrace of her best friend. She hugged the taller girl back.
"I thought you were dead," she whispered in the other girl's ear and she felt her friend's chest shake in laughter.
"No, they just doubled my enlistment so I have to serve twenty years now, not ten," she said and smiled at Reyna, pulling away after a moment. The red coat looked her over as if she couldn't believe her eyes.
"Look at you, you have grown so much and.." she stopped after a moment and stared at the metal chain gleaming around Reyna's neck. "you kept my locket?" she asked and Reyna blushed reaching up subconsciously and playing with the small locket.
"Well yeah... I missed you," she muttered and watched as her friend's cheeks took on a pink glow. They both glanced around the ship as more and more British soldiers were either dumped over the side of the boat, tied up, or just killed.
"So uh.. what now?" Thalia broke the awkward silence. Reyna didn't understand. Why did she feel so... nervous around Thalia. It felt like her insides were burning. Thalia chewed her lip and tapped her toes. She felt herself smile. Even after two years of celebration the tapping was still in perfect rhythm of her heart.
"Well Red Coat, as happy as I am to see you, you know the rules," she said and sliced a length of rope from a near by coil, holding it up. Thalia smirked, and Reyna suddenly felt weak at the knees from that familiar evil smirk.
"Ah yes, the old, 'kill or capture' rule," she said using quotations. Thalia sheathed her sword and rolled up the sleeves of her regulation red jacket. Holding out her wrists so that Reyna could tie them together.
"I must say Red Coat that I'm glad to see you weren't killed by your dad, and you still owe me an explanation," she said and Thalia laughed as Reyna tied her ankles as well. That laugh sent goosebumps running down the fifteen year old pirate's spine.
"I will explain, I promise. Well, as long your sister recognizes me and doesn't kill me," she said, black hair blowing wildly around her face, eyes glowing with the same humor and care-free nature she had missed. She had missed the way those eyes had looked at her with so much honor and love. She had missed the caring friendship that was between them. She had missed Thalia with a burning fire in her heart. Now she wanted nothing more then to hug her and never leave her side again.
Thalia stood awkwardly with her ankles tied together and Reyna helped her aboard the pirate ship where Thalia sat on the familiar deck. Thalia hadn't felt this free in years, and she was literally tied up. She heard the familiar sound of boots against the boats deck and all of the laughing joking pirates quieted as their captain walked in front of them. Hylla looked exactly the same as she had two years ago, not a hair had moved. It seemed almost as if she had been frozen in time. The same stern expression, same large purple coat, same dark eyes and hair. Nothing had changed it seemed. She surveyed the collected supplies on the boat and checked over her pirates for injuries before finally turning to Reyna, and Thalia who was hidden behind the girl.
"You seem to have taken a couple of hits," she observed her younger sister who was looking more and more like her every day. Reyna smirked in a very un-Reyna-like way.
"It isn't as bad as it looks," she said simply and Hylla nodded, she was about to turn and walk back into her Cabin, but suddenly paused.
"You seem uncharacteristically happy? Did you find some kind of taffy again? because if so please do not make a repeat of last time," Hylla said and Thalia had to stifle a laugh, but not very well seeing the surprise on the captain's face. Reyna grinned, practically glowing with happiness, something that made the British girl's heart flutter.
"I found something better then Taffy," Reyna promised and side stepped to show Hylla her old friend. Hylla looked so surprised she almost fell backwards. Thalia couldn't stop the laugh that followed. Her fellow captured former ship mates stared at her like she was crazy. Thalia just ignored them.
"Miss me captain?" She asked the pirate who was slowly regaining her composure, but a smile had found it's way to stretch across the pirate's face.
"Not half as much as this little booger," she said and ruffled her sister's hair. It was now Reyna's turn to look surprised as Hylla seemed to relax a lot.
"Good to know," Thalia said and smiled back at the captain. Hylla let out a triumphant laugh.
"What the hell are you doing tied up?" Hylla asked and flung her sword out, quickly cutting the ropes and helping Thalia up. "You're welcome aboard my ship at any time, you're one of the crew, no matter how far away you are. Especially after you saved my sister last time," Hylla said and clapped a hand on the British Girl's shoulder. She turned to look at Nico who was still in shock from seeing his supposedly dead cousin again.
"Di angelo, go tell the cook to prepare a good meal. Tonight we celebrate!" she yelled and Thalia didn't think anyone had ever looked more surprised then Reyna, who had half expected her sister to just face palm and mutter that she could do what she wanted with the British girl. Not to tell them to prepare a feast in her honor. Hylla smirked at Reyna and gave her a wink and suddenly Reyna knew what her sister was implying. She blushed as her sister walked away laughing to herself about how much of a nerd her sister was. Thalia was smirking. She was finally home.