Hey all! Glad to see you again. How's it going?

I'm glad to see that people don't seem to hate this story. That's great. Hopefully that doesn't change over the next few months.

I... honestly don't have much to say. I know that I had wanted to say something, but it has completely slipped my mind, with all the school work I had to do today. High school is officially kicking my butt. Ah well, hopefully it wasn't too important.

Also, happy early Halloween everyone! Anyone trick or treating? I'm a bit too old for that, and I don't have any friends so parties are out of the question, but I still love the holiday. I even dressed up as Dipper at school today, since I don't have any classes on Fridays. No one recognized me, and one person actually asked if I was a Pokemon trainer, but it was still fun.

Anyway, onto the story. Remember, I will be posting the next chapter not tomorrow, but on Sunday. Please review/comment! They really do help me, since they let me know that people are reading this. Kudos and Favorites are great, but they don't let me know if you're still enjoying the story or not. Also, if you have any questions, feel free to ask and I'll be sure to answer when I have the time.

Thanks for reading!

When Dipper awoke the next morning, he could feel a dull ache in his head. Like a drummer was rum-tumming in his head, sharp and centralized and painful. With a groan he rolled onto his side, trying his hardest to ignore it, but was unable. Especially when his sister started making a lot of noise during her morning routine, humming lightly to a sea shanty. He gave up trying to nurse his migraine a few moments later, admitting defeat with a pained sigh, before sitting up. Part of him felt glad that since they were at port, he did not have to do his regular daily chores, which would have been torture with how his head pounded.

"Rise and shine, brother dearest!" Mabel chirped, shooting him a happy grin once she noticed he was awake. She then bounded over to him, bouncing slightly when she jumped down beside him on his bed. He let out a small, startled, and slightly pained yelp as he grimaced at his twin. Oh, he wished that she wouldn't do that. He could feel his head throb as he looked over at her, wishing she would stop moving for just a second.

"Argh, Mabel, would you stop that? I'm up, I'm up!" He grumbled, rubbing his eyes as he tried to force the sleep and pain out of them to no avail. Mabel just continued to grin at him.

"So? How did it go last night? Did you have fun?" She questioned, as she grab his arm and shook him slightly in emphasis. Dipper sighed and gently tore his arm away from his sister, grimacing as he stood up to get ready for the day. He felt all grimy and gross, and he desperately wanted to freshen up before Mabel began interrogating him.

Walking over to his wardrobe, he took off his new, pine tree accented shift and put it away, thinking that perhaps, one day, he might wear it again. It really was a surprisingly comfortable shirt and it fit him well. Once he was done, his shirt and pants exchanged for a new set, he turned back towards his sister and let out a sigh.

"It went alright, I guess. The beginning wasn't the best, with Wendy kind of ignoring me for the first part of it, but after a while I got more comfortable and it went pretty well. We chatted and joked about life on the ship. I even had an ale, at one point. Just the one, though." He reassured quickly, after he saw Mabel's eyes widen with shock. He decided then that he wouldn't tell her about the discussion on pirates and the speculation on whose ship they had spotted could be. He didn't want to scare her, or anything. Not now that she was finally happy again.

"Aw, well that sounds like fun! Now, tell me the details. Don't think that your barebones story is enough for this girl." She claimed, grinning up at him. Dipper rolled his eyes slightly before moving back over to where she still resided on his bed.

Knowing that she would not stop until he spilled all of the details, he did his best to tell her everything that happened, still excluding those few minutes where the pirate captain William 'Bill' Cipher had come up. She didn't seem to notice, which he felt relieved about. Had she sensed any discrepancy in his story, she would have never let it go. She was forceful, that way. Once he was done with his account of the night, she let out a small hum, a wide grin growing on her face.

"Aww, Dip! That's great! You're finally making friends." She stated, her eyes shining at him as her grin went, if possible, wider. Dipper sometimes wondered how her face didn't hurt, with all the grinning she did.

"Mabel, I already had friends. Soos and Wendy count as friends, don't they?" He inquired, screwing his face up indignantly in response to her. It was a thing Mabel did, sometimes, worrying about his social life. She had done so even before their parent's death, constantly dragging him out to meet up with some of the other Nobles' children. While their family may have been shunned by some, there were a few who did not mind the fact they were of mixed blood and she made sure he spent time with them all.

"Yeah, but you never speak with anyone but them! So it's good that you're spending time with the other sailors, bro-bro. Don't want to end up a lonely old man with no friends, do you?"

Dipper did not respond to her, simply rolling his eyes before standing up and reaching for a brush for his unruly hair. He could feel a frown growing on his face, though, as he combed through the locks. He was not lonely, he had his circle of friends. Just because Mabel was a social butterfly did not mean he was alone. It didn't.

Time passed as he continued to ready himself for the day, almost nervously, his sister simply leaning back on his bed since she had most likely finished before he had awoken. When he was done, she looked up at him and smiled.

"Well, I've got some news." She stated, standing up and stretching lightly. "I thought you might like to know that last night Grunkle Stan came up to our cabin while you were gone and informed me that we were leaving port tomorrow. Apparently he managed to find a way to get the ship repaired quicker than anticipated. He'd have us leave today, but he wanted to let the crew have some more time off before we set out again." She informed, moving over to the closet to get her purse that she kept there. She then walked over to the door and looked back at him, before continuing.

"So, since we do not have all that much more time left at port, I was thinking I could wander around by myself today. You know, see if I can find any handsome sailors to chat up. You can do whatever you want, okay Dipping-sauce?" Mabel finished, smiling lightly at him. Dipper rolled his eyes again, but he smiled lightly back.

"Alright, Mabel. See you tonight?"

"See you tonight. Oh! Before I forget, your books were delivered sometime last night and are sitting over by the wall, so they wouldn't fall over. Make sure you put them away before you leave, okay? Don't want them falling and getting all over the place, do you?" She requested, before waving and exiting the room. Dipper blinked as he recalled all the books he had gotten, before grinning. With enthusiasm, he looked over to where he could see the tall pile and walked over, having the urge to explore and sort them. He wouldn't read any, not until they were out at sea, but he would make sure to get them all put away. Picking the pile up, he walked over to his bed and set them all down.

Spreading them out on his sheet, Dipper picked each one up, examined it, and put it in a certain category. Nonfiction on the right, mystery in the middle, and adventure on the left. It took him several minutes before he was done, but once he was he felt himself smile at his collection. He had gotten twelve new books this time, a bit excessive, but necessary if they were planning on spending weeks at a time at sea. Hopefully this would be enough to stave off boredom for a decent amount of time.

Done with the sorting, he then went over to the chest that he kept at the foot of his bed and opened it. He frowned, though, when he noticed that it was almost completely full. He kept almost all of his books in this chest, since the raging seas made it impossible to keep them on shelves, and it appeared that he had acquired more than he had space for. Ah well; he could always get a bigger chest one of these days, or else get rid of some of his least favorite books. At the moment, it looked like he would have enough room for his new addition of books, so he wouldn't have to worry about that right then, he supposed. Putting the books away in their proper categories, he closed the chest and picked his satchel up off the ground, thinking that he could go and spend the day wandering the town, seeing as how they didn't have much more time left there. While he may not hate the confining feeling that living on the sea gave, he did love to be able to wander off board when given the chance.

Leaving his room and walking to the upper decks, he breathed in the open air, a half formed smile on his lips. He did give one, slightly anxious glance at the open ocean, but felt resolved to do his best to ignore the nerves he felt about pirates. He could still feel the poster that he had kept in his boot, but he wouldn't let himself worry over it. Not today. He was going to have a good day at shore, goddammit, and no pirate was going to ruin that.

After that he left the ship, heading down into town. He wasn't quite sure what he would do- he never really did- but he was sure he'd think of something. His main problem was that he didn't really know what he could do. Back at home, he had tended to spend most of his time with tutors, or else reading in his room. When he did go out to town, it was usually either with his parents or with his sister. He supposed he could go back to the book shop, like he usually did while on shore, but since he had very little space left in his chest, he didn't know if he should.

So, with nothing else in mind, Dipper began to wander around the town. He took in all the stores that he passed, smiling at the people he saw. He window shopped and let his mind wander as he thought of nothing of substance. He allowed himself to simply be for the day. Occasionally he would see members of his great uncle's crew, but none of them paid him any mind, too engrossed in their own lives and business to pay attention to him. He did see Soos at one point and entered a brief conversation about the sea with the man. Dipper had learned a while before that while Soos may not look like much, he was surprisingly knowledgeable about the sea, since he had been sailing it since the age of twelve. Their conversation did not last long however, the rotund man having other business to take care of, and so they soon parted.

Dipper continued his wandering for a while after that, until around lunch time. Feeling his stomach growl, he stopped off at a small pub and ordered himself a meal. While waiting for the food to come, he examined the establishment and its inhabitants, and decided to indulge an old habit of his. Ever since he had been a child, Dipper had felt fascinated by people. How they moved, how they acted, what they did. He had spent hours as a child watching people go about their daily lives. Servants, workers, the aristocrats and Nobles. Everyone had a different story to tell, and it fascinated him to see. He hadn't done it in a while, probably a few months, but he decided he had earned himself a bit of a reprieve from everything. So he watched as men and women laughed and spoke, as they embraced and argued. In his mind, he began to think up stories for these people, giving them reasons for doing what they were doing. Details of a life he had create, details that were most definitely false, but interesting. It helped pass the time, letting him get involved in created lives for people he had never met and likely would never, truly, meet. When his lunch arrived, he abandoned his game, but he felt more relaxed afterwards. The food also helped, as he ate it slowly, savoring the taste. He had to admit, after weeks of living off supplies from the ship, this subpar pub food tasted like heaven.

Lunch ended quicker than he had hoped, so he left the pub and returned to his wandering. Even though there was not much for him to do here, he still loved to walk around, experiencing everything he could. It was like an adventure, he always told himself. Discovering every aspect of this small town, learning all he could before it was time to go. Pretend that he was an explorer discovering a new land for the first time, and it was up to him to document it all.

But as the time passed, he began to grow bored of his game. With little else to do, Dipper found himself a quiet, secluded spot out by the ocean edge and took out the sketch journal he kept in his satchel, along with a piece of charcoal his sister had gotten him a little while ago, studying the blue-green water as it rippled. While he may not have been the best artist in the world, it did help to pass the time. And when one lived on a ship with very little to do, it was imperative to come up with ways to entertain oneself. So Dipper had. Drawing, while difficult, was soothing. It allowed him to put his full focus on a single subject for hours, time disappearing as he drew. It was with patient hands that he began to carefully sketch the ocean as it lapped against the moored ships, doing his best to get as many details as he could down.

Time passed, and before he knew it, it was getting dark. Seeing the sun go down, he decided to call it quits, finishing his drawing quickly before getting up, stretching, and heading back to the ship. He made sure to stop at the pub to eat first, though. He would never, voluntarily, eat the ship's food. No disrespect to the chef, but it was never as appetizing as Dipper had once been used to. But then, nothing was quite as good as Dipper had used to have. He tried not to let it bother him much, anymore.

Once he had finished dinner, he finally headed back to the ship, content with the day. While he may not have done much, he felt satisfied that he had not wasted his time. And, he hadn't even thought of pirates once. Which, considering the past several days, was a record.

On the ship, he headed down to his room, inclining his head politely as he passed his great uncle and captain. He did not show his respect often, but it was undeniable that he did respect the man. He noticed, as he passed, that his guardian looked troubled, his eyes dark as the elder man looked out at the darkening sea. Perhaps he wasn't the only one anxious about meeting with the pirates, he thought as he went down to the lower decks, where his and his sister's cabin was. He was unsure whether that comforted him or not.

As he entered his cabin, Dipper noticed that he was the only one in it, meaning that his sister was still out at port. He wasn't too concerned, since Mabel was known for staying out late while on land, determined to spend as much time as possible off of the ship. While she didn't hate the sea, Dipper knew his sister did not like how confining the ship was, preferring the freedom of shore.

With a sigh, Dipper went over to his bed, exhausted after the long day. He paused, though, when he saw the package that was laying on his sheets, a single piece of paper lying innocently beside it. Curious, he picked the package up, turning it in his hands. It was thin, he noticed, but long. About as long as his forearm. Curiosity piqued, Dipper carefully opened the paper and felt his eyes go wide as he saw what was inside.

A dagger. Removing the plain leather sheath, he examined the unexpected gift. It was thin, but deadly sharp, the blade glinting in the soft candlelight. The handle was soft blue in color, some type of gemstone that he could not figure out. Swirling silver designs went from the hilt to the tip of the handle, looking like the cresting of a wave. It was beautiful, in a deadly way.

Confused as to why this blade was on his bed, he turned then to the piece of paper that had been beside the blade. Setting the dagger down carefully, he picked the paper up and looked at the messy, familiar scrawl that was on it. As soon as he saw the writing, he knew who had given him the gift. There was only one man with handwriting that messy. The only question left now was why. Well, only one way to find out, he thought as he read the brief words.

Just in case
-SP

Oh. So that was why his great uncle would leave him a blade. The pirates. Stan must really be nervous, if he was willingly giving Dipper a blade. It was curious, though, that the man would give him such an ornate dagger. Where had he even gotten such a blade? On his travels? It looked old, Dipper thought, perhaps even older than he was. It was also well worn, the handle indented slightly by sweat and use. Why would Stan give him this? Why not a more basic blade, like the ones most of the crew owned, alongside their swords?

Dipper was unable to puzzle over the blade for long, because a few moments later the door to the cabin opened, a grinning Mabel standing in the doorway.

"Hello Dipper!" She chirped as she bounced over to her bed. Dipper could see that there was no package for Mabel, which made Dipper wonder. Why give him a blade, but not Mabel? Well, perhaps his great uncle did not want to concern his twin, or else he thought that Dipper would be able to protect her. Not to mention the fact that Mabel did have her own stiletto dagger that their mother had given her on her thirteenth birthday, to keep her safe from unfavorable company. While his sister did not wear the knife often, he would bet that she was carrying it around with her now, with the threat of pirates on their minds.

"Hey, Mabes. You have a good day on shore?" He questioned, hiding the dagger he had been gifted under his sheets. He did not wish to concern her, either, if he could help it.

"Mmhmm. I wandered the shops, buying myself some interesting looking things. Oh! I also bought myself some fabric from the tailor. Thought I could get back into sewing a bit, maybe." Mabel told, grinning at him. He grinned back, glad to hear his sister was getting back into her old hobbies. He remembered how much she loved to sew when they were children, so it was nice to know she was getting back into it.

"That's great, Mabel! Just make sure you keep it on your side of the room, okay? I don't want my side to get full of your fabrics and all that." He said teasingly, to which Mabel rolled her eyes good-naturedly.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll keep it to myself so to not ruin your sparkling clean side of the room." She grinned, pointedly looking at the piles of clothing and other various things he had strewn across the floor. Alright, he thought with a small grimace as he glanced around as well, so maybe he wasn't the cleanliest person in the world. So what?

Dipper did not respond to her, simply rolling his eyes before laying down in bed. He could hear her settling down for the night, changing from her dress to her night things. He never bothered to change, at night. It didn't really matter much to him, and his sailing clothes were pretty comfortable, he guessed. Plus, it was good to always be aware, to be ready to wake up at a moment's notice. Once his sister was done, she turned off the lantern and settled into bed, wishing him a sleepy 'goodnight,' which he returned in kind before turning onto his side and attempted to rest.

Sleep was easier for him to find that night, he found, the small dagger helping keep his fears at bay. He still had his nightmares, but he was used to those by then. When he woke the next morning, he felt more rested than he had in ages.

Since they were getting ready to leave that day- that afternoon if his great uncle was to be believed- Stan had him and Mabel do their usual chores, swabbing the deck and getting the ship ready to leave that afternoon. Many sailors were unable to work that day, still hungover from their night out at port, and while Stan did not approve of his sailors drinking, he did not punish them too cruelly, not when it had been a long time that they were out at sea. Because of the fewer hands, however, he and Mabel had to do more work than usual, meaning that they would not be able to return to shore for long- if at all- that day. Which he could see disappointed his twin, the prospect of spending an unknown amount of time trapped on the ship taking some of the usual bounce in her step away, her eyes more dull than they had been previously.

So, with only very mild regret, he told Mabel he would finish her chores if she wished to spend the rest of the morning on shore. While it would mean he had more to do, and thus would be unable to return to shore at all, he would do it if it allowed his sister more time to be free. He watched as her eyes lit up, her grin shining through the previous melancholy.

"Really?" His twin asked, her eyes alight with happiness. He smiled softly and nodded back.

"Of course Mabes. Just make sure you get back by noon, so we don't leave without you."

Mabel let out a soft squeal as she threw her arms around him, an embrace they did not usually take part in. He smiled to see his sister happy. It made any disappointment he might have felt disappear, knowing that it would make Mabel's sadness go away. His twin shined too brightly to be muddied by the darkness of pain.

"Okay, Dipper. I'll also make sure to get our clothes, from the tailor. The ones that are done, anyway. Want me to get you anything while onshore?"

"Nah. I'll be fine. Go enjoy yourself, don't worry about me."

"Okay. See you later?"

"See you later."

Dipper watched as the girl put the mop down, grinning as she headed for the gangplank that gave them passage from the ship to the shore. He returned to his chores a moment later, knowing that his great uncle would crucify him if he did not finish his- and now his sister's- work.

By the time lunch came around, Dipper was dripping with sweat. Doing twice the usual amount of work was tough, his arms and back aching as he headed down into the mess hall. Since they were still onshore, there was no formal lunch, which meant that everyone could just grab whatever food they wished for from the chef. He could see that many of the sailors were either still in bed, or still onshore, only the ones who had helped with setting out for sea that morning in the mess hall with him. He did not see either Wendy or Soos, so he sat by himself at his usual table, the salted beef tough on his tongue. After eating food that was not just preserves, eating this salted beef was almost torture. Better than what they could get while in the middle of the ocean, yes, but far inferior to anything he could find on land.

Mabel returned a little later than he had requested, though it was clear why when he saw her carrying all the new clothing they had went and bought. Putting aside the rope he had been carrying, he went over to her and took half the load, helping her to carrying it onto the ship. He listened as she happily spoke of what she had done on land with a small smile on his face, though Dipper could see her taking wistful glances behind them, even as they entered the darkness of the below decks. He knew that while she tried to make the best of her life at sea, it was always difficult for her to leave land when they left it. He understood. After a life living on land in opulence, living on a relatively small, almost dingy ship was not something one ever really got used to. But they made the best of their situation, taking it with as much grace as they could. And it wasn't all bad; their great uncle did seem to care about them, at times, and they had learned a lot about the sea. Which was something.

It was still hard to return to the ship sometimes. It was harder for Mabel than it was for him, though. Mabel needed to be free, to not be confined. Him? He could deal with staying inside for days, weeks even. He didn't need social contact like his twin did. He still felt the boredom of a life at sea, but not as keenly as Mabel felt it. Not as long as he had things to keep him occupied.

Regardless, this was their life, as it would be for the foreseeable future, until they were deemed old enough for their estate. Technically, he was already old enough if he wanted it, but he did not feel he was ready. And his sister would not get their estate, not before he did.

Entering their cabin, he shook off the melancholy thoughts and helped his sister organize the clothing. Since they were earlier than they had originally stated, he only had two of his three shirts and pants, though Mabel still had her one new dress, which she hurriedly put on, as he politely looked away. He had to admit it looked nice on her, from a brotherly stand-point. The light pink and white fabric of the dress fit her skin tone -and personality- well. Whoever this seamstress was, she was excellent. Even his simple cotton shirts and pants were well made, despite the rushed production.

They only had a small amount of time to spend loitering in their cabin before they heard the bell that indicated they would be leaving port soon. Following his sister upstairs, they checked in with their great uncle before helping the crew hoist the sails and set the rigging. Mabel was careful to keep her new dress clean, though.

By the time the sun was high in the sky, everyone was back on board and their great uncle was giving the order to leave port. He watched, a bit wistfully, as they left the shore for the open ocean. Mabel looked worse than he did, though, so he put his arm gently around her shoulder for support. She gave him a small smile, which he returned. He wondered, briefly, if she would ever truly get over the loss of what they used to have. Of their family. He doubted it. He never would.

They stood there, watching as land grew farther and farther away, until they could barely see it. Still they stood, letting the sounds of the ship and its inhabitants lull them. It wasn't until their great uncle called them to help with a problem below deck that they moved, their trance broken. The rest of the day passed in a haze, his mind wandering even as he did the tasks his great uncle had for him. While he didn't mind life at sea, leaving land would always remind him of the first time he had stepped on this ship, fifteen and afraid. He hated that feeling. This feeling.

Sleep did not come easy for either of them that night. Dipper could hear his twin tossing and turning for hours. He could guess what she was thinking.

Fire. The glint of a blade. The scent of burning flesh. The metallic taste of blood. She knew it much better than he, so he didn't blame her for her restlessness. There was also the fact that now that they had no distractions, the threat of pirates was much more real once again. Dipper could still feel the piercing gaze from the wanted poster that he kept in his boot. Could still feel his instincts screaming at him, begging him to run and never come back. To take his sister and leave.

But he was in a ship in the middle of nowhere. Where could he go?

So he'd do nothing. He'd prepare, do his best to make sure nothing happened to Mabel. To keep Mabel happy and safe. When sleep finally took him, he dreamed of the man on the poster, his blade inches from his neck as he grinned manically at him. As he burned the ship around them, setting everything ablaze.

It seemed that Dipper never could escape the fire.

~XoxoxoxoxoxoX~

The day that followed was the same as it always was. He woke at dawn, ate the meager breakfast they were given, before helping get the ship ready to sail again. He'd then head back to his room to read his books, not able to stand being so close to the ocean with everything swirling in his mind. Every cloud he saw reminded him of a pirate ship. Every sound caused his heart to stop. Maybe one day, he'd get over his fear. But not then. Not after only a year. Not when he could still remember.

He now kept the poster of that pirate in the breast of the worn jacket he wore to keep the chill sea air from freezing him. He didn't know why he kept it so close. Perhaps it reminded him of everything he wanted to forget; reminded him why he couldn't forget. Or perhaps he wanted to torment himself. To fill himself up with fear and hatred. He shuddered as he forced his thoughts off pirates, and back on the book in his hands.

The book he was reading was interesting, he thought, which he was glad about. It kept his attention, helped his mind settle. It allowed him to forget, to not feel the crushing fear. It was an adventure, about a man who thought he was a knight of old, and his faithful squire. He liked it. It was funny, yet tragic. Engaging to read.

The next several days passed in a similar fashion. Wake, get dressed, eat breakfast, do chores, etcetera, etcetera. He could feel the fear wax and wane. He could feel his mind relaxing, only for it to bring to thought the glint of fire on a blade. Of a man he had never officially met, but feared and hated nonetheless. Of a name on a poster and the manic grin on an aristocratic face. That would set the panic back in.

He hid it, of course. From his sister, from his great uncle. From Wendy and Soos. They didn't need to know how terrified he was. He watched as Mabel started getting livelier as the days passed, as the watchman didn't spot the pirate ship again. As the tense look in his great uncle's eyes left, replaced by the usual bravado as the man spoke of the next place they would stop to sell his goods. The threat was lessening by the day. So why did his gut still scream at him?

It wasn't until one day, five days after the last pirate spotting- two days since they had left port- that anything happened.

He had been asleep. Troubled and worried. He tossed and turned in his bed, his mind full of horrors. When he woke with a start, he was unsure at first what had woken him. But he saw his twin on her own bed, jerking up and awake. With a hazy mind, he distantly heard the warning bell from the night watchman. He could smell smoke, could feel the ship jolting in the water. With a jolt of fear, he realized he knew what this meant. He knew what was happening. His gut had been right.

Leaping out of bed, he dove for the dagger his great uncle had gifted him, as well as his worn jacket, tossing Mabel hers, stuffing his feet into his boots. He then dragged her up and out of their room, knowing they'd be sitting ducks if they stayed. He could see his twin's confused and terrified face, but he couldn't stop to reassure her. He couldn't stop to even fully take in what was happening himself. He only really knew one thing.

He had been right all along. They hadn't been safe.

They were under attack.

By pirates.