"What? You just followed a random stranger around and spilt all of your information while he didn't even tell you his name?!"

"Come on, Zehu, he was a very nice guy! Here, he even gave me a gift to fetch you, as a fellow Daluma."

Violet handed him the blue crystal she had gotten from the Doctor. Zehu eyed it with suspicion at first, but then sighed and placed it in his golden ring.

"Did you at least get a present for Bax?"

"Ah, Baxus' present! I completely forgot!"

"How lousy can you be?"

"I wasn't talking to you!" Violet glared at Diana, who was the one to have let out the sarcastic laugh.

"Sorry, I overheard since I speak Bakhal. You can't possibly discard me from the conversation when it's only the three of us in the covert room and you're talking so loudly. Seriously, though, I didn't know you humans could be this dumb..."

"Listen, you_"

"Violet, forget about her," Zehu interrupted. "More importantly – what are you going to get for Baxus?"

"Why did you even bother getting gifts for the captain?" Diana continued pressing onto Violet, disregarding Zehu's rudeness, "He will just count it as audacity of yours daring to compare yourself to his level. I don't think he'll appreciate it, but rather get mad. I don't expect a lowly human like you to think that far, though."

"Over with your stupid remarks, I'm sick of it!" Violet retorted. "I have already sneaked into his room while he's away and put those gifts on his table. There's no turning back now. As for Baxus' gift – Zehu, can you help me? I already have a thing in mind, but I cannot make it alone. I need help from a telepathic creature."

"I guess I can." Zehu shrugged. "What is it you need?"

"I want to make a crystal that shall reflect my pleasant memories of Earth. Bax has never been there, has he? Yet it is his motherland... Since his mom had lived in the same house as I (for I lived in my mother's house), I have a lot of pleasant remembrances of that place. It was one of the few districts left where green grass still breathed and trees and flowers still bloomed. I bet he'd be happy to see it with my eyes."

"That's a brilliant idea! Since you've brought me this blue crystal that can perform basic spells for me, I'll be able to make it."

Zehu formed a big green crystal, put his hands to Violet's forehead and heart, and transmitted her pleasant memories of Aida into the device. Very soon, the telepathic crystal was ready.

"This blue crystal works amazingly!" he exclaimed with joy, "I did get frustrated at your naivety at first, but to think of it, that Doctor D. of yours sure is an awesome fellow, able to make such handy gadgets."

"You bet!" Violet grinned. "Thank you, Zehu!"

***

In the evening, when Baxus returned, Violet retold her story to him and presented the gift she had made together with Zehu. Baxus ventured through the crystal memories. Seeing the blooming fields, green forests, snowy mountains of Aida, beholding humans frequenting bars, schools, or casually walking in streets, and Violet's family feasting in their house – his aunt, his uncle, and Violet's one-year-old sister – laughing together, it brought tears to his eyes. After he had finished the voyage, he tightly embraced his little cousin:

"Violet, this was so beautiful! I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I could never dream of Earth to be such a wondrous place!"

"I really hope you can see it with your own eyes someday. I want you to meet my parents and my sister, and to see your motherland, where our moms grew together... You'll love it!"

"I am sure I will! But then about the thing you've told me – how you've bought gifts for Captain Sinbad... I think I'd agree with Diana there – it is dangerous, Violet. That man is a mystery even to us notwithstanding the fact that we've been working together for years. I doubt he'd appreciate your efforts. I too think he'll view it rather negatively, assuming you consider yourself of the same level as he, since the Root Cherishing Day allows only the same species to exchange gifts."

"It's unfair! He's the only one of his species left. He should be lonely."

"He's a Herminoid – a species far above us humans. I doubt he'd be concerned about such a thing as loneliness. I don't even know if he has the same feelings as we, humans, do."

"But his heart was so heavy back then..."

"I know you have good intentions, but still, be careful."

***

The captain's cabin was dark, shadows of solitude lurking in every corner. Sinbad snapped his fingers and made blue lights turn on. He stepped towards a sofa to take a rest but halted – some wrapped items were placed on his table which hadn't been there when he left. One was a middle-sized box, while the other had the shape of a cup. There was a small piece of paper with rough scribbling – most likely a letter – placed on the box. It was written in the Herminese alphabet, but the shapes of those letters looked like dying snakes curving and hissing for help – someone apparently had no idea of how to follow the strict writing rules of the Herminese script. Still, as a descendant of the royal Herminese family, he could discern even these disgraceful letters that brought much pain to his eyes:

"Greetings, Captain. I am not sure if I should really be doing this, but today, as my friends have told me, is the Root Cherishing Day, when the same species of creatures give each other pleasant gifts. I could not help but wonder how the last representative of his species would be feeling on such an occasion. I tried imagining myself being the last of humans (God Forbid!) and it brought so much pain to my heart... I dare not say you might feel the same pain as a human would, but, pain is still pain, is it not? Hence, I have decided to offer you some gifts. It is not the only reason, however. Back in the city of Galal, I met a certain entity who reminded me of the tragedy at Yordie's Inn, and I realised I have to thank you for preserving my life. You are a pirate captain, a Herminoid, and had no obligation to leave a 'Gaian Worm' (as you love to call us) alive. I do not know the reason behind your actions, but I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your mercy, and... for helping me get rid of my nightmares, too (I know I should not have invaded your privacy, but I hope you can forgive me that mistake of mine. After all, we, humans, tend to make mistakes at every step of ours).

"I know you might consider this an audacity of mine to dare give you these gifts as if I were your equal, but please know that, by all means, I had no intention of doing so. I simply did not want you to be the only one left without a gift. I know I still sound like an arrogant goon here, but it is just... I could not help myself. I felt pain in my heart. I do not know whether I can name this bizarre feeling 'compassion' or 'haughtiness', but I did feel it and it almost made me cry. I realised I should do something or else it might haunt me forever, hence I did it. I apologize for any inconvenience it might have caused you.

"Please, even if what I am doing looks wrong to your eyes, do not hold a grudge against me – I am but a helpless human. I have just tried to do what I thought was right, and even if I did mess up, I... I do not even know this much Herminese to normally express myself. I am truly terribly sorry. Even now my writing in Herminese might raise your suspicions of my intending to bring myself up to your level, but that is sincerely not my intention, I can assure you! I have just decided to write in your language to make you feel... more at home.

"Anyway, I at least hope you will like what I have purchased for you. I know you love reading telepathic books, so I used the help of a new acquaintance of mine to choose something for you because I, as a simple human, have no power to read Mind-Books. As for the cup, well... I do remember how back in Yordie's Inn you desired to have some Divine Nectar, and I could not give it to you. I stumbled upon it in a restaurant in this city, so I decided to fetch it for you since you seem to love it.

"I guess that is all I can write in my broken language. I have hurt your eyes enough... I shall just hope I do not cause your rage. I know I have ventured too far and there might not be the way back, but I am but a dumb human and I take risks even if I know it might kill me. Heavens save my soul from your wrath.

Your humble servant,

Violet Hawthorne"

Reading this note and struggling to discern the letters in some places, the captain's face often changed its expressions: a deep frown over his sparkling golden eyes slowly lifted; as he approached the bottom, that irate spark changed into a playful twinkle, while his lips formed in a smile. Upon the final line, he even let out a deep, amused laugh. He placed the letter back on the table and unwrapped the cup, to see the exquisite golden drink he expected – the Divine Nectar. He poured it into his mug and brought it to his lips. His smile turned delighted, but slight irony still remained upon it:

That new acquaintance of hers would totally go broke... Just how much elmor dust did they add in this?

Much amused, he now unwrapped the second gift too, and upon receiving the information from the cover, his eyes widened in a stupor:

Arruroe?! I haven't even read this book of his, "Deserted in Self". Pleasant memories of an old friend... Think of the irony – she bought the only one of his thousand books which I haven't read yet.

For the first time anybody on the ship had seen (and even now nobody could really see him but you, readers), Captain Sinbad regained the childish spark Violet saw upon him when she was invited in his dreams. He wanted to snuggle into his bed, grab the mug full of Divine Nectar, and venture through his mind with the help of Yuuh Arruroe's book when he halted his hand in mid-air:

That child, though... Now that she has amused me so much, if I let it slide without teasing her even just a bit, I wouldn't be myself anymore. After all, even in her writing, it is apparent how terrified she must've been while daring to bring me these gifts. Toying with the Gaian Worms sure is fun...

***

Violet stood at the poop of the ship, watching the stars at night and the beautiful, calm sea of Planet Ithnan vanishing beyond the horizon. She tried her hardest to calm herself from the terrible fears that she might've already caused the captain's wrath and it was just a matter of time until he'd punish her with his mysterious powers.

It truly was a bad idea! But he felt lonely, what could I do? You just have to butt your nose into everyone's business, don't you? You could just leave him be like all these sane people do! But then, his heart was so heavy back then... What's it to you, though? You barely got out alive from that pirate attack, miraculously received mercy from this frightening man, and now when everything's finally getting settled, you just have to mess it all up again! Curse you, Violet, you're so stupid!

"You humans can be such funny creatures, thinking yourselves kings and gods when you are but some miserly dust in this universe."

Her blood froze. She prayed it to be just an illusion, and turned back, to tremble even more – the man whom she was so afraid to see, stood right before her, so close that she could well discern his golden eyes twinkle with strictness.

"C... Captain?"

"You know what I do with worms that climb too high up to my neck?"

"I beg you, I didn't intend to! I just..." She fell to her knees and burst into tears as the horror overwhelmed her heart, "Please_"

A faint chuckle interrupted her pleas – the captain had covered his mouth with a hand, barely able to restrain himself from bursting into vile laughter:

"What a face! Almost as if you saw through death! Oh, I didn't expect it to be so much fun!"

"You truly are cruel..." Violet furrowed her brow, her eyes swollen with tears, "If you were to laugh at my terrorized heart so gaily, I'd rather you were serious about punishing me earlier. This is too much, even for a pirate!"

"Oh? I remember you once told me you were interested in Herminese culture. Well then, do you recall there are two types of Herminoids? Ones under the course of light are a common type – the Herminoids with pale skin, light hair, light eyes, and an extremely heavenly heart. They control light energy. Then there are rare types who appear out of the blue if the childbirth goes wrong – those tainted with darkness. On most occasions, these failures were killed right away in order not to cause unnecessary harm to the society, after one of them had brought anarchy many millennia before. However, precisely thirty thousand Earthly years ago, they left another child like that alive, for he was one of the twins born to a father who had never had any children for long hence it was like a light of hope to him. When that child was ten thousand years old, Planet Hermin got destroyed and the whole civilization was wiped off the face of the universe. Even now, some scholars blame it on that child – one to have miraculously escaped the destruction. Now then – dark purple hair, golden eyes, tan skin... Do you realise who that child might've been?"

"You mean_"

"Human, I am a captain of the Shark Tooth Pirates causing havoc to the Seven Universes. Did you sincerely believe I was not cruel?"

A dark child who had blown up his planet? – She did know that legend. Spotting the captain's eyes sparkle like hellfire in the moonless night, she felt even heavier dread than back when she beheld the bloodthirsty yellow eyes of her kidnapper Reptiloids. She fainted.

***

Vile dreams and visions overtook Violet's mind, carrying her back into the old times when her poor mother and she had just received word about father's death. She could vividly hear her mother weep in despair as she tried to calm her – the little child sobbing in agony:

"Violet, do not listen to them, your father's coming back! Never trust those lizards! All they can do is lie, trick, steal, and kill. They are monsters! I know your father's alive. I can feel it! He... He wouldn't die..."

While they both wept and a tiny baby – her sister – cried in a cradle, there was huge turmoil outside the house: defeated rebels running up and down, screaming as the vicious Reptiloids pierced their hearts with their tails...

***

Violet awoke. It was already past midnight. She was in a big bed in a wooden chamber, most likely the captain's cabin. Captain... Now she could remember – he scared her to death and then disclosed a terrible secret, making her faint!

"Violet, you woke up!"

"Bax..?"

"I was so worried! I thought that bastard captain did some horrible stuff to you! Thank goodness."

"Please don't badmouth me behind my back, Baxus. I never thought she'd collapse from an innocent joke_"

"The hell was innocent with that joke, you dimwit?!"

Baxus snarled as if his whole head was going to blow from rage, while Sinbad calmly drew on his golden pipe, leaning on a window-sill. Violet watched them both in stupefaction, unable to understand why Baxus dared talk so rudely to the captain right into his face, and more importantly – why this latter took it all so casually, without any sense of anger or irritation.

I guess these Herminoids are indeed way too different from us humans...

"Sorry for before, Violet. I guess my little joke appeared too much of a burden to a Gaian W_" Sinbad bit his tongue once spotted Baxus' glittering red eyes, "I mean a feeble human like you. Truth is – I greatly appreciate your efforts and I thank you for the wonderful gifts."

"So you liked them?!"

"It was quite astounding to receive decent gifts from a G_ I mean a human. I was pleased. Your poorly scribbled letter was particularly amusing. You have my thanks. Now try to rest. We'll be arriving at our destination soon."

"Huh? What destination?"

"The Headquarters of the Shark Tooth Pirates in the Balal Universe – Planet Cyberia."

We're already in another universe? Cyberia... Isn't that where the Galaxy Pirate Emperor reigns?

Shudders ran down Violet's spine – the fearsome Young Captain Blood Diamond, the Emperor of the Galaxy Pirates... Rumours claimed that no one who ever fought that man had made it out alive.