ᶜʰᵃᵒˢ

˖°🌊𓇼⋆

[ until now ]

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐬𝐤𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐯𝐞.

In the distance, you could see the northern lights dancing across the heavens, a sigh escaping your lips as you glanced up at Sinbad, who stood by the wheel. 

You had decided hours ago that it was time for some questioning about everything. Where he went, why he left. Everything. 

You ventured up the steps, stopping by the railing as you felt the eyes of Sinbad on your back as you sighed, "Sinbad?" Letting out a breath of air, you turned around to face the man. "Thank you for coming after me."

"Well, y-." He cut himself, eyes widening before a soft smile bloomed across his face as he nodded. "You're welcome."

"This life suits you."

"Yeah," Sinbad chuckled, shaking his head. "I wasn't made for dry land. But you knew that."

You let out a laugh, "Yes. Yes, I did. I remember when you would whisk me away from my embroidery lessons-." The pair of you snickered softly at the memory. "You'd take me down to the shore, tell me about your day..."

You smiled to yourself at the fond flashback, before Sinbad asked, "And you? Is it the shore... or the sea?"

An exhilarated breath left your lips as you wandered closer to him. "You know I've always loved the sea. I dreamed of a life on it. Sailing across the world... with you," you said with a sad smile, before shrugging off the feeling. "But it wasn't meant to be. I have responsibilities as a princess."

"You really have to give it up?"

"Yes."

Sinbad closed his eyes for a moment, before a gentle smile stretched across his cheeks as he moved his hand atop yours. Immediately, you turned your gaze to him, watching as he slowly led you to the wheel. 

You smirked at the man as he allowed your hand to grip the panel of the wheel. He slightly moved his head in gesture for you to drive, causing you to turn the wheel to the right as you took your position. "You know, I've travelled the world, seen things no other man has seen," Sinbad murmured. "But nothing... Nothing compares to the open sea."

"And is this what you always wanted?"

Sinbad glanced down at your face, before chuckling, "Not really."

You watched the man beside you for a moment, watching as his brows furrowed deeply as he pondered to himself. "Why did you leave, Sinbad?" you asked.

He raised his gaze to you, eyes wide at the question. He had known you would ask this from the moment he had seen you again, he just didn't know when. And although he had prepared for this for a while now, he was still at a loss for words.

"Y/N..." he mumbled your name, sighing softly.

"I used to sneak out the castle every night to be with you. We would go on stupid adventures, and you would tell me of the epic battles you had on the streets of Syracuse," you chuckled. "And then one morning... you were gone. I had nothing of you but your memory." You trailed your finger below your eye, collecting a stray tear that threatened to fall. "I waited on those docks for five months. Every day, when the ships would anchor, and every night, when they would sail away, hoping that maybe you-... that maybe you would come home. You would come home to me."

"Y/N, I-."

"But you never did," you finished with a whisper. "And then, after ten years, you show up, back from the supposed dead to crash some ceremony for a book? And then you leave, not a moment later, leaving me standing there, thinking it was just- just a dream."

"I wanted to stay, Y/N! I did," Sinbad said, hands grazing down your arms as he took ahold of your hands, leaning his head down to keep staring into your eyes. "But you knew what we were. You were the princess, and I was just some... some street rat that you picked up the side of the road. And I was fine with that, I was. I got to see you every day, watch you smile and talk. I could've listened to you for hours if you had let me," he chuckled softly.

"Then why? Why did you leave?" you cried, ripping your hands away from him as you hugged yourself. 

"Y/N, the moment I realized the world we lived in, I left! Why would I stick around and let my heart break?"

"Because of me! Me! The woman who loved you!"

Sinbad stared at you with wide eyes, watching as you messily streaked your fingers through your hair, heavy breaths escaping your parted lips.

You turned away from the man, not wishing for him to see you like. To see you so heartbroken. You had wished those words hadn't spilled from your mouth, but they were now in open air. Or open sea. 

At the feeling of Sinbad's fingers threading down your arms, you tensed, your lip trembling from the feeling. Sinbad slowly eased his hands into yours, and softly willed you to face him. 

You did so without a word, not daring to meet his gaze. "When I jumped on the first outbound ship out of Syracuse, only one thing was on my mind. You. You standing there, wondering why I was gone. For years, I never looked back." Sinbad trapped your chin with his thumb and finger, lifting your eyes to meet his. "Until now."

You pressed your hand to his chest as he slowly tilted his head, but you both came to a stop at a sudden white light draping across your faces. Leaning back from one another, you looked away and out towards the sky, where you heard distant whooshing.

"What is that...?" you mumbled.

Dozens of white orbs flew through the air, all heading towards Eris' star. Following them was wide streaks of red and orange, and as they came in contact with the star, thunder boomed as a pillar was revealed. 

"Tha Gates of Tartarus," Sinbad answered. The rest of the crew spilled out from the lower haul, covering their eyes and faces from the blinding lights. Sinbad moved the wheel as the ship ventured forward, before glancing down at the sight of waves. Confused, he shouted for his spotter, "Rat, give me a lookout!"

Rat climbed up to the crow's nest, and allowed his gaze to sweep over the ocean, eyes widening at the fact that it... ended. "We're dead," he stated as his shoulders dropped.

"What is it?"

"I-It just ends, captain! It's the edge of the world!"

"Pay up. It's flat," Jin said, tapping his brother's chest. Li rolled his eyes before fishing out some coins. 

"Well, that's it. Time to go home," Luca shrugged.

"Nuh-uh-uh," Kale stopped, grabbing the man's shoulder to halt his steps. "The captain hasn't given his orders yet."

"Follow that star beyond the horizon," Sinbad quietly repeated to himself as you glanced over at him. "Beyond the horizon." He stared at the end of the ocean, where the water fluttered upwards in the air, before looking up at the red flags of the ship, finding them flying in the wind as well. 

"Sinbad?" you slowly asked.

The man merely grinned in victory, before yelling as he jumped over the railing and onto the deck, "Men! All hands to your posts! Free all sheets! Wait for my command?"

"What?" Jed wondered as the rest of the crew stared at him in confusion.

"Now! Go! Go! Go!"

The men sprang into action as Kale rushed over. "Eh, Sinbad, how- how are we gonna pull this off?"

"Just trust me," he assured the man. "Rat! Rig the main yard to the fors'le!"

"But that would stop us dead!"

"Just do it!"

"Aye, aye, captain." Rat leaped off the crow's nest, running along the thick pole as he grabbed hold of some rope, teetering off the edge of the beam, before flying through the air with a yell, "Whoa!"

"Slack to all sheets!"

"Aye, aye, cap'n!"

"Cut the fore and main trusses! Move, move, move!"

"I got it, I got it!"

"Aft yard aster!"

"But that's-."

"Crazy, I know, now hurry!" Sinbad interrupted Jed. He watched as his men strung up sheets, pulled on ropes and knocked in rods of wood. "Swing the fors'le to port! Ease the aft! Full hoist to forward sails!"

"Aye, aye, captain."

He spun around at the sound of your voice, finding you smirking as you held onto the rope, Spike biting into it from behind you. 

Sinbad smiled, nodding to you. "Pull!" Kale and the crew groaned as they strained their muscles, pulling on the revolver. In response, the main lifted higher into the air. "Tie off all sails! All hands amidships!" Both you and Sinbad moved to the front of the ship as he muttered, "And pray to the Gods. We may be meeting them soon."

You reached for Sinbad hand as he looked back at you, and he pulled you closer, causing your fingers to drift over his arm before holding it close. Your breath hitched in your throat as the ship slowly sailed over the edge of the world.

"We're going to die!" Rat shouted.

As the ship went over the outskirt, the crew exclaimed in shock as the boat didn't drop for a moment, before creaking was heard as it dipped forward. Sinbad wrapped his arm around your waist, holding you against his body as he held onto the rope. 

"Hold on! Grab the rope!" Sinbad shouted as the ship dove forward, thunderous whooshing trailing the boat. "Come on, come on, come on, come on!" He looked up at the sails, watching them flutter for a moment before bursting open. You, Sinbad and the crew grunted as you surged forward, hitting the deck before you felt the boat come to a stop. Slowly, you stood up, eyes wide as the ship began floating through the air. "It worked?" he questioned himself. 

"Sinbad..." Kale chuckled from behind you. "You did it." You smiled at the man, before looking at the Gates of Tartarus. 

As the ship flew towards the Gates, a sudden clinking had you looking up, finding one of the pieces of rope snapping from its hold, causing Chum and Grum to hold down on the other ropes. 

"Grab hold!"

"Grum, hard to port!" Sinbad ordered.

"Hard to port!" the man echoed from the wheel. 

"Kale!"

"Aye!" he responded to his captain, turning to face him as he passed him a bundle of thick twine.

"If I don't make it, the ship is yours."

"No..."

Sinbad faced his crew with a nod. "Gentlemen, it's been a privilege robbing with you." As the men looked on in concern as their captain turned away, he was met with you standing in front of him, hands at your hips.

"I'm coming with you," you stated. "And don't tell me the Realm of Chaos is no place for a princess, let alone a woman."

Sinbad chuckled as a smirk curled at his lips, before throwing the two-holed knotted rope around the pair of you. It settled around your waist, and with a gasp, you were pulled to his chest. "I would never say that."

You smiled up at him but looked down to your side at the sound of barking. There, you found Spike, holding onto the extra piece of rope, throwing it over his body. 

"Hey, sorry, boy," Sinbad sighed as he took it off of the dog, bending down to scratch him behind the ears. "Not this time."

Spike whined softly, looking away as Sinbad grinned down at you. You both looked towards the Gates, before glancing at the broken railing. With a smile, Sinbad offered you his hand and you took it in yours, taking off in a run as you both leaped off the ship.

You yelled out as you dropped in the air, before the momentum of the rope had you and Sinbad surging forward towards the entrance. With a determined look in your gaze, you shut your eyes in preparation as you entered the Realm of Chaos.