Hello, people who are viewing this message. If you are seeing this, clearly you have made the conscious decision to click on this story and give it a try. Either that, or you're a cat who wandered onto a key board and has no idea what they are doing. Either way, I welcome you.

So this is my first attempt at an alternate universe story for Gravity Falls! I've written in the universe before, but those stories followed canon and were different to the feel of this story. Writing this has not... been easy for me. I tried my hand at foreshadowing and illusion, which I don't tend to use, and it was weird. Not to mention coming up with an actual new setting for this story to take place. But, I hope I did it well enough. Just mentioning this now; even though this story takes place in the past (around the 18th-19th century, I've not quite decided) I use more modern vernacular. Kind of weird in the sense of the setting, but easier for me than trying to figure out how sailors spoke in the 1700s.

This story is a pretty long one. I was originally not going to post anything until I was completely finished, but I just reached 75,000 words and am getting tired of waiting to post. Also, I wanted to get this story out before the series ended. So here we are.

Anyway, onto the story! Please, please, please write a comment or review at the end! I'm currently on the rocks about this story, not sure if I like it or not, and I kind of need to know if it's just my perfectionism acting up, or if this story really does suck. This story isn't perfect, I know that, but I tried my best. So if you could take five minutes out of your day to write me some feedback, it would be appreciated. Constructive criticism is appreciated.

General disclaimer: I own nothing. All characters are owned by Disney, Alex Hirsch, and whoever else owns them.

Enjoy!

UPDATE (9/2/16): Hey all! So I finally decided to try and edit this monster! Now I was originally gonna wait until I had all the chapters done and post the edited chapters all at once, but I finished editing this chapter and realized that I had finally fixed an issue I had had with this chapter for a while, and felt the need to post it. So, what I'm saying is, basically, don't expect other edited chapters anytime soon. I just started college on Monday and have a feeling I will not have any time in the near future. But I will edit this! So if you see any mistake, or have any issues with this story, please tell me and I'll be more than glad to fix it when the time comes! Thanks!

Summary:

Getting captured by pirates is terrible.

Getting captured by the pirate captain Bill Cipher, however, is much, much worse.

Dipper Pines, great nephew of the merchant Stan Pines, is about to figure this out the hard way.

Tags: Pirate!Bill Cipher, Sailor!Dipper Pines, Attempted Rape (brief), Alternate Universe - Pirate, Mentions of Past Rape/Non-Con, Historically Inaccurate, Slow-Ish Burn, Stockholm Syndrome, Aged-Up Characters, Possessive Bill Cipher, Age Difference, Lima Syndrome, Not Dark Dipper, Character Study

Characters (Order of Importance): Dipper Pines, Bill Cipher, Mabel Pines, Grunkle Stan/Stanley Pines, Jesus "Soos" Ramirez, Wendy Corduroy, Robbie Valentino

Dipper Pines stared out into the open ocean, his mind relaxed as he leaned against the railing of the ship, watching the water lap against the ship's bottom. It was soothing to watch, he thought, the peaceful, playful water shimmering in the morning light.

This was the ocean that he loved. For over a year he had been out at sea, after the death of his parents at age fifteen, and he had seen many different types of the seas. From calm and serene to roaring and stormy, the ocean underwent a multitude of changes days after day.

During his year on board, he found that he disliked the storms the most. On land, storms just raged against the houses, violent but mostly harmless. However on the sea, even the most basic storm could kill. Dipper still had nightmares about some of the worst storms he had witnessed on these waters, the turbulent waves causing the ship to nearly capsize despite his great uncle's best efforts. In fact, just last week they had had one such storm, which had caused major damage to their hull.

However, as he stared out at the tempered sea in that moment, he could see why his great uncle made his living as a merchant, sailing these sparkling waters each and every day. It was beautiful, even with its deadly undertones. It made Dipper long to explore this vast ocean, to chart and map each mile of blue seas that he could find. To go far from here, to find new lands and meet new cultures. To be free, the wind in his hair and an adventure in his heart.

Oh, but that was just wishful thinking. He wasn't meant for life at sea and he knew it. It was a rough life, here on these vast, dark waters, one that would destroy him if he attempted to live it on his own. Chances were- once he was old enough- he'd simply return to land and start a life on his parent's old estate, with a wife and child.

Still, the ocean mesmerized him when it was peaceful and calm. He could barely tear his eyes away from it. And he would miss it, if he ever left. To think, he had only been on board this ship, The Mystery, for little over a year and yet it almost seemed like home. Not quite, but as close as anything could come, after his first home had been so cruelly taken from him.

Dipper could feel himself getting lost in the waves and nearly fell overboard when he heard a brash voice calling his name, loud and abrupt. With widened eyes, Dipper turned from the sea and looked behind him, his heart racing from the mild fright. It calmed, though, when he saw that it was only his great uncle, a scowl on the old man's face as he marched down the steps to the forecastle deck. While Stan was big and brash, he wasn't anything to fear.

"Dipper! There ya are! 'Ve been lookin' all over for ya, kid," his great uncle stated as he reached him, arms crossed over his chest and a frown on his mouth as he stared down at the boy. Dipper tried not to feel guilty. After all, it wasn't like he worked for the man, not technically at least, so he was allowed to do whatever he wanted unless the captain had a task for him. Which, the boy thought with exasperation, considering the look on the man's face, he most likely did. Well, there went his peaceful day...

"I need you ta quit yer lollygaggin' and get to work. Don't pay ya ta stand around and do nothin', after all," Stan claimed, before brandishing a small mallet and handing it to the boy. Dipper could feel a small groan rising in his throat as he looked at his recent acquisition, already knowing what his great uncle wanted him to do and hating it. There was only one job that required a mallet and that was ship mending. Which was the worst. He always managed to smash his fingers, making them smart for days.

"Grunkle Stan, first of all, you don't pay me anything. You claim that letting me and Mabel stay on your ship is payment enough. And second, why do I have to help fix the ship? You know I'm terrible at it! Besides, can't Soos fix it on his own?" Dipper huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. Stan always gave him the worst jobs, but he wasn't going to take it this time. Soos was a capable man; he could patch the hull all by himself. Stan, however, just scowled further and shook his head.

"No dice, kid. I may not pay ya, but I graciously took you an' yer sister in after what had happened to yer parents. I coulda just left ya on yer own somewhere, visitin' ev'ry now and then, but did I? No. So ya can repay me by helpin' fix up the ship when it's broke. No one likes a moocher, kid. An' would ya really leave it up to Soos to fix the ship? We keep gettin' leaks in the wood, faster than he can repair. An' this latest one is pretty bad. If that crack gets any bigger, we might not make it ta shore to get it fixed proper. So I need ya ta go and help Soos patch it up, so we don't die or anythin' like that," Stan retorted, raising an eyebrow at Dipper, who let out a sigh. Well, when he put it that way… fine. He'd do it. Not like he ever had a chance of not doing it, he thought darkly, a pout forming on his lips. Stan always won these arguments of theirs, mostly because Dipper lacked the conviction to stand up for himself. Not to mention that he did feel grateful that the man had taken him and his sister in after what had happened. He didn't even know what they would have done if he hadn't.

"Ugh, fine. I'll do it," he grumbled lightly, rolling his eyes as he pushed off against the railing and began to move. He could hear his great uncle chuckle, before he felt a hand ruffle his already messy and wind-swept hair.

"Yer a good kid, Dipper. Make sure ya finish by sundown, okay? Yer sister won't be happy if ya miss dinner," the man informed, before walking back to the forecastle. Dipper could feel a small smile bloom on his face as he turned to enter the doorway that would lead him to the hold, where he would be able to help patch the leak from the inside. He always liked it when his great uncle complimented him. It made him feel like he wasn't completely messing things up.

As he entered the doorway to the below decks, his eyes squinting to get used to the darkened area, he let out a soft sigh. He really did hate going down to the hold. It always smelled like stale sea water and dead fish down there, which was probably the worst part of living on a ship. While the sea may be beautiful, it certainly didn't smell it.

Regardless, with the damages they had obtained, it was clear that someone had to help fix the ship and it seemed that he was the only one available. It didn't matter how he felt about it, it had to get done he thought with a soft sigh. Once his eyes had adjusted, he moved to the ladder that would allow him access to the orlop deck, where he would be able to get to the ladder that would bring him down to the hold. Climbing down, he put the mallet Stan had given him into his waist band so he wouldn't lose hold of it.

Upon reaching the hold, Dipper looked around for the rotund man he was supposed to meet. The darkness was difficult to see through, but as the minutes passed, Dipper found that his eyes were growing more accustom to the dark, allowing him to see in the dark corners where Soos might have been standing. When Dipper finally spotted the man, organizing the pieces of wood they'd be using to patch the leak, Dipper felt a minute amount of achievement before he headed towards the man, with only the mildest of hesitance.

"Hey Soos," Dipper said as he reached the man, a hand raised in greeting, "Captain Stan said you needed some help with repairing the ship?"

"Oh, hey mate! Heh, yeah. I thought I could fix it on my own, but more leaks kept poppin' up just when I thought I was done! So I thought some help would be useful. Glad to see Captain Pines sent you though, mate. Won't be so bad with the two of us workin' together, huh?" Soos replied with a genial grin, nudging Dipper lightly in the shoulder. Dipper was grateful, knowing that Soos knew that he hated working down here and was doing his best to make the best of the situation.

That was what Dipper liked the most about the rotund man, he thought; the man always looked on the bright side, like Mabel did. It was hard to begrudge him. Plus, he was one of the few people to welcome him and his sister with open arms when they had first arrived at age fifteen, heartbroken and desolate. It had helped a lot when getting used to their new life, the friendly face a relief to see after so much unexpected and horrifying change. So even though he still hated fixing the ship up, at least he would be in good company, he thought favorably, a small smile creeping onto his face.

"Yeah, of course. So, what do you want me to do?" he asked, grabbing the mallet his great uncle had given him. Following his fellows' instructions, Dipper began patching the ship, laughing and joking with Soos as they worked. It was difficult work, but with a friend like Soos it didn't seem that bad. He listened carefully as the man spoke of the paramour he had waiting for him on land, whom he wrote to as often as he could. Dipper smiled as he listened, feeling glad for his friend. If anyone deserved happiness, it was Soos.

Time passed and before he knew it the crack in the hull was patched as well as they could fix it and their work was done. As predicted, he had smashed his thumb no less than three times and had more splinters than was probably healthy, but he felt pride as he looked at the patched wood. Back at home he had hardly ever done physical work, so it always filled him with pride when he saw something he had done with his own two hands.

"See you later, mate. I'm gunna stay down here for a bit and make sure nothin' else breaks, just to be safe, ya know? Say hi to Mabel for me!" Soos said, waving to the boy as he got up to leave. Dipper smiled down at him and nodded.

"Got it. See you later, Soos."

With that, Dipper moved to the ladder and began climbing, relieved to be away from that dark and gloomy place. While he may have enjoyed the time spent with Soos, he hated being stuck down there in the damp and cold. It always depressed him. As he reached the upper deck, he noticed that it was nearly sunset, which meant that dinner should be ready soon. He paused then, wondering if he should continue back to his previous spot to watch the sun set, or if he should head down to the mess hall early and wait in there. His decision was made up for him when he heard the dinner bell ring, reminding everyone that food would be served soon. With a shrug, Dipper headed back down the ladder and made his way to the mess hall, scrunching up against the wall to avoid the other sailors who were headed to the same place.

Reaching the mess hall quickly, Dipper took his usual seat beside his twin, smiling at her in greeting. When she noticed him, she grinned brightly.

"Dipper! There you are! Grunkle Stan said that you were working down below, helping Soos patch the ship. I was worried you'd miss dinner again, like last time. Did you finish, or are you simply taking a break?" she asked, bouncing up and down slightly from her general excitement at life, causing a soft smile to form on his face. It was nice to see. After what had happened with their parents, it had killed him to watch his twin fall into a depression, her eyes dim and her liveliness crippled. For months she had been silently broken, darkness prevailing inside her. She was mostly better now, but it still was wonderful to see her smile. He had missed it, during those first few terrible months.

"Yeah, it didn't take as long as expected. The damage was great, but Soos and I managed to patch it well enough. We'll be able to make it to port, at least. We'll probably be at port for a couple of days getting it fixed, though. It looked pretty bad to me," he said with a shrug. Mabel lit up at the news, her grin widening as she began bouncing again.

"Oooh! Goody! I had been needing to go to the tailor to get some new dresses, since all my current ones are all tattered and gross. And how could I possibly impress handsome sailors if I look all gross?" she asked, eyes wide at the thought. Dipper felt a laugh burst out at his sister's words, shaking his head slightly in amusement at her antics. Mabel had always been obsessed with getting a husband, even when they were children. She loved romance; loved love. He assumed she got it from their parents, who had fallen in love at first sight, despite their class difference. Dipper didn't quite get it, as he had always thought love should take time to form and grow, but he would never begrudge his sister her romantic side.

As they waited for everyone to arrive and for dinner to start, they chatted lightly about what they would do while on shore, Mabel going on about how she would find her handsome sailor one day. Dipper mostly just listened, laughing at the right moments and nodding in agreement when she asked him a question. It was only when she began badgering him about what he'd do while at port that he confessed he didn't have much planned, simply thinking that he'd go to a book shop and look for books that had been made while they had been out at sea. He felt his face flush, however, when Mabel began teasing him about it, saying he was so boring and predictable. He knew she didn't mean it to be cruel, but it still stung. He couldn't help it that he loved books. He wished she wouldn't tease him about it.

Before he could reply back, the last crew member had shown up and dinner finally began, everyone getting the same amount of gruel. Dipper tried to put his twin's teasing out of his mind as he poked at the watery food, turning his nose up at it. It sure was a good thing that they were going to port soon, he thought as he ate the gruel with a grimace. Their supplies were running low and this meal just showcased that. Dipper briefly wondered, as he always did, if his great uncle was getting better food than this up in his cabin. He never was quite sure. While his great uncle was a selfish man, wanting the best things that he could possibly get, Dipper had to admit that he did tend to be fair to his crew, never taking more than his fair share. He had a heart of gold, as Mabel always said. He, personally, wasn't quite sure of that, but then Mabel always did tend to see the good in people. Dipper was more practical and knew that some people had nothing good in them. That they might as well not be human at all.

As dinner continued, so did their conversation. Dipper was more subdued than his twin, as he always was, but he didn't mind listening to her rambling about whatever she was interested in that day. As long as she wasn't teasing him, he didn't mind getting pushed to the background in their discussions.

One thing that interested him, he began to notice as the dinner progressed, was the whispers that were going on around the two. Usually the other sailors were loud and robust, their guffaws happy and boisterous. Today, however, the sailors were quiet, softer, and they kept shooting glances at his sister and him. It made Dipper feel uneasy, his mind and body on alert, but he did his best to push his fears out of his heart. They probably just had a grievance against Stan and didn't want the two of them to overhear and potentially report it back to the old man. Not wanting it to bother him any more than it already had, he tuned back into Mabel's monologue and nodded when appropriate. If it was important, he was sure he would hear about it eventually. After all, sailors weren't exactly the most secretive bunch. It was hard to keep a secret while stranded in the middle of the ocean with a handful of other people around.

It wasn't long before their food was done and he and Mabel got up and left the mess hall early, to let the rest of the crew talk amongst themselves without the fear of the captain's great niece and nephew overhearing, his worries fading as he left the environment. He followed his sister through the ship to their private room, something their great uncle had gifted them upon their arrival on The Mystery. Normally they would have been stuffed into the crew's shared quarters below deck, but Stan had cleaned out an old storage room near his own cabin and gave them that. He was infinitely grateful to the man for doing so, as the shared quarters were vile; so many men jammed into the same room left for an unpleasant living space. The smell alone made him gag the few times he had been down there. Even sharing with his sister was better than living there.

Entering the room, he walked over to his bed and picked up the book that he had left there from that morning, picking up where he had left off, letting his twin do whatever she wanted to do while he relaxed. The book he was reading was one he had read numerous times before, a journal about the stars and constellations, but he loved rereading it. His great uncle had given it to him during those first few months, to try and make him feel better, and it had helped greatly. Besides, he loved the sky and stars. The fact he had part of the Ursa Major on his forehead had always sparked his curiosity about the vast unknown that was their sky, even as it had branded him a freak amongst the upper class. His sister had always teased him about his interest in the sky, but he didn't care. It was helpful to know, especially now that they were on a ship at sea. Celestial navigation was key to knowing exactly where you were while on the vast ocean.

A while passed as he read- his mind focussed completely on the words he was reading- before he felt his bed dip to the side a bit, his sister lying down beside him and laying her head on his shoulder.

"Hey, little brother," she said with a grin, as she knew he hated that nickname of hers. He wasn't even shorter than her anymore, having grown a lot in the past year, but she still insisted on calling him that. He rolled his eyes at her, before continuing his reading. He did his best to ignore the girl, still a touch sore about her earlier- and current- teasing, not really wanting to entertain her at the moment. However, when she began calling his name with varying degrees of pitch while nudging his shoulder with her own, he knew that he wouldn't be able to ignore her any longer. With a long-suffering sigh, he bookmarked his page and turned to face his twin, an eyebrow raised.

"What do you want, Mabel?" he questioned, a hint of exasperation in his voice. She ignored it and grinned up at him.

"Well, I was thinking," she began slowly, her face alight with glee, which made Dipper begin to feel apprehensive, knowing his sister enough to know that that look never boded well for him, "your clothes are getting a bit tattered as well, right? And with your recent growth, none of your trousers fit you right, all of them too short. Soooo, I was thinking that while we're at port, you could join me at the tailor!" she exclaimed, a grin wide on her face. Dipper, on the other hand, groaned loudly.

"Ah, Mabel, come on. You know I hate the tailor; they always poke me with their needles. Besides, what I currently have is fine!" he insisted. When his sister shot him an unimpressed look, clearly not buying his words, he grimaced and looked down at his clothing. Okay, so maybe it was a bit old… and worn... and full of holes… but it was perfectly fine! As she kept her stare on him, he grimaced again and conceded that she, maybe, had a point.

"Come on, Dipper. Your clothes look like you stole them from a vagabond, and not a particularly clean one. How on earth are you going to find yourself a good wife if you look like a… a mangy sailor?! No one likes mangy sailors, Dipper. No one," she stressed, eyes wide as she sat up, staring down at him. "And don't you want to get married one day?"

Dipper let out a sigh at her words, sitting up as well, running a hand through his hair.

"Mabel, you know I'm not interested in finding a wife right now, so I highly doubt that that would matter. And honestly, Mabel, I don't look that bad. But, if you want me to, I'll go with you and find myself some new clothes, okay? But only a few shirts and pants; I'm not getting as many as last time," he warned, knowing his sister well enough that if he didn't specify amount, she'd get him ten shirts and trousers, minimum. It was a good thing that they had the money their parents had left them, otherwise they'd have a hard time paying for all the things Mabel liked to buy. Their room was filled with frivolous things she had found and 'had to have' while on shore.

He tried not to wince when his sister let out a happy squeal, bouncing up and down with excitement. "Yay! Thanks, Dipper! I promise that you won't regret it, okay? Oooh, this is going to be so much fun!" she exclaimed, before bouncing off his bed and over to her own, playing with some scrap pieces of fabric she had, humming a sea shanty that he was positive was not appropriate for her ears. With a sigh, he shook his head with fond exasperation and laid back down, picking his book up once more and flipping back to the page he had left off. Mabel sure could be a handful, but he honestly wouldn't have it any other way. She was the bright light in his life, the one good thing he had left. If shopping for clothes with her made her happy, he'd do it, even if he despised it. He'd do anything for her, to keep her smile on her face.

So Dipper went back to his reading while Mabel did whatever it was she that interested her. Dipper wasn't sure how much time had passed in their comfortable silence before a knock sounded on their door, which opened a second later to show their great uncle standing there.

"Oh! Hey Grunkle Stan!" Mabel chirped, grinning up at the elder man. Stan gave her a tight smile back, before walking inside their room, closing the door behind him. Dipper felt confused as he saw the serious look on the man's face, as he looked at them.

"Is something wrong?" Dipper asked, sitting up on his bed slowly, his mind suddenly returning to the mess hall and the solemn faced sailors staring at his sister and him, his fear returning in a slow trickle. He saw Mabel do the same out of the corner of his eye, a concerned frown on her face. The elder man heaved a sigh and ran a hand through his hair, before taking a seat on the single chair in their room. Dipper felt concern and mild fear flood though him as he saw the tired look in his great uncle's eyes.

"I got some news from th' watchman earlier. Bad news," Stan started, before pausing and looking at them carefully. Dipper felt his concern mount as he wondered what the news was. What was so bad that his great uncle looked almost afraid? A moment passed in tense silence, before the man spoke again. "'Parently, at around noon today, our watchman spotted a pirate ship off our starboard side."

It took a second for Dipper to comprehend the words, but when he did he felt his heart freeze as the onslaught of fear that flooded him squeezed it harshly. He distantly heard his sister let out a soft gasp and he turned to face her with concern. He could see that she was pale white, her eyes wide as saucers as she stared at their great uncle with horror, the man looking back at her with concern. Well, at least that explained the fear he had seen in Stan's expression, he thought faintly.

"Pirates?" he whispered, once his fear had faded enough to allow him to speak. "It's not… not him, is it?" he questioned, needing to know. When he saw his great uncle shake his head, he felt like a weight had been lifted from his chest. Not much of one, but enough that he could finally breathe.

"No. Don't think so. Accordin' ta the watchman, this ship had a different colored flag," the man explained, eyes and voice softer than the boy was used to, his natural gruffness taking a backseat to the concern and love the man had for his niece and nephew. Dipper watched out of the corner of his eye as some color returned to his sister's face, the same relief he felt flooding her as well. She still looked upset, though.

"Do you know whose ship it is?" Mabel asked softly, curling her body into a small ball, which made him want to go over to her and take her fear away, hating to see her so small. Instead, Dipper turned to his great uncle and watched with confusion as a dark and distant look passed over his great uncle's face, before smoothing out into an expressionless mask.

"We have an idea, but we're not sure yet. I jus' thought ya kids might wanna know, so yer not surprised if ya see any ships on the horizon or if the crew spills the beans. But we're gonna be at port in a few days' time, so with any luck we'll pass 'em by without any conflict," their great uncle reassured, though Dipper could see the concern and worry that still resided in their elder's eyes. Not knowing what to say, how to respond, Dipper nodded once with his understanding, Mabel doing the same. Stan looked at them for a moment longer, before nodding back.

"Alright. Uh, sleep well. I'll see ya in the mornin' fer yer daily chores," the man said tersely, before standing awkwardly and exiting their room with a flip of his long coat. Dipper let out a long breath of air, leaning back against his headboard. It had been a while since their last run-in with a pirate ship, but it never really got any easier. Especially for his sister. He looked over towards the girl and saw her curled in a ball, her arms and head tucked inside her dress. The sight made his heart clench and he got up from his bed to sit beside her.

"Hey, Mabel… come on, it's not that bad. Grunkle Stan said that it's not him, so it's going to be fine. We don't have to be worried, okay?" he said soothingly, placing his hand gently on his twin's shivering back. He waited for a moment for her to respond, his concern mounting when she didn't. Regardless, he plowed on, knowing that he couldn't leave her alone like this.

"Well, hey, look on the bright side, we're going to be at port in a few days! We're going to the tailor and getting new clothing, remember? And I'm sure a lot of handsome sailors will be there that you can flirt with," he tempted, hoping it would work and that she would brighten up. It killed him to see her so small, so afraid. He didn't blame her, but he still hated it.

As the minutes passed, he felt his heart sinking as she still didn't reply and had been about to give up hope of raising his twin's spirits, when she looked up at him from the collar of her dress, her eyes wide and watery.

"I-I guess…" she sniffed, trying to give him a weak smile but failing in the end. He smiled softly back, even as he felt his heart breaking at her sad eyes. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer to his side.

"Don't worry, Mabel. Everything's going to be alright. I won't let anyone hurt you, okay? Not again," he promised softly, knowing that he'd never let her down again. He'd protect her even if it killed him. He felt her nod slowly against his side, still shivering lightly. He stayed there for a while, holding his sister as she shook, but eventually he got up and returned to his bed. He had considered staying with his twin in her bed that night, like he had done for a month after their parents had died, but he decided against it. It was improper and would just be awkward.

"Good night, Mabel," he whispered across the room as he turned the lantern in their room off, shrouding the room in darkness.

"'Night, Dipper," she replied softly, her voice far too quiet for a girl who once didn't know the meaning of the word whisper. He tried not to feel the concern that was threatening to drown him, but it was hard. She was his twin; he'd always be concerned about her. Especially where pirates were concerned.

Sleep eluded him for a while after that, his mind shifting through thought after thought. Even after he heard his sister finally nod off, he found he couldn't. He always had trouble sleeping at night, but today it was even worse.

Dealing with pirates was never fun. Over the past year, they had only had three run-ins with the vile monsters, but each time had been dreadful. Grunkle Stan had managed to outwit and outfight the pirate captains each time, allowing them to get away each time without any casualties, but it still left him shaking at night while his sister practically shut down. It had been four months since their last meeting with pirates, and he had been hoping that there wouldn't be another. Perhaps their luck had finally run out.

When sleep finally found him, he dreamed of fire, burning flesh, and the glint of light on a sharp blade.

Needless to say, he didn't get much rest that night.