A/N: Hiya everyone...I admit that I haven't been writing for the longest time. School has never been so busy, and I'll have to be the sad bearer of news that this story most likely won't be updated much until the beginning of June. Being a Junior in Highschool, the standardized testings that I will have to take in the next two months or so will basically decide what kind of college I will be accepted at after my senior year.

So here is my long-promised pirate story. I'll need to use it as a sort of stress-reliever, so try to bear with me if it turns out to be really bad...Chapter 1 is almost done...I'm going to update that once I get most of my 3 other papers started and half way done (trying my best for later this week, since this is so short)

Disclaimer: all recognizable characters, plot lines, and etc belong to their respectful owners. (will apply for the entire rest of the story)

There were times in life when you wished time could just stop and leave you alone for a moment – for even just one tiny little moment. I needed time to think things through. I don't think I'm ready to meet Death, no matter how angelic his voice sounded like. I wanted to think, but the cloaked figure before me wasn't giving me the time.

Time. Such a simple word, yet so complicated. A new dimension that never stopped, never gave respite to its ceaseless movements. If it could travel backwards, I would have made sure to never climb on that ship. Better yet, born in another family so this would never happen.

And yet, if I had never climbed into that ship, I would never have received the Medallion, met the one I loved, and enjoyed so much of the past year on a pirate ship – a ship I've always dreamed to go upon.

It all started with a story…the story of the most powerful relic that has ever lived. And, like all such legends, the story left everyone to doubt its truth, for the ending always went "and it was never found again." It led countless ruthless men seeking for the treasure that never was, and it brought hopeless hope to many more.

However, this story – this one, single story – was the only one I had ever believed in. I didn't know why I had, only that my heart told me I had my fate closely entwined with it. Perhaps the main reason was that so many pieces of it were true, it was hard not to believe it:

A thousand years ago, lived a tyrant King who drew away every last penny of wealth from his people. Only he had money; not even the nobles had more than scraps of poor jewelry. During this time rose three great wizards: Aro, Caius, and Marcus, who drew the common people together and overthrew the king. In precedent years, the wizards crowned a new king and gave him a present, and then disappeared without a trace.

Father always said that the present was a pendant that held a treasure. Rumors had it that the present was the key to access infinite riches and that the Kings still had it today. Mother, however, told a different story. She said that hundreds of years ago, a King lost the shell-shaped pendant. He had traded the pendant for his life when captured by a notorious pirate, Robert Jenkins. The pirate, who never discovered the secrets of the shell, made it into a medallion within which he put a map of his treasure trove.

However, the medallion was never seen again when the pirate's ship sunk after being hit by an iceburg. Mother said that one day the medallion will be found again, and that whoever carried it will either end up living in paradise or dying in hell.

And here I am, dying in hell.

But that is not what saddens me. My angel was not with me – and that fact alone means my eternal damnation.

Tell me what you think! I know this is really short...but I thought it sets the mood and gives the basic background on which this story is set. There are still parts in the plot I need to smooth out...but I'll write as I go and see how everything turns out.

Thanks,

Cathy