The day dragged on, as an unbearable heat rained down upon the crew, causing everyone to seek shelter beneath the low-hanging canopies of Pip's trees. Of course, the young fox boy experienced the worst of the heat, as his fur caused only discomfort and pain. Zenith attempted to keep him cool, but the ice cubes only lasted for so long.
"That's it, I'm going swimming!" Madison yelled, rushing out from under the trees and hopping painfully across the scorching deck, before she dived over the rails and cannon-balled into the water below. A loud splash was heard, as Zenith and Kaylo stood as well, approaching the side of the ship as quickly as they possibly could.
"You alright?!" Zenith called out, glancing over the side of the ship as he stared down at the dark ocean water below.
"Yeah! It feels amazing!" Madison grinned, diving deep beneath the water as she transformed quickly into her Dragon form and allowed her wings to extend out and bask in the sun.
"Well, time to join her then." Zenith shrugged, removing his shirt and sword-holder before leaping out into the ocean as well. Kaylo, Jade and Haylee soon followed, as Pip stood shakily atop the railings and feared the jump that he would have to take.
"It's alright darling, I'll catch you." Haylee smiled, reaching up her arms towards the boy as he refused to take her trust. Madison glanced up in thought, before she extended her wing towards him, almost reaching the railings as she created a make-shift slide.
"You can do it bud! I'm right here for you!" Zenith called out, swimming around to the base of Madison's back so that he would be the first to catch Pip on his way down.
"O-ok." The young boy muttered, reaching out to take hold of Madison's wing, grabbing on to the boney edge as he slowly inched closer. Eventually, he worked up the courage to move, as his legs dangled dangerously over the side before slipping down the ocean soaked membrane of Madison's wing. He let go of the ship's railings, before curling up in fear as he quickly gained speed. He closed his eyes and braced himself for a painful impact, but his momentum was stopped by the comforting coldness of the ocean water.
He gasped immediately and flailed about with the fear of drowning, only to be stopped by Zenith lifting him up and placing him gently atop his shoulders. The crew cheered and whooped happily, as Pip slowly calmed down and allowed a smile to form atop his features.
"Again!!!" He yelled happily, throwing his arms up towards the sky, as Zenith laughed and lost balance while he was treading water. They both fell back and sunk beneath the waves, only to emerge with happy laughs and giant smiles.
"Keep going then!" Madison grinned, as her body floated effortlessly atop the waves, creating sparkles of light on her salt covered scales.
Watching closely from nearby, Elez sat silently beneath the trees, unable to enjoy the comfort of the ocean. He had wings after all, he would most certainly drown if he was to join them.
Slowly, he leaned back and thought deeply about better days, somehow feeling free from judgement after their most recent encounter with the Star Pirates. Kaizo and Madison were dating, at least, that's what Kaizo said. It could have been a joke, but deep down, Elez felt comforted now that he could move on and search for others. Naturally, his mind fell to Haylee, only to side track and think of Kaylo.
He shook his head and sat back up, before sighing and looking out at the horizon. Nothing was ahead of them, and nothing was behind them, the only thing they could even see was the sky blending perfectly with the ocean below. To some, it would appear as if they were floating on nothing but clouds. But to Elez, it felt like a whole new world.
If the ocean never rippled or moved in response to anything, the Shellshock could have been floating on air, and no one would've ever noticed.
The day was peaceful, Madison had noticed this too. And it was times like that which really made her feel at home. No matter where they were, or what they had been through, the Nightshade Pirates would always be a family to her. That thought alone stuck close, as her mind wandered back to darker days, before the subtle thought of Kaizo plagued her empty mind.
She remembered the day like any other; she was young and searching for adventure, only to discover that Demons were cruel to Dragons like herself. Of course, most New World Dragons were animals, but Madison had known for a very long time that she was different.
"Hey, stop it!" She cried out, as two young men pushed her back into the hard brick wall of an alleyway. They had hunting gear and nets, and were covered from head to toe in armoured gear. Her father had warned her about hunters, she was foolish to transform so carelessly in front of others.
"This is gonna get us rich," One of them smiled, as they leaned down and reached out to touch her shoulder. Madison gasped and moved away, but she had nowhere left to run. Her body shook as her eyes closed in fear and uncertainty, but before she could ever be touched, the man reaching out towards her was punched hard in the bone of his cheek and slammed into a wall nearby.
"Pick on someone your own size!" Kaizo yelled, walking forwards and standing boldly between Madison and her attackers. Back then, Kaizo was young as well, and had only just begun his own pirate journey, a few weeks after the final reports of his father's death.
"But you're shorter than me," The other man mumbled, confused by Kaizo's statement. Thankfully though, he distracted himself long enough to allow Kaizo to slam a punch straight into his chin. Instantly, they fell back and passed out, as Kaizo turned and smiled brightly at the girl behind him.
"Are you ok, miss?" He asked, noticing the excited glimmer that had appeared in the iris of her eyes.
"Y-yes, thank you so much." She muttered, before panicking as one of the men groaned and gradually began to rise.
"Quick, follow me." Kaizo said, clasping her hand and rushing off into the woods nearby, before hiding deep within a bush and sitting down in the safety of the leaves. They stayed there and chatted for many hours, expressing their hopes for the future, whilst gradually growing closer as friends. Of course, Kaizo had already decided to become a pirate, while Madison was left searching for a purpose of her own.
"Hey, I know! How about being a pirate too? With me!" Kaizo smiled.
"Like boyfriend and girlfriend?" She asked, tilting her head with a confused and uncertain stare.
"Yeah! Whatever that means..." He mumbled, turning to her and smiling brightly. "I'm going to become the greatest pirate in the world!" He declared.
"Oh yeah, well I'll be better." She giggled, lighting the flame of an innocent argument that would last for many years to come. She had never agreed to join his crew, but had promised to visit him every day in the future to come.
She came back the next day, just as she had promised, but after she left that fateful night, her father refused to allow her to leave ever again, leaving Kaizo alone in the silence of their secret hideout. He searched for her every day, but after years of waiting for her fateful return, he moved on and focused only on his pirate's journey.
Of course, after many years, Madison left the comfort of her hidden home, setting out in search of adventure once again, but the world was constantly filled with cruelty. After only a few weeks of exploring and searching for Kaizo, she was shot down and taken hold of, forced for many months to act only as a trophy of power.