"Alice Aboard the Milky Way Railroad"
Chapter Four
By Elizabeth Wilde
Chapter Four
By Elizabeth Wilde
Alice couldn't sleep very well, so she got up and walked along the pier that The Ruby Skull and her Father's ship The Moonstone Path were docked. The moon was full and the stars were bright in the night sky. Alice stared up and mentally pointed out all the constellations Captain Silver Claw had taught her.
It was a quiet night, even the lapping waves were but soft whispers.
But hold on...what was that distant noise? Thunder? No, it was too constant. And it was steadily getting louder. The pier began to vibrate, yet the water remained calm. What was going on?
Alice's eyes popped wide open as a strange, steaming machine of long, narrow vessels stopped suddenly beside the wharf - floating above the ocean surface.
"Oh...my...!"
It was a train. Alice had heard of them but never seen one.
The doors opened and out stepped a very large man, his face covered by a floppy conductor's hat. "Alla'board!" he yelled. His unfamiliar accent made it sound like he could be saying - in a muffled way - "Alice, aboard!" It didn't quite sound like he finished her name, but Alice was used to the pirates of Captain Silver Claw's crew pronouncing her name in different ways that sometimes didn't sound like 'Alice'.
Without thinking much on it, Alice stepped aboard, filled with wonder. It was surely a magic train. Where would it take her?
Glancing up, she saw a sign that glowed. "The Milky Rail Train...?" Curious, she thought, what did it mean? The vehicle wasn't a milky-white color, it was quite black; with gold to outline the windows, doors, etc.
Glancing down, she saw that her nightgown had become a lovely black dress, with a pocket watch around her waist. And touching her head in surprise at the change, she found a top hat with a large watch on one side as a decoration - much like how ladies wear flowers in their bonnets.
"Take yer seats," the large man said, from behind Alice. She still couldn't see his face, even though she had to look up he was so tall.
"Oh! Yes, of course. But...don't you need my ticket?" Alice said, realizing she didn't have a ticket.
The man pointed at the pocket watch around Alice's waist. "I can see yer ticket, Miss. Take yer seat, now."
"Right away!" Alice hurried into the next car - and stopped. "My! So many cats! How odd..."
Every passenger was a cat. Cats with big eyes; cats with slit eyes. Cats with no tail; cats with bushy tails. Cats of gray, orange, white, black - all kinds of cats! A few of the adult cats had kittens with them, like they were a family. And one particular feline of pink and purple stripes had a mischievous grin.
Alice found an unoccupied seat and sat down. She expected to see the pier outside her window, but she was now staring into space. The space beyond, of stars and galaxies. Where did Earth go?
Along the Milky Way Railroad the train went. Chugga-chugga-chugga. Toot! Toot!
Alice saw swirls of colorful nebula and distant planets - then an Italian city at night, where a lone girl with pink hair stood; a fat white cat by her feet.
"Did I travel to a different part of the world?" Alice wondered. She followed the throng of cats who wished to exit, and peeked out.
"Oh! H-hello!" the pink-haired girl said, surprised. "It's a human! That's strange. I thought this train only carried cats!"
Alice cocked her head. "Who are you? I am Alice. Where is this place?"
"Alice? I know an Alice! Though she has greenish hair - but you almost look like her! My name is Akari, Akari Mizunashi! This is Aqua - once known as Mars. Hello, it's nice to meet you, Miss Alice!"
Alice couldn't help but laugh. Akari Mizunashi was a rather odd character.
"Do you see what I see, President Aria?" the pink-haired girl whispered to the fat cat - and the cat replied with a nod and a "Nyu!"
"Alla'board!" the large conductor yelled.
Alice saw a line of cats waiting to board the Milky Rail Train.
"When I hear the Galaxy Express cutting through the night," Akari told Alice, "I sometimes come out here to see those boarding, and who might be getting off. I never expected to see a human girl, though! "W-what's it like, huh? A-aboard the Galaxy Express!? Oh! Oh! W-where are you going? Where did you come from!?"
"Nyu! Nyu!" the fat cat called President Aria was curious, too!
"The Galaxy...Express?" Alice said. Ah! Now she understood what the Milky Rail Train was! "It's fantastic! This is my first stop, though. I've yet to see what else is out there..."
"Wow~" Akari went into dreamland.
Then the train doors began to close and the Milky Rail Train - the Galaxy Express - was off again...
***
"Mars, huh?" Alice said thoughtfully. "The Captain mentioned Mars was a planet, like Earth is a planet. People actually live there? Did they take another galactic rail to Mars?" She shook her head. It was too fantastic to believe in, something that amazing and far out.
Abruptly the scenery outside of speckled black and galaxy swirls changed to dark trees.
"A forest?"
The pines were such a dark green sage, and the sky above cloudy and rather gloomy.
"We're stopping here? Whatever for?"
The cat passengers began to jump out of their seats to exit. Alice became curious and followed them, wondering what this dark forest held for felines. Someone - the conductor, most likely - put a short cloak around her shoulders before she stepped out. A good thing, too, for it was bitterly cold as winter.
The cats pattered down a dirt path that led to an overgrown rose garden.
Walking through a black iron gate, Alice saw the ruins of a church beyond the fragrant flowers.
Everything looked abandoned and forgotten.
And yet...
"Hello, Traveler," a girl with long, long dark hair greeted Alice; from out of nowhere. She smelled strongly of roses.
"Oh! Someone lives here?" Alice said.
"Yes, I and my brothers. Would you like to come to our home?" the girl gestured to the dilapidated church, and smiled - showing sharp fangs.
Alice gasped. Vampire! And her brothers were probably vampires, too! Without so much as a goodbye, Alice twirled around and ran back to the Milky Rail Train and quickly boarded.
***
"Vampires! Brr~" Alice shuddered at the memory; and at thepossibility of having been taken by them, to the sad, ruined church. "I heard that vampires like the smell of strong fragrances, like roses, to conceal the odor of death that's around them." She talked to the cats, they appeared to be intelligent enough to know what she was saying. A few even nodded sagely.
Alice couldn't wait to see what the next stop would be, but now she was a little scared at what the newest world would hold.
The Milky Rail Train's path went by a large planet with halos of rocks; each ring had a different colored rock, making a strange gray rainbow.
While she was daydreaming, the scenery outside gradually changed before she realized what was happening.
"Oh! This looks much more bright and cheery than the last stop." Alice saw a castle in the distance, with a maze of hedges and rose trees - one side had all red roses; the other white roses; and in the middle were white roses that appeared to have been painted with globs of red paint.
The grinning purple and pink cat leaped down, the only one to exit.
Alice watched as a white rabbit, in a green vest and carrying a pocket watch and walking on its two back feet, joined the striped cat. She cocked her head.
The conductor stared at Alice, in a way that seemed to be saying: "Well? Are yer gonna check the place out, or what?"
That's the feeling Alice got, anyway. She jumped up and thought to follow the cat and rabbit, but they were no where in sight.
She wandered a bit, away from the castle - for some unexplainable reason the bright castle felt foreboding. Alice saw all kinds of strange sights: flowers that talked; a caterpillar of large proportions smoking a pipe; a set of roly-poly twins that were decidedly creepy; a black and white knight in full armor duking it out; and a crazed man having tea with a march hare and dormouse.
Yet the oddest thing of all was a large looking glass standing in the middle of the dirt path that she walked along. When Alice got closer, she didn't as much see her own reflection, but a bedroom through the mirror.
However, coming into the room beyond the reflection was a girl who looked very much like Alice. This girl went about tidying her room, then suddenly gazed into the mirror. She cocked her head this way and that, talking; though Alice couldn't hear what she said.
"Curious..." Alice said. The girl looked startled. Did she hear what Alice had said?
Even curiouser, the girl-who-looked-like-Alice stepped through the looking glass.
Now Alice became startled. She backed away, expecting the girl to ram right into her.
Yet the image of the girl melted - or merged - with Alice, as if they were one and the same to begin with.
Alice glanced around, and behind the mirror. No one else was around.
And then...
It was night again, and Alice was standing on the pier; the Ruby Skull and Moonstone Path docked nearby, the Milky Rail Train gone.
"Was it all a dream...?" Alice wondered. She gazed up at the starry sky, a comet flew across and the sound of a train was heard somewhere far off...
*The End*
The railroad track is miles away,
And the day is loud with voices speaking,
Yet there isn't a train goes by all day
But I hear its whistle shrieking.
All night there isn't a train goes by,
Though the night is still for sleep and dreaming,
But I see its cinders red on the sky,
And hear its engine steaming.
My heart is warm with the friends I make,
And better friends I'll not be knowing,
Yet there isn't a train I wouldn't take,
No matter where it's going.
("Travel" by Edna St. Vincent Millay)
It was a quiet night, even the lapping waves were but soft whispers.
But hold on...what was that distant noise? Thunder? No, it was too constant. And it was steadily getting louder. The pier began to vibrate, yet the water remained calm. What was going on?
Alice's eyes popped wide open as a strange, steaming machine of long, narrow vessels stopped suddenly beside the wharf - floating above the ocean surface.
"Oh...my...!"
It was a train. Alice had heard of them but never seen one.
The doors opened and out stepped a very large man, his face covered by a floppy conductor's hat. "Alla'board!" he yelled. His unfamiliar accent made it sound like he could be saying - in a muffled way - "Alice, aboard!" It didn't quite sound like he finished her name, but Alice was used to the pirates of Captain Silver Claw's crew pronouncing her name in different ways that sometimes didn't sound like 'Alice'.
Without thinking much on it, Alice stepped aboard, filled with wonder. It was surely a magic train. Where would it take her?
Glancing up, she saw a sign that glowed. "The Milky Rail Train...?" Curious, she thought, what did it mean? The vehicle wasn't a milky-white color, it was quite black; with gold to outline the windows, doors, etc.
Glancing down, she saw that her nightgown had become a lovely black dress, with a pocket watch around her waist. And touching her head in surprise at the change, she found a top hat with a large watch on one side as a decoration - much like how ladies wear flowers in their bonnets.
"Take yer seats," the large man said, from behind Alice. She still couldn't see his face, even though she had to look up he was so tall.
"Oh! Yes, of course. But...don't you need my ticket?" Alice said, realizing she didn't have a ticket.
The man pointed at the pocket watch around Alice's waist. "I can see yer ticket, Miss. Take yer seat, now."
"Right away!" Alice hurried into the next car - and stopped. "My! So many cats! How odd..."
Every passenger was a cat. Cats with big eyes; cats with slit eyes. Cats with no tail; cats with bushy tails. Cats of gray, orange, white, black - all kinds of cats! A few of the adult cats had kittens with them, like they were a family. And one particular feline of pink and purple stripes had a mischievous grin.
Alice found an unoccupied seat and sat down. She expected to see the pier outside her window, but she was now staring into space. The space beyond, of stars and galaxies. Where did Earth go?
Along the Milky Way Railroad the train went. Chugga-chugga-chugga. Toot! Toot!
Alice saw swirls of colorful nebula and distant planets - then an Italian city at night, where a lone girl with pink hair stood; a fat white cat by her feet.
"Did I travel to a different part of the world?" Alice wondered. She followed the throng of cats who wished to exit, and peeked out.
"Oh! H-hello!" the pink-haired girl said, surprised. "It's a human! That's strange. I thought this train only carried cats!"
Alice cocked her head. "Who are you? I am Alice. Where is this place?"
"Alice? I know an Alice! Though she has greenish hair - but you almost look like her! My name is Akari, Akari Mizunashi! This is Aqua - once known as Mars. Hello, it's nice to meet you, Miss Alice!"
Alice couldn't help but laugh. Akari Mizunashi was a rather odd character.
"Do you see what I see, President Aria?" the pink-haired girl whispered to the fat cat - and the cat replied with a nod and a "Nyu!"
"Alla'board!" the large conductor yelled.
Alice saw a line of cats waiting to board the Milky Rail Train.
"When I hear the Galaxy Express cutting through the night," Akari told Alice, "I sometimes come out here to see those boarding, and who might be getting off. I never expected to see a human girl, though! "W-what's it like, huh? A-aboard the Galaxy Express!? Oh! Oh! W-where are you going? Where did you come from!?"
"Nyu! Nyu!" the fat cat called President Aria was curious, too!
"The Galaxy...Express?" Alice said. Ah! Now she understood what the Milky Rail Train was! "It's fantastic! This is my first stop, though. I've yet to see what else is out there..."
"Wow~" Akari went into dreamland.
Then the train doors began to close and the Milky Rail Train - the Galaxy Express - was off again...
***
"Mars, huh?" Alice said thoughtfully. "The Captain mentioned Mars was a planet, like Earth is a planet. People actually live there? Did they take another galactic rail to Mars?" She shook her head. It was too fantastic to believe in, something that amazing and far out.
Abruptly the scenery outside of speckled black and galaxy swirls changed to dark trees.
"A forest?"
The pines were such a dark green sage, and the sky above cloudy and rather gloomy.
"We're stopping here? Whatever for?"
The cat passengers began to jump out of their seats to exit. Alice became curious and followed them, wondering what this dark forest held for felines. Someone - the conductor, most likely - put a short cloak around her shoulders before she stepped out. A good thing, too, for it was bitterly cold as winter.
The cats pattered down a dirt path that led to an overgrown rose garden.
Walking through a black iron gate, Alice saw the ruins of a church beyond the fragrant flowers.
Everything looked abandoned and forgotten.
And yet...
"Hello, Traveler," a girl with long, long dark hair greeted Alice; from out of nowhere. She smelled strongly of roses.
"Oh! Someone lives here?" Alice said.
"Yes, I and my brothers. Would you like to come to our home?" the girl gestured to the dilapidated church, and smiled - showing sharp fangs.
Alice gasped. Vampire! And her brothers were probably vampires, too! Without so much as a goodbye, Alice twirled around and ran back to the Milky Rail Train and quickly boarded.
***
"Vampires! Brr~" Alice shuddered at the memory; and at thepossibility of having been taken by them, to the sad, ruined church. "I heard that vampires like the smell of strong fragrances, like roses, to conceal the odor of death that's around them." She talked to the cats, they appeared to be intelligent enough to know what she was saying. A few even nodded sagely.
Alice couldn't wait to see what the next stop would be, but now she was a little scared at what the newest world would hold.
The Milky Rail Train's path went by a large planet with halos of rocks; each ring had a different colored rock, making a strange gray rainbow.
While she was daydreaming, the scenery outside gradually changed before she realized what was happening.
"Oh! This looks much more bright and cheery than the last stop." Alice saw a castle in the distance, with a maze of hedges and rose trees - one side had all red roses; the other white roses; and in the middle were white roses that appeared to have been painted with globs of red paint.
The grinning purple and pink cat leaped down, the only one to exit.
Alice watched as a white rabbit, in a green vest and carrying a pocket watch and walking on its two back feet, joined the striped cat. She cocked her head.
The conductor stared at Alice, in a way that seemed to be saying: "Well? Are yer gonna check the place out, or what?"
That's the feeling Alice got, anyway. She jumped up and thought to follow the cat and rabbit, but they were no where in sight.
She wandered a bit, away from the castle - for some unexplainable reason the bright castle felt foreboding. Alice saw all kinds of strange sights: flowers that talked; a caterpillar of large proportions smoking a pipe; a set of roly-poly twins that were decidedly creepy; a black and white knight in full armor duking it out; and a crazed man having tea with a march hare and dormouse.
Yet the oddest thing of all was a large looking glass standing in the middle of the dirt path that she walked along. When Alice got closer, she didn't as much see her own reflection, but a bedroom through the mirror.
However, coming into the room beyond the reflection was a girl who looked very much like Alice. This girl went about tidying her room, then suddenly gazed into the mirror. She cocked her head this way and that, talking; though Alice couldn't hear what she said.
"Curious..." Alice said. The girl looked startled. Did she hear what Alice had said?
Even curiouser, the girl-who-looked-like-Alice stepped through the looking glass.
Now Alice became startled. She backed away, expecting the girl to ram right into her.
Yet the image of the girl melted - or merged - with Alice, as if they were one and the same to begin with.
Alice glanced around, and behind the mirror. No one else was around.
And then...
It was night again, and Alice was standing on the pier; the Ruby Skull and Moonstone Path docked nearby, the Milky Rail Train gone.
"Was it all a dream...?" Alice wondered. She gazed up at the starry sky, a comet flew across and the sound of a train was heard somewhere far off...
*The End*
The railroad track is miles away,
And the day is loud with voices speaking,
Yet there isn't a train goes by all day
But I hear its whistle shrieking.
All night there isn't a train goes by,
Though the night is still for sleep and dreaming,
But I see its cinders red on the sky,
And hear its engine steaming.
My heart is warm with the friends I make,
And better friends I'll not be knowing,
Yet there isn't a train I wouldn't take,
No matter where it's going.
("Travel" by Edna St. Vincent Millay)
My Little Garden Nook for short stories
and sample reading of my novels.
and sample reading of my novels.
~The End~
of the sample reading
of the sample reading
"The Apprentice, the Swordsman, and the Impossible Mission"
Written by Elizabeth Wilde
Written by Elizabeth Wilde
What follows is a series of short stories I wrote inspired by the Japanese clothes brand Alice and the Pirates by Baby the Stars Shine Bright...
Alice grew up rich and happy. She was given the prettiest of dresses, and the cutest of toys two parents could buy for their daughter. But then tragedy struck and Alice became orphaned. Living at the local children's home was horrible; so Alice, with her trunk of pretty clothes, ran away.
Down by the docks she saw a wonderful ship, of red sails and a black flag. When she was very young, her father would tell her stories of his adventures in the wide-open sea. "O what a lovely ship!" Alice said. "How I'd love to travel aboard its deck and traverse the seven seas!"
That was that. She took her trunk and dragged it to the fancy docked ship. However, it turned out to belong to that of a quite fierce and famous pirate captain - Cap'n Silver Claw - who, at that very moment, had stopped by to rob from the rich to give to himself.
For some reason the pirates ignored Alice and her big trunk, to grab bags of gold and caskets of wine.
"A doubloon for each of ye!" boomed Cap'n Silver Claw's voice, "and the rest go in me cabin!"
"Aye! Aye!" chorused his dastardly crew.
Alice looked up at the giant of a captain. Silver Claw looked down at Alice - finally seeing her. He cocked his head. "What do ye want, lassie?"
Alice suddenly had a fantastical thought. "Can I be a pirate with you?"
Silver Claw raised an eyebrow. "Me think you've been sit'in out in the sun too long, lassie. Though why none of us saw ye sooner, is a mystery to me."
"Whatever are you talking about, sir? I just got here," Alice said. "Now, may I be one of your pirate crew members?"
Cap'n Silver Claw seriously thought about the offer. Judging by her clothes she was wealthy: a rich, young lady running away from home. He could surely get loads of gold from her rich parents. Then he saw the tattoo, stamped like a birthmark on her arm; a few inches below her shoulder. A wandering mermaid, a tattoo placed on orphans in that area - Silver Claw had a merman on his arm, so he knew what it meant. It meant the girl was a child with no family, no name, no money.
The Cap'n marched away, in his heavy boots, and said "NO!" without ever glancing back at Alice.
Alice watched the pirates get ready to leave for whatever next port that took their fancy. Of course, the girl wouldn't take "no" for an answer. She had already decided that she'd be a pirate no matter what. "Excuse me," she tapped the shoulder of one pirate loading the rest of the booty. "You forgot one." She pointed at her trunk.
With that out of the way, Alice sneaked aboard the pirate ship: The Ruby Skull. She located her trunk with the loot and stowed it away safely while she hid in a barrel of apples; just until the ship took to the wind and sailed away. But the waves rocked her to sleep and Alice dreamt of high sea adventures; with her father as captain and she as his first mate. She wore the loveliest of pirate gowns, and a very snazzy hat with a red feather.
That all blew away, however, when Cap'n Silver Claw lifted the lid off her barrel - to grab a snack - and cried in surprise: "Arr! What be this!?"
Alice immediately woke, sat up, and said, surprised as well, "Arr! I be me, Alice!"
"I be not know'in an Alice," the Cap'n said, "just a wee girl who's in a lot of trouble!
And so poor Alice was thrown into one of the ship's brig cells, down below. But that was okay, because it just so happened that that was where she put her trunk. Shrugging at her predicament, she opened the trunk. It was true she had all her pretty dresses inside, but she had other items that she knew would help her out of the cell - she just had to find that special something, whatever it was.
Her gowns and shoes were gently taken out and laid flat on the bench; next came the accessories (headbands, big hair bows, pearl necklaces, etc.); then her journal; fuzzy pink rabbit; cuddly blue bear; some weird bottles of some strange potions that Alice knew nothing about - Wait. Bottles of potions Alice knew nothing about? Where did those come from? As she was wondering about what each bottle had in them, The Ruby Skull rocked violently and Alice's trunk tipped over, spilling the rest of its contents out - and revealing a secret bottom to the chest. TAP, TAP. The door opened. Alice reached in and took out a worn, brown piece of leather.
"What could this be?" Alice carefully unfolded the paper; there were squiggly lines, a scary skull, frightening names, and an 'X'. "O my! This is a treasure map! And...O, why this is my Father's signature; how odd." She pocketed the map, put her things away, and examined those potion bottles again. "Hm, they all say they were made by a Princess Grape, I wonder who that could be and what kingdom she reigns over?"
One bottle said "Drink Small", another said "Drink Big", and the last said "Drink Up". Alice wasn't sure she wanted to drink any of it, but she did want to know what they were for; so she dabbed a bit of the "Drink Small" on her finger and licked it off.
"O! O dear me! I feel funny!" Alice cried, clutching her stomach. Next thing she knew, she was as tiny as a mouse. "O my! I wonder, though; if "Drink Small" makes me tiny, will "Drink Big" make me large again?" She slipped through the bars of her cell, uncorked "Drink Big" and took a sip.
Woosh~! Alice was her normal height again. "Well! That was helpful." She put the potions in her pocket and crept out of the brig.
Up on deck, Cap'n Silver Claw was ranting at his first mate, Scarred Willie, for only acquiring one piece of a map. He waved the torn brown leather in the others face and said, "I send ye on a very important mission - easy as drink'in tonic - and ye come back with only half a treasure map! Do ye have rocks for brains? Where's the other half!?
"I-I don't rightly know, Cap'n. Honest! That's all thar was."
"Arr~" the Cap'n growled.
Alice looked at her map, the one the Cap'n was waving around looked awfully familiar - it looked like the other half of her's! She hopped up on deck - totally unaware of the pirates' surprised expressions - and went right up to the Cap'n. "O Mister, Sir Silver Claw, is it? I have what you need; the other piece of the map."
Silver Claw gawked at the girl, then at the map. What be this? he wondered. How did the girl get out of her cell? And how did she get the piece of the treasure map he needed?
Scarred Willie screwed his face up. "This girl is too sugary cute, it's sickening! Shall I throw her back in the brig, Cap'n?"
Smiling, Silver Claw shook his head. "Nay, I think I'm beginning t' like this sprite of a lassie. What be your name again, girl?"
"O, my name is Alice! It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir Silver Claw." She put her hand out to shake the captain's.
Silver Claw eyed the small, pale pink hand. "Aye, 'tis a pleasure t' meet you, too, Alice me lassie. From now on, ye are t' call me Cap'n! Got that?"
Alice saluted the man. "Aye!! And arr~ me be doing that, Cap'n!"
But Cap'n Silver Claw hadn't quite accepted Alice into his crew. In fact, he planned to drop her off at the next port - after securing that treasure the map led to. 'Gold before the safety of a wee girl' was the Cap'n motto - or not. His motto was anything that took his fancy at a particular moment. One time it was 'Blood and Booty', another is was 'It's a Pirate's Life for Me!' and then there was the rather odd motto of 'Sundae, Bloody Sundae.'
"Secure the lines and head west, towards the Isle of Wraiths!" Silver Claw said to his crew. "We be gett'in ourselves a horde of treasure, mates!"
Alice was given her own room. Since none of the pirates - the captain included - knew how to treat or take care of a girl, Alice was on her own; so she freely explored The Ruby Skull. Halfway through the journey, she knew the ship backwards and forwards, upside down and right side up. She also knew every pirate member by name and habit. Everything about the pirate world fascinated Alice; she knew how to use a compass, steer the ship, tighten the rigging, weigh anchor...
But there was still one place that still mystified her - the ocean. She had heard some pretty scary stories from her father, like sea monsters and sirens that took down whole ships. Always on the lookout for such creatures, finally one day Alice caught sight of one. But it wasn't as scary as she imagined it would be; it was beautiful and had such a lovely voice. Swimming along The Ruby Skull, Alice called down to the creature, "Are you, by chance, a mermaid?"
The sea woman glanced up at Alice and smiled; she then leaped into the air - her tail of fish scales shimmering in the sunlight - and landed on the ship's gunwale. Alice passed all the dazed pirates, who were staring at the mermaid, to introduce herself to her.
Cap'n Silver Claw came down from the poop deck. "This is Princess Grape," he told Alice, "she rules the Kingdom Under the Sea."
"Princess Grape..." Alice fingered one of the potion bottles in her apron pocket.
"It is nice to finally meet you, Alice," Grape said.
"How...how do you know me?" Alice asked.
"I know more than you can imagine," the mermaid princess said mysteriously.
"Princess Grape is a friend t' all pirates," Cap'n Silver Claw said. "Or just t' me," he added, grinning.
Grape didn't deny or agree, she just smiled her lovely smile. Alice was mesmerized. She had a stuffed doll of a mermaid once, but lost it at the beach one afternoon years back. It was like her doll had come back to her with a heart and soul now.
"What brings ye here, Princess Grape?" the Cap'n asked. He took her hand and pecked it, "My Bodou-Hime."
Grape laughed. "You do tease, Silver Claw. I heard from the dolphins that you were in search of the treasure of Captain Stardust; so I have come to guide you safely on your journey."
"How wonderful!" Alice said. This hanging out with pirates was getting better and better.
With Princess Grape's guidance, Alice and the pirates reached the Isle of Wraiths with nary a trouble. Of course, the mermaid couldn't do anything for them on land; one known to be haunted by a thousand vengeful ghosts.
Alice had heard that pirates were very superstitious, but not Cap'n Silver Claw. He marched right on shore and commanded his crew to follow suit. Alice was happy to oblige. The crew was not so much.
"Lily-livered codfishes!" the Cap'n shouted at his men. "A wee lassie be ready t' take on some ghosties, but ye be not!? Ya landlubbers!"
"O, don't be bothered by them, Cap'n," Alice told him. "Let's go find that treasure ourselves!"
"Aye..." Silver Claw grumbled, eyeing his crew on The Ruby Skull.
The two followed the map, and found the 'X' marking the spot on the beach – where all respectable pirate treasure should be buried.
"I wonder why this island is called the Isle of Wraiths?" Alice remarked, helping the Cap'n dig the treasure chest up. "I haven't seen any ghosts since we landed."
"Do not speak of demons lest they appear, lassie," warned Silver Claw.
But it was too late. The wraiths heard the call and came swarming. The Cap'n brandished his sword, but steel didn't work on the none-living. Alice told the ghosts off, that they were being very rude and that they'd be better off resting in peace.
"Arr! They be steal'in me treasure!" cried Silver Claw
Alice looked up to see the wraiths carrying the gold-laden chest away; high in the sky where the Cap'n couldn't reach. "O! That won't do!" She remembered the potions in her pocket and considered the options she had: 'Drink Small' would make her so tiny she'd be buried in the sand. 'Drink Big' could backfire, making her so tall that she might stomp the Cap'n flat. The only one left was 'Drink Up'. But Alice didn't know what that did.
There wasn't much time to think about it, so Alice drank the potion - and up she flew.
Silver Claw goggled as the now flying golden-haired girl tug the chest away from the wraiths, and bring it to The Ruby Skull. He ran down the beach after her; boarded his ship; and ordered the crew to set sail without delay.
There was zero hesitation, naturally, the pirates were ready to hightail it out of there and leave the Isle of Wraiths far behind.
"It's Cap'n Stardust's treasure!!" the crew rejoiced.
"Aye, and it be all thanks t' Alice, here - and none t' ye all!" Silver Claw growled.
The other pirates backed off.
Alice blushed at the captain's words. "Why, thank you, Cap'n Silver Claw."
The Cap'n opened the chest and took out the first treasure: Captain Stardust's medallion. Alice gasped. "But...but...but that was my Father's! I-I remember seeing him wear it many times."
"Your father was the legendary Cap'n Stardust!?" Silver Claw asked Alice. "Captain of the galleon, Moonstone Path? He vanished from the face of t' Earth years ago..."
"Rumors say, though, that he threw his nickname away and left the pirate's life for a normal landlubber's," Scarred Willie said. If he were to have said that any sooner, he would've been bombarded with rotten food. But with Alice there as proof, that Captain Stardust did, indeed, leave the sea for land, no one objected. Every pirate stared at Alice in awe.
"So...my Father was a pirate?" Alice said.
Princess Grape appeared on the railing. "I knew him well, dear Alice."
"The potion bottles!" Alice exclaimed. "You gave them to him, and he...put them in my trunk..."
Grape smiled playfully.
"It actually wasn't his choice t' be called Stardust," Silver Claw said. "His crew members, of the Moonstone Path, nicknamed him Stardust; because it was as if his ship sailed upon the crystal dust of fallen stars.
"He was the king of the seas that all us pirates looked up to. And you're his daughter. Tell me! Where is he? Do ye kno – " Silver Claw saw the mermaid brand mark on Alice's arm anew and stopped himself. "Ah, sorry there, lassie..."
Alice lowered her head. "That's all right, Cap'n, sir."
The Cap'n straightened his posture and said, "It is all right - because you'll be my daughter, Alice." He grabbed a bejeweled dagger out of the treasure chest and handed it to Alice. "You'll be a pirate's daughter 'til the end. Welcome to the crew of The Ruby Skull!"
"Aye!!" the others chorused.
*The End*
Down by the docks she saw a wonderful ship, of red sails and a black flag. When she was very young, her father would tell her stories of his adventures in the wide-open sea. "O what a lovely ship!" Alice said. "How I'd love to travel aboard its deck and traverse the seven seas!"
That was that. She took her trunk and dragged it to the fancy docked ship. However, it turned out to belong to that of a quite fierce and famous pirate captain - Cap'n Silver Claw - who, at that very moment, had stopped by to rob from the rich to give to himself.
For some reason the pirates ignored Alice and her big trunk, to grab bags of gold and caskets of wine.
"A doubloon for each of ye!" boomed Cap'n Silver Claw's voice, "and the rest go in me cabin!"
"Aye! Aye!" chorused his dastardly crew.
Alice looked up at the giant of a captain. Silver Claw looked down at Alice - finally seeing her. He cocked his head. "What do ye want, lassie?"
Alice suddenly had a fantastical thought. "Can I be a pirate with you?"
Silver Claw raised an eyebrow. "Me think you've been sit'in out in the sun too long, lassie. Though why none of us saw ye sooner, is a mystery to me."
"Whatever are you talking about, sir? I just got here," Alice said. "Now, may I be one of your pirate crew members?"
Cap'n Silver Claw seriously thought about the offer. Judging by her clothes she was wealthy: a rich, young lady running away from home. He could surely get loads of gold from her rich parents. Then he saw the tattoo, stamped like a birthmark on her arm; a few inches below her shoulder. A wandering mermaid, a tattoo placed on orphans in that area - Silver Claw had a merman on his arm, so he knew what it meant. It meant the girl was a child with no family, no name, no money.
The Cap'n marched away, in his heavy boots, and said "NO!" without ever glancing back at Alice.
Alice watched the pirates get ready to leave for whatever next port that took their fancy. Of course, the girl wouldn't take "no" for an answer. She had already decided that she'd be a pirate no matter what. "Excuse me," she tapped the shoulder of one pirate loading the rest of the booty. "You forgot one." She pointed at her trunk.
With that out of the way, Alice sneaked aboard the pirate ship: The Ruby Skull. She located her trunk with the loot and stowed it away safely while she hid in a barrel of apples; just until the ship took to the wind and sailed away. But the waves rocked her to sleep and Alice dreamt of high sea adventures; with her father as captain and she as his first mate. She wore the loveliest of pirate gowns, and a very snazzy hat with a red feather.
That all blew away, however, when Cap'n Silver Claw lifted the lid off her barrel - to grab a snack - and cried in surprise: "Arr! What be this!?"
Alice immediately woke, sat up, and said, surprised as well, "Arr! I be me, Alice!"
"I be not know'in an Alice," the Cap'n said, "just a wee girl who's in a lot of trouble!
And so poor Alice was thrown into one of the ship's brig cells, down below. But that was okay, because it just so happened that that was where she put her trunk. Shrugging at her predicament, she opened the trunk. It was true she had all her pretty dresses inside, but she had other items that she knew would help her out of the cell - she just had to find that special something, whatever it was.
Her gowns and shoes were gently taken out and laid flat on the bench; next came the accessories (headbands, big hair bows, pearl necklaces, etc.); then her journal; fuzzy pink rabbit; cuddly blue bear; some weird bottles of some strange potions that Alice knew nothing about - Wait. Bottles of potions Alice knew nothing about? Where did those come from? As she was wondering about what each bottle had in them, The Ruby Skull rocked violently and Alice's trunk tipped over, spilling the rest of its contents out - and revealing a secret bottom to the chest. TAP, TAP. The door opened. Alice reached in and took out a worn, brown piece of leather.
"What could this be?" Alice carefully unfolded the paper; there were squiggly lines, a scary skull, frightening names, and an 'X'. "O my! This is a treasure map! And...O, why this is my Father's signature; how odd." She pocketed the map, put her things away, and examined those potion bottles again. "Hm, they all say they were made by a Princess Grape, I wonder who that could be and what kingdom she reigns over?"
One bottle said "Drink Small", another said "Drink Big", and the last said "Drink Up". Alice wasn't sure she wanted to drink any of it, but she did want to know what they were for; so she dabbed a bit of the "Drink Small" on her finger and licked it off.
"O! O dear me! I feel funny!" Alice cried, clutching her stomach. Next thing she knew, she was as tiny as a mouse. "O my! I wonder, though; if "Drink Small" makes me tiny, will "Drink Big" make me large again?" She slipped through the bars of her cell, uncorked "Drink Big" and took a sip.
Woosh~! Alice was her normal height again. "Well! That was helpful." She put the potions in her pocket and crept out of the brig.
Up on deck, Cap'n Silver Claw was ranting at his first mate, Scarred Willie, for only acquiring one piece of a map. He waved the torn brown leather in the others face and said, "I send ye on a very important mission - easy as drink'in tonic - and ye come back with only half a treasure map! Do ye have rocks for brains? Where's the other half!?
"I-I don't rightly know, Cap'n. Honest! That's all thar was."
"Arr~" the Cap'n growled.
Alice looked at her map, the one the Cap'n was waving around looked awfully familiar - it looked like the other half of her's! She hopped up on deck - totally unaware of the pirates' surprised expressions - and went right up to the Cap'n. "O Mister, Sir Silver Claw, is it? I have what you need; the other piece of the map."
Silver Claw gawked at the girl, then at the map. What be this? he wondered. How did the girl get out of her cell? And how did she get the piece of the treasure map he needed?
Scarred Willie screwed his face up. "This girl is too sugary cute, it's sickening! Shall I throw her back in the brig, Cap'n?"
Smiling, Silver Claw shook his head. "Nay, I think I'm beginning t' like this sprite of a lassie. What be your name again, girl?"
"O, my name is Alice! It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir Silver Claw." She put her hand out to shake the captain's.
Silver Claw eyed the small, pale pink hand. "Aye, 'tis a pleasure t' meet you, too, Alice me lassie. From now on, ye are t' call me Cap'n! Got that?"
Alice saluted the man. "Aye!! And arr~ me be doing that, Cap'n!"
But Cap'n Silver Claw hadn't quite accepted Alice into his crew. In fact, he planned to drop her off at the next port - after securing that treasure the map led to. 'Gold before the safety of a wee girl' was the Cap'n motto - or not. His motto was anything that took his fancy at a particular moment. One time it was 'Blood and Booty', another is was 'It's a Pirate's Life for Me!' and then there was the rather odd motto of 'Sundae, Bloody Sundae.'
"Secure the lines and head west, towards the Isle of Wraiths!" Silver Claw said to his crew. "We be gett'in ourselves a horde of treasure, mates!"
Alice was given her own room. Since none of the pirates - the captain included - knew how to treat or take care of a girl, Alice was on her own; so she freely explored The Ruby Skull. Halfway through the journey, she knew the ship backwards and forwards, upside down and right side up. She also knew every pirate member by name and habit. Everything about the pirate world fascinated Alice; she knew how to use a compass, steer the ship, tighten the rigging, weigh anchor...
But there was still one place that still mystified her - the ocean. She had heard some pretty scary stories from her father, like sea monsters and sirens that took down whole ships. Always on the lookout for such creatures, finally one day Alice caught sight of one. But it wasn't as scary as she imagined it would be; it was beautiful and had such a lovely voice. Swimming along The Ruby Skull, Alice called down to the creature, "Are you, by chance, a mermaid?"
The sea woman glanced up at Alice and smiled; she then leaped into the air - her tail of fish scales shimmering in the sunlight - and landed on the ship's gunwale. Alice passed all the dazed pirates, who were staring at the mermaid, to introduce herself to her.
Cap'n Silver Claw came down from the poop deck. "This is Princess Grape," he told Alice, "she rules the Kingdom Under the Sea."
"Princess Grape..." Alice fingered one of the potion bottles in her apron pocket.
"It is nice to finally meet you, Alice," Grape said.
"How...how do you know me?" Alice asked.
"I know more than you can imagine," the mermaid princess said mysteriously.
"Princess Grape is a friend t' all pirates," Cap'n Silver Claw said. "Or just t' me," he added, grinning.
Grape didn't deny or agree, she just smiled her lovely smile. Alice was mesmerized. She had a stuffed doll of a mermaid once, but lost it at the beach one afternoon years back. It was like her doll had come back to her with a heart and soul now.
"What brings ye here, Princess Grape?" the Cap'n asked. He took her hand and pecked it, "My Bodou-Hime."
Grape laughed. "You do tease, Silver Claw. I heard from the dolphins that you were in search of the treasure of Captain Stardust; so I have come to guide you safely on your journey."
"How wonderful!" Alice said. This hanging out with pirates was getting better and better.
With Princess Grape's guidance, Alice and the pirates reached the Isle of Wraiths with nary a trouble. Of course, the mermaid couldn't do anything for them on land; one known to be haunted by a thousand vengeful ghosts.
Alice had heard that pirates were very superstitious, but not Cap'n Silver Claw. He marched right on shore and commanded his crew to follow suit. Alice was happy to oblige. The crew was not so much.
"Lily-livered codfishes!" the Cap'n shouted at his men. "A wee lassie be ready t' take on some ghosties, but ye be not!? Ya landlubbers!"
"O, don't be bothered by them, Cap'n," Alice told him. "Let's go find that treasure ourselves!"
"Aye..." Silver Claw grumbled, eyeing his crew on The Ruby Skull.
The two followed the map, and found the 'X' marking the spot on the beach – where all respectable pirate treasure should be buried.
"I wonder why this island is called the Isle of Wraiths?" Alice remarked, helping the Cap'n dig the treasure chest up. "I haven't seen any ghosts since we landed."
"Do not speak of demons lest they appear, lassie," warned Silver Claw.
But it was too late. The wraiths heard the call and came swarming. The Cap'n brandished his sword, but steel didn't work on the none-living. Alice told the ghosts off, that they were being very rude and that they'd be better off resting in peace.
"Arr! They be steal'in me treasure!" cried Silver Claw
Alice looked up to see the wraiths carrying the gold-laden chest away; high in the sky where the Cap'n couldn't reach. "O! That won't do!" She remembered the potions in her pocket and considered the options she had: 'Drink Small' would make her so tiny she'd be buried in the sand. 'Drink Big' could backfire, making her so tall that she might stomp the Cap'n flat. The only one left was 'Drink Up'. But Alice didn't know what that did.
There wasn't much time to think about it, so Alice drank the potion - and up she flew.
Silver Claw goggled as the now flying golden-haired girl tug the chest away from the wraiths, and bring it to The Ruby Skull. He ran down the beach after her; boarded his ship; and ordered the crew to set sail without delay.
There was zero hesitation, naturally, the pirates were ready to hightail it out of there and leave the Isle of Wraiths far behind.
"It's Cap'n Stardust's treasure!!" the crew rejoiced.
"Aye, and it be all thanks t' Alice, here - and none t' ye all!" Silver Claw growled.
The other pirates backed off.
Alice blushed at the captain's words. "Why, thank you, Cap'n Silver Claw."
The Cap'n opened the chest and took out the first treasure: Captain Stardust's medallion. Alice gasped. "But...but...but that was my Father's! I-I remember seeing him wear it many times."
"Your father was the legendary Cap'n Stardust!?" Silver Claw asked Alice. "Captain of the galleon, Moonstone Path? He vanished from the face of t' Earth years ago..."
"Rumors say, though, that he threw his nickname away and left the pirate's life for a normal landlubber's," Scarred Willie said. If he were to have said that any sooner, he would've been bombarded with rotten food. But with Alice there as proof, that Captain Stardust did, indeed, leave the sea for land, no one objected. Every pirate stared at Alice in awe.
"So...my Father was a pirate?" Alice said.
Princess Grape appeared on the railing. "I knew him well, dear Alice."
"The potion bottles!" Alice exclaimed. "You gave them to him, and he...put them in my trunk..."
Grape smiled playfully.
"It actually wasn't his choice t' be called Stardust," Silver Claw said. "His crew members, of the Moonstone Path, nicknamed him Stardust; because it was as if his ship sailed upon the crystal dust of fallen stars.
"He was the king of the seas that all us pirates looked up to. And you're his daughter. Tell me! Where is he? Do ye kno – " Silver Claw saw the mermaid brand mark on Alice's arm anew and stopped himself. "Ah, sorry there, lassie..."
Alice lowered her head. "That's all right, Cap'n, sir."
The Cap'n straightened his posture and said, "It is all right - because you'll be my daughter, Alice." He grabbed a bejeweled dagger out of the treasure chest and handed it to Alice. "You'll be a pirate's daughter 'til the end. Welcome to the crew of The Ruby Skull!"
"Aye!!" the others chorused.
*The End*
"Alice and the Pirates"
Chapter one
By Elizabeth Wilde
Chapter one
By Elizabeth Wilde
"Alice and the Pirates:
Legend of the Moonstone Path"
Chapter 2
Written by~ Elizabeth Wilde
When we last saw Alice, being suddenly orphaned she had joined a crew of pirates where she learned that her father was a legendary pirate of the high seas who captained a ship of almost magical tales.
And so, we join her once more:
Alice stood on the main deck of The Ruby Skull, captained by a rather rough, yet kind man, named Silver Claw. (Actually, that wasn't his real name, but no weapon pointed at his heart would make him tell you his true name.) At the moment, on a perfect sea day, Alice was fencing with First Mate Scarred Willie. She wasn't as good with the sword as the other pirates, but she was pretty close.
After being abroad The Ruby Skull for three months, most of the crew thought of Alice as a little sister; they taught her their skills and shared their knowledge. The rest - about four men - treated her like a cabin boy; they were the kind of pirates who felt that women were bad luck on ships. In her lacy dresses, big bows, and clean hand gloves they made her swab the deck, scrub the dishes, and gut the fishes - until the Capt'n or First Mate smacked them upside the head and saved Alice.
Even if she was the daughter of the recently-departed, legendary Captain Stardust, Alice was still a girl; Scarred Willie felt it was his duty to teach her all the things a pirate lassie should know. It was true that he didn't like her at first, she was too cute; like a teddy bear or kitty cat. It was sickening. But something about her tugged at his heart and he was soon at her beck and call.
"Yer gett'n pretty good at this, Alice, yeh almost bested me," Scarred Willie praised her.
"Well, thank you, Sir Willie." She sheathed her cutlass.
"In no time yeh'll be able to accompany us on a pillage!"
"O, I hope not. I don't wish to harm anyone. Can we not simply search for treasure buried? It's much more fun, and not so dastardly."
One of the disagreeable pirates heard this and replied with a growl and a hearty "Arr~!" Adding, "Yer father was a pirate; Capt'n Silver Claw is a pirate; all of us here are pirates; and so you are a pirate. Pillaging port towns 'tis what we do. We raid, rob, and steal - and kill. Rotten eggs we are; nothing more, nothing less. If yeh don't like it, leave."
"O, but - " Alice attempted to object.
"Aw, leave her be, Billy," Scarred Willie ordered.
Billy grumbled and went on his way, mumbling about frilly, proper girls; curses; and Davy Jones' Locker.
"Don't yeh worry about Billy, nor the others, Alice," Willie said.
"I won't. But really, wouldn't it be tons more fun to seek out long-lost treasure, rather than steal?" Alice insisted.
"We try not to harm the women or children," Scarred Willie assured her.
"But still. My Father fits in the category of the ones you would hurt - that is, if he wasn't Captain Stardust. I don't know how my parents died, but it definitely wasn't a natural death. Someone killed him, and my Mother, and made me an orphan. It is not right to hurt anyone."
"Aw, I'm sorry little lassie. This is the first time yeh mentioned your parents. Yeh think they were murdered?"
Alice nodded. "I am afraid so. I was never told the details, however."
Capt'n Silver Claw, who had heard most of the conversation between Alice and his First Mate, stepped out of his cabin: "Capt'n Stardust was murdered!? I don't care if he turned landlubber or not - that's unforgivable!"
"O my!" Alice stepped away from the Capt'n, he was look'n more fierce than ever!
It looked like Silver Claw was going to tell his men to make their way back to Alice's hometown; when he said suddenly: "Treasure! I be in the mood for hunt'n treasure! Willie! Tell me a local legend and we'll search for it!"
"A-aye! Er..." the First Mate had to think quick. "Well, um..." he glanced over at Alice. "I-I only know one, actually; and, um, it's about Capt'n Stardust's ship, the Moonstone Path."
"Well....?" Silver Claw insisted his First Mate get on with it.
"It's just...Alice, ye don't mind hear'n about your dearly-departed father's ship, do ye?"
"O, I don't mind at all. I would love to hear more about my Father; that other side of him I never knew about."
"All right. There's the first tale, about how Capt'n Stardust suddenly vanished from the seas, and the map that told ye where to find his buried treasure. This other one tells about his ship, one goes on to say that the Moonstone Path fell off the edge of the world, taking its capt'n with it. But we now know that that isn't true, so there's the other story: Before Stardust disappeared, he hid the Moonstone Path in a deep, dark cavern. No one has tried to search for it because the cavern is said to be haunted."
"How do ye know?" Silver Claw asked.
"There is a shanty about its location," Scarred Willie said. "Though I can't say how true it 'tis. It goes like this:
Follow the trail of the star's dust
Through the path of Howling Gusts.
Give regards to the siren guard
Who watches o'er the ships' graveyard.
Can ye brave the deep, dark cave?
I think not!
For treasure is not all it holds,
But souls that have rot!
"There it 'tis, Capt'n. Rumors say the shanty was made by Capt'n Stardust's first mate; or one of his crewmen, anyway."
"Hmm..." Silverclaw stroked his black beard. "Give regards to the siren guard, eh? Me think we should call Princess Grape."
It wasn't easy to call the princess of the mermaid kingdom, she was a mysterious maiden of the sea. So a message was stuffed in a bottle, weighed down by marbles, and tossed into the sea. Minutes passed, and then the ocean's surface bubbled to life with the appearance of Princess Grape. The beautiful mermaid leaped out of the water and landed on the gunwale - her usual perch.
"You sent for me, Captain Silver Claw?' Grape said; she smiled Alice's way.
Alice could never tire of marveling at the dazzling mermaid.
"Aye..." the Capt'n stepped up to Grape. "Do you know Capt'n Stardust's ship, it's location?"
"Does Alice wish to know of her Father's legendary ship?" Princess Grape asked.
"Perhaps," Silver Claw said, "and so do I. Willie, recite that poem."
"Aye, Capt'n!" Scarred Willie, nervous always in front of Grape - it was no small wonder how she mesmerized the pirates - repeated the old shanty.
The mermaid thought a bit, and in that time, Alice asked: "Do you know the siren that guards the graveyard of ships, Princess Grape?"
"Ye aren't the siren, are ye, Sea Maiden?" Willie said.
Smiling, Princess Grape said, "Well, if I was, you have already given me your regards and are free to pass. But we are not to the path of Howling Gusts, and I am afraid the one guarding is not as pleasant as myself.
"Sirens are rogue mermaids," Princess Grape went on, "they will not listen to their princess. But, I can show you the way there, to the Howling Gusts; if you truly wish to find Captain Stardust's ship..."
"Well, of course!" the Capt'n said. His crew gave a whoop of enthusiasm.
"It would be a grand adventure to find my Father's ship," Alice said.
Princess Grape nodded. "Then follow me...!" She splashed into the water and turned towards the setting sun.
Capt'n Silver Claw steered, and Alice stood right close to him on the stern; her rich brown dress, with ivory-colored lace sleeves, and silk bows fluttered in the sea breeze. She also wore her Father's crest medallion and a black tricorn, pirate queen hat that Silver Claw plopped on Alice's head one day.
Before too many knew it, they had reached the path of Howling Gusts. Capt'n Silver Claw ordered the sails be brought down and tied parallel to the masts, to strengthen them against the horrible winds that plagued the area. Princess Grape had to stay mainly under the water lest she'd be flown against the rocks that marked the path.
"This is madness!" the crew began to say, and "There has to be a better way! What about going around the path?"
But there was no real way to go around the Howling Gusts, they reached outside the passage; and beyond that were little islands surrounded by jagged boulders that would be near impossible to navigate through.
The Ruby Skull was tossed about, the pirates had to tie themselves to masts, hooks, etc., or escape the winds down in the hull. Capt'n Silver Claw told Alice to go into his cabin where she'd be safe, but the brave girl refused.
"It is just wind, I'll be all right," she yelled above the roaring, howling wind. Alice was whipped about, but she held strong to the mizzen mast and got through the ordeal.
With the winds dying down, the pirates slowly untied themselves and went about getting The Ruby Skull back in shipshape. Princess Grape reemerged. "Now we come to the gate of the ship graveyard."
"So soon?" Scarred Willie asked.
"Of course," answered Grape. "Many sailors can get through the Howling Gusts - though their ships cannot. Kindly give regards to the siren who guards..."
Alice and the pirates looked up to see a sea maiden lounging on a rock. Her skin was sickly green and her hair white as fog; she sang a sweet, lonesome song. Past the siren, Alice saw the ship graveyard curling with mist; through it she could just make out cracked masts, tattered sails, and hear that unmistaken sound of rotten planks groaning - like wandering souls.
Scarred Willie hung over the railing, "H-how do we give her our regards?" he asked Princess Grape.
"That is hard to say," Grape said, "every siren is different; for there is a specific reason - individual to each siren - that made them go rogue. One may wish you not to fear them; while another will want you to quake at their presence; still another might ask you to pay her in gold or some other valuable. Perhaps you can understand why Captain Stardust chose to bring the Moonstone Path through here to keep it safe; he didn't want just any pirate to find his beloved ship."
"Thank you for the help, my lovely Budou-Hime," Capt'n Silver Claw said to Princess Grape, a nickname that meant 'grape princess'.
The mermaid dived undersea and The Ruby Skull approached the ship graveyard. The siren's song became even more lonesome and Alice watched in dismay as the crew lost all their will to live.
Capt'n Silver Claw fought back the overwhelming depression to plea: "Siren, please let us pass...what do ye want from us?" It was all he could take, he then collapsed to the deck and moaned in grief along with his men.
"O my! Dear me, why aren't I afflicted in such a way?" Alice wondered. "Aren't girls more emotional than gentlemen? What am I to do?" She grabbed the stern, as the ship was being pushed towards the rocks. "Lady Siren, I'll be willing to give my regards if I only knew what you wished for," Alice said.
The rogue mermaid looked at Alice suddenly, as her mournful song faded. "No one has ever called me 'lady' before."
With the spell gradually wearing off, Silver Claw came to his senses; he took the wheel from Alice.
"Will you let us pass, Lady Siren?" Alice asked.
"I would like something in return," the siren said. "A long time ago I lost my lovely mirror and comb - the pride of any mermaid. This man who came here seventeen years ago gave me a comb, and promised that the next one who passed would give me a mirror. However, a ship who came before you tricked me and ran off without giving me the mirror."
Silver Claw cocked his head at that. "Someone came just before us? I don't like the sound of that..."
"Can I trust you?" the siren asked. "Will you give me what I wish for? I want a pretty mirror, so I can finally look upon myself. I won't be denied this time."
"I'm not so sure that's a good idea," muttered Scarred Willie, fully awake from the siren's spell.
Alice, however, was happy to help. "I have just the thing!" She ran to her big trunk, in her cabin, and sifted through all the lace and satin dresses, stockings, petticoats, and bonnets to find a little looking glass of ivory; baby-pink roses had been delicately carved into the bone around the edges. "Here you are, Lady Siren."
The siren's face lit up. "Thank you!"
The Ruby Skull was allowed to travel through. Alice glanced back to see not a siren, but a beautiful mermaid; gazing at her reflection while combing her hair of gold. She smiled; it was true the siren had been vain, but Alice was still glad that now the mermaid was happy again.
The ship graveyard was an eerie passage to take, it could be likened to a living soul walking upon the land of the dead - a place they weren't supposed to be. Being superstitious fellows, the pirates trembled as they passed the ghosts of ships much like their Ruby Skull.
Alice was scared, too, but she was more curious; and kept a watchful eye for anything interesting. That's why she was first to see the cave. "Capt'n, is that the cavern which is spoken of? It looks deep and dark enough."
Silver Claw peered through the fog. "Aye, that's got to be it."
The crew would have cheered, but they were too frightened at raising their voices, and thus raising the dead.
Slowly, maneuvering around the shipwrecks, The Ruby Skull made its way to the cave.
Scarred Willie went around lighting all the lanterns. Minutes went by, and finally Alice could see the shadow of -
"It's the Moonstone Path!" someone yelled.
Alice stared, eyes sparkling. Turning to the Capt'n, she asked, "Is it?"
Silver Claw was quiet as he said, "Aye..."
"But..." Scarred Willie spoke, "isn't that another ship next ta it? What does it mean...?"
Suddenly The Ruby Skull was ambushed by phantoms! There was sheer panic among most of the crewmen as they ran around screaming: "Ghosts! It 'tis the vengeful spirits of Stardust's men!!" Soon the ship was taken over.
This can't be right, Alice thought to herself, these ghosts that have hold of me are solid! She kicked and tried to bite her captors, but they had a hard hide. "What is the meaning of this!" Alice demanded. "You are no ghosts!"
Someone in the shadows laughed, and the other 'ghosts' joined in. A man in heavy boots walked across the deck, and into the light; he looked every bit a pirate captain as Silver Claw, but much more deadly. "A proper little missie on a ship? Blasphemy, that is."
Silver Claw growled. "If ye be not ghosties, then who it be that boards me ship without permission!? Don't ye touch Alice, yeh leave her alone!"
"I have no business with a mere girl," the man said. "I am Captain Hawk, and the Moonstone Path will be mine; ye won't be takin' it from me."
"Ye don't deserve it," Silver Claw growled. "Ye passed the siren without giving her your regards, ye cheated!"
Captian Hawk laughed. "A proper captain to go along with a proper missie, eh? A pirate yehself and yeh have never cheated?" He laughed and laughed.
Scarred Willie, now knowing that the ghosts weren't ghosts at all, but pirates such as himself, wretched free of his captors and charged for Hawk. "Don't ye be insultin' Capt'n Silver Claw! I don't care if ye got here first, or if ye cheated, the Moonstone Path rightfully belongs to Alice!"
Hawk easily defended himself from Willie with his cutlass. "Alice?" He saw Alice for the second time. "Why her?"
Snarling, Silver Claw said, "It was her father's ship, ye scallywag."
"O!" Alice suddenly realized, "O Capt'n, did we come on this adventure so you could get the Moonstone Path to me? You are ever so kind."
Silver Claw couldn't help but blush.
"Touching," Hawk said. He pushed Scarred Willie to the floor and went up to Alice. "You are Stardust's daughter? William Kingston's?"
"Uh, yes, I am," Alice said.
"I knew I missed his daughter, but this is uncanny. Well, I guess I should finish what I started." Captain Hawk began to raise his cutlass.
"What do you mean?" Alice asked the pirate, not even flinching at the sharp blade in Hawk's hand.
"Hm, do ye really want to know? All right, Stardust stole from me, he'd sneak into my base of operations and take hordes of my gold and jewels. Then he fell in love with a landlubber lass and went and hid his ship - full of all the treasure he stole from me, and then-some. I went to visit him four months ago, to get him to tell me where he put his ship. He wouldn't tell me - so I cut him down and that woman he married. I heard he had a kid, but she wasn't around. It didn't matter, though, I found my information for the Moonstone Path and finally located it. Stardust's child will not be takin' it from me!"
Alice was too shocked to notice anything around her. Four months ago? That was when -
Capt'n Silver Claw, enraged, freed himself and went on a rampage in taking back his ship - and securing the Moonstone Path.
Hawk's crew were thrown overboard, all that was left was Captain Hawk, himself.
"Ye murdered Capt'n Stardust! " Silverclaw said.
"So I did, what are ye going to do about it?" Hawk said, he didn't look bothered at all that his men had all been defeated and he stood alone.
"Ye took from this world the greatest pirate that ever lived!"Scarred Willie said.
"Well, obviously he wasn't that great," Hawk arrogantly remarked.
Alice, back to her senses, retaliated. "You are a coward! Only a coward could have killed my Father and Mother in such a way!"
Hawk glared at her. "I didn't stab him in the back, I was facing him."
"Ooh, you monster!!" Alice was going to charge for him, but heard some splashing noises behind her, and then something dropped in her hands. Alice peaked at the object. It was a potion: Princess Grape's Sprinkle On. "Ah!" Alice knew exactly what to do, now. She uncorked the bottle and threw the contents on Captain Hawk.
"What? W-what's happening? I feel all tingly." Hawk began to get scaly, like a mer-creature. Soon, he was a mer-creature.
Alice shoved Hawk into the water and Princess Grape took care of the rest.
Silver Claw started to laugh, his crew joined in. "Ah, Bodou-Hime saves the day."
With Alice at the stern, Captain Stardust's Moonstone Path sailed out of its dark confines and created a path of diamond dust.
Scarred Willie peaked over the gunwale and saw that the entire bottom of the ship was embedded with actual crystals! "So that's where you put the rest of yeh treasure, Capt'n Stardust. Hats off to ye, mate; hats off to ye."
*The End*
Legend of the Moonstone Path"
Chapter 2
Written by~ Elizabeth Wilde
When we last saw Alice, being suddenly orphaned she had joined a crew of pirates where she learned that her father was a legendary pirate of the high seas who captained a ship of almost magical tales.
And so, we join her once more:
Alice stood on the main deck of The Ruby Skull, captained by a rather rough, yet kind man, named Silver Claw. (Actually, that wasn't his real name, but no weapon pointed at his heart would make him tell you his true name.) At the moment, on a perfect sea day, Alice was fencing with First Mate Scarred Willie. She wasn't as good with the sword as the other pirates, but she was pretty close.
After being abroad The Ruby Skull for three months, most of the crew thought of Alice as a little sister; they taught her their skills and shared their knowledge. The rest - about four men - treated her like a cabin boy; they were the kind of pirates who felt that women were bad luck on ships. In her lacy dresses, big bows, and clean hand gloves they made her swab the deck, scrub the dishes, and gut the fishes - until the Capt'n or First Mate smacked them upside the head and saved Alice.
Even if she was the daughter of the recently-departed, legendary Captain Stardust, Alice was still a girl; Scarred Willie felt it was his duty to teach her all the things a pirate lassie should know. It was true that he didn't like her at first, she was too cute; like a teddy bear or kitty cat. It was sickening. But something about her tugged at his heart and he was soon at her beck and call.
"Yer gett'n pretty good at this, Alice, yeh almost bested me," Scarred Willie praised her.
"Well, thank you, Sir Willie." She sheathed her cutlass.
"In no time yeh'll be able to accompany us on a pillage!"
"O, I hope not. I don't wish to harm anyone. Can we not simply search for treasure buried? It's much more fun, and not so dastardly."
One of the disagreeable pirates heard this and replied with a growl and a hearty "Arr~!" Adding, "Yer father was a pirate; Capt'n Silver Claw is a pirate; all of us here are pirates; and so you are a pirate. Pillaging port towns 'tis what we do. We raid, rob, and steal - and kill. Rotten eggs we are; nothing more, nothing less. If yeh don't like it, leave."
"O, but - " Alice attempted to object.
"Aw, leave her be, Billy," Scarred Willie ordered.
Billy grumbled and went on his way, mumbling about frilly, proper girls; curses; and Davy Jones' Locker.
"Don't yeh worry about Billy, nor the others, Alice," Willie said.
"I won't. But really, wouldn't it be tons more fun to seek out long-lost treasure, rather than steal?" Alice insisted.
"We try not to harm the women or children," Scarred Willie assured her.
"But still. My Father fits in the category of the ones you would hurt - that is, if he wasn't Captain Stardust. I don't know how my parents died, but it definitely wasn't a natural death. Someone killed him, and my Mother, and made me an orphan. It is not right to hurt anyone."
"Aw, I'm sorry little lassie. This is the first time yeh mentioned your parents. Yeh think they were murdered?"
Alice nodded. "I am afraid so. I was never told the details, however."
Capt'n Silver Claw, who had heard most of the conversation between Alice and his First Mate, stepped out of his cabin: "Capt'n Stardust was murdered!? I don't care if he turned landlubber or not - that's unforgivable!"
"O my!" Alice stepped away from the Capt'n, he was look'n more fierce than ever!
It looked like Silver Claw was going to tell his men to make their way back to Alice's hometown; when he said suddenly: "Treasure! I be in the mood for hunt'n treasure! Willie! Tell me a local legend and we'll search for it!"
"A-aye! Er..." the First Mate had to think quick. "Well, um..." he glanced over at Alice. "I-I only know one, actually; and, um, it's about Capt'n Stardust's ship, the Moonstone Path."
"Well....?" Silver Claw insisted his First Mate get on with it.
"It's just...Alice, ye don't mind hear'n about your dearly-departed father's ship, do ye?"
"O, I don't mind at all. I would love to hear more about my Father; that other side of him I never knew about."
"All right. There's the first tale, about how Capt'n Stardust suddenly vanished from the seas, and the map that told ye where to find his buried treasure. This other one tells about his ship, one goes on to say that the Moonstone Path fell off the edge of the world, taking its capt'n with it. But we now know that that isn't true, so there's the other story: Before Stardust disappeared, he hid the Moonstone Path in a deep, dark cavern. No one has tried to search for it because the cavern is said to be haunted."
"How do ye know?" Silver Claw asked.
"There is a shanty about its location," Scarred Willie said. "Though I can't say how true it 'tis. It goes like this:
Follow the trail of the star's dust
Through the path of Howling Gusts.
Give regards to the siren guard
Who watches o'er the ships' graveyard.
Can ye brave the deep, dark cave?
I think not!
For treasure is not all it holds,
But souls that have rot!
"There it 'tis, Capt'n. Rumors say the shanty was made by Capt'n Stardust's first mate; or one of his crewmen, anyway."
"Hmm..." Silverclaw stroked his black beard. "Give regards to the siren guard, eh? Me think we should call Princess Grape."
It wasn't easy to call the princess of the mermaid kingdom, she was a mysterious maiden of the sea. So a message was stuffed in a bottle, weighed down by marbles, and tossed into the sea. Minutes passed, and then the ocean's surface bubbled to life with the appearance of Princess Grape. The beautiful mermaid leaped out of the water and landed on the gunwale - her usual perch.
"You sent for me, Captain Silver Claw?' Grape said; she smiled Alice's way.
Alice could never tire of marveling at the dazzling mermaid.
"Aye..." the Capt'n stepped up to Grape. "Do you know Capt'n Stardust's ship, it's location?"
"Does Alice wish to know of her Father's legendary ship?" Princess Grape asked.
"Perhaps," Silver Claw said, "and so do I. Willie, recite that poem."
"Aye, Capt'n!" Scarred Willie, nervous always in front of Grape - it was no small wonder how she mesmerized the pirates - repeated the old shanty.
The mermaid thought a bit, and in that time, Alice asked: "Do you know the siren that guards the graveyard of ships, Princess Grape?"
"Ye aren't the siren, are ye, Sea Maiden?" Willie said.
Smiling, Princess Grape said, "Well, if I was, you have already given me your regards and are free to pass. But we are not to the path of Howling Gusts, and I am afraid the one guarding is not as pleasant as myself.
"Sirens are rogue mermaids," Princess Grape went on, "they will not listen to their princess. But, I can show you the way there, to the Howling Gusts; if you truly wish to find Captain Stardust's ship..."
"Well, of course!" the Capt'n said. His crew gave a whoop of enthusiasm.
"It would be a grand adventure to find my Father's ship," Alice said.
Princess Grape nodded. "Then follow me...!" She splashed into the water and turned towards the setting sun.
Capt'n Silver Claw steered, and Alice stood right close to him on the stern; her rich brown dress, with ivory-colored lace sleeves, and silk bows fluttered in the sea breeze. She also wore her Father's crest medallion and a black tricorn, pirate queen hat that Silver Claw plopped on Alice's head one day.
Before too many knew it, they had reached the path of Howling Gusts. Capt'n Silver Claw ordered the sails be brought down and tied parallel to the masts, to strengthen them against the horrible winds that plagued the area. Princess Grape had to stay mainly under the water lest she'd be flown against the rocks that marked the path.
"This is madness!" the crew began to say, and "There has to be a better way! What about going around the path?"
But there was no real way to go around the Howling Gusts, they reached outside the passage; and beyond that were little islands surrounded by jagged boulders that would be near impossible to navigate through.
The Ruby Skull was tossed about, the pirates had to tie themselves to masts, hooks, etc., or escape the winds down in the hull. Capt'n Silver Claw told Alice to go into his cabin where she'd be safe, but the brave girl refused.
"It is just wind, I'll be all right," she yelled above the roaring, howling wind. Alice was whipped about, but she held strong to the mizzen mast and got through the ordeal.
With the winds dying down, the pirates slowly untied themselves and went about getting The Ruby Skull back in shipshape. Princess Grape reemerged. "Now we come to the gate of the ship graveyard."
"So soon?" Scarred Willie asked.
"Of course," answered Grape. "Many sailors can get through the Howling Gusts - though their ships cannot. Kindly give regards to the siren who guards..."
Alice and the pirates looked up to see a sea maiden lounging on a rock. Her skin was sickly green and her hair white as fog; she sang a sweet, lonesome song. Past the siren, Alice saw the ship graveyard curling with mist; through it she could just make out cracked masts, tattered sails, and hear that unmistaken sound of rotten planks groaning - like wandering souls.
Scarred Willie hung over the railing, "H-how do we give her our regards?" he asked Princess Grape.
"That is hard to say," Grape said, "every siren is different; for there is a specific reason - individual to each siren - that made them go rogue. One may wish you not to fear them; while another will want you to quake at their presence; still another might ask you to pay her in gold or some other valuable. Perhaps you can understand why Captain Stardust chose to bring the Moonstone Path through here to keep it safe; he didn't want just any pirate to find his beloved ship."
"Thank you for the help, my lovely Budou-Hime," Capt'n Silver Claw said to Princess Grape, a nickname that meant 'grape princess'.
The mermaid dived undersea and The Ruby Skull approached the ship graveyard. The siren's song became even more lonesome and Alice watched in dismay as the crew lost all their will to live.
Capt'n Silver Claw fought back the overwhelming depression to plea: "Siren, please let us pass...what do ye want from us?" It was all he could take, he then collapsed to the deck and moaned in grief along with his men.
"O my! Dear me, why aren't I afflicted in such a way?" Alice wondered. "Aren't girls more emotional than gentlemen? What am I to do?" She grabbed the stern, as the ship was being pushed towards the rocks. "Lady Siren, I'll be willing to give my regards if I only knew what you wished for," Alice said.
The rogue mermaid looked at Alice suddenly, as her mournful song faded. "No one has ever called me 'lady' before."
With the spell gradually wearing off, Silver Claw came to his senses; he took the wheel from Alice.
"Will you let us pass, Lady Siren?" Alice asked.
"I would like something in return," the siren said. "A long time ago I lost my lovely mirror and comb - the pride of any mermaid. This man who came here seventeen years ago gave me a comb, and promised that the next one who passed would give me a mirror. However, a ship who came before you tricked me and ran off without giving me the mirror."
Silver Claw cocked his head at that. "Someone came just before us? I don't like the sound of that..."
"Can I trust you?" the siren asked. "Will you give me what I wish for? I want a pretty mirror, so I can finally look upon myself. I won't be denied this time."
"I'm not so sure that's a good idea," muttered Scarred Willie, fully awake from the siren's spell.
Alice, however, was happy to help. "I have just the thing!" She ran to her big trunk, in her cabin, and sifted through all the lace and satin dresses, stockings, petticoats, and bonnets to find a little looking glass of ivory; baby-pink roses had been delicately carved into the bone around the edges. "Here you are, Lady Siren."
The siren's face lit up. "Thank you!"
The Ruby Skull was allowed to travel through. Alice glanced back to see not a siren, but a beautiful mermaid; gazing at her reflection while combing her hair of gold. She smiled; it was true the siren had been vain, but Alice was still glad that now the mermaid was happy again.
The ship graveyard was an eerie passage to take, it could be likened to a living soul walking upon the land of the dead - a place they weren't supposed to be. Being superstitious fellows, the pirates trembled as they passed the ghosts of ships much like their Ruby Skull.
Alice was scared, too, but she was more curious; and kept a watchful eye for anything interesting. That's why she was first to see the cave. "Capt'n, is that the cavern which is spoken of? It looks deep and dark enough."
Silver Claw peered through the fog. "Aye, that's got to be it."
The crew would have cheered, but they were too frightened at raising their voices, and thus raising the dead.
Slowly, maneuvering around the shipwrecks, The Ruby Skull made its way to the cave.
Scarred Willie went around lighting all the lanterns. Minutes went by, and finally Alice could see the shadow of -
"It's the Moonstone Path!" someone yelled.
Alice stared, eyes sparkling. Turning to the Capt'n, she asked, "Is it?"
Silver Claw was quiet as he said, "Aye..."
"But..." Scarred Willie spoke, "isn't that another ship next ta it? What does it mean...?"
Suddenly The Ruby Skull was ambushed by phantoms! There was sheer panic among most of the crewmen as they ran around screaming: "Ghosts! It 'tis the vengeful spirits of Stardust's men!!" Soon the ship was taken over.
This can't be right, Alice thought to herself, these ghosts that have hold of me are solid! She kicked and tried to bite her captors, but they had a hard hide. "What is the meaning of this!" Alice demanded. "You are no ghosts!"
Someone in the shadows laughed, and the other 'ghosts' joined in. A man in heavy boots walked across the deck, and into the light; he looked every bit a pirate captain as Silver Claw, but much more deadly. "A proper little missie on a ship? Blasphemy, that is."
Silver Claw growled. "If ye be not ghosties, then who it be that boards me ship without permission!? Don't ye touch Alice, yeh leave her alone!"
"I have no business with a mere girl," the man said. "I am Captain Hawk, and the Moonstone Path will be mine; ye won't be takin' it from me."
"Ye don't deserve it," Silver Claw growled. "Ye passed the siren without giving her your regards, ye cheated!"
Captian Hawk laughed. "A proper captain to go along with a proper missie, eh? A pirate yehself and yeh have never cheated?" He laughed and laughed.
Scarred Willie, now knowing that the ghosts weren't ghosts at all, but pirates such as himself, wretched free of his captors and charged for Hawk. "Don't ye be insultin' Capt'n Silver Claw! I don't care if ye got here first, or if ye cheated, the Moonstone Path rightfully belongs to Alice!"
Hawk easily defended himself from Willie with his cutlass. "Alice?" He saw Alice for the second time. "Why her?"
Snarling, Silver Claw said, "It was her father's ship, ye scallywag."
"O!" Alice suddenly realized, "O Capt'n, did we come on this adventure so you could get the Moonstone Path to me? You are ever so kind."
Silver Claw couldn't help but blush.
"Touching," Hawk said. He pushed Scarred Willie to the floor and went up to Alice. "You are Stardust's daughter? William Kingston's?"
"Uh, yes, I am," Alice said.
"I knew I missed his daughter, but this is uncanny. Well, I guess I should finish what I started." Captain Hawk began to raise his cutlass.
"What do you mean?" Alice asked the pirate, not even flinching at the sharp blade in Hawk's hand.
"Hm, do ye really want to know? All right, Stardust stole from me, he'd sneak into my base of operations and take hordes of my gold and jewels. Then he fell in love with a landlubber lass and went and hid his ship - full of all the treasure he stole from me, and then-some. I went to visit him four months ago, to get him to tell me where he put his ship. He wouldn't tell me - so I cut him down and that woman he married. I heard he had a kid, but she wasn't around. It didn't matter, though, I found my information for the Moonstone Path and finally located it. Stardust's child will not be takin' it from me!"
Alice was too shocked to notice anything around her. Four months ago? That was when -
Capt'n Silver Claw, enraged, freed himself and went on a rampage in taking back his ship - and securing the Moonstone Path.
Hawk's crew were thrown overboard, all that was left was Captain Hawk, himself.
"Ye murdered Capt'n Stardust! " Silverclaw said.
"So I did, what are ye going to do about it?" Hawk said, he didn't look bothered at all that his men had all been defeated and he stood alone.
"Ye took from this world the greatest pirate that ever lived!"Scarred Willie said.
"Well, obviously he wasn't that great," Hawk arrogantly remarked.
Alice, back to her senses, retaliated. "You are a coward! Only a coward could have killed my Father and Mother in such a way!"
Hawk glared at her. "I didn't stab him in the back, I was facing him."
"Ooh, you monster!!" Alice was going to charge for him, but heard some splashing noises behind her, and then something dropped in her hands. Alice peaked at the object. It was a potion: Princess Grape's Sprinkle On. "Ah!" Alice knew exactly what to do, now. She uncorked the bottle and threw the contents on Captain Hawk.
"What? W-what's happening? I feel all tingly." Hawk began to get scaly, like a mer-creature. Soon, he was a mer-creature.
Alice shoved Hawk into the water and Princess Grape took care of the rest.
Silver Claw started to laugh, his crew joined in. "Ah, Bodou-Hime saves the day."
With Alice at the stern, Captain Stardust's Moonstone Path sailed out of its dark confines and created a path of diamond dust.
Scarred Willie peaked over the gunwale and saw that the entire bottom of the ship was embedded with actual crystals! "So that's where you put the rest of yeh treasure, Capt'n Stardust. Hats off to ye, mate; hats off to ye."
*The End*
I created my Alice and the Pirates story to go with the Japanese fashion brand of the same name, a sub-brand of Baby the Stars Shine Bright.
Who is Akari Mizunashi? She is from the Japanese comic (manga) "Aria" as well as "Aqua", by Kozue Amano. Sadly, only the first half of the series was translated into English. The story of the Galatic Railroad is in volume 6, the last volume translated.
Who is Akari Mizunashi? She is from the Japanese comic (manga) "Aria" as well as "Aqua", by Kozue Amano. Sadly, only the first half of the series was translated into English. The story of the Galatic Railroad is in volume 6, the last volume translated.
A mysterious fog rolled in, enveloping The Ruby Skull and her crew of nefarious pirates and a sweet girl named Alice. Being superstitious sea dogs, the pirates didn't dare speak a word; only murmured among themselves. For what if this weird fog was actually made up of wandering ghouls? Finally, tired of his yellow-bellied men, Captain Silver Claw roared to life and yelled at his crew to get The Ruby Skull out of the uncanny weather.
"Alice, douse the lanterns, would ya lass?" Capt'n Silver Claw said.
"But, Captain, sir, we will be plunged into darkness," Alice said.
"Aye. However, the lights we have burnin' are reflectin' off of the fog," Silver Claw said. "If we blow out all the candles, then I can see if there's a lighthouse out thar."
"O! I see." Alice went right to work, putting out all the candles save her own; until she stood beside the Capt'n did she blow the flame out.
"Ah, see that, Alice, thar's a light out thar," Silver Claw said. He ordered his men to sail towards it.
Suddenly the fog disappeared to reveal an island. Scarred Willie, the first mate, ran over to the Capt'n and said, "That thar isle is a funny sort, Capt'n, there isn't supposed ta be any islands near here - not according to my maps."
Silver Claw nodded. "We'll head towards it to see if any landlubbers know where we are, exactly." He popped a rum bottle open and took a swig.
Alice watched the island get bigger as The Ruby Skull sailed closer and saw something the others failed to notice: the lighthouse and its welcoming light had vanished.
The anchor was lowered and a small portion of the crew, including Silver Claw, Scarred Willie, and Alice got off to explore the isle. The white sandy beach was empty and the tropical forest didn't seem any better; the trees swayed with no wind aid and there were hardy any noises. It was eerie. But Capt'n Silver Claw marched forward; followed quickly by Alice, who really wanted to know what the island held - seeing as how the lighthouse decided to take a leave of absence.
"There was a lighthouse here, right? So where's the people?" Scarred Willie said.
"We'll locate them," Silver Claw said.
While the rest of the crew glanced around nervously, Alice looked everywhere with interest; stopping here and there for a better look - until, accidentally, she became separated from them.
Alice called after the Captain, anyone, but no one answered - the forest was as quiet as ever.
"How odd..." She went deeper, in search of Captain Silver Claw or Scarred Willie. The woods appeared dark, yet abruptly the palm trees and dense foliage opened up and Alice was staring at a topiary-lined path to a medieval castle awash with colorful lights! "Curiouser and curiouser..." Alice walked slowly up to the gate. The doors flung open. "A ball! O how marvelous!" She stepped inside and her red dress with matching shoes and headdress, along with her long white gloves, knee highs, and pearl necklace were replaced with a beautiful teal and white chiffon gown. "Gasp!" she touched the skirt, speckled with stars and fairies; then the new necklace she wore, a large charm of a queen's coach.
"Pardon me, may I have this dance?" a handsome man offered his hand to Alice. Caught up in the moment she accepted and the two glided across the marble floor to ethereal, romantic music. It felt like hours flew by when a clock chimed twelve midnight.
"Wait, what am I doing?" Alice thought. "I must find the Captain. Who is this young man, anyway? And how did this castle get here?" Her clothes, then, started to change back, and that's when Alice realized she had somehow entered into Cinderella's story! The young man was Prince Charming, her prince to keep. "But...I'm not Cinderella! I'm Alice. I must go."
"Go?" the Prince asked. "Why ever for?"
"I do not belong here, Good-bye, Prince." Alice ran out of the castle; down the path she lost a shoe but kept going until she bumped into Capt'n Sliver Claw!
"Alice! There you be! We must get off this cursed isle!"
The girl wasn't sure what the Captain meant by 'cursed', but she agreed nonetheless.
"...it was 'orrible!" one pirate said.
"Cursed it was!" another said.
The Captain ordered for The Ruby Skull to leave at once, full speed ahead!
However...
"What the...!?" Scarred Willie gasped, "Capt'n, land ahoy - !"
The warning was too late, The Ruby Skull rammed right into another island!
Alice almost fell overboard. "My! Where did that come from?"
"I'd like to know that meself," Silver Claw said.
"Are we going to explore it?" Alice asked.
"Hm, might as well..." Though the Captain sounded hesitant.
A good-size survey team went ashore in search of any humans - preferably ones that didn't like to eat people. Alice was unaware of any danger, so just like before she accidentally got separated from the rest.
"O dear...I must pay more attention," Alice chided herself. She was going to retrace her steps but a stone building caught her eye. "It couldn't be another castle. Could it?"
It was.
Yet not the kind Cinderella's ball was held at. This castle looked to be abandoned and covered in ivy. Cautiously Alice approached the old structure. She peered into a courtyard, then entered inside - which caused her dress to change yet again, to a pink gown and a crown pendant.
"It's awfully quiet..." She ventured into the castle, passing rooms with dead flowers in vases and rotted food on tables; cobwebs trailed from one to the next. "I guess no one lives here anymore, yet why leave everything still in place?"
Up some stairs she went, then another flight; all the rooms were similar: richly furnished, though decorated in cobwebs and dust.
"Wait...could it be...?" Alice stepped into a bedroom. "The Sleeping Beauty..."
A lovely young lady slept peacefully in a canopy bed, cobwebs draped like decorative bed curtains.
"She looks like she's been asleep for at least a hundred years." Alice glanced up when she heard the galloping of a horse. Through the window that shined light on the Sleeping Princess she saw a man making his way to the castle. "He must be here to awaken her. I better make my leave."
Alice made her way through the castle getting lost a few times. She never spotted the prince, yet noticed right away when the dust and webs vanished and the castle breathed to life.
Back at the beach, Capt'n Silver Claw was assembling a search party when he saw Alice coming out of the woods. "Alice! Where have ya been, lass?"
"I'm sorry, Captain, I got a bit lost. Are we leaving already?"
"Aye. Nobody here..."
"O but - " Alice cut herself off. Perhaps what she saw wasn't real.
The Ruby Skull set off once more, but soon afterwards it was found out it was taking on water; that earlier crash had severed some boards and water was leaking in through the cracks. They had to dock soon. Luckily - and to some, unfortunately - a new island appeared with a pier. While the men went to work, Alice wandered off to collect seashells.
"This wouldn't have happened if we have used the Moonstone Path," Alice heard a pirate say to another. She agreed, her father's ship had diamonds encrusted on the hull's bottom and served as armor. But it needed repairs to the sails and ropes, which had been sitting around for ten years rotting in a sea cave.
Looking up, Alice saw an unusual sight, though she was getting used to it by now: a many-towered castle on a cliff.
"It can't be..." Alice closed her eyes, then reopened them. It was still there. She thought about telling Silver Claw, but he was busy commanding his crew concerning ship repairs. She'd investigate herself.
"O how lovely, a rose garden," Alice had made her way to the castle and came to a garden full of fragrant blooms. As soon as she stepped foot inside its parameters her dress changed once again: into an ivory dress of roses and timepieces, and her necklace charm of a mermaid in the sea morphed into a gold rose encased in a glass dome.
Walking among the pink, red, yellow, and white roses Alice found a woman tending the flowers. "Hello, miss."
The woman popped her head up. "A guest? Good day. But, you know, you should not be here."
"Why ever not?" Alice asked.
"This is the Master's precious rose garden, only those he trusts are welcome in it. You should go."
"Must I? Who are you? And who is the Master? I am Alice."
"I am Belle, and the Master...? Well, he's a grumpy grouch," she laughed. "He acts tough and sometimes mean, but he really is kind at heart.
"Still, you should go, I wouldn't want him to yell at you, Alice."
Alice then heard a mighty roar, and a monstrous voice saying: "What unwelcome guest is in my garden!?"
"O dear! I guess I should go!" Alice said. "It was nice to meet you, Belle!"
Belle waved farewell.
As Alice ran back to the beach, inwardly she was thinking of the fairy tale story of "Beauty and the Beast."
The Ruby Skull was ready to leave when Alice returned, none of the pirates missed her this time.
"'Tis funny," Capt'n Silver Claw said, "all these islands we've come across appear to have been lived on and then abandoned. 'Tis very odd."
Alice thought so, too, but for a different reason: they were still being used, but she was the only one that saw the people. And the people were that from her favorite stories. Something was definitely off. Had they slipped into the Bermuda Triangle?
The next isle they neared had a pier as well. Naturally the crew of The Ruby Skull didn't want to dock, but their Captain was sure one of the islands would have people on it, someone who could tell them where they were or show them in what direction to go in order to leave the islands - and perhaps a tale or two about where to find treasure.
Alice wandered off again, sure she would see another castle - but this time she'd bring the Capt'n back and they'd both have a look.
And sure enough, she caught sight of a tower. As she got closer, her necklace charm changed to that of scissors and her dress to that of a white frock with blue motifs of a princess in a tall tower.
The tower ended up being just that, a lone tower set in a valley surrounded by mountains. From a window at the very top of the tower a braid of long golden hair fell like rope.
"Rapunzel..." Alice whispered. She turned to find Silver Claw. When she finally found the Capt'n, the pirate was frantic, he grabbed Alice's hand and ran back to The Ruby Skull; his men screaming like banshees behind them.
"Whatever is the matter this time, Capt'n?" Alice asked.
"Cursed! All of 'em are cursed!" Silver Claw babbled.
Off again they were; and when the next island appeared, the ship was commanded to turn around. Yet it was no use. Whatever way they turned, an island was right there to greet them. Before they knew it, The Ruby Skull ran aground.
"Captain, come with me," Alice said. "I do not know what you have seen, but I have seen and visited some wonderful places; and I know I shall find another on this isle."
"Alice, me dear, all these islands are cursed. We need to escape these waters."
"Yes, but the islands simply will not let us," Alice said. "Maybe we'll learn why on this one. Come." She guided Silver Claw through a forest of pine trees.
This time, there was no castle, but a humble cottage; and the Captain watched in wonder as Alice's dress changed to that of a black jumper hemmed with motifs of a witch and cat brewing a potion under an apple tree and her necklace changed to that of a cat riding a broomstick. Seven little men with beards marched out of the cottage, then, and demanded why Alice and Silver Claw were there; a rather grumpy one took a hand each and pulled them into the cottage where a snow white maiden with black locks sat at a table.
"O my, guests! Hello," the woman kindly greeted. "Please have a seat, I'll get you a slice of apple pie!"
"If you don't mind, miss," Silver Claw said, "who are yeh and what are yeh doin' here?"
"I am Snow White. I am here...because of her," she pointed to Alice.
"Me?" Alice indicated herself.
"Yes, indeed!" Snow White smiled.
"But...I don't understand. You must be mistaken - " Alice tried to object.
"O no, it's true!" Snow White said. "You see, this is an enchanted island, all the isles around here are. What your mind thinks up, be it good or bad, come into existence. Young Alice has been thinking of fairy tales; and you, sir..."
"Have been thinkin' the islands must be haunted," Silver Claw said.
"Yes!" Snow White nodded.
"So how do we escape these waters?" Silver Claw asked.
"O that's easy, sail towards the horizon," Snow White told him.
"That's it?" the pirate captain said.
"That's it!"
"Impossible...That's all I've been tryin' to do!" Silver Claw insisted.
The charming Snow White suddenly became mysterious. "Have you truly?"
Captain Silver Claw looked to Alice. Could it be true?
"Thank you, Snow White," Alice curtsied. "Come on, Capt'n!"
Whatever was true or not, Silver Claw was sure that Alice would guide them away from the Isles of Enchantment. And indeed she did, The Ruby Skull safely left the strange islands behind and the pirates were glad to forget them - except for Alice, who knew she'd always remember them; for neatly placed in her sea chest were the dresses and accessories that her attire had magically transformed into when she walked into each fairy tale...!
~The End~
"Alice and the Pirates: Isles of Enchantment"
Chapter 3
By Elizabeth Wilde
Chapter 3
By Elizabeth Wilde
The Garden Nook