𝑡𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒

waking up to multiple bodies surrounding her, athena felt as yoon and yona grumbled in annoyance, both their heads taking one leg of hers while hak leaned beside her, head on her shoulder as kija was to her right, shin-ah behind her, chin over her head as he snored softly.

was she so warm they cuddled into her? as far as she remembered, she had fallen asleep sitting down, after eating dinner yoonie had prepared.

"i can't move like this," she mumbled softly. relaxing herself, athena began to sing a soft melody-the same one she would hum to the kids who'd been kidnapped and forced in her cell.

"you're so good!" mars blurted out, his head on her lap as he squealed. "you should become a singer when you esca-"

"shut up! you cant talk about that here!" yuki's small hand had quickly struck mars, wincing at the sound before she snapped. "they'll kill you if they hear that word."

"d.. don't fight," athena brought them both into her chest, her hair stuck to her face and neck as she drripped with sweat. "the only thing you have now is each other."

jolting out of the memory, athena softly rubbed her temples in annoyance. those two.. they didn't make it past the first night.

"athena?" shin-ah quickly reeled backwards, accidentally going back too far as he rolled onto his feet. "i thought you were crying."

"my eyeballs are damaged, there's no way i can cry anymore." her joke wasn't amusing, going by the lack of laughter. tilting her head over her shoulder, athena lifted her arms, smiling in appreciation when shin-ah hooked his arms underneath her shoulders, dragging her away from the masses of body.

standing up and stretching herself, athena expanded her wings, giving them a small shake before humming.

"that song. where did you learn it?"

".. i don't remember," athena frowned. "i can only remember singing it since i was eleven."

"can you sing for me?" his straightforwardness made her smile, athena dragging him away from the sleeping group -enough where she'd still be able to keep her senses trained on them, but where they wouldn't be able to hear her- before sitting shin-ah down.

she sang a song from her childhood, grinning at the adoration that leaked from shin-ah.

(❍ᴥ❍ʋ)

"why didn't you want to go into the city?" shin-ah turned over to glance at athena, watching her cut up some vegetables before throwing them into the pot above their fire. "yona looked disappointed."

"i had a feeling i might have killed someone if i went with them today," athena mumbled, her wings ruffling up. she had picked up the sounds of screaming from the coast last night, but hadn't gone out to investigate since she opted to sleep instead. "i don't think yona would approve of me snapping someone's neck."

beckoning him over, athena quickly raised her spoon over to his lips, feeding him as she focused all of senses on him. she heard him chew twice, swallowing before a light hum vibrated through his beating chest. "do you like it?" she questioned.

"it's missing something."

athena furrowed her brows before sighing. fishing a carrot from her small satchel, she placed it into the hands of ao. "ne, now that i finished cooking, where's my crate of strawberries?"

"only give them to her when she finishes her chores." yoon gave him the stink eye, covering up her sealed crate with leaves and branches. he had placed their clean laundry around the crate -hanging them on the trees- to mask the strawberries scent.

"ok." shin-ah nodded.

shrugging when he saw the camp cleaned up and dinner served, shin-ah pointed over to a very very obvious dirt hill. "there," he mumbled, watching athena zoom over to her beloved fruit. purposely giving her space when she began to immediately munch on it, his focused his gaze back to the clearing around them.

"thank you a-athena."

"for?"

"dragging me out of there."

athena ceased her chewing, shaking her head before smiling. "our new friends are interesting, right?"

"hai."

she laughed.

"i'm really sorry.."

softly ripping off the leaves of her berry, athena gingerly placed it on top of ao's head, smiling in amusement when he chirped. scratching his chin, she sent shin-ah a glance, focusing back on his companion, who was now nibbling her fingers. "thanking me and apologizing the next, are you and princess yona related?" she deadpanned, continuing to eat.

shin-ah blinked, walking over to her. her back was to him, so he had instead wrapped his arms around her shoulders, bringing her close so his chest was firmly placed behind her. "when you offered me a hand to escape all those years ago.. i rejected you and told you to leave me alone-"

"you wanted to protect the villagers." athena interrupted. "and although we fought, you had chosen to stay behind. i couldn't just drag you against your will."

"y-yes but.."

"eek!"

kija sauntered over, crying in shock; why was everyone putting their hands on athena!? first it was hak when they first met, then it was shin-ah when they embraced each other!! she had even broken the princess with her antics!! SHE SLEEPT WITH YOON EVERY NIGHT!!

athena pinched her nose, ignoring the fuming kija before turning over to yona who had been eerily quiet.

"jae-ha rejected me.."

"why would you agree to meet the captain of the pirates?" yoon dragged out his sentence in annoyance, athena running away with her crate in her arms-he was making his way over to her. "tch. that's dangerous."

"i'm sorry for not asking you all, but i felt like meeting his captain no matter what." yona mumbled. "you don't have to come if you don't want."

"nope, i'm going."
"i'm going too!"

turning over to athena who hadn't voiced her opinion, yona giggled as she watched her be reprimanded by yoon-apparently she had eaten the rest of her fruit in twenty minutes. "are you coming too, athena?"

"yes," she sobbed.

"you don't have to come hak.. i know you don't like jae-ha."

"oh how understanding~ when we left the wind tribe, you were all 'you can't leave me alone, stay by my side, you can't go anywhere-"

athena smelled the sweetness roll of hak when yona was filled with embarrassment, a light smile playing on her lips. it was a given yona's emotions towards hak had began to change-it was small and unidentifiable to the human eye, but athena had noticed the small change.

hak would finally begin to get the girl.

(❍ᴥ❍ʋ)

"captain gi-gan! you cougar!"

athena hugged the older woman, scrunching her nose up when she breathed out her smoke.

"cougar?"

"you stole jae-ha from me because he was cute."

speaking of the ryokuryuu, he had stepped up beside the angel, wrapping an arm around her shoulders before bringing her in, smiling when athena instantly relaxed in his hold. his eyes snapped over to her companions, grinning when they all directed their glares onto him.

taking in a deep breath, athena wiggled out of his hold, walking over to the crows-nest before she began to ascend. although she may no longer have her sight, athena could only imagine the scenery from up here; the view of the clear ocean, the soft waves that would gently rock the ship to the sun shining furiously amongst them. her hand quickly ran through her hair, glancing over to the sounds of screaming; gi-gan had probably began to test them.

jumping down, athena expanded her wings out, gliding down in front of gi-gan who whistled in awe. "seeing your beauty always takes my breathe away," she complimented. "but you and those wings are in the way."

athena snapped out a "yes ma'am" before standing beside her, the dragons, hak, and yoon standing behind the captain. sensing they had already passed their examination, athena tilted her head when yona began to reek of determination.

"although i have nothing i can do, i also can't back down yet." she spoke with poise and pride, athena smiling.

"then how about this? i have a job for you." the old hag's tone was enough to make athena understand what she was about to propose. "if you complete it, i'll decide whether you can join and gain my trust."

"deal."

(❍ᴥ❍ʋ)

"the waves have turned hostile."

hearing everyone take off running, with the exception of yoon and shin-ah, athena stayed put. she felt the old pirate softly caress her cheek, a raspy laugh leaving her lips.

athena held her hand with her own, smiling up at the woman. although there were gaps in her memories, athena would always remember the kindness that came from gi-gan. the old woman had collected herself and shin-ah in another town, beating them to a pulp when they had stole her food.

from there on out, she had taken them in, feeding and clothing them.

"how much you've grown."

yoon's eyebrows were scrunched up in confusion. how was it possibly athena knew all of the dragons? how was it possible she knew all these people -from their travels- in such a short amount of time? as far as he knew, after escaping the bastards who captured her twice when she was only double digits, and escaping the last time with hak, athena had only gotten her freedom four years ago. so, how was it possible she knew so much about everyone, with her limited time?

"and you've only gotten older," athena lightly quipped. "is there something you want to ask me?"

gi-gan took in a puff of her smoke. "that girl. tell me about her."

"i see you've began to replace your daughter," athena pouted, taking in the smell from the older woman. she smelled of cigar and the ocean, a light waft of exhaustion coming from her. "i'm in no position to speak of her past and ordeals, but i will tell you this, gi-gan." her wings ruffled beneath the cape. "yona isn't as weak as she seems, she's grown during our journey-exceptionally well. and i think you've noticed," athena grinned.

"there's a burning fire in her."

(❍ᴥ❍ʋ)

athena tasted the salt from the waves that attacked the hill, her wings ruffling with excitement. she was currently covering her ears, the rest of the crew standing behind her as they waited for yona to come back from her quest.

"this is-it's too dangerous!"

"yona is just a girl! she can't do all of this!"

"we have to help her!"

tilting her head over to yoon and kija who were crying, athena took in a small breath, coughing out the smell of death that came from hak. stepping over to the demon, her wings ruffled when he had brought her in for a hug, tightly holding her.

"are you afraid she won't come back?" she whispered.

"mm."

slapping the shit out of him, athena quickly rotated in front of her comrades, wings extended out as she glared at all of them. "to have such a lack of faith for yona," her upper lip curled back in annoyance, "how disgusting."

"there are times where women need to fight." gi-gan added, her glare filled with venom. "don't underestimate us."

hearing two jagged breaths behind her, athena quickly turned around to face the young princess and jae-ha; they both reeked of salt water and fear, making her hum in amusement before she stepped up beside the green dragon.

"do you have it?"

"yes, but i didn't follow your rules." yona held her hands in front of her. "jae-ha saved me when a big wave almost threw me off the cliff." clenching her hands, yona frowned. "i wasn't able to use my own strength."

"does that mean you're giving up?"

"absolutely not." yona's response was immediate, the fire in her eyes burning brighter than ever. "i'll go again without anyone."

gi-gan let out a laugh, turning her back on them. "you're the type of idiot i like; the ones who would anything for their comrades and go to impossible lengths."

when yona hadn't moved from her spot, athena tapped her shoulder, giving her a soft smile. "you've been accepted, princess."

"what? eh-ah.." tears had began to drip from her eyes, athena walking away when the other pirates had begun to bombard yona with questions and compliments.

"you look as if you're about to die." jae-ha approached her, watching athena's brows narrow as she stood on the edge of the cliff.

"to protect your friends, you must get over your fears that will hold you back." athena mumbled, repeating what her uncle once told her. she had finally figured out why she was so hesitant when it came to flying again-albeit for the longest of times all she wanted to do was touch the skies again, her wings had been the reason why she was captured in the first place.

she was a diamond unlike any other, they told her.

taking in a deep breath, athena expanded out her wings, letting the draft coming from the hill ruffle her feathers. with a second breath, athena had leaped off the hill, ignoring the screams of her companions before she flapped her wings, dragging her fingers across the ocean before she shot up straight up.

straining, her eyes had slowly opened, milky white eyes with a dash of gold and blue gazing at the horizon; though her sight could no longer be used, athena would always the remember the wonderful painting above the clouds.

closing her eyes, she flew through the clouds, a laugh leaving her lips.

she was back.