Chapter Text
The sun blocked his vision as he glanced up as the ran. The sound of braying horses alerted him to the hill top arrival of the prince. Him and his men perched on the cliff, looking down on Delores and five.
''Ha! your fish of a fiancé is to late-'' he told her with a stroke of confidence. Five had tried to say it with Chevalier-like nonchalance, but she wasn't buying. '' a few more steps and well be in the fire swamp!''
'' The fire swamp?'' she repeated, following behind him.'' No one is told to survive it-''
'' Nonsense! they only say that because no one ever has!'' Five laughed and with that the raced off into the swamp's forest entrance. leaving the prince and his men defeated. The swamp doesn't look any worse than any other moist, sulphureous, infernal horror you might run across. With Great trees blocking out the sun, it left a swampish green cast over the forest. Buttercup is clearly panicked-and maybe five is too, but he moves jauntily along, sword in hand.
''Its actually not that bad." he notes, getting a weird look from his girl.'' what? I'm not saying I would build a home here but- the trees are actually quite lovely-very jungle like.''
As he speaks a giant spurt of flames comes out form the ground. Preceded by a slight popping sound, it misses Delores but five is now on fire ; at least his lower half. Before he could scream Delores instantly forces five to sit up, gathering the hem of his boot and pants in her hands. doing her best to suffocate the fire. this isn't all easy for a lady like her, and causes her a bit of grief, but she does her best to give him a comforting smile when done.
'' Well now that was a bit of adventure.'' He coughs as she checks where the flame burst over him.
'' Singed a bit?''
'' No, you?'' He shakes his head.
Delores was, and she shakes her head "no." As she pulls him to his feet— another popping sound comes from the ground. quickly she pulls him out of the way again, swinging him back. '' Well this place certainly keeps us on our toes.''
Five huffs dismissively as he gently takes her hand, taking the lead once again. the walked rather slowly through the fire swamp; both doing their best to keep alert of dangers. in and of the swamp. its later now in the day, what makes up of the sun slanted down just a bit. perhaps it was near sunset, but the swamp was to thick to tell.
'' This will all soon be but a happy memory because Hargreaves's ship the "Revenge" is anchored at the far end of this place. And I, Hargreaves.'' He told her happily, we are now caught in a conversation.
'' But how is that possible, since he's been marauding twenty years and you only left me five years ago?'' Delores inquired, quite perplexed.
'' I myself am often surprised at life's little quirks.'' this got an eye roll out of her. There is again, the huge spurt of flame. Delores grumbles and simply picks up five as they walk along, moves him out of danger, puts him back down. goes right on talking without missing a beat.
'' gosh you have gotten strong-''
'' Five. You were saying?''
'' Right. Well you see, what I told you before about saying "please" was true. It intrigued The captain, as did my descriptions of your statuesque beauty.'' as five explains himself, he takes out his sword, slicing though some hideous vines. they seem to groan as they fall. but five's chatting drowned it out the whole time.
"Finally, Roberts decided something. He said, "All right, Boy, I've never had a valet. You can try it for tonight. I'll most likely kill you in the morning." Three years he said that. "Good night, boy. Good work. Sleep well. I'll most likely kill you in the morning." It was a fine time for me. I was learning to fence, to fight, anything anyone would teach me. Hargreaves and I eventually became friends. And then it happened.''
'' It happened?'' she guides him across ah rickety tree branch over some bubbling swamp water.
'' Well, Roberts had grown so tired, he wanted to retire. So he took me to his cabin and told me his secret. "I am not the Dread Pirate Hargreaves," he said. "My name is Jerome. I inherited this ship from the previous Dread Pirate Hargreaves, just as you will inherit it from me. The man I inherited it from was not the real Dread Pirate Hargreaves, either.'' Five continued.'' His name was Max. The real Hargreaves has been retired fifteen years and living like a king in Patagonia." Then he explained the name was the important thing for inspiring the necessary fear. You see, no one would surrender to the Dread Pirate Five.''
The two of them have by now crossed the pond.
'' So we sailed ashore, took on an entirely new crew and he stayed aboard for awhile as first mate, all the time calling me Hargreaves . Once the crew believed, he left the ship and I have been Hargreaves ever since. Except, now that we're together, I shall retire and hand the name over to someone else…perhaps that Spaniard Dieg—''
But before he could speak , the ground Delores steps in gives out into lightning sand. Powder rising out of the whole that consumed her. As she sinks five whirls around screaming in surprise. He hacks at a U-shaped vine with his blade, pulling form the trees end. He Clutched the other end of the vine, diving into the lightning sand and there is another cloud of white powder, but it settles quickly. Now nothing can be seen. Nothing at all. Just the lightning sand.
An odd panting sound is heard now, it very loud. Alerting a giant Rat from afar darts into view. The Rat is no more than eighty pounds of bone and power. It sniffs around a bit then, as quickly as it has come, it goes.Fives lungs long past the bursting point, explodes out; he has Delores across his shoulders and as he pulls to the edge of the lightning sand pit, using the vine —Sand cakes their faces. he can taste it on his tongue as he pulls them to safety.
Above them the rat watches as Delores helps rest again a fallen tree branch.the poor man was covered head to toe in sand, lungs burning. Delores cleans the lightning sand from five's face. As she does so, she hears a brief rustling in the trees, she hesitates, glancing around. The rat is on a much lore branch now, staring back at her. Five is oblivious, coughing out sand as she continues to work at him. But a familiar blanket of dread comes over her. it was an R.O.U.S., they were knowing for there size and razor sharp teeth. if it weren't for them—or the fire and lightning sand— the fire swamp would have been cleared out by now. they would be dead any minute now if they stayed like this…but Delores couldn't bring herself to move. Just as she did in the palace or in the eel infested waters. Death did not scare her, she'd accept death wholeheartedly a few days ago…but she wasn't alone in this swamp.
'' if we keep still like this— we'll never succeed here….we may as well die.'' She huffs solomly glancing up. Now there are two R.0.U.S.'s. The have climbed into a nearby tree, stare hungrily down. Five shakes his head, helping her up.
'' No.No we will not. we have already succeed, Delores.'' He assures her, he could tell something was off around them and with her. especially her. the light that she had in her eyes years ago as now gone. She was more hardened now. Speaking with such weight and sadness that no woman should be familiar with. as he put his arm around her as they walked, her legs shaked. From dread and unknown burns from the fire swamp.'' Listen to me. What are the three terrors of the Fire Swamp? One, the flame spurts. No problem, thanks to you. There's a popping sound preceding each, we can avoid that. Two, the Lightning Sand. But you were clever enough to discover what that looks like, so in the future we can avoid that too. we got this, Delores. as long as we stick together.I promise."
'' What about the R.O.U.S's?'' Delores countered, her mind on high alert. his words only eased her nerves only a little.
"Rodents of Unusual Size? I don't think they exist.'' fives tells her with great confidence, And as he says that, a R.0.U.S. comes flying at him from
a tree.
Delores screamed as five was pinned under the attacking R.0.U.S., trying to fend
it off. Can't. The thing's teeth sink deep into his arm. Five drives a fist into the beast's face, rolling it off. He reaches for his sword just a few feet away, but the
Rat is back atop him. It's a fierce battle, and just when he thought he couldn't possibly win—
''FIVE!'' Delores shouts getting the R.O.U.S.'s attention and flips the ugly rodent clear. Five scrambles for his sword. The R.0.U.S. stampedes on, keeping him as ts target. She reaching for the rodent, grabbing only a tail, wrestling with it. five drops his sword for something heavier to get its attention. grabbing a massive branch, and using it as a club. Beats the skull of the thing, doing pretty well; but the beast manages to snag his boots with its razor teeth, pulled to the ground.
Delores jumped onto its back, and the R.0.U.S. is all over her now, sinking it's needle- like teeth into Delores's shoulder. With death impending, a familiar popping sound starts up again. He tries one desperate move, rolls into the sound—a flame spurt shoots skyward! She pinned the R.O.U.S. under her, and the beast bursts into flame. It lets go and Delores rolls back onto her feet, grabbing five's sword and Furiously stabbed the R.0.U.S. till blood spluttered onto her. The R.0.U.S. collapses dead.
'' Here.'' Delores sighs, running a hand over her blood stained face and combed back her now blood streaked hair. she glances down at the dead beast, then to five. Her amber eyes bright under the dissipating flames. She walks over to him now, tossing the sword. She looked him over for any injures, she would not have him hurt in any sort of way. not after years of thinking he was dead. Five was relieved that the danger had passed of course, but that wasn't the reason his heart was racing. He felt that at any moment he could lose her. that another R.O.U.S would come out or a shoot a fire would whisk her away from his life again. That she'd be gone, berried in the hallow part of his heart, like he was to her for five long years. But she was the one protecting him now, saving him. The look of violence in her eyes was so unfamiliar until this point. For now, he realized, she was never going be that farm girl ever again. Not anymore. she was just hollow.