The captains of the sunset wind.

Chips pov

-time skip-

Chip's POV
I couldn't sleep. I kept thinking about Gil's curse. It was scary... seeing him like that. Nothing has happened like that before, and nothing has happened since. Everything... was fine. Too fine. No monsters, no evil transformations... just us, the Riptide Pirates, and the Sunset Wind crew; sailing toward a small island where there might be a solution to getting rid of Gil's curse and preventing another awful and painful night.
I wasn't sure when, but I fell into a fitful sleep.

"Hey Chip! What're you playing with?" Elizabeth sat next to me on the deck as I flipped my coin. It landed somewhere on my shoulder, bouncing off and hitting the wood. "Aw man..." I grabbed it once again, leaping up to face her again.
"Arlin gave me this coin. A real pirate coin! With a skull and crossbones and everything." I flipped it, again and again, watching the shiny bronze catch the sunlight. People scooted past us on the deck, rushing from one place to another in an effort to keep this ship maintained. The deck alone was like an open field of wood, stretching from one wall to the other. It was crazy to me that the ship remained as clean and beautiful as always.
"What? No fair! You can't even flip it! Why does Arlin like you so much more than me?" She watched me as I flipped it once again, trying to do it exactly how Arlin did when he gave it to me. "Here you go little buddy!" He had said, catching the light just right that the coin looked like a ball of glowing gold. He laughed as I shakily caught it, careful of dropping it. Now that I had it though, it hadn't done anything like that. It just kept falling on the ground.
"It's not my fault!" I scrambled to pick it up again, but apparently, Elizabeth was waiting for this. She snatched it from the ground. "See? I'm better." She flipped it off her thumb, then caught it and tried to toss it from hand to hand before missing and tossing it to the side. "No!" I yelled, running after it. It hit a crate and bounced, landing on its side. "Be careful!" I said after I grabbed it, tucking it into my pocket to keep it away from her. She stuck out her tongue and crossed her arms.
"I was! And it would've been cool if you didn't mess me up."
"How did I mess you up? You were tossing it around then threw it to the side!" I argued, fussing with my pockets and feeling a hole. "Wait, where... My coin is gone!" I cried, turning my pocket inside out and looking at the hole. I shook out my pant leg, but the coin didn't drop. I looked around on the deck, but the shiny bronze couldn't be seen.
"Hmph. Serves you right. I hope you don't find it." Elizabeth huffs and folds her slender arms, staring at me in that defiant little-girl kind of way.
"Why are you always so mean! Arlin is gonna be sad that I lost the coin." I slumped to the deck, hiding my head between my knees.
"It's one coin. You'll find another, or ask Arlin for another. Easy. Either way, I'm getting some lunch." With that, Elizabeth walked off below deck. I frowned and glared at her as she walked away. Arlin will be so mad... I thought. I shouldn't tell him. I'll hide when he comes by- I jumped as someone ruffled my hair. I looked and saw Drey and sighed, glad I wouldn't have to lie to Arlin.
"What's wrong Chip?" He said, crouching down next to me. I looked into his eyes and buried my head to muffle my words. "I lost the coin Arlin gave me. A pirate coin! Right through the hole in my pocket." I said, tugging at the inside-out fabric and sighing.
"Do you feel bad that you lost it?"
"Of course I do! He told me I should keep it for a long while, even if I was on this ship or not." I flopped backward, looking at the sky. "But he's gonna be mad or upset if I tell him, so I won't."
Drey chuckled and patted my arm. "I don't think Arlin will be mad at you when he sees how upset you are. Go on, go tell him you feel bad. You are his little Chip- he can't be mad at you." I jerked up and looked at him.
"You mean it? He won't be mad?"
"Not if you're honest, and regret losing it."
"Thank you Drey!" I said, hugging him before running below deck. "Arlin?" I loudly whispered. I heard a creak and a mumble of words. "Arlin?" I said louder, gently shaking his large arm. He groaned and sat up, stretching before looking down at me.
"...Chip? What are you doing? Is everything okay?" He asked, eyes squinted.
"Everything's okay- sorry for waking you... but I had to tell you something." I said, bunching his blanket between my hands.
"What is it?"
"I- I'm really sorry Arlin- I lost the coin you gave me. I'm really sorry-"
Arlin sat up, cutting me off. "Chip."
"Y-Yes?"
"How'd you lose the coin?"
"It fell through my pocket! I didn't know my pocket had a hole in it, and it disappeared. I'm really sorry- please don't be mad- I'm really sorry-" I stopped as I felt his hand on my shoulder. "Is that what really happened?"
"...yes."
"Then it's okay. It's one coin. But if you want, you can borrow my lucky coin so you can find the other one."
"Really? You'd let me borrow it?"
"Of course, since you feel bad about losing the first one. But don't lose this one, and don't go around flipping it. It's special. It's helped me in all my bad times."
"I'll keep his coin safe! I'll- I'll keep it in my shoe so my pocket won't lose it!" Arlin's laugh shook everything.
"That's a pretty good idea. Oh, and give this to Elizabeth." He gave me an identical bronze coin to the one I lost. "You both are pirates and as such, should get pirate coins. Now-" He yawned. "I should get back to my evening nap. Thank you for being honest, Chip. That's a good quality to have." He ruffled my hair before laying back down and softly snoring.
I grinned and ran toward the galley, looking for Elizabeth. "Hey cook, have you seen Elizabeth? I have something for her."
"Oh, Elizabeth. She's up on the deck."
"Thank you!" I ran on deck and felt a shift. The sun was hidden by white clouds, making everything cooler. "Elizabeth!" I called, looking between the crates and barrels. "Chip?" I heard her call back. She walked out from behind a barrel.
"Check this out-" I flipped the pirate coin, not the special one Arlin gave me, and landed it on my shoulder. "I can do a trick!"
"Really? Arlin gave you another coin? That's so unfair!" She crossed her arms and huffed.
"No, no- this one's for you. I just wanted to show off." She looked at me, frowning.
"Are you joking? That's a rude joke."
"I'm not joking! Here, take it. Isn't it cool?" I tossed it at her and watched it bounce and roll toward her, then she stepped on it before it could roll away.
"You mean it?"
"Yeah. 'You're a pirate too.'" I said, trying to imitate Arlin. She smiled and picked it up, admiring the shiny surface as I did.
"I'm sorry Chip. I was being mean. I'm glad Arlin wasn't mad at you." Elizabeth mumbled. I grinned, happy she wasn't being a jerk anymore. She flipped it and it bounced off her shoe, rolling away. She dove after it, snatching it before it landed between heavy barrels. "It's harder than you made it look." She mumbled again. "Did you find your coin? Or did Arlin give you another?" She asked.
"Arlin let me borrow his lucky coin today." I lied, not wanting to make her jealous.
"Can I see?"
"Uhh- sure." I took off my shoe and dropped the coin into my hand.
"Why is it in your shoe if it's lucky? I think you'll have bad luck now." Elizabeth giggled.
"It's to keep it safe, since my pockets are bad. But look at how cool it is." I said, holding it in the light. The gold looked a lot cooler than the bronze pirate coin in the light. Elizabeth snatched it from my hand.
'I'm gonna flip it."
"No! Arlin said I shouldn't-" But Elizabeth flipped the coin off her thumb and it caught the light like Arlin's coin trick did before something crackled in the air around it and it dropped to the deck, the gold turning black. Everythig seemed to snap and break. Everything went too fast, then seemed to slow. The sky started darkening, the clouds turning a stormy gray and dropping rain. "Elizabeth! Why-" Before I could say anything else, the ship pitched to the side, knocking us both down as the sky kept getting darker, and big waves started hitting the deck. No no no- I thought, as a big wave was coming right for the ship, dark and foamy.
"Chip!" Arlin yelled. I turned and saw Arlin, Drey, Ruffus, and Finn scramble around, trying to steer the ship somewhere else. I didn't have time to move as a giant tentacle rose from the stormy sea and wrapped around the deck, making a giant crack down the middle.
"Arlin!" I yelled back, stuck with Elizabeth near the front of the ship. Another tentacle wrapped around the mast, knocking Ruffus into the ocean. No no no- "Ruffus!" I screamed though the wind knocked my voice away from anyone's ears. The storm picked up and the deck fully split in half, stranding us from the rest of the crew. I couldn't tell if I was crying, or if it was rain battering my face. Probably both, as ice-cold air chilled me to the bone. "Arlin! Drey! Finn!" I yelled, my voice suddenly sounding much different from the child-like squeak it was in the memory. I ran my fingers through my suddenly longer hair, and suddenly older face, thinking if I would make it to the other side if I jumped now- but the boards splintered and started sinking. I scrambled back toward the front, trying to breathe air that wouldn't come. I turned and realized Elizabeth wasn't next to me. She was clutching the broken mast still attached to the deck. Our half of the deck pitched downward, and she lost her grip, screaming as she fell. In a flash it was the Lizzy I've been traveling with, grown up. Then she was gone, just another wave.
"LIZZY!" I yelled though I knew she was gone. Another wave hit the ship and I lost my footing, and I seemed to watch myself fall into the ocean, then look through my own eyes again. I looked around for anything to grab hold of, then froze as I saw bodies around me. Drey, Finn, Arlin, Ruffus, Lizzy-
I closed my eyes as the sea monster swam into view, then it was gone, and the Black Rose pirates were gone, replaced by my crew... Jay... Gil... John, Oli, Earl- I didn't have time to mourn everyone, including me, before the sea beast came back; mouth open wide, octopus beak closing around me-

I gasped and sat up, my shirt soaked. Everyone's dead- I'm alone again- I'm alone- I held my head in my hands and felt my hair. It's not... wet? I looked around and saw the still forms of my crew, sleeping. They- they're not dead! I sighed, my heart still beating fast from the nightmare.
"Why... why the nightmare now...?" I muttered to myself, trying to still my breath. "Why now?" I carefully got out of my cot and went above deck. The Sunset Wind was next to us, a faint glow of orange surrounded Ari as she steered her ship in the dark. Does she ever sleep? She might... she probably does.
"Hey, Chip! Get up here!" I heard Old Man Earl call as he steered our ship. I climbed up to him. "Yeah, Earl?" He pushed a spyglass into my hands and pointed to a dark spot on the horizon. I looked through and saw it- Featherbrook island. We were nearly there.
"Is that the island?" Earl asked, his old voice sounding rougher.
"I think it is. I'll go check with Arianna." I muttered, everything seemed foggy. I'm still waking up... this is reality. Everyone is okay. No one is drowning, theres no sea monsters, and no one is dead. I still took care descending though, and crossed to the other ship.
"Chip? What are you doing?" Ari asked, sounding annoyed.
"Er... is that island out there Featherbrook?" I asked, handing her the spyglass. She pushed it away. "It is. We're almost there. If you would so kindly take the wheel for a second, I'm going to wake up Ry so she can steer us the rest of the way." She left before she finished her sentence. I quickly grabbed the wheel and watched her enter the cabin and heard the angry protests of Rea, then Rea walked out and sleepily took the wheel from me. I backed away, unsure if I should go back to my ship or wait there. If Ari and Ry are trading places... I should offer to trade with Earl. He could sleep. I really didn't want to try sleeping again. Ry glanced at me from the wheel.
"You should go back to your own ship."
"Oh, yes... just leaving." I looked behind us, out at the dark ocean, and saw John's ship trailing behind and almost between our two ships. What am I saying...? I need to move and do something... It's too early for everything. I shook my head, trying to wake up more. I made my way back to my ship. "Hey, Earl? Do you... want me to take over so you can sleep?" I asked. He looked at me, his wrinkled eyes wrinkling more as he squinted at me.
"You- You want to take my job?!"
"No- no Earl- I was asking if you wanted to sleep-"
"No! Leave me alone! I can still take you, ugly boy!" Earl took a quick swing at my arm. It was a solid punch, which seemed to hurt more than it should've from the old man.
"Ow- Earl! Do you want to take a break to sleep?!" I protested.
"No! Plus, I don't trust you to steer the ship without crashing it."
"Earl... we did just fine navigating the ship before you came on the ship." I sighed.
"No you didn't. Fish man told me how the last ship ya had got blown up 'cause of you, idiot." I groaned, and gave up. I went back to my bed and sat down, listening to the sounds of everyone breathing, and Jay snoring. I'll just... watch them till dawn.