Chapter Text
“You know, I never feel better than when I’m at sea,” Indigo exclaims to their communicator, fiddling around with a map on the top deck of their ship. The thrill of finding something new, the calmness that comes with the gentle rocking of the ship, each board and nail on the ship they grew to know and love over the course of their life. No matter how hard the enderman hybrid tried, there was no staying away from the sirens song that was the endless sea.
“I know love, I hear it every time you set out on one of your adventures,” a soft voice laughs from inside the comms. She was really miles away on land, having never gotten used to the dizzying seasickness, but any chance to be close to one another was taken. This was Indigo’s wife, Honey, and while it pained both to see Indigo gone for so long, both enjoyed the stories that came out of each adventure.
Honey steps away for a bit, having to check on the animals out in the yard. Indigo takes the moment to close their eyes and bask in the surroundings, smelling the salty air. A smile reaches across their face, and they hum happily as they head to adjust the sails. The soft sound of rain filling their ears as they worked and- Wait. Rain? Looking up, they see a storm brewing overhead, the rain already starting to hit the deck of their ship, a slight sizzling sensation as each drop touched their skin. Quickly, they run for their quarters, grabbing a rain jacket. Back out on the deck, they see exactly what kind of trouble they’re in for. There’s no way they’re getting out of this one without wrecking the boat.
Up at the wheel, they try their hardest to steer in a direction that might mean land, but they can't see anything beyond the top deck. Whispering profanities under their breath, they resolve to find their comm to see if they can’t figure out what the best plan of action is from the installed map.
“Hey, are you still there?” Honey’s voice comes out of the receiver crackled and fuzzy. It was a wonder that it could pick up anything with the rain.
“Yeah love, it’s just… ugh I didn’t realize I was headed straight for a-.” They don’t get to finish their sentence as a large wave crashes into the ship. Profanities getting louder, they spot the shadow of what seemed to be an island in the distance, and without any precautions Indigo sets sail for the landmark, hoping and praying they don’t die in the process. Honey, whether she could hear Indigo’s loud cursing or not, picks up on the severity of the situation, soothingly talking into the comm.
This woman is a genuine godsend, Indigo thinks, allowing themself to be distracted from their growing anxiety for even a second. This peace is short-lived, as soon the comm fizzles out and the waves become even more choppy and erratic. Finally able to fight the ship onto the right course, Indigo sends the ship towards their only chance at safety. All they’re able to do is sigh before a wave is finally able to capsize their ship.
Waking up to a mouth full of sand isn’t very pleasant, but it’s not the worst way Indigo’s woken up. They shakingly raise their body up to their hands and knees, coughing and spitting sand and curses. Good gods, their skin burned. Their hand subconsciously moved to the locket still somehow around their neck. Giving themself a moment, they review what the hell just happened. They barely registered anything in their panic, they didn’t even consider the chance that the island they hurled themself towards could kill them just as much as the storm could. They shake their head, no use dwelling on that now.
Suddenly gasping, they tear their eyes off the sand below them and look around. They were completely alone, their small beach surrounded by dense forest. A quick look around them and they notice bits of their ship. Oh gods, their ship, their beautiful ship. None of the wood was salvageable, but maybe if they could find their sail… Aha! Scooping up the fabric, Indigo buried their face into it. It was nothing more than a patchwork bit of cloth torn apart by years of sailing, but it was currently their only piece of home, their only connection to their wife. Tangled into the heavy cloth, Indigo finds their comm.
They knew it was busted before, but in its current state, it looked worse than it ever had. No amount of hitting the side would do it any good. Sighing, Indigo falls back into the sand. They were weeks away from home, in a place they’d never been, with no way to reach out for help.
Gods, was this how they’d die? Thinking of their wife, they choke back a sob. This was no time to mourn. The sun is high in the sky and they can’t afford to waste any more time if they wanted a chance at survival. They’d do it for her.
The rest of Indigo’s day is spent gathering anything they could. Every stick they can get their hands on, anything that seems remotely edible. They’re a pirate dammit, they know how to survive. They even manage to follow some animals to a source of fresh water. Soon enough, they have enough stuff to fashion a tent out of their sail. They just have to hope that no animal or monster will try to attack it.
After a bit, Indigo sets out some left-over sticks to start a fire for the night and plops down with some bits of driftwood and rocks to try and fashion some tools. It’s a tedious task, having to scrape a stone down into something useful, and by the time they finish their arms hurt like hell, but they keep going. Survival of the fittest, they aren’t going to give up without a fight. The bitter chill of night settles into their bones, contrasting the ache in their biceps. Scooching closer to the fire, they prepare themself for the chill that’d come from moving to their tent.