Disclaimer - Yada yada, I don't own them, never will. A personal problem I'm sure. Anyway, onward and forward, to sea we go. Yo ho yo ho, it's a pirate's life fer me.

xxxxxxx

Chapter 21 - Let There Be Light!

"Are you sure?"

"Positively."

"Because, if you're not…"

"I've sailed all over th'world, mate."

"And you've encountered these things before?"

"I knows the sea, lad, and, 'sides…" Jack cocked his head to one side and locked eyes with his inquisitor, " when was th'last time YOU encountered one?"

After a long, pregnant pause, Don shrugged and smiled sheepishly, "Um…well…actually…this is my first time on a boat."

"Fig'ers. 'Sides, the ' Pearl's a ship, mate, na' a boat, and given your greenness - an' I'm not talkin' about yer skin colorin' - me thinks you'd best sit back an' hold on, than tells me how t'sail," Jack huffed and looked towards the dark horizon again as he managed the wheel, not the least bit amused.

Determindely, Don pressed his issue. "I'm just saying that I know what's going to happen when the island explodes and where I don't know if you've experienced one before or what happens after…"

"DONatello," Jack, interrupted, smiling thinly at the worried turtle, "ya worry t'much!" and he turned his gaze to the horizon again, suppressing a growl. With both hands hand on the wheel, the pirate was trying to be patient, he really was. Surely he'd get points for that and even if he did lose his resolve, no one would blame him one bit if he tossed the oversized turtle to the sea. To challenge any captain about his seaworthineness was nigh close to mutany - and Jack had had his fill of such nonsense. Yet, he knew the turtle was a greenie, a newbie, and maybe for that, Donatello's nervousness and arrogance were forgiveable. Still, Jack wasn't the least bit entertained with the terrapin's persistent doubts about his sailing abilities.

Consequently, the pirate furthered his point, as he tried to be reassuring, "An' just so's ya know, laddie, I've encountered big waves b'fore, so, I knows whats t'do with'em." He then gave a sly, sideways glance and grinned at the beast, " and giv'n the fact that ye've never sailed - EVER, it seems cheeky of ya t'tell me hows t'do it." The man jerked a thumb back towards the deck above him, "Now, ya best go up an' see tha' yer brothers are well back from th'bulwarks. Maybe get them down below to th'crews' quarters…and you with 'em…" and then he winked and smiled a toothy, gold-gleaming grin, "…just so's ya don't get tossed overboard."

"But…it'll be more than just a BIG wave, Captain," Don gulped nervously, still insistent, "With the smallest of miscalculations…a tsunami can sink even the best well-manned ship."

"Even if that were t'happen, boy," the pirate replied softly, yet forcably, his expression serious, if not compassionate, "we're cursed, are we not?" Jack shrugged, "So…we wouldn't die, would we?"

"And that's my issue," Don exclaimed, his voice rising in pitch, tossing his hands up, "we're cursed, and losing the gold to the sea would keep us this way. We would never get back to normal OR back home."

"And I s'pose home is where you'd like t'be?" Jack asked thoughtfully, quirking an eyebrow.

"Yes, very much."

"Then if me skills are as good as I say they are..." Sparrow ducked his head a bit, eyes still on the turtle, "And…they ARE! Ye best trust me. Now, if ye please," Jack waved the turtle away, "…go back to yer brothers and give m'room to work."

Don sighed and paused for a moment, only to start his rambling again, "Okay, I'm sorry, didn't mean to doubt you, but…with the kind of damage tsunamis can do I was just nervous and since I barely know you and your crew and I've never been on a boat - um - ship before, and…"

"If you don't leave the helm, NOW," Sparrow warned threateningly and lowered his voice for emphasis, "I'll have no other choice but t'slap ye in irons and toss ya in t'th'brig. You're in m'way!" The pirate added as an afterthought, "Ye can 'ave me cabin, if ya wish. It'll keep ye close t'deck; might be wise, too, tha'tis if we do have t'abandon the Pearl, which I doubts we will." Smirking, Jack added, "But, ya might want t'knock first; Miss Swann's been usin' it. Got kind of wet a while back, so she's prob'ly changin'…or, just barge in and have a lookee." He smiled again, only wider.

Gulping and blushing at the same time, Don nodded quickly, "Um, I prefer knocking, but…ah, thank you," and then he quickly left Sparrow to his task.

Cheeky reptile! Jack muttered to himself, watching as the turtle climbed the stairs to the deck above.

All during the pirate and turtle's discourse, Mr. Gibbs had stood silently next to his captain, while Jack piloted the Pearl. The first mate had listened silently to the exchange between the mutant and Sparrow and with much curiosity, but had kept his thoughts to himself. For the moment, the first mate was content to let Jack steer the ship uninterrupted.

When a few minutes passed, Gibbs finally remarked, mindful to keep his voice low, "Kind of odd tha'one, t'even concern hisself with how t'steer through such waters."

Sparrow nodded irritably, one lip curled in annoyance. For the moment, he ignored his first mate.

Another long stretch of silence passed between them, as the crew called out work orders below on the main deck. The wind had picked up, too, as did the ocean swells, creating liberal sprays of water over the railing. Far behind them, Isla de Muerta continued to belch explosions and Gibbs couldn't help but gulp nervously after each one.

Finally, the man glanced at Jack, "So…Cap'n… has ye ever steered through big waves…like th'kind tha'turtle described?"

When another long pregnant pause passed between them, Gibbs questioned Jack again, this time more urgently, "Captain?"

Keeping his eyes forward, Jack reluctantly replied, "I've…always had a bit of luck, Mr. Gibbs…with first attempts." He turned and grinned broadly at the man, "So…ye haves no worries."

"Thought so," and without another word, the first mate left the captain's side and hurried downstairs to the main deck below. With one finger raised, as if flagging his announcement, "I'll go and prepare th'men; they should know what t'spect," and he quickly went about informing the rest of the crew.

Sighing, Jack scowled disappointedly, "An' I so wanted it t'be a surprise."

As Donatello returned to where his brothers waited on the upper deck, he found them staring out at the night-enshrouded sea. The lack of stars from the cloud cover made things darker than usual and if not for the ship's lanterns, it would have been hard for them to see one another, no matter how close together they might have stood.

Off in the distance, another incandescent trail shot into the sky and Mike 'oohed' and 'ahhed', as flaming projectiles of moltan debris rocketed from the volcano like sprays of dandelion flowers. For a moment and despite the promise of destruction, Don allowed himself to appreciate this once in a lifetime experience. But, only for a moment. Because, with the jettison of fiery volcanic comets brightening the dark horizon like Fourth of July fireworks, a new part of Isla de Muerta ignited into a flaming inferno. Then, the island would blaze ominously against the backdrop of pitchy black.

As for Don, he knew that when the island did explode, the projectiles would turn into missiles capable of reaching their present location. Pyroclastic flows were another concern, too, but Don didn't think that would happen if the entire island blew. At least, he hoped not. He expelled a frustrated sigh, knowing that if he was back home, he could have scoured the Internet for more information. It was in that moment when Don felt completely outside his comfort zone.

Of course, there were other terrors to consider with such events as Plinian eruptions, but none rattled Don more than tsunamis.

As Don stepped on deck, he looked Leo's way, and found his brother looking at him. He gave a slight smile and a shrug, but then walked over to stand at the railing. He didn't say anything, but stared out across the darkened waters of the Caribbean.

Leo could tell that something troubled Donatello. Besides the fact that Don chose to stand away from his brothers said as much, but his quiet behavior only added to his discernments. Concerned, Leonardo pushed away from the railing and walked around Raph and Mike to stand along side of Don, and, for a moment, silently watched the sea with him. Another eruption had Mike cheering, excitedly pointing at the brightened horizon. He seemed to be enjoying himself and with Raphael's big grin, it was obvious the two had temporarily forgotten about their immdiate siutation.

Still, there was something about Don's posturing that told Leo that Michelangelo would not be amused much longer.

After a few minues had passed, Leo turned to his genius sibling and, keeping his voice low so that the other two wouldn't hear him, Leonardo asked, "So, Donnie, what did you and Sparrow talk about?"

At first, Don didn't reply, he just continued staring out across the open waters towards the glowing, angry island. Then, after another moment of silence passed between them, "Leo…I…I think we need to get below deck," Don never looked his brother's way, but remained facing the gradually receding and brightly shining Isla de Muerta.

"Why, Don," Leo whispered, brow pinched, his concern quite evident, "what's going to happen, is…the ship in trouble?"

"No, Leo, not yet, anyway, it's just…well…" Don turned suddenly and gave his brother a small smile, "…just be glad we're cursed and won't die."

Of course, Leo hadn't been the only one of his brothers to have noticed Dontatello's presence or his subdued posturing. Moreover, given their ninja training, Raphael easily overheard the comment. "Okay, Don, what's going on, who's gonna die?"

Unlike Don and Leo, Raph didn't keep his voice so low. Consequently, Mike's attention quickly turned to his brother in red, and his smile faded, "Um…Raph…did you just say something about…dying?"

With all three brothers' attention now on him, now, Don knew he had to tell them what he knew was going to happen, "Guys, you know when that island blows up…"

"Don…what… do you mean…when it blows up?"

"Raph, Isla de Muerta is going to blow up," Don sighed, pointing towards the event, "There's just too much activity going on over there for it not to. It'll be what happened to Krakatoa."

"That was just a movie, Don," Raph chuckled, easing against the bulwark again. He shook his head and glanced back towards the island, "Sometimes you over think things, ya know that?"

"No, Raphael," Don grabbed his brother's arm and swung Raph around to face him, "Krakatoa…really happened and what happened to Krakatoa will happen...IS happening...to Isla de Muerta!"

Raph shrugged from his brother's grip and he pushed away from the railing, "Shell, Don, what's gotten into ya? We're too far away for that stuff over there," he gesture towards the island, "t'reach us. Yer dooms day procl'mation's scarin' Mikey here…Shell, yer scaring me, too, if ya gotta know!"

"Yeah, dude!" Mike concurred, easing up alongside of Raph, and apparently no longer interested in the island's destruction.

"I'm sorry, guys…" Don replied, pensive, "but I know I'm right; Isle de Muerta is going to explode…and when it does…" he paused, with all three brothers staring at him, "the force of that explosion will create lava bombs and a tsunami."

"A...tsunami?" Raph narrowed one eyeridge.

"People used to call them tidal waves…but they can be dangerous."

"Oh, yeah, okay, tsunamis...now I remember what they are…" Raph furrowed his brow as he tried to think…and then his eyes went saucer-wide when he realized what Don meant.

"Lava…bombs?" Mike quivered nervously.

"Yes, Mikey, lava bombs, big ones," Don admitted.

"How big, Don?" Leo asked softly.

"Well, big as in…metric tons and tsunami waves as big as this ship is tall…if not taller."

"Well, we'd better find out from Captain Sparrow if he needs our help." Leo hastened and turned to head towards the stairs leading down to the helm.

"No, Leo, don't…" Don rushed and grabbed his brother's shell, turning him back around, "…Sparrow's already ticked off at me as it is; I think I…I insulted him."

"Imagine that!" Raph smirked.

Don ignored the snide remark, "Whatever's going to happen," he insisted, "we have to trust these pirates…"

"Trust pirates?" Raph shook his head, "Ya have t'be kiddin' me; isn't that an oxymoron?"

"They're far more experienced with sailing than we are, RAPH, pirate or otherwise, so we have to trust them…we don't have a choice."

"Has Sparrow even encountered a tsunami before? Does he even know how to handle them? What if…"

"Mike, he said he has," Don tried to be reassuring, "so we have to have some faith that he'll know what to do."

"Ya sure, Don?" Raphael came up alongside his genius brother, his face etched with worry, "Because if this ship goes down, we ain't gettin' back home, ya know that, right?"

"Yes, I know that and I can only be as sure as what he tells me."

"Hmmph, considering how he's operated so far," Leo mused, "we should prepare ourselves for the unexpected. We better go down to the hold and protect the gold."

"Finally…" Raph chortled, "someone's making sense."

"Well, except... he's giving us his quarters," Don remarked, "I think he expects us to stay there. I don't want to irritate him further by going against his wishes."

Raphael growled, "I don't like that one bit."

"Well, it is his ship," Leo placed a calming hand on his brother's arm, "and we don't want to start a fight, not now, not with what Don said might happen when that island blows." Leo smiled and Raph finally relaxed.

"Aw'right, but if this ship sinks and us with it, I'm holding ya r'sponsible."

"I think I can live with that."

"Consid'ring our current state," Raph chuckled, "it seems ya'll be living with it fer a long time."

"Hey, Donnie, does he have food in his room, cuz I'm starvin'!"

"Leave it to you, Mike, to override danger with worrying about going hungry."

"Hey, Raphie, sailing increases my appetite!"

"An' how would you know that, Mikey?"

"Remember when we were kids and we'd take baths together, and Splinter found some toy boats when he was out scavenging, and…"

THWAK!

"Hey, Raph, that hurt!"

"So's yer tail if ya don't get downstairs."

Rubbing his head, Mike chuckled as he followed Leo and Don to the deck below, "Those were fun times, though, ya gotta admit."

Raph smirked, "No I don't."

A while later found Leo grinding his teeth in frustration, as he stood in front of the cabin door. With his brothers directly behind him - and one of them on the verge of his own eruption, the overhang from the upper deck helped protect them from the waves as they sprayed over the ship's sides. All four turtles had to continually re-balance themselves as the Pearl road out the ever increasing waves, each one grabbing something to hold on to, in order too stay on their feet.

Leo had explained Sparrow's offer to the woman, having to yell over the sounds of crashing waves so the woman could hear him. Yet, despite his efforts, Leo found Elizabeth stubbornly refusing to cooperate, even with Will trying to convince her otherwise.

"There isn't any way that I'm going to have…you…you FREAKS…in my room!"

"Miss Swann," Leo begged, "Please…be reasonable." His patience was beginning to thin, especially with Elizabeth's insults.

"I am BEING reasonable. You're…turtles; you should LIKE this weather!" the girl snapped.

"We're mutant turtles and it's not the weather that I'm concerned about."

"Oh, so…you're afraid, then?" Elizabeth gave snippy laugh, "Rough seas make you…cowardly?"

"Let me have the door, Leo, I'll show her cowardly!" Raph tried to push his way past his brother in blue, but Leo shouldered him back.

"No, Raphael. Breaking the door down won't serve anyone's purpose and I'm certain we'll lose favor with the captain if you do, too."

"If we have to stay out n'this," Raph gestured towards the sodden deck behind him," then that spoiled BRAT should, too!"

"I agree, but it's to our advantage to try and be reasonable…" Leo glared at the door again, "even if SHE isn't."

It was then that Leonardo heard another voice. Will Turner again, he thought. Leo hadn't seen any trace of the man when he and his brothers made their way down to the main deck. It was only a moment ago when they knocked on the door and when Turner asked to know who it was that he realized where the man had been. It also made Leonardo wonder exactly how chaste the couple truly was, too. He dismissed that thought, though, for the more important matter was in getting his brothers safely inside the captain's quarters and out of the storm.

As Leo listened, even though he couldn't catch every word, it seemed as if the man was championing Sparrow's offer. After another minute or two and with several punctuated exclamations from Elizabeth about "...those freaks keeping their distance from me'", slowly, the cabin door opened. Will stood there, looking apologetically, yet still baring the turtle's entry for a moment. He wore an exasperated expression on his face that well matched the one Leo wore. "You four can come in…" he sighed, glancing back once, "but Miss Swann prefers that you stay well away from her…and the bed."

"Don't worry, she's not our type!" and Raph barged past Leonardo and into the cabin, forcing Turner to take a step back to keep from being bowled over.

"Raphael," Leo chided as he, too, slipped into the room, "remember your manners."

"I would…if I had any!"

Grinning and shaking his head, Leo bowed once before the man, "My apologies. My brother's a little rough around the edges."

"LEO, don't go apologizing fer me…I don't have t'be courteous when someone treats me like trash." Raph glared once at Elizabeth, who sniffed indignantly. He then made his way over to one of the chairs situated farthest from the girl. He gave the room a quick visual once over and, when he spied a small table upon which sat a tray of fruit, he exclaimed brightly, "Righteous!"

While the rest of his brothers came into the cabin, Raph wandered over and plucked an apple from the tray. He gave it a quick polish on his opposite bicep before taking a large bite of the fruit. The moment he did, however, he spat it out, "Yuck! What's with this?" he looked aghast at Will, confused.

"Sorry; food's going to taste kind of off, where we're cursed and all."

"SERIOUS?" Mike came full into the cabin, now, his eyes wide in panic. As Turner closed the door behind him, the turtle in orange stood there, dripping small pools of water along the floor. He had all he could do to keep from whining, "But…but I'm starving'!"

"Yes, that's part of the curse, too. You'll be hungry for food…as well as other things, but food...and other things...won't be quite right. However, the bright side is…" Will shrugged, "you won't starve to death."

"Because we're already dead?"

"Correct…um…Donatello." The man turned and stepped over to Elizabeth and wrapped an arm around her waste, "Nothing that you would normally experience in the living world will satisfy…" he turned and gazed longingly into his fiancé's face, her own turned towards him, "Not even love."

"So…" Raph chuckled, "she could undress in front of you and…you wouldn't care?"

"I PROTEST THAT STATEMENT…HOW…HOW…RUDE!" Elizabeth's face reddened considerably, but not more so than her temper. She turned to her fiancé', "Will, you MUST order them out; I cannot imagine riding out this storm with that…BEAST'S rudeness!"

"Rudeness?" Raph chuckled, "Seriously, considering you're the only female on this boat and filled with pirates, no less, I'm surprised you'd have any blush left in ya!"

Elizabeth could do nothing more than scowl in reply. Sighing uhappily, she then turned and leaned into Turner's embrace, while the remaining turtles went about finding places to sit, to wait out the storm.

xxxxx

Above them and steering the Pearl, Jack's hands gripped the wheel tightly, his knuckles white from the strain. Gibbs had already returned from alerting his shipmates and he now stood beside his captain, pensively looking up at the cloud-filled sky.

Jack noticed the man's distracting glances and broke the silence that had fallen between them, "Notice something odd?"

"The clouds?"

"Kind of, sort of, not quite, though…guess again."

Gibbs looked around before answering, "The men are quiet."

"No."

"No Elizabeth nipping at ya?"

"Well, that is a nice part of givin' her me quarters, yes, but…no."

"I give, Captain. You tells me."

"No fog, Mr. Gibbs. Fog and Isle de Muerta are one and the same, it's what keeps the cursed island hidden from most sailors, 'cept those with the right cor'dinates."

"And that means 'what', Captain?"

"Don't know. Maybe it means the curse is no longer a curse, so there isn't a need to hide the island? Maybe it means an unseasonably clear day, or night, as the case may be, 'cept for the clouds, of course." Jack looked up then, "Maybe it means even the fog is afraid of what's to come?"

"Maybe we should coax more speed from the Pearl?"

"Maybe… safer is better than sorrier, Mr. Gibbs?"

One look from Jack had his first mate scurrying back down to the main deck again. Gibbs went about hollering at the crew to tighten the sails to get more speed from the Pearl. In reply, several men climbed the masts like monkeys in compliance with his orders, tightening the rigging and sails to add more resistance to the wind and thereby increase the ship's acceleration.

Down below, Mike peered anxiously - and forlornly - through the large, diamond paned window at the back of the cabin. He leaned against the Captain's table, apple in hand, with one bite taken from it. At his feet lay a chewed up mash that was once the bite. He sighed again and looked at the apple, then dropped it to the floor. He watched the fruit as it rolled around a bit, the green orb following the rise of the ship as the vessel road up another large wave.

Why live forever if you can't eat? he muttered to himself.

"You just had to try, eh?" Raph smiled beside him.

"I'm hungry, I eat when I'm hungry," Mike shrugged.

Looking back up at the window again, he saw that it offered a fine view of their retreat. He did notice, however, that the waves were getting higher than he remembered, when standing atop the poop deck. As the ship rode up the crest, it felt as if the very hand of Neptune had lifted the vessel. Then, for an instant and before the Pearl descended down the other side of the giant wave, the ship hovered and Mike could see the island far in the distance, fury bright and foreboding. It was a cool sight, but it brought to mind his genius brother's cautionary words.

"You sure it's going to explode, Donnie," Mike asked, his voice small and worried. He never turned when a hand draped across his shoulders.

"I'm certain, Mike." Don answered, joining Mike and Raph at the window, "I hope I'm wrong, but - there's just too much going on over there for it to be a simple eruption."

"So, Einstein," Raph teased, "how we going t'get out of this one. We're trapped here on this boat…"

"Ship!" chorused five voices.

"Whatever, but the fact remains, we can't run, we can't hide…shell…we can't even swim t'safety!"

"I keep telling you, Raph, Captain Sparrow said that he's familiar with tsunamis."

"Don, you know that Jack is a pirate," Raph huffed as he glanced once at his brother, "he lied before and he could be lying' now. He'll say whateveh he wants you t'hear if it means your cooperation. Remember how he tried t'leave us behind?"

"Yeah, I know, but what can I do; he's already threatened to have me arrested and thrown into the brig if I try to interfere again."

For a long while, the cabin's six occupants joined in staring out the window at the raging sea. Some stood, some sat, but after a bit of time passed, and as the Pearl rode up yet another large wave to where they could once again see Isla de Muerta, Elizabeth suddenly remarked, "The island seems brighter. I wonder…"

Yet before the woman could continue her thought, the entire horizon seemed to light up as bright as day.

"What th'shell?" Raph exclaimed excitedly, with Mike grabbing on to him.

"Is...this it?" the turtle in orange asked.

Before Don could explain, in the next a sonic-sounding boom resonated through the ship, quickly followed by Mike's…and Elizabeth's…scream.

"Well, guess it finally blew up!" Don whispered in awe as he gazed out the window with everyone else.

Almost to confirm his words and rising above the tumultuous waves, far out in the horizon they saw a fireball of smoke and magma rise into the cloud-filled sky. It ascended quickly into the dark, ebony night like a fire-breathing dragon, spreading wide like the hand of death, but far too low in the sky for it to be normal. The confusing blend of lave-fed smoke seemed to grow upon itself, greedily filling the horizon with its essence, staying close to the sea.

Don wondered about it and what he wondered made him quake with fear. He sided closer to his brothers and they all looked at him. When he shook his head and sighed, they knew. This was it.

In one terrifying moment, the exploding mass proved far larger than any they had seen so far. In fact, the force of the blast was so intense, that it parted the clouds above just enough to release the moon of its prison. Through the rift and situated just to the left of the billowing mass of white-hot smoke hung the white, celestial orb. Now, the moon readily poured its brilliance through the gapping clouds and straight down towards the cursed ship below.

Once again, Mikey screamed, only this time for a different reason.

As translucent wedges of subdued light shot through the cabin and with dying island as backdrop, Mike stood at the window in stunned surprise. He stared at his boney outstretched arms, his mouth agape. In all honesty, one could say he was wide-eyed with fear.

Yet, the truth of the matter was, that in the moment when the clouds parted, the instant moonlight reigned supreme, everyone caught in its path now savvied what it meant to be under the Aztec curse.

"I think…I'm gonna be…sick."

"Not without a stomach you're not."

"S'not funny, RAPH!"

"I thought it was, Mike," Raph chuckled.