Chapter Twenty Five

Small Beginnings

"Greatness from small beginnings"

Nate felt Sir Francis Drake step behind and gently placed a hand on his shoulder, reassuringly.

Just moments earlier, Elena had flickered out of sight and out of his embrace. Nate's fingers still felt as though they were locked in her soft blond hair and he refused to move them for fear of losing this moment.

A gulf of emotion and pain ripped through his insides as he clutched in vain to the last memory he would ever have of the woman he loved.

Already, her image was fading from his mind. Was her right eyebrow slightly higher than her left or was it the other way round? What side was her dimple on? He frantically squeezed his eyes shut, recreating her figure in his mind. He had to focus or he would lose her forever.

And forever she would be lost. Nate's heart sank as her beautiful smile faded into obscurity as thoughts he had been forcing himself to repress came to the surface of his consciousness.

He would spend an eternity in the fog.

Without her.

Nate stared at the spot where Elena had vanished. He sighed and turned towards Sir Francis Drake whose hand was still resting on his bare shoulder for comfort.

Startled, Nate took a step back. The man in front of him was a complete stranger. Light eyes, dark hair with graying hues and a narrow face. The man was fairly young, but his eyes were weary, the eyes of an old soul.

There was something unmistakably familiar about his smile, slightly crooked, turned up at the top lip. The man smothered his hands over his royal blue garments and look pointedly at Nate.

"It's good to be me again" Drake drawled. "Although I rather enjoyed inhabiting your body for a while"

"Well, I certainly won't miss those tights" Nate said with a small smile. "Glad I'm not stuck in those for eternity"

Drake laughed, his voice lighter and softer than Nate had imagined.

Nate rubbed his hands together. "So, what should we do today? We have forever, so let's not go nuts right away. Is there a bar or a bowling alley here?"

Drake smiled sadly. "I'm sorry about Elena"

Nate raised his eyebrow. He opened his mouth to say something then promptly closed it again.

"I don't really wanna talk about it" he said shortly. Nate folded his arms to his bare chest defensively.

Drake lifted his hands into the air comically. "We will have to talk about it sooner or later Nathaniel. We will no doubt run out of topics to discuss fast"

Nate scowled in reply.

"You sacrificed everything for Elena. You died for her-"

"-Because she is the one" interrupted Nate. He pointed a finger to emphasise his point. He lowered his hand in defeat. "Well, she was the one.."

"You speak so freely here" contemplated Drake.

Nate frowned. "What do you mean?"

Drake shrugged with nonchalance. "You never told Elena how deep your feelings for her went until you were here. Until you were dead"

Nate stared at Drake, his mouth opening and closing like a fish.

"That was the first time you have told her? That you loved her I mean?" Drake questioned.

"If you're suggesting.."

"Suggesting what?"

Nate took a deep breath. "If you're suggesting that I only told her I loved her because I was dead you're wrong"

"No I don't believe I am wrong" countered Drake. "Why is it only until you had died did you fully have the courage to tell her?"

"What are you? My shrink? Are you gonna psycho-analyse me for eternity because I'm not cool with that"

"Why tell her you love her now? Why not 6 months ago?"

Nate shook his head. "Because... because I'm not an emotional kind of guy. I don't wear my heart on my sleeve"

"I beg to differ"

Drake reached down to Nate's limp hand, lifting it slowly. He took hold of Nate's wrist before gently turning his arm inward.
As Nate's arm turned, the black ink of an old tattoo was revealed, beginning just under the crook of his arms and finishing a few inches below.

It was hidden from view, from a distance appearing as a shadow his arm casted. It was covered with dirt and grime that had accumulated from sleeping in a tree the night before, up to the events in the cave moments ago. Nevertheless, the tiny text was clear and visible.

"Greatness from small beginnings" Drake echoed.

"Yeah.." Nate said, somewhat embarrassed he was meeting the man whose famous words were etched permanently onto his arm. "So what?, I like it"

"When did you get this? After the first escapade on this island?"

Nate shook his head. "No" he said slowly. "I got it.. a few years ago"

"why?" prompted Drake.

Nate hesitated. He was silent.

"Your mother used to quote that line to you when you were young" Drake answered when it was clear Nate didn't have a thing to say. "She would tell you it, whenever you were down or had lost faith in yourself"

"You've been sneaking around in my memories!"

"I didn't have to Nate" Drake scoffed. He pointed his finger at Nate's chest, pushing him back. "It's written all over your face. You got that tattoo to remember her. To remember your mother after she died"

"Ok" Nate said angrily. "Ok so yeah. It's a memorial tattoo I got for my mum. Now is there a point to all this or am I gonna have to spend eternity avoiding you?"

"You fear it. You fear love"

"This is bullshit"

"Love to you Nathaniel is all about sacrifice. You truly believe that to love someone is to suffer"

"This is ridiculous"

"You loved your father. You admired him, you wanted to be him. But he abandoned you and your love. You lost your childhood, wondering why he left, if or when he was coming back."

"You loved your mother. You gave up your studies to take care of her. But she died, she left you alone. You lost your career, your future

"And now, Your giving up your life to save Elena's"

"I had to. It was the only way" Nate argued.

Drake stood directly in front of Nate, placing both hands on his shoulders.

"Whenever there has been love in your life there has been loss. And now, you cannot seem to separate the two"

"I'm loving this little D and M we're having here" Nate said sarcastically. "But what good is this to me now anyway?"

He tried to push Drake off his arms and turn away but Drake grabbed his wrist and pulled him back.

Nate refused to look Drake in the eyes, instead staring at his hand. "I'm dead. I'm dead and I'll never be happy" his voice wavered slightly with the truth of his words.

"Look at your tattoo" Drake said gently. "Look at those words. That is the proof. This proves you have the ability to acknowledge that you love someone"

Nate glanced at his arm. "Those aren't even my words"

"They are as much yours now as they were once mine" Drake said smiling.

Nate stared at them, surprised that the letters were going out of focus. He suddenly realised his eyes were filling with tears. He could feel his emotions bubbling at the surface, wanting to break through, wanting to scream. Nate tried to forge a wall in his mind, attempting to block them out but he could feel more tears springing behind his eyes. He felt nauseated and breathless with the effort. Finally, his wall collapsed and he fell to his knees.

"Elena.." Nate choked. His hands covered his face, a tear finally making its way out of his eye and rolling slowly down his cheek.

"Oh God.. I should have told you.. I should have told you everyday" he whispered, his shoulders shaking.

Drake cocked his head suddenly to one side.

"Do you hear that?" he asked.

A disembodied voice wafted through the breeze like a leaf caught in an updraft. It sailed though Nate's senses, tingling down his spine and warming his chest. He lifted his head out of his hands, looking around in amazement.

"What.. what is that?" he asked astonished. "Is that...Elena's voice?"

"She's calling for you.." Drake said simply.

"Now is the time.."

"Answer her back"

Nate touched his lips as he felt something brush past them. He opened his mouth to say something but suddenly his back arched and his head exploded with pain.

With sudden jolt, Nate's world was thrown upside down. A powerful fire was igniting in his chest and spreading throughout his entire body. He tried to scream, but no sound came out.
The fog was fading fast, and his world orientated again. He became aware he was lying on his back, his head resting on cold, smooth rocks.

The fire inside his chest began to subside as Nate took his first shaky breath. His body spasmed with the effort and his lips were tingling like crazy.

-
-

He groaned and attempted to move his arms but found they were being restrained by someone else's.

"Don't move" a voice wavered into his consciousness like a radio with bad reception.

"Is he ok?"

"My God. She did it"

"Can you hear us?"

Nate struggled to make sense of the scene surrounding him. Voices were rapidly turning to white noise in his head until something suddenly focused his attention.

Her hair.

He could just make out the familiar waves of angel hair. He smiled drunkenly, as he lifted his arms to reach out for her.. to touch her.

He squinted and tried to sit up. He could dimly see what he thought was her beautiful and beyond perfect smile...

"I love you" he rasped, eyes wide and blinking fast.

"Er.. thanks kiddo I love you too" said Sully's confused voice.

It took a moment to realise Nate was looking in the wrong direction, and the golden waves of angel hair were in fact Sully's. Nate shook his head, trying to clear it, embarrassment creeping into his face, reddening slightly. Sully had a look of concern on his face unmistakably masked by sheer amusement.

"Elena.. I meant... you know I love you too Sully, you know I think you got a great ass" Nate said sheepishly

Sully laughed. "He's back"

"Elena's a little busy right now" Chloe said, looking nervously behind her. "Come on, lets get you up"

Chloe and Sully both gave Nate some support as he struggled to his feet. As he found his bearings, he became aware of the hundred or so marine soldiers surrounding them. They were eerily quiet, hands folded in apprehension, some looking at Nate nervously, others in complete disbelief at his sudden return to life.

His body was shaking, his chest covered in blood. Wearily, he looked down at himself, surprised to find no wound visible.

"How...?" was all he could muster.

"Shh" said Chloe. She pointed at a lone figure standing in front of the El Dorado statue.

"Watch your Goddess do her work"

A hundred eyes were locked on to the small woman surpassed by the enormous tower of the idol. Nate watched in shock as Elena's body suddenly glowed white with power. Her hands outstretched, Elena's lips mouthed an incomprehensible and unbelievably fast stream of words, her voice vibrating through the cavern walls with a rumble.

At once, a loud crack like lightning bounced and echoed off the walls.

She had split the El Dorado idol in two,

Her hands trembling slightly, she brought them back down her side and appeared to be taking long deep breaths.

The cavern erupted alive with sounds of cheering and applause. Nate turned his head in amazement, remembering the fact that they were definitely not alone in the cave. A hundred marine soldiers cheered loudly, embracing each other, finally completely free of their ordeal. In the distance, Nate could make out Hawkins standing towards the back. He raised his hand in a casual salute to Nate and Nate followed with a nod. Hawkins smiled slightly and turned to continue celebrating with his men.

Somehow, in Nate's mind he knew Elena had released the Soul Aletor. Broken the curse and freed the souls bound to it for eternity. He lifted his head to the ceiling of the cave, thoughts of Sir Francis Drake finally being liberated from his prison.

"Thank you" Nate murmured, wondering if his spirit could hear his thanks.

"So you're back?" a voice called.

Nate lowered his head and found Elena standing right in front of him, a sheepish, embarrassed smile on her face. His heart just about jumped a mile.

"Look at you, Miss Superwoman" Nate joked. He gestured for Sully and Chloe to let him go.

She shrugged. "Yeah.. I guess so" she said her face turning crimson.

"You are amazing. You know that right?"

Her face turned a deeper red. "You're not so bad yourself. I thought I lost you in there"

"Well, I'm lucky you were able to pull me out" he said, playfully punching her.

Elena shook her head. "But I didn't" she said.

Nate frowned. "But then.. how did I get out of limbo?"

"I used the spirits power. I healed you, then I tried to bring you back to life but I couldn't.." her voice cracked at the memory.

"I thought you were gone forever. But then suddenly, you came back" Her eyes went soft, a tear trickling down her face. "You brought yourself out Nate" she said with a smile.

Nate's mouth opened in agape. His heart hammered in his chest. Could he really have pulled himself out of there? He shook his head. There would be plenty of time to worry about that later.

"I love you" he whispered. He pulled her in closer and pressed his lips to hers.

"I love you too"

The sun was gently rising in the distance and its light streamed though the caves entrance and illuminated only their entwined figures, making them appear as though they were glowing with a golden haze. The marines slowly made their way out of the cavern, shielding their eyes from the sun's harsh glare as Chloe and Sully smirked at the two lovebirds

"Let's give them a minute" Sully whispered to Chloe, pulling her towards the exit.

"They'll have to come up for air soon"

Concluding chapter coming soon!