Hello! I had every intention of getting this out sooner, but after posting the first chapter, life decided that I needed to really experience life on the water... Via a flooded basement. Anyway, problem has been taken care of so we are back at it! I was so excited to get this chapter out so not being able to work on it was really frustrating.

But we made it!

Thank you to cheesecakefgcu, sunshine2602, louise53, pointlessperson, and daydreamer003 for adding this story!

And I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean in any way, shape, or form.

Anyway, without further ado, enjoy the chapter!


Chapter 2

Lena's Journal – July 15, 1729

This chart that we've gone all over the earth looking for is complete nonsense. I have never seen such a thing and I can't understand a thing on it. How does one read a map that changes? Plus, there are items drawn onto it along with words that mean nothing to me. I am starting to have my doubts about this map. How can we make it to the Locker if we can't understand the map?

Regardless of understanding the map, Barbossa has kept us on course since leaving Singapore. I can't say I have much of an idea as to where we are headed, but I have noticed a shift in temperature. Perhaps I should have prepared for a colder trip. It is certainly not the warm Caribbean I am used to.

The worst part of this trip is being on this ship with Sao Feng's men. I don't trust them. At all. When asked, Will never gives a real answer as to how he came to his agreement with Sao Feng. There must be a reason they are here, and I worry what that reason is after knowing how much he hates Jack. There is something going on here. I wish I knew what.


Enormous maintains of ice were scattered across the water, towering over the ship as it moved past them. The only sound to be heard was the water being cut by the ship and the occasional whisper of the crew, too cold to speak loudly.

Lena sat in silence beside Elizabeth, sharing the lone blanket that had been found onboard. They had little need while closer to Singapore, but their travels had taken them into the bitter cold. Muscles tense from shaking in the cold, Lena dreaded the next time she moved, knowing how stiff she would be. While she was better off than the crew, she could still feel the frostbite setting into her skin, cheeks tender from the cold and fingers numb. Her usual blue shirt did nothing to block out the cold, even with the assistance of her jacket overtop.

She let out a shaky breath as she blew the loose strands of hair out of her face, frozen over just like the rest of her hair that was currently pulled back into a braid, just to keep the ice from touching her face. They hadn't been in the freezing temperatures for too long, but she had noticed the chill coming days ago. Over a week and they had yet to find a sure path into world's end. It put a damper on her hope.

The map was cryptic at best. Shifting courses and nonsense words. She had left it to the others to decipher after giving up herself. Part of it was due to the cold. She could hardly think straight, let alone focus on reading a map, when her entire body was trying to simply keep warm. A difficult task it was when she had no desire to move.

She was pulled from her drifting thoughts as Will and Tai Huang walked up to Barbossa, chart in hand.

"Do you care to interpret, Captain Barbossa?" Will asked as he held up the charts, pointing out some of the words written on it.

Unsure what he was talking about, Lena was almost tempted to get up and see what was on the map. However, the cold won out as she remained in her spot, arms wrapped around her as she listened to their conversation.

"Ever gazed upon the green flash, Master Gibbs?" Barbossa asked, catching the attention of Gibbs as he stood just a few steps away from them, looking out at the ice around them.

"I reckon I seen my fair share," Gibbs answered, thinking back on what he was saying. "It happens on rare occasion. At the last glimpse of sunset, a green flash of light shoots up into the sky. Some go their whole lives without seeing it, some claim to have seen it that ain't. Some say-"

Cut off before he could finish, Pintel jumped in excitedly, "It signals when a soul comes back to this world, from the dead!" Pausing as he suddenly received a glare from Gibbs, he added, "sorry."

Looking back at Will with the chart now rolled up, Barbossa said, "trust me, young Master Turner, it's not gettin' to the land of the dead that's the problem. It's gettin' back."

That thought was left to linger in her mind as she wondered just what that meant. Surely if the chart gave them a path there, it would lead them back as well. If not, she supposed it would be a long time spent locked out of the rest of the world. Perhaps not the worst case scenario out there if Jack was back at her side.


Lena's Journal – July 23, 1729

I have never disliked a trip as much as I do this one. After spending several days in the bitter cold, we have finally started to see an improvement. And it seems that Barbossa has a clear idea of how to get there, though the rest of us seem to be left in the dark as to how to get there. Going to the end of the earth truly is starting to feel like a one-way trip. We'll be stuck at sea forever.

And the company leaves much to be desired. I hate how far away I feel from Lizzy. To have such a close friend nearby with no way to speak is killing me. Anything we do talk about is superficial at best. Of course, Mr. Gibbs is always there to talk to and there is never a shortage of stories for him to tell. One I have surprisingly enjoyed speaking to is Barbossa. While I must admit that the man has a flare for dramatics, not that I would say such a thing to him, his peculiar sense of humor has kept some light in this trip.

I can only imagine how Jack will react to know that I get along surprisingly well with his traitorous first mate. Barbossa is willing to take the risks needed to find him though. How can I not agree with that course of action when it's the same as what I am willing to do?


With time, the weather had improved, passing back into comfortable temperatures as they found their ship sailing through calm waters. The night was clear as countless starts were seen overhead. It was odd almost, how little was happening. Almost. Something that was happening, though Lena did her best to stay out of it, was troubled water in Elizabeth and Will's relationship. She had noticed the strain between them growing in the weeks and she couldn't help but think back to her own thoughts that haunted her at times.

It had been going on since they were attacked by the kraken, when Jack had been taken from them. At first, Lena had pushed it aside, assuming it was just another form of grief she was seeing, like everyone else had been dealing with. But it didn't seem to improve with time. She had caught a few conversations between them, if they could even be called conversations. It wasn't just her that Elizabeth wasn't talking to. She ended her conversations with Will short as well.

Tonight seemed to be no different. She and Elizabeth had been on deck, minding their own business as they stayed in their own space. It was during this quiet peace that she heard Will walk up to Elizabeth and she couldn't help but wonder if he knew she was close enough to hear. Not moving from her seat on the deck, she remained in the shadows of the mast, listening, even if she knew she shouldn't.

"How long do we continue not talking?" Will asked as he stopped behind her.

Elizabeth's answer was almost too quiet to hear as she said, "once we rescue Jack everything will be fine."

"When we rescue Jack?" Will repeated and Lena could almost imagine his face in the conversation.

When she heard footsteps follow, Lena took a chance, glancing over as she saw Elizabeth walk away.

Everything seemed to revolve around finding Jack. Moving back to her spot hidden from sight, Lena sighed as she pulled her knees up, resting her head on them. She hated those thoughts in her head. The doubts. The idea that Elizabeth did love Jack. Worse yet, the idea that Jack returned those feelings somehow. Eyes pressed tight, she ignored the tears building as she tried to calm her mind.

One thing still remained though. That fear that she would find out the truth soon, and it wasn't a truth she wanted.

Why was being in love with Jack Sparrow so difficult?

"For what we want most, there is a cost must be paid in the end."

Startled by Tia Dalma's sudden words, Lena jumped up, bumping her head on the mast as she peered around it, spotting her speaking to Will. She didn't have time to contemplate her words however as Will's urgent shouting caught more of her attention.

After running to the stern, where Barbossa stood steering the ship, he yelled "Barbossa! Ahead!"

"What's ahead?" Lena asked, mostly to herself in alarm as she glanced towards the front of the ship, not seeing much in the dark and from the distance.

"Aye, we're good and lost now," Barbossa replied with a grin, proud of that statement.

Catching the conversation, Elizabeth repeated, "lost?"

"For certain you have to be lost to find the places can't be found," Barbossa explained. "Elseways, everyone would know where it was."

"We're gaining speed!" Gibbs called out.

As if it were nothing, Barbossa replied, "aye."

Lena looked at him in alarm, wondering how he could possibly be so calm about all of this. "This will work?" she asked Barbossa, though she had no idea what "this" was aside from it was something that was pulling them ahead.

His reply was a nod and laughing which did nothing to convince her, but he had gotten them this far.

Will dashed forward, shouting as he went. "To stations! All hands, to stations! Hard to port, gather way!"

Immediately, the crew scrambled to their feet, coming out from the lower deck and rushing to get the ship under control, trying to slow it down. They didn't get far before Barbossa followed.

"Nay! Belay that! Let her run straight and true!"

At the captain's orders, everyone dropped what they were doing, though reluctantly. With nothing to do but wait and see, Lena, along with the rest of the crew moved towards the front of the boat to see what they approached.

As she looked out before them, she felt that drop in her gut as she took in the giant waterfall they had a perfect path to. Stretched out as far as she could see, there was no end in sight as it blended into the night. There would be no avoiding it. Fear in her eyes, she looked back at Barbossa.

"This fall is on course?" There was no disguising the panic she felt as she looked from Barbossa back towards the falls, receiving all the agreement she needed. Even if it weren't, she had a feeling there was no going back at that point.

"You've doomed us all!" Elizabeth shouted, rounding on Barbossa as she realized what he was leading them into.

Barbossa walked up to her, grabbing her face as he said, "don't be so unkind. You may not survive to pass this way again and these be the last friendly words you'll hear."

"Tie her off!" Will shouted as he raced across the ship, the crew following as they tried to change direction to keep the ship from going over.

Throughout all the running, Lena stayed in her spot, gripping the railing as she watched the ship continue getting closer and closer to the fall. She had chosen to believe that this was the course they needed, trusting in Barbossa's navigations. She might as well continue believing through this. And if it didn't work, she supposed that she wouldn't have to worry much longer.

"Hard to port!" Elizabeth shouted, command followed through as the ship turned, facing the side. But it did nothing to change their course. Pulling strong, the current continued to drag them forward, racing towards the inevitable.

"Hold on!" Will shouted as they reached the edge.

Following through, Lena held on tight to the railing, arms wrapped around as much as she could. The last thing she saw before she pressed her eyes closed was the edge of the water, tumbling over the falls in a roaring rush, drowning out all other noise as the volume of it pounded on her ears.

And a moment later, they were tipping over the edge. Screaming as she lost her footing, the ground beneath her suddenly at a new angle, she could do nothing but hold on as they plunged down, swallowed up by the raging waters and blinding mists at the bottom.


The reunion is next time and I am so excited! I really wanted to post it with this chapter but it's still a work in progress. Hopefully it will be up soon! Until then, let me know what you think and remember to favorite and follow! Thanks!