A/N: A bit of foreshadowing here...see if you can catch it.
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Chapter 8
Absolute silence had fallen over the Turners' private cabin. Will and Elizabeth were sitting on either side of their son, whose eyes were darting excitedly back and forth between his parents. They had just told Michael every single detail of their past escapades and as they knew he would be, Michael seemed to be beside himself with awe and wonder. Quite suddenly, Michael leapt to his feet and stood before Will and Elizabeth, eyes glowing in delight.
"I can't believe it!" he exclaimed. "My mum and dad...pirates! Wow!"
Will and Elizabeth glanced at each other, slightly grinning. Both had expected just this sort of reaction from Michael. However, on some level, they felt that he would eventually question why he was never told before now, therefore leading him to feel compelled to find a way to make his parents regret keeping secrets this large from him. And nobody knew better the ways in which Michael Turner taught someone a lesson than Will and Elizabeth.
They had a discussion about this in private earlier. Elizabeth recalled all too well the countless babysitters who had suffered at the hands of Port Royal's most mischievous young person and the moments scattered here and there when she herself had fallen victim to her son's wrath. Elizabeth wasn't expecting to have her butt glued to something again or to be covered in molasses and flour for the second time in one day, but Will and her agreed that whatever prank Michael decided to pull on them in the near future, they most likely deserved it. They felt this way because they knew how it felt to be angry at not being kept privy to certain information.
And as they watched Michael talk energetically in front of them, Will and Elizabeth began to ponder what would eventually and inevitably happen to them as a result of this six-year secret. Michael's lively voice brought them out of their reverie.
"So, what was it like fighting Davy Jones?"
Will sighed. "It was an experience worth forgetting and a terrible ordeal for both your mum and me."
"Quite," agreed Elizabeth. "You know, Michael, pirating really isn't all it's cracked up to be."
"Really?"
"Yes. In the real world, the hero doesn't always emerge victorious. There are times when the hero is captured, most likely tortured, and imprisoned for a short time."
"Of course, but pirates like Captain Jack Sparrow always manage to escape! I bet Jack Sparrow is really fantastic!"
Will chuckled at his son's remark. "Michael, the one thing you have to understand about Jack Sparrow is that you can never completely trust him."
"What do you mean?"
"A real pirate is only concerned about himself, and himself alone. Jack especially will do whatever he needs to do in order to save his own skin. Just keep that in mind."
"Why?" Michael asked. "Has he done that to you before?"
Will paused for a moment before answering. "Unfortunately, yes. He once tricked me onto the Flying Dutchman in a feeble attempt to save his soul from Davy Jones."
"And I bet he would do the same thing to me if the situation called for it," Elizabeth added on. "So just be aware of that side of Jack Sparrow."
Michael shrugged. "That seems like what a normal pirate would do."
Will gave Michael a stern look. "Please don't act like you're an expert on pirates. Until you've sailed with Captain Jack Sparrow, you have no idea what a pirate is truly like."
"Alright, Dad. I'll take your word on that." Now, it was Michael's turn to give his parents a serious expression. "Mum, Dad, why have you kept this from me for so long."
Will and Elizabeth looked at each other rather uncomfortably; they had been anticipating this question for a while. Finally, Elizabeth decided to answer.
"Sweetie, we just wanted to protect you." She motioned for Michael to rejoin them on the bed. He did so and Elizabeth took him into her arms, hugging her son close. "We just thought that after all those years not taking part in piracy, there was no need in telling you all this. You know that your father and I love you very much, and we had your best interests at heart. I hope you can understand that."
As his mother said those words, Michael sank comfortably into Elizabeth's grasp. He had to admit, he absolutely reveled in his mother's comfort every time she offered it; it was as if every ounce of love Elizabeth had for her son coursed outward through her veins and into Michael's.
"You're not mad at us, are you, darling?" Elizabeth asked almost tentatively.
Michael thought hard about this question and finally looked up, smiling. "No. But I am a little upset still. Just...watch your back these next few days." Michael hugged his mom tight. When he let go, Elizabeth kissed his forehead.
"Even we admit that we deserve some type of punishment for our actions; and you are rather gifted at coming up with...interesting punishments."
Michael flashed a mischievous grin. "I can't disagree with you there."
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Will and Elizabeth put Michael to bed a while later and then headed up onto the main deck for a bit of fresh air and peace and quiet. The deck was lit by the glow of the numerous lanterns located almost everywhere. Will and Elizabeth walked over to the railing and stared out at the ocean, which reflected the bright glow of the full moon. They stood there like that for a few minutes before Elizabeth broke the somewhat uneasy silence.
"Do you think we did the right thing by telling Michael?" she asked, her eyes bright and shining.
"Yes," Will replied evenly. "He had to know sooner or later. And since we love him so much, it was best that we told him now."
Elizabeth nodded as tears began to form in her eyes; she wiped them away swiftly as she sniffed. "I know. It's just...if anything bad happens to him or if he gets hurt..." Her voice trailed off.
"Come here." Will pulled Elizabeth into his arms, rocking her back and forth as she silently wept in his chest. He cradled her head in his left palm and whispered into her ear. "Nothing's going to happen to Michael. I promise you that."
Elizabeth gazed deeply into Will's eyes. "I love you."
"I love you too."
Elizabeth pulled Will's head down towards hers and kissed him with all her might. Elizabeth let her tongue slip into Will's mouth pleasurably as her arms wrapped around his neck. Meanwhile, Will's hands slipped down from Elizabeth's sides to her waist. Elizabeth, while still kissing Will, forced Will's hands back around her, placing them firmly on both her buttocks while pressing her body seductively closer to Will.
Will then began to trail kisses along the nape of Elizabeth's neck until he came to her bosom. Without warning, Elizabeth hopped up into Will's arms, wrapping her legs around his body. They both backed up until they hit the deck wall. Since there was no one else on the deck due to the late hour, the couple was free to do whatever they pleased. But just as the kisses were getting even more deeper, Will broke away.
"What is it?" Elizabeth queried.
"I just think...we should try to exercise more self-restraint until we're back home."
Elizabeth understood, but nodded rather reluctantly. Both Will and Elizabeth straightened themselves out before making their way back below deck.
It took only a few seconds to reach their door. Will and Elizabeth were careful to open it gently, so as not to wake Michael; but they needn't have troubled. The moment they both stepped into the room, Will and Elizabeth were met with a downpour of liquid from above, becoming soaked within seconds. As Elizabeth made to wipe the moist strands of hair from her face, something hit her vagina, exploding upon contact; it was a rotten tomato. She turned around on her heels as a result of the sudden blow, and was immediately met with two more bursts of tomato juice on both cheeks of her backside, followed by one on her back. Elizabeth waited a few seconds before once again turning around; as she did so, Elizabeth spied the ends of rather long launching contraptions, and both her feet currently rested upon two of them. When Elizabeth glanced over at Will, she discovered that he too had been hit on both his chest and face.
As stifled giggling soon reached their ears, Will and Elizabeth couldn't help but laugh as well. It turned out that Michael had been rather anxious to get his revenge. He was crouched low on the other side of the room, quietly laughing into his right palm.
"Now we're alright," he forced out in spite of his overpowering laughter.
Will and Elizabeth found that they could do nothing except dash over to their son and hug him close out of nothing but good nature. Out of all the things in the world, there is nothing quite as heartwarming as the feeling of closeness between family members.
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A few days later, the Black Pearl had reached its first destination: Tia Dalma's shack. As the anchor was thrown down into the seabed, Michael turned to face his parents.
"Where are we?"
"We need to visit a person that can tell us how to find what we're after," Elizabeth answered.
"And what are we looking for?"
"The Amulet of Atlantis."
Michael's eyes widened considerably, but before he had time to get out another question, Jack walked by, shouting out orders.
"Into the longboats!" He paused and looked at the Turner family. "Men, women and...miniature man."
The crew climbed into the longboats and were soon sailing along the narrow, winding strait that led to the home of their mysterious fortune-telling friend.
Along the way, Michael kept bombarding Jack relentlessly with questions, trying to probe deeper into the pirate's past. Jack stood rigid in the longboat he shared with the Turners and Gibbs, rolling his eyes at the child's curiosity. Finally, he addressed the six-year-old.
"As much as I'm deeply flattered with your ever-growing respect towards me, I must ask that you try not to disturb the inhabitants of the woods all around us."
Michael goggled at Jack. "People actually live here? Why?"
"An excellent question." However, Jack didn't answer the question, he just went back to his job of gazing around curiously at their ominous surroundings. When Michael made to ask the captain one more thing, Elizabeth pulled him down into her lap for the rest of the trip.
Once they had docked with Tia Dalma's wooden shack, Jack faced the rest of his crew. "Shall I have Turner Jr. mind the boats, then?"
"No!" Michael exclaimed. "I want to go too!"
Jack glanced towards Will and Elizabeth, who nodded that it was alright.
"Fine," Jack said. "Just don't touch anything." Jack then began to climb up the small ladder that allowed entry to the secluded wooden cabin, closely followed by everyone else.
Jack opened the front door in the same cautious manner he always did upon visiting the eccentric fortuneteller. At the moment, Tia Dalma was handling a small, strange-looking crab that was wriggling wildly on her table. Without even looking up to see who had entered, Tia Dalma spoke.
"I was wondering when I'd be seeing you again, Jack Sparrow."
Jack smiled. "Did the 'inner eye' or whatever you call it inform you of my impending visit?"
"No. I just had a feeling."
"Ah. Whenever I have strange feelings, I just wash them away with a good ol' bottle of rum."
Tia Dalma sniffed the air. "Hence the foul odor."
Jack sniffed under his armpit. "Trifles," he said, looking back.
Just then, Tia Dalma noticed the people who had entered behind Jack. Slowly, she walked towards Michael, who was being held protectively by his mother.
"And what is your name?"
"Michael Turner."
"Ah, the child of William and Elizabeth." Tia Dalma smiled as she opened her hand, revealing a shining gold coin, which she deposited into Michael's hand. She then stood up, but a mysterious expression came across her face the moment she made eye contact with Elizabeth. "You, Elizabeth Turner," she began in a voice full of interest, "soon, you will endure very harsh and cruel tests in order to unravel the mystery of the person you thought you lost forever."
Elizabeth, confused, looked at Tia Dalma suspiciously. "The person I thought I lost forever? Who could that be?"
Tia Dalma grinned. "Who, indeed."
Jack walked over to them. "Enough with all the mystery! Now, we're here for you to help us solve a mystery." Jack became confused himself over his wording.
Tia Dalma finally tore her eyes away from Elizabeth and sat back down. "Of course you're here for that. Come."
"Come," Jack repeated to everyone else. He then blew a feather that was dangling from the ceiling out of his eyes.
"What is it that you wish to know about this time?"
"A little underwater city known as Atlantis, perhaps you've heard of it."
Tia Dalma shot Jack an unusually curious expression. "You mean the amulet that still lies buried in the ruins?"
It was Jack's turn to look curious. "Yeah. What's it to you?"
The bard shrugged. "Nothing. As you know, the city of Atlantis was created many, many years ago by the Gods who inhabit the Heavens. The city prospered greatly and housed a tremendous civilization. The villagers worshiped Poseidon, the God of the Sea, and in turn Poseidon let the city go about their business without conflict. There was a tower located in the center of the city, with a glowing blue stone inside it the size of a fist. This was known as the Amulet of Atlantis, the source of power for the prosperous civilization."
"I'm familiar with all that," Jack waved his hand. "Get to the interesting part."
Tia Dalma continued on. "However, this amulet was what caused the destruction of Atlantis. Supposedly, a thief attempted to steal it, but the power stored inside it was so awesome, that it incinerated the man and began to emit waves of energy that crumpled every structure in a short period of time. Soon after that, the water came in around it, and let what remained of Atlantis drown. But the amulet remained intact, and is still emanating power to this day."
"I'm impressed with your rather extensive knowledge. How is it you know all of this?"
"The secret of how to control the amulet was entrusted to one man long ago by the King of Atlantis himself. I am a descendant of that person."
"Are you, now?"
"Yes. The amulet has the ability to create new landmasses and continents all on its own. That was something the King wanted to be safe from everyone else; he couldn't compromise his biggest secret."
"So, how exactly do you gain control of the amulet?" Will asked.
"To possess the power of the Amulet of Atlantis, you must first unlock its secret."
"And how would we accomplish that?"
"By finding the Scroll of Lost Souls. It is a scroll that has ancient inscriptions on it that when translated, gives the translator complete control over the amulet. On the back is a map to the underwater remains of Atlantis."
"So, we find this scroll, we find the amulet," concluded Elizabeth.
"We find the amulet," Will added, "we find a way to defeat any East India Trading Company agents that may be after us."
"Exactly," Jack grinned.
"But I'm afraid that getting the scroll isn't as easy as it sounds," Tia Dalma interjected. "The Scroll of Lost Souls is located on an island called the Island of the Mists; it is an island that vanishes and reappears at will, unless you know how to make it appear."
"And you know how to do that, I gather."
"Obviously. But once you set foot on land, you must battle the protectors of the scroll, each forged from a different Earth element. And after they have been defeated, there's still the matter of the humans who make sure their duty of ensuring the scroll's safety is fulfilled. These humans are reincarnated souls of Atlantis villagers who live in a small castle on the tip of a mountain in the middle of the island. Your only hope to obtain the scroll is to disguise yourselves among them whilst they host a ball that occurred at the time of Atlantis's destruction. If this is successful, then you'll be able to sneak into the space where the Scroll of Lost Souls is kept. After that, you must escape the island without detection and under the nose of very tight security."
A stunned silence followed Tia Dalma's long-winded explanation. At long last, the silence was broken by Jack, who chuckled nervously. "Is that all?"
"Yes."
"Well, I think I speak for everyone here when I say that we will be in dire need of some assistance."
Tia Dalma smiled knowingly. "Never fear, Jack Sparrow. I shall personally accompany you on your quest considering my ties to what you're after."
Jack feigned a delighted expression. "Oh! Wonderful! Always happy to have an extra pair of hands onboard. I'll give you a few minutes to get prepared, shall I?"
"Indeed." As Tia Dalma began to pick some things out from around her cabin, Jack and the crew quietly stepped outside. Everyone that is, except for Elizabeth. She handed Michael over to Will, who in turn stepped out of the door. Elizabeth approached the fortuneteller cautiously, tentative in asking her what she was about to.
"Er...Tia Dalma?"
"Yes, Mrs. Turner?"
"Um...I was just wondering about what she said to me –"
"Ah, yes. It seems that you have a serious ordeal ahead of you, even after all this Atlantis business is finished...William included."
Elizabeth gulped. "What is ahead of me, exactly?"
Tia Dalma hesitated. "I'm afraid I can't really tell you in great detail. Tragedy, first of all, and then revenge followed by desperation and finally curiosity amongst torment."
Elizabeth stared blankly, not able to say a word.
"But, you're devotion to the man you love will be tested to the man you love in the near future...in more than one way. Now, please, I must prepare for the voyage."
Elizabeth reluctantly exited the shack to rejoin Will. The moment she did, Elizabeth enveloped her husband in a tight hug.