Thunder: And so, we reach chapter 17. Consider this a breather to all the comedy in the last stories.

Chapter 17

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Cheyenne and Elizabeth were on the Edinburgh Trader, acting like the men they were supposed to be.

"What're we going to do Liz?" Cheyenne asked. "How're we gonna find a way to Will and Jack?"

"By asking nicely." Megan said, popping right next to Elizabeth. She jumped back but regained her composure when she realized it was just Megan.

"I need to get used to that." she said, a little laugh at the end.

"Yeah." Megan said. "Look. I don't have a lot of time before the scene changes on the Pearl, but I have a way to help you find Jack."

"How?" Elizabeth asked

"The first mate, another guy, and the captain are getting mad about where to make port without having to pay. But the company is reaching out and reaching wide. There are hardly any free ports left."

"Then where would the ship make port without paying?" Cheyenne asked. Megan grew a little smirk as she walked through Cheyenne to pick up one of the dresses the crew was arguing about before they set sail. Megan was able to tell it was Cheyenne's by the length.

"That's why you have to help make the decision." Megan said, looking like she was examining the dress.

"Wait what?" Cheyenne asked, a confused look slapped on her face.

"You're not making any sense." Elizabeth said

"The only free port is a pirate port. Tortuga. But the captain is an honest man and doesn't want to go there." Megan gently lifted the dress and held it against her body. "Unfortunately, that is where Jack is going and if they decide not to make port there, you're both out of luck." She held the upper part of the dress to her chest with her chin, and held out the arms, and moved them all around to make it look like it was dancing.

"Then how do we make them go to Tortuga?" Elizabeth asked. Megan stopped playing with Cheyenne's dress and picked up Elizabeth's dress and threw them both at Cheyenne, who was surprised at the toss, but caught them.

"You have a ship full of superstitious sailors. Use your imagination." Megan said with a smirk, holding her arms out. "But if I may say, a couple things most people are superstitious about would be signs, and ghosts. Ta." Megan snapped her fingers and vanished. Cheyenne and Elizabeth put deep thought into what Megan meant. Cheyenne looked up at Elizabeth and smile growing on her face.

"I think I've got it." she said. Elizabeth looked down at her friend, a smile on her face as well.

"Me too." she said. "We need ropes, brooms, a lantern, and rum."

"I'm on it!" Cheyenne gave Elizabeth the dresses as she went to get the specified items.

HHHHH

Norrington was thrown out of the back door of the bar, and landed in the mud as usual. And as usual, he was soon followed by Heather. Growling in the mud, she stood up angrily and stomped up to the back door.

"Do you know who you just kicked out? That was James Norrington! Former Commodore of the British navy!!" She yelled

"Yeah, especially the former part!" somebody yelled back, which was then accompanied by laughter from half the bar. Heather seethed and stomped back to Norrington and gently sat down next to him, rubbing the back of his head tenderly.

"If only they knew what you went through." she whispered

"My my my." a voice said. "What has happened to you?" Heather jumped to her feet, fists raised and was surprised the see Megan behind her.

"Megan!" she said. The two friends shared a brief hug. It was brief because Megan didn't want to get all muddy.

"Look at you! You're a mess." Megan said, looking at Heather up and down.

"So? You're wearing regular clothes. Wait, why are you wearing regular clothes?" Heather asked

Megan remembered that Heather hasn't even seen her yet and doesn't know about her unique powers.

"It doesn't matter. What matters..." Megan was interrupted by a moan from Norrington, and lowered her voice to almost a whisper, "what matters is that you and Norrington over there get to the faithful Bride."

"That's half way across Tortuga!"

"I know! But listen. Jack's going to be there and if you want off this island, you're going to have to get there and sign up to join the crew." Norrington slowly stood up and holding his head turned to see Heather.

"You sure about this?" Heather whispered to Megan.

"Who saw Dead Man's Chest?"

"... You did." mumbled Heather.

"Heather?" Norrington asked. Megan looked over to see Norrington looking at them. If he could see her, he'd be looking Megan dead in the eyes.

"Gotta go. Remember. Faithful Bride, way off Tortuga." Megan quickly said before snapping her fingers and vanishing.

"How'd she do that?" Heather wondered out loud.

"How did who do what?" Norrington asked. Heather turned to see Norrington right behind her.

"It's nothing James, but listen we have to go to the Faithful Bride." Heather said

"Why?"

"Because Jack Sparrow is going to be there." Norrington sobered at the very name.

"Very well then. To the Faithful Bride." Norrington said, swaggering away. He almost fell, until Heather caught up and held onto him, being his crutch.

"How do you know Sparrow will be there?"

"I uh ... I'm... mystical." Heather said, doing spirit fingers. Norrington, being slightly drunk at the moment, shrugged it off and moved forward with his Heather crutch.

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"It's an outrage." The captain of the Edinburgh Trader said. "Port tariffs, berthing fees, wharf handling, and heaven help us, pilotage. Are we all to work for the East India Trading Company, then?" He threw the tickets that had all the said information on it. His two best men looked at him.

"I'm afraid sir," one of them said, "Tortuga is the only free port left in these waters."

"A pirate port is what you mean." the captain said. "Well, I'm sorry. An honest sailor is what I am. I make my living fair and I sleep well each night." The two men's eyes grew wide as they saw two things floating outside the window.

"S-Sir." the other man said, pointing at the window. All three went to it and saw the two dresses they found earlier. Then ran out of the room and onto the deck where the dresses seamed to hover. Te largest of the dresses pointed a ghostly finger at the captain.

"They want you to do something sir." the second man said. The captain stepped forward. Elizabeth and Cheyenne were doing their best to make their dresses seem like spirits. Elizabeth moved the left arm to make it pointing out at the sea.

"They're trying to give us a sign." the captain said, amazed. The dresses split in different directions, swooping onto the deck. One of them knocked over a lit lantern and the captain pointed in the opposite directions where the lantern landed.

"Over there! Look for a sign!" he said. Elizabeth and Cheyenne sighed.

"They're superstitious, but they're also idiots." Cheyenne said

"I know." Elizabeth said, grabbing a rope. "Come on, we have to show them the sign." Elizabeth slid down the rope with Cheyenne close behind.

"Look there it is! I see it!" the first man said

"That's seaweed." the second man said

"Well seaweed could be a sign."

"Looks like entrails."

"That would be a bad sign." the captain said.

"What's that over there?" Elizabeth said, with a masculine voice while casually sitting on the top of a barrel.

"Looks like an odd sign." Cheyenne said, leaning on a mop next to the barrel. The whole crew gathered around to see what they were seeing They found it. The sign. Their gaze seemed to remain forever on the blazing words that were laid on the deck.

'Tortuga'

Thunder: Wow, this chapter really is actually serious... somewhat.