Look at the Stars, Look How They Shine for You

It was eerie, where we were. We had left the Pearl in the company of most of the crew, while a few of us traveled up a river in the long boat. It was nowhere near night time, but where we were you wouldn't be able to tell the difference. An array of trees twisted and tangled above us like a ceiling, restricting even the tiniest sliver of light from reaching us. Instead there were candles set about in an odd formation, sitting on tree stumps or hanging from branches.

Every now and then I would catch a glimpse of someone. Not that they were trying to be sneaky, they just blended in very well with their environment. But their presence chilled me, nonetheless. Pintel and Ragetti were pushing oars gently through the water, propelling Jack, Will, and myself to our destination. It was nerve wracking, knowing that I was so close to figuring out the reason for my arrival. But I ignored the chemical reaction in my brain causing me to be anxious, and worked on calming myself.

I was still wearing Jack's boots, much to his dismay. He snuck in during the middle of the night to try and retrieve them, but he never thought to look in between the mattress and the bed frame. The look on his face the next morning when I greeted him was my reward for sleeping like the princess and the pea. I liked making Jack squirm, it was a fulfilling action.

At last we came to the base of a giant tree, which about halfway up sat a house. It was no doubt constructed from the missing trees around us, and the only way to the front door was up a rickety ladder. Pintel and Ragetti were instructed to stay with the boat, and they gulped nervously, looking around at their surroundings. I felt pity for them, but didn't particularly want them with me. I just didn't want them to think I was an alien.

Will rose up the ladder, and I made Jack go before me in case he tried to steal back his boots. I farwelled the remaining two pirates and followed the others up the ladder. Opening the door on the porch, Jack merely walked in as if he owned the place. I rolled my eyes, but followed in after him. The place was decorated ceiling to floor with a wide variety of dark looking things. Jars filled with an array of body parts, insane amounts of jewelery, and a million other things I couldn't even find a name for.

Sitting at a table, pouring over old maps, was a woman. She was dressed in a rag-like dress, with long dreadlocks like Jack's and dark skin. Her eyes were intense and she mumbled to herself before she took notice of us. Jack cleared his throat and the woman looked up, a smile creeping onto her face and revealing her gold capped teeth.

"If eet isn't Jack Spa-row." She announced, standing up.

"Tia Dalma." Jack greeted, a sliver of nervousness shining through his voice.

"Will-yeum Tur-nah." She said, moving along the line of people. Will inclined his head politely as she continued walking and arrived at me. "And you, child." She said, extending her hand and gently brushing my face. "I have been weeting for you, Catalina."

"Hi." I said nervously. She smiled warmly.

"Come, child. Sit." She said kindly, walking over to the table. I shot a look at Jack and Will, who both beckoned me to go forward. I joined Tia at the table, taking a seat beside her. She looked thrilled that I was here, and took my hands in hers.

"I trust they have been good to you?" She asked, speaking of the two men in the room.

"For the most part." I remarked, glancing at Jack who gave me a spiteful smile in return. "Are you...Are you going to make me go back?" I asked her. She smiled.

"Not unless you want to, child." She replied, and I sighed in relief. "But you are here for a reason, Catalina." She added. I bit my lip.

"And why's that?" I asked quietly.

"Tell me, do you know what your name means?" She asked.

"Yeah, Catalina means pure or something." I replied, not understanding what my name had to do with why I was here.

"Your last name, child." She said in return. I shrugged.

"Luna means moon right?" I said weakly. She smiled.

"Luna, joined by suffix mos means something much more important." She explained. "It means, God-ess, of moonlight." I laughed nervously.

"Cool." I replied, not knowing what else I was supposed to say.

"Jack," She called, without breaking eye contact with me. "Does she know of Beckett?"

"Aye, Jocard came by and stopped for a visit. Apparently Beckett's got world domination on his mind." Jack said sarcastically.

"Do you like dis world, Catalina?" Tia asked. I nodded slowly. "Then you must save it." She said. I stayed quiet for a few minutes, mulling over what she had said. I had trouble believing that I was anything more than human.

"What am I supposed to do?" I asked quietly.

"One ting you must understand about de world is balance. No mattar how hard we try, dere will never be all good or all bad. It has always been that way, and it must always steey that way. You must keep that balance, Catalina." She said, staring intensely at me. I held my breath, shaking my head.

"I'm...I'm just me." I protested.

"Do you meen to say you have not...felt someting for-an in you?" She asked. I thought long and hard about my time here. Had anything been out of the ordinary? No, nothing. Wait...There was that time with Jack, when I had...felt control. I racked my memory for that particular scene, and rehearsed it in my mind. What caused it, what happened, what was the aftermath, everything. And I remembered the clouds. The darker clouds and the wind, and the restless sea. I looked up at her, shocked.

"Did I do that?" I wondered aloud. She must have known what I was talking about. Could she read minds? She nodded slightly. I gasped quietly, and tried to remember any other times that seemed out of place...With Grapple. After the sword fight with Jack, he called me Kitty. And there was a sudden wind. Was that me too? "Oh my God..." I whispered.

"Would you like to know your full capabilitees?" She asked quietly. She understood how hard all of this was for me to comprehend. I met her gaze after a moment, and slowly shook my head no.

"I...I don't think I can handle that right now." I whispered distantly. She nodded, and then turned to the people I had totally forgot were in the room.

"You must keep her safe at all costs, Jack. Beckett cannot take her, or else it will be you and I workeeng for the East India Trading Company." She said gravely. I didn't look up to see his reaction, for I was swimming in all of the information I had been given. I was a Goddess? And from what I understood, I could control the elements. Maybe that was why I took such a liking to the water...

"Tia?" I called, raising my head. "Did you bring me here?" I asked.

"Yees." She replied. I nodded my head.

"How did you know it was me you needed?" I asked quietly. She looked at Jack and Will, me, and back at the two pirates. She nodded towards the door, signaling them out. They hesitantly left me alone with her, and Will closed the door on his way out. She listened as they got into the boat before turning her attention back to me.

"Because you are the only person left in my family who received the genes." She replied quietly. My eyes widened.

"You...You're one too?" I whispered. She nodded. "Then how come I have to do this?" I asked, and she sighed. "Not to be rude, or anything..." I quickly added.

"What I am is very diffrant from you, Catalina. Revealing myself as what I truly am would call out of hideeng a beast ceepable of harrific tings. Deevy Jones."

"He exists?" I breathed.

"Very real, he is. But very dangerous as well." She explained. "Now Catalina, what you have to understand is dat you must focus. You can cause great damage if you are not ceerful, you must channal your feelings towards those who oppose us."

"You make it sound like a war..." I said weakly.

"In a weey, it is child. Beckett will turn de world upside down if we let him. And that would mean the end of the only people you know in dis world. And, I don't imagan you would like to be alone." She said wisely. I sighed.

"How will I know when to stop?" I asked, thinking about what she was asking me to do. Stopping Beckett. And his men. Did that involve murder?

"You will feel it, child. You have alweeys been in tune wit de eart. Overtinking will only fail you. You must relax," She said, leaning backwards in her chair. "And let your true self teek control." She said. I took a deep breath, and exhaled it.

"Okay." I said quietly. She smiled.

"Do not be afreed, child." Tia said. "This is your des-tinee."



I descended the wooden ladder carefully and stepped into the boat. I didn't say a word, and after a minute they realized I wasn't going to. Jack ordered Pintel and Ragetti to bring us back. I could feel both Will and Jack's eyes burning on me, but I refused to meet their gaze. Instead I turned my back to them, looking down at the murky water. I gently lowered my hand over the edge, touching my finger to the cool liquid. I wished the pirates would row faster.

As soon as the thought conjured itself in my head, the boat propelled forward at an unreasonably fast rate. I quickly withdrew my hand from the river, my eyes wide with disbelief. So it was true.

"Wot was that!?" Pintel said, uneasily. Him and his friend with the wooden eye were no doubt looking around expecting a lake monster.

"It was just a current." Will said, covering for me. "Keep rowing."