Her Beginning

[Crestshot]

Ok, next chapter. Why do I always post these at like, midnight? Urgh. Oh well. Quick warning about this chapter: Kat actually fights in it, and there's mentions of blood and what not. I'm just throwing that out there so you know and so that I don't get in trouble later.

Also, thank you for the reviews for Her Dance. I really, truly appreciate it. Seriously, you guys have no idea. And yes, Amelia, Lawrence is a bit clueless, but, you know, he has his reasons....kinda....

Anyway, onward we go!

Her New Morning



“Throw her in the brig!” he commanded in a harsh voice. His eyes looked cold, and strong hands grasped her arms, dragging her across the deck of the ship.

“No, sweetheart, I swear I didn’t! I would never…I, I couldn’t!” Katherine struggled viciously against her captors, yelling out to her husband. They only held her tighter, not caring about the fact that she was female. That only made them fiercer towards her.

“You think I can believe you?!” her husband thundered. “You are nothing but a stupid, stupid woman! I should have never brought you aboard this ship!” His voice quieted with his next line. “The men were right. A woman on a ship is bad luck.” With that the men dragged a struggling, crying Katherine across the deck and into the dark, dank brig of the ship…

Kat sat up quickly in bed, breathing heavily. Her eyes looked around frantically, and she relaxed a bit when she saw the drawers and desk of her room in the Royal Anchor from the gentle sunlight coming through the window. She fell backwards in the bed with a sigh, trying to get her breathing under control. Her eyes blinked rapidly, as if trying to determine whether the image of the ceiling would suddenly change into the darkness of the brig. When her mind seemed to straighten out, she sat up again and swung out of the bed.

She glanced out the window towards the town. The sun had risen just over the mountains. Kat decided it was time to get up and out. She remembered Sam Seabones’ warning about Tia Dalma leaving soon, so she grabbed her cutlass and clipped it on, and put on her coat, slipping the gold and the chest into the inside pockets again. She put her boots on and went down the stairs to the bar of the Royal Anchor.

Josie was down there, cleaning behind the bar and seemingly getting ready for the day. She noticed Kat walk through the door that leads to the rooms. “Morning Kat,” she said cheerily. “Sleep alright?”

“Yes,” Kat muttered, rubbing at her eyes. Josie noted the light bags under Kat’s eyes, but decided not to mention it. The girl had enough on her mind it seemed. She went over to the coffeepot on the stove and poured a cup for Kat. The young woman sat down heavily at a bench at the bar and graciously accepted the cup of coffee Josie placed in front of her.

Kat glanced at it and picked it up. “Thanks Josie,” she said, taking a sip of the warm brew. Even though she wasn’t much of a coffee drinker- not black anyway- Josie had one of the best coffees she had ever tasted. It made her feel revitalized. She took another sip before saying, “I have things today.”

Josie looked at her in surprise. “Things to do? But you just got here.”

“Um, yes,” Kat responded nervously. “Well, you know, Sam Seabones over at the dock asked a favor of me. Asked me to kill some skeletons.” She didn’t want to reveal to Josie that there was more to it than that. Kat trusted her, but didn’t want to reveal she was going to see Tia Dalma. Something told her that the news wouldn’t be greatly welcomed.

Josie wasn’t too happy with the news of the skeletons either. “That Seabones, always trying to do things he’s perfectly capable of doing himself.” She sighed. “Just be careful, alright? Those skeletons are nasty when provoked.” Josie wasn’t really certain about Kat going and doing favors for Sam, especially defeating skeletons, but she knew he paid well for so little work. He really wanted those pesky skeletons gone, and he recruited all the help he could from newcomers at the dock, hoping that it would bring more people to the fight for the Caribbean.

Kat saw the conflict and Josie’s eyes and nodded her consent. “Don’t worry Josie, I’ll always be careful.” The two sat in silence for a little while, Josie making her bar ready for patrons and Kat sipping her coffee, until Kat decided it was finally time to leave. She gave Josie back the empty coffee cup and bid her goodbye, leaving out the front door with her cutlass at her side.

She walked through the town and back to the place Sam Seabones had pointed her to when she had arrived yesterday. She crept through an archway into a small graveyard. What she saw there chilled her to her very alive bones.

There were skeletons there, at least ten, and probably more, just standing there or digging through the ground with their bony claws. They were just out in the open, apparently not caring who saw them. It seemed Jolly Roger wasn’t exactly keen on the secrecy of his presence.

She slowly snuck towards the one closest to her. When she was only a few feet away, she drew her cutlass, ready to strike. The skeleton heard her, though it didn’t appear to have any ears. It drew a small dagger and lurched toward her, shouting “Trespasser!”

Kat threw herself to the side, avoiding the dirty, pointy piece of metal. She took only a second to try and get herself together, remembering what the man in the warehouse had told her. Her eyes narrowed in determination as she hacked the skeleton, then coming across its middle with a slash. She gathered her energy and swept through it in a huge arc. The skeleton fell to the ground and disappeared in a green glow, its soul freed from the clutches of Jolly Roger.

Kat watched the disappearance of the skeleton with disbelief. Had she really just done that? The skeleton wasn’t technically alive, but…she had killed it. Destroyed it. She looked at the cutlass in her hand. This was her life now. Now, it truly occurred to her that she definitely wasn’t in the tea parties and formal balls of high class England anymore. It was time to fight for her place in this world. She had to make this world her own. Her eyes hardened. She grasped the handle of the cutlass so hard her knuckles turned white. Her hazel eyes turned upwards, away from the cutlass towards the next skeleton.

Without warning, she charged at it, not giving it a single chance to fight back. It was down before it had even raised its tiny dagger. She went onto the next one, and the next one, getting each skeleton she saw in the graveyard, knocking them down and freeing them from Jolly Roger’s clutches. When she finished, she was breathing heavily and her eyes softened once again, but not all the way back to where they had been. With the annihilation of all of these skeletons, she had changed. She sheathed her cutlass and walked through the tunnel made from a tree, just like Sam Seabones had told her to do.

She came out the other side of the path and came face to face with a woman with red and orange streaks in her hair, earthy clothes, and a piercing look. Kat stopped dead in her tracks at the sight. The woman seemed to be waiting for her. “Tia Dalma?” Kat asked hesitantly.

“Aye,” said the woman. “And you are Kat Crestshot, formerly Katherine Randolph, no?” Tia Dalma gave her a small smile that held the hint of more knowledge than the woman was letting on. To say that Kat was creeped out would be an understatement. The woman knew more about her than Josie and Lawrence combined, the only two people she had really interacted with in her time here. There was something about the woman that rubbed Kat the wrong way, but she ignored it as the woman swept towards a pair of tree stumps, picking up some crab claws as she sat down on the smaller stump.

Tia Dalma shook the claws in her hand, throwing them down on the larger stump. She observed them for a moment before speaking to Kat again. “The claws lie true. There is a touch of destiny in you.”

Destiny? There was no such thing as destiny. Such a thing was only created by fools who wanted to believe that the things that went on in their small lives actually meant something. It was something that was created to make people believe that there was no other way, and that you could not escape the inevitable. Kat did not believe in destiny.

This woman though, this Tia Dalma…she had a way of speaking that swayed Kat a little from this steadfast opinion. It made Kat think that perhaps there was more than this. Was there a touch of destiny in her? No, Kat thought. There is no such thing as destiny. She turned back into what Tia Dalma was saying, shaking destiny from her mind.

She spoke, just like all the other odd people she had encountered, of Jolly Roger’s army. However, a new threat was brought to her attention as Tia Dalma went into an odd trance, bringing images from her hands as she spoke to Kat. She spoke of the Black Guard, the henchmen of Lord Cutler Beckett and the EITC. The powers of both parties were growing, and growing immensely from the shuddering way Tia Dalma spoke of them.

Then Tia got up, walking toward her in a non-threatening manner, but Kat still backed up a bit. She spoke more of the part Kat must play in helping Jack Sparrow recover the Black Pearl. Kat wondered if the voodoo woman meant more of destiny

Tia Dalma granted Kat with a gift: a small, worn compass. She was told that it would help her find the way. Kat wasn’t entirely sure on that point; the compass wasn’t even pointing north. It was pointing toward the tunnel entrance. Before Kat could investigate the compass further, Tia Dalma spoke once more about destiny, about it whispering, before ordering Kat to leave.

Kat turned and fled the presence of the voodoo mistress. As…interesting as she found Tia Dalma, there was an eeriness to her that disturbed Kat. She shuddered a bit as she exited the tree tunnel.

Clearing her thoughts of the mysterious mystic, Kat glanced down at the compass she still held. Odd, the arrow had changed direction. Now it was pointing towards the governor’s mansion, and staying steady. This is no ordinary broken compass, Kat thought, following where the arrow was pointing. She went back through the archway of the graveyard and up to the entryway of the mansion lawn. The compass pointed her in the direction of a Navy Cadet (that is, if she remembered her ranks correctly).

At the sight of the military uniform, Kat felt something in her chest tighten. Her teeth clenched together, her eyes narrowed, and she felt her cutlass heavy at her side. Almost on instinct, she drew it, as if only lightening the weight from her belt, but she clutched it in an offensive direction. Without looking, she slipped the compass into her coat and began walking towards the Cadet.

The Cadet turned around and saw Kat standing there with her sword drawn. “A pirate!” he cried, placing his bayonet in the offensive fighting position. He didn’t get far before Kat struck, her cutlass swinging down onto his shoulder. Kat swung her sword once more into his stomach, and he fell to the ground. While he was falling, a small, formal looking sheet of paper fell out of his jacket onto the grass.

Kat drew her sword away from the dying man lying on the ground. Her expression suddenly changed, becoming softer, much like it had earlier after she had destroyed the skeleton. However, the expression changed to one of horror as she noticed the blood on her sword. Her mouth agape, she stared at the boy on the ground, his eyes open in death. Shakily, Kat knelt down on her knees and closed his eyes.

She brought a trembling hand to her temple, trying to massage away the headache that had just started pounding on her brain. Her own eyes closed, blocking out the light of this horrible day.

When they opened again, her eyes fell upon the piece of paper that had fallen out of the Cadet’s uniform. Her fingers still shaking, she picked it up and opened it. At the top of the page, she noticed the title “Black Pearl Release Orders.” That was all she needed to see. She folded the orders back up and put them in one of her many coat pockets.

She pulled the compass out of a different pocket, seeing what direction she had to go now. It pointed her up the hill towards the front doors of the mansion. She sheathed her sword and tried to avoid any more conflicts with Cadets as she snuck up towards the doors. As she walked in, she encountered a woman in a fine dress, not unlike the ones she used to wear in England. She assumed this was the governor’s daughter. Just as she was about to turn around and run back out the doors, the girl turned around and spotted her.

Kat felt herself freeze as she felt the governor’s daughter’s eyes on her, sizing her up. She grinned a little. “So, you’re Jack Sparrow’s newest protégé, hmm?” Kat couldn’t respond. She was in shock. The governor’s daughter was in league with the pirates? What a world this Caribbean was, where everybody had a little bit of a difference in them than they appeared.

The daughter spoke of the trouble Jack was in, and more warnings of Jolly Roger and Lord Beckett. She also said that Jack would need Kat’s help with recovering the Black Pearl. At this point, Kat remembered the sheet of paper hidden inside of her coat. She pulled it out and handed it to the fine lady. She took it with a small gasp of shock. “Release orders for the Pearl?” she asked, apparently astounded. “I can see why Jack has taken a liking to you!”

Yes, he had taken a liking to her because she was ruthless, willing to kill in cold blood. He had taken a liking to her because she had nothing left, and would take anything to giver he life meaning. He had taken a liking to her because she was a pretty face that had been abandoned, and he had taken advantage of her vulnerability. That was the only reason he had taken a liking to her.

The daughter handed her back the orders with the governor’s seal decorating the edge. She warned her not to get caught with them, or else the Navy would give her no trial, so she should make to Tortuga, the pirate town. Kat nodded her consent, understanding the “without trial” part completely. The daughter wished she could follow, but was awaiting the return of the governor. Kat found it odd how the girl apparently lived two lives: one, the life of the good daughter, the fine lady, raised in the upper class ways; the other, that of a pirate, a sneaky one at that, granting people what they needed to make their way through the Caribbean, and she seemed to have a soft spot for Jack Sparrow. Before she could question the daughter on it, Kat was told to leave quickly, and that a boat would be arranged for her at Darby Drydock’s.

Kat rushed back through the front doors of the mansion, avoiding the military uniforms, afraid of another confontation. With all of her things placed safely in her pockets, she made her way quickly back to the Royal Anchor and Josie McReedy. She burst through the front doors of the tavern, breathing heavily, much to the shock of Josie. She came from her perch behind the bar to Kat’s side.

“Kat, you look like you’ve just been chased by the ghost of Captain Blackbeard himself!” she cried out. “What in the name of mother and child happened? The skeletons didn’t get you, did they?” Josie sounded worried, as if she was a mother hen watching after her young chickadee that had just wandered out of the nest. She leaned over Kat and brought her over to a stool at the bar, trying to get her to sit down, but Kat wouldn’t have any of that.

“I don’t have time Josie,” she told the barkeep quickly. “I have to get out of here, and soon. There’s a boat waiting for me at the docks that I have to catch.” Kat took Josie’s hand and gripped it tightly. “Thank you so much Josie, for everything,” Kat reached into an inside pocket of her jacket and grabbed a few coins, throwing them on the counter. “It’s not enough for what you’ve done for me, and Lawrence said you wouldn’t take payment, but I refuse to take it back,” she told her.

Josie looked down at the coins on the bar. Kat truly was something else. If she was trying to be a pirate, she was going about it the wrong way. All the pirates she had met did anything they could to take what they could for the least amount. Josie picked up the coins and tried putting them back into Kat’s hand. “Kat, I can’t-”

“Josie, I don’t have time,” Kat said impatiently, keeping her fists tightly closed off from the coins. “I have to go now.” With that, Kat gave her hand a small squeeze and ran towards the front doors almost as fast as she had appeared.

"Be careful!" Josie cried out to the woman before she could exit the tavern.

Kat turned back towards Josie with a grin on her face. "I promise Josie, I always will be." Kat turned away, shouting a quick "Goodbye!" as she left.

“Goodbye,” Josie said quietly, even though Kat wasn’t there to hear it. She clutched the coins in her hand tightly. Yes, that Kat Crestshot was something else.



So, you know, kind of working with the game story here, but I tried adding my own little twist. Again, not the most exciting chapter, but I promise you it will come! I have my own little (big) outline that I'm trying (kinda) to follow, but the whole creativity thing gets in the way, you know....

Haha, next chapter is going to be a bit of the same, with the whole game story going, but I'm gonna try and get as far as possible with that part of the story there in the next chapter so we can get into the whole meat and beans originality nonsense. Again, I'll try and post once a week, but I have tests and Heck Week for theater coming up soon (if you're in theater, you know what I mean) and........yah. Don't be afraid to review! Good, bad, never want me to write again, just make it along the lines of the whole "Constructive Criticism" thing. Thanks for reading!

-Kat Crestshot

[Sven Osymthe]

Nice job Crestshot.

[seafox]

...I'll say it again Crest...love it! you are a writer, thru and thru...good luck on tests btw.

[Angel Stormwalker]

i saw the new chapter this morning but had to wrok so when it was time to go i flew home so i could read this awesome job im lovin it

[Amelia Burnhawk]

I'm loving it! Great job, Crestshot.

[Tepcat]

Again, not the most exciting chapter, but I promise you it will come!

I am going to disagree with you;-) It may not be all action, but it is still exciting the way you are weaving the thoughts and feelings of your character into the action of the POTCO plot. I am thoroughly enjoying another viewpoint on the happenings and possible other meanings of events that I just more or less took at face value. This is a very well written story though you might want to do a bit of editing on the above chapter............a few words were left out. For example:

She took another sip before saying, “I have things today.”

Josie looked at her in surprise. “Things to do? But you just got here.”

Minor issue and doesn't matter, but did slow me down a bit while reading and I really, REALLY wanted to read fast.

[Crestshot]

More midnight-like posting. Hmm....I really shouldn't make a habit of this....haha.

Alright mates, I've got another chapter lined up for you right here! Sorry it took a bit of time; Real life and all that. However, I have a lot of time to write this weekend, so I'll probably knock a few chapters out that I can post once a week, even if things get more hectic than they are now. Thank you so much for the reviews for the last chapter! I tried going over it a little bit closer so there wouldn't be any odd errors, like Tepcat mentioned, but I'm the only one actually looking at this before posting, so forgive my transgressions, haha. So, with that note, let us begin!

Her Setting Sail



Once Kat was outside the Royal Anchor, she took her compass out to consult it. She still didn’t know where Darby Drydock was after all. To her surprise, she followed the compass to a small beach area, not far from the Anchor. She made her way up to a half of a ship embedded in the sand at the edge of the beach, where a man stood behind a counter.

Kat walked up to the grumpy looking man cautiously, remembering all of her other encounters. She wondered if she would get yet another lecture about the dangers of Jolly Roger and his various minions. Quickly, she explained the situation to the man, and he told her that Elizabeth Swan had already contacted him. He seemed reluctant to help her, but gave her a ship. However, he insisted that it be renamed, so it wouldn’t be traced back to him. He gave her a list of common ship name combinations, telling her to pick one. When Kat chose the name of her new ship, Drydock handed her some forged papers for it before sending her on her way, telling her that she could launch from one of the dingys on the beach, but warning her that a free ship would not come her way again, so she’d best take care of the one she had now.

Kat walked the few steps over to the dingy, looking at the small boat with nervousness. So far, she hadn’t had good luck with ships, except for when she was picked up by Lawrence’s. Sucking in a breath, pushed the small boat into the water and stepped into it, rowing for the ship not too far from the shore.

She reached her new ship and pushed the dingy back to shore once she was surely on the rope ladder on the side of the boat. When she made it onto the deck, she made a cursory examination of her newest property. It was a rather simple ship, a mere sloop. There was a small cabin in the back that she gave a glance into. It was sparsely furnished, with just a cot, a small table, and a small stove, all bolted into the floor in case of rough waters. She pulled her head out of the cabin and walked to the center of the deck, where there was a door in the floor that led to the underbelly of the ship. Kat made her way down there, looking at the 6 cannons, three on each side of the ship. Those could come in handy, but Kat figured she wouldn’t be much for sailing. Besides, she had nobody to man them. She sighed and went back on top of the deck. There really wasn’t anything too interesting on the ship to be honest. She made her way back up onto the top deck and looked at the status of her sails.

Well, sail she supposed. This was a very small sloop, much smaller than she had ever even seen. There was only one mast with three small sails, but, despite its small size, it made everything much easier for her. She released the sails from its ties and it flew free for a moment until Kat tied it down again on the side of the boat. With that, she grabbed hold of the wheel, taking a moment to look at her compass so she could acquire her heading.

With a grunt of effort, she turned the wheel in the direction the compass was pointing her to, away from Port Royal. Never had she realized just how much strength and effort it took to operate a ship, even just the wheel. Now, she felt more appreciation for those men like Lawrence, who had worked so hard to provide her with a smooth journey every time she set sail. She bumpily shot across the blue ocean in her crudely made ship. Destination: Tortuga.

Land wasn’t far off. She had only been sailing for an hour (by her estimation) before she came upon an oddly shaped island that did not look inhabited at all. Kat got the feeling this was not Tortuga. For the first time, she pulled out her map that she had gained with her sea chest. From what she could tell, she was going in the general direction of Tortuga, but there was a small island that got in the way. For a fleeting moment, Kat considered avoiding the island, but the compass was still pointing surely in that direction, so she decided to trust it.

Carefully, the ship was guided to shore, the wheel released and the anchor dropped down into the ocean before Kat tied the sails back up. The dingy was released and Kat rowed to shore.

When she got to the beach, Kat found that there was no place to tie up her small boat. Being intuitive, she pushed one of the oars deep into the sand, tying the dingy to that instead. Satisfied, she turned around to find a giant scorpion sitting there, just staring at her. Kat froze in her tracks as the scorpion flexed its long stinger menacingly. She attempted to sneak past it, but the moment she moved, the scorpion struck, flinging venom from its tail, barely missing her arm. In a beat, Kat drew her cutlass and struck the animal, stabbing it through its center before she was attacked again.

The animal twitched a few times while the sword was embedded in it, and then went still. Kat slowly drew her sword back and out, staring at the creature on the ground. She felt no remorse for killing it. It was about to kill her in turn, and she only did it in self defense. Besides, it was only an animal. She stepped around the exoskeleton and walked further up the beach.

This time, she decided to not refer to her compass. She looked around the island a bit, noticing the emptiness, with only a few trees, crabs, and more scorpions inhabiting it. The crabs and scorpions didn’t look like the friendliest of creatures, so she gave them a wide berth as she wandered, despite the small size of the crabs. Even so, she kept her cutlass out, just in case. There was a giant rock formation sticking out from the beach that Kat had to stretch her neck to see the top of. It was green with moss, and its corners jutted out sharply in a way that would surely cut a person if they were able to reach the top of it.

Near the end of the beach, Kat encountered a small cave that seemed like it had been made from waves rushing up onto the shore, eroding the rock away in this specific spot. It was lit with a few torches, which Kat found odd, seeing as how she hadn’t encountered anyone yet on the island. Curious, she wandered into the cave.

Coming out of the other side, she was assaulted by the glinting of gold, shining off of more lit torches that were glowing in a deep grotto. Kat stared in wonder at the treasures around her. There must be more gold here than she had ever seen. She was tempted to take a handful of it and put it in her pockets to help her out a bit. The gold glittered up at her as she reached for it.

A deep voice suddenly came from the other side of the cavern. Kat jumped, pulling her hand quickly away from the pile of riches she had been stretching out towards. She saw a man with a monkey on his shoulder raise his head and look at her with a pair of piercing blue eyes. He was dressed in dark clothes, and had a few age scars on his face. His chin was covered with a brown, mangled beard, and the back of his hair was long. The giant hat on his head gave the impression that he had been in a better place at one point in time. He was overall an intimidating figure.

“This here’s a dark place,” the man murmured in a gravelly voice. “You’ll need more than that cutlass if you’re to get out of here with your skin.” Kat crept closer to him, walking around small puddles and piles of treasure. The man tossed her a small pistol and she caught it quickly, not wanting it to hit the ground and go off. She studied it as the man told her to shoot “the cursed simian.” The monkey jumped off the man’s shoulder and stood, docile, in the center of the cavern.

Kat felt hesitant about shooting the creature. This wasn’t like the scorpion outside, who had attacked her. The monkey was just standing there, waiting for her shot. However, the man seemed to believe the monkey would be fine, so Kat checked the barrel of the gun to see if it had ammunition, raised and aimed it at the monkey, and pulled the trigger.

Her arm jerked back from the recoil. The simian gave a shriek as the piece of lead passed through him, but no blood pooled, and the monkey was still very active. He crawled closer to her and brushed against her leg as he made his was back up to his master’s shoulder. The dark man gave a chuckle. “Little wretch had it coming,” he said, patting the monkey on the head. He proceeded to warn her about the pirates code, assisted by the monkey, which said she was not allowed to go blasting about at anything she so chose. There was to be no shooting of other people, even Navy or EITC. Kat agreed with this, remembering the young Cadet from earlier that day, bleeding on the ground.

There was a loophole to the rules that the man made her aware of. The cursed pirates of Jolly Roger’s army didn’t fall under the same guidelines. With that final word of the ability to shoot skeletons, the man sent her on her way, tossing her some bullets and gunpowder on her way out.

After exiting the grotto, Kat was accosted by a small crab. It came up next to her and raked its claws across a bit of exposed leg. She gave a small hiss and aimed her pistol at the crab, shooting through its tough outer shell. The animal jerked back from the force of the shot. When it was still, Kat poked it with her shoe. It didn’t move. An idea came to her as her stomach rumbled. She could eat this crab if she found a way to cook it. Gingerly, she picked it up, watching for the still sharp claws. She carried it back to her dingy, setting the crab and pistol on the seat of the boat. The oar was wrenched out of the sand where she had left it and Kat made her way steadily back to her tiny sloop.

To climb back up the rope ladder at the ship, she put her pistol in her shoe (without any ammo in it), and climbed up the ladder, gripping the crab tightly in one hand. When she got on deck, she made her way into her cabin and searched for something to light her stove with. Her hunger spurred her on as she raided the cabinet above the stove, finding a small box with about ten matches in it. It wasn’t quite as much as she had been hoping for, but Kat shrugged, figuring she could make do.

Kat set the crab and matches down next to the stove and went into the belly of the ship, looking for a pot. She found a large metal one with a dent in the side, and some rope. The rope was tied around the handles of the pot so that she could dip it into the sea for some water to boil. When she got back up on deck, she noticed how the sky was beginning to turn red and pink, bringing on the night. She sighed. If it was getting dark, she wanted to get to Tortuga. Reading the stars was something she had never done well. She put the pot down on the deck, off to the side, and proceeded to work on getting the ship ready to go.

With a huge amount of effort, she heaved the anchor back up and locked it up. Panting after the , she released the sails and took the wheel once more. This time, she referred to her map and her compass, checking to see if they were both pointing in the same direction. As far as she could tell, they were, so Kat pointed her ship in the correct direction, hoping that she could make it to Tortuga by nightfall.

The winds were on her side that colorful dusk. It wasn’t long before she reached the green, mountainous island. The sun had almost fallen out of the sky and into the ocean when she made her way to the dock. She dropped her anchor again and tied up the sails. The plank was dropped down to the dock and Kat relished the sight of civilization after that barren ship and the wild island. There were some people running around on the beach, singing and drinking rum. A few, Kat noticed, had a small arsenal adorning their bodies, ones that made Kat’s one barreled pistol and rusty little cutlass feel inadequate. She made a mental note to get some new weapons once she got the chance.

She walked away from her ship, double checking to see that it was tied up correctly, into the madness and party that seemed to be Tortuga. This was definitely a pirate’s island. Her compass was clipped safely at her side, away from any sticky fingers. Glancing down at it, she walked up a path towards a tavern with a broken sign proclaiming it as “The Faithful Bride.” With a deep breath, Kat stepped inside, ready to find Jack Sparrow once more.

At her first step inside, Kat was flooded by the noise of people talking and music playing and a strong smell of rum. She was taken aback for a moment before walking further into the madhouse. Scanning the bar, Kat noticed a familiar figure with dreadlocks and a scraggly blue vest, along with a rather fine hat perched upon the head. Kat walked towards the man, overhearing a conversation about Singapore with the barkeep.

Without warning, the man turned around, startling her back a few steps. “You wouldn’t happen to have a lovely sister named Ethel, would you?”Kat shook her head slowly, which apparently pleased Sparrow. He then proceeded to welcome her to Tortuga, and truly introduced himself for the first time. When the introductions were over, he turned back to the bartender, ready for a new drink, not acknowledging he knew her at all past the previous thirty seconds.

Kat felt herself bristle. He didn’t remember her? Well, that freed her from any obligation she had after he had released her from jail. Just as she was about to walk out, ready to not be under the thumb of Jack Sparrow, the man turned around, suddenly remembering her. Kat gave a silent curse.

Sparrow mentioned the favor she owed him, making Kat irritated more. He truly did remember her. Sparrow leaned in close, whispering, “We’re going after the Black Pearl, mate. Savvy?” Kat was already aware of this, after what Tia Dalma and Elizabeth Swan had told her, but she still felt a small jolt of surprise hearing it from the man who was structuring the recovery himself. He told her to find Joshamee Gibbs before stumbling off with his drink.

Kat shook her head at Sparrow’s antics and turned to the bartender (James, or whatever his name was). “You wouldn’t happen to know where Joshamee Gibbs is, would you?” she asked him with a sweet, but strained smile.

James (or was it John?) pointed to a man in the corner playing cards. “That bloke over there, with the grey sideburns,” he told her, and then went back to wiping his bar. Kat made her way over to the card playing man. She tapped him on the shoulder, saying, “Joshamee Gibbs?”

“Not now, I’m busy,” he muttered, not turning away from his card game. Kat rolled her eyes and tapped the shoulder again. “Jack Sparrow sent me,” she told him boldly. The entire table stopped what they were doing and turned to look at her. Gibbs looked nervous. “I fold, blokes,” he said apprehensively, tossing his cards back to the dealer.

“So, Captain Jack Sparrow told ye we’re going after the Pearl, did he?” Kat nodded at him, unsure of his prying. “Well, I’m not sayin’ we is… and I’m not sayin’ we isn’t. Ol’ Jack has earned many enemies over the years, as ye probably gathered by the reaction of those blokes,” he told her, pointing to the men at the poker table. “But I like the cut of yer jib, so I’ll let ye prove yer trustworthiness.” Gibbs pulled her closer and murmured in her ear. “Go kill a few Navy Cadets, and sink one of them light sloops the Navy has while you’re out as well, will you? One of them Ferrets? Make sure you bring back something to prove it as well, aye?” He patted her on the back while she stood there frozen. “Good, lass,” he told her, going back to his poker game.

Kat stood there frozen. Kill Navy Cadets and sink their ships? She remembered the body of the boy she had killed back in Port Royal on the Governor’s front lawn. Tremors wracked her body at the memory’s image. How badly did she really want to help Jack Sparrow?



So, that's that for you. I wanted to get the final part of the beginning of the storyline out of the way in this chapter, and I managed to do that. Yes! As I said before, I have a lot of time this weekend to write, so I'll probably keep cranking out the chapters, but still only post once a week. I know this one was late, and I'm sorry, but, you know, there's that whole real world issue...yah....

Anyway. Constructive criticism is welcome and accepted in this area. Thank you for reviewing the last chapter. You seriously have no idea how much I appreciate it. I have the next chapter (kind of) laid out, so that one shouldn't take a lot of time. If you have any questions about the story, don't hesitate to ask, and I'll answer (within reason. Can't just go giving away the plot, you know? ). And....that's it with my rambling I think. Thanks for reading!

-Kat Crestshot

[James Bladefury]

Nicely written, I am impressed, I can't even do that good! o.o

[Dog Firestack]

That was amazing! I could never write that well, I'm not very good at making details I do like how you get the littlest of details in which I think makes it much more interesting.

[angel 4ever]

way to go thats so cool ur great at this!

[Amelia Burnhawk]

I really enjoyed that chapter. You have a great skill at writing.

[Crestshot]

First off, I am so so so so so so so so sorry it took so long to get this chapter out, but we all understand real life. Thank you so much for the reviews last chapter though! Hopefully you guys are still watching for this...hahaha. This chapter is a little shorter than the past few, but it gets the point across I think. And, also, I am about halfway through the next chapter (probably a little less) because I had a HUGE epiphany earlier today. And, speaking of epiphany, I give you.....

Her Epiphany



Kat walked out of the tavern and back to her ship in a daze. She took the plank off of the dock so nobody would board the ship without her permission. Her crab was still sitting on the counter where she had left it, but she paid it no attention to. She was busy thinking about the task Gibbs had burdened her with. It had shaken her enough to kill one Cadet, and that was in an almost unconscious rage kill. How could she knowingly and willingly do it again… and again and again? Is this what her life would become? Would she do nothing but kill in cold blood, just become a thoughtless, insensitive killing machine? She pulled out her compass, hoping it would point her towards the right decision. The needle was spinning wildly, unsure for the first time. Her stomach grumbled suddenly, and the needle stood still, pointing to the crab on her counter.

Kat gave a weak chuckle. It seemed the universe had a sense of humor. Kat walked over and picked up the crab, eying it to make sure it was still good to eat. It may taste a bit odd, but it would do for now. She went to grab the pot and used the ropes she had tied to the handles earlier to lower it into the sea, catching some water that she could boil. The pot was hauled back up, and Kat brought the saltwater over to her humble stove. She lit a match to set the stove up, put the pot on it, and began waiting for the water to boil.

While she passed the time, Kat decided to explore her cabin more thoroughly. There was a small cupboard under the cot that Kat had missed on her initial inspection of the ship. She opened it up to find a note there. Sitting on her cot, she read the small letter while waiting for the water to boil. It said this:

To the new owner of this ship,

Hello. I’m hoping that you find this at a decent time. If you have this ship from Mr. Drydock on Port Royal, I’m going to assume you’ve turned to pirating, and you’re rather new at it. No experienced pirate that I know would get a crummy, old light sloop, nor would any merchant ship want a thing with such little cargo room. In any case, keep good care of my Banshee. She brought me out of more than a few tight spots.

I’ll also assume that if you are new to pirating, you have no idea what it truly entails. Listen, and listen closely mate: It’s not all about the gold and the riches, although some will tell you that it is. Those who believe that don’t realize the entirety of it. Pirating is about being free. When you feel the wind whipping at your hair and the smell of the salty ocean and know that you control your fate, it’s the greatest feeling in the world, and it belongs to only you. Not belonging to one of the snobs of England, or the controlling ways of the Navy, East India Trading Company, or Jolly Roger’s army…it makes you appreciate what you have, and it makes you want to keep it.

What you are charged with though, if you want to stay a pirate, is keeping that freedom. You must do anything within your power to keep the seas exempt from the control of anyone. The people of the Caribbean must be able to live as they see fit. If this means you must kill, you must kill. You will fight among your fellow pirates, all of which are charged with the same thing. They may not have a letter such as this to tell them, but they feel it in their bones. The Code is only there for guidelines mate; it allows for freedom, unlike the iron fist of everyone else scrambling for the ownership of all they touch. You must fight.

The killing aspect may seem odd to you, but it is necessary. All of the factions trying to bring us under their thumb must see that we shall not stand for anything of the sort. You must be willing; otherwise you shall not last long here. Don’t worry though mate; there’s plenty to help you along the way.

Welcome to the true Caribbean. I hope you’re ready for the battle.

It was unsigned. Kat tried to analyze the handwriting, trying to figure out if it was male or female, but it was so general that she couldn’t tell. She turned it over, looking to see if there was any other writing that could give her a clue, but there wasn’t. Kat sat there contemplating it for a moment until she heard a sizzling sound. Her head jerked towards her pot to see it coming close to boiling over. She ran to it and threw the crab in the water, watching the bubbles go down a bit. The time came to wait again, so Kat busied herself with looking for something she could use to get the crab out of the pot when it was finished cooking. She scrounged the drawers, finally finding a broken, tattered, wooden ladle. With it, she reached into the steam and scooped the crab out, dropping the scalding thing on the counter. Once more, she had to wait, this time for the crab to cool to a decent enough temperature to eat. Her stomach rumbled. She looked down at it. Apparently it wasn’t as patient as she was.

Kat touched the crab gingerly after a few minutes and felt it was cool enough to eat. She tore into it ravenously, not caring about manners as she wrenched the meat from the shell. Manners didn’t matter at this point; her stomach was empty and was calling out to the crab. It was finished almost too quickly for her liking, and Kat wiped the remnants of the juicy crab from the edges of her mouth with her sleeve. Now she could concentrate on the mission Gibbs had given her.

She referenced the compass again, but it was still spinning wildly. Kat put it away. She grabbed the letter that had been left for her and left her cabin to contemplate under the Caribbean night sky. As she exited her door, she noticed the mast standing in front of her, with a crow’s nest at the peak. She gave a small grin. Climbing had always been a passion of hers as a small girl, but it wasn’t accepted for young ladies in England, so she had been forced to stop. Well, she wasn’t in England anymore, so she placed the letter in her pocket and grabbed onto the ropes.

At the top, she fell into the small basket, giggling. She felt exhilarated! The height, the wind whipping through her hair, the unsteadiness of the ropes, threatening to toss her off at any moment; these were all things she had forgotten about that gave her a sudden rush. She stood up and looked at the town of Tortuga, which appeared much smaller from up here. This was the feeling she wanted for the rest of her life.

A realization hit her. This is what she wanted for the rest of her life. Her smile faded slowly. She took the letter from her pocket and skimmed it over.

It’s the greatest feeling in the world, and it belongs to only you.

With a sigh, she looked up at the stars. She knew what she had to do.

Kat gently climbed down from the crow’s nest and headed back into her cabin. She stripped off her coat and vest, unclipped her cutlass, slid her shoes off of her feet, and put them all in the closet. Her bed called to her, and she fell into it, trying to let sleep come to her on the hard, lumpy mattress. She needed her rest. Tomorrow, she had work to do.



So, Kat has some issues to work through. I will have the next chapter up next week though. If I don't feel free to PM me or post on this board (I get an email as soon as someone posts here, so I'll know) and tell me to get my piratey self moving. Real world is slowing down though, so hopefully more epiphanies will come with it.

Again, thank you for the reviews you left. Constructive criticism always has a home here (but no trolling of course). Oh, also, I was thinking about doing cameos in this story, but I don't want to just name someone, say, Harry Truesteel (I don't know a Harry Truesteel, just throwing out a name) and then have Harry PM me saying "Hey, I never wanted to be in this story!" However, if you want to be included in this story, go ahead and PM me and I will try my best. Ok, that's it for now. Thanks for reading!

-Kat Crestshot

[Dog Firestack]

Impressive writing mate! Also a compliment to get this on recent threads, so people can read this!

[Nate Swordwalker]

AWESOME job Kat. Took me a day or 2 to catch up. But it was DEFINITELY worth it. Yer an excellent writer, mate. Keep at it.

[Crestshot]

Ok mates, it's been 6 days. I think that's enough time to torture you. My epiphany (thankfully) has lasted quite a while, and it's still going, though not as strong as it had been. However, I do have another chapter lined up after this one. I'm just not releasing it immediately. See how I did that? I'm purposely being mean. However, I think a few of you will like a certain something here...or at least one of you will.

And with that little cliffhanger, we'll continue. So, I present to you...

Her Wandering



“Throw her into the brig!”
“No, no don’t! Gregory, I didn’t do it!”
“You expect me to believe you? You’re even stupider than I thought! Take her!”
“No, it wasn’t me! Please, I tell the truth!”

Katherine broke free from her captors and chased after her husband. The men that had restrained her followed, and suddenly her cutlass was at her side. She unsheathed it and swung the blade as she turned around. One of the men fell to her sword. Kat looked at him and saw the Cadet from Port Royal, eyes blank and staring up at her while blood pooled around him...

Kat woke in a cold sweat. She breathed in deeply, noting her cabin as she slowly regained consciousness. Her pot was still there, as well as the remnants of her crab from the night before. Kat rubbed her eyes warily, shaking the dream off. She couldn’t afford to have it looming over her today. There was work to be done.

Kat made herself get out of bed and dressed quickly and quietly. Her cutlass was strapped around her waist and her pistol went back into her boot until she could find something better for it. She eyed her moneybag. Certainly she wouldn’t need all of the gold, so she took about twenty pieces out of the bag and placed the rest of it in the cabinet underneath her bed.

Kat made her way off her boat, making sure her cabin was locked up before she left. She decided to head down to the tavern right on the beach for a bite of breakfast before getting on with the serious business of her day. Inside, there wasn’t nearly as much noise as there had been in the Faithful Bride the night before, but Kat assumed that most of the pirates were passed out in ditches and mud holes somewhere.

At the counter, she approached the man there, hoping for the opportunity for some breakfast. For a moment, she wished she was back in the Royal Anchor on Port Royal, sitting across from Josie McReedy, who she knew was completely willing to help her out. She shrugged the memory away and continued to the bar, inquiring about some food. The man there told her that she could get some, but it wouldn’t come free. Kat tossed a few coins on the counter, and the bartender scrambled to get some toast and a piece of ham on a small (and slightly grimy) plate, accompanied with a cup of coffee. She dug in, but not quite as venomously as she had the crab the night before. Within a few minutes, she was finished with her food, and she nursed her coffee for a little bit longer.

She was delaying, and she knew it. There were plenty of other things she would rather be doing than hunting for Navy. For instance, she could go… explore the island more! Or she could go inquire about some different weapons. Yes, that’s what she would do. She tossed the bartender a coin for a tip. He snatched it out of the air and placed it safely in his pocket, putting Kat’s face to memory. Her generous nature would be something he would remember time and time again.

Once she was out the door, Kat pulled out her compass. She knew she was procrastinating, and she wanted to know if she was going in the right direction.

It pointed in the exact opposite direction of the blacksmith’s shop.

Kat sighed and let the compass guide her to a wooded, uninhabited area of the island. She put the compass away, not needing it anymore as she was going to search for the Cadets herself. She stepped around a giant boulder and noticed a flash of red. Quickly, she jumped back behind the boulder, poking her head back around it after a moment, slowly. Standing there, bayonet in ready position, was a Cadet.

Kat drew her sword and stepped from behind the boulder at the turned back of the Cadet. Her steps were heavy and the Cadet turned at the stomping, bayonet at the ready. Kat felt the rage from her abandonment filling her again, overpowering the face of the Cadet from Port Royal. This Cadet tried striking her with his bayonet with a straight stab, but Kat blocked it with her cutlass. He tried again, but Kat dodged it and swung at the Cadet, catching him in the leg. His leg buckled and he tumbled to the ground. “Help! Pirate!” he cried out desperately before Kat stabbed him through his middle. He was quiet then.

“Halt!” she heard from behind her. She turned around slowly with her arms raised, facing two more Cadets standing there, bayonets pointed straight at her. “Come with us,” one of them said severely.

Kat gave a crooked smile. “I’m afraid that’s not an option, gentlemen,” she told them. At that, she moved, making a broad sweep with her cutlass, catching one in the leg and the other in the stomach. The one caught in the stomach fell to the ground immediately, groaning. Kat watched him fall, and the other Cadet took the opportunity to jab at her chest. His aim was hindered by his leg wound, however, and he caught her arm instead. Kat gave a scream of pain as the metal pierced a hole in her bicep. Thankfully, it wasn’t her sword arm, so she came back and thrust her blade through him. The Cadet gasped before crumpling to the ground, pulling the bayonet from her arm as he did so. Kat grunted at the feeling of the sharp object recoiling. She sheathed her blade and pressed her hand to her wound. It came back covered in blood. Kat gasped. She ripped an insignia off of one of the Cadets uniforms and fled the woods. There was a gypsy she had passed last night, so Kat hoped she would have something to help her bleeding. It was unorthodox, and something that she wouldn’t have given a second thought to in England (or a first thought for that matter), but this was the Caribbean, and Kat was already aware that things were much different here, so a doctor wouldn’t be an easy find.

Her had still clutched to her arm, she approached the woman stirring something in a pot outside of her wagon. “Excuse me,” she said with a strained voice, still in severe pain. The gypsy looked up from her pot with large blue eyes. She noticed Kat’s piratey way of dress and then the wound. With a slight nod, she motioned for Kat to stay there while she went into her carriage. There was a slight rustling sound, and then the gypsy came back out with a small bottle and a strip of cloth. “Drink,” she told the young pirate, putting the bottle to Kat’s lips. She drank obediently, trusting that this woman caused her no harm. The liquid was bitter in her mouth, but as it entered her system, Kat felt a tingling in her arm. Her hand was moved gently away from her arm and the gypsy wrapped it with the cloth.

“The tonic shall help your arm heal,” the gypsy told her, tying the cloth off. “In the morning, it should be much better, the flesh restored.” The gypsy handed her the bottle. “Take this for if you get injured again. Try to use it sparingly,” the gypsy said knowingly. “I have others if they become necessary though.”

“Thank you so much,” Kat said gratefully. “How much do I owe you?” She had noticed the small cup of coins on the ground. Her pocket jingled as she reached into her pocket for some money.

“No, no,” the gypsy said, stilling her hand. “This one is free. I can recognize a newcomer to the fight for the Caribbean. Fabiola helps those who are knew here.” Fabiola smiled up at her. “The next one, however, is not so cheap.” Kat smiled back. “Thank you, Fabiola,” she said before heading back in the direction of her ship. She got the feeling she had just made a new friend.

It was only a little past noon, and she was already done with half of her quest. She contemplated going out to get one of the Ferrets for a moment. Her arm gave a sharp twinge at that thought. Perhaps it wasn’t the best time for hard labor, like lifting anchors or tying down sails. Fabiola had said that her arm would be better by morning, which meant it was a quick working tonic. She’d try going out in her ship a little bit later. Now, though, she really was going to inquire about new swords and pistols. She made her way into the town and into a shop with a picture of a pistol hanging on the outside.

Inside, it was dark, probably so the light wouldn’t affect anything delicate that might go off. There was a blonde man working on putting together a single barrel gun at a table on the other side of the store. Kat approached him slowly, not wanting him to make a mistake on the delicate piece of machinery he was operating on. As she stepped up to the man, she heard him grumbling to himself as he put the parts of the pistol together. He noticed the shadow hanging over his table and glanced at her. His chair rattled on the stone floor as he jumped.

“Blimey, do ye have to go sneaking up on people like that?” he barked at her. Kat took a step back at his tone, feeling uneasy. The gunsmith noticed her anxiousness and his demeanor changed immediately.

“My apologies,” he said quickly. He wiped his hand on his pants, getting rid of any lingering gunpowder or grease. “My name is Alexander Thayer, gunsmith.” He held out his hand and Kat shook it quickly. “What can I do ye for?” he asked her, going behind his counter.

Kat followed, standing on the other side of the counter. “I’m in the market for a new pistol,” she told him. “I was wondering if you could help me out.”

Thayer looked at her sharply. “How much money do ye have?” he inquired, not thinking much of the young lady. Kat tallied up how much gold she had already spent in her head. “About 60 pieces of gold. Why?”

Thayer let out a booming laugh. “Ye think I got a good pistol for that little?” He guffawed again. Kat was a little offended. It wasn’t as if she’d had much of an opportunity to go get any money. All she had were the coins from the bartered ring. How was she supposed to get any money?

After Thayer finally stopped chuckling, he turned to her and asked, “Well, what type of pistol do ye have now?” Kat rolled her eyes and bent over, reaching into her boot for her pistol. When she came back up with it, Thayer looked astounded. “Ye keep yer pistol in yer boot?” he asked, incredulous. He was used to seeing pirates pull pistols from their shoes only in extreme situations, such as when a pistol needed to be hidden, but never as casual storage. Thayer shook his head and grabbed something from underneath the counter, throwing it at her.

“Here,” he said gruffly. Kat turned it over in her hands and saw that it was a holster for her gun. She looked at Thayer inquisitively. “I don’t want ye blowing your foot off,” he said. “That costs five gold by the way.” Kat roiled her eyes as she reached in to her pocket. Thayer was annoying, but he was helping her out. She placed the money on the counter and Thayer took it with a nod, placing it in a container underneath his counter.

“So, what’s your cheapest gun?” Kat inquired. Thayer pointed to the gun he had been working on when she walked in. “That’s it, but ye’d be better off with this piece of junk here,” he said, motioning to her gun sitting on the counter. “After that, ye got this other single barrel, which would go for a lil’ over 200 gold, and it’s not much better than what ya have here.” Kat felt her heart sink. 200 gold pieces. Where would she get that kind of money? She sighed and thanked Thayer for his help and left the shop.

She headed to a blacksmith next, hoping for a better experience, but she got much of the same reaction as she had at the gunsmith. The men there laughed at her poor cutlass, but they did give her a cloth so she could polish it. Kat hadn’t even noticed, but the blade was covered in more than the usual rust. It was covered in blood. They helped her wash it off and Kat felt fleeting guilt at the lives that were lost by it, but she closed herself off. She wiped the blood from the metal with a stone face, then sheathed it and headed back to the dock.

At the dock, there was a man standing on boxes, yelling out at a group of people gathered there. "We're headed out soon, but we aren't going far. All we'll do is stick to the waters near Tortuga, looking for some Navy and EITC swine to plunder from. What do you say?" A cheer rose up from the group. Kat crept closer as the man continued with his announcements. "Now, are there any fine sea hands out there willing to come with us?" He looked around at the group assembled and a few people stepped forward. Kat hesitated, and then pushed to the front of the group. The men gathered fell silent as she stepped forward.

"I'd like to head out with you," she proclaimed boldly. The group was silent for a moment, then burst out laughing. Kat stood her ground, her head held high. The man on the boxes studied her closely.

"What's your name, lass?" he asked her. Kat stared him straight in the eye and said with strength, "My name is Kat Crestshot."

The man looked her up and down. He got off his box and circled her like a hawk, staring her down. Kat didn't even flinch.

"That's quite a wound in your arm you have there, Kat," he noted. "How did you get it?"

"Fighting a group of Cadets in the woods," she said, not backing down before him. The man thought for a moment. "Very well. You're in," he told her, shaking her hand.

The group of men went into a different type of uproar at this. "She's a female!" one of them cried. "She can't be strong enough to help us!" cried another. The men continued with their complaints until her recruiter got back on his box.

"OI!" he shouted over the din. Many of the men quieted. He glared at them. "Now, who's ship are we taking out?" There were murmurs of "yours" permeating from the group. "That's right! It's my ship! Now, if any of you have issues with that, you're free to back out!" None of the men walked away.

"Captain, what about the bad luck?" one of them asked quietly. Kat felt a flicker of fear go through her at this statement, but she stomped it down, not letting the men see.

The captain glared at the man. "It's my ship, so I say I'm willing to take the chance with you superstitious fools! Anything else?" The men were silent once more. "Good! Now, let's head out!" The men headed towards dinghies at the captain's order.

Kat approached the man. "Thank you for that, sir," she told him. "Not a problem at all, Kat. And my name is Nate. Nate Swordwalker."



Haha! I told you I was offering cameos. Nate PM'd me a few days ago and asked about it, and I told him I'd write him into the next chapter. I needed a captain, what can I say?

So, what did you all think? Fun, not fun, want-to-tear-my-eyeballs-out-it-was-so-terrible? (If you really do think that last one, please word it nicer.) Constructive criticism is welcome. I have the next chapter lined up, but........I'm going to torture you guys and not give it to you yet. MWAHAHAHA! Thank you, though, for the reviews last chapter. Again, it's so appreciated that I can't even tell you how awesome I think you all are for reviewing.

Again, Cameo spots are open, but if you do PM me about it, it likely won't be in the next chapter like Nate was so lucky to be. I'm getting to the newer chapters though, so, you know, if you want your name in lights...haha. Thanks for reading!

-Kat Crestshot