Power of Monkey Island

Joanna paused; she looked at the golden sands beneath her feet. "No, I do not believe she has been here". She looked at the red sky, it was dawn. The sun was beginning to beat down rapidly; Joanna tucked her long dark brown hair behind her ears. She couldn’t stand heat.

"She knew this" Joanna whispered to herself, she always had to speak her mind was always in a spin so she could never understand even her own thoughts "She knew I didn’t like the heat, why else would she come to the Caribbean?"

She looked down at her scruffy, dirty blue shirt and beige trousers both quickly wearing out. She wasn’t supposed to worry about her clothes and she didn’t have the money to get any or the skill steal any, her honesty would swiftly intervene if she were to steal anything.

"Why do I follow her?" she muttered again, closing her eyes "It’s my fault I am like this, I just let people walk over me and I end up having to find her, to stop her…"

Joanna paused for a moment "power"

She looked straight ahead of her, a sandy pathway leading through several crooked palm trees. When she squinted her eyes mostly to block out the beaming sun, she could see rough looking houses; it must have been a town.

That is when she noticed the crooked wooden sign just behind her, it was hardly readable, it looked as if someone had scratched the paint lettering off. Two plump hens were perched on top, looking around with beady eyes and occasionally clucking at each other.

Joanna managed to just read part of the sign ‘Town of Puerto Pollo".

She turned away and looked at the down, "she must have gone there, if she has not then I will have to leave immediately"

She rubbed her hand across her forehead, she had begun to sweat it was one of the most agitating things that could happen to her. She hated feeling anything uncomfortable. She had sensitive skin though; it wasn’t her fault she wasn’t used to the burning sun. She was pale as a ghost and had very icy blue eyes; she looked far different then most the people she had met here.

She had straight away wanted to stop looking when she heard that in fact there were a lot of pirates around, she had never met one face to face and had no intention of doing so. She had only heard stories of pirates like Blackbeard and as she had come to the Caribbean she had several but had quickly walked away before any of them could notice her.

"This is her fault" she muttered to herself "Barely a teenager, she must be a witch of some kind" it was all just words though, she didn’t believe in witches. She was a very sceptical person she refused to believe in witches, ghosts, aliens, demons etc. But the girl she was tracking had pulled her out of the darkness, and showed her some power that she did not think possible. But this girl was not someone to be messed with, Joanna had learned that if she didn’t tread carefully and lightly she could end up in an early grave.

She shook her head, she hadn’t realised she had just spent at least 10 minutes just thinking to herself. She clasped her hands together and took a deep breath.

"Well Aliciae" she took another deep breath "You brought me here. I will find you and I will finish you" her stomach tied in knots, she started a steady walk towards what could be her final walk.

Part 1: Silent Voices (Introductory Chapter)

Aliciae was in Puerto Pollo all right; a small quiet town, just like the one from which she had came. ‘Lucy died in a place like this’ she thought, it was a rare occasion. She never thought to herself, when she had a thought she would speak it. She could hear the voices in other people’s heads so she felt no need to keep hers quiet. She breathed steadily her skin was burning slightly, she didn’t notice. Occasionally she could see red spots in front of her eyes when she looked too closely towards the sun. She tilted her head, she was looking for something but she didn’t know what it was. The one who died had not been born here, she couldn’t look for him anyway, and his body would have been long gone by now. A few strands of black hair brushed against her face, she quickly flicked it out the way with one pale thin finger.

"Elaine, I don’t see the point of coming back here," Guybrush said stubbornly

"I don’t know why I came here, I just wanted to"

"I have been here" Guybrush sighed "It is nothing special, Blondebeards and the Brimstone Beach Club are the only high points here and they’re not exactly great"

Elaine wasn’t concentrating properly; her mind seemed to have clouded over by some force she hadn’t felt before.

Guybrush tapped her shoulder lightly and Elaine suddenly fell out of her trance. "What Guybrush?" she asked

"Look over there" he pointed towards a small wooden crate, there was nothing there except a few pieces of torn material.

"That is where that small annoying boy Kenny used to be"

"Kenny?" Elaine asked

"Yeah, him and his lousy bottomless mug policy"

"What?"

"He ran a lemonade stand, the mug was bottomless though, then he went into selling cannons I remember some of the names they were…"

Aliciae turned her head in one quick motion, she thought she had heard something. "What distracted me?" she asked herself, and squinting her eyes slightly she tried to focus on what looked like two people talking. A tall blonde man and a woman, most of her hair was behind her and since she was facing Aliciae she couldn’t tell the hair colour.

Aliciae focused hard, trying to push herself into their minds, trying to hear their thoughts.

‘I remember this place like I only saw it yesterday’

‘I will have to talk about Guybrush’s little problem with talking too much’

‘What is he doing back?’

‘Sit still lass’

Aliciae stopped concentrating, opening her eyes properly. Other thoughts had interrupted her. "Odd" she said to herself "I usually have no trouble focusing on an individual person"

She just stood still for a minute, just focusing wondering what she should do next. The others were not with her now; she couldn’t rely on them to plan her next moves.

"Katie, Brian, Mark" she muttered to herself "The others"

She closed her eyes for a moment "history, mere history, they are gone and I will survive" she opened her eyes quickly "that’s the way it goes"

Elaine turned around, quickly tiring of Guybrush’s stories, most of them didn’t happen.

She suddenly saw the outline of a young girl standing only a few metres away, pale with strange purple eyes and black hair. She stared at the girl for a few seconds when she suddenly saw the girl changing slightly, her eyes. They were dimming, becoming lighter. They went from purple to an icy blue colour. It happened so quickly maybe only in 1 or 2 seconds Elaine had to think hard whether she had actually seen it or not. The girl tilted her head, she was looking at Elaine for sure but she just stared like she was examining her.

"She is looking at me" Aliciae said to herself "She must have saw the change, I cannot help it if my focus requires change". She was well aware of what her eyes did; she had for a good 13 years, it was what her type of people did. She didn’t want to stand here for much longer, if more than a few people had noticed her; they may not take to kindly towards her, it happened far too often in her past.

But maybe if she could just get a message to this woman then maybe she could speak to her later or if necessary… destroy her.

‘The swamp’ a strange voice inside Elaine’s head took over her other thoughts ‘the swamp, 8 sharp, tonight’. Elaine shook her head hard; she didn’t like this voice. She turned to where she had seen the strange girl but she was gone.

"Guybrush did you see that girl?" Elaine turned back to Guybrush who had been droning on without noticing she wasn’t paying attention.

"What girl?"

"Never mind"

Elaine started to walk away

"No seriously, what girl!" Guybrush yelled after her

The Swamp that night…

Elaine had decided to come alone, Guybrush would think her crazy if she told him a voice in her head told her to come here.

She was still concerned about the girl she had saw, the eyes changing was amazing. She wasn’t sure though, it might have just been the light that made the girls eyes look different they could have been blue all along.

Elaine just looked around; she was on a thick pathway to the old ship where the Voodoo lady was once staying. She had left now. There was smelly swamp water all around her and there was absolutely no one in sight.

"I knew you would come" a voice came out of nowhere but Elaine still couldn’t see anyone "That’s the good thing about hearing people in their minds, you can never be surprised".

"Some surprises are good," Elaine said confused

"I do not like surprises" the voice said bluntly

Elaine quickly saw her, the same girl she had seen before. She had straight black hair and wore rough brown clothes that looked very old. She was probably 13 but she had a younger looking face.

"You are confused by what I said, are you not?" the girl said

"I was expecting…" Elaine started

"You were not really expecting anyone" she finished "But I think if you were to see someone you would have thought an adult"

Elaine just nodded, still confused

"Don’t judge by age"

"You certainly don’t talk like a little girl" Elaine’s voice quivered as she tried to sound stern

"You still don’t realise I can see right through you"

Elaine just wanted to finish this "Look, why did you want me here?"

"Even that I can admit, I am not sure about" she tilted her head and looked straight at Elaine, her eyes narrowed "You do not know me either"

"No of course I don’t" Elaine paused "Who are you?"

"I am Aliciae"

"Why did you bring me here if you have no reason to"

"I must have a reason, there is something about you that made me bring you here"

"You’re going to hit a dead end" Elaine frowned "There is nothing about me different from anyone else"

"There must be"

"You don’t know me"

"Elaine Marley-Threepwood, Governor of the tri-island area" Aliciae smiled which Elaine had noticed was the first time since she had seen her "It only takes me about a minute to find out"

Elaine thought for a moment ‘Who is this girl?’ she thought to herself ‘Why I am thinking?’ Elaine suddenly thought ‘She will know what I am thinking’

"Indeed I will" Aliciae’s smile had vanished and she just kept a straight emotion-less face

"So there is really no point in me thinking to myself" Elaine sighed

"No there is not," Aliciae said sharply "If you think I will hear"

"I’m just going to leave" Elaine turned to leave

"No" Aliciae responded and Elaine paused, a strange noise like scratching was coming from behind her, Elaine turned quickly and gasped.

Aliciae’s eyes were now a pale sort of pink and they were glowing and they now looked more like a cat’s eye.

"You will not leave yet" Aliciae nodded as if talking to herself "I am not finished"

Elaine felt paralysed unable to move "Ok, I will not leave" she quickly said

Aliciae’s eyes turned back to a pale blue.

Elaine gulped

"Do not worry I will not hurt you" Aliciae lifted her head "Unless you do not do as I say"

‘I can’t believe this’ Elaine thought ‘Taking orders from a little girl’

"I said do not judge by age" Aliciae said her eyes narrowed again

"Do you narrow your eyes whenever you’re reading my thoughts?" Elaine asked

"Most of the time, I focus better that way" Aliciae brushed some strands of hair that had fallen over her eyes "But I do not have to"

"You seem very proud of yourself" Elaine tried to tread lightly, not knowing who this girl was

"I am different from people like you, why would I not be proud"

"Don’t you think that using force isn’t the way to get what you want?"

"No" she replied flatly

"Well it is wrong"

"I do not think so"

"It doesn’t matter what you think" Elaine’s voice raised slightly

Aliciae’s eyes glowed pink again but this time the glow was brighter and her eyes shone like torch lights.

"I am sorry," Elaine said quickly and Aliciae’s eye glow faded again

"Learn to watch what you say" Aliciae scolded

Elaine frowned it felt like she was the little girl

"You are older, I know" Aliciae said quickly "But I think I shall go now, you clearly have something different from the others but I must have some time to decide what it is"

Elaine relaxed

"I will be back" Aliciae turned and walked away

‘Please don’t come back’ Elaine thought

Aliciae suddenly looked back over her shoulder "I will be back whether you like it or not" she carried on walking

Elaine just stood for a moment, after Aliciae had gone thinking to herself. She hadn’t understood any of this so far. It didn’t make any sense. Why was she special? Aliciae wanted something but even she didn’t seem to know.

The next day…

Governor’s Mansion, Melee Island

Guybrush had only just woken up and got himself dressed, trudging down the stairs found Elaine sitting at her desk. She hadn’t slept all night but wouldn’t tell him why.

"Guybrush, I just wasn’t tired" Elaine insisted

"Oh come on Elaine then what did you do all night" Guybrush rolled his eyes

Elaine yawned "Just err looking over some documents"

"I thought your grandfather was going to start taking over that stuff"

"He was but he is on Monkey Island"

"Did he say why?"

"Yeah" Elaine looked up, exhausted "He wanted to say goodbye, said he loved the place"

"But he was always complaining about being stranded there"

"Yeah but it must have grown on him"

"Really? That place?"

"Yeah"

"Stop saying yeah, you’re clearly tired Elaine, why?" Guybrush put a hand under chin and lifted her head until she was looking at him "Why?" he repeated

"Just a little stress" she shook her head until he let go

"From what" then Guybrush gasped "Lechuck?"

"What? Oh no" Elaine closed her eyes "No not him"

Guybrush smiled "Wow for once, not him"

Elaine yawned again

"Come on Elaine tell me" Guybrush shook pleaded

"I don’t know whether I should…" Elaine sighed ‘Go ahead’ the familiar voice re-appeared in Elaine’s head ‘Tell him if you want, see if he believes you’ it faded away just as quickly as it started.

"Did you hear that?" Elaine muttered almost to herself

"Hear what?" Guybrush asked concerned "What is the matter Elaine?"

"Well, I met a strange girl yesterday" Elaine nervously tugged at her hair

"How old?"

"I don’t know maybe 13 or 14"

"You’re not being bullied by a little girl are you" Guybrush asked trying not to chuckle

"She is no ordinary girl, she has some sort of strange power"

"Power?"

"Yeah, like I don’t know her eyes change colour and I was paralysed when they did and…"

Guybrush put his hand on Elaine’s shoulder "You must have fallen asleep its sounds like a nightmare, that is too farfetched to be real"

Elaine smirked "About as farfetched as a demon zombie ghost pirate trying to marry a governor right?"

"Yes" Guybrush paused "No, wait I guess you have a point"

"I guess I do" Elaine folded her arms

"Don’t take it like that, Elaine" Guybrush gulped "Its just it is a little unbelievable"

"I know it is" Elaine shook her head "I know but I saw it I heard it"

"Dreams can do that"

"It wasn’t a dream!" Elaine slammed her fist on the desk, then took a step back shocked at her own anger.

"Elaine I think you do need to rest" Guybrush said shocked at his wife’s outburst

Elaine breathed heavily "Maybe I do"

Guybrush clasped his hands "This may have been a dream and it may not have been but I haven’t seen this girl so I can not be sure, can I?"

"I guess not" Elaine replied weakly

"Can you err show me this girl?" Guybrush asked cautiously

"I could try and get her to tell me" Elaine was unsure but really wanted to prove the girl existed. She focused hard trying to think of Aliciae, she may respond to thought but no there was no voice.

"I don’t think I can for now…" Elaine’s voice trailed off for a moment "I could, well, we could try looking for her later"

"Alright if it will help" Guybrush sighed.

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Joanna was lost, totally. She had looked around the whole of Plunder Island, the destroyed fort, Puerto Pollo, Brimstone Beach Club, Danger Cove and the swamp. She was no where around and no one else claimed to have seen her either. "She must have gone somewhere else" Joanna growled "Another island or something". Her lip twitched slightly she was quickly growing impatient, but she knew when or if she actually met up with Aliciae she would have to have nerves of steel to succeed. Aliciae was a girl who would willingly hurt anyone for her own gain; the others had been the same. Joanna knew this. The past was all too clear to her.

Elaine looked out of the window of her mansion, the window that looked over the ocean and the now starry sky. She had done nothing all day, she sensed Guybrush didn’t believe her and didn’t want to find Aliciae. So instead Elaine had bottled her feelings and spent all day simply thinking about how crazy everything she had said was.

"A girl who can change the colour of her eye and speak through my mind?" Elaine snickered a bit unsure to herself.

But Aliciae never left her thoughts, the picture of the young girl held in her mind. There was something about her, a sadness beyond the evil that she had demonstrated.

Much to Elaine’s surprise she sniffed as if about to cry, people who knew her well knew that she loved children and the image of a child suffering filled her with rage. But she didn’t know what to think on the one side of her mind was the image of the evil Aliciae who saw something in Elaine, something special but had powers to kill. On the other side though was the look on Guybrush’s face when he heard this, how crazy it really sounded. But still thinking of her encounters with Lechuck made her think that the story wasn’t that crazy.

Elaine lifted her head to focus on the moon, she reached up and brushed the strands of hair from her eyes so she could see the full scenery, it was beautiful but she didn’t think to appreciate it. Aliciae occupied her thoughts for so long.

"Elaine" a voice whispered and at first Elaine dared believe it was Aliciae until she turned around to see Guybrush looking sympathetic.

"Yes" Elaine could hardly keep her voice still "Yes, dear"

"You’ve been moping around all day, I’m really worried"

"It’s nothing" Elaine put a hand on her throat as if she couldn’t speak

"No it isn’t nothing, this thing you said about the girl I believe you"

"You do" Elaine felt a small ounce of hope

"Well it must be, you’ve been hanging on to this theory all day and frankly when I think about it I know you wouldn’t lie to me" Guybrush smiled

Elaine forced a smile too "No, I wouldn’t" she didn’t feel happy though something was still missing.

"Elaine, I think you do need rest I will help you all you need"

Elaine couldn’t help but smile; he always, well nearly always said the right thing.

"Well, you look happier now" Guybrush smiled "Do you feel better?"

"I think so" Elaine smiled more

Elaine looked back out the window, as if expecting to see Aliciae just outside. Although she really wished the girl to have just been a dream, a part of her wanted to see Aliciae again maybe to confirm her existence or maybe for another reason that she didn’t completely understand.

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Aliciae stood and stared at the mansion, no matter how much she tried Elaine was always her main thought so she realised that there was something about Elaine that could not be hidden and must be discovered.

Then a familiar sense throbbed in her skull, someone else’s presence. She turned quickly, a large muscular man stood behind her. Just a ragged white shirt, green rough looking pants and a red bandanna. He had a red scar down his left cheek.

"Well, well what do we have here" he snickered and looked at Aliciae carefully.

Aliciae didn’t know how to act, she could not focus enough to see his thoughts and determine whether he was a danger.

"Wearing clothes like that, what are ye an orphan?" he chuckled like it had some how been a very clever joke. Then he reached down and pulled out a sharp, gleaming sword.

"No parents, no threat later" he growled and raise the sword.

Aliciae was too fast; she realised the action and focused hard.

The man gasped as the girl’s innocent blue eyes changed to a blood red.

He dropped the sword and clung to his head, he felt like he was being electrocuted and he groaned before looking at the girl who stood still inflicting pain mercilessly.

"Stop this!" Aliciae saw Elaine running towards her and immediately stopped, the man seeing his chance ran without even picking up his sword.

"Elaine Marley-Threepwood, you noticed I was here" Aliciae looked at Elaine straight into the eyes

"Yes, Aliciae I did" Elaine was unsure of what to do next

"You’re confused, lost you didn’t have a real plan of action, did you?" Aliciae’s words cut into her, Elaine quickly realising she couldn’t think.

"Aliciae why did you hurt him?" she looked up like she thought the man would still be there

"He would have hurt me, if I did not act first"

Elaine put her finger on her chin "yes he would have"

"Then it was down to me or him" Aliciae paused "he did not have the power to fight me, he would have died"

"Why are you here? What do you want?" Elaine asked in desperation

"I do not know why I am here and as I said before there is still something different about you I must discover" Aliciae turned away apparently tired of the conversation.

"Aliciae" Elaine whispered

Aliciae froze for just a moment, not doing anything and then moved on

‘I will discover the secret’ the voice whispered in Elaine’s head just before Aliciae walked onto the pathway leading to the Melee town.

Guybrush watched from a nearby window making sure he couldn’t be completely seen from outside "she was right" he muttered to himself. It was hardly believable, a girl with such power and seemed so… close to Elaine.

Elaine shook her head, a cold wind blowing into her face. She watched for a few minutes, watching Aliciae slowly walk and fade away into the darkness.

"Where does she get this power?" Elaine muttered to herself

She looked over the cliff, watching the quiet waves of the sea. She breathed slowly, her breath she could see floating past her face. Besides the sea she could see nothing, there was nothing but dark blue sky hanging over the waves.

A warmer hand rested on her shoulder "I believe you now, for sure" Guybrush looked at her but she still just focused on the sea.

"For sure" he repeated again quieter.

"What is my secret?" she said through clenched teeth "she says there is something but she doesn’t know herself what she is talking about" Elaine sounded like she was talking to herself but still making sure Guybrush could hear.

"I don’t know" he replied helplessly "she may have found the wrong woman, I don’t know it all seems out of place" he paused "she seems lost herself and even though she has the power of mind to me her soul is weak but fighting"

Elaine tried to smile at his words "Guybrush, do you believe she is evil?"

He didn’t answer for a minute or so, he was thinking hard "I don’t know" was all he could say at first "she has the power to kill and is willing to use it but in my heart I really hope the answer is no"

Elaine sniffed mainly because of the cold; "Elaine let’s go inside, we’ll catch our death out here" he tried to smile and started to lead her back towards the mansion.

Elaine quickly looked behind her one last time at the Melee town "I hope you’re soul can find strength" she whispered

Joanna was still in Puerto Pollo; she hadn’t slept in days. The thought of Aliciae was the only thing that she felt.

"I will kill her" she growled to herself "the wicked must be destroyed"

She looked up at the starry sky "she is no longer here, I only pray she isn’t hunting someone"