Iguanatopia - ONC 2021 (Completed)

16: Theorytopia

With her tears dried and mind clear, Alba climbed aboard the Estrella. There, she was met by Lucien and Grace. Both safe and sound. She ran up and took them both in her arms as soon as she put her feet on the deck and held them tight, patting blond strands and dark fluff, while she tried not to think about what horrible fate could have awaited them if Captain Greenbeard had boarded the ship.

Luckily, Mirabel had prevented that. But now the rescuing mermaid was gone, and she had taken Alba's heart with her.

Heartbreak would have to wait though, at least until they had found the treasure.

As Alba held her friends in her arms she fiddled with the stones that hung on her belt. She had an idea of what to do with them now. While trying to steer her mind away from tearful farewells while the crew rowed back to the ship, she had remembered something.

Something important. At least she thought so. And it made sense with everything else that had happened.

"Come on," she said and nodded to Joe and Pedro while she loosened her embrace on her friends. "Let's go to the map table."

Her voice sung with confidence, but behind that tune was a fear that she was wrong. Perhaps she had no clue what she was doing. But she decided to hide her doubts until her theory had been tested. Only if she was wrong her facade of certainness would fall.

"You too," she told Ignacio, who was crouched by her feet. "We'll need you."

The humans all gathered around the large table next to the wheel, and while Alba placed the stones on the table Ignacio skittered up and perched himself smack dab in the middle of the map. There he would be the center of attention, as he deserved. Oliviero appeared from under the table and sauntered over to his lizard friend to give him a friendly lick on the head. It appeared he had missed his animal buddy.

The whole crew gathered behind Joe and Pedro, eager to witness what was about to happen. Alba's hand shook as she fumbled with the star-shaped stones. All eyes were on her as she prepared to showcase her idea.

She put the three stars in a line before her, just as they had been placed on the map Greenbeard had stolen.

"There's been one key to everything on this journey," she explained to the crew and with a dramatic gesture, she pointed toward the iguana on the table. "Ignacio. He's always the key."

"The captain," Joe said and nodded in agreement.

Alba ignored him. Ignacio wasn't the captain. But he was important.

"When we found the first stone I saw something," she continued. "It glowed when it came out of the pond. I thought it was just the water reflecting but now I believe it was because of something else. It was because Ignacio had it in his mouth."

She placed her hand atop the first stone and slid it across the table to right under the lizard's jaw. Ignacio looked perturbed about this intrusion of his personal space.

Nothing happened. Not right away at least. Alba held her breathe, praying to whatever ocean god ruled the waves that she was right.

The god of waves must have listened because a moment later a bright light cascaded out from the stone. It shone like a small purple sun.

A synchronized gasp was heard from the crowd behind her. They all stared at the light with wonder in their eyes.

The light and sounds spooked the poor cat who once again escaped to his hiding spot below the table cloth. Perhaps reasoning that even a fierce jaguar would be wise enough to protect itself from such unknown dangers.

Alba placed the second stone against Ignacio's body as well, pressed against his left shoulder. Soon it shone in harmony with the first stone.

As she grabbed the third stone her hand was shaking. She didn't know what would happen after she placed it. But surely something would happen. Something more than just flashy lights. Something that would lead them to the treasure.

The light flickered aglow in the third stone as well. All three stones competed to outshine each other. They were all enveloped in one glowing violet cloud.

Then the cloud turned into a beam. The beam stretched from the stones and across the deck toward the ocean.

Alba followed the light with her gaze as it traveled across the empty waters and hit the surface in an explosion of light and water. The explosion turned into a bright bubble that encompassed every color of the rainbow as it sparkled in the sunlight.

When the bubble burst the waters weren't empty anymore. Instead, a new island suddenly laid before the pirates The whole crew rushed to the railing to marvel at the heretofore unknown landform.

It was a lush island, filled with fruit trees and greenery. Papayas, mangos, and guavas hung from the trees. Flowers in a cacophony of vibrant colors sprouted in the grass. It looked idyllic, like a prosperous oasis in the middle of the ocean.

On the sandy beach, creatures skittered around, leaving zig-zag trails from their tails. Their scales shimmered in green and orange and their manes were spiky and proud.

Ignacio perked up at the sight and let out a shrill wheeze that sounded like a whistle. A similar sound soon bellowed from every corner of the beach. A greeting between peers.

They had found it. They had found the treasure. They had found Iguanatopia.