No doubt the Devil grins
As seas of ink I spatter
Ye gods, forgive my literary sins
The other kinds don't matter
-Robert Bly

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Dear and Gentle Readers,

If you feel the need to flame me, please endeavor to be sure that 1) you understand the concepts held within the story that you are so intent upon criticizing, 2) you grasp the rudimentary elements of the spelling and grammer of the language you are using, and 3) you have an IQ a few points above that of a cuttlefish with learning disabilities.

Thank you.

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Alas, somewhere between graduating school, getting a full time job and finding a pirate of my very own has left me unable to write fanfiction. My thanks to all faithful readers of The Scarlet Swan series and anything else I've written, you made it all worthwhile. If you just found this, please Read and feel free to Review, if you wish. Who knows, I may even get back to you. 

 Fondly,

Elze 

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Okay, POTC fans, let's just get one thing straight: The scene after the credits at the end of AWE means Will is free from the curse. This is not entirely clear as somebody took out plot information instead of cutting some superfluous fight footage or rather stupid jokes. The proof is as follows:

1) In Wagner's opera The Flying Dutchman, (based upon the rather odd original myth) the Captain of said ship is cursed by the Devil because he made a rather stupid oath during a storm, and now he must sail around the seas forever, only going ashore one day every seven years. If, however, he can find a woman who will love him truly and faithfully during that one day, he will be free of the curse (because Lucifer is secretly a romantic at heart, but we knew that already).

2) There was a green flash when the FD appeared during the bonus scene. All the other times the FD appeared in DMC and AWE, there was never a green flash, because--and the movies make this very clear--a green flash signifies a soul (or souls) returning to life.

Now, there is also a green flash when Will leaves Elizabeth on the beach after they have their one day, I know. BUT, this still signifies other people returning to life. In the words of Ted Elliot (one of the writers): Someone correctly observed that there were a lot of members of Jones' crew who were suddenly free from their service to the Dutchman. Do you think all of them made the same choice Bootstrap did?

In other words, Davy's death freed all his former crew of their debts to him. They then had a choice to stay on the FD, move on to their respective afterlifes, or go live out the remainder of their mortal lives with their families and whatnot. Bootstrap chose to stay with his son. Who knows what the rest of them did?

3) The bloody writers said so! That's right, boys and girls, it was the intention of The Fabulous Writing Team of Ted'n'Terry to make clear the curse is broken if the Captain's love remains true to him.

Terry: The basic requirement is that Will agrees captain the Flying Dutchmen (in return for what the film reveals) and that he can step on land but once every ten years, and that at any time, if he finds a love that is true (this is part of the original Flying Dutchman opera by the way) then his attachment to the ship is broken.

Will had his day ashore. He "found" his Elizabeth and got to know her in the most biblical sense. Elizabeth was waiting for him after his ten years (with their kid, no less). There was a green flash. Will is free. And absolutely true to Disney, they live happily ever after.

Get it now?

Kudos to Kaellana on livejournal for being a more dedicated POTC scholar than I ever will be and gathering all the T&T quotes and weaving together one heckuva coherent and explanatory...explanation...