Norrington's Darling

I Release You, Calypso

POV: Zuri Norrington

Significantly calmer, I walked with Elizabeth as she continued with the plan. To Barbossa, even though we'd decided on it already, she said, "We'll use the Black Pearl as a flagship to lead the attack—" She faltered.

Barbossa had gone off-script. "Will we, now?" said he as Pintel and Ragetti led Tia up from the brig. She was bound in rope that they used to prod her forward.

"Tia," I gasped.

"Barbossa! You can't release her!" Will protested and guns were soon drawn.

"We need to give Jack a chance," Elizabeth snapped.

"Apologies, your majesty," Barbossa snarled.

"You can't do this to her," I spat, snatching his sleeve. He ripped it from my hands.

"Too long me fate has not been in my own hands—no longer." He ripped Sao Feng's Piece of Eight from Elizabeth's neck.

In my anger, a muscle in my jaw feathered. But I did not react as Barbossa gathered the crew around Tia. I went to her.

"I will be fine, my child," she breathed. "I will be with you in the magic I gave you."

"They can't do this to you!"

"I'm afraid they can," she said solemnly.

The Piece was dropped into the bowl. As the pirates gathered, she fell mute and would not meet my gaze.

"Be there some sort of rite or incantation?" asked Gibbs. 

"Aye. Items to be brought together...done," Barbossa said grandly. "Items to be burned." Gibbs poured oil into the bowl." And someone must speak the words, 'Calypso, I release you from your human bonds.'"

"That's it?" Pintel asked in disbelief.

A sly grin crossed Barbossa's face. "It was said it must be spoken as if to a lover."

The interest that sparked at that boiled my rage higher. My fist clenched. But Tia shook her head at me. 

Dramatically, Barbossa began, "Calypso, I release you from your human bonds!"

He brought the flame to the Pieces of Eight, but nothing happened. Tia stared at him expectantly. I could see her displeasure. Whether it was over being released or his failure to release her, I couldn't tell, but it was directed at Barbossa.

Pintel was unimpressed. "Is that it?"

"You didn't say it right," Ragetti protested. Everyone looked at him. "You have to say it right. " He leaned in, with Tia watching, and whispered tenderly, "Calypso, I release you from your human bonds."

The items caught fire as Tia's body went slack . Evidently, Ragetti had done it right. Tia began to shake. The smoke was directed to her nose, flowing into her. 

Will lurched forward. "Tia Dalma!" She gave no response. "Calypso." Instantly she met his gaze and the bowl fell, embers flying out. "When the Brethren Court first imprisoned you, who was it that told them how? Who was it that betrayed you?

She snapped her jaws, her shaking increasing. "Name him!"

"Davy Jones."

Lips shaking, Tia grew in stature. They tried to tie her with ropes. But the ropes only grew and flew out of their hands. 

"This it! This is it!" Pintel cried.

She grew to the size of the mast. Rigging snapped and ropes flew, the boards of the ship groaning. The mast she was tied to creaked. The boards snapped up, breaking away from the mast.

"Barbossa, you are breaking my brother's ship, again!" I snarled. I knelt at Tia's feet, using her own magic to strengthen the boards and carry her weight. At last everything stilled. Tia looked down at us, but she was Tia no longer. This woman was undoubtedly Calypso.

"Calypso!" shouted Barbossa, and the crew knelt before her. Many looked up in absolute terror. "I come before you as a servant, humble and contrite. I have fulfilled me vow, and now ask your favor." Calypso gave the slightest turn. She was listening. "Spare meself, me ship, me crew, but unleash your fury upon those who dare pretend themselves your masters, or mine."

She watched without response, her breath gusting like winds. Barbossa lifted his head, began to rise—

Calypso's leash on her temper broke. She shouted unintelligible words, her winds shaking the ship—and then the inexplicable happened.

The woman I had once known as Tia Dalma dissolved into thousands of crabs that cascaded ove the ship and over the sides. Each member of the crew pulled them off when the tidal wave of them stopped, each yelping in pain.

I did not fail to notice I was the only one not being attacked in some way by the crabs, Tia's last blessing to me.

I looked at the spot she had once been. 

My teacher was gone.

Inexplicable loss stole my breath. James, Jack, Tia. Gone. How? How could they all be gone?

Staggering to his feet, Will wondered, "Was that it?"

"Why, she's no help at all." Pintel looked at Barbossa, the crew peering over the side and into the water for the crabs. "What now?"

"Nothing. Our final hope has failed us."

A pirate's hat flew away in the wind and storm clouds gathered overhead, a gigantic, dark swirl I did not like the looks of. The wind whispered and screamed, ships groaning as it moved them. Rigging clanked. It brought our gaze to the waiting armada.

"It's not over," Elizabeth reminded us.

Will agreed, "There's still a fight to be had."

"We've an armada against us, and with the Dutchman, there's no chance," Gibbs protested.

"Only a fool's chance," Elizabeth said. She was struggling to breathe.

"There'd be a chance if we had Jack." My breaths came short. "And Tia. And James. And Sao Feng. And everyone we've lost. Then there'd be a chance."

"Revenge won't bring your father back, Miss Swann, and it's not something I'm intendin' to die for."

"There is nothing you would die for because nothing matters to you, Barbossa," I spat, his name a curse on my tongue.

But Elizabeth shook her head. "You're right. Then what shall we die for?" For we would die, there was no doubt. "You will listen to me. Listen!" She climbed up onto the ship's balustrade. She looked over the crew, gathering attention. "The Brethren will still be looking here to us, to the Black Pearl to lead, and what will they see? Frightened bilge rats aboard a derelict ship? No! They will see free men, and freedom. And what the enemy will see is the flash of our cannons, they will hear the ring of our swords and they will know what we can do! By the sweat of our brows, and the strength of our backs, and the courage of our hearts..." She met Barbossa's gaze. "Gentlemen...hoist the colors!"

Chills slipped down my back. These were the orders of the Pirate King and we would go to war. I would avenge those who had died. And I would not die. I pressed a hand to my stomach. I carried a legacy there. James' legacy. And soon Tia's, when I gave that child magic. I held a legacy, a family line. I would not let it end with me.

Several people took up the cry: "Hoist the colors! Hoist the colors! HOIST THE COLORS!"

Gibbs began to smile. "The wind's on our side, boys, that's all we need!" Triumphant shouts filled the air. Swords raised. I drew James' knife and kissed the hilt. I would fight and I would fight for James and Jack and Tia. 

"Hoist the colors!" Elizabeth shouted.

Across our fleet, the shout was taken up. Flags were raised. A few pirates sang and I with them. 

"YO HO, HAUL TOGETHER! HOIST THE COLORS HIGH! HEAVE HO, THIEVES AND BEGGARS! NEVER SHALL WE DIE!"