Sparrow's Eternal Love

Chapter 8: Back in the Real World

Suddenly, the ship is being pulled upwards and we all land back on deck with a thud. Jack helps me up off the floor and sits me on a barrel to wait until my legs return.

"Blessed sweet westerlies! We're back!" Gibbs shouts.

"It's the sunrise," Elizabeth says.

All of the sudden pistols were being drawn. Jack points his at Will. Will and Elizabeth both point theirs at Jack. Jack points his other at Elizabeth. Barbossa points his at Jack and Gibbs as Will and Elizabeth are also pointing one at Barbossa. They all begin to laugh and drop their pistols to their side. I don't really see what's so funny but laugh along anyway. They then stop and go back to pointing their pistols at each other.

"All right then! The Brethren Court is a-gathering at Shipwreck Cove. And, Jack, you and I are a-going. There'll be no arguing that point," Barbossa says.

"I is arguing the point. If there's pirates a-gathering, I'm pointing my ship the other way," Jack replies.

"The pirates are gathering to fight Beckett, and you're a pirate. Anyway, don't you want to help Maria get her revenge?" Elizabeth says pointing both her pistols at Jack and gives me a pointed glance. This causes Jack to point both his pistols at Elizabeth and Will in turn points both of his at Jack.

"Fight or not, you're not running, Jack," Will says as Jack points a pistol back at him. I just sigh at the stupidity of it all.

"If we don't stand together, they'll hunt us down one by one, till there be none left but you," Barbossa says pointing his pistol at Jack and points his other one behind him at Gibbs.

"I quite like the sound of that. Captain Jack Sparrow, the last pirate," Jack says.

"Aye. And you'll be fighting Jones alone. How does that figure into your plan?" Barbossa asks.

"I'm still working on that. But I will not be going back to the Locker, mate. Count on that," Jack says coolly then fires his pistol, but it doesn't work. Everyone else tries theirs and none of them are working. I burst out laughing and jump down from the barrel, my legs now returned.

"Wet powder," Gibbs states.

"Wait! We can still use them as clubs!" Pintel suggests. Ragetti hits him on the head with his pistol to test it out. "Ow!"

"Sorry. Effective, though," Ragetti says. I roll my eyes and snigger at them and then run into the Captain's Quarters to change into a new pair of pants and boots.

I come out and walk over to the group to stand next to Jack.

"There's a freshwater spring on this island. We can resupply there and get back to shooting each other later," Will says pointing at the map.

"You lead the shore party. I'll stay with my ship," Jack says to Barbossa who looks unamused at all the events happening before him.

"I'll not be leaving my ship in your command," Barbossa says dryly.

"Why don't you both go ashore and leave the ship in my command. Temporarily," Will suggests.

"Well, then. To the shore it is," I say and make way into the long boat. This is going to be an interesting trip.

Once we got to the shore, I hop out of the long boat and wait for everyone else as I squint at a large animal in the distance. Jack stands next to me for a second before walking towards the beast. The closer we got the bigger it got.

"Oh god. That's the...," I say, horrified.

"Kraken. Was... the kraken," Jack finishes my sentence as he stares at the sea monster deeply.

"Criminy!" Pintel says.

"Odds bodkins!" Ragetti says. Both are clearly just as surprised as I am.

"Still thinking of running, Jack? Think you can outrun the world? You know the problem with being the last of anything... by and by, there be none left at all," Barbossa says stepping forward.

Jack was quiet for a moment before replying.

"Sometimes things come back, mate. We're living proof, you and me," he says pointing to Barbossa and himself trying to be his usual suave self. His eyes were scared, his smile not fully there, even his words sounded off.

"Aye, but that's a gamble of long odds, ain't it? There's never a guarantee of coming back. But passing on, that's dead certain," Barbossa says.

I glance at Jack to see his reaction. I was shocked at this civil conversation between them. However, Jack still seemed despondent, like he finally realizes he couldn't just talk his way out of this one. There's going to be a war. And he has to fight.

"Summoning the Brethren Court, then, is it?" Jack asks lightly.

"It's our only hope, lad," Barbossa states while moving to stand near me. Lad? That sounded unlike him. I was moved by my father's attempts to become civil with Jack. It warmed my heart to think that these two men would put aside their differences for me.

"That's a sad commentary in and of itself," Jack says sadly.

"The world used to be a bigger place," Barbossa states.

"The world's still the same. There's just... less in it," Jack mutters and turns away and starts to walk inland. I turn to Barbossa.

"Thank you."

"For what?" He asks. I sigh and squeeze his arm.

"For trying. I know he's rough around the edges, but he's just scared. Scared of losing everything."

"Nah child. He's scared of losing you. And that's what makes me want to be kinder to him. Ain't ever seen a man so in love, so scared to lose someone." He then had sadness in his eyes. "And that's the way I felt when I lost your mother," he says with sadness in his voice. I turn to look at him and see tears in his eyes at the mention of my mother. I never really asked him, but I know that he loved her.

We then follow Jack to where the spring was. Once we reach the spring, I gasp and hold back a scream as I realize there's a dead body floating in it. I watch as Barbossa tastes the water and then spits it out.

"Poisoned. Fouled by the body," Barbossa says.

Pintel then went to the body resting in the water and turned it over and we all gasp.

"Eh, I know him. He was in Singapore," Pintel says.

"[Squawks] Singapore," Cotton's parrot says.

"Captain!" Marty shouts.

"Hoy!" Ragetti shouts to us waving his arms. "We got company!" He points out to the approaching ship. I curse under my breath. Sao Feng.

Pistols were being cocked around us and I look around me. I raise my eyebrows at Jack as we realize we were surrounded.

"He's the captain," Jack says pointing to Barbossa. Barbossa in turn rolls his eyes.

"Really, Jack," I say giving him a pointed glance also rolling my eyes.