Disclaimer: Original ideas, characters and concept created by Cynikalbitch. Pirates of The Caribbean - Curse of The Black Pearl originally mastered by Jerry Bruckheimer, directed by Gore Verbinski and produced courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures. All original re-production rights reserved. No Infringement Accepted.


 It is said that the Black Pearl marks those who are worthy of it. It seeks them out and reveals itself for an instant before vanishing. Whether or not they heed the call is up to them and those that do find that the Black Pearl has always been waiting.


                                      Pirates of the Caribbean: The Black Vase


Chapter I: Ye're Female.


Somewhere in the past.

Port Royal Docks

            Port Royal was normally a busy affair but it was quiet this afternoon. A girl of around 14 sat on the docks watching the place where sea and fog blended to a white blur.

            The remains of the ship they had been expecting a week ago had been found along the shore this morning; nearly a dozen and a half bodies, all bloated and barely distinguishable, but no sign of the spices or clothes they had ordered. She knew it was the job of pirates but her father was reluctant to admit it.

            It was boring around here, a little havoc now and then would do the village good, but the adults were treating it as if nothing had happened.

            Meridian shook her head. She would be a pirate when she grew up, living a life of adventure… freedom… happiness. Better than being stuck in a village, mingling with the finest and then giving birth to a dozen or so children and dying. Just like every other noblewoman. She wouldn't end up like one of them. Not if she could help it.

            Her thoughts once again turned towards the sea. The Black Pearl was said to be sailing the Caribbean waters lately. She wondered what had drawn it here. There was a sudden movement in the mist. Meridian craned her neck and tightened her hands on the dock. It looked like the hull of the ship. If she leaned any further in, she would be in danger of falling into the water. She strained her eyes but found nothing.


Present

Aboard the Shattered Mirror

            "Go on then luvvy, what are ye waiting for? Jump!" sneered the Captain.

            "I have worked hard to save your sorry hind and this is how you repay me?" she snarled, glaring down at him from the plank.

            "Pirate or no, ye're female," pointed out one of the crew. "And that means bad luck."

            "Don't blame me for your carelessness," she snapped temporarily diverting her fury towards them. "I want my share of gold."

            "Ye can still be saved if ye tell us what that piece of paper is about." said the Captain. "No? Then take a dive luv, see how life on land suits ya."   

            He tossed a pistol towards her, grinning evilly. "Oh and don't forget the bottle of water." he smiled maliciously as he said this. A sneering blonde brought up the smallest bottle of water she had ever seen and handed it to her.

Meridian threw him a dirty look but took it anyway. She could see she was fighting a losing battle but that didn't stop her from shooting the captain one last contemptuous glare before diving into the waters below.


Later that day…

Aboard the Black Pearl

            Gale force winds whipped the Black Pearl. Captain Jack Sparrow stood at the helm, staring dreamily into the stormy horizon. He was a picture of calmness while his crew scurried around him in a flurry of activity, righting and securing what the wind undid. The storm was coming on strong and he wasn't sure if the Pearl could make it, but then again his assumptions were nearly always proven wrong.

            He walked towards the helms wheel passing Ana-Maria as she retied the sail to the mast. Water had drenched her normally beige shirt making it see through. He raised an amused brow at an openly staring crew member who immediately shut his gaping mouth and got on with what he was doing.

            "Ana, you're distracting the crew," he said, pointedly staring at her chest with a suggestive smirk and motioning around his own chest area. She looked at where his hands were gesturing, then noticed where his eyes were traveling and shrugged. "They should be used to it by now," she muttered after shooting Jack a disapproving glare for his leer.

            Jack grinned and looked down at his compass. "Right, then. Not long now. We'll be taking shelter in a cove not far off," he shouted to everyone.


On the abandoned isle

            Meridian pulled herself out of the water and collapsed onto the sand. It was a miracle she had made it, the currents were strong and it had taken her a long time to fight it. The sand was wet and hard against her back. Occasional sprays of rain hit the island, drenching her in cold water. She got up and looked around; bare coconut trees whipping in the wind and a charred black mass to her right. May as well make a shelter, keep out of the cold.

            She walked over to the edge of the burnt black mess and pulled out some of the salvageable pieces of wood, arranging them so they made something like a tent. Then she collected the fallen coconut tree branches and draped them across the wooden structure. A little weak but it ought to offer her some shelter for the night. She sat down and admired her handiwork.

            A huge gust of wind blew suddenly and her contraption teetered precariously. Meridian winced and waited for the crash. She opened her eyes cautiously; it was still standing. She released a huge sigh of relief. The 'tent' collapsed immediately. Frustrated, Meridian heaved herself to her feet and kicked at the fallen mess.

            "Fine. That's just fine. 'You're female' they say. I'll show them female. Leave me stranded here with no bloody food-" she stopped suddenly as if remembering something important. "My map…" It was still in her cabin, hidden in the black vase she had found on one of their plundering trips. She walked over to a dense circle of trees and sat down heavily, "Someone had better find me…"


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