In the Shadow of a Legend
The soul who was being hauled in over the side of the ship was crying out in terror. Captain William Turner sighed and prepared himself for yet another awkward conversation. This was the third time today. He fully intended to head below decks for a drink as soon as this sailor had quieted down.
The sailor was now standing on deck, his arms restrained by two members of the Dutchman's crew, who were preventing him from jumping back into the ocean. As Will came closer, he heard the frightened cries turn into words, and they were the ones he was expecting to hear.
"I know who ye are, Davy Jones!" cried the sailor. "I'll have nothin' to do with ye!"
"Jones is no longer the captain of this ship," said Will. "I'm Captain Will Turner. Welcome aboard."
The sailor finally opened his eyes and looked at the men around him, then at the captain. He appeared relieved for a moment, then shot Will a distrustful look.
"What happened?" demanded the sailor. "Did ye kill him?"
"Yes, I did. But it wasn't because I wanted this ship. I did it because if I hadn't, we would have lost the battle for the freedom of all pirates to sail the seas."
"Ye're a pirate?"
"No, but I have good friends among pirates."
"And ye killed him... to save yer pirate friends?"
"Yes, that's right."
There was a pause. "Ye're a good man, Captain Turner," the sailor said finally. "Thank ye for bringin' me aboard."
"I'm only doing my duty," said the captain.
The Flying Dutchman was now making her way toward the shores of the land of the dead. Will sat at the organ console in the dimly-lit chamber next to his quarters, staring at the keys. He didn't know how to play, but he knew that this was where his predecessor had poured out his anguish and frustration.
Slowly, he began to experiment with the organ, discovering which keys produced which notes. When he had located the notes that sounded right, a mournful tune well known to all pirates came from the organ.
"Yo . . . ho . . . haul . . . to - gether . . .
Hoist . . . the col – ours . . . high . . ."
sang the organ, very slowly.
"Never heard you playing that thing before," said a voice from the entrance to the room. "Something on your mind?"
Will stopped playing and turned to look. "Hello, Father," he said.
"Care to talk about it?" asked Bill Turner.
Will nodded and motioned for his father to join him on the organ bench. "The Dutchman offers sanctuary to those who fear death," Will began, "but based on my experience so far, sailors seem to fear Davy Jones more often than they do death. Now that I'm the heir to the most feared pirate legend ever told, I have to convince half the souls we collect that I'm not the cruel, vicious sea-demon who made this ship legendary. I'm already growing tired of telling the story of how I became captain."
"Ah, but stories don't become legends until they're told again and again," said Bill. "You just wait. In time, all sailors will have heard your story. They'll know that this is your ship now, and that you're a better man than Jones."
"How can they, when the only ones who meet me and hear my story are the dead?"
"Well, you're not the only one doing the telling, are you? Don't forget, your wife is still the Pirate King. She will have told the rest of the Pirate Lords all about how we won that battle and what's become of you, and the story will surely spread from them to pirates the world over."
"That's true. But I doubt Jones' legends will ever be forgotten completely. He had centuries to build a reputation..."
"...which he did for all the wrong reasons. You, on the other hand, have been performing your duties faithfully and well. I'd say, just keep that up and let Elizabeth, Jack, and the others tell your tale for you, and before you know it, you'll be a legend in your own right."
"Yes... I see. Thank you, Father."
"Don't mention it, son."
The long months passed. Will began to grow accustomed to serving as captain of the Flying Dutchman, but he often thought of the friends and the wife he'd had to leave behind. He hoped that his father was right, and they were indeed telling true tales about him.
One star-filled night, the crew was pulling another silent soul out of a still, lonely sea. As always, the captain stood ready to greet the new passenger. To his complete astonishment, though, the first words out of this one's mouth when he reached the deck were, "Captain Will Turner, isn't it?"
"You know my name," said Will without thinking.
"Aye!" the soul answered. "It's an honour to meet the great hero of the Battle of Shipwreck Island."
"The story must be getting around, then."
"Aye. It's traveled the world, from port to port and from ship to ship. The whole pirating world knows that the Flying Dutchman has a new captain."
"I'm happy to hear that. Thank you for the news."
"You're welcome, sir. I'm Jesse Richmond, by the way. I don't fear death, exactly, but may I join the crew anyway? That is, if you're still looking for crewmen."
"You certainly may. Fear of death isn't a requirement anymore. Anyone who just wants to sail the seas for a bit longer, for whatever reason, can join the crew."
"That's exactly what I want, sir. Thank you."
"Welcome to the crew, Mr. Richmond."
Will was happier than he had been in what felt like ages. His friends had not remained silent; they had, indeed, let his story spread far and wide. With any luck, he would soon be free of the stigma that went along with being captain of the Dutchman, and would never again be mistaken for Davy Jones.
A/N: Wow, it's been a long time since I've posted anything here at FF.n. I'm popping back in to say hello because "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" gave me this plot monkey, and it wouldn't let go of me until I wrote it.
Disclaimer: All characters are property of The Walt Disney Company. Some of the background ideas in this story were inspired by the POTC fanfics of Jennie (fuckedifiknow on LiveJournal), and this story is posted with credit and much thanks to her for her wonderful stories. No profit is being made from this story, and yes, sometimes I do still write just because it's fun.