From the Academy acclaimed... Ah! Who am I kidding?... From the Author who brought you Stupid Fan Girl, comes a story of love, loss, loyalty, bravery, and friendship (and let's not forget piracy). Join Captain Jack Sparrow on his quest to find the Fountain of Youth, and the people who get dragged along.

"...in a single day and night of misfortune, the island of Atlantis disappeared into the depths of the sea."

The storm waged war on the firm and steady houses of Nassau. The turquoise waters of the Bahamas continually crashed on the docks, knocking off bits of wood with each wave of fury. Bearing its electric fangs of lightning, the raging storm roared with thunder and howled as the winds swept through the empty streets, unable to shake the buildings. The streets were dark, as everyone was home asleep. There was only one light glistening through the window of a decent size house. Inside, sitting by the candle light sat two people, a child and a young woman.

"Hey mum," a raspy little voice spoke up. "Do you think Atlantis really exists?" In the small bed in the middle of the room lay a small, sick little boy at the age of four. Sitting next to him with a book in her hands was his mother. Her curly red hair fluttered slightly as she turned from the book to look into the questioning blue eyes of her son. A smile graced her lips; making her all the more beautiful. You could see a dying light in her eyes. Her aura gave off a hopeless feel, all the while smiling sweetly.

"It might have existed at one time or another," she said, turning back to the book. "According to the story, it was destroyed in an earthquake so there's no telling if it still does or not. It has yet to be discovered, so I'll just as well assume it does." She said, her smile not once ever leaving her lips.

"If I ever get better," said the raspy little voice of the boy, Chris, "I want to be the one to discover it. I'll sail to the edges of the world and beyond if I have to!" He suddenly gave into a fit of coughs. His mother's smile vanished as she placed a hand on his chest while the other caressed his little face. His cough subsided with a moan of pain. He stared up at his mother, breathing heavily from the forced activity. "If I don't get better, mommy, will you discover Atlantis for me?"

His mother's eyes flew open in horror at his words. If I don't get better, mommy...

"Don't talk like that," she scolded gently. "You will get better." Her confidence resounded through the room, reassuring the little boy, but he was still afraid.

"Mommy, promise you'll discover Atlantis for me," he said. He felt something wet fall on his hand. He was quick to realize his mother was crying.

"Yes Chris," she said as she smiled once more, but the tears continued to fall, despite her efforts. "I promise I'll find Atlantis for you." She leaned forward and her lips met with his warm forehead. "Now, go to sleep, okay?" His head bobbed slightly as he quietly mumbled a yes. His mother gently tucked him in and blew out the candle.

"Good night Chris," she whispered as she stepped towards the door.

"G'night mommy," he whispered in return.

"I love you," she said softly as she stood at the door. He looked at her and smiled.

"I love you too," he said before he heard the door close. His mother stood in front of the door for a few moments. Her eyes were shaded by her hair so even in the light of the bright bolts of lightning her expression was hard to read. Beside the door hung a painting of a young man with dirty blond hair and blue eyes identical to that of the little boy Chris. His jacket was red with metals and such trinkets adorning it, indicating his stature in the Royal Navy. This young man was the boy's father who had disappeared not but a few months before Chris's birth.

She suddenly looked up at the painting with tears in her eyes. She gently touched the painting as if her touch would bring him to life. "Joseph..." She turned and walked away, her silky blue night gown rustling gracefully as she walked. The floor boards creaked with every step she took. She rubbed her arms as a chill settled in her bones. She feared the worst for her little boy, but she was not ready to give up hope. She gave a silent prayer, begging for her son to return to the happy, carefree boy she knew, before the accident. She opened the door to her room and quickly lit a match to light a candle. She let out a sigh as the warm glow from the candle seemed to chase away her fears as it did to the shadows. She knew better then to think that they had in fact left.

Her fears were as real as the shadows that danced on the walls as the flame on the candle stick squirmed with every movement in the air. This young mother of a four year old boy had once been the happiest woman in Nassau, before her husband was called to duty in the Navy. He had not been seen since.

Now, her little boy was sick. Not but a few weeks ago, that same little boy had been running down the halls. A couple weeks ago, a friend of her husbands had offered to give the boy a small dagger. She had refused. In his anger, Chris had run off into the rain with his mother hot on his heels. He ran all the way to the beach. The ocean was calling to him, as it did to those who longed to sail its treacherous waters. He was one of those few like his father before him, and his mother was the only thing holding him back. He didn't know why she didn't like the sea. She had never bothered to tell him why, but as he waded out into the on coming waves in the pouring rain, he could hear his mother weeping for his safe return. He paid them no mind until several pairs of strong hands brought him back to shore and into his mother's waiting arms. It wasn't long before he showed signs of a cold: the coughs, the wheezing, and the fever. For about a week, these symptoms lasted. When the doctor took a look at the boy, that same cold escalated into something worse, pneumonia.

She had been devastated by this news and started having nightmares over her son's sickness. Her husband calling to her, asking her why she had let such a tragedy happen to their son. She cried herself to sleep every night for several weeks after the discovery of her son's illness. It was almost like when she found out that the Persecutor, her husband's ship, had mysteriously disappeared.

Another flash as a bolt of lightning clawed at the sky as another portrait became visible to her eyes: the portrait she had drawn of her older sister when she was younger. She had been sent off to marry a rich aristocrat when her ship had vanished. Now both her sister and her husband had been claimed by the treacherous waters of the sea.

She felt the crack in her heart grow a little bigger when she thought of her long lost husband. Their wedding had been a beautiful one. Her white dress had been hand made in China and was made of silk with pearls decorating the skirt of her dress. It was her mother's. He had worn is red navy jacket at her request and she thought he looked absolutely wonderful in his Naval garb. The same jacket that was seen in the picture by the door to Chris's room.

She slowly shook her head as she emptied her mind of her thoughts and memories. She rested her head against her pillow as she pulled the covers over herself. In a quick breath, the candle was out. She needed to rest now... just rest.

***

"Meredith?"

"Yes?"

"I was going to ask if you loved me or not, but I can see it in your eyes."

"Joseph, do you doubt me?"

"Not even for a second! I just want to hear it from your mouth."

"I love you Joseph."

"I love you, too."

"Do you think we'll be together forever?"

"Why wouldn't we?"

"What if fate doesn't agree with our union?"

"Now, my dear, don't tell me you believe such nonsense!"

"Be serious, Joseph."

"If we were not meant to be together, then so be it. Just promise me one thing."

"Yes, Joseph?"

"That you will always be happy, even if we are apart."

***

She shot out of bed at one simple sound coming from the room down the hall. Chris was coughing terribly loud. Fearing the worst, she shot out of bed and fled down the hall. He was coughing consistently. He was coughing up greenish phlegm. She sat by his side, and held him close. She wasn't about to let him go.

"Do you think we'll be together forever?"

"Chris!" cried his mother. She put her hand to his forehead and her eyes widened in fear. He was burning up. "Sarah, get the doctor!" Since Chris had been sick for several weeks, the doctor stayed at their house to help care for him. It wasn't long before he was in the room checking on Chris. After several minutes the cough had died down, but his extremely high fever remained in place, and his pulse was irregular.

"Mommy," he moaned. "I don't want to die."

"Don't worry, you'll be okay!" she cried. She grasped his hand as if he might disappear before her eyes. His breathing slowed and his voice sounded as though he were in pain. She felt her own heart beat slowing down with his as all other sounds, the wailing of the maids, the pounding of the rain, it all just seemed to fade away.

"I didn't... even get to meet daddy..." he whispered.

"Ma'am," the doctor whispered in her ear, bringing her back to reality, even if only for a moment... "I'm afraid I've done all I can do."

"Mommy!" Chris cried, tears pouring from his eyes and into his ears. She could feel a pain in her chest welling up with it. It made her feel sick. "It hurts!"

"Don't worry!" she repeated, for both him and for herself. "It'll stop hurting!" His breath began to slow as did his pulse. His mother was crying brutally. She couldn't bear to lose her son as well.

"…Just promise me one thing…"

"Mom, you're right," he said softly. "It doesn't hurt anymore."

"…Just promise me one thing…"

"Chris, please stay with me!" she cried out. It sounded like she was miles away. Slowly, the world began to fade away, along with his worries, his cares, the entire world faded away, with nothing but his mother's sobs to loll him to a deep, never ending sleep. All the while, his mother crying his name.

"…promise…"

"Chris!" she cried. She picked up the body of her now dead child and held him close. "Don't leave me!" she sobbed.

"…one thing…"

"Mrs. Madison," said the doctor as he put his things away. "I am truly sorry."

Whether she heard him or not, she continued to sob with her dead child in her arms. The maids of the household wept by her side. Even the stern faced butler had a few tears running down his face. What kind of fate was this for any small child? Sarah, the head maid, put her arms around her mistress.

"I-I had planned on... marrying and raising a family," Mrs. Madison said through her sobs. Her world was spinning out of control. The smiling faces of her son, husband, and older sister spinning around in her mind. She could picture the three of them laughing and having a wonderful time, without her. The picture shattered and all that was left was utter darkness, engulfing every fiber of her being. She felt she would never over come such a devastatingly powerful emotional blow.

Only one thing remained in her drowning consciousness.

"…promises… promise… promise… Promise!"

The promises she had made to both of them.

***

Let it begin…

The storm had passed, and all that had been left in its wake was a bright sun and nary a cloud in the sky. On this bright day, the town of Nassau was dark and gloomy. The bustling of townsfolk could be heard from miles away. In the back of everyone's mind, however, they knew of the Madison tragedy. At the local church, a funeral was being held. A young boy had died the night before. His mother was, of course one of the few men and women there. Tears were continually streaming down her face, and she made no move to wipe them away.

Do you believe yet?

Not a word was spoken as the coffin was carried out to the grave site. His mother watched as they buried him beneath the ground her heart on the verge of shattering forever. All of their closest relatives and friends had come for the funeral. One particularly close friend of her husbands approached her.

Living with yourself forever…

"I'm sorry," he said. She didn't turn. She didn't speak; just stared at the spot her son was buried. Only one thing kept her breathing.

"Mommy, promise you'll discover Atlantis for me!"

She shivered, rubbing her arms with her hands. The sea had once again claimed an innocent life of one of her loved ones. She cursed herself and the sea, but at the same time, she knew it was now her only refuge in her sorrowful world. She had nothing to gain here in Nassau, nor did she have anything to lose by leaving it. After several hours of staring at the stone, she finally walked away.

Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate…

She got home and picked up the book she had been reading to him the night before. She held it close to her as the tears came one last time.

Once I recover, I'll find it! I'll keep my promise.

Sometimes the right course demands an act of piracy…

I would like to thank the Acedemy... Stupid dreams... I would like to thank my beta readers (since they did most of the work) for destroying everything I threw at them and sending me back the ashes. Lady Merlin and WargishBoromirFan for a fantastic job at doing what I asked them to. Be sure to leave a review! Please? Oh! I'll leave a poll as to whether or not I should continue.