Hey you guys! Sorry this chapter took so long... Yeah... I had writers block for MONTHS... Now a year... It was torturous :) Then I got grounded and high school went a bit crazy on me. But, I'M BACK NOW AND I WILL BE UPDATING ASAP! DEAD MAN'S CHEST! SQUEEEEEEEEEEE :)
Disclaimer: Me:*through gritted teeth* I sadly do not own Pirates of the Caribbean. Will: And... Me: *rolls eyes* And I do not own Will Turner. Will: You're still forgetting something. Me: *turns to Will in a complete rage* AAAAGH YOU CAN'T EVEN LET ME HAVE MY ONE MOMENT! *turns back to the readers* I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean, Will Turner, Jack Sparrow, or Elizabeth Swann. GRRR. ENJOY. THE. STORY.
Sage was leading Solitaire, one of Sir Swithbert's horses, back to his stall after a long day of work. Caity and Andrea had gone out on their day off to see if Captain Jack Sparrow was back in town.
Since their last adventure, the girls had received a full pardon from Governor Swann for locking them up in jail and almost having them executed. Then, the girls were let loose on the streets of Port Royal. After a few days of being tired and hungry, they learned that they had to find a job. They went from house to house, asking for a job, but nobody would give three girls a job unless they were to be maids. So, Andrea had the idea of dressing up as boys. They tied up their hair and wore baggy clothes and funny looking tricorner hats to disguise their true identities. Sure enough, the very next day, they found jobs as stable boys at Sir Swithbert's residence. Sage was brought out of her reverie by the sound of Solitaire pawing the ground anxiously. Sage jumped up and brought his bucket of oats and hay to him. Solitaire whinnied and he breathed heavily through his nostrils, lifting up his head. Sage grabbed his lead rope and gently coaxed his head down. She rubbed Solitaire's head gently.
"Shh, Solitaire. It's okay, there's nothing to panic about," Sage said. Solitaire calmed down when suddenly, there were three loud knocks on the door. Sage's head whipped around. Who would be knocking on the stable door? Sage thought. The main door to Sir Swithbert's Estate was in plain sight. The knocking came again, this time, a voice was added to it.
"Is anyone in there? We are looking for Sage Marino, Andrea De La Vega, Caitlin O'Loughlin, Elizabeth Swann, and William Turner." Sage's first thoughts were that Sir Swithbert had found out that she snuck out to see Will every few days. But no, Caity and Andrea and Elizabeth were included in this too. Sage ran to the door and opened it, gaping at the sight in front of her.
Many of the Navy's soldiers were standing in front of the door. Looking to her right, she saw Will standing there, his hands in shackles. To his left, Elizabeth was also standing there, looking murderous. Sage looked around for Caity and Andrea but couldn't see them anywhere. She went over to Will.
"Why is this happening?" she asked him softly. Will shook his head.
"I don't know. They just came and took me and Elizabeth," Will glanced down at her stable boy clothes and grinned. "You look beautiful," he said. Sage waved away his compliment.
"I'm in a boy's clothes! I do not look beautiful-" Sage got cut off by Governor Swann entering the area.
"Move!" The governor yelled, looking up at the soldiers. A man turned around, taking off his cloak as he did so.
"Governor Weatherby Swann, it's been too long," the man said without any humor in his voice. The Governor gasped.
"Cutler Beckett!" Governor Swann said in astonishment.
"It's Lord now, actually," Beckett said. Recognition dawned on Sage's face as she pointed a shaky finger towards him.
"You- You're Buckett! And.. you're here to arrest all of us!" Sage yelled at him. Buckett ignored her.
"Lord or not, you have no reason and no authority to arrest my daughter, this man, and these other three girls, only one of which is present right now," Governor Swann protested.
"In fact I do," Beckett said, holding his hand out to Mr. Mercer. "Mr. Mercer?" Beckett asked. Mercer brought a small wooden box to Beckett. Beckett opened it and took out a piece of paper.
"The warrant for arrest of one William Turner," Beckett said calmly, giving the paper to Governor Swann. Governor Swann looked over it quickly and then looked up in shock.
"This warrant is for Elizabeth Swann!" Beckett smiled evilly. "Oh. I have another warrant also. For Sage Marino," Beckett said.
"What?!" cried Sage. Will held her hand comfortingly. Beckett reached over and grabbed the warrant back from Governor Swann.
"Arrest them," Beckett said. The soldiers moved to grab Elizabeth and Sage.
"On what charges?" Elizabeth yelled angrily. Will stepped forward.
"No! Don't arrest them!" Will shouted, putting his arm out to stop the soldiers. Beckett rummaged around in the box again.
"Aha! This is the one for William Turner. And I have another one for a Mr. James Norrington and Caity O'loughlin and Andrea De La Vega. Are they present?" Beckett said, giving the papers to Governor Swann.
"What are the charges?" Sage asked.
"Commodore Norrington resigned his commission some months ago."
"I don't believe that was the answer to the question I asked," Beckett said testily.
"Lord Beckett, in the category of questions not answered-" Will was interrupted.
"We are under the jurisdiction of the King's governor of Port Royal and you will tell us what we are charged with!" Elizabeth demanded. Sage rolled her eyes.
"The charge... is conspiring to set free a man convicted of crimes against the Crown and Empire and condemned to death for which the..." Governor Swann broke off.
"For which the punishment, regrettably, is also death." Buckett stepped over to stand in front of Will.
"Perhaps you remember a certain pirate named Jack Sparrow," Beckett said menancingly. "Captain!" exclaimed Will, Elizabeth, and Sage.
"Captain Jack Sparrow," Sage said, furrowing her eyebrows in anger. Beckett smiled, as though satisfied at what he heard.
"Captain Jack Sparrow. Yes, I thought you might."
Joshamee Gibbs stumbled around the ship, holding a bottle.
"Fifty men dead on a dead man's chest. Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum. Drink and the devil has done for rest. Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum. Ha ha ha ha ha," he chuckled, not even jumping as a bunch of crows flew over the ship.
Not far away, some men were throwing dead prisoners into coffins and sending them off to sea. A crow landed on one of the coffins and began pecking at the rotten wood before a sudden pistol shot from within the coffin caused the crow to get blown aay. A hand emerged from the hole, followed by an arm and a body of a man with dreadlocks. Captain Jack Sparrow pulled his hat from inside of the cofin and placed it on his head before looking around,
"Sorry mate," Jack said as he reached inside the coffin and broke off the skeleton's leg. Putting it in the water, he said,
"Do you mind if we make a little side trip? I didn't think so." Jack rowed all the way to the big ship in the distance and began climbing up the ship. Gibbs leaned down to help Jack but recoiled quickly when he found himself holding a skeleton leg instead of Jack's arm. Jack stood up on deck as Gibbs looked at him confusedly.
"Not quite according to plan," Gibbs said, looking expectantly at Jack.
"Complications arose, ensued, were overcome," Jack said, walking to the helm. Gibbs handed the skeleton leg to Cotton before following Jack.
"You got what you went in for, then?"
"Muh-uh," Jack said while waving around a small piece of cloth. The rest of the crew looked disgruntled and Gibbs appeared hesitant.
"Captain, I think the crew- meaning me, as well- were expecting something a bit more..." Gibbs shook his hands around in the air and said, "shiny. What with the Isle de Muerta going all pearshapes, reclaimed by the sea and the treasure with it."
"And the Royal Navy chasing us all around the Atlantic!" exclaimed another dark-skinned pirate. "And the hurricane," Marty interjected. The rest of the crew murmured their agreement.
"All in all," Gibbs said apologetically. "It seems some time since we did a spect of honest pirating." Jack turned around to stare at the rest of the crew.
"Shiny?" Jack asked with a raised eyebrow. "Aye, shiny," Gibbs said, nodding in agreement.
"Is that how you're all feeling, then? Perhaps dear ol' Jack is not serving your best interests as Captain?" Jack asked testily.
"Awk, awk, walk the plank," squawked Mr. Cotton's parrot. Mr. Cotton's eyes widened in shock and he hastily covered his parrot's beak with his hand. Jack's head whipped around and he cocked his pistol before aiming it at the parrot.
"What did the bird say?" he asked angrily.
"Do not blame the bird," said the first pirate who had spoken. "Show us, what is on that piece of cloth there." Everyone looked at the roll of cloth that was clutched in Jack's hand and there was a moment of silence before there was a shrill chattering noise and Jack the monkey dropped down in front of Jack before taking the cloth and running. Jack turned around and shot the monkey and it dropped the cloth before running away again.
"You know that don't do no good," Gibbs said, staring after the monkey. "It does me," Jack said indignantly. He turned around to see Marty picking up the unrolled cloth. "It's a key," Marty said in disappointment. Jack took the cloth from him.
"No, much more better! It is a drawing of a key," Jack said, with the patience akin to that of a schoolteacher. He unfolded the cloth and showed it to the crew. Everyone just looked blankly at it and Jack looked disappointed in the lack of reaction.
"Gentlemen, what do keys do?" He asked pointedly. The crew looked confused for another moment before one of the pirates hesitantly said,
"Keys... unlock things?" Gibbs' face lit up in understanding as he exclaimed,
"And whatever this key unlocks, inside there's something valuable. So, we're setting out to find whatever this key unlocks!"
"No," Jack reprimanded, causing Gibbs to look confused. "We don't have the key, we can't open whatever it is we don't have that it unlocks. So, what purpose would be served in finding whatever need be unlocked, which we don't have, without first having found the key what unlocks it?" Jack said, a scheming look on his face.
"So, we're going after this key," Gibbs said after a moment of confusion.
Jack looked at him as though he was insane. "You're not making any sense at all," he exclaimed, and Gibbs looked even more baffled. "Any more questions?"
"So..." Marty began. "Do we have a heading?"
"Ah!" Jack said before reaching for his compass. "A heading. Set sail in a..." Jack paused, watching as the compass needle swung back and forth without stopping. "General..." Jack pointed randomly. "That way direction!" The crew stared at him.
"Captain?" Gibbs asked, needing clarification. Jack looked insulted that his crew hadn't moved.
"Come on. Snap to and make sail, you know how this works. Oi, oi!" He shooed the pirates out of his way and stumbled over to his cabin. Marty hung over the railing, motioning to Gibbs. Gibbs walked over, still looking baffled. "I've noticed lately, the Captain seems to be acting a bit strange... er," Marty said before shrugging. Gibbs nodded in agreement.
"Setting sail without knowing his own heading, something's got Jack vexed. You mark my words, what bodes ill for Jack Sparrow, bodes ill for us all," Gibbs said, looking out into the dark expanse of the sea in front of them.
So I am already working on the next chapter and I should have it up within a week.. maybe two :D SO... REVIEWS ARE LIKE VIRTUAL COOKIES! And they're good incentive for getting the next chapter quicker! :D Also, I will be uploading this onto a new story on my profile, so please go look over there for the rest of Dead Man's Chest!
~Sage