Elizabeth struggled to keep calm as tried to carry of several duties at once. She secured the sail of Rose's dinghy and was trying to man the rudder that would take them out towards the open sea. She glanced down at the cot she had loaded on deck, which held a comatose but still breathing Rose. She and several pirates had loaded her onboard, though the men gave a quizzical look. Why on earth would a dying woman need to be rowed out into the ocean?
Once Elizabeth had decided they had gone out far enough, she furled up the sail and weighed anchor. She took a deep breath, hand quivering, and unlocked the chest she had taken aboard. Reaching hesitantly inside, she lifted Will's heart out from the inside and gave it a good squeeze. This had worked before to call Will there, it had to work again.
She waited. And waited. Nothing was happening. The only disturbance was the wind blowing in dark, billowy clouds from the south. Suddenly, Rose began to convulse.
"Not again!" Elizabeth cried as she closed the chest and rushed to her side, holding her shoulders down. Rose eyes rolled back in her head and her body grew stiff. Her head went limp, but the remainder of her muscles below the neck were tense and tight.
Elizabeth whispered. "Come on, Will!" she shouted.
Suddenly, everything was still. The wind ceased and the boat stopped moving. A sudden chill entered the atmosphere as the offshore waves gently lapped the boat. Even the gulls were silent.
Then, out of the silence, the Dutchman emerged in all its shadowy glory. It was only a few leagues away from the small dinghy where they were anchored, sending waves careening toward them in ripples and dripping water showering overhead. The ship circled the boat, then laid anchor a few meters away. A few sailors onboard lowered a rope ladder for the boat.
"Ahoy!" Elizabeth cried out to them.
"Ahoy!" several voices responded.
"Elizabeth!" Will's voice cut through the air, shrill with panic. "What's happened?"
"I'm coming up," Elizabeth replied, though her eyes couldn't locate her husband from below. "We need to pull someone onboard! Send a plank and ropes!"
Like clockwork, two men transformed onto her boat, and two lines were cast down. Elizabeth saw to it that Rose could be hoisted securely, then rushed up the ladder. Will was waiting there, and she fell into his embrace as soon as she ascended.
He placed his hands on either side of her face. "Is it Henry?" he asked fearfully.
"No," Elizabeth reassured him. "Rose."
Bootstrap was standing at Will's side. "Rose Hexfury? Dear god! She's dying?"
Elizabeth shook her head. "I don't know what's happening," she cried. "It's black magic that's claiming her." She looked imploringly at Will. "But she won't die! She'll lay there and her breathing will go still, as though she's passed on. But then she'll suddenly convulse and gasp so loudly that I am certain she is going to choke, and then she's alive once more… It's as though something is keeping her from dying." She looked around at her husband's ship. "And so I didn't know what else to do but bring her here."
Just then, the men lifted Rose's body over the railing and down to the ground. "Make way," Will cried to his men, who were closing in around her in curiosity.
Will, Elizabeth and Bootstrap knelt close by her. "Mm," Will said, examining her. "Must be black magic. That's the only thing strong enough to kill this woman." He looked to Elizabeth. "So, you want her to join my crew."
"I don't care what you do, as long as you end her suffering."
Will frowned sullenly. "I'm not sure what I can do. She has to consent to servitude. And she is not lucid enough to make this choice. Beyond that, I'm afraid that there's not much else to be done."
"But I don't know what else to do," she said. "She's clearly suffering and I don't know how to stop it short of killing her myself. And what's more inhumane? Killing her or letting her suffer?"
Unrest in the crew interrupted their discussion. One man noticed as Rose once again began to convulse. One man, who kept back from the rest, but was fixated upon her. A vision from the past at seeing Will, Elizabeth, and Rose together in a single setting. He didn't want to approach, but merely looked on from afar, afraid that making his presence known would create nothing but anger from the two lucid visions. And as Rose began to choke on her own bile, he quickly withdrew, unable to withstand yet more pain caused by his being there. He quickly cried out, "Look to the girl!" and vanished into the shadows.
This drew attention to her, and ripples of concern flooded the deck.
"Give them space!" Bootstrap yelled. Elizabeth and Will leaned over Rose, Elizabeth holding her shoulders down and Will, placing a hand over her forehead. Her eyes flew open. Her unrest impacted the sea and skies as well, as the began to reel along with her other bodily functions. The skies were somehow profoundly darker and the waves were restless. The world seemed to turn entirely gray.
"Rose? Rose!" Elizabeth cried. But she was unresponsive. She looked back up at Will, but his face clearly showed that he was at a loss of what to do.
Rose then gasped for breath. She began to seize once more, her body failing uncontrollably on the deck.
Will took the newly presented opportunity that Rose was not dead to hold her down by the shoulders and firmly speak directly to her. "Rose? Rose, can you hear me? It's Will. Can you hear me?"
Rose's eyes quickly caught a glance of her old friend as her body continued to convulse with the black magic. The foam in her mouth choked her, and she was only able to gurgle out a slight "Yes."
"I can end your suffering, Rose. Will you serve aboard my ship?"
"Ye—" she choked again.
Will looked at Elizabeth. "That's all I need. She's sworn now. Immortal."
However, her body still continued to writhe.
"I don't understand," Will said pensively. "This never happens..."
Elizabeth laid a hand aside of her face, overcome by emotions. "I don't know what else to do. God if only Tia Dalma were here. I know she could have fixed this."
Just as she said this, an idea occurred to both of them at the same time. Calypso!
"The Locker!" Will cried out. "We'll take her there," he said, standing. "If there's anyone who can help, it is Calypso herself! Take Rose to my cabin and wait there," he said to Elizabeth. He turned to his crew. "ALL HANDS! Prepare to descend!"
Elizabeth and another crewman lifted Rose up and rushed her to the Captain's quarters. They set her down and the man turned to close and lock the door behind them.
"Wait!" Elizabeth cried. "Is it safe for us to be here? Since Rose and I are living, I mean. Under the waves, we'll drown!"
The man shook his head with a grin, "The Cap'n had us waterproof the livin' spaces. We tar the gaps regularly, nows that we ain't fish people no more. You's are fine!" It was only a matter of seconds later before the ship quivered and Elizabeth felt it begin to descend into the Locker, a trip she'd never thought she'd make again. She braced herself to keep her balance as the ship's wood creaked against the pressure of the ocean surrounding the ship. Then, everything went still.
Elizabeth looked to the crewman. "Have we—"
"Nay," he replied, holding a hand out to motion for her to wait.
All was silent for a moment, and all Elizabeth could hear was Rose's staggered breathing and the wild pounding of her own pulse in her ears. Then, suddenly, another quiver, then Elizabeth was tossed to the deck as she felt the ship jolt upwards and crash back onto the waves. The crewman chuckled good-naturedly at her unsteadiness and extended a hand towards her to help her to her feet. Together, they then took hold of Rose and lead her back out to the deck, where the ship and her crew were sopping wet from the journey. Elizabeth had nearly forgotten the vast emptiness, stillness, and orange glow of sunlight that made up the Locker, but was relieved to be here again with Will. After placing Rose back down on the deck, she raced to his side.
"Have you…summoned her before?" she asked him.
He shook his head. "I've got to try." He then looked out into the distance. "Calypso," he called out, "The Captain of the Flying Dutchman wishes to converse with you."
Nothing happened. The crew stood by, silent in anticipation.
"Calypso!" Will called out, louder. "We need your help. We wouldn't disturb you if it wasn't a matter of the utmost importance."
Still nothing. Will looked to Elizabeth, completely at a loss of what to do.
"Tia Dalma!" Elizabeth tried. "Rose Hexfury is dying!"
Suddenly, the ship gave another shudder as the still waters suddenly erupted in activity, all around the ships exterior railing, a sheet of water shot up into the air, forming a wall that surrounded the vessel on all sides. All aboard cried out in alarm and stepped in unison away from the ocean wall.
Will stepped away from the rest, gazing upon the barrier. "Calypso?"
"Rose Hexfury dies, says you," Calypso replied suddenly. However, this caused Elizabeth, Will, and his men to spin around and look upon one another in alarm, for when she spoke, her voice was heard in each person's own voice inside their head. The goddess didn't have a singular voice; It felt like her words were coming from inside each of them.
"Aye," Will replied when the commotion died down. "You are the only one who can end her suffering, I believe."
"Rose Hexfury does not die," Calypso elusively replied.
Will furrowed his brow at this confusing remark, but said slowly, "Aye…her soul and body appear to be at war. Is there a way you can help her?"
Calypso was silent for a moment, then said, "Would you be willing to accept the charges if I did?"
Will spun around and exchanged a worried glance with his wife. She just looked back at him vacantly, just as uncertain as he was.
"What charges?" he asked Calypso.
"Will you accept?" was all she insistently replied.
He took a moment, then said, "Aye."
"Good," Calypso stated. Then, "Would you prefer it if I took a form you were familiar with?"
She didn't wait for his answer, and began her transformation right then. The wall barrier suddenly fell back to the sea all at once as the resulting sea mist shimmered in the sunlight and formed the translucent image of Tia Dalma, faded, but looking just as she was in human form.
She grinned and sauntered closer to Will, now using her own former voice once more. "Id been too long, William Turner. Ya done well wid da charges placed upon ya before."
Elizabeth stepped out from the crowd and near her husband. "Calypso," she said, "Rose suffers greatly. Black magic performed poorly by Angelica Teach is killing her, yet she will not die."
Calypso craned her neck around the couple, looking to Rose. "Nor will id," she replied. "Black magic not strong enough for id to be killin' she."
Will shook his head. "I don't understand."
Calypso leaned her head to one side, gazing deeply into Will's eyes. She lightly brushed a hand alongside his cheek and led him so that they stood over Rose, away from the others.
"Da charges," she crooned. "Ya vow ta take dem on ta end her pain, mm?" Will nodded. She grinned and raised an eyebrow mischievously. "Den, id be time." She suddenly lost her form, collapsing back into mist. All was still for a moment as Will looked around in confusion. Then, all the crew leapt backwards as Will and Rose were entirely enveloped by a localized wall of water around them. Elizabeth tried to charge the wall, but it was no use; whatever Calypso was doing, it was meant for Will's knowledge and Will's knowledge only.
Calypso was entirely in control of their fates.
