James's eyes felt heavy. He felt every single human need that had evaded him for over two decades since his death. He was parched, furiously hungry, and absolutely exhausted. There was one thing he wasn't, though for once; cold. His wife held onto him, her head on his chest as they together were uncomfortably squeezed together on the cot the crew had fashioned for Rose once they had discovered her, passed out on the steps leading to the main deck, having just lost her powers. They were crammed there, but also somehow had never been more comfortable. It had been so long without the other, the conditions of their reunion didn't matter a lick. They were together, that's all that mattered.

James was about to give into his body's insistence for sleep when a golden glisten brought his attention to his coat, folded by Anna on a chair back. Reaching over, Rose anticipated his motion and looked to see what he was moving for. Grabbing it, James pulled free Rose's locket and his ring, looped around the chain.

"Ah," he said, smiling. "A thief has deemed it fit to finally return your stolen goods."

Rose took it from him gently and placed her head back on his chest. "Well that placement certainly seems intentional, doesn't it?"

"Yes, and her convenient absence too," James said of Anna. "She's wise...she had this planned from the start."

Rose freed the ring from the chain, twisting in between her forefinger and thumb before gazing up at him. "Do you want it back?"

"It's yours to give me if you wish," James replied evenly.

Without a second thought, Rose took his right hand and slipped it back on, squeezing his hand in hers. "I wish." She then returned her attention to the locket, touching its silver face. She closed her eyes. Inwardly, she would always miss her powers. She would miss being able to see by night. Shansa had been right. The light did indeed fade. Which made her blood run cold as she remembered Shansa's other dark prophecy. Neither of them were immortal now. Just like everyone else, they too would one day die. And if Shansa was correct, as she had proven herself to be twice already, Rose's death would come for her soon. Her words seemed to hang stagnant in the air… as the light fades…what will be left of you?

Rose opened the locket, playing the same haunting tune that had spoken for the seas for centuries. Together, the couple listened to its song. After a time, James whispered, "It was Jones."

Rose snapped the locket shut, sitting up. "What? How can that be?"

"We don't know. He just…took us over that day. He's assembled some sort of crew. They appear as but shadows but they have an incredible amount of power. They built the current, they kept us below...they killed your father." His eyes were sorrowful as he finally accepted a guilt he hadn't yet processed. "I'm so sorry, my darling."

She only shook her head. "Why…why couldn't you—"

"Saying his name summoned him," he explained. "Even but days ago, Anna uttered 'Jones' and we were nearly pulled asunder."

Rose furrowed her brow. "But he must be vanquished now, surely. Henry destroyed the trident, breaking all curses at sea, which is why you're freed and alive."

He laid a hand on her shoulder. "Which is why I dare not tarry any longer." Standing, he grabbed his coat.

Rose too scrambled to her feet. "James—"

"Turner too is alive out there, freed by the curse and alone," he protested. "If he didn't drown onboard the Dutchman first. I shall not rest until I've ensured his safety." He looked to her, seeing her face wrought with worry. "Rose, I owe it to him."

"We both do," she agreed. "That much is undeniable. What concerns me the more is that you honestly think that I'm going to let you go out there by yourself."

His expression changed. "…no. I don't," he said.

That's when their eyes met, communicating that they both knew exactly what had to be done.


"After I destroyed the trident," Henry explained to me, now at the end of his story, "I knew it had worked at once when Salazar and his men turned back into men. It had been completed. But that also meant that the divided ocean had begun to collapse. We thought we were through for certain when all of a sudden, an anchor from overhead. Barbossa and the Pearl had come to our aid. Salazar grabbed hold, however, and threatened to take us all down with him. That's when…" his voice trailed.

"That's when what?" I asked eagerly.

"That's when he sacrificed himself," Carina answered, drawing my attention to her. Her eyes were brimming with tears as she quickly wiped them away, embarrassed and angry. "But not before telling me that he was my father. Perfect bloody timing, I must say."

"Oh my god," I said, realizing. "You're her! You're Mystery Girl!" I looked to Henry, who nodded in corroboration. Carina only looked confused, so I explained, "My mother—you need to talk to my mother! Your father visited her to pick up a map to St. Martin. There she gave him a notebook that contained—"

"—the Map No Man Can Read," she finished. "Yes, that was me. And after all this time I thought…I thought that it would somehow bring me closer to him."

I leaned forward, gently asking, "Didn't it, though?"

"It brought me to him, then wrenched him away from me," she said demurely. "I don't even know who he was."

I reached a tentative hand out and to touch hers reassuringly. "I met him only once," I reported. "But when I did I…I think he thought I was you? But for that moment of mistaken identity, I felt…I felt that I was loved. He wanted to find you."

Carina only shook her head. "Then he shouldn't have let me go in the first place."

Henry hesitantly changed the subject. "Anna, what of you? How did you get here? What happened to you after you left St. Martin?"

I scoffed. "Not much, comparatively! But wait—you didn't finish. After the seas rejoined, how did you find my mother?"

"She had transformed here," he elaborated. "She panicked when she hadn't felt your presence in the sea for some time and went looking for you. A mystic told her to come here and just when she did, I broke the trident. Marty found her unconscious on the steps. We revived her once we hit the first of the storm and ran into you both on our way to return me back to Shipwreck." He looked at me earnestly, "And now that I know that the trident freed your parents, it means that my father must be free as well. As soon as I land, I intend to gather a search party to find him." He gave a sly grin, "Can I trust on my partner in crime?"

"Well I don't know," I said sardonically. "Can I expect you to make me a street performer again?"

"Only if the need so arises," he said, playfully ramming my arm with his shoulder. "Now come on, we told you our story, now you tell us ours."

It suddenly occurred to me that Henry still didn't know that it had been Jones who was keeping his father prisoner! "Oh! I said. I've got a tale…so after leaving Shipwreck, where my father and I had successfully gotten the Dauntless back, we were about a day's journey in when I suggested that perhaps it was—"

"Anna?" all of jumped when I heard my father's voice cut through the darkness of the rest of the crew's quarters. He neared us, saying, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but we're needing Anna back for a time."

Henry and I stood, and he neared my father to shake his hand once more. "Sir," he greeted him. "Glad to have you back with us."

Father accepted the respectful salutation, but looked earnestly at him. "We're going to get him back, son," he promised.

Henry smiled with determination. "I can count on you then to join my charge once we resupply at Shipwreck?"

Father hesitated, but finally said, "Absolutely. Now, if you'll excuse us…"

As I was led away, I stole one last look at them both, Henry no longer paying attention but Carina's eyes still followed me, giving me a small smile.

"Father!" I announced eagerly once we were out of earshot. "Did you see who that was?"

"Ah yes, your rescue on St. Martin," he replied, though he seemed a bit aloof and absent from this conversation.

"Not only that—her name is Barbossa! I told you he had a daughter! I told you!"

Just then, we crested the main deck, which still had a heavy supply of rain pouring down. As we began to walk across the deck, Father stopped in his tracks, as did two other men who had spotted him. These two stumbled over their words, as they nervously said, "Uhm, oh my lord," "Cap'n er…sir," "Admiral, Commodore…" "Mr… uh…sir?"

Father merely raised an eyebrow and said, "At ease, men," with a deep baritone power which quite nearly sent me into a frenzy of delight. Indeed, I recognized these two as Barbossa's (and indeed, my father's) former men, Murtogg and Mullroy. I had told both of them that my father had been seeking revenge for their traitorous switch from the Navy to Caribbean pirates, so they both were completely aghast upon seeing their former commander here before them tonight. After a moment of uncertainty, the two of them waiting for my father to strike them down, I saw him give them a slight nod of the head in acknowledgement and say simply, "Call me James."

He then proceeded on his route back to the cabin and I followed, but not before shooting back an amused wink at the two of them. I giggled when I heard one say to the other, "I told you she wasn't telling the truth!"


Father opened the door to the captain's quarters and ushered me inside, revealing my mother and uncle standing together in the center of the room.

Noticing the strange atmosphere in the room, I asked concernedly, "What's going on?"

Mother walked towards me, her arms crossed as she nervously announced, "We're leaving."

"What?" I cried.

"That's what I said!" Jack chimed in.

Father sidestepped around me to join Mother. "We're rescuing Will. Right now."

"But…but where Will would be is south of here," I protested. "South of here is straight into the middle of the storm we presently find ourselves in! We can't take a ship like this in that storm. It'll capsize!"

"Also what I said!" Jack interjected again.

"Which is why we're taking a longboat," Father levelly explained.

"You?" I scoffed. "Stitched up and exhausted and Mother without her ability to see? You're not leaving without me," I said stubbornly, crossing my arms and planting my feet. I readied myself for the fight that was about to ensue.

"Right. So get ready," was all Father replied with.

"I'm not going to—wait, what?" I said, not believing that I heard him correctly.

"Once again, said that too," Jack exclaimed, elbowing his sister. "God, I like her!"

"We're...we're rescuing Will on our own?" I said in disbelief.

"You have a map of where the Dutchman lies, don't you?" Mother asked me.

"Yes!"

She nodded encouragingly. "Then you'll navigate, we row."

I furrowed my brow. "Just the three of us? Let's take Henry! Uncle, can you spare some of your crew?"

Father intercepted my question however. "Only us. The more weight we have aboard, the more we risk turning over. And should the worst happen, Elizabeth needs Henry. We're not taking him along." My focus was taken by a golden glint on my father's hand…his wedding ring, returned to him and worn proudly.

"So if you're willing," Mother said, "We want you with us. I've heard lore of your capabilities in times of need. And this is indeed a time of dire need."

I grinned, looking between both of my determined parents. "When do we depart?"

Jack only rolled his eyes. "Glad you lot have bred a human as crazy as you are!" he said to my mother.

She nudged him. "Oh like you are one to stray away from crazy schemes!"

"You're mortal now, sis. Can't go pulling mad stunts anymore."

"I should say the same for you, old man!"

"Old man?!"

"I've got easily thirty years on you now, Jack! You're ancient," she teased. "So leave the stunts to the young. Be a good, responsible elderly gent and take the children home."

"Alright, keep it up, Hexfury," Jack warned.

"I'm sorry, it's been a good decade since I've last seen you. That's a decade of pent up heavy teasing I had to get out of me!"

Jack laid a hand on her shoulder. "Take care," he said, emphasizing its true meaning.

Earnestly, she returned his sincerity. "I will see you back on Shipwreck, aye? There's much we need to discuss."

Watching them, I knew she meant regarding their father. Jack hadn't yet visited the grave. The siblings hadn't truly had the opportunity to mourn. It was in this moment, I realized that Jack was noticeably…different. He wasn't speaking incoherently, weaving grand narratives and being generally unhelpful. Ah yes, Barbossa's curse of misfortune he had placed upon Jack was broken with the shattering of the trident as well. Jack was finally free from the curse of himself.

"Rose?" Father asked, his hand on the door, ready to depart.

She smiled back at him, then turned to her brother one final time. "Make sure Henry doesn't know we've left until it's too late to turn back. You know he will go ballistic once he's found out where we've gone. Get him back safely, and I'll see you back home. Our adventures are far from over, Sparrow."