Shadows Over the Sea
By Illoria
A/N: This is it! The last chapter!!!! :O So without further ado...
----------
Chapter Ten
----------
Jack was certain that he fell even deeper in love with the Black Pearl every single day. He'd find nuances with her, the specific way her sails would flap in the wind – new, black sails, that the crew had invested in after a particularly successful raid. The way she moved with the sea, stealthy and sneaky but captivating and alluring. It was something indescribable, a connection of sorts that had been forged when he first saw her, ruined in the harbor at Tortuga but illustrious and majestic in his vision.
For three years Jack was captain of the Black Pearl, and he was madly in love with every second.
He noticed every slight nuance of the ship, but he should've noticed the slight nuances in his crew. Barbossa would argue with him about their destinations, their courses, their intentions. The crew would back him up, save for William, who trusted Jack.
Eventually, William found out where Caroline and Will, Jr., had moved to, and he sent a letter telling them that he would visit soon, as Jack promised they would. But Jack could see the strain in William, the pain in his eyes. He could see William torn, wanting to go back to his family but never wanting to leave the sea. But William never talked about it, and Jack never brought it up.
Jack first found out about the treasure when the crew of the Black Pearl had raided another pirate ship, and in a chest they'd acquired from the ship was a rolled-up piece of parchment tied with ribbon. Jack took it to his cabin and unfurled it, discovering quickly that it was a description of a gold-filled island, an island that one could only find if he knew where it was. At the bottom of the parchment, the bearings of the island were written in hasty-looking scribbles.
The Pearl docked in Tortuga shortly after that, and Jack set out to find out all he could about the gold-filled island in question. He showed the parchment to various people, who weren't much help considering that few could read and most were drunk. Among the things people told him were that there was supposedly a giant elephant on the island guarding the treasure. Jack would've believed the stories if he'd had too much rum, but fortunately he had heard the stories early into the night… so he kept looking.
It took him a month to find out anything worthwhile, but it was well worth his wait. He grinned madly as he listened to a man describe a treasure of Aztec gold, over eight hundred coins stashed away in a cave on the island. Jack, of course, set out in search of the treasure.
The first day of the voyage, there was a storm.
"Are ye sure ye want to be sailin' into that storm?"
Jack scowled. For one, he didn't like being interrupted at the helm by anyone. But secondly, he didn't like his intentions being questioned, and he really didn't like the distaste lacing the voice of his first-mate.
"She can hold."
"We could try to-"
"She can hold, Barbossa."
The man nodded and walked away. Thunder rumbled faintly from far away as the drizzling rain started coming down harder.
Barbossa didn't trust the Pearl, which was a sad thing indeed. Jack knew her and trusted her more than he trusted anyone really, and he knew that she could make it through this storm and speed up their delivery to Isla de Muerta.
The rain continued on for the next two days.
********
Ten years after the planned voyage to Isla de Muerta, Captain Sparrow was walking around on deck on the Pearl, shouting out various orders to his crew. He winked at Anamaria, who just rolled her eyes exasperatedly as she walked by. Jack grinned and shrugged, knowing that she'd come around eventually… 'eventually' meaning when she'd had enough to drink, of course.
Yes, the captain was coming back to being himself. The crew had noticed his grim mood as of late and they were visibly glad that he was snapping out of it. It was a sort of peace that he'd made with the past, a sort of alliance that had been forged between himself and the Jack Sparrow that used to be. It wasn't a hard alliance to make, considering that the two weren't all that different, really. And with this, he could go on to new prospects of glimmering gold and uncharted places that only he was crazy enough to set off after.
They had arrived in Tortuga and had had a most excellent night, during which Jack managed to find out what he'd wanted to find out – something new to go after. An elusive treasure was waiting for him, and the Black Pearl had set off to find it.
That night Jack was alone, lying on deck. It was starting to rain, just slightly, just gently. Jack opened his mouth and tasted the raindrops. He didn't move from his place on deck as it started pouring. He just smiled and started singing, faintly at first, then louder as the rain drowned out his words.
"Drink up me hearties, yo ho!"
"What in bloody hell are you doing out here?"
Jack snapped upright, a sad smile playing on his lips. When he'd been captain of the Black Pearl the first time around, he'd laid on her deck at night as he still did now. And he'd patrolled the deck during midnight storms, singing sea chanteys in the rain.
And it was William's voice he'd heard. Asking him why in bloody hell he was out on deck in the rain.
Jack had gestured for William to sit beside him, and he had. The rain was fading, leaving only a faint lingering in the air.
"You're crazy, Jack," William had said.
Jack just smirked, waiting for William to continue.
"Crazy, Jack," William repeated. "And I'm proud of you."
The next day, there was a mutiny. And that conversation out on deck in the fading rain was the last one Jack ever had with William.
It had hit him hard and fast, when he'd learned of William Turner's fate. He'd been looking for any information about his stolen Pearl, and he'd been told of the curse, which he wasn't sure he believed. He'd braved to ask about William, and he'd gotten the response he'd feared. He asked around in hope that it was just a rumor, but everyone told him the same thing.
After that he'd pretty much drunken himself into oblivion, barely waking for two days. Then finally he'd snapped out of it and sworn to reclaim his ship, his love, and get his revenge on his mutinous first-mate.
Jack's last conversation with William replayed itself over and over in his head as he lay on deck. And he could smell the rain mixing with the sea as it had that day near ten years ago, and he could feel the wet, slippery deck beneath him, the same as it had been then, and clear as day, he could hear William's voice.
"What in bloody hell are you doing out here?"
Jack's only response to the voice in his memories was another chorus to the tune of the raindrops splattering on deck. Countless individuals had called Jack Sparrow crazy throughout his life. He relished their comments because they had the power to make him a legend.
"You're crazy, Jack."
William Turner's voice was alive on the Black Pearl that night. (Well, she had spent ten years as a ghost ship, so anything was possible, right?)
The Pearl rocked, the rain came down. Captain Jack Sparrow danced an odd sort of dance to a tune that only he could hear. The past and present were tied together by the Black Pearl tossing in the waves as the raindrops landed on her decks.
"And I'm proud of you."
-------------
A/N: That's it!!! Shadows is finished!!! We've got a long author's note coming up...
Thank you so incredibly much to all the reviewers, I love you!!! Without you this story would really not have been written, you inspire me! Manymanymany thanks for all your ideas and suggestions, and all your praise & encouragement! Group hug!!! =) hehe.
I'm actually kind of sad that Shadows is finished. :\ Sigh. I enjoyed writing it a whole lot. But never fear!! dun-da-da-dun! I have another multi-chapter fic in mind. I think I am going to try to pull off a Jack/OC story, & one that hasn't been done before (hopefully!), or just a story involving an OC without romantic 'ties'. :p Wish me luck :) Anyway, that should be getting started soon... :)
Thank you again, all who read & all who reviewed, you don't know how much I appreciate it. *blows kisses & hands out more cake* =)
...one last time, eh? *nudge toward review button* xD
By Illoria
A/N: This is it! The last chapter!!!! :O So without further ado...
----------
Chapter Ten
----------
Jack was certain that he fell even deeper in love with the Black Pearl every single day. He'd find nuances with her, the specific way her sails would flap in the wind – new, black sails, that the crew had invested in after a particularly successful raid. The way she moved with the sea, stealthy and sneaky but captivating and alluring. It was something indescribable, a connection of sorts that had been forged when he first saw her, ruined in the harbor at Tortuga but illustrious and majestic in his vision.
For three years Jack was captain of the Black Pearl, and he was madly in love with every second.
He noticed every slight nuance of the ship, but he should've noticed the slight nuances in his crew. Barbossa would argue with him about their destinations, their courses, their intentions. The crew would back him up, save for William, who trusted Jack.
Eventually, William found out where Caroline and Will, Jr., had moved to, and he sent a letter telling them that he would visit soon, as Jack promised they would. But Jack could see the strain in William, the pain in his eyes. He could see William torn, wanting to go back to his family but never wanting to leave the sea. But William never talked about it, and Jack never brought it up.
Jack first found out about the treasure when the crew of the Black Pearl had raided another pirate ship, and in a chest they'd acquired from the ship was a rolled-up piece of parchment tied with ribbon. Jack took it to his cabin and unfurled it, discovering quickly that it was a description of a gold-filled island, an island that one could only find if he knew where it was. At the bottom of the parchment, the bearings of the island were written in hasty-looking scribbles.
The Pearl docked in Tortuga shortly after that, and Jack set out to find out all he could about the gold-filled island in question. He showed the parchment to various people, who weren't much help considering that few could read and most were drunk. Among the things people told him were that there was supposedly a giant elephant on the island guarding the treasure. Jack would've believed the stories if he'd had too much rum, but fortunately he had heard the stories early into the night… so he kept looking.
It took him a month to find out anything worthwhile, but it was well worth his wait. He grinned madly as he listened to a man describe a treasure of Aztec gold, over eight hundred coins stashed away in a cave on the island. Jack, of course, set out in search of the treasure.
The first day of the voyage, there was a storm.
"Are ye sure ye want to be sailin' into that storm?"
Jack scowled. For one, he didn't like being interrupted at the helm by anyone. But secondly, he didn't like his intentions being questioned, and he really didn't like the distaste lacing the voice of his first-mate.
"She can hold."
"We could try to-"
"She can hold, Barbossa."
The man nodded and walked away. Thunder rumbled faintly from far away as the drizzling rain started coming down harder.
Barbossa didn't trust the Pearl, which was a sad thing indeed. Jack knew her and trusted her more than he trusted anyone really, and he knew that she could make it through this storm and speed up their delivery to Isla de Muerta.
The rain continued on for the next two days.
********
Ten years after the planned voyage to Isla de Muerta, Captain Sparrow was walking around on deck on the Pearl, shouting out various orders to his crew. He winked at Anamaria, who just rolled her eyes exasperatedly as she walked by. Jack grinned and shrugged, knowing that she'd come around eventually… 'eventually' meaning when she'd had enough to drink, of course.
Yes, the captain was coming back to being himself. The crew had noticed his grim mood as of late and they were visibly glad that he was snapping out of it. It was a sort of peace that he'd made with the past, a sort of alliance that had been forged between himself and the Jack Sparrow that used to be. It wasn't a hard alliance to make, considering that the two weren't all that different, really. And with this, he could go on to new prospects of glimmering gold and uncharted places that only he was crazy enough to set off after.
They had arrived in Tortuga and had had a most excellent night, during which Jack managed to find out what he'd wanted to find out – something new to go after. An elusive treasure was waiting for him, and the Black Pearl had set off to find it.
That night Jack was alone, lying on deck. It was starting to rain, just slightly, just gently. Jack opened his mouth and tasted the raindrops. He didn't move from his place on deck as it started pouring. He just smiled and started singing, faintly at first, then louder as the rain drowned out his words.
"Drink up me hearties, yo ho!"
"What in bloody hell are you doing out here?"
Jack snapped upright, a sad smile playing on his lips. When he'd been captain of the Black Pearl the first time around, he'd laid on her deck at night as he still did now. And he'd patrolled the deck during midnight storms, singing sea chanteys in the rain.
And it was William's voice he'd heard. Asking him why in bloody hell he was out on deck in the rain.
Jack had gestured for William to sit beside him, and he had. The rain was fading, leaving only a faint lingering in the air.
"You're crazy, Jack," William had said.
Jack just smirked, waiting for William to continue.
"Crazy, Jack," William repeated. "And I'm proud of you."
The next day, there was a mutiny. And that conversation out on deck in the fading rain was the last one Jack ever had with William.
It had hit him hard and fast, when he'd learned of William Turner's fate. He'd been looking for any information about his stolen Pearl, and he'd been told of the curse, which he wasn't sure he believed. He'd braved to ask about William, and he'd gotten the response he'd feared. He asked around in hope that it was just a rumor, but everyone told him the same thing.
After that he'd pretty much drunken himself into oblivion, barely waking for two days. Then finally he'd snapped out of it and sworn to reclaim his ship, his love, and get his revenge on his mutinous first-mate.
Jack's last conversation with William replayed itself over and over in his head as he lay on deck. And he could smell the rain mixing with the sea as it had that day near ten years ago, and he could feel the wet, slippery deck beneath him, the same as it had been then, and clear as day, he could hear William's voice.
"What in bloody hell are you doing out here?"
Jack's only response to the voice in his memories was another chorus to the tune of the raindrops splattering on deck. Countless individuals had called Jack Sparrow crazy throughout his life. He relished their comments because they had the power to make him a legend.
"You're crazy, Jack."
William Turner's voice was alive on the Black Pearl that night. (Well, she had spent ten years as a ghost ship, so anything was possible, right?)
The Pearl rocked, the rain came down. Captain Jack Sparrow danced an odd sort of dance to a tune that only he could hear. The past and present were tied together by the Black Pearl tossing in the waves as the raindrops landed on her decks.
"And I'm proud of you."
-------------
A/N: That's it!!! Shadows is finished!!! We've got a long author's note coming up...
Thank you so incredibly much to all the reviewers, I love you!!! Without you this story would really not have been written, you inspire me! Manymanymany thanks for all your ideas and suggestions, and all your praise & encouragement! Group hug!!! =) hehe.
I'm actually kind of sad that Shadows is finished. :\ Sigh. I enjoyed writing it a whole lot. But never fear!! dun-da-da-dun! I have another multi-chapter fic in mind. I think I am going to try to pull off a Jack/OC story, & one that hasn't been done before (hopefully!), or just a story involving an OC without romantic 'ties'. :p Wish me luck :) Anyway, that should be getting started soon... :)
Thank you again, all who read & all who reviewed, you don't know how much I appreciate it. *blows kisses & hands out more cake* =)
...one last time, eh? *nudge toward review button* xD