~~~~~
Jack had moved, at some point, and was now standing behind the helm. Will glanced up, memories threatening to slip in. "Isabella... you named Isabelle after her?" he asked slowly. Jack didn't look at him, just nodded. "Aye, that I did... Isabella saved my life, it was the only way I had to return the favour."
~~~~~
Chapter 5: Isabella
"A child saved the life of Captain Jack Sparrow?" Will asked, and Jack's head snapped towards the younger man. "She did. If not for her, Isha would have killed me, and she had the power to do it." Will looked confused, "What do you mean by that?" Jack slapped a hand to his head in exasperation, "I mean that once you got inside the Triangle, you didn't die, unless Isha wanted you to."
~~~~~
Isha was the strangest person Jack had ever seen. When she'd first appeared in front of them, he hadn't really looked at her. Why bother? She was an old woman, and they all looked the same, right? Wrong. Isha was neither short nor tall, but she looked to be both. Her hair was steel grey, and hung loosely about her face. Her face... that was another story. If you looked at it from the side, you would swear that she was young, not even twenty, but when the view was changed to face-on, she was wrinkled and looked older than old.
"You've heard the stories, but brushed them off, am I right?" she asked, and her voice was what made the most impression. Before, when she'd spoken, she'd sounded hollow, but now it sounded eerie. It was predominantly female, but there were mixed tones behind it, as though hundreds of people were talking at the same time, though from far away. "You don't need to answer, Jack. The answer won't be any different to what it is if you say it out loud."
Isha walked around the fire and stopped in front of him. Walked... if that were what she was doing. It looked more as though she was gliding, floating just above the ground. "The rest of your crew, your family, are on their way to us now. Your son is a fine boy, very strong, very determined. You gave him that knife, and that is why he didn't let it go. The Triangle will not stifle his determination, nor will it weaken him. It will do him well to live here."
Jack shook his head, "He needs the outside," he started, but Isha raised her eyebrows, "No, he needs the ocean, just as you do. Where the ocean is doesn't matter, just so long as he is on the deck of a ship." Jack wanted to look away, but found, frustratingly, that he couldn't. Isha smiled, and moved back to the other side of the fire.
"Sit down, Jack. And the rest of you – once everyone is here, I will tell you about the Triangle, all the things you need to know." Jack continued to stand, and faced Isha, "What about the things we don't *need* to know?" he asked, causing Isha to laugh. "Those things you can find out for yourself."
When Anamaria and Jamie appeared, something inside Jack felt a burst of relief – they were fine, no one had done anything to either of them. "Jack? What's going on?" Anamaria tried, and failed, to keep the panic out of her voice. Jack shook his head, and held out a hand. She walked over to him, handed over Jamie, and sat beside him.
Isha waited until the crew were all within hearing distance. "I will tell you about the Triangle, and you will learn the rest. You will not leave, and you will not die. You will, however, continue to age until you reach the time you would have died in the open world. Once you reach that age, you will remain at that age until the end of time. That is why Isabella is still only thirteen, but her brother is twenty-three, and was born after she was. Isabella was meant to die the day the ship was pulled into the Triangle, but because I rescued the ship, she is alive forever." At this, Isha let her hand come to rest on Isabella's head. The girl didn't shake the elder woman's hand from her head, but a flash of something appeared in her eyes – was it fear, perhaps? When Jack looked back again, the hand was gone, and the look was as well.
"There have been a few who have managed to leave the Triangle, but they didn't realize that if they were meant to be dead on the outside, when they arrived back there they would be. Face it, Jack, most of your crew is probably already meant to be dead from the storm – you try getting out, and succeed, then most of you will die before you can take a breath of air." Isha looked, at that moment, scarier than anything Jack had seen before, and that included a drunk Will Turner with a sword in his hand.
"So... what are we meant to do?" asked Anamaria, refusing to look at Jack. Isha laughed, "Isn't it obvious? You cannot leave, and so you must stay. There are more islands that this – you may take your pick where you wish to live – or you may just remain on your ship." Behind Isha's shoulder, the young girl, Isabella, nodded at the last option. Jack kept his attention firmly on Isha, but noticed the slight movement and wondered what was so terrible about staying on land if no one could die.
"What else do we need t' know?" Jack asked, causing Isha to glance around at the crew. "One of your crew must come ashore to live every hundred years, and one to start with." Jack laughed, "For what? Surely the Triangle, if this is truly the Triangle, does not need to have someone on land at all times?" Isha levelled her gaze; icy sparks seemed to hit Jack's eyes, yet he could do nothing. "It is not the law of the Triangle, Jack, but the law of Isha, that requires one ashore every hundred years."
With the last word, Isha stood and glided away from the fire. Isabella started to follow, but glanced back at Jack as though she didn't want to leave. She walked away, always keeping her gaze upon the Captain, leaving him wondering what it was that made her so scared.
~~~~~
"What about Jamie, Jack? Surely *he* deserves to live on land as well as the sea!" Anamaria protested. It was midnight, the darkest hour, and the hut they'd been given to sleep in wasn't exactly welcoming. "He may deserve to live some of his life on land, Ana, but *this* is not land. I don't want my son growing up feeling as though he was buried in water."
Jamie himself was sound asleep, being worn out earlier by playing with Isabella and Tom, as the first boy's name was. Anamaria sat by the one window, wishing she could see the moon she felt on her bare arms. Jack waited by the door, watching to see when the coast was clear enough for him and Rat to get back to the ship. "I'm staying," Anamaria stated after a momentary pause. Jack didn't hesitate to answer, "So stay – but Jamie's comin' wi' me. I can't possibly let him drown in a place where he can't die, so we'll grow up together, an' get along jus' fine." He glanced back at the horrified expression on Anamaria's face, and added, "Ye can't stop me, Ana, ye don't have it in ye anymore."
She knew he was right, and so she resigned herself to the fact that the sea was the safest option for both herself and her son, if Jack followed through on his threat and took the boy with him. "Fine – but you can't get caught. God only knows what that Isha woman can do, if she's been here as long as she says she has."
A low whistle caught Jack's attention, at which he scooped Jamie into his arms, and snuck quietly from the hut. Anamaria followed, staying as quiet as she possibly could. Rat and several members of the crew who were coming along were already at the edge of the small village. "Ready?" Jack asked, and Rat nodded, "Aye, Cap'n. Everythin' is right fer us t' go, if we go fast." Jack looked at Anamaria, who nodded; they didn't run, in the strictest sense, to the beach, but they did get moving.
Jack was first to the first boat, and he placed Jamie inside carefully. Anamaria followed next, as did Rat and the faster crewmembers. A shout from behind them told them that Isha knew what they were doing. "Get them to the ship," Jack shouted at Rat, who had already picked up the oars. "Aye, sir!" Anamaria looked perplexed, "Jack! What about you?" she asked, but already knew the answer. "Keep to the code!"
There were still quite a few people who hadn't made it to a boat, Jack included, but there were just as many villagers, and before anyone could blink, the entirety of the crew were surrounded. Sneaking a glance over his shoulder, he saw that the boat was well on it's way towards the Pearl. 'Ha,' he thought as Isha walked through her 'army' towards him. 'Can't get them now.'
Isha stopped millimetres from Jack, tilting her head to one side. "You think you know, but you don't. The Triangle will not let you go – *I* will not let you go... When I see myself I'll always know where you are, when I feel the sun I'll always know where you are – you can't escape me, and you won't. Leave my island, and I'll give a part of myself to you... but you're not going anywhere. Not now, not ever again." She turned away, and glanced at the very tall black man standing nearest to Jack, "Bring him to the hut," she said, and the collective gasp that followed brought a question Jack's mind.
The tall man, who was over 7 feet tall, grabbed Jack by the back of his shirt and pushed him along in front of him. Isabella stood at the entrance of the village, the most mournful expression on her face that could be imagined. Time seemed to slow down, and as Jack passed the girl, he was sure he saw two tears streak their way down her cheeks.
He didn't have time to see if that were true, as the tall man pushed him along, through the village, until they reached a small hut on the far side. It was dark, seemed to be shrouded in thick black smoke, and held an unwelcoming quality about it. "Inside," the tall man commanded, and Jack thought how very much like Barbossa's man, Bosun, this man was.
The inside of the hut was bare, with the exception of a reed mat and small terracotta pot. Jack was only just able to stand up properly inside the hut, and he looked around curiously. It would be a while before Isha made her appearance, that much he knew, as Isha seemed to like grand appearances. So when the door opened only moments after the tall man had walked away, Jack was surprised. He turned to see why Isha had come early, but saw instead the face of Isabella.
"You've got to go, else she'll kill you!" whispered the girl hurridly. Jack thought back to what Isha had said earlier, before replying, "I thought ye couldn't die here." Isabella shook her head, "Ye can die alright – if it's Isha who kills ye. She uses people's souls t' stay alive, an' keep powerful – she's gonna use yours 'less ye run!"
"An' what is she gonna do when she gets back here and sees that I'm gone?" Jack asked irritably. Isabella sighed, "She needs t' take someone, an' I can't let it be you – you go, an' I'll stay. I've lived 'ere long enough – I should'a died a long time ago." Jack shook his head, "No, I don' care what ye 'shoulda done', ye ain't dead, an' I don't go 'round lettin' thirteen year olds get themselves killed, savvy?" Isabella was about to say something, but paled suddenly. "She's coming," she whispered before she ducked out of the hut.
'So, this is the end,' thought Jack with a laugh. It seemed very ironic that he'd die in a place where people lived forever. Isha stepped into the hut, and at once, Jack saw her for what she really was. Old, and haggard, and evil. Her eyes burned black, and her hands closely resembled the small twigs of old, dead trees. "You see me for what I am, Captain. Only those who have passed on have seen me for what I am... and you. But there is nothing to worry about, because you will soon be joining those who have passed on."
Jack found himself unable to move, his arms strapped to his sides with invisible ropes. Isha walked behind him, pressed the soft spot behind his knees, and Jack found himself looking up at the witch. "It won't hurt for long, Jack... just for the rest of eternity!" She reached out one of her gnarled hands, and placed it on his head. Small shocks of electricity ran through his brain, and he felt the ground coming closer.
Suddenly, though, it all stopped, and the ground did collide with his head. He looked up to see Isha's hand on the head of Isabella, who had run into the room and pushed him out of the way. Blue sparks erupted into blue flames, and both Isha and Isabella were consumed. A loud, high-pitched scream filled the air, and Jack had to cover his ears. Somewhere in the scream, Isabella's voice whispered to him, "Go, you can still get away – save yourself, you weren't meant to die in the Triangle, you belong outside...."
Without waiting for any further prompt to leave, Jack climbed groggily to his feet and ran through the door. Tall man was outside and looked more than a little shocked to see Jack. "You're meant to be..." he started, but Jack didn't let him finish, "Aye, well I ain't; good bye!"
Jack headed for the centre of the village, where he knew the rest of his crew were still being watched. The villagers looked as though they'd seen a ghost when Jack appeared, and so didn't pose any threat when Jack yelled at the rest of the crew to get moving. They did – straight through the line of villagers in place to stop them from getting away.
Once they reached the beach, Jack looked back to see that Isha had made it to the villagers, and they were all set to come after them. "Don't wait for the boats – swim!" Jack yelled, and the crew, realizing the danger they were in, did just that, diving into the water and heading towards where the Pearl was anchored. Isha didn't seem to like the water much, and so she stood on the shore fuming. Blue lines of electricity continued to spark around her, and the villagers were careful not to get to close.
The Pearl was a welcome sight after the island, and Jack was one of the first onboard; not bothering to use a ladder to climb up, he hauled himself up one of the ropes. Anamaria rushed over as Jack collapsed on deck, exhausted, though not from the swim over. "Isa... Isabella died... Isha... took her..." he mumbled, feeling something wrench his heart. How could such a girl exist that she would be willing to give her life for someone she barely knew?
~~~~~
"She saved me in more ways 'n one," Jack finished. Will looked up, "And so, you named your daughter after her... did you ever go back?" Jack shook his head. "Not once; but Isha kept true to her word. 'You think you know, but you don't. The Triangle will not let you go – *I* will not let you go... When I see myself I'll always know where you are, when I feel the sun I'll always know where you are – you can't escape me, and you won't. Leave my island, and I'll give a part of myself to you...', *Isabella* was brought into the Triangle by Isha, *Isabelle* was made by Isha, but I didn't let that witch take my daughter... not while we were there."
~~~~~
A/N: I had a muse, and got this chapter out a bit quicker then I thought. Isabelle makes an appearance in the not too distant future (which will probably be the next chapter), and once I get the Pearl out of the Triangle... that's when the start of the end begins!
Jack had moved, at some point, and was now standing behind the helm. Will glanced up, memories threatening to slip in. "Isabella... you named Isabelle after her?" he asked slowly. Jack didn't look at him, just nodded. "Aye, that I did... Isabella saved my life, it was the only way I had to return the favour."
~~~~~
Chapter 5: Isabella
"A child saved the life of Captain Jack Sparrow?" Will asked, and Jack's head snapped towards the younger man. "She did. If not for her, Isha would have killed me, and she had the power to do it." Will looked confused, "What do you mean by that?" Jack slapped a hand to his head in exasperation, "I mean that once you got inside the Triangle, you didn't die, unless Isha wanted you to."
~~~~~
Isha was the strangest person Jack had ever seen. When she'd first appeared in front of them, he hadn't really looked at her. Why bother? She was an old woman, and they all looked the same, right? Wrong. Isha was neither short nor tall, but she looked to be both. Her hair was steel grey, and hung loosely about her face. Her face... that was another story. If you looked at it from the side, you would swear that she was young, not even twenty, but when the view was changed to face-on, she was wrinkled and looked older than old.
"You've heard the stories, but brushed them off, am I right?" she asked, and her voice was what made the most impression. Before, when she'd spoken, she'd sounded hollow, but now it sounded eerie. It was predominantly female, but there were mixed tones behind it, as though hundreds of people were talking at the same time, though from far away. "You don't need to answer, Jack. The answer won't be any different to what it is if you say it out loud."
Isha walked around the fire and stopped in front of him. Walked... if that were what she was doing. It looked more as though she was gliding, floating just above the ground. "The rest of your crew, your family, are on their way to us now. Your son is a fine boy, very strong, very determined. You gave him that knife, and that is why he didn't let it go. The Triangle will not stifle his determination, nor will it weaken him. It will do him well to live here."
Jack shook his head, "He needs the outside," he started, but Isha raised her eyebrows, "No, he needs the ocean, just as you do. Where the ocean is doesn't matter, just so long as he is on the deck of a ship." Jack wanted to look away, but found, frustratingly, that he couldn't. Isha smiled, and moved back to the other side of the fire.
"Sit down, Jack. And the rest of you – once everyone is here, I will tell you about the Triangle, all the things you need to know." Jack continued to stand, and faced Isha, "What about the things we don't *need* to know?" he asked, causing Isha to laugh. "Those things you can find out for yourself."
When Anamaria and Jamie appeared, something inside Jack felt a burst of relief – they were fine, no one had done anything to either of them. "Jack? What's going on?" Anamaria tried, and failed, to keep the panic out of her voice. Jack shook his head, and held out a hand. She walked over to him, handed over Jamie, and sat beside him.
Isha waited until the crew were all within hearing distance. "I will tell you about the Triangle, and you will learn the rest. You will not leave, and you will not die. You will, however, continue to age until you reach the time you would have died in the open world. Once you reach that age, you will remain at that age until the end of time. That is why Isabella is still only thirteen, but her brother is twenty-three, and was born after she was. Isabella was meant to die the day the ship was pulled into the Triangle, but because I rescued the ship, she is alive forever." At this, Isha let her hand come to rest on Isabella's head. The girl didn't shake the elder woman's hand from her head, but a flash of something appeared in her eyes – was it fear, perhaps? When Jack looked back again, the hand was gone, and the look was as well.
"There have been a few who have managed to leave the Triangle, but they didn't realize that if they were meant to be dead on the outside, when they arrived back there they would be. Face it, Jack, most of your crew is probably already meant to be dead from the storm – you try getting out, and succeed, then most of you will die before you can take a breath of air." Isha looked, at that moment, scarier than anything Jack had seen before, and that included a drunk Will Turner with a sword in his hand.
"So... what are we meant to do?" asked Anamaria, refusing to look at Jack. Isha laughed, "Isn't it obvious? You cannot leave, and so you must stay. There are more islands that this – you may take your pick where you wish to live – or you may just remain on your ship." Behind Isha's shoulder, the young girl, Isabella, nodded at the last option. Jack kept his attention firmly on Isha, but noticed the slight movement and wondered what was so terrible about staying on land if no one could die.
"What else do we need t' know?" Jack asked, causing Isha to glance around at the crew. "One of your crew must come ashore to live every hundred years, and one to start with." Jack laughed, "For what? Surely the Triangle, if this is truly the Triangle, does not need to have someone on land at all times?" Isha levelled her gaze; icy sparks seemed to hit Jack's eyes, yet he could do nothing. "It is not the law of the Triangle, Jack, but the law of Isha, that requires one ashore every hundred years."
With the last word, Isha stood and glided away from the fire. Isabella started to follow, but glanced back at Jack as though she didn't want to leave. She walked away, always keeping her gaze upon the Captain, leaving him wondering what it was that made her so scared.
~~~~~
"What about Jamie, Jack? Surely *he* deserves to live on land as well as the sea!" Anamaria protested. It was midnight, the darkest hour, and the hut they'd been given to sleep in wasn't exactly welcoming. "He may deserve to live some of his life on land, Ana, but *this* is not land. I don't want my son growing up feeling as though he was buried in water."
Jamie himself was sound asleep, being worn out earlier by playing with Isabella and Tom, as the first boy's name was. Anamaria sat by the one window, wishing she could see the moon she felt on her bare arms. Jack waited by the door, watching to see when the coast was clear enough for him and Rat to get back to the ship. "I'm staying," Anamaria stated after a momentary pause. Jack didn't hesitate to answer, "So stay – but Jamie's comin' wi' me. I can't possibly let him drown in a place where he can't die, so we'll grow up together, an' get along jus' fine." He glanced back at the horrified expression on Anamaria's face, and added, "Ye can't stop me, Ana, ye don't have it in ye anymore."
She knew he was right, and so she resigned herself to the fact that the sea was the safest option for both herself and her son, if Jack followed through on his threat and took the boy with him. "Fine – but you can't get caught. God only knows what that Isha woman can do, if she's been here as long as she says she has."
A low whistle caught Jack's attention, at which he scooped Jamie into his arms, and snuck quietly from the hut. Anamaria followed, staying as quiet as she possibly could. Rat and several members of the crew who were coming along were already at the edge of the small village. "Ready?" Jack asked, and Rat nodded, "Aye, Cap'n. Everythin' is right fer us t' go, if we go fast." Jack looked at Anamaria, who nodded; they didn't run, in the strictest sense, to the beach, but they did get moving.
Jack was first to the first boat, and he placed Jamie inside carefully. Anamaria followed next, as did Rat and the faster crewmembers. A shout from behind them told them that Isha knew what they were doing. "Get them to the ship," Jack shouted at Rat, who had already picked up the oars. "Aye, sir!" Anamaria looked perplexed, "Jack! What about you?" she asked, but already knew the answer. "Keep to the code!"
There were still quite a few people who hadn't made it to a boat, Jack included, but there were just as many villagers, and before anyone could blink, the entirety of the crew were surrounded. Sneaking a glance over his shoulder, he saw that the boat was well on it's way towards the Pearl. 'Ha,' he thought as Isha walked through her 'army' towards him. 'Can't get them now.'
Isha stopped millimetres from Jack, tilting her head to one side. "You think you know, but you don't. The Triangle will not let you go – *I* will not let you go... When I see myself I'll always know where you are, when I feel the sun I'll always know where you are – you can't escape me, and you won't. Leave my island, and I'll give a part of myself to you... but you're not going anywhere. Not now, not ever again." She turned away, and glanced at the very tall black man standing nearest to Jack, "Bring him to the hut," she said, and the collective gasp that followed brought a question Jack's mind.
The tall man, who was over 7 feet tall, grabbed Jack by the back of his shirt and pushed him along in front of him. Isabella stood at the entrance of the village, the most mournful expression on her face that could be imagined. Time seemed to slow down, and as Jack passed the girl, he was sure he saw two tears streak their way down her cheeks.
He didn't have time to see if that were true, as the tall man pushed him along, through the village, until they reached a small hut on the far side. It was dark, seemed to be shrouded in thick black smoke, and held an unwelcoming quality about it. "Inside," the tall man commanded, and Jack thought how very much like Barbossa's man, Bosun, this man was.
The inside of the hut was bare, with the exception of a reed mat and small terracotta pot. Jack was only just able to stand up properly inside the hut, and he looked around curiously. It would be a while before Isha made her appearance, that much he knew, as Isha seemed to like grand appearances. So when the door opened only moments after the tall man had walked away, Jack was surprised. He turned to see why Isha had come early, but saw instead the face of Isabella.
"You've got to go, else she'll kill you!" whispered the girl hurridly. Jack thought back to what Isha had said earlier, before replying, "I thought ye couldn't die here." Isabella shook her head, "Ye can die alright – if it's Isha who kills ye. She uses people's souls t' stay alive, an' keep powerful – she's gonna use yours 'less ye run!"
"An' what is she gonna do when she gets back here and sees that I'm gone?" Jack asked irritably. Isabella sighed, "She needs t' take someone, an' I can't let it be you – you go, an' I'll stay. I've lived 'ere long enough – I should'a died a long time ago." Jack shook his head, "No, I don' care what ye 'shoulda done', ye ain't dead, an' I don't go 'round lettin' thirteen year olds get themselves killed, savvy?" Isabella was about to say something, but paled suddenly. "She's coming," she whispered before she ducked out of the hut.
'So, this is the end,' thought Jack with a laugh. It seemed very ironic that he'd die in a place where people lived forever. Isha stepped into the hut, and at once, Jack saw her for what she really was. Old, and haggard, and evil. Her eyes burned black, and her hands closely resembled the small twigs of old, dead trees. "You see me for what I am, Captain. Only those who have passed on have seen me for what I am... and you. But there is nothing to worry about, because you will soon be joining those who have passed on."
Jack found himself unable to move, his arms strapped to his sides with invisible ropes. Isha walked behind him, pressed the soft spot behind his knees, and Jack found himself looking up at the witch. "It won't hurt for long, Jack... just for the rest of eternity!" She reached out one of her gnarled hands, and placed it on his head. Small shocks of electricity ran through his brain, and he felt the ground coming closer.
Suddenly, though, it all stopped, and the ground did collide with his head. He looked up to see Isha's hand on the head of Isabella, who had run into the room and pushed him out of the way. Blue sparks erupted into blue flames, and both Isha and Isabella were consumed. A loud, high-pitched scream filled the air, and Jack had to cover his ears. Somewhere in the scream, Isabella's voice whispered to him, "Go, you can still get away – save yourself, you weren't meant to die in the Triangle, you belong outside...."
Without waiting for any further prompt to leave, Jack climbed groggily to his feet and ran through the door. Tall man was outside and looked more than a little shocked to see Jack. "You're meant to be..." he started, but Jack didn't let him finish, "Aye, well I ain't; good bye!"
Jack headed for the centre of the village, where he knew the rest of his crew were still being watched. The villagers looked as though they'd seen a ghost when Jack appeared, and so didn't pose any threat when Jack yelled at the rest of the crew to get moving. They did – straight through the line of villagers in place to stop them from getting away.
Once they reached the beach, Jack looked back to see that Isha had made it to the villagers, and they were all set to come after them. "Don't wait for the boats – swim!" Jack yelled, and the crew, realizing the danger they were in, did just that, diving into the water and heading towards where the Pearl was anchored. Isha didn't seem to like the water much, and so she stood on the shore fuming. Blue lines of electricity continued to spark around her, and the villagers were careful not to get to close.
The Pearl was a welcome sight after the island, and Jack was one of the first onboard; not bothering to use a ladder to climb up, he hauled himself up one of the ropes. Anamaria rushed over as Jack collapsed on deck, exhausted, though not from the swim over. "Isa... Isabella died... Isha... took her..." he mumbled, feeling something wrench his heart. How could such a girl exist that she would be willing to give her life for someone she barely knew?
~~~~~
"She saved me in more ways 'n one," Jack finished. Will looked up, "And so, you named your daughter after her... did you ever go back?" Jack shook his head. "Not once; but Isha kept true to her word. 'You think you know, but you don't. The Triangle will not let you go – *I* will not let you go... When I see myself I'll always know where you are, when I feel the sun I'll always know where you are – you can't escape me, and you won't. Leave my island, and I'll give a part of myself to you...', *Isabella* was brought into the Triangle by Isha, *Isabelle* was made by Isha, but I didn't let that witch take my daughter... not while we were there."
~~~~~
A/N: I had a muse, and got this chapter out a bit quicker then I thought. Isabelle makes an appearance in the not too distant future (which will probably be the next chapter), and once I get the Pearl out of the Triangle... that's when the start of the end begins!