It took me to long to get started on this chappie and you'll notice it's hastily written. I'm sorry, and I'll understand if I have no more reviewers. I should be beaten…

Chapter 28: Final Battle Part One

Elizabeth fought her way through thick brambles and trees that caught her cloths and broke off in her hair. She could feel some of the scratches on her face bleeding down her cheeks and the pain in her stomach had reaches such a pitch that she could feel her head swim.

In front of her, the shadowy women walked slowly and gracefully through the trees, their luminous dresses clinging to their bodies, unmoving in the wind. They chanted, their voices rising over the surf to her far left and right as the moonlight beat down onto their black heads, like it was reaching to them.

She hadn't learned their names but didn't feel the need to know them. She knew Alinasa; she'd never forget her, not in a million years. Even though they hadn't been introduced, Elizabeth could pick out Alinasa in the women ahead of her. Morliana glanced back every once in a while, as though to check that Elizabeth was still with her but didn't slow her purposeful strides. It wasn't until they were almost at the log where Elizabeth and Christian had sat, did Elizabeth hear the gun fire.

Below, in the bay, gun shots lit up the deck for a few seconds at a time and glints of steal flashing through the air were all around as the ants of men below battled. Elizabeth's breath caught in her throat.

"Will." She whispered. The women began moving down the grassy slope as slow as they had gone through the trees and Elizabeth scrambled after them, annoyed by their calm chanting. What were they doing? Where they going to help her? "Wait! Wait!" She grabbed for Moliana's arm but the woman pulled away before Elizabeth could reach her and turned, her mouth still but the sound of her voice in the chant still blending in with the others. "You have to stop them."

Morliana smiled and the moon glinted in her eyes, throwing life into her face. Elizabeth stepped back and looked past them to the ship below. "I will do what I can." Morliana said, her smooth voice echoing in Elizabeth's head. "Don't worry, Elizabeth. Everything will be just fine."

"We're to help?" Alinasa asked, stepping forward. "We're to help them?" She gestured towards the ship below where a male cry floated up to them and then was suddenly hushed. Morliana nodded.

"You've shown bravery beyond all I could ask." Morliana smiled and reached out, placing her hand on Elizabeth's stomach. Instead of going through Elizabeth, her hand suddenly felt real, as though Morliana was really there before her. A warm tingling suddenly vibrated through her stomach and around her sides to her back, lifting up her spine to her head. As sudden as it started, it stopped and she was left standing there in the chilled air…alone.

Elizabeth looked around, startled as a chilling cold suddenly settled around her and her breath rose in a mist about her face. That was impossible, how could she see her breath in the Caribbean? Goosebumps rose on her arms and she shivered as her teeth started to chatter. Down below the chant started up again and she caught a glimpse of the warrior women, crawling up the side of the ship. They disappeared over the deck and were engulfed by the pirates on board.

The chill hung around her as the plants on either side of her began to wither and turn brown…everything around her was dying. By her feet, the grass turned black and curled around her navy boots. Not thinking, Elizabeth began to run down the slope and heard the trees falling in the forest behind her. Death had come to the island with the disappearance of the women.

She slipped on a blackened tuft of grass, tumbling down a short stretch of hill and hitting the sand hard on her side. She struggled to her feet and took off down the beach, hitting the water's edge just as the sand began disappearing and turning to cracked rock and dried earth.

Elizabeth stripped off her boots and waded into the water, trying to reach the ship as fast as possible, afraid the water would begin to change just like the island. She reached the ship and grabbed out for a sodden rope that hung off the side, climbing hand over hand in fear. She didn't feel tired or sick, she felt fine, what ever Morliana had done, it had helped somehow.

She grabbed the rail and pulled herself over the top just as someone slammed into it beside her and flipped over the edge. A very familiar someone.

Jack flung Anamaria as hard as he could to the right and Mulan's sword hit the deck where she had just been standing. Growling, Mulan wrenched his sword from the deck and moved towards Jack who had overbalanced in his haste and lay spread eagle on the wet planking.

Wincing, Jack tried to pull himself up but Mulan was on top of him in a matter of blinks and all Jack could do was kick out as Mulan's sword arced up. He connected with Mulan's stomach and the other doubled over, giving Jack enough room to scramble clumsily to his feet.

Mulan straightened, grinning. Where was Anamaria? Jack looked around but Mulan grabbed his throat before he could locate her, slamming him hard into the wheel platform's staircase. Jack tried to cry out as his back slammed into the railing's edge and he heard a rib crack.

"Oh Jack…Jack, you wouldn't believe how long I've been looking forward to this moment." His breath caressed Jack's face, making him gag. "Ever since my sister died…"

"Your sister?" Jack wheezed, clutching at Mulan's fingers. "Your sister? You killed your sister. Not me…" Mulan's fingers tightened and he sword hand rose, the sword poised to stink through his chest with one stroke. With his knees threatening to buckle and choke him or Mulan's sword threatening to kill him with one stroke, Jack saw only one choice. It was low and dirty…he didn't want to do it but…

Bringing up his knee, he drove it hard into Mulan's 'jewels'. Mulan dropped his sword and grabbed his crouch, falling sideways as he tried to catch his breath. Jack grabbed his sword and began running across the deck, tripping over his own uncoordinated feet. Death felt like the biggest hang over he'd ever experienced and his head swam as he fought to keep upright and find Anamaria.

Anamaria gasped as Jack pushed her and, unprepared, she hit the ground hard and felt her previously injured arm jar. If it hadn't been broken then, it probably was now. Head spinning, she crawled to her feet and saw Jack on the ground, Mulan coming towards him with a raised sword. She was about to attack him from behind when an arm grabbed her around the throat and pulled her backward to press against a large body.

"Hello luv." Marko rasped in her ear, his spit flying from his mouth and hitting her cheek. It rolled down her face and dripped onto her chest, dripping down the exposed skin where the few buttons had come away. "Where do ye think yer going?"

Anamaria tried to struggled but his arm tightened, choking off her breath. Dropping her hands, she let him lead her backwards, her eyes traveling across the deck. She could no longer see Jack and Mulan but her eyes were drawn to Norrington and Gillette who were holding off Barbossa and a few other pirates, including two who looked vaguely familiar…one had an eye patch and crinkly straw like hair. The other was paunchy with long grey hair falling to either side of his head and a bald spot…

Where was Gibbs? Suddenly, her vision was obscured as she was pulled into a cabin and the room spun as he pushed her onto the bed. Locking the door, he raised his sword as she rolled backwards over the bed, grabbing the lamp beside her and throwing it at him. The glass top smashed on the floor at his feet but he didn't even flinch, his eyes were set on her. He walked through the broken glass and began wending his way around the bed.

Anamaria, weaponless and very alone, took off through a door to the side of the bedroom area and found a small, carpeted, dinning room. A lantern swung from the dark roof and the table was still set. She could just make out the black outlines of plates and goblets, the knives and forks glinted in the moonlight streaming through the high, grubby, windows. It was just like the Pearl.

Behind her, Marko entered, shoving the door out of his way. It swung on rusty hinges with a grinding squeak and banged off the wall behind it. Anamaria moved around the table and picked up a long shimmering knife from the middle between two silver platters.

Marko laughed. "You always amused me, Annie." He chuckled, moving around the table slowly, pushing her back towards the bedroom. She matched him step for step and kept him in her sights, not wanting to lose him for a second. She knew she was outmatched but she had to do anything she could. She had to kill him, avenge Nicholas.

"Annie? You're still thinking of me as just a girl." Anamaria laughed, trying to keep her voice steady. "I'm not a little girl anymore."

"No." She could see his eyes moving up and down her body in the dark. "You're definitely not." They'd circled the table and now Anamaria had a clear shot of running back towards the bedroom but she didn't take it. That was she was more cornered then she was now. She refused to be trapped.

Will and Bill led the way through the wending corridors, the chanting above had grown to such a pitch that now they could hear the words being said. It was foreign and Christian strained to understand them. What he wouldn't give now to be sitting in a nice building in the heart of Port Royal, tending to patients in his own practice. Instead he was running through the belly of a ship, sweating and scared, gripping a knife in his right had so hard it hurt…

Will stopped at the stairs leading to the top deck and looked around, sharp eyes scanning the two doors on either side of them. So far they hadn't been met by any pirates and Christian knew this was worrying the young blacksmith.

Will seemed to decide they were safe and crossed the short expanse to the stairs. Will climbed quickly and cracked the door open, staring out at the deck. "It's a battle…there's women on board." Will looked back and a shiver crossed over him, so slight, Christian almost didn't see it. "Those warriors are fighting with us."

Bill frowned. "I don't trust them." He answered. Will shook his head and stepped out on to the deck. He was suddenly whipped away in a fierce fight with a young black haired man. Bill followed quickly and soon Christian was alone.

Glancing around at the creepy darkness, he began up the stairs but, as he began to creak the landing door open, a man stepped in front of him. In surprise, Christian dropped the knife and it bounced down the stairs to the ground below. The man reached out and grabbed his neck. Without thinking, Christian took a step back and they both fell down the stairs.

Jack reached the far side of the deck as Mulan got to his feet. A man jumped in front of him but Jack sliced him across the stomach with his sword and kept going, slipping across a large pool of blood on the deck and falling, sliding behind Barbossa's casket. He hit the deck hard and felt his cracked rip wrench inside him. Gasping, Jack crawled over to the other side of the casket and grabbed the potion bottle. The stopper was in it still and the liquid sloshed around inside it.

Mulan appeared there suddenly. He struck out with his sword and the tip ripped through the fabric on his shoulder, slicing a shallow cut into his arm. Jack followed its motion as it moved to his neck and he laid down flat on the deck, trying to get as far away from it as possible.

"I'm going to kill you nice and slow now Sparrow." Mulan hissed, pressing the sword tip lightly into his neck. He felt a small drip of blood slid down his neck to collect in the hollow between his neck and his chest.

"It didn't hurt that much." Jack laughed. "You'd have to have something to hurt." Mulan growled and sunk his blade into Jack's arm. Crying out, Jack tried to grab the blade but Mulan sat down on his stomach, pressing him down with his weight. His hand shot out and grabbed Jack's neck. Jack tried to grab him but Mulan twisted the sword and Jack's hand fell.

"Look…Jack, I never liked you but my respect for you is almost gone." Mulan said casually, as though they were strolling on the deck in the moonlight. "You first had no remorse for my sister, and then you consort with the Navy." Jack's eyes narrowed but he remained quiet. "Cheap shots…" Mulan shook his head.

A woman appeared over Mulan's shoulder and drew Jack's attention. She was beautiful with long black hair and a dot in the middle of her forehead. Her short black hair was wet looking and hung in dread like curls around her face. Oval brown eyes narrowed as she surveyed the scene before her and, even in his painful state of mind, Jack couldn't help but let his eyes wander to her clinging white top and bare belly.

She grabbed the back of Mulan's neck and pulled him up off Jack. The sword ripped out of Jack's arm and blood ran freely in hot, red rivers down his arm. The woman flung Mulan through the air and Jack heard a loud crack but couldn't see where Mulan had landed; his vision was obscured by the casket. The woman stepped towards him and lowered herself gently on top of him where Mulan had sat. Jack felt a numbing chill seep over him as her hand moved to his shoulder. She squeezed making Jack clench his teeth as white hot pain raced up and down his arm but soon it was replaced by a numbing chill and finally, nothing. Looking down, Jack was surprised to see the blood was gone and his shirt was whole and white again.

The woman smiled and leaned down, placing her lips squarely on his as her hand moved to his rib. Jack hissed but she held his lips firmly with hers and soon the pain was gone there too. The woman got up and disappeared behind the casket, leaving Jack laying there panting and staring up at the sky.

He wasn't quite sure what had happened but couldn't help smiling. Maybe death had its perks after all…he should die more often and get more action. Laughing to himself, Jack sat up and was about to crawl to his feet when his arm was grabbed in an iron grip and wrenched backwards, the bottle yanked out of his grasp.

Someone kicked him in the back and he fell forward, rolling over to see Ethan holding the bottle over his brother's remains. "I bet you can't wait, Sparrow." Ethan said grimly, uncorking the bottle. He began pouring the liquid into the casket and Jack, panicking, kicked out at Ethan's legs. He heard a sharp crack and Ethan cried out, falling to the deck hard. The bottle went flying across the deck and rolled towards the far railing, skittering in between the sea of legs around it.

Jack clawed his way to his feet and began struggling across the deck. Norrington was fighting a large black pirate and his two girlfriends halfway towards Jack's goal. As Jack crawled by, Norrington took a step backwards and tripped over one of Jack's legs. Crashing to the deck, the other three pirates were on top of him and a second and no one noticed Jack go by.

He reached the railing and corked the bottle just as someone grabbed him and turned him sharply. Jack stared, his mouth falling open. A rotted face, flesh falling from bones met his eyes only…the other had no eyes. Black pits exposed parts of stringy brain and, as Jack's eyes fell lower, he saw the shredding clothing and peeking bones. Barbossa had risen again.

"Hello Jack." Barbossa growled, his bony hand wrapping around Jack's throat. "Miss me?"

"Oh…hey." Jack smiled, trying not to show his revulsion. "You know, you're looking a little peaky. I know a great doctor who can help you with that…" Barbossa shook him slightly and his grip tightened. Jack gagged. "Have you lost weight?" Barbossa grabbed the bottle and pulled it away from Jack's grip and then lifted him into the air and threw him across the deck. Jack hit the railing hard and the world around him flipped around, starry sky spinning as he flipped backwards over the railing towards the frothing water below.

To My Reviewers:

Sherlock's Sparrow: (for chapter one) Hey, thanx for reviewing. If you're only on chapter one it's going to be a long time before you read this reply so…lol. I read one of you're stories, I think it was the one where Jack couldn't talk and there was a lesbian somewhere in there. LOL. I hope I'm not getting stories mixed up. Anyway, thanx for the review.

DragonHunter200: Thank you for the compliment. I don't know how good I am with battle scenes. I have this picture of what it should look like locked in my head and I tend to rush to get it all written out before I forget something crucial. Yeah I love Christian and I've written part of the next chapter, part two of this one and I think he's hilarious in the next one so you'll just have to read on an see. There's a highly recommend option? I never noticed. Thanx for clicking it tho, for what ever it does…Thank you, the journalism is going well…I guess. Lol. Not much happens around hick town tho…

Toxic-Beetle: Thank you, I'm glad you love it. If only I could update faster…lol.

forceflow46: Yeah, thanx. I wanted a strange little relationship (not slashy) to form between Norrington and Jack. Kinda like a forced respect. LoL. Um…I smell supper…I'm suddenly very hungry. Sorry, dazed out. Please keep reading and reviewing.

And to anyone else I may have forgotten or who just reads and doesn't review…thank you.