Disclaimer: All characters you recognize belong to the geniuses, all four of them who created the Pirates of the Caribbean. But anyone you come across that you think is new, should be my own creation.

Pairing: Jack/OC Will/Elizabeth

Warning: The story is AU since the release of Dead Man's Chest.

Summary: The hunting of the treasure in the dangerous Lost Bay awarded Jack more than gold. Now he is intrigued by the beautiful but cold girl with a deep resentment towards pirates, who managed to take away the lost key of Pandora in front of his eyes. All the way across the water, Elizabeth and Will are also haunted by the same face. In pursuing of the key and the girl, the old friends joined force once again. As they begin to unravel the truth, they found themselves tangled in the web of schemes centering a very dangerous object which could lead to destruction beyond imagination.

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Lost Key of Pandora

Chapter Two: The lighting fire

After a lot of banging and screaming, Jack had finally convinced the crew that he knows what he was doing. Due to the nervousness among the crew, Jack had taken it upon himself to check why and where they stopped.

He got down from the pole with little difficulty and in the uncertain but admiring looks of the crew; Jack went down to check on the Black Pearl. To his absolute delight and relief, he found that they were stopped by the shore, and lucky enough, one without the large amount of shipwreck like almost all the rest.

The sight of land seemed to have thrilled the crew, and the fearsome situation they were in was momentarily forgotten, even the terror of the view of the skeletons were overlapped by the fact that the skeletons must belong to pirates who had came for the legendary treasure that was said to be hidden in the depth of the Lost Bay.

"There is a cave, Captain!"

The exciting shout at once stopped everyone from their activities, and one second later, Jack found himself in front of a narrow dark cave that seems to be leading into nowhere.

"Well, if anyone want go inside this…er…dangerous looking cave, come along. Be warned though, great danger lies in the Lost Bay, so if ye don't want ……"

Jack's voice drowned in the sea of cheering, and his proposal totally ignored. Their excitement was rising incredulously as they descended down the cave, but at the same time, the earlier concern was returning. The darkness was not helping to calm the crew in the least bit.

"Aha!"

Jack could not help but call out triumphantly as they descended into a dimly lit cave, one that was certainly much more spacious than the earlier tunnel natured cave, and to say the least bit, comfortable. A cave like this, with every aspect looking like a room, had always been considered a good sign to treasure hunting pirates such as himself and the rest of the crew. Why? Because next to all the treasure, there was always a roomy cave like this in which the (hopefully) long dead and soon to be ex-owners of the treasure could sit down, enjoy themselves while counting their large piles of shining matter, which (sadly to them) they had not much chance of spending, but would soon be to in the hands of the crew of the Black Pearl.

To make the cave more appealing to the crew, two large metal chests stood out in a corner of the cave. Most important of all, they were open, and proudly presenting their content……shining gold.

The glittering of the gold was reflected in the eyes of the pirates, all of whom were gaping at the gold.

"Captain……what say ye?" Gibbs asked Jack tentatively, while excursing the most of his self-control on himself.

"What? Need that asking? You! The lot of you there," Looking around, Jack could see that the crew was tremendously excited by the presence of the gold, pointing at the group of the pirates nearest the chests, he demanded, "what are ye waiting for, you mangy dogs! Take 'em back to the Pearl. Now!"

The pirates didn't need to be asked twice, and went immediately to the chests and started their glorious job.

Turning his head back after watching the chests being carried out, Jack gave the cave his full attention and looked around intentionally. Finally, his eyes fell on the far end of the cave; he has found what he was looking for. There on the wall, a beautiful carving of an enormous snake was visible. Surveying the carving attentively, Jack took an old, torn piece of parchment out of his pocket and started reading it. At once, his smile faded. It wasn't there.

There was no doubt that he had found the right place, the dark tunnel leading into the spacious cave, where the Great Snake residues, the cave fitted the description. But as he read on, a frown that was foreign to Jack's face surfaced …the removal of the necklace hung by the fang of the Great Snake will activate the opening of the door. Jack walked toward the carving until he was touching it, his frown deepened. It wasn't there. He had sailed the dangerous water of the Lost Bay, walked the dark tunnel, arrived at the spacious cave, even found the beautiful carving of the Great Snake, the only problem was, the necklace was gone.

A sense of disbelief rushed over Jack. Urging him to examine the carving more closely. And he did, but with no result.

Completely unsatisfied, Jack turned around and started observing the rest of the cave. That is when he became aware of the crew, whom were all busily studying the cave like him, probably looking for more gold, the chests earlier are certainly good encouragement. Unlike him though, they weren't searching with a purpose.

"Ouch!" Gibbs yelled out as he pulled his hand away from the touch of the flame. He had burnt himself, that much he knew, but he couldn't remember clearly why he had stupidly put his hand near the fire.

"Ye okay, Gibbs?" Anamaria called from across the cave, concerned but not sympathetic. "Ye should know better, 'tis very dangerous to play with fire."

"Yeah, yeah, too much rum." Gibbs replied while grumbling something about "woman" and "bad luck" under his breath.

Jack had watched the scene impassively, but as he turned around, it hit him. He noticed. Oh, yeah, how could he not notice it before? It was so obvious.

Ever since he set foot in the cave, Jack had felt that was something peculiar about the place, but he hadn't able to work out just exactly what is wrong. However, as he turned back to face the crew again, he understood, and cursed himself and everyone else for missing such an obvious fact. They should have noticed it the moment they stepped in, the oddness should have stroked, but it had managed to go unnoticed. Jack looked around, and there, the strangeness lay before his eyes, completely uncovered. The cave was lit.

The cave was lit by the bright fires on the wall.

Fire itself was nothing out of the ordinary, fire lighting a cave was nothing more than normal. However, fire lighting a cave that was supposed to have been deserted for no less than a few hundred years was very odd indeed.

Thoroughly puzzled, Jack walked toward one of the four existing fires and begun staring. It was a while before realization hit him and spread across his face, an expression that alerted the crew immediately.

"Wha's it, Cap'n?" Gibbs asked anxiously, "What'd ye see?"

Jack turned to look at Gibbs, with an expression that indicated he was not really looking. However, he remained silent.

"Wha' happened? Wha's it, Jack?" Anamaria had come across the cave and was starting to feel uneasy; it was not like Jack to be silent.

"Captain, Captain Jack, Sparrow." The mentioning of his name snapped his attention back to the crew. Ignoring her rolling eyes, Jack turned to point at the fire and went on, "See 'ere, the fire's still new, wasn't lit very long before we came, meaning……someone had come before us."

It seemed to take a while for the crew to let the new found fact sunk in.

"But why are chest still 'ere?" Anamaria couldn't help but wondered. If there were someone here before them, and apparently there was, why didn't they take the chests with the gold inside? Surely no one who risked their lives sailing the most dangerous water in the Caribbean would give this gold a pass. "They won't miss such treasure. 'Tis bit odd, innit?"

The crew seemed to think along the same line, because they all turned to look at their captain with confused expressions.

"No, no, not if they were looking for something far more valuable." Jack's thoughtful reply at once aroused bewilderment. Far more valuable! The presence of the gold earlier had already excited the crew tremendously; the thought of something far more valuable absolutely thrilled the crew.

"Far more valuable?" Gibbs voice trembled with excitement, anticipation, but a trace of uncertainty was also detectable. Studying the thoughtful expression on Jack's face, Gibbs' eyes narrowed in suspicion and asked tentatively, "Ye know something, Captain?"

"They've taken it, and by the look of it, they've opened the door and should still be inside, but no worries," Jack added hastily upon seeing the confused and worried faces, "I've another way, didn't really want to use it, though."

"Why?"

"Tis…er…bit risky."

"Never mind that. What's been taken and what's the door? Inside where? What the 'ell is goin' on? And what……"

The pirate was silenced by Jack, who looked once again at the old and torn parchment, his frown reappeared. Another way to open the door is also available, but not recommended. A small moveable rock at the side of the door can activate the opening of the door. He had not wanted to use this way, because there was no guarantee that he would be able to come out ever again. Be warned that once the rock is removed, it cannot be put back, thus the door will only be opened for moments and the method would be useless afterward. To come out, the necklace or another way has to be used, although no other way has been discovered.

It was a difficult time, making the choice. Jack knew the danger lies inside and also understood the risk, no other way has been discovered, and it would be quite improbable for him to discover another way. The mind battling ended with a sense of determination. He will have to risk it, gamble his life in the slight hope that he would meet and obtain the necklace inside and get out before he could get killed, and during the process, hopefully he will find an opportunity to carry the treasure and the thing back to the Pearl. It all looked reather impossible.

Ignoring the rising voice in his head, Jack folded the parchment cautiously and placed it inside his pocket. He wasn't going to listen to the objection, because he knew it was reasonable and logical, and reasons weren't what he needed, it was guts.

Examine every inch of the cave attentively, Jack was afraid to miss a spot. Then all of a sudden, his rapid but careful movement stopped, joy evident on his face.

"Captain……"

"Shh." He had felt a small crack on the wall, and no doubt, the next thing he felt was a jut underneath his hand. Sweeping the dust and dirt on the wall, Jack smirked as a very faint outline of a stone was revealed.

After a few failing attempts, Jack realized that his bare hands were not handy tools on removing the stone. Frustrated, he unsheathed his sword. Finally able to tip off the stone with the end of his sword, Jack stood playing with his braided beard ad waited in excitement and anticipation.

But nothing happened.

Suppressed his impatience, Jack waited again.

Still nothing happened.

Felling foolish, Jack kicked the wall and shouted desperately, "C'mon, move, you filthy piece of rock! Move, you……"

Jack was stopped in mid-sentence by a violent movement of the cave, followed by the strange sound of a particular heavy stone being dragged across the ground.

Suddenly there was dust everywhere; Jack could hardly open his eyes. And when he did, he was so amazed that he became speechless. There, in front of him, where the wall had been until a moment ago, stood a big rectangular space, apparently a part of the wall had been lifted.

Regaining his ability of speaking, Jack looked at the astonished crew, "Listen 'ere, it is nigh possible that…"

What was highly possible, the crew didn't find out. As it was then that Jack noticed the fact that the space was getting smaller. Without thinking, he ran in, just before the wall restored its old appearance, cutting of the fanatical yells of the crew, whom were all too slow.

Pulling a face, Jack put his right hand on the handle of his sword, gripped it tightly while turned to face whatever might lie before him, for he knew that great dangers lie on his path, but the closure of the 'door' had indicated that there was no turning back, he might as well turn to face. And he did, with his heart beating unnaturally fast and loud, he turned around.

Then, his jaw dropped.

A/N: Second chapter finally up! The real thing is going to start next chapter, the OC is coming! I am anxious that I didn't get Jack's character right, and just how does pirates speak? Corrections welcomed, feel free to send me a message.