Oho, what's this? A FOUR-DAY update...I say, I think I'm getting better about all this... Anywho, eeeeee, just shy by one review to the hundred mark. Just one! So, be the first to review this chapter and thou shalt win a most wonderfully wonderful -coughimaginarycough- prize!

Now, for review praise:

Jess is a pirate: Yes I can read your mind. That's why we're bffs, remember? Oh, and HA! Gotcha, you fell for the whole 'The End' trick, didn't ya. Heehee. Sorry, mate, just wanted to see how many would fall for it...I mean, those for alerts, anyway...you see it in your inbox and you're like "o.0 The End? Wtf! I wonder what's gunna go down!" Lol, sorry, mate...

pirateobsessed: "It's called 'the end' but it isn't the end?" See review reply for Jess is a pirate. Guess you fell for it too. -sigh- And Norry? Nice? Aduh. Get used to it, love, cuz there's loads more where that came from, savvy? You'll just have to learn to live with it. XD Thanks for the review, btw.

obbits14: You're welcome, and yes, peace will one day be achieved. In fact, it already has, it's just that neither of them will admit it. XP And as for question number two...well, let's just say I'm getting ideas. Dotdotdot...

marauder4ever: Glad it wasn't as boring as I thought. Thanks for the sweet review!

Authoressinhiding: I know you know. Notice how that fact was specifically following the address of 'Jess'? Now, I may be mistaken, which we both know I'm not, but did you not say your name was other than that?

Little Miss Sparrow: Unfortunately, though, Gangsta Ellie will hafta wait for one of the sequels. And the nudging and winking and all but knocking me over with subtlety (by the way, OW!) apparently paid off, cuz here's an update. Wow.

SamanthaSparrow: Mate, it looks like you, too, have fallen for things...though apparently even after reading said chapter wherein I specified thereare still a few chapters left, you still thought it was the end. Lol, I don't know about you, but I don't see the word 'complete' under my summary anywhere... Seriously, though, thanks for the review, and I hope my story continues to please you. I hope it pleases all its viewers, even the invisible and imaginary.

RespectTheSporks: Ahh, that's good rum! -urp- Oop, excuse that, ANYWHO, thankee for the review, here's the promised next chapter.

Disclaimer: Tia Dalma: You...
Me: Me?
TD: You have a touch of...destinee about you.
Me: Does that destiny involve Disney suing me? Cuz I keep telling them I MAKE NO PROFIT!
TD: You will meet a man called 'Idiot'.
Me: -GASP- JOHNNY'SLASTNAMEISGERMANFORIDIOT ZOMG! SQUEEEEEE!

Chapter Seventeen: Of Battles, Exhaustion, and Nightmares

Two mornings later, Ames sat relaxedly at the stern of the Pearl, leaning lightly against the bulwarks, head turned away from the sun, not far from where James had deposited her earlier that day. Jack turned from the helm and signed something to Anamaria, who was at his side, awaiting his silent messages. Ana in turn turned to the girl. "What'd he say?" asked the younger of the lasses, looking up.

"He wants to know how you knew that finishing move was going to work, him being a demon and all..."

The girl raised her voice so the captain could hear. "Because demon or not, all men are the same." Jack winced when Ana laughed. Boy did he know it, thanks to her.

He signed one more question, which the female translated for him. "And also how you knew you would be able to beat him?"

"Well Jack and James are both very skilled swordsmen. This demon was, while having practiced as he had, probably not as experienced as either of them. Had either man challenged him rather than I, said demon would not have accepted said challenge. However, I knew he would think a fight with an inexperienced girl such as myself would be an easy victory. But, myself being a teenager, what with the raging hormones, I knew there'd be a huge adrenaline rush, and it would be that kind of adrenaline rush that would secure my victory...even if it were a bit late in coming. That, and I had this feeling about it."

"A feeling?" Ana looked at her oddly.

"Aye. See, when I get a feeling about things, it usually helps me analyze the situation. A good feeling means that a certain action will likely work. A bad feeling means I should try something else. Well, I had a...well, I wouldn't call it a 'good' feeling, to be quite honest, but it was a knowledge, a...a definite certainty that I've never felt before in my life. So it just had to work."

Jack gave an understanding nod, turning to look at her. He knew about her strong sense of perception. It was why he'd held Norrington back in the middle of their argument. He knew exactly what she meant; he'd had such 'feelings' many a time before. As much as his crew had (and still do) thought him crazy, his insane plans always seemed to work. And it was all thanks to such feelings, such nudges from the subconscious mind. He wiped the sweat from his brow on his sleeve and signed to Anamaria to take over at the helm for him. He then decided it might be a good idea to remove his frock coat, and did so. The girl looked at him questioningly as he eased down beside her, trying not to collapse. Need a break, he managed to think to her. I—.

"Don't. Save your energy, honest, I'm perfectly fine with it. Cotton and his parrot have been teaching me a bit, after all, so we're not completely out of the communication loop." He nodded his understanding and they sat together in silence, just basking in one another's presence.

— — — — —

The fourth day of sailing came and went. The wind did not fill the sails, and things were slow going. It could be another few days before they would reach port. It was that afternoon that Amy's much desired reading was interrupted by a sudden commotion. James, having been out on deck and helping with the crewing, out of nowhere burst through the door and held it open for several of the crew as they hurried inside, carrying a limp someone among them. She closed her book and watched in alarmed concern from her place on the table as they placed the someone in Jack's bunk opposite her. She craned her neck to see over Gibbs' shoulder and recognized said captain, unconscious and not looking particularly well. "Jack!" she gasped.

"Fetch a bucket of water!" ordered Gibbs. "You two stay and help, the rest of ye back ta work—we still have a ship what needs sailing!" They did as ordered, leaving only Jack, two crewmates, Gibbs, and an unnoticed Ames. "You two—get him outta those clothes. He's overheated enough as it is already." At this, Amy's eyes widened and she hastily turned her back to the scene.

She heard them undress their captain, covering him lightly with the sheets, and could only hope his dignity, his pride would not be affected at these of his crew seeing him so vulnerable, so helpless. She turned cautiously to see how bad he looked due to whatever happened. He was unmoving, in all sense of the word save for the slight rise and fall of his—Oh...I never knew Jack breathed through his diaphragm... She recalled how he used to peek into her mind when she wasn't paying attention. And thus she nestled into the quiet confines of his momentarily silent mind and just listened as he had taught her to. And ever so faintly, she began to hear the 'Jack Sparrow' track, as if he'd memorized it in the single time she'd let him listen in. It gently became more present, more distinct until it surrounded her, every beat and chord pulsing through her, swirling about her, dancing with her, smiling a crooked smile. And there was this presence about it. The music embraced her, enveloped her. Loved her. "Miss Amy!" She blinked several times, struggling away from the pirate's mind. Rubbing irritatedly at her eyes, she blinked again and looked to see Gibbs gaping at her. "You should not be watching such things at your age." The other two crewmen were nowhere to be seen. She supposed they had left.

"What? No, I turned my back for that, Mr Gibbs. I was merely looking into his thoughts as he has with mine." The old salt suddenly looked very nervous. "I will explain at a better time. What happened?"

"Jack never took off his coat. And what with this accursed heat, he collapsed just now at the helm."

"Wh—is there anything can be done?"

"We'll see as soon as the Commodore gets back with that water." As if on cue, James returned, carrying a basin of water. He nodded to the lass as he set it down next to the pirate's bunk, placing a rag over its rim. "He needs to be cooled off as much as possible," Gibbs explained to her askance expression.

"Well then." She hopped off the table and strode over, picked up the rag, and dipped it into the water. "In that case..." She wrung out the excess and began dabbing gently at Jack's head, jaw, neck, chest. "...Like this?" came her uncertainty, like a butterfly that preferred the safety of its chrysalis to the outside world. Gibbs only nodded. "Good. Then both of you out." She shooed them. "Go on, give us some room to breathe, eh? Oh and Joshamee?—was it specified whether his water must be salt or fresh?"

He thought a moment. "No."

"Good. Try adding a little salt water to his supply. Who knows? He may get at least some nutrients from it, and some sense of taste back on his tongue. Kay? Good. Now go on, the both of you." And with their departure, she rose and opened a few of the port side windows for ventilation, as that was about where the wind came from. From there, she proceeded to bustle about, pinning down anything that would blow away, fanning the (temporarily!) invalid, and pulling up the sheets at the foot of the bed to expose his feet. It were an old trick her mum had taught her: warm feet meant a warmer body. So if the feet cooled, the body cooled. She dragged a chair over to his side, much as James had for her, she imagined, and resumed the task of dabbing the surprisingly cool water over him. Not long after, she paused to let the evaporation process begin to take place, thus doing the actual cooling. (Oki, so I'm a science fan...no big, right?...) As she sat there beside him, once again lost in daydreams as she stared aimlessly at the tip of the pirate's nose, she noticed his expression become strained for a moment before appearing relaxed again.

And like a ripple in the water, a wave of gooseflesh spread across his visible skin, and she supposed these were not the chills that were hoped for in his cooling. A gold-toned hand clenched at the sheets almost invisibly, and she wondered what exactly was going on. Taking a gentle peek toward his subconscious as he had indeed done many a time with her, she was overcome by a tumultuous chaos and confusion. There were emotions of all kinds—anger, sadness, heartbreak, confusion, courage, fortitude, some sense of joy, finality—and she was quickly growing disoriented until images cleared for her to see. She was looking through Jack's eyes, or so she assumed, and they were facing the jagged, toothy mouth of a rather large something, tentacles wrapping around and ultimately sinking the Pearl. Facing that, she pulled out as quickly as she could. It was a dream, after all. The most private of thoughts to intrude upon, the safest and yet most dangerous places in one's mind. "Poor thing," she murmured softly, taking up the rag and dabbing at his nervous brow. "Having such a horrid nightmare..." She dared to put her hand in his, giving it a light squeeze, and was almost surprised when that squeeze was returned. Among her work, she sang very softly the Davey Jones theme (from the music box), hoping it would be somewhat soothing.

A few moments more, the events of said dream being predictable, Jack's eyes flew open with a sharp intake of breath. He let it out slowly as he realized it had only been a dream, eyes darting around the room as he tried to gain his bearings. "You're in your cabin," a voice notified him. It was a moment before he recognized it, and another moment before he noticed the coolness rubbing at his brow. His eyes wandered up until he saw a hand holding a damp rag. Following the arm that happened to be attached to said hand, he finally saw the girl, whom he had failed to notice sitting at his side. 'How are you feeling?' she signed. With a blink, he signed something with 'worse' in it, but what with the lass still in learning, she didn't quite catch it all. "Wait...you've been worse, or you are worse?"

He thought a moment, before signing more slowly, 'Been. Feeling much cooler, though. I believe I have you to thank?' She bobbed her head. He raised his hands in his signature prayer motion in thanks. 'Much obliged.'

"No problem. Thirsty?" He nodded. "All right, I'll fetch Joshie with the imminently unfresh water." She stood, ignoring both her foot and his somewhat alarmed expression. Pausing in the doorway, she twisted around and added, "Stay in bed, all right?" He was about to argue when she gave him her evil look, and resolved to do as told.

— — — — —

Not long after, Gibbs returned with a bucket of water, as well as some drinking implement. Jack sat up wearily and took the proffered stein, and took a long, grateful swig after signing his thanks. He froze mid-gulp, drawing the cup away from his mouth and making a face at the taste, before looking to his first mate questioningly, expression confused. Gibbs shrugged helplessly. "The lass had a few ideas under her fingers." Jack merely rolled his eyes. "Somethin' about nutrients and the like..."

'Smart girl,' the captain signed with a sigh, though knowing full well his second in command did not understand him. With best wishes toward better health, the elder departed. Bracing himself for the taste, Jack downed the water as fast as he could. Said girl, however, had not returned. He suspected she'd grown bored of being cooped up in this cabin, as roomy as it felt, and had probably gone out on deck to stretch her legs and do something mildly active. Out of safety toward himself—after all, she had given him the evil eye when ordering him to stay abed—he resolved to stay put, a finger stroking his beard as he pondered what to ponder about. Food. There was an idea. The whole concept confused him greatly. It wasn't so much that he couldn't physically eat—not that he'd tried—but rather that he did not desire it, despite the growing emptiness he felt in the pit of his stomach, the poor-tempered grumbling that interrupted his day on several occasions not allowing him to forget. It was just that the thought of food somehow repulsed him. In fact, just thinking about thinking about food was making him blanch. Of all things! If he could name three things at the top of his list, it was the Pearl,freedom,and food. And rum. ...And his hat...

It'd only been four days and already he'd begun to lose weight. He could feel the difference just sitting there. Absentmindedly, he was feeling at his ribs, as they were jutting out just a bit more than he remembered. Catching himself, he rolled his eyes with a sigh and reached for a book. Nothing to take the 'bored' out of 'boredom' like a novel to shake the ages.

— — — — —

Well, while the captain's state hardly improved, it had not in any way grown worse by the sixth day of sailing. He supposed he had the girl and her salt water to thank. He sat out at the base of the mainmast, watching idly as his crew bustled about their work. In nothing but a shirt, trousers, and his sash, red bandana present as always, he had to admit it wasn't nearly as stifling. To be honest, it did not grow very hot out over the open water, so it was really less overheating and more a mixture of hunger and lack of sleep what had taken him down. Not that everyone else needed to know that. His stomach grumbled again, and he wondered if his wants toward food, or lack thereof, had changed at all. Just like he had wondered every three bells for the past six days. And in fact, change they had, for he no longer felt repulsed, but rather a gaping pit what needed filling. With this in mind, he elected to raid the galley.

It was there that the girl found him, trying not to overeat nor drink his rum too fast. He spotted her and leaned back in his chair, trying to look like he still had more control than his stomach. She eased into a chair next to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, glad to see him eating again. "Feeling better?" He signed a 'definite yes,' and she frowned slightly. "Still can't talk?" His only answer was to wrap an arm round her shoulders and sigh.

'Oh...on second thought, perhaps I do not feel so much better,' he motioned, standing up unsteadily.

"Eat too fast?" Jack shook his head. "Eat too much?"

The pirate merely shrugged. 'I don't think so.'

"Odd..."

'Aye.' And like a roller coaster, things quickly went downhill. Again. Jack retched once, brining up half his lunch, tremors running through him. He took a steadying grip on the doorframe nearby, instinctively thinking 'horse,' though only out of habit. However, that habit was what revealed a second twist to them. For moments later, there was a horse lying in the galley, ears twitching in confusion.

The girl's eyes widened. "Dotdotdot?"

Aye, came the irritated snort.

"O...kay...so you can eat again, still turn into a horse, talk as a horse, but not make so much as a peep while human?"

Apparently, luv. He didn't dare get to his feet, for fear of caving the floor. Nor did he change back, for the change did in fact take quite a bit of energy, which he had not yet regained. Well...I certainly hope no one needs to get to the galley in any hurry, unless they're superb climbers, he noted, twisting his head around to see his equine form blocking the doorway.

"Yeah...I'm gonna go get James now."

Good lass. I have you trained rather well, don't I? She rolled her eyes dramatically and made to leave before turning right back around and going to the table wherehe had been eating. She took a bite out of a leftover chicken wing, savoring the taste and licking her fingers, before scrambling over him and up the companionway. That lass thinks of her stomach almost as much as I do...

It was not long after that said Commodore was following the lass down the companionway. He stopped dead in his tracks as the large horse came into view, eyes widening in shock. "How? ...Why?"

"We don't know. Do you remember that...whatever it was that the demon told you? The one you recited when I woke up?"

James pondered allof it for a moment. Then, he snapped his fingers as if in victory. "That's it!"

Aha! Extra long for ya! Anybody else sense some difference in my writing style? I do. It seems rather off. And this chapter felt very redundant (Teenager!), and for that I apologize. I hope it didn't ruin the chapter for you all, but feel free to tell me anyhow! Now then, REVIEW. Be the hundredth reviewer (the first one once this chapter is up) and you get a huge imaginary prize! YAYY! Now click the button! ...And that goes for all you shadow readers, too, savvy?

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