Ahh! Oh another five-day update! Squee-ness! And all these reviews! Thirteen? That's the most ever so far! So consider this quick update a prize for you all. Our hundredth reviewer was none other than pirateobsessed. Let's all give her a round of applause and rum!
pirateobsessed: Yeah, actually it is German for idiot. I believe it, lol. And thankee for the compliment on the writing, I really appreciate it! So...you've won our imaginary prize: You get one wish. Tell me about it in your review, eh?
obbits14: Unfortunately, no, that is not the plot. I love that you speculate on what may happen in future chapters, and I adore your creativity! Thanks for the review!
Mrs Capt Jack Sparrows: No, unfortunately you are not. Thou art #102. Aye? Still, thanks for the review. Hope you've caught up on your sleep since then...
Authoressinhiding: Oh, church is fine, and congrats on the regained inspiration! Tell Will Jack doesn't want to talk about the kiss. Ever. And that he doesn't need sea turtles; he has crabs and quicksand! Oops! Spoilers...sorry...
SamanthaSparrow: Here's yer update. BROWNIE! SPLEE!
Estel Ashlee Snape: New reviewer! -runs around in circles!- Yay! Aye, there are just too many of those stories floating around. I figured I'd give fanfic a bit of a reality check, eh? Thanks for the lovely review, mate!
marauder4ever: Thanks for the review! I can't wait either...it always keeps me wondering...
Jess is a pirate: LAPTOP! SPLEE! -does jig to Tortuga track- xD FUNF! So now we both gots lappies! Nice. Yes I had to be polite. I was doing things realistically. I'm not that bad, mate...I'm really not...besides, I felt bad for him. It was inappropriate. The only time I shall ever see that is when he, 40, and I, goin' on 16, share a twin mattress. Savvy? xP lmao! What else is there to say but...NO SHARPENED SPOONS! ;—;
Molly: You read it! Ahm so happeh! Remind me to remind you when the next chapter is up...! Thanks for reviewing!
Destinysway114: HI! Who said the demon lied? I never did, nope, never! Lol...Here be the next chapter. Perhaps things'll clear up a bit?...
wayunlucky13: Actually, 17 is my unlucky number, but let us not get into the subject of luck. -runs in circles- whoa...dizzy...Anywho, thanks for such a LOVELY review, I'm glad you got the chance to send it in! It was so encouraging! But seriously, no caffeine...I got drunk off of it recently. It was loads of fun. Hangover was not. Lol! COKE TRUCK! ...pardon me...please...
Little Miss Sparrow: Yes. Well, no. Take the 'bored' out of 'boredom' and you meditate. Ooooohhhmmmmmmmm...But the word would not work like 'boredooooohhhmmmmmmmm', so the condensed version would be 'om', savvy? Confused? That makes two of us! Yayy! I'm not alone! Lol, thanks for the review!
Oh! And I found another reason for why Amy would see James as attractive, especially as she and he bear no visible resemblance: Her preferences toward appearance in men was the same for her clone, thus her clone married a man she herself would have found attractive. Genetics took over from there. That better? Cuz I hated the first explanation...
Chapter Eighteen: Common Fact # 82: Demons Can't Lie
Common Fact #234: Randomness Is Possibly Genetic And MOST DEFINITELY Will Rub Off On Others!
"What's it?" asked the lass.
"That poem—or whatever it was—mentioned something about no control, but rather harmony...I think that means that Captain Jack Sparrow will always be somewhat more of a horse than a bird."
"So you're still bonded with the horse, buddy." Jack's ears drooped. "So when you feel sick it means you have to change. ...But then why is it that he still can't speak?"
Norrington thought a minute. "...I think it's because it is the last thing about him that should change. It is the only thing so far that has not gone back to... uh...'normal.' So then speech can only be a few days away...God have mercy when he gets it back..."
Jack snorted indignantly, and Amy couldn't help but to laugh. "So how are you feeling physical-wise, eh?"
He flicked his ears and snorted. Fine, fine...still weak though...I have a lot of strength to build up before I'm even fit to captain again.
"How about for changing back?"
Give me an hour or so and I should be all right.
"Oki. Who captains in your place?"
Anamaria. I thought you knew that.
"Yeah, but who's the replacement?"
Replacement? What replacement?
"She's leaving again, Jack. She misses her own ship and says her visit is coming to an end." Jack lowered his muzzle confusedly, until it was almost touching the floor. "'But there is good news.'"
Aye? His ears flew up. And what might that be?
"'I just saved a bunch of money on my car insurance by switching to Geico!'"
Debbie and Ellie rolled their eyes simultaneously. "Has she always been like this?" the man asked the horse.
Jack bobbed his head. Worse.
James sighed. "Grand..."
They looked back at the girl, who was trying to pull off an innocent expression. It wasn't working. So she went for the backup plan. "Moo!"
Lord, what have you stranded me with? She only grinned cheekily.
James crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe behind Jack. "You know, I think I'll leave you two and go tell Anamaria she's temporarily in charge, and not come back for a very long time."
Amy grinned evilly at Jack, whose ears were pricked as far forward as they could go in apprehension. She sat on his side and what could only have been described as pure madness proceeded to flow from her mouth. "Ooooohh—Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS!..."
Wait! Jack cried to Norry. Take me with yyooouuu! James rolled his eyes and smiled to himself, not stopping nor turning around as he ascended the companionway.
It was as he poked his head through the hatch that he heard the cry: "LAND HO!" He jumped fully topside and scrambled with the rest of the crew to the port bulwarks to see. Sure enough, there was a faint dark line on the horizon, fluffy clouds gathering over it.
Port Royal was about to receive yet another visit from the Black Pearl.
With a rueful sigh, the Commodore hurried down below, lamenting his slowly deteriorating mental health as the Spongebob theme song echoed up from the galley. "They'll have me institutionalized when they realize my sanity has been broken." And he couldn't help but to add a mental SASSAFRAS! onto the end. He cursed silently at this. The girl was rubbing off on him more and more every day. He could only hope it wasn't anything genetic...that he wouldn't be doomed to an insane future of such immaturity, randomness...and joy at just being alive...? This last thought bemused him. But he had little time to ponder the subject, for he tripped right over a now-human Jack in his temporary lack of awareness. With an "Oof!" he landed a faceplant at the girl's feet.
"You oki?" she asked, kneeling down beside him.
"Fine, fine," he replied, easing up into off the floor. She chose then to laugh. Jack joined her silently, both clutching their sides and collapsing back to back. "Absolutely wonderful. Now hush: we've sighted land."
"We've what?" asked a still-giggling Todd. Norrington repeated it again, but still neither could hear above the laughter.
Standing and brushing off the dust, he cupped his hands around his mouth and cried: "LAND HO!"
"Daaaaannnng!" Amy exclaimed, stopping her laughter altogether. "Jim, you got lungs, man!"
He looked at her askance. "Don't we all?"
"Another expression."
"Oh."
"Yeah."
"..." He shook it off and instead looked around for anything with which to change the subject. His eyes fell upon the pirate. "So I see Jack has regained enough energy to change back, eh?"
"Yah. Who woulda guessed? Turns out he had more strength than he was letting on."
"Isn't that how it always is?" And at this, Jack summoned the strength to stand, and shook the Commodore's hand enthusiastically, as if congratulating him on understanding an important concept. James merely rolled his eyes. "Anyway, we should reach Port Royal late this evening."
It was then that Jack and Ames exchanged aghast expressions. "His blindfold!"
'How could we have forgotten?'
"I dunno, we were too preoccupied. Crap."
'You're telling me. What have I done to me crew!'
James, being the perceptive man he was, understood precisely what it was they were talking about. "If it's your precious island you're worried about, Sparrow," Jack pointed an annoyed finger at him in place of his 'Captain!', "then I fell I should tell you that you have nothing to worry about. I saw no civilians. I saw no merchants nor ports nor harbors nor towns. So then, that being the case, how would I have witnessed any piracy worth reporting or chasing after? No one was being bothered...at least not in any way that the law should intervene. Hmm?"
"James, you rock!" The girl rushed over and embraced him. "Group hug!" Jack only looked bewildered, and Norrington had to smile at this. "Come on, Jack, hug us. You know you want to." Reluctantly, Jack joined the embrace, and the three almost felt like a family (well, a family of two bickering brothers and a young female relative, anyway) before the two men shifted away awkwardly. Silence followed. Which meant the common cheer: "Awkward silence!" Clap clap clap-clap-clap!
"Rave!" James blurted, before catching himself and clamping his mouth shut.
"Do you even know what a rave is?"
"Not an inkling, pet."
"Good. They're absolutely nuts."
'Dare I ask what is going on with him?' gestured Jack, mouth agape.
Methinks my randomness is either wearing off on him, it's genetic and only just now coming to the surface, or both, telepathized she to he.
'Good Lord, we don't need an insane Commodore on our tails!'
"You'll be fine," Amy replied, eyes wandering to James. She held his gaze, and continued to Jack—though it appeared she was now speaking to her 'nephew'—"Somehow, I just have a 'feeling' you'll be fine. Savvy?"
Jack nodded. 'Well...I'm feeling rather good about this...except that I still feel off...'
"Maybe you should have stayed a horse longer. I mean...if the two extremes of human and equine must live in harmony, must not both have life among the living world?"
Jack shrugged. 'Makes about as much sense as anything else. But this time, we shall proceed topside. I want room to move around.'
They did so. Once on deck, the bright sunlight greeted them. With a breeze in his hair, the captain summoned the horse, and the wind picked up again...though this time not violently, as it had before... Amy gaped at him in shock. "Jack?"
Aye?
"How did you do that?"
Jack smirked a horsey smirk. Same way we always have, luv.
"But I wasn't even thinking horse this time."
The stallion froze. What? Well then how...?
"I wonder if you've gained freedom or something like that with the...'antidote?'"
...Perhaps...
That evening, three human forms moved silently (though for one, that really wasn't much of a feat) through the jungle, toward town. The next day would see them facing yet more adventure...wherein an innocent life could be at stake.
Oki oki, short. Deal with it, at least I updated. I missed the random, so I put it back in. I couldn't believe it when I found no randomness in my chapters. Was getting too serious. Okay, now review! I'll see you next chapter! Gets emotional...and evil...and I'm suddenly pyrophobic due the next chapter...;–; Lord have mercy. So yeah: likey? no likey? Tell me in that review, Savvy? Good.
Peace.