Chapter 5
Will was quick, he darted to the right and the shot went wide, missing him by a fraction of an inch but that was enough to save his life. Furious now at what Elizabeth had done he approached her in a blind rage lifting his knife as he walked towards her.
She had only one shot and she had missed, now she was terrified. The man that she loved was no longer recognizeable to her, all she could see was bitterness and he was heading straight for her. She turns to run but he's upon her, pushing her to the ground, he throws himself on top of her and she see's his face is twisted in hate.
"Will! No!" she screams.
But in his rage, he hears nothing and all he wants is revenge against this creature that has lead him astray and doomed his father to a fate even worse than the wrath of Davy Jones.
He raises the knife above his head and plunges it deep into Elizabeth's heart.
Norrington, Beckett and Jack Sparrow are aboard the Dutchman, the chest containing the heart sits on the deck in front of them.
"Now you assure us Captain Sparrow, as you like to be called, that by stabbing the heart, inside this chest, onboard this very ship, I will infact have full control of the seas?" Beckett inquired.
"That's what I've heard." was his cheery reply. "Now then, let's get this ceremony underway." He pulled out a knife and placed it into Beckett's hand but before he released his hold he reiterated his demands.
"A full pardon and a clean get away, aye? That's all I want, savvy?"
Beckett looked up at him and nodded. "As I said in my letter, you have my word."
"I'll trust you anyway." Jack shot back. Beckett glared in response.
"Lord Beckett! Do you really think this is wise?" Norrington interrupted. "Giving Sparrow his freedom just like that."
"Yes. Commodore. I really think it is!" He stated rather firmly. Reaching down, he turns the key that sits in the lock and gives it a half turn. Something shifts inside and the lid springs open. The three men peer in.
"Well now," spoke Beckett, "no point in putting things off any longer than necessary." He lifts the knife high above his head and brings it down quickly and cleanly, but before it has a chance to pierce the heart a sword blocks the blade's point of entry. Beckett looks up, quite annoyed and see's that it's Norrington preventing him from fulfilling his mission.
"Sorry." the Commodore says rather firmly "I simply cannot allow this man to roam free. I lost everything due to this pirate and now it's being thrown up into my face from the very man who sealed my fate. Drop the knife Lord Beckett, as you like to be called."
Beckett, looking more annoyed than ever, drops the knife onto the deck of the ship and suddenly finds the Commodore's blade at his throat. He looks terrified, he's a weak man when it comes to a battle and he knows it. He's helpless against the Commodore so he decides to use his only defense which is his power in the East India Trading Company, but before he has a chance, Jack Sparrow steps in.
"I don't think so Commodore, it was you who chose to release me thus breaking the law of your own choosing, do not blame others for your own undoing." Jack pulls his own sword and points it towards Norrington, who in turn, becomes angered by what he has heard coming from the pirates mouth.
"What I did was a favour to you, and now you try to put the blame on me?"
"Favour or not, Commodore, you did it of your own free will. Besides, did you set me free for my sake?...Or for Elizabeth's? Be honest with yourself just this once, you did it for her, to make her happy hoping against hope that small gesture will win you favour in her heart. It didn't work though, did it?"
Norrington looks slightly annoyed but decides to amuse the pirate with an answer. "Indeed, what I did was for Elizabeth, however, her choice in husbands certainly does not concern nor bother me in the slightest. Can you say the same?"
Jack smiles, he was hoping Norrington would bring this up.
"Oh really, Commodore? If we were talking about the boy I'm sure it wouldn't bother you, but we're not talking about the boy, are we? Once again, be honest. You know why you hate pirates, ...actually, to be more precise, you know why you hate me. It's because she loves me, she has always loved me and you know that, you've always known that. I'm the one she wants and that eats you up inside. Consumes you. If she married the lad, it would be of little consequence, but choosing me only enhances your failure to protect her. When you hate me, you also hate yourself, isn't that right, ...James?"
Norrington bristles, then explodes in anger advancing upon Jack with the full force of his blade. Jack, anticipating this, manages to block his advance and continues to fight offensively due to the Commodore's blinding rage which at this moment is rendering him incapable of a good fight. As Jack continues to thwart off Norrington, he see's the Pearl coming up on the starboard side and Barbossa along with Tia Dalma are on the deck, he also see's the ritual is in it's final phase and looks over to Beckett who is standing numbly watching Jack and the Commodore.
"Stab it!" Jack cries towards Beckett. "Stab it, now!"
As Jack says this, the ritual on the Pearl reaches a fevered pitch and Tia Dalma, who has now been revealed as a vessel for the Goddess Calypso, grows to an enormous height then shatters into tiny crabs that fall to the deck of the ship and scurry into the sea. Calypso, has now been freed of her human bonds and is once again returned to her proper place. At the same moment Beckett realizes that Jack is speaking to him, reaches down and picks up the knife, once again he raises it high above his head and once again is stopped. This time it's Will who steps in, he has finally arrived on the deck of the Dutchman, just in time to stop Beckett from stabbing the heart and taking over as the ships captain. He lunges forward and stabs Beckett in the chest, but misses his mark just slightly and pierces his lung instead of his heart. Beckett drops the knife and falls to the deck, slowly bleeding to death. Satisfied that Beckett is no longer a threat Will looks down into the chest and see's the heart, he raises his blade and stabs it. Upon contact the organ shatters then turns into many small crabs very much resembling those which came forth from Calypso's human body, and like her prison, these crabs also ran to the edge of the deck and fell into the sea. Confused, Will looks around him and notices that some changes have taken place on the ship, the walls are no longer moving with dead seamen, instead they have been converted into old, rotting wood and nothing more. The Dutchman was no longer a ghost ship or a ship harbouring souls that were afraid to die, it was instead, dying itself. By releasing the souls it had imprisoned it no longer had a life of it's own and Will realized the ship would soon return to the depths of the ocean, this time it would remain there until the sea claimed it entirely. Angered by this he steps between the dueling Norrington and Jack and immediately knocks the Commodore's blade to the deck then turns and thrusts his blade to Jack's throat.
"What happened to them? What happened to my father?"
"He's not here?" Jack asked in surprise. "He was just here a minute ago, I'm sure of it!"
This fuelled Will's rage, how dare this pirate trivialize the death of his father, but then again, he was in cahoots with her wasn't he?
"You tricked me! You killed my father!" Will snarled, then drew back his sword to stab Jack's throat, but Norrington steps in and blocks the thrust with his own sword that he retrieved from the deck floor.
"I'm afraid I still can't let you do that, Mr Turner. This man belongs to me. He's the cause of all of my grief and I intend to use him to get my life back, even if it means taking his. I can't very well let you step in and do a job that was clearly intended for me."
Will and Norrington begin to fight, Jack see's the diversion and runs to Beckett's side, he's so close to death that Jack can see it in his eyes which also reveal that he is terrified of the unknown. Jack kneels down and watches him draw his last breath, then quietly speaks.
"Yes, I thought you might be a coward." were the pirate's only words.
As Jack watches Will and Norrington fight, he notices that Barbossa is boarding the Dutchman at the stern of the ship.
"Right on time, mate." he whispers to himself.
Barbossa comes upon the dueling men and proceeds to direct the fight away from Will and towards himself, the Commodore is easily swayed and soon finds himself battling it out with the pirate. Will, has now turned his attention back to Jack, slowly approaching him with his blade.
"Easy son. Don't do anything you'll regret." Jack warns as he slowly backs away as Will approaches.
"Anything I'll regret?" Will is dumbfounded. He can't believe what he is hearing after everything that has happened. He backs Jack up against the side of the captain's quarters and demands an answer.
"Where's Davy Jones? And what happened to my father, you haven't answered my question satisfactorily yet!" he said angrily.
Around them the shadows were starting to grow long, the sun was sinking below the horizon, the first twinkling stars were shining above them. Jack became serious, deadly serious.
"He's gone son. They're both gone. Davy Jones has been reunited with his beloved and your father's soul has been saved and has moved on from this realm, onto a better place no doubt. He was a good man."
"You're lying! My father can't be dead." Will spat.
"His time in this world has ended and he's moved on to another. He's safe now, you can rest easy."
"But I hardly knew him. I could have saved him if...if..."
Realization dawns on Will again.
"If you and Elizabeth hadn't murdered him!" his words sounded like poison.
"No son. We saved him and now he's free. Which reminds me, just where did you leave Elizabeth anyway?" Jack offers a knowing wink and Will is taken aback by it. How could he know? How could he possibly know? The churchyard is in the centre of the island, too far away to see clearly. But deep down, Will knew that Jack was very much aware of what had happened to Elizabeth, and it frightened him.
"Tell me, did you bury her in that open grave?"
"No. I left her in the field." He looked down, ashamed of what he had done.
Behind them, Norrington was facing a losing battle. Barbossa was a much better swordsman than he ever could be, and he found himself losing his footing as well as his hold on the sword. He knew he couldn't hold out much longer, but was determined to see it through as long as possible.
"C'mon son, admit it to ol' Jack, eh? Admit you had to kill her because she had betrayed you, you had to because deep down, in the darkest corner of your heart you know that you're like me."
"No" Will replied as he felt the heat rising with Jack's words. "I'll admit no such thing."
Behind them, Norrington had lost the battle. One swift slice to his forearm and he had dropped to the deck. Game over. But instead of killing him, Barbossa merely walked towards Jack and Will.
"It's easy son, just say the words and you'll feel a thousand times better. It's the opportune moment."
"I really don't know what you're wanting me to admit to. That I'm a bad person? I won't admit to that! You and Elizabeth both betrayed me, eye for an eye is how I see it." he shot back angily.
"Come now, you know that's not it William. Here...I'll say it for you then. You, are a pirate! Simple as that. You're a pirate and you'll just have to live with that, I'm afraid."
Hearing those words angered Will and immediately he went after Jack, lunging at him with his sword, but before he met his mark Barbossa stepped in front of Will's sword and took the full brunt of it in the heart. He collapses to the deck at Jack's feet. Jack kneels down at Barbossa's side and whispers something into his ear, a faint light surrounds the two forms and then everything returns to normal. Jack rises and looks at the stunned Will Turner.
Jack speaks to him.
"If a man as evil as Barbossa can ask for forgiveness from Captain Jack Sparrow, than surely this won't be such a task for you. Your turn next, William."