26. Nothing Worth Having Comes Easily
"He doesn't have them," the chief says from behind me as he shoots an arrow right into Jack's chest. He falls to the ground, against the tree of the Sun King as blood begins to spill from his chest.
"JACK! NO!" I scream as I go to drop to my knees to be beside him.
"Luv, look out!" Jack manages to speak. I turn and quickly draw my sword on the chief. We fight, my sword against his many weapons—arrow, blade, axe. I defeat each one, finally sliding my sword ever so stealthily into the chief's heart. He falls to his knees in agony. Yet I show no sympathy. I run quickly behind him and slit his throat with my sword. I slide the sword into my sheath and run back to Jack who is quickly turning pale.
"Jack, you can't leave me," I say as I fall to my knees. "Why didn't you give me the lyrics?" I ask, putting a tender hand on the side of his face.
"I gave them back to ye before—so ye couldn't die," he says quietly. I reach into my shirt and take out the music and then search my clothes for the lyrics Jack had given back to me. In that moment as I pull them from the belt around my waist I know exactly when Jack gave them back to me.
"Jack…Jack! You can't leave me, please!" I shriek, placing both of my hands on his face. "I can take out the arrow—it's just a small wound—nothing so bad," I say quickly as I open his shirt, revealing massive amounts of blood.
By this time, the natives are beaten by the pirates and all are beginning to crowd around Jack and I at the base of the tree.
"Jack, please, don't leave me. You promised you wouldn't leave me," I begin to cry.
"Please don't cry luv. I 'ate it when ye cry," he forces out the words and then a grin.
"Jack, please…" I cry.
"Luv, burry the song now…while I'm still 'ere," he says gently, his voice strained. I nod and quickly digs into the Earth with my bare hands. Elizabeth emerges from the crowd and drops to her knees and helps me dig. I finally get the lyrics and music and fold them together and hold them briefly.
"Kiss the song," I say finally, holding the music up for Elizabeth to kiss them. She kisses the paper, then I hold them up for Jack. He kisses the song and then I kiss it last. I place the song tenderly into the hole and we cover the song completely with Earth. As we pat down the final bits of ground, the unnatural breeze ceases and turns into a soft Caribbean wind that caresses our faces. I crawl back over to Jack and stroke the sides of his face.
"Jack stay with me," I plead as his face grows even paler. His eyes blink as his eyelids grow too heavy for him to keep his eyes open any longer.
"Jack, don't leave! Please! Stay with me—don't go…I love you," I whisper in his ear.
All Jack can do is gasp for his last breath of air, "ye 'ave me heart, luv," he says as his eyes shut.
"JACK!! N…n…n…NO!!!!" I scream as I throw myself on his deceased body.
"Lindsey, he's gone," Elizabeth says softly as tears run down her cheeks.
"He promised he wouldn't leave me," I sob into Jack.
"Come," Barbossa takes a hold of my slender body and pries me away from Jack.
"NO! I won't leave him!" I scream and struggle in Barbossa's grasp.
"We have to!" Barbossa replies.
"Look!" Pintel exclaims as he points to the tree. I turn around and face the tree and see that it has begun to glow golden and that Jack's body is no longer on the ground—no where to be found.
Out of the tree, tow figures emerge—one Chief Bruma the Sun King and the other, his daughter, Princess Adura Suniko.
"You have brought the song back to us," the Sun King says, his voice deep and broad and booming. I break free from Barbossa's grasp and stand before the Sun King and his daughter next to Elizabeth.
"You two have traveled far and wide, through centuries, to get the song in completed form and bring them here—and you have succeeded," he continues. "For your enormous efforts, you will be rewarded, for now my daughter and I may now have the bliss of resting in eternal peace,"
"My thanks to you are eternal," Princess Adura Suniko says with a bright smile.
"We shall grant you each with eternal life and a wish if you will have it," she continues. She gestures to Elizabeth with a grand smile.
"What shall I grant you for your efforts?" she asks.
"I wish for nothing more than for William Turner to return to me from the Flying Dutchman," Elizabeth states slowly, not sure whether or not this wish can be fulfilled.
"William Turner is captain of the Flying Dutchman," the Sun King states, "and the ship must always have a captain, but we can make this wish fulfilled,"
Elizabeth's smile stretched from ear to ear as she hears his kind words.
The Sun King and his daughter face each other and clasp hands. A whirlwind encircles them both.
"Let William Turner, captain of the Flying Dutchman return to his love, Elizabeth Swann. Let there be a captain of the Flying Dutchman—the father of William Turner be the new captain of the Dutchman," The Sun King declares in the wind. He and his daughter break their grasp and the wind dies down. They turn and face Elizabeth and myself and smile. Elizabeth turns and looks all about the clearing, not really sure what she is looking for.
"Elizabeth!" a voice is heard from a distance. Will emerges from the jungle and runs towards Elizabeth.
"Will!" She exclaims as he meets her by the tree next to me. They embrace and kiss, holding each other for some time. I smile through teary eyes for their reunion. Will then joins Elizabeth and I before the Sun King and the princess.
"The three of you journeyed far and wide for this song and you three shall be granted eternal life if you'll have it," the Sun King repeats.
"And what is your wish, Lindsey of the 21st century?" Princess Adura Suniko asks with me a bright smile. I pause for a moment and then look at her through wide eyes.
"It would please me greatly for you to bring Captain Jack Sparrow back to me on this Earth from the world of the dead," I say finally.
"Jack Sparrow has fallen under this tree just as I had—fallen because of love…his love for you," the princess states. "He gave his life for you and for this reason alone it is love that is true, and for that, you wish shall be granted,"
I release a breath of relief ad a smile dances across my face. The Sun King and his daughter clasp hands once again, creating the whirlwind.
"Let Captain Jack Sparrow return to this Earth from the world beyond. Let him return to she who loves him most—she who he loves most," The Sun King declares in the wind once again. He and his daughter then release each other's hands and the wind dies down a second time.
I look around just as Elizabeth had, in search for Jack…or Jack's voice from over yonder.
"I tol' ye not t' cry, dahling," Jack whispers from behind me. I turn around to see him standing grandly—hat, overcoat and all. All I can do is smile that he is actually back. He takes his place next to me—to my right and stands before the Sun King and his daughter.
"The four of you began and completed this grand journey through miles of travel through this world and others. It is because of your loyalty to each other and to this journey that my daughter and I shall now rest in eternal peace. For your devotion and pain, I grant you each eternal life," the Sun King pronounces. He takes a step forward and raises his right hand before Will.
"William Turner, I grant you eternal life," he says as he raises his hand above Will's head and then motioning downward. A gust of air and burst of light go through Will. He smiles over at Elizabeth.
"You shall live forever now with your love Will, Elizabeth Swann," the Sun King states, as he raises his hand above her head and motions down, creating the gust of air and light that goes through her as well. She smiles back at Will.
The Sun King skips over me and goes over to Jack.
"The immortal Captain Jack Sparrow is what you shall be now," the Sun King proclaims as he raises his right hand above Jack's head, motions down and creates the gust of wind and light that goes through Jack. He grins at this opportunity to finally living forever. His eyes glance over at me and smile.
"Lastly, you have lived without any such fear, traveled many distances and through worlds. For this, Lindsey Ferrara of the 21st Century, you shall now love and live forever," the Sun King raises his hand and motions downward. The gust of wind and light go through me in a flash. I feel myself alive with energy flowing throughout my body. I smile back at the Sun King.
"My eternal thanks to you," I say finally to him.
"My eternal thanks to you," he replies with a smile and a twinkle in his eye. "You four may choose to visit here any time you should like. We will be resting here peacefully. Any further inquiries may be answered by Captain Teague," the Sun King says as he joins his daughter by the tree. The four of us bow to the Sun King and Princess Adura Suniko as they serenely fade into the tree.
Jack turns to me and smiles. We stand there just facing each other and I go to kiss him but I stop myself, not wanting to reveal us to the crow of pirates around us. His eyes narrow and then a smile dances across his lips. He leans in and kisses me deeply for a few moments.
"Nothing worth 'aving comes easily," he says as he pulls away from my lips, our foreheads still joined. We smile at each other and the pirates surrounding us cheer. We both smile and then turn towards Will and Elizabeth—we embrace each other, ecstatic to have Will back. Elizabeth keeps her arms around Will as we ask Will about his time on the Dutchman. Jack and I listen intently, when I feel Jack's hand reach for mine.