Disclaimer: The plot's mine. Everything else, psh. It's Disney's.

Author's Notes: Hello, all! I hope your week has been going much better than mine. Between losing my iPod, getting into a fight with my best friend, almost getting fired, and having the sinus infection from hell, I really want to just shoot something. Like an undead monkey. Unfortunately, those are in short supply where I live, so... I banged out a new chappie for all of you!

Enjoy!

P.S. Elizabeth's version of how Will is killed is the true thing. No more confusing half-scenes. It's the real-deal people...

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Devil's Riddle

By: MJ

Chapter 9: The Devil's Riddle

"Damn it! Damn it all to hell!" Becket groaned, pounding his fists on his desk, the slight quake causing his china to clatter. He glared at Mercer, who had just revealed that Davey Jones had sunk another one of his military ships. "Damn Norrington… and damn that Jack Sparrow!"

"He's dead," Mercer announced, looking at his nails boredly, as he leaned against the back wall of Beckett's office. "Or so said Swann, but his brain's a bit fried, now…" He let the sentence hang in the air. Beckett sighed.

"Then they must be going after him, or something…" Beckett groaned, beginning to pace his office. "…Why else would they need Jones' protection...?" He asked himself rhetorically.

Mercer coughed as Beckett paced some more, causing the shorter man to look up at his henchman.

"Jones isn't attacking our merchant ships, sir…"

"Will it ever stop bleeding?" Bill said, quite bluntly, after a horrible silence that had befallen the group sitting on the beach, staring blankly into the endless sea.

"No." Will said quietly, leaning back and lying down, shutting his eyes for a moment as he began to ponder the situation. "Honestly, I don't feel any pain."

"None?" Charlotte asked quietly. Will opened his eyes and looked at her honestly.

"Not a thing." Charlotte pursed her lips but said nothing. "Give me your jacket… Bi--" he stopped and looked at his father for a second. "Give me your jacket… father," he said sheepishly, closing his eyes immediately afterwards, and thus missing the exchanged glance between his parents. Their eyes softened and lit up as Bill quickly took off his jacket. He placed it over Will's chest, which covered up his bleeding wound. Another awkward silence ensued, and then…

"Where were you before here, Mum?" Will asked, and Charlotte paused.

"Hmm?"

"You died about ten years ago… did… did you go to heaven?" Will asked, opening his eyes to look at her.

"…No. Not necessarily. You see, I… was always at different places at different times. They would shift and move until I thought I'd lost my mind with all the change," she said quietly, staring at her feet to avoid their eyes. "I realized that's what I always feared in life… change," she said just as quietly. Will sighed.

"William," Bill muttered, looking at his son for a moment. Will opened his eyes.

"Yes?"

"…Why did you do it?" He almost looked as if he hadn't wanted to ask. Will sighed; he knew he was going to have to talk about it at some point.

"I did it… out of love," he said, putting his hands behind his head and looking up into the black sky above them. "…Elizabeth or I had to die; we were the closest to Jack and we both played roles in his death," he said, looking up to keep from crying. "…She killed him, but I… I was the one who forced it upon her."

"How?"

Suddenly, Will seemed angry. He sat up quickly, and pounded a fist into the ground. "I didn't kill Jack Sparrow when I had the chance myself. I've had multiple chances to do it, but I couldn't bring myself to. Had I just… done it myself, she wouldn't have had to do it. She wouldn't have to live with this… guilt. This horrible guilt on her beautiful shoulders, and…" he looked up again, feeling the angry tears begin to well up in his confused brown eyes "damn it, father, mum… Damn it all, I should've done it myself!"

It was quiet for a while, Bill and Charlotte merely staring at Will as he continued to mutter curse words under his breath. He bit his lip and looked back down. Charlotte placed a cautious hand on Will's shoulder, and he broke down. He fell into her arms and sobbed into her shoulder.

"It's not fair, mum… It's not bloody fair," he mumbled into her shoulder. She rubbed his back with her hand in soothing motions as she tried to calm him down. "I love her, mum, and I miss her so much," he said, and she smiled.

"I know you do, Will… I know you do," she whispered. He pulled away, ashamed. He wiped the tears from his eyes and looked at his hands.

"I… I just can't believe I'll never… never get to see her again. I… can't believe she's gone," he said in a voice barely above a whisper. Bill and Charlotte exchanged glances.

"Ye will, son," Bill said, reaching out and taking Charlotte's hand. He gave it a gentle squeeze and smiled. "Ye will."

"Lizzie, darling" Jack cooed as he and the rest of his comrades came out of the Captain's cabin, making their way to the bow of the ship, where she was standing, dangling the heart over the ocean. "My dear, sweet girl--"

"Be quiet!" She yelled over his calls, shutting her eyes tightly before reopening them to glare at him. "Just—don't say another damned thing!"

"And why not?" Jack asked slyly, leaning against the railing on the opposite end of the deck. She glowered.

"Because… this is all… your… fault," she heeved, stressing the last three words as he hands gripped the bag tighter.

"How, love?" he asked simply, crossing his arms over his chest and looking at her, amused. "I don' 'member askin' ye to kill me," he said in a dangerously quiet tone, "nor do I 'member askin' t'be brough' back. Ye see, ye got yerself an' William into this mess," he looked at his nails, bored, "lucky fer th' whelp, he found 'is own way out, an' there's no one to blame but ye," he said, looking up and returning her awestruck expression with a scathing glare. "Savvy?"

"Sparrow!" Norrington bellowed from his spot below, seething mad. "What the hell are you doing? You're baiting her to drop the heart! Have you gone mad?"

"Stay out o' this, ye washed up lobster back!" He shouted back, looking at the younger man long enough to wink before he looked back at Elizabeth. "Go ahead; drop th' heart. I've been to 'ell already, an' it wasn't so bad. Wouldn't mind goin' again," he shrugged. "An' William… well, he'll be in heaven, 'm assumin'," he said nonchalantly, looking at his nails again. "But ye… ye killed a man an' sent another t' his death," he said, just as casually, "So I doubt there'll be a reunion." He looked up at her and winked, "Keep th' heart an' ye got some time on yer hands to make things righ' again. Ye do want to do tha', don't'cha?"

There was an eerie silence that befell the crew, all eyes turning towards Elizabeth, anticipating her reply. Her mouth was hanging open, her eyes staring at him with a stare none had ever come to witness. Her lower lip trembled, and she bit it, looking away to keep from crying right there, in front of everyone. She looked at the ground and looked up at Jack.

Thud.

She let the heart go, the carpetbag falling to the deck with a soft thud. The rhythmic beating of the heart overwhelming to her as she raced down the deck stairs, the slam of the door echoing off the endless blue of ocean surrounding the ship. The silence was roaring in his ears, as he swaggered to the bag and picked it up.

"Are you mad?"

Jack turned to see not James, who he had originally thought would've said it, but instead it was someone he hadn't expected at all.

"Are you out o' your bloody mind, Jack? 'M mean, more than usual, aye?" Hector Barbossa squinted his eyes at his captain, the younger man giving him a grin.

"Ye get killed by someone ye though' was a friend, go to hell an' come back to see her try an' kill ye again," Jack said quietly, in a tone that didn't fit him nicely. "See how much you like it."

"I did," Barbossa barked up, and Jack laughed humorlessly.

"I was never yer friend," he eyed the man up and down. Barbossa shook his head.

"Ye didn't have to be. To die an' come back," Hector sucked it a breath, "is to know how important life is… how priceless it is…" he walked over to the railing, "to know that someone thinks of your life as so worthless that ye should be killed again is unsettling…" he looked at Jack, "even if the man isn't yer friend at all."

Jack looked at him for a moment, and sighed. He made an awkward noise in the back of his throat—a cross between a whine and a grunt—before he said, "'M sorry."

"I'm not the one ye should be apologizing t', now should I?" Barbossa laughed, pulling an apple out of his coat pocket to examine it. "Yer life is priceless, but the life of someone ye love is tenfold as much," he looked at Jack. "He killed himself, Jack. Ye didn't see it, but he killed himself, stabbed himself righ' in the heart, jes' fer ye…" He grinned and took a bite out of his apple, letting Jack savor the feeling that thought gave him; an unsettling, anxious, guilty feeling rose in the bottom of his stomach, shooting it's way through his entire body, making him shiver. "An' ye pay 'im back by makin' th' girl he saved think her life is worthless…" Barbossa laughed, "I always knew ye were daft, but I never though' of ye as stupid." With that, he left Jack to wonder.

"I always knew ye were daft," Jack mimicked, gripping the bag tighter. He looked out to sea, but saw nothing; he didn't see the freedom it once held, nor did he see the prospect of a new beginning. He saw a wide, open azure abyss with nothing held to it but lies, cheats, and scams. He walked to the edge and looked down, expecting to see his reflection but…

He gasped, and turned around, his eyes scanning from left to right. His chest rose and fell animatedly as he breathed. He looked back down, but there was nothing but his own reflection.

"'m out o' me bloody mind," he muttered, walking down the steps. He crossed the decks to the stares of his men, but he paid them no mind as he walked into his office and slammed the door. "Bloody whelp; makin' me see things in the water…" He muttered, shutting the heart in a drawer and sitting at his desk. He pulled out a bottle of rum and uncorked it, "Well… t' ye, William Turner," he raised the bottle and took a swig before he slammed it on the table, "wherever the 'ell ye are."

"Lizzie?" James called, not daring to walk into the crew quarters. He heard her sniff and sighed. "Elizabeth, it's only me, I promise."

"Go… away," she said.

"C'mon, Lizzie," James sighed, walking down the steps. His heart broke when he saw her, lying on her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. "Please… just… tell me what happened."

"What do you mean?"

James sucked in a breath… "How did Will die?"

Elizabeth sighed, and looked away from him for a moment, before she met his gaze straight on. "He was so… brave, James, oh, you should have seen him in the moment of it all…"

The rowboat ride to the dock had been hell for Will, staring out towards the see in a mute stare. Elizabeth sat next to him, watching him out of the corner of her eye. She saw him reach into his pocket and grab his father's blade. Gently, he grazed a finger over it, his eyes now concentrating on the blade. She bit her lip and placed her hand on his knee. He looked at her and their eyes met.

"I love you, do you know that?" she whispered, watching his eyes. It seemed to be killing him to hear her say that, for he looked away and coughed. She assumed he was trying to clear his throat, whilst thinking of something to say; what she didn't know was that he was coughing away a shallow sob. He nodded his head mutely, and placed an arm around her shoulder, bringing her to him.

"I do, love," he whispered into her hair, kissing the top of her head. "I… I love you to," he said uneasily, and she sighed, wondering if he'd ever forgive her.

"Will, listen… I--"

"¿Qué quieres?" A Spaniard called from his place at the dock. Both had been so lost in each other's eyes that they hadn't noticed they had made it to shore. Will smiled and kissed her gently on the lips as Ana Maria talked with the man.

"Shh," he shushed her gently, smiling slightly. "You don't have to say anything anymore," he brushed his thumb over her cheek, "I understand."

"You… you do?"

"Elizabeth, I understand more than you give me credit for, love, I know what I have to do, and I've accepted it. I love you more than anything in the world, but I want you to be happy," he said, his eyes clouding over with an emotion she couldn't read.

"I am happy, Will, with you he--"

"Let's go," Ana Maria said, giving one last look at the ecstatic Spaniard. "This way," she pointed into the dense forest. Elizabeth sighed as Tia Dalma pushed Will into the lead, again. He didn't look back at her, and his shoulders were squared; he was determined, and she knew his mind had been made up. What was he going to do?

She took her place from behind him as they made their way into the deep everglades. Tia Dalma, at the end of the line, was telling Will exactly where to step and how to step, and Elizabeth's mind was just boggled with all the information being traded between the two. What was he going to do?

"Where are we going?" She asked, timidly, staring at Will's broad shoulders. They tensed immediately, as if he had forgotten she was there.

"We need to get something… it will take us to World's End," Will said quietly, his hands gripping onto his father's knife even harder; his knuckles turned white.

"How," she huffed, as her feet sloshed in her boots, the water up to her knees, "are we going to find something here that will take us there?"

Will grunted, aggravated, "Just… trust me, alright?"

She said nothing, but she knew that although he loved her, her revelation had not brought them closer, but instead had torn them apart. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up into James's stare. He leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "He's under a lot of pressure, I'm sure." It was meant to be reassuring, but it only drove her crazier; she was supposed to help relieve the pressures the world brought him—not add to it!

"This one Dalma?" Will called back as they stopped. There was a pregnant pause behind them, and then,

"Aye. Dis be da tree."

Ana Maria brought him the axe, Elizabeth was at her wit's end—she needed to say something. What was he going to do? "Will, I--" she whispered, reaching out to touch his shoulder.

"Does it matter which one, Dalma?" His eyes were distant; a thousand miles away as he scanned the numerous, ugly roots.

"Will—please!" Norrington's grip on her shoulder tightened, but she pushed off his hand.

"No, boy, just cut a ni' sized one—so it'll look goo' fer da cer'mony," Tia called back, bored. Elizabeth moaned.

"Will, please, could we just talk a bit before you do this?"

"Ye ha' all mornin' t'talk," Barbossa growled, motioning with his arm for Will to continue. She didn't notice when he winked at Tia, "so shut yer mouth an' let the boy do wut he needs!"

Will stared at her, confused, as she bit her lip to stop the tears. He said nothing, and when she continued to be silent, he began hacking away at the largest root of the tree. It took him about five blows before it broke free; he picked it up and turned to Tia Dalma with a sort of 'now what' expression on his face.

Suddenly, the trees around them began to shake, causing the birds residing in them to fly up into the air with a chorus of calls. The sky seemed a bit darker, as the world began to quake. Elizabeth stepped closer to Will, who wrapped his arms protectively around her. abruptly, the swamp turned into a large whirl-pool, sucking everything inside with an amazing amount of strength. Elizabeth cried out, and Will held her closer.

Just as fast as it all began, it stopped as they landed on a hard surface. Elizabeth had landed on top of Will, and she blushed crimson when she realized. She quickly got off of him and offered him her hand. He took it and kissed it, seriousness to his eyes that she didn't quite understand in that moment. "Do you remember what I told you?"

"Yes," she said. A lump grew in his throat as the others came shortly later, all looking equally nervous. "Will, what's going on?"

"You there!" A voice shouted, calling everyone's attention to them. They turned around, and there was a demon watching them closely, leaning on a cane that resembled the root Will was holding. He flinched when he saw the bloodstains, but Elizabeth hadn't noticed. She put an arm on his shoulder. "Who is going to be performing the ceremony?"

"What ceremony?" She asked Will, squeezing his shoulder. He took a deep breath and said,

"I am." He looked both frightened and determined, truly scaring Elizabeth.

"Ah--" A deeper voice said from a higher up position. "William Turner—have you made your decision?" He shrugged off Elizabeth hand and took another deep breath.

"I have."

"Step forward!"

"Will! Stop!" Elizabeth said, finally understanding, the prophecy rang clearly in her mind.

"Step forward!" The voice bellowed, and Will obeyed, taking a step outside of the invisible barrier that felt so familiar, and yet so strange to him. Elizabeth bit the inside of her cheek and followed, taking a step outside of the barrier as well.

"Elizabeth, no!" He moaned, and she smiled at him. The look in his eyes sent waves of pain through him; it was as if he were being tortured. Her gaze held the courage she wasn't feeling as she widened her smile.

"It's okay, Will, do what you have to do," she whispered. "I trust you."

"We walked up those steps, you remember, don't you?" She asked him quietly, replaying the events in Norrington's head with the pieces of information he hadn't known about. "James, it was so nerve-wracking, not knowing what he was going to do. I trusted him, though. I knew I deserved to die, but I didn't think… he'd do it," she breathed in and out quickly. She sat up and he put an arm around her shoulder's in a comforting way. She let out a large breath, "We made it the rest of the way up… Hades was sitting there, glaring at us so menacingly. Have… have you ever heard the expression 'if looks could kill'?"

"Yes," he said, watching her carefully.

"I think I died about five times… right there," she gulped, looking down at her hands. "There was this big monologue… I don't even remember it completely, all I could do was stare at the knife… on this-this alter. It was just… sitting there—made out of human skulls—SKULLS, James!" She said, sniffing. She shook her head and looked back down at her hands. "I remember Hades saying 'a life for a life—the prophecy speaks!' and… then…"

"Everything I do, I do it for you," Will said, rising the dagger. Their eyes met in a brief moment, and she knew his decision.

"Oh, God—Will! Please!" She shrieked as the dagger came down, piercing his flesh. He fell to his knees in front of her, and she rushed forward, but was blocked by a hidden barrier. An invisible wall seemed to be the only space between her and Will. She banged her fists against it in a rage. "Will! Will! Please… get up! I love you too much to see this happen! Please! Will…" He fell backward, his legs beneath him, the knife still embedded in his chest. She saw his chest rise and fall one last time before... "No!" She fell to her knees and buried her face in her hands. She began to sob, but stopped when she heard Hades laugh.

"You bastard!" She screamed all the louder. "You bloody bastard!" Two demon guards came and grabbed Will's arms, dragging his limp body into the fog. "Will!" She jumped up, banging her fists against the wall again, screaming bloody murder. "I love you…" she panted, before she fell again, her tears overwhelming her.

"Welcome back," Hades said, smiling, not looking behind him to see that Jack had walked out of the mist. Jack was smiling, despite the pathetic picture before him. He clicked his tongue as he walked near Elizabeth.

His boot stepped into Will's blood with a bit of a splish, causing Jack to wince in protest. He shook his boot before he stopped right in front of her. "Lizzie, c'mon, now, love, look 'oo's back!" He chuckled, watching as she sniffed and looked up at him. He outstretched his arms.

"C'mon, Lizzie, not gonna give me as warm a welcome as ye gave me goodbye?" He said, his tone taking a slightly bitter tone. She snorted, before she stood up and fell into his arms.

"I can't believe he's gone," she whispered. Not knowing what to say, Jack squeezed her a little tighter. She rubbed her eyes and looked up. Just behind Hades, she caught someone's eye.

"To the day I die, I will never forget those eyes, James," she whispered. "I could never forget those eyes, or the look he gave me before he was sucked into the mist.

There was an eerie silence that befell them as they sat there. James stared at his hands, not sure as to what he should say, so he said nothing. He reached out and held onto her shoulder, offering her a light squeeze in solace. She smiled.

"We're going to bring him back though, James," she said, looking much more cheerful. "We just… have to."

"Elizabeth," he said, exasperated. "Will's gone… there's no way you can bring him back."

"No, James… I haven't finished my story…"

"Jack! You… You! This is all your fault!" She yelled, pushing him away to his confusion. Hades chuckled as his back hit against the invisible wall causing him to push forward. "You are the reason behind all of this! Damn you, Jack! Da--" She broke off into another fit of hysterical tears, and Jack made no moves to comfort her now.

"Gone bloody crazy, ye lunatic," he said sullenly, crossing his arms over his chest as he sat there. She sniffed, trying to stop the tears, but to no avail.

"Don't cry," Hades whispered. Elizabeth looked up, shocked.

"What did you say?" She sniffed, and he smiled.

"Dry your tears,
Little girl,
Wipe your fears,
My sweet girl,
And I can tell you what I shall do.

"Off the coast of Madagascar,
Lies an island, full of gold,
One must search near, one must search far,
For treasures for young and old.
What I am telling you is true…

"Behold!—the treasures of love and hate!
Treasures of new and old!
Behold!—the treasures of greed and fate!
That they cannot be sold…
Watch your greedy heart and jealous soul.

"Bring me back my precious Narcissus.
Or choose my Jewel of the World.
Either will make you his missus,
But I will not tell you in which world.

"Oh! Or choose my Heart for the Soul.
Yes, my heart—you see!
The coldest, bloodiest part of me…
To choose this, you must be a fool…

"Of these three…
One will bring you back to me,
The other will make you live in agony,
And the last will give you what you truly need.

"It is your job to choose—
But do so wisely—
For it is I—and only I!—
Who cannot lose.

"So dry your tears,
Little girl,
Wipe your fears,
My sweet girl,
And good luck, on the mission that you choose."

Eh. Not my favorite version of the riddle (I wrote, like, six) but it was the only one I could fine, and I think it does it enough justice.

Any guesses as to which treasure does what? Drop your ideas in a review!

♥