Chapter 3: Brethren of the Coast
SETTING: The Caribbean Sea in the Land without Magic
TIME: 1716
"Sam, my boy, voted captain of the Marianne! I couldn't be prouder of you if you were my own -uh- brother!"
Edward Teach clapped Sam Bellamy on the back so hard that he almost fell face first onto the deck. The two friends had miraculously survived the jump through the bean portal, splashing down in the section of the Land without Magic known as the Caribbean. As they had anticipated, the stolen ship they used to traverse the realms did not survive the trip. But, enough of the wreckage remained in tact to keep them above water until they were rescued.
Their rescuer, a hearty pirate captain named Benjamin Hornigold, immediately took them on as crewmen. Sam and Edward soon learned that the stories about this realm were all true. They rose up the ranks of Hornigold's pirate fleet acquiring treasure as they pillaged other vessels. Sporting a long black beard, Edward Teach became second in command to Commodore Hornigold and captain of the sloop, the Revenge. Samuel Bellamy had commanded the smaller Postillion until two days ago. The pirates in the fleet had become disgruntled with Commodore Hornigold's policy of not taking any ship flying British colors. Valuable opportunities to increase their coffers had been lost as Hornigold allowed fat English merchant ships safe passage. Two days ago, the men aboard the flag ship, the Marianne, voted out Hornigold and elected Sam Bellamy their captain. What would happen next was anybody's guess.
"Quiet, Edward. Not everyone wants to see Hornigold go."
"Yes, but those that do are in the majority ... Me, I don't care if we attack English ships or not. I just don't like answering to anybody besides myself. But, we do owe Hornigold. We would not have survived without him."
"Aye, Ed, I agree. I am going to offer him the Ranger and one of the small sloops. He can then gather his loyal followers and go take the King's Pardon for all I care. Are you going to stay with us?"
"No, I think it would be better if we split up. With the British Navy cracking down on piracy, a smaller operation seems less likely to attract attention."
"Aye," said Bellamy. "This large fleet is too big a target...where will you head?"
"For now, Martinique. After that, perhaps the Carolinas. What about you?"
"Cuba, I think. With the rich pickings in that area, I soon shall have enough treasure to marry Maria."
Maria Hallet, the beautiful but rebellious daughter of a prominent Massachusetts family, enchanted Samuel Bellamy more than any other woman he had ever met. He was constantly at her side when they made port in Cape Cod and her image never left his thoughts when he was at sea. She was likewise smitten with tall, dark Sam Bellamy. The sailors called him "Black Sam" because he tied his long black hair into a ponytail with a black satin bow rather than wear the powdered wigs that were then in style. His rebellious streak attracted Maria almost as much as his fine looks. Unfortunately, her parents thought a penniless seaman, no matter how handsome, to be a bad choice for a husband. Not easily deterred, Sam set out to acquire enough treasure to quit piracy altogether and establish himself as a wealthy landowner with Maria at his side.
"Sammy... Maria Hallet's parents will never let her marry you."
"Ah, but with just a few more prizes, I will have enough money to impress even them!"
"I don't think they are going to see it that way. You'll just be a pirate to them... Unsuitable for their upstanding daughter."
"If that happens, Edward," said Sam, "I will convince Maria to run away me."
"Very well. I can see your mind is set... But promise me this, if her parents say 'no', meet me here, at this very spot in -let's say- 12 months. If Maria is with you -and I hope she will be - the three of us will use the last bean to open a portal. With any luck, we should have acquired enough treasure by then to go back to the Enchanted Forest and lord it over Hook."
"Aye, I promise. Damn Hook! He should have came with us... Well, fair winds to you my friend!"
"Godspeed to you as well, mate!"
SETTING: Mr. Gold's House, Storybrooke
TIME: Present Day
Gold rummaged through the kitchen cupboards twice before proceeding to the dining room hutch. He became frustrated when he could not find the item for which he was looking. No, she didn't put it in with the everyday dishes or the good china. Where could it be? He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and punched the speed dial number.
"Hello, Rumple." Belle's voice sounded warm and loving through the speaker.
"Belle, I'm trying to adapt the mirror for underwater transmission and I can't find the scrying dish. Do you have any idea where it might be?"
"Try the dishwasher. You used the dish for popcorn last night when you watched that dreary 'Secrets of the Dead' documentary."
Gold opened the dishwasher and pulled out a shallow black bowl.
"Oh, here it is! Thank you... How's the pirate research going?"
"Blackbeard's pirate career is very well documented in this world's history but his origins are sketchy, which may be because he was born in the Enchanted Forest instead of here. This world considers him to be one of the most notorious pirates of their Golden Age."
"Hum," said Gold, "Our world paints him in the same vein... Do we have any dragon's blood resin?"
"Yes, in the apothecary cabinet, top row, third drawer from the left... Blackbeard's pirate career here is far different from what he does in our world."
"Found it! Thanks... What do you mean 'different'? Didn't pirates plunder and pillage here?"
"Oh, he did more than his fair share of that... He captured a slave ship, refitted it with 40 guns and renamed it the Queen Anne's Revenge. He used this fire power to terrorize the Caribbean. Then he turned it on the Carolinas. At that point, he had multiple ships and 150 men under his command. He blockaded Charleston Harbor!"
"Quite audacious, even for a pirate!"
Gold's phone chimed, signaling another phone call. He looked at the screen, saw it was Hook and hit the 'ignore' button. A self satisfied grin spread across his face at the thought of how annoyed Hook must feel at being thrown into voice mail.
"Belle, have you seen my black obsidian athame?"
"I locked it in the curio cabinet with all of your daggers, knives and other dangerous pointy things...you know, what really bothers me about this Blackbeard is the folklore that grew around him. They said, when he went into battle, his head was surrounded by smoke and his face glowed eerily. The historians claim he put fuses in his beard and lit them to achieve that affect but, Rumple, it sounds a lot like magic."
"Yes, it does... Do the histories say what happened to Blackbeard? Did he just disappear?"
"No, his death is well recorded. Apparently, after the Charleston escapade, he made too many enemies within the government hierarchy. A lieutenant named Robert Maynard was given two ships with the sole mission of capturing Blackbeard. Maynard found the pirates anchored on the inner side of Ocracoke Island. Teach broadsided both royal ships causing utter devastation. When the pirates boarded the ships, fierce hand to hand combat ensued. The pirates were overrun and several of Maynard's crew ganged up to kill Blackbeard. He died of multiple wounds and then they beheaded the corpse."
Gold's 'call waiting' chimed again. Hook. Hit 'ignore'. Teeheehee!
"So if he died here centuries ago, how could he have returned to the Enchanted Forest? If we are to believe Hook and Ariel, he was in our world during the missing year."
"Rumple, that's what I thought! And, Smee confirmed that Blackbeard reappeared in the Enchanted Forest shortly after his recorded death here... But, listen to this, 'Teach's corpse was thrown into the inlet while his head was suspended from the bowsprit of Maynard's sloop (so the reward could be collected). Legend says that the headless corpse swam around the ship a dozen times before sinking into the deep.'"
"Well, that could be magic or it could just be superstitious tales... Belle did you order more horehound?"
"Yes, it shipped. Should be delivered tomorrow."
"Okay, so what's your theory on the swimming corpse?"
"The only other creatures that have been known to be able to do that are mer folk. And if he is alive now, he's lived almost four times longer than the average human. Mers have very long lifespans. Could Blackbeard be a merman?"
"Hum, good question. What about the other pirate? Were there supernatural occurrences in his life?"
"I can't see anything in Sam Bellamy's pirate career that would qualify as magic. His career was spectacular but short. He captured at least 53 ships, making him the wealthiest pirate in recorded history. The last ship he captured, the Whydah Gally, was the largest pirate prize ever captured, and the treasure in its hold included huge quantities of indigo, ivory, gold, and over 30,000 pounds sterling."
Gold's phone chimed again. Hook - doesn't that man may ever give up? Ignore.
"Wow, Belle! That's a huge prize! Did this Bellamy retire after that?"
"That may have been his intention. He sailed the Whydah Gally to Cape Cod where his sweetheart lived. But a freak storm off of the cape suddenly hit and sank his vessel. Only two of the crew survived. Bellamy's body was never recovered... Rumple, I wonder if this sudden storm was really natural or -"
"Belle, conjuring a fierce storm at sea could not have been done by any magic I know, except by power of the trident."
"Rumple, remember Ariel's story about the two mer princes, Ursula's children. Do you think they could be Teach and Bellamy? Smee said that the two pirates may have been brothers."
"It's possible but - oh NOT AGAIN!" Gold saw that Hook was ringing him for the fourth time. "Look, Belle, Hook keeps calling me. I have to go! I love you!"
"I love you, too." Click.
Rumple pressed the answer button on his phone.
"Hello."
"Bloody hell, Gold! Why do you carry a parlay device if you never intend to answer it?!"
"I was on the other line, Hook. Now, what do you want?"
"I need you to put a cloaking enchantment on the Picaroon immediately!"
"Why?"
"Regina enacted a locator spell on Emma's red leather jacket. We followed it to the dock where it flew out over the water. We need to chase it in the speedboat."
"If Regina is there, why can't she do the cloaking spell?"
"Because she is currently holding her arms in mid air keeping the jacket stationary while Robin and I ready the boat."
"Okay. I need to see the boat to cloak it. If you are moored at your usual place, I should be able to see it from my roof. Just give me a second to get up there...By the way, why does the boat need to be cloaked?"
"Because we are going out of Storybrooke's jurisdiction. Do you really want a casual boater or a Coast Guard cutter to observe the Storybrooke Sheriff's Department chasing a flying jacket?"
"No, that would be hard to explain."
Gold, now standing solidly on the widow's walk at the top of his house, peered out toward the harbor. He could see the Picaroon bobbing by the dock. Regina was standing at the bow, holding her arms straight up while Emma's jacket flapped just above her in the wind. Robin stood behind her using his arms to support her elbows. Hook leaned against the wheel with his phone in one hand, glaring up at Gold.
Gold fixed the boat with an intense stare. Then he waved his hands and the boat disappeared.
"There. You are invisible now."
"It's about bloody time!" Click.
"You're welcome," muttered Gold.
As the invisible speedboat followed the flying jacket out toward the horizon, Gold realized that the jacket was giving them another ocean centric clue. He wondered if Belle was right. Could all of this have something to do with Ursula's long lost sons? He needed to finish the mirror booster and contact Ursula if he ever expected to find out. Time to get back to work! POOF!
**************************************
SETTING: Ursula's Lair under the Sea
TIME: Present Day
Emma lay on the purple chaise lounge watching the rich ocean life outside the window. She could see why people bought aquariums for their calming effect. Ursula's lair was the ultimate in aquarium viewing. Emma felt relaxed and weightless. As far as prisons went, this one was downright luxurious. She wished she could have been here during her first pregnancy instead of the state corrections facility. Wait...what was she thinking? She had to get out of here before she went into labor.
Emma had used her bad ass interrogation skills in the hope that the sea witch would slip up and reveal a piece of her evil plan. Yet, Ursula remained tight lipped with any further information about her intentions. When Emma queried her on how the baby could save Ursula's son, the sea witch vehemently denied needing the baby for its magic.
"The baby has the magic of true love twice over," Emma declared angrily. "Once from my parent's true love and once from the true love I share with its father. Are you going to tell me this special magic has nothing to do with your plans?"
"The magic is an unexpected bonus," Ursula replied. "But, there are other beings born with strong magic. I would not have been forced to such extreme measures if all I needed was a child with magic. This child is the only one that suited my purposes."
Emma could see she wasn't lying. Yet, Ursula refused to explain why only Emma's baby merited kidnapping. The sea witch likewise refused to explain how the baby would be used to revive the Creature from the Black Lagoon over there. Emma glanced at Ursula's invalid son and was surprised to see a pair of sad blue eyes looking back at her.
"Oh!" exclaimed Emma, "You're awake!"
Ursula's son startled at her voice, opening his eyes wide.
"You ARE real!" he said. "Sorry, I was ...I mean ... You are so beautiful and...my god, you're a HUMAN!"
He pushed a lever and his life support apparatus tilted upright. The jar containing the black liquid that sustained his life was half empty. He detached the bottle and hung it from a specially designed loop on his belt. Then he snapped the side railings out of their respective clamps and used them to support his legs. He tried to pull himself free of the apparatus but stumbled with the first tentative step. Emma quickly rushed over to help him.
"And your pregnant,too!" he exclaimed as he saw her stomach. "Who are you? How did you get down here?"
"I'm Emma and your mother bought me down here," she answered in a gentle voice.
She smiled at his puzzled expression and offered her shoulder for support. He was rather tall. Her shoulder seemed to be just the right height for him to lean on. He hesitated a bit. So Emma placed his arm around her shoulders. They stepped forward in unison. His knees buckled. Emma quickly put her arm around his waist to help him regain his balance. She walked him the short distance to the couch and he seated himself heavily.
"How unprecedented! We never...have visitors of any kind...Let alone beautiful ladies from the surface...Where is my mother?"
"It's squid feeding time." Emma motioned out the window in the direction of the squid herd. "How often do you wake up?"
"Oh," he sighed as Emma settled with him on the couch, "It's hard for me to tell...It seems to me like I am awake all day...But, mother tells me I am really only awake for a few hours...each week."
He already seemed tired from the few steps he took to the couch. His eyelids fluttered slowly like he was trying hard to keep them open. His breathing was shallow and labored. Yet, his smile never faltered. He might be in pain but he was thrilled to be awake.
"Did you say your name was Emma?...That is such a lovely name! I once served aboard a ship called the Emma Rose...an elegant vessel with a stately carriage."
"Oh, you were a sailor?"
"I was first mate...on that particular ship. It was one of my early assignments...cough-cough-cough...I left that ship for a captaincy of my own.. But, I do remember the Emma Rose...fondly."
Despite his creepy appearance, Emma thought Ursula's son was charming. Aside from shortness of breath, he conversed like a well educated man. She wasn't surprised that he had been a ship's captain. He had a most commanding bearing even with the leg braces and the squid ink IV. She couldn't help but like him. Under the circumstances, how much of Ursula's plan was he privy to? Did he know why his mother wanted the baby? With Ursula outside, now would be the perfect time to ask.
"Hey -um- your mother hasn't really explained why I am here, other than it has to do with you. Do you have any idea what she wants?"
He stared at her through half closed eye lids.
"I had no idea she was planning anything. Did you-"
"Sammy! What are you doing up?!" Ursula exclaimed as she glided into the cave. She checked the IV. "You haven't even finished the second treatment yet. Go back and rest! You will exhaust yourself. You must be strong for the spell to work."
"Mother," he wheezed. "What...are you talking...about?"
"You will have to excuse my son, Emma. He tires easily...Sam, go back and rest! If you overdo it, you won't wake up for months."
"Very well, Mother," he rasped as she helped him back to his sleeping apparatus. "I will rest...but you must promise me...promise me that no harm will come to Emma or the babe."
"I promise, dearest," Ursula said. "Now sleep, and when you finish this treatment, the three of us will sit down to a nice meal and you can ask Emma all the questions you want."
With that, he closed his eyes and fell directly asleep. Ursula stroked his cheek gently. A small tear stole from the corner of her eye which she quickly brushed away. She collected herself before turning to her prisoner.
"I meant it, Emma. I won't harm you... Now, dear, you need your rest,too. For the baby's sake. Go back to your room and-"
"BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!"
An alarm sounded from the other bedroom which Emma assumed was where Ursula slept.
"Drat!" Ursula muttered. "The mirror warning!"
She rushed into the bedroom, not bothering to close the door behind her. Emma quietly walked into the room and stood a few paces behind Ursula. The sea witch was sitting in front of a gorgeous mahogany mirror with an octopus carved at the top. She was peering intently into the mirror. The mirror reflected back Ursula's image but it somehow receded to the background as a glowing map shined in the foreground. A stationary blip blinked red at the center of the screen. A smaller purple blip seemed to be moving toward it. Emma appreciated the sophistication of this mirror magic, honed to a degree that even Rumplestiltzkin would envy.
"Oh, crawfish!" Ursula said. "A cloaked ship moving toward Blackbeard 's location... I can't risk breaking mirror silence... I'll have to go up there and tell him myself...unseen,of course..."
"Is Blackbeard helping you? "Emma asked.
"No concern of yours, sweetie." Ursula said as she waved off the mirror and hustled Emma back into the great room. "You take your nap now!
With that, Ursula jumped through the window and sped toward the surface. Emma smiled to herself. That mirror might be the key to her freedom! Could she make it work without her magic?
SETTING: The Gold's Home
TIME: Present Day
"Gaaaahhh!" Gold yelled in disgust at the mirror.
He had been tinkering with this booster for an hour and getting nowhere. These things were so sensitive. You had to have everything positioned to the exact measurement or the booster would just fizzle and let out an awful smell. So far he had gotten nothing but fizzles. Belle would have to air the house out when she got home. Okay, take a deep breath. Cough! Cough! Let it out. What hadn't he tried yet?
Gold adjusted the scrying bowl exactly 8 mm to the left. Picking up his wand with his right hand as he grabbed a handful of sparkling dust in his left, he slowly stirred the water in the scrying bowl and threw the dust at the black mirror on the wall. The mirror sparkled like a hundred fireflies lighting up in Kodachrome colors.
"Finally!" He exclaimed. "Ursula, can you hear me?"
The sparkling lights suddenly congealed into a solid image. Gold studied the mirror. He was looking at a very ornate room decorated lavishly in purple and ivory. He guessed this was Ursula's bedroom because a gigantic mahogany four poster bed stood against the opposite wall. It appeared no one was home. Of all the rotten luck!
"Ursula," he tried again, "Are you there?"
Suddenly, a head popped into view on the mirror. Not Ursula for sure but Gold couldn't make out any distinguishing features except possibly long, blonde hair. The person was standing too close to the mirror. The image was blurred.
"I can't see you, whoever you are." He said to the figure. "Please back up a few steps."
In a few seconds, the person moved back and the image cleared. Gold's mouth dropped open as he recognized the green-eyed beauty reflected back at him.
"GOLD! Is that YOU?"
"MRS. JONES! My god! Everyone is looking for you! What are you doing with Ursula?!"
Emma folded her arms and glared back at him.
"I didn't come here WILLING!" she snapped. "Ursula abducted me!"
"Are you all right? Is the baby safe? Is the sea witch mistreating you in any way?"
"I'm fine. The baby's fine. I am being treated very well. It's more like being under house arrest at an upscale spa than being held prisoner under the ocean."
"Is there a way out?"
"Yes, the whole right wall of the cavern is a way out. But, I'm so deep in the ocean that I'll be crushed if I step outside, not to mention that this cavern is the only place here with oxygen."
"That is more effective than bars or chains...How did she get you down there?"
"She encased me in some kind of magic bubble that had breathable air inside and wasn't effected by the pressure of the depths."
"Yes, I am familiar with that particular spell."
Gold scribbled something on a piece of paper and plastered the paper with writing side out against the mirror.
"Write this down, Emma. It's the spell to make that bubble."
Emma grabbed a shell pen and started writing.
"Okay, Mr. Gold, I got it. But, she stole my magic. I won't be able to make the spell work. Can you do it from there?"
"No, I can't. Did you see where your magic went?"
"Yes, she is storing it in a shell pendant that she wears around her neck."
"That makes it difficult. Okay, dearie, try to get the necklace and use the spell to get to the surface. In the meantime, I'll see if I can find a way to get to you... Why in the world did she kidnap you?"
"I don't have all of the pieces. But, she wants the baby born down here. She needs the baby to make her invalid son whole again."
"Hum, I'll cross reference any spell that lists a baby in the ingredients and see if I can ascertain how she expects to do this...Do you have any information on the son?"
"Only his name. She called him 'Sammy'. Oh, and he used to be a ship's captain."
"Sammy. Sam." Gold repeated. "Short for Samuel! Samuel Bellamy! Belle was right!"
"Who's Samuel Bellamy?"
"A pirate that escaped with Blackbeard from the Enchanted Forest into the World without Magic over 300 years ago... Look, I can't get into all of it right now but we have reason to believe that Blackbeard and this Bellamy are really Ursula's half human/half mer sons."
"Blackbeard IS here. Ursula just swam up to met him."
"Okay, so now Blackbeard is helping her somehow...Blackbeard -his real name is Edward Teach, by the way- served as decoy to keep your husband away while Ursula nabbed you. Hook has half of Storybrooke out chasing this guy! In fact, if Regina's locator spell worked, they should soon be on the surface just above your location."
"What did she use for the locator spell?"
"Your husband gave her your red leather jacket."
"Are you kidding me?! If anything happens to that jacket, I'm going to kill him!"
Notes:
1) Historical fact: With the exception of traveling through the portal and being brothers, all of the other information on Edward Teach and Samuel Bellamy is true. Bellamy was courting Maria Hallet, was considered unworthy by her parents and died when the ship sank off Cape Cod. He was going to see her when the ship sank not far from where she lived. Also, the details of Blackbeard's death are true. The headless corpse swimming around the ship is folklore. I didn't invent it.
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