Pirates of the Caribbean: More from Beyond the World
Disclaimer: Don't own...
The Fountain of Youth
A/N: Sorry, I'm in a hurry, gotta run!
Jack and Ana Maria were surprisingly busy, considering their perilous position on the ledge. In fact, Jack managed to unbutton two buttons on Ana Maria's jacket before she said,
"Um, Jack? This might not be the best time…"
"How is now worse than any other time, love?"
"We're on a ledge about fifteen feet off the ground…"
"Guess you're right," Jack remarked, disappointed.
"Bloody hell!" she cried suddenly. "Is that a waterfall?"
The moon had just come out, and Jack, twisting around, saw by it's light, a large waterfall from the top of the cliff quite near them.
"Why isn't it making any noise?" he asked. Then he saw that it was falling into a pool by the cliff edge, and huge oak trees grew all around it, bending almost protectively over the water.
"Those oaks must be thousands of years old," Ana whispered.
"Love, I think we've found the famous Fountain of Youth," Jack said.
"Jack! Ana Maria!"
They looked down. It was Elizabeth.
"There you are!" she yelled up. "Come on down!"
"Elizabeth! We've found the Fountain of Youth!" Ana called, as she and Jack scrambled down.
Elizabeth looked around to where they were staring and saw the pool of water with the soundless waterfall.
"I'm the captain, I get to drink first!" Jack cried.
"What if that isn't it?" Ana asked. "What if it's poisoned?"
"Then Jack gets to die first," Elizabeth told her.
They all went slowly when the came to the pool. Then Jack knelt down by it and drew a handful of water. It was a strange color, almost golden. He raised it to his lips.
"Jack, it might be poisoned!" Ana cried.
"Don't, Jack!" Elizabeth called.
But Jack disregarded both of them. He drank all the water in his hand.
"No!" Elizabeth and Ana cried at the same time.
A strange expression came over Jack's face.
"What is it?" Ana asked.
"It's – it's great," Jack answered, and drew more water in his cupped hands, drinking it all. Then they noticed that the strange expression on Jack's face were in fact all the lines of care and strain going from it. He looked at least ten years younger and his hair seemed to untangle. Jack, in fact looked cleaner than Elizabeth or Ana Maria had ever seen him.
Haltingly at first, both Elizabeth and Ana came down to the pool and drank the water. It tasted like the sweetest nectar in the world. Jack, looking at Elizabeth, saw her hair, bleached almost to blonde by the sun, darken back to its usual brown color. She was so young that there was little change otherwise. Ana looked much better too. And, Jack thought, infinitely more desirable. That, in his opinion, was saying a lot.
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