Aaaah! Freaky Fish People!

By: SilverstartheWaterbender

Silverstar: Here's Chapter 11! I just realized how out of character Gibbs sounded last chapter. Sorry!

X5-452-58: Yeah, this chapter has pretty much everything. Thanks for reviewing!

GigglesforJohnnyDepp: Yeah, but it had a happy ending. Thanks for reviewing!

hikishianara: Yeah, this chapter kind of upset me, too. Thanks for reviewing!

Wolfen-Ways: Yeah. Everyone else should give him a bit more credit. Thanks for reviewing!

Midnight226: Thanks for reviewing!

Cat18: Thanks for reviewing!

HoodiesRsoft: Mary's so lucky…Thanks for reviewing!

ImGoodWhenImBad-MizzTorrie: Well, some of the pain might be taken away, since she knows Jack loves her.

maccus lover: Thanks for reviewing!

Cruel Irony: Thanks for reviewing!

LilyBilly: Nobody really pays any attention to Gibbs. Thanks for reviewing!

Affectionate-Sinner: Yay! Thanks for reviewing!

Feng Yue: No, no lemon…I'm terrible at those. But I may imply things later on…maybe. Love your story! Thanks for reviewing!

SilverGhostKitsune: I just love that jar. Since there weren't any parley jokes, we needed to a new form of entertainment. That was it! Thanks for reviewing!

Disclaimer: I don't own POTC or Toby, who belongs to Wolfen-Ways.

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Chapter Eleven: Island of the Freaky Fish People

(Mary's POV)

Minutes later, Jack, Lizzie, Norrington, Pintel, Ragetti, and I were in a boat bound for Isla Cruces. Lizzie kept looking at me sadly. "Mary, I'm so…"

I held up my hand and smiled. "It's okay, Lizzie. You were trying to convince Jack that he's a good man. And admittedly, you could have done something a lot worse." Lizzie looked happier at that. Beside me, Jack shifted his jar of dirt slightly so he could put an arm around me.

I took a deep breath, steadying myself. All too soon, things would get much, much worse.

"You're pulling too fast," Pintel complained to his partner.

"You're pulling too slow," Ragetti shot back. "We don't want the Kraken to catch us." Jack looked at them, cringing. They didn't look at him.

"I'm saving me strength for when it comes. And I don't think it's Krack-en anyways. I always heard it said Kray-ken." Jack cringed again. I put my hand on his shoulder. He put his hand over mine, giving me a small smile.

"What, with a long a?" Ragetti said skeptically.

"Uh-huh."

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no. "Krock-en is how it's pronounced in the original Scandinavian, and Krack-en's closer to that." Lizzie and Norrington exchanged a glance.

Pintel glared at him. "Well, we ain't original Scandinavians, are we? Kray-ken." Jack's fingers on my hand tightened.

"It's a mythological creature. I can calls it what I wants!"

"Guys!" I interrupted. They stared at me. "It's pronounced Krack-en. Krack. You know…" I picked up an extra oar with my free hand. "…like the sound I get when I smash this oar against your head!"

Pintel and Ragetti whimpered and kept rowing. Lizzie giggled, Norrington snorted, and Jack squeezed my hand.

After a bit, we landed on the shore. Jack tossed his coat into the boat. Norrington and I grabbed shovels. "Guard the boat, mind the tide," Jack ordered. "Don't touch my dirt."

We walked what must have been half the length of the island before I started recognizing the terrain. "Hey guys," I called. "I think it might be over here."

Lizzie opened the compass, and then caught her breath. I tried looking at it, but she snapped it shut. I sighed; it had been pointing at Jack again.

"This doesn't work," Lizzie said to Jack, sitting down. "And certainly doesn't show you what you want most." She sounded slightly guilty.

"The compass never lies," I answered stiffly. I saw Lizzie tense. Rolling my eyes, I crouched down beside her. "In all honesty," I whispered, "you can be in love with Jack if you want to. My only worry then would be of your broken heart. What I'm not okay with is you, accidentally or otherwise, getting Jack to fall in love with you." Lizzie said nothing, but she visibly relaxed.

Jack came over and looked at the compass. I looked over Lizzie's shoulder at the reading. It was pointing directly at us.

"Yes, it does," Jack murmured. "You're sitting on it."

Lizzie's head shot up. "Beg pardon?"

"Move." Lizzie and I scrambled to our feet. Jack whistled at Norrington and pointed at the spot.

Norrington gave Jack a look. "How can we be sure this is the right spot?" He glanced at Lizzie and I.

I took a shovel from his hand. "Because while I had no idea of the exact location of the chest, I do know that it is around this spot."

"How?" Norrington scoffed.

I smiled. "I know things, Jimmy." I started to dig.

Jack shook his head. "Luv, you know you don't have to dig."

I turned to him. "Yes, I know. But although I have forgiven both you and Elizabeth, I still have quite a bit of pent-up anger in me, so I suggest for your sake and the sakes of Lizzie and Norrington, I suggest you let me dig." Everyone took several steps back.

I glanced at Norrington. "Of course, we can't let that other shovel go to waste, can we?" Jack and Lizzie chuckled. Norrington glowered but came over to help.

With two of us, the work went much faster, and with an outlet for my anger, I felt much better. I started whistling.

"Oh, will you just shut it?" Norrington snapped. Someone sounded like they needed a coffee break.

I glanced at him. "One of those people who hate exercise, eh? Well, please try not to get me in a bad mood again." I whistled again.

Norrington glared back. "Listen hear, you little –" He broke off as his shovel hit something with a thud. Jack opened his eyes (he was apparently meditating) as I banged my shovel down on the sand where Norrington did. Thud.

Norrington and I pulled our shovels out of the hole as Jack and Lizzie walked over. We all looked into the whole. Silently, I started brushing sand off the object. There was no doubt about it – this was the box that held the Dead Man's Chest!

Jack and Norrington pulled out the box. Jack then took my shovel and smashed the lock. I knelt down and opened the box. Remnants of a love lost – old letters, photos, and other heartfelt pieces of paper – littered the inside. Lizzie and Norrington picked up a couple letters curiously. "How romantic," I murmured softly.

Jack brushed aside the papers to reveal a small black chest. Of one accord, all four of us leaned in and pressed our ears against the cool metal.

Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump.

"The Dead Man's Chest," I murmured. We all smiled.

Jack looked at me. "Good name for it."

"Thank you."

"It's real," Lizzie whispered.

Norrington's eyes were wide with shock. "You actually were telling the truth!"

Jack and I exchanged grins. "I do that quite a lot," Jack replied, "yet people are always surprised."

"With good reason!"

I turned around. Will and Toby were standing only feet from us, panting and dripping.

"Will!" Lizzie breathed. She rushed into his arms. "You're all right! Thank God! I came to find you!" They kissed passionately.

I sighed happily. "Thank the Lord everything's back to normal." I turned to Toby, who was trying without success to get the seawater out of his pistol. "So Toby, besides all the stuff that has to do with Jones, how are you doing?"

Toby shrugged. "Not bad." He gave me a once-over. "You look considerably happier." I smiled.

So did Jack. "Miss Anderson here happens to be madly in love."

Toby looked at me, Jack, and the still-kissing Will and Lizzie. He scrambled backwards. "GOOD GOD, IT'S CONTAGIOUS!"

I laughed. "Easy, man. I've been in love. Just not this much." I looked at Jack.

"How did you get here?" Jack asked.

Will and Toby looked at him. "Sea turtles, mate," Will replied. "Two pairs of them strapped to our feet."

"Not so easy, is it?"

Toby sighed. "That was sarcasm!"

"But I do owe you thanks, Jack," Will went on.

Jack looked confused. "You do?"

I sighed. "Here it comes."

"After you tricked us onto that ship to square your bet with Jones…"

Lizzie stared at Jack. "What?"

"What?" Jack echoed.

"…I was reunited with my father."

Jack smiled. "Oh, well…you're welcome, then."

Lizzie stormed over to Jack. "Everything you said to me…every word was a lie?!"

"Pretty much," Jack said shamelessly. "Time and tide, luv."

Will, Toby, and Lizzie rounded on me. "Why didn't you tell us!?!?"

I jumped, and then glowered at them. "Because…because the future is never set in stone. I was just calling it like I was seeing it. There was no way of knowing it would actually happen. Besides…none of you are hurt, right? You all made it out alive, right?" They were silent. "If I had told you, you all would have worried your heads off and made a fatal mistake." They nodded sullenly.

Will walked over to the chest and pulled out his knife and key. "Oi! What are you doing?" Jack asked.

"I'm going to kill Jones."

Jack pulled out his sword and pointed it at Will. "Can't let you do that, William. 'Cause if Jones is dead, who's to call his terrible beastie off the hunt, eh?" Will was silent as he slowly stood up. "Now, if you please," Jack said. "The key."

Toby's mouth opened. "He's not going to give up that easily, is he?"

"Nope," I answered as Will grabbed Lizzie's sword.

"I keep the promises I make, Jack. I intend to free my father. I hope you're here to see it."

Norrington pulled out his sword and pointed it at Will. "I can't let you do that either. So sorry."

Jack grinned at him. "I knew you'd warm up to me eventually!" Norrington pointed his sword at Jack, Will pointed his sword at Norrington, and after a confused pause, Jack pointed his sword at Will.

"Lord Beckett desires the content of that chest," Norrington explained. "I deliver it to him, I get my life back."

"Ah, the dark side of ambition," Jack noted.

Norrington smiled. "Oh, I prefer to see it as the promise of redemption."

Without another word, the three men sprang at each other, swinging their swords, racing down the beach, and lunging for the key. Elizabeth ran after them, shouting, "No! Stop it!"

Toby and I stared at them for a long moment. "You gonna get in there?" I asked Toby.

"No, I'm sort of on Will's side. He's fighting already, so…you gonna get in there?"

"Nah. Same deal, only with Jack instead of Will."

"Ah."

The two of us followed the group at a walking pace, relating on our experiences, including the game of Liar's Dice, Will working for Beckett, and the fight Jack and I had.

Norrington kicked Will, sending him sprawling on the sand. "Will!" Lizzie gasped. She knelt down beside him.

"Guard the chest," Will ordered, getting back up.

Lizzie stared at him incredulously. "No! This is barbaric!" The three ignored her and started moving again. Shrugging, Toby and I followed. Once it was clear the group would stay put for a bit, we sat down.

"You know," Toby said. "All teammates aside, I really do think Jack will win."

I stared at him. "What do you mean?"

"What, you don't think he will?"

"No, I do; I'm just wondering how you do."

Lizzie continued her rant, ignoring us. "Oh, FINE! Let's just haul out our swords and start banging away at each other! THAT WILL SOLVE EVERYTHING!"

"Well, think about it," Toby continued, getting slightly annoyed with all the yelling. "Will's fighting to free his dad and Norrington's fighting for normality, but Jack's fighting for his life."

I nodded. "Good point. You know, they're not just fighting for the key. In retrospect, they're all fighting over Lizzie."

"How so?"

"Well, Will's engaged to her, Norrington was engaged to her before Will said he loved her, and Jack…well, you know."

Toby patted my back. "Sorry 'bout that. Must've been hard."

"I'VE HAD IT! I'VE HAD IT WITH WOBBLY-LEGGED, RUM-SOAKED PIRATES!" She started throwing rocks – terrible aim.

"Cool it, Lizzie!" I called to her. "They aren't gonna stop until one gets the key and the other two die. You know how men are."

Toby blinked. "Excuse me?"

I turned to him shamelessly. "I don't mean anything overly offensive, but you know, once a man gets a thought in his head, he becomes so incredibly stubborn. He lets go of all common sense and won't rest until his usually trivial desire is satisfied."

Toby opened his mouth, thought for a moment, and sighed. "You've got a good point." (1)

"ENOUGH!" Lizzie shouted finally. She thought for a moment. "Oh…OH! THE HEAT!" She fell onto the sand.

I gave Toby an exasperated glance, walked over to Lizzie, and leaned over her face. "That trick is a one-time deal. It worked once for you, once for me. It's not gonna work any more." Lizzie opened her eyes, shook her head, and sat up angrily.

"HEY!"

We both turned around. Pintel and Ragetti were tearing down the beach, the chest in tow. Toby was running after them. "COME BACK HERE WITH THAT!" Lizzie and I glanced at each other and took off after them. And right when the fight was starting to get good, too.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

When we reached the forest, Lizzie and I caught up to Toby. "I've got an idea," I said breathlessly. "Follow me." I veered off into the deeper part of the forest. We ran in a large U shape. Once we came around, we were panting heavily, but we had ran right in front of Pintel and Ragetti.

Said pirates dropped the chest in shock. Toby and I pulled out our cutlasses. Lizzie reached for hers, but it wasn't there; Will had it. She smiled sheepishly at Pintel and Ragetti, who grinned. They pulled out their own swords. "'Ello, poppet," Pintel sneered. Lizzie took a few steps back, and Toby and I pointed our swords at them, Toby snarling like a wolf. They looked a bit nervous.

Suddenly, the ground shook. We looked to our left. Will and Norrington were fighting on top of the runaway mill wheel. Jack was running behind.

"Oh my God, I can't believe I'm missing this!" I laughed. Toby nodded in agreement.

Pintel and Ragetti looked at each other, shrugged, and moved towards us.

I took a deep breath. "All right…two on two, that's not so bad."

All of a sudden, a barnacle-encrusted ax hit the tree beside us. We all looked behind Lizzie to see Jones' crew racing towards us.

"NOW IT'S BAD!" I shouted. Pintel and Ragetti handed Lizzie their swords, grabbed the chest, and ran. We all took off after them.

"Come on! Run!" Pintel yelled.

We hadn't run more than a few feet when Pintel and Ragetti tried to get around a tree. They ran on either side, banging the chest against the tree. It fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

We stopped running and turned to face our attackers. Elizabeth and I launched ourselves at the fish guys. Everyone's swords collided, the blades vibrating slightly. "Where the hell is Toby?" I wondered. Suddenly, a large, gray animal leapt over us and started slashing at the fish guys. It was Toby! But how…?

"How are you doing that?" I shouted, clashing with the bosun.

Toby looked at me briefly. "I can actually become a werewolf whenever I want. I'm just forced to at the full moon."

I shook my head, ducking as the bosun's sword slashed at where my head had been moments before. "And you couldn't have told us earlier?"

"Uh…sorry."

"Apology accepted, now help us!" Another fish guy was fighting with me along with the bosun.

Lizzie tossed a sword to Ragetti, who started fighting and running at the same time. Two cannon balls attached by a short chain wrapped around his ankles and sent him to his feet.

"Sword!" Lizzie shouted. Ragetti threw it to her, who tossed it to Pintel. I slashed at the bosun's stomach, sending seawater out in great bursts. The bosun collapsed, moaning.

"Sword!" Ragetti shouted. Lizzie tossed him her remaining sword.

Toby's jaws closed around the neck of the fish guy I was battling with. While he struggled against Toby's grip, I cut his legs off. "Talk about teamwork!" I said.

"You said it!" Toby agreed, sending the fish guys scattering with a blood-curdling howl. I saw the hermit crab guy take off with the chest, but I couldn't get to him.

We continued running until I spotted the chest, along with the hermit crab guy's head. "Help!" he pleaded. I ignored him and squinted through the undergrowth. I couldn't see Jack, but I remembered that here he'd ran off with the heart. I thrust my sword through a fish guy's chest, followed by a swift punch in a second guy's face.

Pulling my sword out of the first guy, I turned to see Pintel and Ragetti take off with the chest. "No!" I shouted after them. "Leave it! LEAVE IT!" They ignored me.

"TOBY!" I shouted. He looked up from his next victim. "WE NEED TO LEAD THEM TOWARDS THE BEACH! THE OTHERS WILL BE THERE SOON!" Toby nodded, reverted to all fours, and took off. I followed, glad that my gym teacher ran the class ragged with laps.

We broke out of the forest and raced through the water towards the boat, where Jack was fighting another fish guy – with an oar.

"Jack!" I shouted.

"Mary! Are you all right?"

"Fine! You?"

Jack shrugged, clanging swords with the fish guy. "I've been better!" Toby howled again, and Jack jumped. He stared at me. "Is he a werewolf?"

I nodded. "Uh-huh!"

"And it's the daytime?"

"Yup!"

"Not a full moon?"

"Apparently he could do this the whole time."

"Ah." I broke through the fish guys until Jack and I were fighting side by side.

Suddenly, the large group surrounding Lizzie was bowled over by the mill wheel. We all stared as it went a few more yards before finally falling over. Will and Norrington staggered out, their faces slightly green. They both collapsed twice before they looked well enough to fight. Will joined us, helping – who else? – Elizabeth fight off her group.

Norrington staggered off in the direction of the boat – and the jar. I felt my eyes narrow. "You bloody traitor," I growled. And after Jack and I saved him from a fate as a drunken nobody! I started making my way towards him, but I was blocked by the fish guys.

I shoved past him to see Pintel and Ragetti try to make their getaway. I raced to the front of the boat, Will running over as well. Pintel and Ragetti reached for their swords, but of course, Lizzie was still using hers. Will and I pointed our swords at them threateningly. They smiled, and then grabbed an oar and a net.

"Come on, Turner!" Pintel yelled, waving the net. We prepared to fight, but then Will spotted the chest. He picked it up. I raised my sword, but before I could do any more, our entire group was drawn to the boat.

Jack, seeing what was going on, slammed his oar against Will's head. He slumped over the side of the boat, out cold. Lizzie ran over to him.

"Leave him lie!" Jack ordered. "Unless you plan on using him to hit something with!"

"I will!" I volunteered. Lizzie glared at me. "What? You know he deserves it."

"We're not getting out of this!" Lizzie whispered.

"Not with the chest," Norrington agreed. "Into the boat!" He grabbed the chest.

"No way!" I protested. "What about the heart?!"

"We can't have just gone through all this and not end up getting it!" Toby added.

"Don't worry, it's safe," Norrington assured us. I glared at him and mouthed, "You stole it." His eyes flashed.

"You're mad!" Lizzie exclaimed.

"Don't wait for me," was the reply. With that, he took off. The fish people, seeing him with the chest, snarled and rushed after him, completely ignoring us.

"I-I say we respect his final wish," Jack said simply.

"Aye!" Pintel agreed. We all leapt into the boat. There was a mix between a ripping and crunching sound, and Toby was once more in his human form, clothes a bit tattered.

"But Jack!" I protested. "What about the…?"

"Sh," he soothed. He leaned over and whispered, "It's in the jar of dirt!" He winked at me. I shook my head disbelievingly. How had he missed Norrington taking the heart and the Letters of Marque?

I looked back at the beach. It was deserted. Norrington was gone, and he had with him my last chance of saving Jack's life.

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(1) I really don't mean anything against guys. Guys are a fundamental part of society. I'm only basing the observations on the behavior of Jack, Norrington, and Will.

Silverstar: This is not Norrington's finest moment here. R&R!