Aaaah! Freaky Fish People!

By: SilverstartheWaterbender

Silverstar: Here's Chapter 13! I know I'm updating like crazy, but I'd rather finish the story quickly. This chapter shall be the last, but will clear things up about Mary!

Wolfen-Ways: Thanks for reviewing!

SilverGhostKitsune: Thanks for reviewing!

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

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Chapter Thirteen: Explanations

(Mary's POV)

I don't know how long I stayed like that, hunched over in a waking coma, a living nightmare. But when awareness returned to me, the longboat was sailing down the river to Tia Dalma's shack. I looked around. Hundreds of people stood waist-deep in the water, holding candles and crying. When the boat passed close to them, one would reach out and touch my shoulder. I did not pull away but let the hand stay until the boat moved on.

I coughed quietly. It hurt to breathe. It hurt to survive.

The boat quietly came to Tia Dalma's shack. Gibbs helped me onto the steps. I stepped out of the boat, but found I could not stand. Gibbs and Marty hauled me to my feet and helped me to the door.

Will knocked. A moment later, Tia opened the door. Her face was grim. Without a word, she ushered us inside and went to another room, murmuring something I couldn't understand.

Toby and I sat down at the table. I briefly looked up to see Lizzie sitting on the other side of the room. Will tossed his dagger on the table repetitively. The sound was like my heartbeat: cold, hollow, alone.

Tia returned with tea. She passed the cups around the room. When she came to Lizzie, Lizzie looked away without taking the cup. "Against the cold," Tia told her, "and the sorrow." Lizzie wordlessly took the cup.

Tia came to me last. She held out the cup, but I shook my head. Tia placed the hot tea in my shaking hands. "If ya do not now," she said, "then ya never will again." I took a few small sips and placed the cup down on the table.

"It's a shame," Tia said to Will. "I know you're thinking dat wit the Pearl, you could have captured de devil and set free your father's soul."

"Doesn't matter now," Will replied. "The Pear's gone…along with its captain." I felt tears fall down my face. Toby's hand closed over mine.

"Aye," Gibbs said. "And already the world seems a bit less bright. He fooled us all right till the end, but I guess that honest streak finally won out." I tried not to look at Lizzie.

Gibbs raised his cup. "To Jack Sparrow."

Ragetti raised his cup. "Never another like Captain Jack."

"One in a million," Toby agreed, a single tear sliding down his cheek.

"He was a gentleman of fortune, he was," Pintel sobbed.

"He was a good man," Lizzie murmured.

I raised my cup. "He was never forgotten in life. Death shall be no different." My voice wavered. "May he finally find peace, and may his spirit watch over his crew…amen."

"Amen," the pirates echoed. We all took a drink.

Will looked over at Lizzie. She hadn't drunk, either. "If there was anything could be done to bring him back…Elizabeth…"

"Would ya do it?" Tia asked. "Hm?" She looked at Lizzie, and then at me. "What would you…hm? What would any of you be willing to do, hm?" She paused. "Would ya sail to de ends of de earth and beyond to fetch back witty Jack and him precious Pearl?" We were all silent for a moment.

"Aye," Gibbs said.

"Aye," Toby said, standing.

"Aye," Pintel said.

"Aye," Ragetti said. He and Pintel stood.

"Squawk! Aye!" The parrot said.

"Yes," Lizzie whispered.

"Aye," Will said. Everyone looked at me.

I slowly stood, breathing raggedly. "If there was…anything…I don't care how great the task…I don't care how impossible…if I could be with him again…I'd do it."

"All right," Tia said softly. "But if ya go and brave de weird and haunted shores at world's end…den you will need a captain who knows dose waters." We all looked at the stairs.

I heard the thud of boots on the wooden steps. Toby sucked in his breath. "It…it can't be!"

"It is," I told him.

Barbossa stopped in front of us, smirking. "So tell me," he said conversationally. "What's become of my ship?" The monkey landed on his shoulder. Barbossa took a bite of an apple and chuckled.

Suddenly, Tia clapped her hands, whispering words I couldn't hear. I closed my eyes. I heard a soft melody, like Jones' music box. When I opened my eyes again, everyone except Tia and I were frozen where they stood. Time had stopped.

I looked around. "What…what…?"

Tia chuckled. "Dey are not meant to hear dis yet." She quietly walked over to me. "You want an explanation, yes?"

I felt my eyes widened. "Tia…why? Why did you bring me here?"

"Ah. Dat story begins wit de movies. Ya see…in de movies, things always end well. Jack, Will, Elizabeth…all can perform on deir own. But here, outside of the movies…dat is impossible. Dey do not have de physical and moral assistance."

I blinked. "So…this world…is real? And it's different from the movies?"

"Yes. And someone else is needed to help us all. I tried to look into your world, to find someone to bring here. Only one from your world can turn de tide, make dis world like de movies. And when I looked, I found…"

"Toby." I looked over at his frozen form.

"No. He doesn't have what is needed. But him brother…"

"Brother? Toby has a brother?"

"Not anymore. When Toby was taken in by Barbossa's crew, all onboard, including Toby's brother, perished."

This is really starting to get confusing. "So, if Toby's from my world, but his brother was needed, why is he her?"

"When de time came for Toby's brother to come to us, him was holding him little brother. Toby left him world and entered dis one. Him cannot remember him old world. He was too young."

Tia put a hand on my shoulder. "Since Toby could not fulfill de path set out for him brother, I had to find someone to take him place. I had to find someone who was brave…adventurous…clever…and one wit a kind heart."

I shook my head. "Tia…"

"Dat was you, Mary Anderson. You were never happy wit your life. You wanted adventure, freedom…but could not find away to get it." She smiled. "And den…de Curse of de Black Pearl. Ya saw, and ya knew."

I remembered my thoughts in the theater. It was though something had stirred inside of me, something big. I loved that movie. I saw it three times in two weeks, and the rest was history. I nodded. "I was obsessed."

"No, child. You embraced your destiny. In some part of ya, ya knew dis was your fate."

I looked down at my wrist. "My bracelet?"

"I needed to find a way ta bring you here. I had ta use something you held or wore often. And den one day, when ya turned sixteen, I found what I needed. Ya never let go of dat bracelet."

I took a deep breath as it all sunk in. So all this…all the endless hours watching Pirates, talking about it with my friends…this was my future? "Am I…going back?"

"Ya must, child. Tomorrow brings de next chapter of ya life."

I blinked. "Tomorrow? What's…?" And then it hit me. "At World's End," I breathed.

Tia brought her hands together and closed her eyes. "When ya know de movie as well as de first and second, den you shall return."

"Tia, wait." Tia opened her eyes. "I need to know…does Jack…really love me?"

Tia smiled. "You've heard de answer before."

I shrugged. "If anyone knew the real truth, it would be you."

Tia rested a hand on my shoulder. "Him love ya with all him heart, child. Him last thought were of you."

I didn't smile – I don't know if I ever would – but I felt as though a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I took a deep breath. "Okay. I'm ready."

Tia closed her eyes as murmured words I couldn't hear. My bracelet began glowing again. I sighed softly. "I'll be back, Jack. I promise."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Mary!"

I opened my eyes. I was once again lying in my bed. I looked around. Everything was as it had been, except for one thing – my hat was gone. It was still with…

I gently put my head in my arms as tears fell again. "Jack…"

"MARY! Get down here!"

"The movie starts in twenty minutes! We need to go!"

I leapt up, wiping my eyes. "Coming! Don't leave without me!" I quickly changed and brushed my teeth. I raced downstairs, where Rebecca, Lisa, Joey, and Celia were waiting. I sighed. Everything was back to normal.

I took one last look at my bracelet. "Don't leave without me," I whispered, and rushed out the door.

"Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me…"

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Silverstar: Naturally, I can't post the next story until AWE comes out in stores. Rest assured, when it does, I'll be ready. Thanks to all my readers and reviewers!