Phoenix Rising
Even after a solid day of scouring the ocean, the crew of the Dutchman could find nothing of Erebus or the Raven. While preparations were being made on deck, Alanna and Will remained in the cabin, making plans of their own. Despite her best efforts, Alanna couldn't persuade Will to let her fight. As night fell, the argument continued.
"I've lost too much already," he told her for the billionth time. "I'll not lose you too."
Scowling, she tried again. "This is possibly going to be the biggest battle I've ever been in and you expect me to run and hide?"
As much as he wanted to forfeit the argument, Will remained firm. "As a matter of fact, yes. Alanna, I don't want to risk you getting hurt again. I couldn't bear it if I lost you."
Being tender for the first time that day, he cupped her face and gazed into the same sapphire eyes that had entranced him from the beginning. He sighed. "Look, it's more than your safety I'm worried about. If you were to meet Erebus again, I'm afraid that I won't be there to protect you. He'll use your fears against you like he did before. If anyone's going to go up against Erebus, it's going to be me."
Will held her gaze until she dropped her eyes. He was right, and she knew it. Despite her eagerness to join with her friends, she couldn't afford another disaster like the one the other day. The last thing she wanted was to have someone else's death on her hands. Reluctantly, she dropped her shoulders and sighed. "Alright," she said. "I'll…. I'll try to stay out of it."
Seeing he had won, Will finally smiled. "Thank you," he said, taking her in his arms. For all he knew, this would be the last time he would be able to do this, so he took his time holding her, embedding every touch into his mind. If he were to die in the morning, he wanted every remaining moment with her to last. Slowly, he lifted her face to meet his eyes.
"I love you," he whispered, placing his hand on her heart. "No matter what happens, please know that."
Though her eyes filled with tears, Alanna smiled and did the same. "I do," she whispered back. And I always will."
In the glow of the shimmering candles, he leaned down and kissed her and, unbeknownst to Alanna, two tears slid silently down his cheeks.
Finally, as the sun began to peek over the ocean, a ship with pitch-black sails could be seen on the horizon, barely visible in the strengthening sunlight. Aboard the Dutchman, the lookouts shouted from the crow's nest, alerting the crew to the Raven's approach. Throughout the early morning, the two ships circled each other like a pair of duelists, one waiting for the other to make the first move. As the sun flooded the sky with light, Will emerged from his cabin, Alanna at his side. With fire in his eyes, he climbed onto the railing and stood to address his men.
"Gentleman!" he shouted, grabbing the attention of the crew below. "A new day dawns. What shall we make of it? What should we do with the fate that has been presented to us? Will we turn away and flee like a group of beaten dogs? Will we turn cowardly and run with our tails between our legs?'
It was a rhetorical question, but many of the men looked at one another, murmuring their disagreement.
"No," Will continued. "We shall not. We will face the enemy not with fear, but with courage. We will charge into battle with our heads held high, with our voices raised, and our souls joined as one. We shall not forget the ones we've lost, but we shall keep on fighting in their name." This last was said with a glance toward Alanna, who smiled in return.
"Take heart, men. If each of you listens to what I have said, we will emerge victorious. Now, with all of that said, there is but one thing left to do. Myles?"
Myles stepped forward obediently. "Aye, captain?"
Will grinned, his eyes blazing in the sun. "Hoist the colors."
Hearing those words, the crew began to smile and cheer as Myles hurried to raise their ship's flag. Within moments, a golden lion pawing at a pearl-white background was raised into the air, blowing fiercely in the wind. Smiling, Will hopped off the rail and walked into Alanna's awaiting arms.
"How did I do?" he asked
Alanna grinned. "I wouldn't have expected any less, Captain Turner."
Will laughed at the memory and kissed her. "Well, with what we're about to face today, it was the best I could do."
Laughing lightly, Alanna and Will walked arm-in-arm until they reached the cabin doors. Thinking quickly, Alanna drew him into the shadow of the stairs and kissed him with everything she had left. When they broke away, her eyes glistened with tears.
"Come back to me, my love," she whispered.
"I'll…try," he managed, and quickly slid out of her grasp to join his men. With a final glance toward the only man she ever truly loved, she closed the cabin doors and bolted them.
Toward midday, Will finally gave the command to start closing in on the Raven. With Alanna finally safe, he was determined to end this war once and for all. Whatever the price, he would pay it if it meant giving peace to the seas once more. If that price ended up being his life, so be it. At least he would die knowing he had done his job. At least he had truly done everything he had set out to do; and he regretted nothing. A smile touched his lips. At last, after this long rivalry, they would finally find out who was the better man and, consequently, who would come out victorious.
Aboard the Raven, the same thoughts were running through Erebus's mind. After so many years of waiting, after all the strife he had gone through on Will's account, today was judgment day. As he saw the Dutchman come around and head for his own vessel, he smiled wickedly. The battle had officially begun.
Within moments, the two ships were side by side, with men from both sides securing ropes and swinging across. Will took no time in disposing of his first wave of adversaries. His target was Erebus, and Erebus alone. Anyone who got in his way would be nothing but hindrances. Likewise, Erebus was quickly making his way past the men that blocked his path. Whether it be an enemy or one of his own, no one would stop him from getting his revenge. Absolutely nothing.
Down in the Raven's hull, Jack Sparrow was becoming increasingly aware of two things. For one, the commotion above could only mean that he was indeed being rescued. Secondly, if he were to join the battle now, they just might stand a chance. If his side won, perhaps he could take the Raven for his own. Having lost the Pearl in the last fight, he could easily use another ship. But if he were to join the fun, he would have to be very clever. Armed with an idea, he tried to make small talk with the man who was keeping him company just outside his cell.
"So," he tried. "How does a fine man such as yourself come to be guarding the brig when you could be doing so many other things?"
The giant standing beside the cell merely grunted, clearly unwilling to make conversation. Truth be told, the guard wished he could be anywhere rather than here. The talkative pirate was becoming more annoying with each minute and it was all the guard could do not to strangle him; anything to make him shut up.
"Not very talkative, are you?" Jack observed, strolling along the length of his cell. "Can't say I blame you, though. I'd be angry too if I were stuck doing guard duty while all the action is going on elsewhere."
As Jack expected, the guard turned toward him, his eyes suspicious.
"What?" he asked.
Jack shrugged. "Well I'm just saying that you look like you could be a valuable asset to the battle up yonder," he replied, looking upward. "Why would a commander who clearly needs a man of your…abilities keep you somewhere were you're not useful?"
The guard scoffed. "Somebody has to make sure you stay put."
Jack smiled, though kept up his nonchalant tone. "It's a fine goal to be sure, but it is quite obvious that I'm not going anywhere soon."
Though suspicious, the guard saw that he did have a point. While contemplating whether or not to join the fight, the fight chose for him. With a gigantic crash the hatch that led to the brig was wrenched open and Gibbs came barreling down the stairs. His hair was askew and blood covered the majority of his clothes. With a clean punch, the guard was sent to the floor with a loud thud. He then turned to Jack, a wide grin on his face.
"Thank you," Jack said gratefully. "He wasn't the most pleasant of people."
Gibbs shrugged helplessly. "Anything I can do to help, cap'n."
"Yes, well, this rescue will be pointless if I can't get out."
Apparently Gibbs hadn't thought of that. "I suppose not. So how do we do that?"
Jack smiled easily at his loyal friend. "Leverage, my friend… always leverage."
Even with Jack joining Will's efforts, the battle began tilting in Erebus's favor. Will was having a hard time getting around Erebus's thugs in order to reach his target. It seemed that without their best fighters, they were significantly weaker than they had been the last time he and Erebus met. Though he and Jack fought well together, they were quickly outnumbered. As they ran past the mast, they were met with at least four blades, all drawn and pointed at their throats. Laughing, Erebus made his way through the group, his own blade pointed at his rival.
"Revenge is sweet," he said menacingly. "You know I never thought it would end like this. Oh well. A public death is as good as any."
The men surrounded Will and Jack, yanking the swords from their hands and seizing them.
"Great plan," Jack muttered. " 'Two for the price of one'. I like it."
Will ground his teeth together. It had gone exactly the opposite of what he had planned. Even as death looked him in the eye, he thought of only one thing: Alanna.
Within the cabin, Alanna could hear everything that was going on outside, but had no idea what was happening. She had no way of knowing if they had rescued Jack or even if her friends were still alive. Her doom grew when she heard Erebus's booming voice just outside the doors. She paced franticly around the front room. If Erebus had won, it was only a matter of time before they found her. She had to act quickly. But just the thought of encountering Erebus sent shivers down her spine. Uncertain of what to do, she walked toward the bedroom, her eyes wide with anxiety. She was trapped with nowhere to go. What could she do?
She sat on the bed, hopelessness sinking in. So this is where her grand adventure would end: her lover, out there risking his life for her while she cowered in the cabin like a child afraid of the dark. Her fear paralyzed her, choking her so she couldn't breathe. Like the darkness of the unknown, it surrounded every possible light, engulfing her until…
Then suddenly, the darkness began to vanish, releasing its grip on her. Searching around for her savior, a bright light caught her eye. Curiosity replacing her fear, she looked for the source of the mysterious light. Upon further inspection, she realized it was the blade of a sword leaning against the wall. The sunlight from the balcony, which was oddly open wide, splashed onto the sword and made it shine brilliantly. As she gazed upon the sword, it all started to make sense. Will had planned it all, from not letting her fight to setting the time to engage with Erebus. He purposely opened the doors to the balcony, letting the light flood in to touch the sword. He knew she wasn't going to fight until she was ready. This gesture was meant to give her the courage she needed. Her eyes misting, she bent forward to pick it up, holding the blade aloft. Her time had finally come…and she was ready for it.
Just outside, Erebus and his men had just tied Will and Jack to the mast facing the cabin. The others were sitting on the floor, bound by the wrists, also facing the cabin doors. Once they were secure, Erebus sauntered toward Will, sneering.
"Well now William," he said, fingering the hilt of his sword. "This has been a most interesting game…but I'm tired of playing. You escaped me before, but that won't happen again. Because you see, you have no one to save you this time." He smirked. "I do wish your young lover were here to see this. I'm sure she would love to watch you die."
"I'm afraid you're sadly mistaken," said a smooth, distinctly female voice. Erebus and his men whirled to face their inquirer. Erebus went white; Will beamed. Standing on the rail near the helm was Alanna, her form illuminated by the white sunlight. She looked like a warrior of Heaven, her golden hair whipping in the wind. Above her, the flag flapped noisily, almost roaring in triumph. In her hand she grasped her sword, the sapphire on the hilt blazing. Bewildered by this dazzling sight, the men backed away slightly. Alanna smiled softly, winking in Will's direction. She jumped nimbly off the rail, landing in a kneeling position. She stood and, still smiling, addressed Erebus.
"You once had power over me," she said confidently, brandishing her sword. "You used your cowardly abilities to force me into submission. For a while, it worked. But today is a new day. I have conquered my demons, but one thing remains. Erebus, I challenge you, here and now, to a duel…to the death."
Erebus's men made a move to seize her, but Erebus stopped them with a hand. "No," he said quickly. "If the princess wants to play, let her play." He inclined his head at Alanna. "As you wish, my lady," he murmured, and drew his sword.
Unconsciously, they began to circle each other. Alanna watch him carefully, watching for anything that would betray his first move. Her searching was cut short as he struck suddenly, catching her off guard. She looked up just in time to see his blade sweep inches from her face. She backed away, careful to keep her balance. They fell back into circling each other, watching each other more carefully than before. Alanna took a breath, focusing instead on every little thing around her. From the sea air to the sound of their boots on the wood, she let her body soak it all.
Erebus grew impatient. "Anytime now, little swan," he taunted. "If you intend to kill me, you're doing a poor job."
But Alanna ignored him, concentrating once more on his movements. Three times she attempted to land a blow on him, but he was too quick for her. Once she had to duck and roll just to avoid his sword. She got up slowly, panting. The sun was working its way over her head, making harder for her opponent to see her clearly. He struck at her a second time, trying in vain to get her to move into the sun. Though his skill was superior to hers, she held her own with the sun behind her. Now sweating, he circled her again, and this time it paid off. The sun began to creep over her shoulder as she moved counterclockwise. He feigned right, confusing her in the bright light. He slinked into the shadows, coming up behind her. She spun around, lifting her sword just in time to meet his. They met hilt to hilt, with Erebus gaining the upper hand. Using his strength to force her down, Alanna's knees buckled, threatening to fall. Somehow, she managed to shuffle him back into the light. With a surge of strength, she was able to gain her footing and was now staring him in the face.
"I'm through with you," she growled. With all her remaining strength, she slammed her knee into his groin. As he doubled, she kicked him, sending him to the ground. In the next instant, she was looking down at him, her eyes blazing.
"It's over," she whispered, and struck her sword into his chest, killing him instantly.
For a moment, the silence following Erebus's death hung, the only sound coming from the billowing flag and the hammering of Alanna's own heart. Slowly, she yanked her sword from Erebus's body and pointed it at his followers.
"If anyone wants to challenge me," she panted. "By all means, step forward."
In one swift motion, they all dropped their swords, the blades hitting the wood with an unceremonious clunk.
Alanna smiled grimly. "I see." She turned to the man standing closest to the mast. "Now, if you'd be so kind as to release my friends, I'd be very much obliged."
Gaping at his captain's killer, he fumbled for his dagger and hastily cut Will, Jack, and the others loose. Unwilling to anger her further, the others nervously bowed, publicly showing their defeat. Will rubbed his wrists and went to stand beside Alanna.
"The Raven is ours, gentlemen."
A thousand cheers rose into the air. The combined crew of the Dutchman and Pearl openly celebrated with each other, clapping their comrades on the back and throwing their hats into the sky. In a daze, Alanna felt Will lift her onto his shoulders, cheering himself. A bright smile spread across her face. The battle was over. They had won.