A slow wave of heat washed over Isabell and she went weak at the knees even as she fought against the invasion. A sudden roll of the ship sent her flying forward into James Norrington. One strong arm went deftly around her and clutched her tight to his chest in spite of the sword he held in his hand.
"What happened?" He asked as he looked down at her, holding her face in his free hand trying to bring her eyes to his. If he could see her eyes, he could catch a lie if she told one. She shook her head and locked her eyes on his. She opened her mouth to speakbut was drowned out by the terrible sound of thetempest and the battle around them.A cannon ball fired from the Flying Dutchman slammed into the rail nearby and James turned, half flinging Isabelle away from the flying splinters. When they looked up their gazes settled on where Will and Elizabeth were locked in a passionate embrace amid the chaos of battle.
"You may kiss...Just kiss!" Isabelle realized that now, officially, Elizabeth and WIlliam were man and wife.
Isabelle's head felt ready to implode at the contrast of feelings within her. There was a part of her that felt afire, warm, and weak and braced—as if all was right and as it should be. Another part of her felt as if a two ton weight had landed in her stomach—there was a sadness that fought against the happiness and passion, and yet it too was bouyed by a relief of sorts. SHe didn't understand it at all. A third part struggled to the surface bringing with it the foul odor of terror and fear. She averted her eyes from everything happening on deck for a moment and stared up into the ever darkening sky, pressing a hand to the pounding in her head in an effort to stop it. She had to refocus and center herself if she were going to continue in the fight. James knelt beside her and watched as she tried to suppress whatever was racing through her mind, knowing there was nothing he could do. Once she had suppressed the strong feelings that had bombarded her, she glanced over to where the Dutchman sailed across the widening Maelstrom. She could still see Jack standing on the yardarm fighting Jones. She tugged on James' coat and gestured at the elevated fight.
"Jack needs our help!" James nodded and grasped one of the swinging ropes used for boarding.
"I'll go! Stay here with Elizabeth!" But Isabelle shook her head.
"I'm not staying here. I'm going with you!" ISabelle felt her voice crack suddenly, sore from shouting to be heard above the wind and from breathing too much of the gritty gunpowder smoke. Isabelle reached for another rope and had her wrist wrapped about it when James grasped her arm tightly.
"Have you ever done anything like that before?" He shouted, his eyes smiling slightly even with all the terror around them.
"No, and we've no time to stand here gabbing about it!" Isabelle's anger was rising. SHe was capable, she knew it! James stepped forward and took the heavy rope from her. He wrapped his arm around her narrow waist and looked down into her dark eyes.
"Hold fast!" She wrapped her arms around his chest and the two of them swung out over the gap between the ships. Isabelle's stomach felt as if it had fallen out the bottom of her feet. A smile creased her lips; this might have been quite fun if not for the dangers that awaited them at the end of the swing.
James and Isabelle hit hard against the deck of the Dutchman and Isabelle went tumbling across the decks, getting lost amongst the marines and crewmen. She had just gained her feet when the ship shuddered beneath her and nearly everyone was thrown again to the decking. She rolled to her back and saw the reason…the masts of the Pearl and Dutchman had become entangled and were now locked together in combat. Isabelle turned her attention to the mast and saw where Jack hung precariously from the chest that had been snatched up by Jones as well.
"Jack!" Isabelle screamed. She watched as Jones effortlessly hauled Jack up and flung him over the mast. Jack dropped onto a swinging rope and Isabelle lost him amongst the ragged sails. Something pricked at her senses and she turned quickly, bringing her blade to bear against one of the company marines.
"I don't want to harm you!" Isabelle shouted over the raging sound of wind, rain and thunder.
"Murdering witch!" The man shouted bringing his musket around in an effort to strike her with the butt of the gun. Isabelle knew the swing had been coming and ducked as the rifle butt came around. The stock of the gun slammed across and the man was half turned with the momentum of his swing. She stood quickly as the man took a second swing at her and brought her clenched fist into the man's nose. His gun carried around and knocked her in the shoulder, but with none of the force he had intended and he dropped the weapon quickly to grasp his bleeding nose. Isabelle watched as he staggered backwards and fell over one of the fallen sailors that lay about the deck. She turned towards her next foe, hoping the throbbing in her hand would stop soon.
"Turner!" A shark headed crewman shouted. Isabelle turned from the man she was fighting to see William Turner holding the chest of Davy Jones. Turner was capable of defending himself, but something in her gut told her he would need help before long. She moved to where James Norrington was caught fighting two marines and one of Jones' crewmen. She knew she had to help him if she could. She distracted one of the marines and drew him away from the fight with Norrington. The man was battle mad and lashed out irrationally. Isabelle ducked and brought her blade stabbing up into him, her breath caught in her chest as she watched the shock register in his eyes. She withdrew her blade and watched as his eyes grew wide and he fell to the decks with a dull thud, grasping at the place her sword had punctured his chest. Isabelle turned back to Norrington and found him backed into the rail. She slashed across the back of the crewman from the Dutchman and stabbed into the kidneys of the company marine. The man went limp and toppled back into her, knocking her to the deck. James lifted the dying man off of Isabelle and helped her to her feet. They stood chest to chest and James' dark eyes stared into her own. He looked as if he wanted to ask her something but held his tongue. Isabelle shook her head and backed away from him gesturing to the deck above where Turner was engaged in his own fight.
"The key…the key…the key…." Isabelle stopped in her tracks as Jack's voice echoed in her head. She brought the heel of her hand quickly to her temple trying to block the images streaming through her head. She saw in her mind the sight of Jones holding the key aloft with one of his beard tentacles. Jack had slashed the thing away from the captain's face and the tentacle had gotten lost in the confusion on the decks below. Chest and key could not be brought together….accept under Jack's hand. In her mind, the best alternative was to keep the heart locked away. The second best option was to have Jack be in control of the heart's fate. She immediately started looking for the key.
Jack was busy fighting Jones with a piece of half rotted wood he'd pulled from the ship. Elizabeth came down onto the deck and engaged Jones. He struck her a forceful blow with his claw and Elizabeth was knocked into the stairs. Isabelle saw it happen from out of the corner of her eye, but she didn't stop, so consumed was she with finding the key. She had to find that key!
She dashed from body to body on the decks and pulled some of the wounded from the piles they had gathered in. Occasionally she had to fight to make her way further up the deck. It felt like forever but she finally found the slithering tentacle trying to pry itself from beneath one of the fallen bodies that littered the deck. It twisted and writhed of its own accord and Isabelle had to swallow back her distaste and aversion and grasp the slimy thing. She pulled the key ring from the appendage and felt the disembodied tentacle wrap around her wrist in a tight grasp. She shrieked, shocked at the cold grip of the thing. She shook her arm but still it would not let go. Looking about she saw a heavily encrusted structure beside her. The tentacle tightened and seemed to squirm farther up her arm. Isabelle, panic rising within her, did the only thing that she thought she could do and slammed her hand against the bulkhead she was standing beside. The tentacle loosened in shock and she quickly flung it away from her. Her right hand throbbed painfully now, having once been used to punch a company marine in the nose and now to slam the tentacle into releasing her. She looked at her hand and realized that some of the barnacles had cut her hand and blood streamed freely across the back of her knuckles. There was nothing to be done for it, Isabelle thought as she clutched the key to her chest with her left hand. There were other things more important than the pounding and burning in her hand. She was tired; there was no getting around that. The rain and wind pelted her and kept her hair matte din awkward strands across her face and shoulders. She swept the hair from her face with the back of her left hand as she looked quickly around the crowded decks of the ship. Finally her eyes settled on Jack Sparrow scrambling across the decks.
"Jack!" Sparrow looked up and locked eyes with her, mildly shocked to see her standing smack in the middle of the horrific sword fight aboard the Dutchman. She held the key aloft and then hurled it with all her might towards him. A now familiar prickle in her mind forced her to turn away from where Jack stood and duck as a large Dutchman sailor swung a rusty blade at her. She turned and staggered across the heaving deck in an attempt to find her sword. She had dropped it when she'd picked up the tentacle and had lost it in the melee. She saw James fighting his way towards the aft portion of the ship where all the principal players now seemed to be congregating. Jones, Elizabeth, Jack, Turner and the chest all seemed to be on the quarter deck. Isabelle turned and was about to make her way to the quarter deck as well when she found herself face to face with one of Jones' huge monsters. It growled down at her and raised a gigantic, spiked club over its head. Isabelle quickly brought her stout cutlass up against the heavier club and backed away. The creature brought the club up in the same dimwitted swing and Isabelle brought her sword around to hack into the creature's side. The blade dug into the side of the creature which seemed to be made of the damp wood of the ship. The blade would not pry free and Isabelle and the creature both looked in stunned silence at the place where the blade was embedded in the side of the monster. A low growl emanated from the creature's throat and he prepared to bring the club down again. The club was raised high over its head and Isabelle reeled back, finding herself trapped against a bulkhead. She ducked, kneeling upon the deck, preparing herself for the worst when suddenly a slender blade came up through the creature's chest. The monster looked dumbly down at the blade and turned to see James Norrington standing now weaponless. The creature growled, the sound seeming to be the only one it was capable of making and advanced on Norrington. Isabelle looked down at her fingertips and saw a dirk lying just beyond her grasp. Glancing back she saw James grasp the thick wrists of the creature trying to keep the deadly club from being brought down against him.ISabelle scrabbled forward and picked up the short blade in her left hand and threw it at the creature with all the strength she could muster. The knife buried itself to the hilt in the thick skin at the base of the creature's head. It dropped the club and began to try to claw at the knife trying to get it. Distracted and disoriented, the creature did not pay attention to the heaving of the deck and toppled over the rail and was lost into the whirlpool below. Weakened and unsteady on the violently heaving ship she tired to gain her footing but found it impossible and toppled into James Norrington.
"Are you alright?" Isabelle shouted up into James' face as the wind shrieked around them and they both looked into the swirling abyss. Several crewmen had fallen into the swirling maw as had the detritus from both ships that had not been lashed down properly.
"I'm fine, what about you?" Isabelle shrugged but felt an extreme weight of foreboding settle upon her. She sagged slightly against James and shook her head. "We have to get back to the Pearl!" Isabelle's heart shuddered as the sound of Jones' heart pounded in the open air. "We can't stay here much longer!" There was a cracking sound above and it seemed that the Pearl was trying to ease away from the Dutchman. Isabelle cast her thoughts across the gap and realized that that was precisely what Mr. Cotton was trying to do. If he didn't separate the ships, both would be sucked into the black abyss and all would perish.
James looked up to see one of the large pieces of rigging straining to keep a fast hold against the sails, realizing at the same moment as Isabelle that the ships would have to separate or both be lost to the Maelstrom.
"You'll have to hang on to me again….!" He shouted down as he wrapped an arm around her waist. Isabelle looked back to see Jack and Jones on the deck, Jack with Jones' heart held in one hand a broken blade in the other. She struggled and pulled away from James, taking a step towards the quarter deck. Crewmen from the Pearl were scrambling past her to find ropes to get back to their own ship, knowing that the Dutchman was getting sucked into the Maelstrom. "Isabelle! We have to go now!" James shouted as he grasped her arm, turning her back to face him.
There was no time left. Isabelle looked up as a splitting crack pierced the air. She thought it might have been the sound of thunder but it was not. Thunder rumbled lower than this. The masts above them began to split with the force being exerted upon them. No time! no time! no time!
Isabelle quickly raced to Norrington's side and just as before, one of his strong arms was wrapped around her waist. He kicked out with one strong booted foot and knocked the belaying pin from the rail. The pulley dropped to the deck and hurtled James and Isabelle into the air. The motion of the ships propelled them out over the spinning gap towards the decks of the Pearl. They were half way over the abyss when something inside Isabelle seemed to break. Everything around her seemed to go very still and silent. The wind howled, but she didn't hear it, the rain pelted but she did not feel it and the sky cracked with lightening, though it didn't seem as bright as it had before. Her very breath was robbed from her lungs, and she nearly lost her grip on James.
"Don't let go!" His grip tightened almost painfully and his shout brought her back to the situation at hand. She locked her eyes on his trying to focus and catch her breath. What just happened? "Brace yourself!" James suddenly yelled as they hit the rail of the Pearl and tumbled onto the deck, James above Isabelle, pinning her to the slick planks. The force of the impact knocked some air into Isabelle and she gasped and cried out. James half rolled off of her, fearinghe had injured her in the fall,and gazed down at the woman beneath him. Her eyes were wide open and hauntingly silver.
Isabelle was pulled from the deck of the Pearl by the power of Jack's shock at seeing young William Turner viciously stabbed by Davy Jones. Elizabeth gasped, forced to watch as Jones heartlessly turned the blade in her husband's chest. Jack stared at the heart in his hand and then to where Elizabeth struggled to keep Will's ebbing attention on herm, her voice shrill with panic. One of Jones' crewmen savagely leapt up and fought Jones.
"The ship needs a captain…everlasting life. Captain of the Dutchman forever.." Jack's thoughts were centered on his own everlasting life.
"You can save him Jack…for Elizabeth." Isabelle intoned softly, watching the scene from a place beside Jack.
"A touch of destiny in 'im." It was the voice of the dark skinned woman echoing in Jack and Isabelle's shared consciousness.
"They whelp? Captain of the Dutchman forever? That's nigh on intolerable..."
"Help him Jack…."
"Bugger all..."
Isabelle pulled away from the scene as Jack raced across the deck to Will Turner's side.
Isabelle coughed and blinked looking up into James Norrington's eyes.
"What happened?" James asked her, one hand cupping her cheek and the other grasping her arm. Isabelle took several breaths before nodding her head and struggling to sit up. Norrington helped her into a seated position and knelt opposite her, watching as she winced suddenly and closed her eyes against a pain he did not understand.
"They've stabbed the heart!" She wheezed. There was a high pitched screech in her mind and she found it difficult to concentrate. She covered her ears and bent her head trying to get away from the horrible sound. She felt James wrap an arm around her pulling her tight to his chest as the whistling sound grew louder and even he heard it. The masts above began to creak wildly as the strain of the pull from the Dutchman threatened to shatter them. Isabelle cowered on the decks, shielded in James' arms as the world seemed to be crashing down around them.
"She's taking us down! Make quick or it's the Locker for us all!"
"Load chain shot!" James Norrington ordered to the spindly crewman who cowered nearby. The man scrambled and quickly loaded the nearest cannon with ball and chain. The gun thundered beside them and the sound of the attached cannon balls tumbling through the air added a new sound to battle. The chain slashed through the rigging and severed the masts, separating the two ships. The Pearl eased up and out of the Maelstrom guided by the sure hands of Cotton and Barbossa. The rain began to slacken and James heard Isabelle whispering into his coat.
"Part of the crew, part of the ship. Part of the crew…part of the ship…."
"What?" Isabelle shook her head and looked up at him.
"I don't know." She looked around and saw everyone staring to where the Flying Dutchman was struggling to get out of the current of the whirlpool.
"Jack, Elizabeth and Turner are all still aboard." Gibbs whispered.
The entire crew of the Pearl gathered at the rail and continued to stare across the abyss to where their comrades were still on the deck of the fast sinking Dutchman. There was nothing to be done for them now.
"What's wrong with your hand?" Marty asked, seeing the way Isabelle cradled it against her body and the blood staining the pale skin and cuffs of her oversized blouse and jacket. She looked down at it and slowly made an effort to make a fist, noticing for the first time how deep the gash across the back of her hand was.
"It's nothing…" Isabelle turned away from the crew, their stares making her uneasy,and ran into James.
"It isn't nothing, is it?" He grasped the cuff of her coat and examined her hand.
"I punched a marine…and then a tentacle….I don't think it's very bad…" She whispered as she looked towards where the Flying Dutchman was quickly sinking; only the masts were visible above the waterline now. James led Isabelle to sit upon one of the cannon and had her grasp his hand in hers. Isabelle lay her hand in his but did not grasp his hand at first…she instead relished the warm feeling emanating from his fingertips.
"Isabelle? Can you grasp my hand?" She finally did the best she could to grasp his hand tight in her own. She winced, but it was not bad. "You're right, it isn't broken." James said with a grin.
"I told you it was nothing…"
"Yes, but sometimes when you say it's nothing, it turns into something." He said as he wrapped a kerchief around her scraped and bruised knuckles.
"That's unfair." Isabelle glared at him, but there was no fire held in it. There was little, if no fight left in her now. SHe was exhausted.
"You only say that because you know I'm right." James hauled her to her feet and they joined the rest of the crew to watch the death throes of the Flying Dutchman.
Up from the center and confusion of the slowing waters came a shadow that hurtled upwards and out of the cycling waters. It was a sail from the Dutchman and something was weighing its corners down, soaring on the breeze.
"Bring the Pearl about." Isabelle said dully. "Jack will need to be picked up."
The crew turned from Isabelle and stared as the strange apparatus touched down to the sea and two figures could be seen swimming towards the Pearl.
"Are you sure it's Jack?"
"Who other than Jack Sparrow could escape what we just witnessed?" Isabelle's voice was sharp.
"Bring her around!" Gibbs shouted. The crew was slow to move, trying to assess what had just happened. The sky lightened and soon the black clouds were gone and the sun came out. The rays reached down and began to warm the shivering crew standing at the rail of the Pearl.
"Jones may have failed, but I will not." Isabelle shivered and crossed to the other side of the deck. Her shoulders slumped as she saw the Endeavor ease from the line of the armada.
"Mr. Gibbs. The Endeavor wishes to do battle. I'd suggest assessing our stores and preparing for a second fight."
"Second fight?" Gibbs looked up from the rope he was coiling and saw what Isabelle had seen. His shoulders sagged too and the man looked ten years older. "Blast and be deviled!" He issued fast orders for a survey of stores and more orders to see to the movements of the ship. Norrington watched as Isabelle hugged herself and kept her eyes focused on where the Endeavor was crossing the water that separated them from the Black Pearl. The Pearl tacked around and came close to the two tired figures in the water. Lines were cast out and they were hauled close enough to where they could pull themselves up to the deck. Sure enough the figures in the water were Jack and Elizabeth.
"Thank Goodness Jack!" Gibbs exclaimed seeing his captain set foot once again upon the Pearl. "The armada's still out there. The Endeavor's coming up to starboard, and I think it's time we embrace that oldest and noblest of pirate traditions."
"Coward." Isabelle whispered. James' hand rested heavily on her shoulder, preventing her from saying more.
"Never actually been one for tradition." Jack said pulling a face as he approached the starboard side to assess the speed and position of the Endeavor. "Close haul her. Luff the sails and lay her in irons!"
"Belay that or we'll all be sitting ducks." Barbossa shouted coming to stand beside Jack.
"Belay that belay that!" An argument broke out and everyone raised their voices trying to make a point. Jack would have none of it. Isabelle used the time to set her mind on Cutler and his plans.
"He expects us to honor our agreement."
"What's that foul yeasty cur of a brother of yours thinking?" Jack barked sharply as he came to stand beside Isabelle. Jack was angry, the fire of it banked low about him and ready to lash out at anyone who crossed him.Isabelle turned silver eyes on him as everyone's attentions were drawn to the opening gun ports of the Endeavor.
" It's nothing personal Jack, it's just good business." Jack's eyes narrowed at the sound of Cutler's voice coming from Isabelle's mouth. No one had time to think about what had just occurred as a deep rumbling could be heard coming across the ocean. Everyone crowded the rails, their attention torn between the fast approaching Endeavor and the place where the sound seemed to be emanating from.
Suddenly, directly in the path of the Black Pearl, another ship rose from the depths and leveled on its keel. Various pieces of debris fell from the ship and the crew of the Pearl gasped as the Flying Dutchman rose from the proverbial ashes.
The two ships seemed to be on a collision course and the sailors on the Pearl groaned seeing two enemies coming at them The battle they'd all fought so hard in was for naught.
"Wait," Isabelle said as she felt the dread settle on the crew as a stone. "Just wait..."
"Ready on the guns!" The voice sounded thin on the air as it carried from the decks of the distant Dutchman but Jack knew the figure now standing at the helm, his eyes sharp even at this distance. Isabelle knew too but only because she'd felt Jones die, and something else rise up in his place. She approached the spot where Elizabeth clung to the rat lines staring at the Dutchman.
"Captain Turner is at the helm." Isabelle whispered and watched as Elizabeth turned, shocked eyes towards the other ship, her heart lightening to know that Will was alive. Jack's face creased into a smile as well as he too began issuing orders.
"Full canvas!"
"Aye, full canvas!"
Both ships came about, side by side, and made a direct course for Cutler.
"Surprised, I'm sure." Isabelle said, broadcasting her thoughts towards Cutler. "You thought you had won. But I think we have other plans for you."
The Pearl and Dutchman kept the Endeavor between them, sandwiching the Company ship between those of the Pirates. Isabelle kept her mind focused on Cutler and heard one of his marines ask for orders.
"Not like your play ship on your maps is it? Not at all like you thought it would be." Isabelle taunted. "The immaterial is not immaterial. The immaterial is the power. It always has been. You had me believe for years that you were the stronger of us. I believe you will soon find that to be wrong." The marine beside Cutler kept asking for orders, not understanding that Cutler's faculties were securely engrossed with Isabelle's mental invasion. The crew of the Pearl scrambled around her loading the cannons and preparing for a broadside that was sure to cripple, if not sink, the Endeavor.
"Cap'n?"
"Fire!" The order went across the decks of the Pearl like wildfire and was followed quickly.
"It's just good business." Isabelle whispered. The crew quickly reloaded the cannons, preparing to fire a second round into the already crippled Endeavor. Isabelle saw through Cutler's eyes as the once mighty ship was torn to smithereens by the twin blasts from the Flying Duthcman and the Black Pearl.
The dwarf Marty was about to touch the long match to a cannon when Isabelle reached out and grasped it. His eyes turned to her, but she was focused on Cutler and the Endeavor.
"Allow me?" She asked without taking her eyes from the Endeavor. Marty nodded and let Isabelle touch the fuse to the vent of the cannon. The tube bucked and fire belched from the muzzle of the gun, warming the faces of those manning the weapon. She watched as the ball joined others in flight across the narrow gap of water and disappeared in the smoke and debris. She could see Cutler's immaculate white wig as he slowly moved across the deck, splintered wood and fleeing crewmen flying wildly around him.
Isabelle would never know if it was her ball, or another that struck the Endeavor and plunged through her hull. She would never know which gun fired the round that bounded into the ship's armory and ignited the powder that was stored there. What she did know was that in one moment the Endeavor was being reduced to splinters and the next it was a raging ball of fire erupting from the sea. Everyone else shielded their faces from the heat of the blast and turned away, bringing their attention from the sinking hulk of the Endeavor to that of the leaderless armada. All except Isabelle who stood with her eyes locked on the burning wreckage of her brother's ship.