Calypso let out a howl of anguish, throwing back her head and shrieking to the heavens, her body trembling as she…as she began to grow.

The pirates staggered back, those who held ropes trying desperately to keep hold, those who were supposed to be guarding her, James and Will seemingly forgetting their charges in their desperation to get away from the Goddess.

Elizabeth took her chance, darting behind James and working his ropes free. The binding fell to the floor and almost immediately he turned and grabbed hold of her, dragging her back from Calypso. She stumbled in his grasp and held onto his forearms tightly, looking up at him. He looked desperate, she thought, and for a moment she wondered why. The great Goddess growing ten feet a second behind them…or because of her? Because he thought she'd been dead and now nothing was going to hurt her while he breathed.

"James…" she murmured, her eyes going to his lips, breath catching in her throat as he seemed to move closer, his body shielding hers…

"Elizabeth!"

She turned to see Will (how was it that she had forgotten about Will?) across the deck, staring at her and James in shock. However all of their attention for one another was stolen when quiet fell and Barbossa approached the now monstrous form towering above them all.

"Calypso!" he called, arms spread wide in supplication, falling to one knee. Elizabeth looked over to Will who began to kneel and followed his lead, James sinking down with her, staying close but not touching.

"I come before you but as a servant, humble and contrite. I have fulfilled me vow, and now ask your favour. Spare meself, me ship, me crew…"

Elizabeth saw it now, her head flying up, eyes finding Barbossa's back.

"…but unleash your fury upon those who dare pretend themselves your masters…or mine."

He was trying to save them. Trying to give them the edge, the incredible, unbelievable edge, that they needed to defeat Beckett's Armada. Good intentions, she thought wryly, terrible execution.

It was then that Calypso began to yell. Her screams were deep and dark, like the ocean itself, filled with anger and hate, her head rolling too and fro, not a word legible to anyone below. Elizabeth stood and James pulled her back to him, arms around her waist, as Calypso's human face began to crumble and turn into a never ending cascade…of crabs.

Before she could react she felt herself whirled around, bent over as a body loomed over her, shielding her from the tidal wave which was about to strike.

"Close your eyes!" James yelled and she did so, obeying him without question, her hands finding his at her waist and holding on tight as he staggered, the thing that was once Tia Dalma striking them with force. For a moment she couldn't breathe, couldn't think, fear hammering within her, the grip she had on James' hands the only thing anchoring her.

Then, as quickly as it had come, the wave was gone.

She felt him move back and stood with him, her legs shaking.

"Elizabeth?" he murmured, gently turning her to face him, a hand going to cup her cheek, "Are you alright?"

One of her hands was still in his and the other reached up, covering his hand with her own the same way she had done before she went to parley. There the creature which had sat in her chest, the same one which had borne her unease when she looked at him from the boat, awoke. Because she had not imagined it. There was something there.

"What the hell was that?!" shouted someone from close by.

Elizabeth took a deep breath, suddenly realizing that she and James were not alone, that there was an Armada at their backs, that there was a war to be won. She lowered her eyes and removed her hand from over his. However as his fell from her cheek and it looked as though he were to take a step back she raised her now free hand and placed it on his chest, over his heart.

There it beat, faster than any drum.

Her hat had fallen off and suddenly her hair blew across her face, the wind changing direction rapidly. She released James, hands scooping hair from her mouth and eyes, as she turned to look up. The clouds were shifting.

"Storm's coming."

Elizabeth turned to find Will standing, his eyes focused on her. He looked angry; his brow furrowed, eyes darting from her to James and back again.

"It's not over." she looked up again to the clouds, watching as they moved faster than was natural.

"There's still a fight to be had."

Will's words drew her eyes back down - though whether he was talking of the impending battle or something else she couldn't be sure.

"We have an Armada against us and with the Dutchman there's no chance."

"There's only a fool's chance." Elizabeth corrected.

"Revenge won't bring your father back, Miss Swann." Barbossa inputted, his voice low, despondent as he approached from behind her…like they'd already lost. "And it's not something I'm intending to die for."

Elizabeth took in a deep steadying breath, and looked from Will, back now turned to her and staring out at the shadow of Beckett's force, to Gibbs whose face was set, Pintel and Ragetti who were watching the sky with similarly confused expressions and finally, finally to James.

He looked back, steady and unyielding. And then he smiled. Conviction, she heard him say as though he were speaking it at that very moment, give them conviction.

"You're right," she said turning to Barbossa, walking past him and asking quietly, "Then…what shall we die for?"

She continued onward, walking through the crowd around her, breaking a path without trying,

"You will listen to me," she commanded, her voice holding a steel which even to her own ears sounded foreign, "Listen!"

Her feet carried her to the rail of the deck and up onto it, a piece of rigging lending her support as she stood and faced them; not just Barbossa and Will, not just the crew of the Pearl but the entire fleet - every pirate from every one of the seven seas.

"The Brethren will still be looking here, to us, to the Black Pearl to lead. And what will they see? Frightened bilge rats aboard a derelict ship? No. No. They will see free men - and freedom! And what the enemy will see will be the flash of our canons, they will hear the ring of our swords and they will know what we can do."

She paused, her eyes finding out Barbossa whose head was down.

"By the sweat of our brows," she continued, willing him to hear her, "By the strength of our backs…" he looked up and she nodded, seeing he had heard, truly heard, what she was saying, "And by the courage of our hearts."

Her eyes searched the crowd but she could not find Will, though she knew he was there. No matter how hard she tried her eyes found, could not help but find, James; standing there straight backed, his eyes on hers, a look of pride on his face which gave her more strength than another thousand ships possibly could.

"Gentlemen," she said, voice filled with emotion as James nodded, a single motion showing that he was there, he was with her, "Hoist the colours."

There was a pause and then a voice, close by, called out,

"Hoist the colours."

She looked down to see Will, staring up at her. However his face was almost pained, though he shouted louder, driving her point home,

"Host the colours!"

The cry grew louder, more desperate and she raised her eyes to the main sail, screaming with all the strength in her body,

"HOIST THE COLOURS!"

Her cry reached and beyond she heard the yell of the crew of the Empress and turned her head to see their colours rise, setting off a chain as one by one the pirate ships raised their flags high, the colours of all the different nations flapping wildly in the ever growing wind.

When she turned back Will was before her. He held out a hand and she took it, allowing him to help her down. They stood facing each other and Elizabeth wondered where it had all gone so wrong. Was it his desperate quest for his father? Was it her lies concerning Jack's death? Or had it been saving James that was the cause? If he had died would she and Will be as they were? Elizabeth could not say but it was not a course of action she would ever, ever wish to entertain.

"You love him," Will said blandly. When she didn't respond he added, "Norrington."

The clarification was unneeded but it was obvious that Will had to have an answer.

"I don't know." she replied, telling, she realized, the truth.

"And us?" he pressed on, frowning slightly and taking her other hand in his own. "Me?"

She hesitated, unsure as what to do, what to say. To declare she didn't love Will would be a lie, she would always love Will…but not the way she used to; not the fiery, passionate, all consuming love. Looking at him now the creature in her chest lay dormant, holding his hands, his skin against hers, did not make her heart race. She remembered her hand over James' chest, the pounding of his heart. She remembered that her own was keeping time with his.

"I don't know." she answered finally - less truthful this time.

He nodded; it was not what he had wanted to hear and she knew it.

"Alright," he said finally, "Alright."

He squeezed her hands and she returned the pressure, not wanting him to go and yet knowing there was nothing left for him to stay for. Then, slowly, he released her hands and stepped back, giving her one last lingering glance before moving to join the crowd of sailors bustling to and fro upon the deck.

Elizabeth sighed, closing her eyes for a moment before opening them and looking around. She found the figure she was looking for on the poop deck at the far most stern of the Pearl. He was looking out at the pirate fleet, evidently not noticing her which in her mind meant he had seen everything and was pretending he hadn't. Typical James; putting honour above emotion.

With a final glance towards the sky she filed away her heart and moved to climb the stairs and join him.

It was time to go to war.