Chapter Three - At World's End
Jack groaned and woke up, the blazzing sun of Davy Jones's locker glaring down upon him.
"Finally, it's about time you woke up!"
Jack groaned again and turned his head, to see an annoyance sitting there.
"Ugh." Jack began to sit up stiffly.
"Don't you groan at me, Jack. I'm your only company for the foreseeable future. So if I were you, I would be extra nice to me."
"Lady Persephone." Jack croaked out. "What are ye doin' here in Davy Jones's Locker?"
Persephone shrugged and moved forward, helping the pirate onto his feet. Dark brown eyes met sea-green ones.
"You were one of my most favorite pirates to hear about. And it would be a shame if you became… madder then you already are. I am here to make sure that doesn't happen… and because it's boring in the land of the living right now. No one out there has the ability to keep me entertained like you do, Jacky boy. And besides, you called me with my necklace before you charged the Kraken by yourself after a certain Miss Swann chained you to the mast."
"Don't remin' me. The wench will get wha's comin' for h'r, mark my words… getting a man all riled up and then leaving him hanging, just ain't right."
Persephone laughed.
"You're right. It isn't right at all. Nothing I can do to help you there, Jack. But maybe this will."
Persephone snapped her fingers and two bottles appeared in her hands. She handed the clearer one to Jack whom took it with a small grin.
Persephone clinked her bottle with his before raising it to her lips.
"Drink up me hardys ya ho." Persephone said with a smirk, snapping again and causing not only for the Black Pearl to appear behind her, but also for thick palm trees to appear in the ground to provide shade for the two of them from the scorching sun.
Persephone laid down on the sand, Jack following her as they silently drank their rum.
"Well this sucks." Persephone sighed.
"Ladies don't use that type of language!" Jack admonished, causing Persephone to laugh.
"Ah, I'm no lady at the moment. Call me 'Percy'."
Silence.
"It's nice to meet ya, Percy."
"It's nice to meet you too, Jack."
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"No one said anything about cold!" Pintel said as they sailed into the Antarctic waters at the very edge of the world.
"I'm sure there must be a good reason or our suffering." Ragetti tried to reason.
"Why don't that obe woman just bring Jack back the same way she brought back Barbossa?" Pintel growled.
"Because I was allowed to bring Barbossa back, as he was only dead. Jack Sparrow is taken, body and soul, to a place not of death but punishment. The worst fate a person can bring upon himself stretching on forever, that's what awaits at Davy Jones Locker. And the only one that could take him out of Davy Jones's locker, hasn't answered to my prayers."
"Who?" Pintel asked.
"The woman that you have met, who mysteriously vanishes all the time. The Lady Persephone." And with that, she walked away.
"I knew there was a good reason." Ragetti muttered to Pintel.
"Nothing here is set. These can't be as accurate as modern charts." Will said, looking over the charts given to him by Sao Fang.
"No, but it leads to more places."
"Over the edge, over again." Will said between gasps of cold air. "Sunrise sets, flash of green. Do you care to interpret, Captain Barbossa?"
"Ever gazed upon the green flash, Master Gibbs?" Barbossa asked.
"I reckon I've seen my fair share. Happens on rare occasion, at the last glimpse of sunset a green flash shoots up into the sky. Some go their whole lives without ever seeing it, some claim to have seen it who ain't and some say-"
"It signals when a soul comes back to this world, from the dead!" Gibbs glared at Pintel. "Sorry."
"Trust me young Master Turner, it's not getting to the land of the dead that's the problem. Barbossa said, turning the tiller. "It's getting back."
An hour later, Will saw something that alarmed him immensely. "Barbossa, ahead!"
"Aye, we're good and lost now."
Elizabeth, who heard, turned. "Lost?!"
"For certain, you have to be lost to find a place as can't be found, elseways everyone would know where t'was." She gaped at him.
"We're gaining speed!" Gibbs cried.
"Aye!" Will cried, a little frightened, noting in the back of his mind where they were headed: the very edge of the world. "To stations! All hands to stations! Run a full, hard to port, gather way!
"Nay, belay that! Let her run straight and true!"
"You've doomed us all." Elizabeth growled to the pirate captain.
"Don't be so unkind, you may not survive to pass this way again and these be the last friendly words you'll hear," Barbossa said with a manical grin.
"Tie her off!
"Hard to port!"
"HOLD ON!"
Then, they went over.
"This truly is a God forsaken place." Gibbs whispered.
"I don't see Jack. I don't see anyone." Elizabeth gasped out, still trying to catch her breath.
"He's here. Davy Jones never once gave up that what he took." Barbossa said.
"And does it matter? We're trapped here by your doing," Will snapped.
"Witty Jack is closer than you t'ink." Tia Dalma said, humor in her voice as she petted a crab.
Suddenly a rumbling came from behind the dunes, just as the Black Pearl came over, before continuing out to sea.
"Impossible!" Tai Huang cried.
"Boat." Ragetti said in utter shock.
"Slap me thrice and hand me to me momma! It's Jack!"
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"Can't you just snap us out of here?"
"Why? Bored already?"
"No, annoyed of you!"
"Fine, if that's how you feel, I'm gonna leave!"
Poof! She was gone.
"Wa-Wait! I didn't mean it!" Jack exclaimed before he began to notice the shadow of the Black Pearl moving. He turned to see the Pearl moving… towards the water. He began to sprint after it, silently thanking Percy for giving him the chance to be on the water again, even if she were mad at him.
He was finally able to grab a hanging rope and climb up the side of the ship and into the mast, standing on the crossguard for the sails as the Pearl topped the last hill. Jack saw that there were half-drowned figures struggling to rise to their feet among the wreckage of their ship.
But he didn't pay any mind to them as finally, the beached Pearl crashed into the water. Jack let the Pearl just float further out, before setting anchor and rowing back in a longboat. He had to see who these people were after all… and get the bottle of rum he had forgotten about that Percy had magicked to never empty.
As he drew closer, he groaned internally. He was beginning to suspect that Percy didn't leave because she was irritated with him.
Oh, no. She left because she wanted him to deal with this lot himself.
Great, just great. Oh, look, the wench that leaves men hanging was here. Perhaps he could return the favor by just shoving a sword through her heart.
They ran towards Jack, him hearing them being so excited to see him… strange, that was.
"It's the captain!" Pintel yelled.
"A sight for sore eyes!"
Jack decided that he was going to act madder in the head then usual.
"Jack!" Gibbs exclaimed as they came up to him.
"Mr. Gibbs!"
"Aye cap'n."
"I thought so, I expect you're able to account for your actions then."
"Sir?"
"There's been a perpetual and virilent lack of discipline upon my vessel. Why? Why is that?"
"Sir, you're… you're in Davy Jones Locker, cap'n."
Jack barely suppresed the urge to roll his eyes.
"Yes, I know that! The Lady Persephone has taken great pleasure in reminding me of that constantly. I know where I am."
"Jack Sparrow." Captain Barbossa said, stepping out of the line they had all formed.
"Ah, Hector! It's been too long, hasn't it?"
"Aye. Isla de Muerta, remember? You shot me." Jack smirked, knowing that his whole act was being bought by them. Oh, if only Percy could see this, she would think it was great entertainment.
"No I didn't. Tia Dalma! OUt and about, eh? Percy said that you were, but I didn't believe here. But you add an agreeable sense of macabre to any delirium."
Will spoke the words they all were thinking. "He thinks we're a hallucination."
Jack turned to Will. "William, tell me something. Have you come because you need my help to save a certain distressing damsel, rather, damsel in distress? Either one."
"No."
"Well, then you wouldn't be here would you? So, you can't be here. QED, you're not really here." Elizabeth stepped forward, but another voice interrupted her.
"Jacky, time to drop the act." They all turned to see Persephone had appeared beside Jack with none of them noticing.
"Ah, you've come back, love."
"Eh, I figured you had suffered enough being alone with this lot."
They were then interrupted by Elizabeth.
"We've come to rescue you!"
"Rude much?" Percy muttered under her breath, causing Jack to smirk.
"Have you now? That's very kind of you. But it would that as I possess a ship and you on't, and also have found a friend in the form of the Princess of the Sea, you're the ones in need of rescuing, and I'm not sure as I'm in the mood." Jack said, throwing an arm around Percy's shoulders.
"I see my ship, right there." Barbossa said, pointing out to the vessel floating in the water.
Percy squinted her eyes. "I don't see it, Jacky, do you?"
"Nah, can't spot it. Must be a tiny little thing hiding somewhere behind the Pearl."
All of a sudden, Jack was getting bombarded by the others.
"Jack! Cutler Beckett has the heart of Davy Jones!" Will cried. "He conrols the Flying Dutchman!"
"He's taking over the seas!"
"Yeah, no. No mortal can control the seas, and essentially me… so he just controls who lives and dies and who is able to set sail on the open waters." Percy grumbled loudly for all to hear, but none took her words to heart other than Tia Dalma.
"The song has already been sung," Tia Dalma said.
"Leave you people alone for just a minute, look what happens, everything's gone to pot!" Jack said, causing a small smile to cross Percy's lips.
"Aye, Jack, the world needs you back somethin' fierce!" Gibbs cried.
"And you need a crew."
"Why should I sail with any of you? Four of you have tried to kill me in the past, one of you succeeded," Jack said, looking pointedly at Elizabeth. Everyone looked at her in shock. "Oh, she's not told you. You'll have loads to talk about while you're here."
"Yes, they will, Jack. And now it is time for me to go. You have fun! Toodles!"
And with that, she was gone.