Chapter 22

They couldn't look away from her. But then again it was much less of Jewel herself, but the mark on her face. Jewel calmly closed her eyes and sighed.

"Please stop staring at it." she said, "Your eyes won't heal it."

"You should have it cleaned." Elizabeth said

"No! Let it bleed, let it scab, let it turn green and grow an arm, I don't care about it!" Jewel said loudly before looking away, "Just another scar." There was silence in the boat as it was rowed to the Pearl.

"Is there a plan against Beckett?" Will asked. They reached the Pearl and Barbossa climbed up on deck first.

"Aye. The tried and true fight 'em till they're dead." Jewel said, climbing up after him.

"We'll use the Black Pearl as a flagship to lead the attack." Elizabeth said, climbing up with Will close behind her.

"Will we, now?" Barbossa asked. The four watched as Tia Dalma, bound in several coils of rope was being led up from the brig, everybody holding the end of one of the binds.

"All right, Mrs. Fish, c'mon." Pintel said

"Barbossa, you can't release her." Will said. Guns and swords were pointed at him and Elizabeth before somebody grabbed their arms from behind.

"We have to give Jack a chance." Elizabeth said

"The man will save his own skin first before he would even think about helping us." Jewel said, "I am not letting my father's actions be my downfall anymore."

"Apologies, your majesty!" Barbossa said, walking up to Elizabeth, "Too long me fate has not been in my own hands." He picked up the necklace she wore. Sao Feng's necklace. His piece of eight.

"No longer." He said softly, ripping the necklace off before turning to the crew, "The pieces of eight!" The bowl with the pieces was brought forth.

"Wait." Jewel said. She pulled the bowl, and Pintel who was holding it, closer to her position. She put her hand on her bleeding wound and squeezed to help get more blood. She pulled her hand back and held it over the bowl, letting a few small drops land amongst the pieces of eight. She nodded to Pintel.

He stepped back in front of Tia Dalma, holding the bowl out in front of her. Barbossa held the necklace and beads, then dropped the last two pieces of eight into the bowl.

"Be there some sort of rite or incantation?" Gibbs asked

"Aye." Barbossa said, before waving his hands over the bowl. "Items to be brought together. Done. Items to be burned." He poured a flask of rum into the bowl and held a cannon lighter. "And someone must speak the words, 'Calypso, I release you from your human bonds'."

"... That's it?" Pintel asked

"It's that easy?" Jewel asked, expecting some complex ritual to be done.

"It was said it must be spoken as if to a lover." Barbossa said with a smirk. The men all chuckled at this. Jewel simply rolled her eyes. The laughter shortly died and Barbossa stood ready.

"Calypso, I release you from your human bonds!" he said loudly. He lowered the lighter into the bowl, but nothing happened. Jewel sighed and smacked her forehead. Pintel spoke up.

"Is that it?" he asked

"Just tell me, is... Is that how you would've said that to a lover? Perhaps even to my mother?" Jewel asked

"You didn't say it right." Ragetti said, gaining their attention, "You have to say it right." Everybody looked to him. He slowly approached Tia.

"Calypso," he said, leaning in closer to whisper in her ear, "I release you from your human bonds." Tia's head rolled back and the bowl lit up on fire, levitating in front of her. The items inside melted and smoked. Tia was pushed forward to inhale the smoke.

"Tia Dalma." Will said, trying to break free, but was still being held. There was no reaction from her though, "Calypso." Her eyes snapped open, looking directly at Will. The bowl fell to the deck. And Jewel Sparrow fainted, falling down, only to be caught by Barbossa.

"Sparrow? Sparrow!" He said, shaking her. She made no reaction to wake though.

"When the Brethren Court first imprisoned you," Will said, "who was it that told them how? Who was it that betrayed you?"

"Name him!" Calypso demanded

"Nay... hi..." Jewel whispered, though her words were slurred.

"Davy Jones." Will replied. There was shocked look on her face. It was replaced with one of pure sadness. Then, she started to grow bigger. Everybody holding an end of one of the ropes all backed away as she grew. Barbossa couldn't carry Jewel, so he placed her on the ground at the growing Goddess's feet.

"This is it! This is it!" Pintel shouted. The wood beneath her creaked and moaned. Some of the ropes snapped, breaking pegs and causing rope burns to those holding them, until she stopped. Calypso loomed over them, standing as tall as the mainmast. Barbossa took a step forward from the crew.

"Calypso," he said, kneeling down and bowing his head. The crew soon followed. Jewel pushed herself up and glared at them.

"What?" she asked, her voice sounding like Tia Dalma's. It was clear Jewel had no part in this though.

"I come before you as a servant," he continued, "humble and contrite. I have fulfilled me vow, and now ask your favor."

"What favor do you desire?" Jewel asked, standing up.

"Spare meself, me ship, me crew, but unleash your fury upon those who dare pretend themselves your masters, or mine." Calypso and Jewel smiled down at Barbossa.

"You mutineer," Jewel said, "You've served me well, but not those who you would call captain. Should you fall in my grasp, I will show you no mercy! My fury will be known by ALL pirates!" Her voice was raised to a yell at this point. Then both Jewel and Calypso began yelling something in unison, shaking their heads angrily. Calypso suddenly turned into a bunch of crabs and floded the deck with them, before they all fell off the ship.

As everybody recovered, Jewel was lying where Calypso stood, her eyes closed. Elizabeth, Will, Gibbs, and Barbossa hurried to her.

"Sparrow!" Barbossa said

"Jewel, wake up!" Gibbs said

"Oow. What happened?" Jewel asked, coming to and slowly opening her eyes.

"Calypso." Will said

"What did she say? What did she do?" Jewel asked sitting up. Everybody looked each other, unsure of what to say. They all looked over the edge of the ship at the water. There was nothing to be seen except the blue water beneath them.

"Was that it?" Will asked

"Why, she's no help at all. What now?" Pintel asked

"Um," Jewel started, trying to think of an answer.

"Nothing." Barbossa answered, disappointed, "Our final hope has failed us." The wind picked up and lifted somebody's hat in the air. The clouds were all forming above them. Jewel looked up. She closed her eyes and felt the air around her. It was different.

"No." she said

"It's not over." Elizabeth said

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

"We've an armada against us, and with the Dutchman, there's no chance." Gibbs said

"Only a fool's chance." Elizabeth said

"Revenge won't bring your father back, Miss Swann, and it's not something I'm intending to die for." Barbossa said

"You're right." Elizabeth said, "Then what shall we die for?" She walked through the gathered opened her eyes and watched Elizabeth.

"You will listen to me. Listen!" She yelled, pulling herself to stand on the railing, "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! They will see free men, and freedom! And what the enemy will see is the flash of our cannons, they will hear the ring of our swords and they will know what we can do! By the sweat of our brows, and the strength of our backs, and the courage of our hearts..." Jewel sighed and smiled at her friend, a song catching in her throat, "Gentlemen, hoist the colors."

"Hoist the colors." Will said. The phrase was repeated amongst the entire crew.

"The wind's on our side, boys, that's all we need!" Gibbs proclaimed. The crew cheered.

"Well then, step to it! Hoist the colors!" Jewel yelled

"HOIST THE COLORS!" Elizabeth yelled loudly. Her command was echoed to all the pirate ships. The crews all readied themselves and raised their flags. Jewel saw the flag above them. She glanced down at her arm, then closed her eyes, appearing on the yardarm the flag was waving closest to. When it reached her, she rubbed at her wound then smeared the blood underneath the right eye socket of the skull.

Once that was done, she appeared on deck to stand with Barbossa, Will, and Elizabeth. They stared ahead at the armada. They were ready.