Chapter 23

I'm not afraid, Jewel thought, nervousness sinking in, I'm not afraid.

As The Black Pearl sailed forward, the Flying Dutchman also did. The sky quickly darkened, and with a crack of lightning overhead, the rain began to fall. No not fall, it poured. The water began to crash in great waves. Everybody on board was bustling to get ready.

I'm not afraid, Jewel thought continuously, I'm not afraid.

"Have you noticed, on top of everything, it's raining!" Pintel commented

"That's a bad sign." Ragetti agreed

"Man the capstan... Keep that powder dry!" Gibbs ordered. Barbossa looked at Jewel. She was shaking slightly, her nails digging into the railing. He put a hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. The Sparrow jumped slightly, then looked at him.

"Don't be afraid." he said

"I'm not." Jewel retorted, anger clear on her face.

"Then why're ye shaking?" he asked

"I'm not afraid!" Jewel yelled back, "It's-It's just a stupid storm." Barbossa stared at her and slowly shook his head.

"Yer lying." he said

"And so what if I am?" Jewel admitted, "My dad does it all the time."

"I thought ye didn't want to be like him." Barbossa said.

"I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid." Jewel said softly, staring ahead, "I'm not afraid..." Lighting hit the waters ahead of them, where The Pearl and Dutchman would have met. It began to sink and swirl in the one spot.

"MAELSTROM!" Gibbs yelled. Jewel stared ahead at the phenomena with wide eyes. She slowly backed away from the railing.

I'm... she thought, ... I'm scared.

"No Sparrow!" Barbossa said, grabbing Jewel.

"No no! Let me go!" she shrieked, struggling to get free.

"Yer stayin' here Sparrow, and we're all going to fight." he said

"No! I'll drown! I don't want to go like that! Let me go!" Jewel said, quickly brining her head back and smashing Barbossa's face. As soon as she was free she vanished. But Barbossa knew where she was. He ran to her cabin and found it empty. When he opened the wardrobe, he saw the Sparrow a blanket wrapped around her.

"Come on Sparrow." he said

"No!" Jewel yelled, "I... I can't."

"Stop yer simpering, you spoiled brat!" he yelled back at her. She made no reaction to his words. The two stared, before Barbossa sighed in defeat. He opened her cabin door to leave.

"I thought you were braver than this. I thought ye were like me." he said, "But... Who are you Sparrow?" Jewel's eyes widened at the question, Barbossa left without a single word, closing the door behind him.

Who was she?

Was she the ruthless rogue who fought for blood? Was she the sneaky girl who lied through her teeth but could never kill a soul? Was she a scared child who hides at the first sign of danger?

Or was she somebody else?

"Yeah. Who am I?" Jewel asked, thunder blasting outside. She stood numbly and walked to her hammock, picking the mirror up from the table and just looked. Not at anybody else, but herself.

She was sixteen years old. A gold ring hung off her right ear. A large scratch on her face would make an interesting scar, but it's not the first, or the only one she had.

She couldn't help think about the times she got the other her body wore, but then... Those thoughts drifted to her father and her. They were happy together. Very happy. He did do things that frustrated her back when she was younger, but she didn't care. It was...

"Just another adventure." she said. She put the mirror down and sank to her knees. Everything that had happened began to sink in. Everything she saw, everything she did, and worst of all, everything she said.

"Oh God," she said, "What have I done?" She covered her eyes as a few tears managed to break through. Soon, she pulled them away.

"What am I going to do?" she asked herself

It's just a storm, and if you stayed away from the railing, you wouldn't get thrown overboard. she thought. She stood, glancing down at the mirror.

"Who am I? I'm Jewel Oceanis Sparrow." she said before running out of her room and up on deck.

"More speed! Haul your wind and hold your water!" Barbossa yelled, before he noticed Jewel on deck, "Welcome back Sparrow! Not thinkin' of runnin'?"

"And leave all of you to fend for yourselves? Hardly!" Jewel yelled back to him. Barbossa smiled and laughed.

"That's the girl I know." he said. Jewel nodded to him, then hurried to help where she could. The ship lurched slightly as it entered the giant whirlpool. Jewel closed her eyes and breathed in a couple time to help her ease her mind. She was not going to run away.

"Take her out or she'll overbear us!" Will yelled at Barbossa

"Nay, farther in! We'll cut across to faster waters!" Barbossa yelled

"Prepare to broadside!" Elizabeth shouted

"Captain the guns!" Gibbs ordered. Jewel grabbed what powder she could and ran to the different cannons, giving them to whoever was manning them.

Back to being a powder monkey. she thought, smirking. When she reached the last one, she stood tall.

"All hands ready?" she called out

"At the ready!" Will yelled, confirming that all cannons were ready to fire. Jewel nodded and looked at the Flying Dutchman across from them.

"Easy boys!" she yelled

"Batten down the hatches! Stick to your guns! Sight the flash!" Gibbs ordered. The Dutchman was coming into view.

"Come on!" Pintel yelled

"Hold it! Wait till we're more to port!" Gibbs said

"Hold..." Jewel. The Dutchman was getting more in view of the cannons.

"Fire!" Jewel yelled

"Fire!" Barbossa yelled

"Fire!" Elizabeth screamed

"Fire!" Will shouted. The cannons fired from both ships. Splinters flew as the wood was crushed by the cannonballs. Jewel dodged a couple before running across the deck to climbed up to the helm.

"It be too late to alter course now, mateys!" Barbossa shouted before laughing.