(Merry Christmas, guys!)
-The Empress-
How many storms had Captain Jack Sparrow seen like this? Only one. And that was during the battle when Will became captain of the Flying Dutchman. The one were Calypso let everyone in the bloody Caribbean feel her wrath. He had never wanted to see a storm quite like that ever again, though he soon realized that he would soon be seeing that storm once again. A maelstrom had appeared in the middle of the ocean, and much to Jack's dismay, they were headed right for it. The sky had become pitch black. Hail and rain were falling from the storm clouds and multiple cyclones where coming down from the sky.
"LILA!" Jack screamed, though over all the chaos that was happening, he was having to yell much louder than he ever had. "LILA, STOP IT!" But she wasn't listening. As the Dutchman neared the Empress, the ropes binding Lila and Jack broke. Saphira pulled Jack to his feet as the Empress rocked. Many of Mercer's men flipped over the railing, and Saphira was having difficulty standing, but not Lila. Lila was walking through it like it was no big deal. That was pretty unnerving in itself. But what really got Jack and Saphira, was that in a split second, a lightning bolt shot down from the sky on to the deck of the Empress. Jack pulled Saphira back, and looked back towards the deck.
"Where is he?" Calypso's angry voice boomed. Her appearance was slightly different from that of when she was Tia Dalma. For one thing, she had the goddess beauty that every goddess possesed. She came to stand next to her goddaughter who, once again much to Jack's almost horror, was almost glowing. "Lila-"
Jack nor Saphira had ever seen the look that Lila had in her eyes, and I think it's safe to say that they never wanted to see that look ever again. Being completely honest, it didn't even look like Lila who was standing before them. Another cyclone found its way from the sky to the water, and the Empress was continuing to sail towards the middle of the maelstrom.
"LILA CALM DOWN!" Jack screamed, but Lila wasn't listening. Was it killing her to do this? More than likely it was. But at that moment, it didn't matter. Lila just kept her gaze forward and started walking towards the cabin. Calypso shot a look back at Jack, and then followed Lila down the deck. Jack, who was still holding on to Saphira, just closed his eyes and waited, not sure he if wanted to know what was going to happen.
"Lila, you can't just be goin' in there..." Calypso pulled her goddaughters arm back, forcing Lila's emerald eyes to meet her dark, brown ones. "The Dutchman needs a captain."
"And it will have one." Lila said, in a voice that no one recognized as hers. And I think it was safe to say, that everyone on that ship realized that when you mess with Captain William Turner, the sea and storm will make you pay for it. Big time. Lila walked past Calypso and barged into the cabin, "Where is he?"
Mercer's smile turned into a sick grin as another green flash shot through the night sky. That just made Lila madder. And the madder she got, the worse the storm got. All the windows in the cabin shattered at once. Calypso came to stand behind her, with a look that matched that of Lila's. The two sea goddesses stood there staring at the man they thought killed the captain of the Flying Dutchman. "Don't you bloody play games with me...where is he?" Lila screamed, as the Empress dove into the maelstrom.
The smile on Mercer's face disappeared when he fell back against the wall. Once again, Lila seemed to be the only one not affected by this. Her eyes narrowed and she said, "I swear to you...where is he?" Her eyes fell on the chest that rested on the table in front of him. She ran over to it only to find that the heart wasn't in it. "WHERE IS IT?" Lila pushed Mercer up against the wall, causing Calypso to run behind her and yell, "Lila, don't."
"No, I will." She hissed, a gleam entering her eyes. It was like she was possessed. She couldn't control what she was doing. The thunder rolled outside, and a streak of lightning shot through the sky. Lila was breathing heavy as she spat, "Where the bloody hell is he?"
Calypso soon found she had no control over what her goddaughter did. Her gaze fell on something in the corner. She screamed, "LILA!" When she found out what it was. She ran over to the corner, and kneeled beside Will's seemingly dying form. "Will-yum...answer me."
Lila wasn't sure if she should drop Mercer or leave him. She glared at him and said, "You try and leave. I dare you." She dropped him, and ran over to the corner. Her breath caught in her chest when she saw Will's lifeless form laying on the floor. Tears sprang into her eyes as she kneeled beside him. Taking his hand, she whispered, "Querido?"
"Li..." Will said, weakly. "Lila, darling. Get out-"
"-I'm not leaving you-"
"-he's doing this to upset you! He didn't stab the heart." Will closed his eyes momentarily, before saying, "The more you use your powers, the quicker you'll die." Lila looked up and met Calypso's gaze. Her dark eyes weren't focused on Lila, more so the person behind him. The Empress rocked again, as Calypso got up and said, "You will pay for this."
"I don't see what I did wrong, darling." Mercer said, with the ends of his lips curving into a smile. Calypso took a warning step towards Mercer as the hell outside worsened. Lila wrapped her arms around Will, and pulled him towards her so that he was almost in her lap.
"Where's your heart, love?" Lila whispered to Will. Will took in a sharp take of breath, and shook his head slightly. Lila closed her emerald eyes, and rested her head on Will's as she wrapped her arms tightly around him. Calypso, wasn't happy one bit. And that much was evident. She cornered Mercer and said, "I gave ye life...I gave it back to ye, and this is wha' ye do with it?" The Empress rocked violently. "You murdered Anne. You try and kill 'er daughter and 'er 'usband?"
The ship rocked once more. Will winced everytime the ship rocked, causing Lila to kiss his forhead, and push his curls out of his face. "It's alright, love." Will tried to smile weakly, but settled for putting one of his hands over hers. Lila glanced back up at Calypso. She had calmed down as best as she could, which meant that the storm that was happening outside wasn't just her anymore. "Where's the 'eart?" Calypso had some sort of forcefield working over on Mercer since with one swift motion, Mercer was sent flying against the wall. He winced in pain and said, "Anne had what was coming to her-"
"-by carryin' out 'er duty I gave 'er? And 'er mother before tha'? YOU WANTED POWER!" Calypso shoved him hard. "Ye wanted the Jewel...ye never though' of lookin' on a five year old princess...but it was there...and when ye couldn't find it...ye killed Anne. And then ye figured out tha' she was dead and couldn't tell ye where the Jewel...but Alena Turner knew."
Will opened his hazel eyes when he heard the sound of his mother's name. Lila closed her now tearfilled eyes and rested her head on Will's once more. Will's breathing became more heavy and quicker. She kissed his head, and tried to calm him.
"She wouldn't tell ye...so ye killed 'er...ye already killed the heir... Salali Sparrow." Lila glanced up at the sound of Jack's mother. Lila had no idea what was going on. What was happening? What did he do? "Ye killed everyone of them-"
"-Athena, wasn't my fault. As you recall, Sparrow killed her-"
"-YOU LIAR!" Lila yelled at him, "Jack did nothing." Mercer smiled, finding yet another weakness in Lila. She didn't care anymore. She was plently mad at him for blaming Jack for Athena's death. Tears were rolling down Lila's cheeks as she said in a shaky voice, "Jack, did nothing you sick bastard and you know it-"
"-he shot and killed her-"
"SILENCE!" Calypso pushed him harder up against the wall. Lila put her head on Will's once again as Calypso hissed at Mercer, "I spared ye once. I will not spare ye again." Lila never found out what Calypso was planning to do, because at that moment, a soaking wet Jack barged into the cabin, "I don't mean to intterupt..." He was resisting the urge to smirk upon seeing Calypso pushing Mercer against the wall. "...but we've got 'bout a dozen ships out 'ere...'alf from Triton, 'alf from Lila I'm assumin'..." Calypso nodded, and grabbed Mercer by the collar, "Where's the 'eart?" When he didn't answer, Calypso put her hand inside his jacket. Lila knew, had Jack not been helping her with Will, he would have burst into laughter. She grabbed the bag with Will's heart in it.
She narrowed her dark, black eyes and said, "Ye be so predictable..." And with that, Calypso pulled Mercer out of the cabin and in the direction of the Dutchman. Jack helped Lila pull Will up, and together, they helped him towards the Dutchman as well...
Lila hadn't left Will's side from the moment they got into the cabin. Saphira was sitting over in the corner as Anamaria tried to bandage up Rupert's bloody arm. Saphie glanced over at Jack who was walking over to Lila. He wrapped his arms around her and looked down at the lifeless form of his best mate lying on the bed in front of him, "Darlin', he'll be fine."
"You don't know that, Jack." Lila said, as she started to cry. Jack pulled her into his arms, and glanced up at Saphie. She smiled over at him, reassuringly. Used to, had Jack done this, Saphie would have gotten suspicious. But she knew Jack loved her. She knew Jack loved Lila. But to Lila, Jack was like her older brother. He'd been there for her when even Will wasn't. He kissed the top of her head, and held her. Lila buried her head on Jack's chest and cried as he tried to comfort her.
"OW! BLOODY HELL, WOMAN!" Rupert screamed, pulling his arm from Ana. Calypso beat Saphira to it, and smacked his head when she walked into the cabin. Saphie laughed when she saw the look on her brother's face. He rolled his brown eyes, and leaned against Ana. Lila sighed and was deep in thought once more. Calypso had sent Mercer back to Triton. There was no way that Mercer was getting away from them this time, but seeing Will lifeless on the bed in front of her, that was the least of her worries.
Calypso sat beside where Lila and Jack were and whispered to her goddaughter, "Darlin', Will-yum will be fine..." Lila looked up from Jack and stared at her. Calypso handed Lila the key and said to her, "Darlin', all 'is 'eart needs is you." She handed her the key, and backed away. Jack kissed her cheek, before Lila took the key and walked over to Will. She took his hand, and gently brushed her lips against Will's before pulling back. He opened his eyes at that, and smiled up at her. She smiled back, and then looked over at Calypso who was smiling as she said, "Only his true love."
"Good thing tha' worked, or we would 'ave never 'eard the end of it." Jack said with a snort, as he leaned against the wall. Will, weak though he was, shot Jack a glare. Lila sat down beside him, and rested her hand on his chest, before saying to Calypso, "I heard you and him talking about..." She glanced at Jack, then said to Calypso, "...that. What happened?"
Calypso sat down and said, "I appointed ye grandmother as queen years ago. We found 'fore tha' tha' just 'avin' powers was too dangerous. We 'ad to bottle them up somehow. So, the Brethren Court elected to put half of the queen's powers inside a jewel."
Jack suddenly looked interested and leaned against Saphira, as he watched Calypso carefully. Calypso glanced out the window and said, "The queen 'fore ye grandmother was murdered. Pierced through the heart, powers were drained...end of tha'. So, we took 'alf of Mercedes Sparrow's powers and put them inside inside a Jewel. Tha' Jewel was passed down to Anne which was passed down to ye. Alena Turner, Athena Triton and Salali Sparrow were made watchers of the Jewel. In the event that Anne was killed or died, one of them would watch the Jewel until you reached age...Mercer found out about this, and decided it best to one by one, kill all of them. He succeded...until it was down to Anne and Alena. They were 'arder...after Anne died, Mercer realized tha' he 'ad no idea where the Jewel was...Alena wouldn't tell 'im, so...he killed 'er."
Lila felt Will tense up beside her. She took the hand that was on his chest, and rubbed it soothingly as he closed his eyes, not doubt thinking of his mother. Jack was also silent, as was Saphira. "So, wha' does tha' 'ave to do with us?" Jack asked Calypso a moment later.
"You're their children, Jack Sparrow. Their gone, so Mercer is takin' it out on ye." Jack sighed and leaned up against the wall again, his chocolate eyes met his cousin's emerald ones for a heart pounding second. Jack, though Lila dropped hers, kept his gaze on his cousin. He lowered his for a moment, before saying, "Lila, can I talk to you?" Lila nodded, not taking her gaze off of the floor, and turned back to Will. She kissed him and said, "I'll be back, querido." He smiled as that Spanish name for him rolled gracefully off her tongue.
She followed her cousin out, and watched as Jack closed the door behind him. They were quiet for a minute, before saying, "You know wha' we 'ave to do?"
"Take it into our own hands?" Lila said, with a slight smirk. Jack turned his face towards Lila's and said, "As much as I don't want you to, yes." Jack's dark eyes were fixed on something behind Lila. Jack's appearance was everything mixed between the Sparrow Spanish side of him he inherited, and his mother's Indian. He leaned against the wall, and said something in Spanish under his breath, before saying to Lila, "You got any plans as to 'ow you're goin' to talk to Triton? I mean, you are the one who sank Atlantis."
Lila smirked, and said, "I've got a few. But i'm not worried much about it." She looked at Jack for a moment, causing him to dart his chocolate eyes on her. He smiled, playing with one of the trinkets that hanged from his beard, and said, "Wha'?"
"Nothing...I'm just not worried about it...because what was it that abuelo always used to say?" When Jack was silent, Lila smirked at him and started, "Once a Sparrow..."
"...always a Sparrow." Jack finished for her with a smile. Lila turned around, and leaned against the railing beside Jack and watched the city of Atlantis come into view.