- Atlantis -
- Outside the Kingdom -
"The king and his men, stole the queen from her bed.
And bound her in her bones..."
His chilling voice rang out through the dungeon-like area that he had her in. The goddess was hanging there, bound by chains as he pulled the shackles he once had her in. She was breathing heavy, unsure as to how exactly he had captured her since a few hours, it had been quite the opposite. But this was a man that had many tricks up his sleeves. The sea goddess raised her head up to look at him as he stared over the pot. It was dark in the dungeon except for the purple light that was being illuminated from the pot as a fine mist spread out of it.
"You can't release 'er-"
"-I can try, my dear. I can try." Mercer said, as the sides of his thin lips curved into a twisted smile. He tossed in the 8 pieces of eight he had come into possession of, and tossed them into the pot. The mist thickened, so much that he had to wave his hand through it to clear it. He smiled an eerie smile, before saying, "Now all I'm missing is one more."
- Outside the Brethren Court Mansion -
- The Outer Decks -
After Lila reluctantly let her mother take Annie back to their palace, she found herself sitting on the stairs, outside the Brethren Court Mansion. A few seconds later, she heard someone walk beside her. Half expecting it to be Jack, for some reason, she was surprised to see that Rupert was the one that came to sit beside her. She smiled over at him, as the two of them stared off at the horizon. She realized then where Will had been. They saw him and Jack making their way back from the Dutchman. The two of them were talking about something, though they couldn't make out what it was.
"You ok?"
"Yeah." Lila replied, softly. Rupert glanced over at the girl that had become like his sister and said to her in a quiet voice, "You worried about going to see Triton?" Lila tore her eyes off of her husband, and focused her now heavily-lined kohl eyes to her Admiral. Lila smiled a faint smile, and said to him, "A bit. Last time didn't blow over so well." Rupert laughed as he leaned back on his elbows. They sat in silence for another minute, before Rupert asked her, "Lila, do you really think that Triton is..."
"I do." Lila said, finishing for him, as she turned to look him in the eyes. "I really do." Rupert was about to say something, when Jack's booming, yet surprisngly sober voice called out from in front of them, "Ready?" Lila tore her eyes off of Rupert to look up at Jack. When she nodded, Jack smiled and took her hand, pulling her up. Will smiled at her, as he came to stand behind Jack and said, "Darling, Annie'll be fine-"
"-it's not her I'm worried about." Lila said, but Will never got a chance to ask her what she meant by that, because at that moment, Saphira and Ana walked out of the mansion. Jack focused his own kohl-lined eyes at the two girls, more so his fiancee, causing Rupert to roll his eyes. Jack pulled out his compass, and said, "Alright. We were goin' to split up-"
Will groaned, knowing exactly the groups that Jack would have split them up into had they done that. He'd be paired up with Rupert and Ana while Jack would be with Saphira and Lila. It happened more times than not, and Will was starting to think that Jack did that just to get on his last nerve. Will put his arm around Lila, and rested his head on her shoulder as he stared up at his former enemy with a bored look on his face. "...but...complications arose-"
"-and I'm guessing weren't overcome?"
Jack smirked at Lila and said, "Give the girl a prize." Lila rolled her eyes and caught Saphie's gaze. Saph was looking at Lila with an odd look on her face, but when she noticed that Lila was looking at her, Saphira smiled and turned back to Jack. Lila dropped her gaze momentarily as Jack said, "So, we'll all be goin' together as it seemed." Jack shot a wink over in their direction, wrapped an arm around both Saphie and Lila as was his custom and began walking. Will rolled his eyes, grabbed Lila's hand, and pulled her backwards to him. When Jack looked back at him, Will shot him a mock wink and continued to follow behind them.
"Face it, Sparrow. We are lost." Ana hissed at him later on that day. The six of them had been walking around for what seemed like hours now. Saphira was looking at Jack with a confused look on his face as he stared down at the compass. Lila sighed as she glanced over at the palace that was in clear view over the top of the mountain. How to get to that mountain? Well, that's what they were having a problem with. Lila leaned against Will, and watched as Jack stared at the compass, "Bloody thing's broken."
Jack tossed the compass at Lila who caught it with a start. "You try." Lila rolled her eyes, and flipped the compass open. She watched it spin madly for a moment, before it settled on something. She walked forward and it changed. She walked in that direction, and it changed again. When it settled on a direction, she kept walking straight, until she ran into someone. She looked up and saw that she had ran into Jack. Her heart stopped when Jack's gaze locked with hers.
Will glanced over at Saphira, and saw that her eyes were sparkling a lot more than they should have. Jack, realizing one: how close they were, and two: that her husband was nearby as was his fiancee, Jack looked down and said to her in an almost breathless tone, "I think it's broken..."
"...yes. Of course it is." Lila said, shoving the compass back at him, before looking up into his chocolate eyes. Will's features darkened, as Rupert clapped his hands together and said, "Alright, I say I lead."
"I second that." Ana said, taking Rupert's arm and mumbling something to him. Saphira followed them, causing Lila to look back up at Jack and saying, "Jack..." She closed her mouth, and quickly ran to catch up to Will. Jack stared down at the compass for a moment, before turning on his heels to follow them down the path. Lila fiddled with the key that was still hanging around her neck, as she caught up with Will. Saphie made a point to avoid her gaze, and Will wasn't looking at her as he said, "If you have anything you would like to get out in the open, please feel free. I'd love to know what was going on back there." Lila closed her emerald eyes, as she said, "I don't know."
"Your my wife, Lila. And I love you." Will stopped, and took her hand as he said, "But if you're going to act like that around your former fiancee, I'll have to-" Lila's eyes were sparkling with tears as she said, "You'll have to what, William?" Will looked over at the horizon and said, "I dont' know." And walked on without her. Lila stood there alone on the path for a minute, before wiping her eyes and following after them, resisting the urge to snap his key off her neck and throwing at his head.
What seemed to be a few hours later, the sky grew black with smoke as cannons blared. Lila found herself walking between Rupert and Ana, though far from Will. Ana looked down at her and said, "Darlin', honestly. Wha' the bloody 'ell was that?"
"I don't know, Ana." Lila replied, with a sigh, causing Rupert to look at her. For the second time that day, Rupert had been about to say something, when Lila heard someone yell, "LILA!" And as soon as she heard the gun shoot, she felt someone hit her hard and push her to the ground. They rolled down the hill, before the both of them rolled into a bush and came to a stop. She groaned as she rolled off of Will. Will put his arm on the other side of her and asked, "Are you alright?"
"Other than the fact that I think I just knocked my brain out? Yes." Will smiled and leaned down and kissed her briefly, before pulling her up. Lila was clinging to him, as Will struggled to see through the thick fog that had consumed them. "I don't see-"
"-JACK!!!!" Lila screamed, trying to get away from Will. Will reached out and pulled her back to him, as she screamed. He looked up to see that Jack was being restrained by three men, and had a gun to his head. Saphira, Rupert and Ana were being restrained as well, but no one had a gun to their head like Jack did. Jack closed his chocolate eyes, avoiding locking gazes with his would be killer. The man holding the gun, cocked it as another one put his hand to Jack's bandana and ripped the coin off of his head.
"Tha' was it?" Jack said, staring up at him like he just suggest he take a waltz with death. The man smirked and handed the coin to the other man on the horse. As the man on the horse rode away and out of sight, the man holding Jack said, "That's all that had to be done."
Realization hit Jack in a instant as the man let go of him, got on his horse and rode after where the other had ridden minutes ago. Lila was still clinging on to Will, as he kept his arms firmly around her and said, "Jack, mate?" Jack looked up at Will with a look Will was certain he never wanted to see again.
Not a second later, Lila tensed up in Will's arms. Will tore his eyes off of Jack, and looked down at his wife. "Li? Lila, darling..." She tensed up, and her breathing became ragged as she struggled for a breath. Will took off his jacket, and laid her on the ground. Kneeling beside her, he took her hand and said, "Li..."
Jack froze there on the spot, as he stared off where the men had just rode. Mercer. It had to be. That's what he wanted. All of the pieces of eight, so that he could take Lila's life. Jack cursed angrily under his breath, causing Saphie tearfully to put a hand on his shoulder as he kneeled beside Lila on her other side. Will pushed her curls out of her face before cupping the side of her face and saying, "Darling, keep your eyes open-"
"-Will, I can't..." Lila said, as another pain washed through her. It was becoming harder for her to breath, as she felt all of her powers fully draining from her. Will took her hand in his and said, "Lila, please don't leave me...stay with me..." Lila closed her eyes again, causing Will to yell, "Lila!! Stay with me! Think of Annie...she needs you...I need you." Lila opened her emerald eyes. They were almost clouded over as she said, "Tell her I love her."
"Lila-"
"-and I love you...so much." Lila closed her eyes once more, as Will just stared down at her. Tears were rolling down his face freely as he said to her, the thing that he never wanted to ask her of all people, "Lila Turner..." Jack looked up at him, knowing what he was about to say. This made Saphira start sobbing as Jack pulled her into his arms. Trying not to break down, Will finished, "Lila Turner...do you fear death?"
Those were the four words he had nightmares about. He had never in his life wanted to ask Lila that, but here he was, knowing what her answer would be. She was a goddess. She had no reason to fear it. Lila smiled sadly up at him as she said, "I don't." Will closed his eyes, accepting her answer however much it killed him to do so. "I love you, querido." She put her hand over his hand that was resting on cheek. He closed his eyes, as another tear rolled off and hit the key that was hanging from his neck. "I love you too, Li. So, so much."
"Keep a weather eye on the horizon." She whispered up to him. He nodded, and leaned down and kissed her frozen lips. Just as he was pulling back, he felt her hand go limp in his. Everything was quiet for a minute, besides the fact that rain was now failling heavily from the sky. Thunder rolled through the night sky as lightning flashed across it. Rupert put his arm around Ana who was standing there, looking at Lila in pure shock. Saphie, on the other hand, was crying uncontrollably as she buried her head in Jack's chest. Jack wrapped his arms around her, and rested his head on hers, closing his chocolate eyes.
Will was still holding his wife's lifeless hand as the storms raged on. He was thinking about how Annie would never know her mother. But most of all, he was thinking about how he should have went after her when she left for Port Royal.
No, he reminded himself, everything happens for a reason. Even this.
Which made him think. What killed her? Mercer didn't release her right...her powers drained. You can't release a goddess any other way than the way Will remembered Ragetti releasing Calypso that day on the Pearl. He glanced down at his goddess, and closed his eyes. All of the pieces of eight were in place. He had to do this right.
He closed his eyes momentarily, knowing that he probably only had one shot at this. He leaned down, putting an arm on the other side of her to keep himself balanced. Pressing his lips just against her ear, he shifted his thoughts back to the night that he married Lila. Opening his eyes, he said in the deepest, most loving and romantic voice that he had ever used, "Lila, I release you of your human bonds."