"If I knew where t' look, it wouldn' be lookin'," Bootstrap pointed out as he continued to search the small space. "There's not that much space t' search, Jack. Shouldn' be that hard t' find."
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Tia's eyes shot back open as the crewmen began to swarm the Pearl's deck. She began quickly murmuring an incantation, repelling several crewmen who were beginning to advance. The storm has long since grown out of her control and was still steadily intensifying. The enormous waves tossed the Pearl around like a paper boat as the howling wind fought to tear what remained of her sails to shreds. The Dutchman appeared to be faring at least a little better, but the elements were clearly taking their toll on her as well. It was only a matter of time before the storm proved to be too much and ultimately sent them to their watery graves. And she could do nothing.

Barbossa drew his sword out, and made vain attempts at defending himself- and his ship. He knew of course it was hopeless, they were outnumbered ten to one, but nevertheless he was driven to fight with what strength he had... as he parried multiple blows from Jone's cursed crew.

Suddenly, the Pearl gave an incredible lurch, the deck tilting to an angle, almost sunken in the ocean. Barbossa fell, dropping his sword in the meanwhile, and now throughly soaked by a crashing wave. He was yanked up again by a slime-covered pirate, who held his hand dangerously tight about Barbossa's neck.

"What is it ye want?" he finally spat out, glaring deep into his adversary's eyes, "A fast sinkin' ship and an undersized crew what's goin' to die and pay their due's to your Captain before th' evenin' anyway?"

The sea roared around them, the wind howled and seemed as if to rip their very hair out of their heads. The crewman gave to responsible to Barbossa, but glared back proudly at him, seeming in oblivion to the rest of the crew being captured and tied about them.

Norrington hung his head, and turned away. This was it. This was the end. They would then kill the legendary Sparrow, and he would be what he should have been in the first place - only a legend.

He stayed himself as the boat knocked against the waters, his eyes holding a distance which was not in the sea. He no longer watched the Pearl, or this ship which he was upon, or even the abyssal depths which them both. His eyes looked into something much deeper than the sea - something within himself.

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Bootstrap tilted his head slightly as he listened to the slow, steady thumping of the heart. Slowly, he reached into the mess and extracted a small chest. Kneeling on the ground and setting the chest in front of them, he gingerly turned the key that was still in the lock. There, inside the chest, was the slowly-beating heart of Davy Jones.

As he knelt there staring into the chest, one thought raced through his mind: Stab it. Stab the heart. End it all. Jones had taken everything from him. Stab the heart. Make Jones pay. Make him pay for what he'd done to Will. Make him pay for all the lives he'd ruined. Stab the heart. Do it slowly. Draw out his final moments. Stab the heart. Make him finally understand true pain. Teach him what it means to truly despair. Stab the heart.

"This is it," he finally said, swallowing the dryness in his throat. "You know, Jack, that whoever stabs th' heart has t' take Jones' place. Forever. There has t' always be a captain at th' helm of th' Dutchman, t' guide souls to th' other side. I could do it, if ye wish. I've nothing more t' lose. You could go back to th' Pearl an' live your own life again. You could be free."
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Another crewman began to advance toward Tia and reached out to grab her arm, only to recoil as though he'd been burned. She briefly reached into the folds of her dress and threw something down onto the deck. As Tia continued to utter incantations under her breath, a ring of fire appeared around her, knocking back several more crewmen. Her dark eyes reflected the flames, glowing like embers in the unnatural light. Tia Dalma had always had a rather eccentric appearance, but at the moment she looked positively supernatural.

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"You'll be givin' up th' Pearl," Bootstrap warned softly. It wasn't that he was necessarily against Jack stabbing the heart-- indeed, he couldn't think of a better captain to serve for all of eternity. And while Bootstrap did technically have the skills required for captaincy -he'd been Jack's first mate for years, after all- he'd never really considered himself to be the captain type. He'd much rather simply fade into the background and do his work quietly than be the one giving orders. However, he also wanted to make sure the younger pirate knew exactly what he was getting into. "If you're goin' to stab it, do it now an' get it over with. But know that once you do, there's no goin' back. You'll be bound to this ship for eternity."

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[Sorry guys, my bloody internet was down all day yesterday. It half drove me mad because I had to wait a WHOLE extra day for the PotC3 trailer... not good.]

Norrington choked, and looked straight into the eyes of Davy Jones. The vicious rocking of the boat was stayed for a moment as he was clamped within the claw of that devil. But at that moment... he could not think of the heart, or of the brink of fate they were all balancing on. There was one thought which pressed him agonizingly without relent. Elizabeth.

Elizabeth the little girl with her curious, and yet mature ways, reading of pirate stories and never dreaming she would be in one. Elizabeth the woman, with her passionate nature and dedication to the few things that were right and free.

"Let her go," he said hoarsely, with the spray of sea on his face, "Bring Elizabeth to me safely, and I will take you to the chest."

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With wonder, Barbossa watched Tia Dalma, and a bit of confusion; somehow they hadn't known her as well as they thought. There always was a sort of mysterious presence about that woman, and now it was beginning to come to a head. There was something entirely ethereal to her presence, and yet something entirely human. He pulled away from the slimey pirate holding him, but was stayed.

"So this be yer undersized crew?" snarled the being, shoving him harshly against the wall. "What of 'er?! Be she an enchantress?"

"An' what if she is?" he shot back, slightly grinning. "Is that anythin' compared to an immense crew of slimey, cursed pirate slaves?"

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"Jus' stab th' bloody heart an' be done with it, Jack!" Bootstrap exclaimed impatiently.

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The fighting aboard the Pearl stopped instantly. Barbossa was unceremoniously released, the crewmen attacking Will and Elizabeth suddenly lost interest, and even the raging storm seemed to subside considerably. An expression of pure panic -or as close as could be managed- was mirrored in each of the crewmen's faces as they became acutely aware of their captain's pain and desperation.

Tia immediately looked up as well, her expression unreadable as she stared across the narrowing gap between the ships. Gradually, a slow, private smile crept across her face as she whispered two words: "Jack Spar-row..."

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