Fic: Another View Part 2
Another View
Disclaimer: Despite all my hopes, Disney has not turned over ownership of the Pirates of the Caribbean to me. In other words: It’s not mine!
Author: jedipati aka immortal_jedi
Pairing/Characters: Will/Elizabeth, OMC narrator, ensemble
Rating: PG-13
Summary: What was the end of the battle like for the Dutchman crew?
A/N: Alright, I obviously made a mistake when I first posted the summary. This is only told in one point of view, that of the anonymous Dutchman crewman. His tale continues in this second and final part, as we learn how he felt about the end of the battle. This story ends at the start of the one day.
Thank you all for reading. Please let me know what you think!
~~~~~~~~~~~
I lost complete track of the both of them after that as I fought. My next view of either of them was to watch Elizabeth swing over to the Dutchman.
The lad was nowhere in sight.
I shrugged and turned to find another opponent.
My fight had taken me toward the forecastle, and I had just stabbed an old man and was dealing with another pirate when it happened.
I staggered back. We had no Captain! I headed back to the Dutchman, unable to resist her call.
She took me, took all of the crewmen, and we could do nothing but gather around the still form of the one who killed the Captain. The one who would be our Captain. “Part of the crew, part of the ship.”
There were two mortals there, but they were leaving and they wouldn’t stop us. We dismissed them as unimportant.
The crewman in front had a knife, which he lifted high. “The Dutchman must have a Captain.” We dove as he cut.
The Captain didn’t move as his chest was cut open, didn’t move as the heart was removed, didn’t move as it was placed in the chest.
He twitched as the chest was closed, and once it was locked he opened his eyes.
We stared at him, at our Captain. He stared back for a long moment. He climbed to his feet shakily, and two of us helped him up. He shook his head sharply, as if trying to understand what had happened.
Then his eyes widened and he bolted for the helm. As he did, we felt the movement that meant we were rising back out of the ocean.
As the ship settled back down, she also drew back from our minds. I was myself again. And I was becoming human.
I looked up at the Captain, and I knew him.
Turner. He’d just married, and he was Captain now.
He didn’t give me a chance to think further. “Ready on the guns!” He ordered.
I rushed to obey. He was the Captain, I had to obey. And I certainly didn’t mind giving Beckett hell. “Guns ready!” Maccus called out once we were in position.
I heard, just barely, someone from the Pearl yell out, “Aye, full canvas!”
The Dutchman turned, matched the Black Pearl’s course, and side by side the two ships headed straight for the Endeavour.
Our Captain seemed to want to wait until we were past the Endeavour. Just when I felt I couldn’t take any longer, he looked up. “Fire!” Despite what it felt like, we had barely reached the other ship.
On the Pearl, I heard someone call out a matching order. We opened fire.
The crew of the Endeavour didn’t even fire back. We destroyed her, unopposed. As we sailed past her, the Pearl off our starboard side, I heard an explosion. The Captain turned to look behind us. He turned back around, a satisfied smile on his face. “Beckett is dead,” he said.
I think it was Jimmylegs who started the cheer, but soon the entire crew was caught up in the celebration.
I sobered quickly, and noticed that the rest of the crew was doing the same. I turned to watch our new Captain. He had tied off the wheel and was leaning against the rail, staring at the Pearl. I looked over at the Black Pearl and saw his wife staring back at him.
I looked down. I should go up and tell Captain Turner that I’d watched the wedding, but I didn’t want to talk to him, not yet.
Apparently, the rest of the crew didn’t know what to do either. Finally, Bootstrap sighed and headed up to talk to the Captain. That was right. The Captain was Bootstrap’s son.
I watched out of the corner of my eye as they spoke briefly, then Bootstrap headed for the wheel. The Captain smiled briefly at something else Bootstrap said.
Then he sighed and glanced down at the crew. He said something else to Bootstrap, who responded. “Mr. Maccus!” the Captain called out.
Maccus looked up and headed up toward him. Everyone was watching closely as the Captain spoke with the first mate- and no one knew if he’d remain the first mate.
Maccus nodded and glanced down. He said something to the Captain, who nodded in response. He frowned. “Double check,” he said, loud enough for everyone to hear. “I met Wyvern the last time I was on board. I don’t know if there’s anyone else like him.” Captain Turner looked up at the sun. “I have enough time before sundown.”
I volunteered to search, as I was one of the older crewmen who hadn’t faded into the ship. The search went quickly, as the other long time crewmen also searched every corner of the ship with me. Throughout the search, I noticed differences in the ship. The assorted sea animals and plants were retreating, as they had already left my body.
What did that mean?
In the end, Wyvern was joined by four other confused men. They, and we, gathered on deck, where the Captain was waiting for us. He looked calm enough, but his hand was clenched around the railing.
I didn’t blame him, and I don’t think anyone else did either. He probably didn’t know that we couldn’t mutiny against him. The closest any of us had ever come to mutiny was when Bootstrap helped him get off the ship. And even that hadn’t exactly been against orders, since Captain Jones hadn’t said the younger Turner couldn’t leave.
But now he was our Captain, and we were his crew.
He glanced off to the side at the Pearl, then down at us. “I suspect this was not what any of us wanted,” he said softly, so softly that I wasn’t sure I heard him. He straightened.
“I won’t hold any of you to the oaths you swore to Jones,” he said louder, once he was sure we were all on deck. “If you wish to leave, I’ll release you. This is… going to be somewhat awkward for a while.”
He frowned. “I remember what happened the last time I was on this ship- but I won’t hold it against anyone, so long as that behavior doesn’t continue.
“I’ll give you all this next day to decide- I’ll be taking my day on land.” He glanced up at the sun. It was nearing sunset. “Once I return to the ship, I’ll be resuming the duty the Dutchman was designed to do.”
I blinked. I had never thought that would happen.
Captain Turner sighed. “Mr. Turner, set course for the island.”
“Aye Captain.”
Captain Turner glanced around the ship, then down at the rest of us.
Maccus scowled. “Well, what are you all standing around for? Get this ship moving!”
I jumped and headed for my normal station up in the riggings. Captain Turner blinked and smiled wryly.
The Black Pearl fell behind as we reached a good point to wait, just off shore. “Oi!” I looked over at the Pearl. Sparrow was the one who yelled.
The Captain headed for the side of the ship. “Jack, I swear, if you want to delay this, I am going to come over there and see how you like getting your heart cut out!” he yelled back.
“Nothing like that, William,” Sparrow yelled. “We’re heading for Tortuga. We’ll tell the Empress to wait to pick up Captain Swann. Captain Turner. Whatever she’s going to call herself now. Lizzie.”
Captain Turner snickered. “We’ll figure that out later. Thank you!”
“Good luck mate! Prove me wrong!”
Below me, Bootstrap spoke up. “Prove him wrong? What does that mean?”
“It’s just Jack being… Jack,” Captain Turner said sourly.
I looked down. Bootstrap nodded and smiled. “That’s explanation enough, isn’t it?”
“Unfortunately.”
As we slowed and dropped anchor, the Pearl let off a lifeboat and turned away. The Captain leaned out toward them. “Barbossa, thank you! And Jack, we’re even now!”
“Aye, yer welcome, Captain Turner!”
“Agreed, lad!”
Several of the Pearl’s crew waved or offered farewells, to us, to the Captain, and to the woman in the lifeboat.
Captain Turner smiled and turned around as they pulled away. He glanced again at the sun.
I followed his gaze. The sun was just touching the horizon. Like Captain Jones, he was going to leave the ship the moment the sun was down. He’d return tomorrow at the same time. He picked up the chest with a slight grimace.
The sun dipped below the horizon. Several of my crewmates rushed to the side of the ship, watching as the Captain stood just outside the wave’s reach. He met his wife- I assume it was his wife; they were a bit hard to see at this distance- and picked her up. They disappeared into the rocks, and that was the last we saw of them for a day.
~~~~~~~~~~
Before you ask, I’m counting a day as it was done in the ancient world, sunset to sunset.
Disclaimer: Despite all my hopes, Disney has not turned over ownership of the Pirates of the Caribbean to me. In other words: It’s not mine!
Author: jedipati aka immortal_jedi
Pairing/Characters: Will/Elizabeth, OMC narrator, ensemble
Rating: PG-13
Summary: What was the end of the battle like for the Dutchman crew?
A/N: Alright, I obviously made a mistake when I first posted the summary. This is only told in one point of view, that of the anonymous Dutchman crewman. His tale continues in this second and final part, as we learn how he felt about the end of the battle. This story ends at the start of the one day.
Thank you all for reading. Please let me know what you think!
~~~~~~~~~~~
I lost complete track of the both of them after that as I fought. My next view of either of them was to watch Elizabeth swing over to the Dutchman.
The lad was nowhere in sight.
I shrugged and turned to find another opponent.
My fight had taken me toward the forecastle, and I had just stabbed an old man and was dealing with another pirate when it happened.
I staggered back. We had no Captain! I headed back to the Dutchman, unable to resist her call.
She took me, took all of the crewmen, and we could do nothing but gather around the still form of the one who killed the Captain. The one who would be our Captain. “Part of the crew, part of the ship.”
There were two mortals there, but they were leaving and they wouldn’t stop us. We dismissed them as unimportant.
The crewman in front had a knife, which he lifted high. “The Dutchman must have a Captain.” We dove as he cut.
The Captain didn’t move as his chest was cut open, didn’t move as the heart was removed, didn’t move as it was placed in the chest.
He twitched as the chest was closed, and once it was locked he opened his eyes.
We stared at him, at our Captain. He stared back for a long moment. He climbed to his feet shakily, and two of us helped him up. He shook his head sharply, as if trying to understand what had happened.
Then his eyes widened and he bolted for the helm. As he did, we felt the movement that meant we were rising back out of the ocean.
As the ship settled back down, she also drew back from our minds. I was myself again. And I was becoming human.
I looked up at the Captain, and I knew him.
Turner. He’d just married, and he was Captain now.
He didn’t give me a chance to think further. “Ready on the guns!” He ordered.
I rushed to obey. He was the Captain, I had to obey. And I certainly didn’t mind giving Beckett hell. “Guns ready!” Maccus called out once we were in position.
I heard, just barely, someone from the Pearl yell out, “Aye, full canvas!”
The Dutchman turned, matched the Black Pearl’s course, and side by side the two ships headed straight for the Endeavour.
Our Captain seemed to want to wait until we were past the Endeavour. Just when I felt I couldn’t take any longer, he looked up. “Fire!” Despite what it felt like, we had barely reached the other ship.
On the Pearl, I heard someone call out a matching order. We opened fire.
The crew of the Endeavour didn’t even fire back. We destroyed her, unopposed. As we sailed past her, the Pearl off our starboard side, I heard an explosion. The Captain turned to look behind us. He turned back around, a satisfied smile on his face. “Beckett is dead,” he said.
I think it was Jimmylegs who started the cheer, but soon the entire crew was caught up in the celebration.
I sobered quickly, and noticed that the rest of the crew was doing the same. I turned to watch our new Captain. He had tied off the wheel and was leaning against the rail, staring at the Pearl. I looked over at the Black Pearl and saw his wife staring back at him.
I looked down. I should go up and tell Captain Turner that I’d watched the wedding, but I didn’t want to talk to him, not yet.
Apparently, the rest of the crew didn’t know what to do either. Finally, Bootstrap sighed and headed up to talk to the Captain. That was right. The Captain was Bootstrap’s son.
I watched out of the corner of my eye as they spoke briefly, then Bootstrap headed for the wheel. The Captain smiled briefly at something else Bootstrap said.
Then he sighed and glanced down at the crew. He said something else to Bootstrap, who responded. “Mr. Maccus!” the Captain called out.
Maccus looked up and headed up toward him. Everyone was watching closely as the Captain spoke with the first mate- and no one knew if he’d remain the first mate.
Maccus nodded and glanced down. He said something to the Captain, who nodded in response. He frowned. “Double check,” he said, loud enough for everyone to hear. “I met Wyvern the last time I was on board. I don’t know if there’s anyone else like him.” Captain Turner looked up at the sun. “I have enough time before sundown.”
I volunteered to search, as I was one of the older crewmen who hadn’t faded into the ship. The search went quickly, as the other long time crewmen also searched every corner of the ship with me. Throughout the search, I noticed differences in the ship. The assorted sea animals and plants were retreating, as they had already left my body.
What did that mean?
In the end, Wyvern was joined by four other confused men. They, and we, gathered on deck, where the Captain was waiting for us. He looked calm enough, but his hand was clenched around the railing.
I didn’t blame him, and I don’t think anyone else did either. He probably didn’t know that we couldn’t mutiny against him. The closest any of us had ever come to mutiny was when Bootstrap helped him get off the ship. And even that hadn’t exactly been against orders, since Captain Jones hadn’t said the younger Turner couldn’t leave.
But now he was our Captain, and we were his crew.
He glanced off to the side at the Pearl, then down at us. “I suspect this was not what any of us wanted,” he said softly, so softly that I wasn’t sure I heard him. He straightened.
“I won’t hold any of you to the oaths you swore to Jones,” he said louder, once he was sure we were all on deck. “If you wish to leave, I’ll release you. This is… going to be somewhat awkward for a while.”
He frowned. “I remember what happened the last time I was on this ship- but I won’t hold it against anyone, so long as that behavior doesn’t continue.
“I’ll give you all this next day to decide- I’ll be taking my day on land.” He glanced up at the sun. It was nearing sunset. “Once I return to the ship, I’ll be resuming the duty the Dutchman was designed to do.”
I blinked. I had never thought that would happen.
Captain Turner sighed. “Mr. Turner, set course for the island.”
“Aye Captain.”
Captain Turner glanced around the ship, then down at the rest of us.
Maccus scowled. “Well, what are you all standing around for? Get this ship moving!”
I jumped and headed for my normal station up in the riggings. Captain Turner blinked and smiled wryly.
The Black Pearl fell behind as we reached a good point to wait, just off shore. “Oi!” I looked over at the Pearl. Sparrow was the one who yelled.
The Captain headed for the side of the ship. “Jack, I swear, if you want to delay this, I am going to come over there and see how you like getting your heart cut out!” he yelled back.
“Nothing like that, William,” Sparrow yelled. “We’re heading for Tortuga. We’ll tell the Empress to wait to pick up Captain Swann. Captain Turner. Whatever she’s going to call herself now. Lizzie.”
Captain Turner snickered. “We’ll figure that out later. Thank you!”
“Good luck mate! Prove me wrong!”
Below me, Bootstrap spoke up. “Prove him wrong? What does that mean?”
“It’s just Jack being… Jack,” Captain Turner said sourly.
I looked down. Bootstrap nodded and smiled. “That’s explanation enough, isn’t it?”
“Unfortunately.”
As we slowed and dropped anchor, the Pearl let off a lifeboat and turned away. The Captain leaned out toward them. “Barbossa, thank you! And Jack, we’re even now!”
“Aye, yer welcome, Captain Turner!”
“Agreed, lad!”
Several of the Pearl’s crew waved or offered farewells, to us, to the Captain, and to the woman in the lifeboat.
Captain Turner smiled and turned around as they pulled away. He glanced again at the sun.
I followed his gaze. The sun was just touching the horizon. Like Captain Jones, he was going to leave the ship the moment the sun was down. He’d return tomorrow at the same time. He picked up the chest with a slight grimace.
The sun dipped below the horizon. Several of my crewmates rushed to the side of the ship, watching as the Captain stood just outside the wave’s reach. He met his wife- I assume it was his wife; they were a bit hard to see at this distance- and picked her up. They disappeared into the rocks, and that was the last we saw of them for a day.
~~~~~~~~~~
Before you ask, I’m counting a day as it was done in the ancient world, sunset to sunset.