spacebabie | Hearts Across the Sea 17

Disclaimer: Pirates of the Caribbean and all related characters belong to Walt Disney, Gore, Jerry, Ted and Terry.

Original Characters such as Julia Carlisle and Abigail Peterson are my own creation.

Characters: James Norrington, Theodore Groves, Murtogg, Mullroy, William Turner, Elizabeth Turner, Julia Carlisle, Abigail Peterson.

Setting: A few months after The Chosen.

Hearts Across the Sea

Chapter 17: Reunited

It was a shame that many of the merfolk who appeared to be on their side, or that was how Theodore Groves saw them, were loosing their lives while fighting against their own brethren. He knew their goals were not the same as his. From what he could gather from the two sentries he had figured the merfolk wanted to be rid of Lorelei while they were to rescue James and his crew.

“I wonder why they took so long,” Elizabeth said after they had reached the tunnel leading to where the navy was supposed to be kept hostage. “Why haven’t they rebelled before?”

“You did see how many still support Lorelei,” Theodore told her. He and the others have fought against those who still supported the nymph, until the rebel’s side had won, leaving the dissenters to spread the cry of the revolution.

The deep cry of what may have been a horn or an animal carried through the cavern walls causing them to pause in their tracks.

“What was that?” Murtogg blinked and stared around.

“It is the cry of the conch,” Whitecap said. “The sun has set.”

“We can hear that one horn,” Abigail asked. “We have walked a bit of a distance. I can’t believe we can still hear it from where we are.”

“That wasn’t their only horn,” Theodore said. “I have seen one of the rebel fighters carry another around their neck. They cry is traveling. When one who also carries a similar instrument hears the cry they will also blow into their own horn.”

“They want to make sure everyone hears it,” Elizabeth said. “It is their battle cry.”

“Foolish and stubborn Lorelei,” Whitecap smiled. “She thinks it is just her people telling her it is time to begin the transformation.”

“James,” Elizabeth frowned.

“They have reached them,” Abigail said. “I may not know this Saris, but I know your husband and I know Julia. They have made it in time.”

“My people,” Whitecap completely froze in her tracks. “My people are kept over there.” She pointed towards another cavern entrance. “I do not know for certain.”

“We will rescue them,” Theodore grabbed the faerie by her hand and led her to their destination. “We were not given directions on where they would be exactly, but we know where the crew of The Naiad are.”

“Maybe we should split up?” Abigail suggested.

“I do not like it,” Theodore didn’t like it when Julia, Turner and Saris had left the three of them to search for James. “Once we find the crew we will go back for them.”

Their destination wasn’t a large cave, but it was large enough to contain what it held. There were several green spheres, larger than a man, each almost the size of a horse, and all stacked on top of each other. Even with the dim light from the fungus, Theodore could see the shadowy figures within each one.

“My people were forced to make these,” Whitecap said weakly. “They are similar to the bubble we had traveled in, but not by much.” She approached one of the large spheres and placed her hand on the surface. “They are dry within even if it feels like it is full of liquid.”

Theodore stepped closer to the spheres. The shadow forms became more and more clear. “Dear God,” he made the sign of the cross over his chest. He heard a gasp from Elizabeth.

“The crew of the HMS Naiad,” Murtogg nearly dropped his sword.

“They are dead,” Mullroy said.

“They are not dead,” Whitecap shook her head. “They are only asleep.” She kneeled in front of the spheres and steepled her fingers together. “I do not think I can free them al lat the same time, maybe a few at a time.”

“Conserve your energy and free them one at a time,” Theodore touched the back of her shoulder. “The others can help.” He tried to remember the direction of the tunnel Whitecap had signaled out earlier.

“Where are you going?” Elizabeth asked him.

“To find where the nixies are being held,” Theodore explained.

“It is foolish to go alone, I am coming with you.”

“There is no time to argue,” Theodore pointed to the two marines. “You two, stay here and make certain they are safe.”

“Yes, sir,” both men in red nodded.

“Let us just pray we will not find more aquatic loyalists.”

Julia’s eyes were the most beautiful shade of brown, even if one eye was a bit off colored, James felt like he could be lost in them for hours, and she thought his eyes were beautiful.

“I am certain there is more clothes on the Atlantis,” Julia said. “Even if there are no more uniforms I am certain Mr. Turner can loan you a spare change of clothing.”

“I would accept his offer, even if his clothes were a bit tight.” While Mr. Turner was not a short man by any means, James’s head came above his by a few inches. “However there are still a few of my things on the floor here. I can’t believe you have done this.” He cradled her chin. “How were you able to make it down here?”

“We had a little-“ her eyes suddenly went wide. “James, look out.”

James turned to see Lorelei was ready to swipe at the two of them. While she was still standing on her human legs she had altered her other features. Her eyes were frightening, wide with madness, mouth was filled with needle like teeth and her fingernails were long and curving.

“Get down,” James pushed her down and caused the two of them to roll to the side. “You will not harm her.” He glared at Lorelei while he sheltered Julia with his own body.

“You are mine,” Lorelei hissed and pointed at him. “The human girl will-“ another bang echoed in the room while blood spurt from the side of her head. “Foolish,” Lorelei said before she toppled to the ground.

“Sorry about that,” William Turner entered the room, still holding onto his pistol. “The two of us were tied up with the guards.”

“Suppresser,” Aria cried out before she struck the red head in the side of the head with enough force to cause the red head to become unconscious.

“Traitor,” Tigris had Dulcet pinned down. Her fingers were wrapped around the other mermaid’s neck.

“Dulcet,” Johnson reached for his new lover. He had tried to do the same as Chase but had missed and fallen on the stone floor

“What is going on?” Turner replaced the pistol and removed his sword. “Who is part of the Revolution?”

“We are,” Aria answered as she tackled Tigris and forced her off her friend.

James stood up. “Where is Groves?” He turned to the entrance as a strange man had entered, also brandishing his sword. “Who is this?”

“Mr. Saris and Will were holding the guards back,” Julia said as James helped her to her feet. “While I came to rescue you, although it is not much of a rescue.”

“You have done well,” James smiled at her. Was it even possible for him to love her even more? “I do have to wonder who this Mr. Saris is.”

“Sariel,” Lorelei sat up. Her head was no longer bleeding and her facial features were no longer distorted. “I cannot believe, but it is really you.”

“Lorelei,” the strange man lowered his sword. “You still haven’t learned.”

“They know each other?” Turner blinked.

“It does appear that way,” James stared at Saris and blinked. The man seemed a few decades younger than he had a minute ago.

Abigail stood behind Whitecap, and tried not to show any reaction or expression to the men she had freed. She had noticed how the faerie’s hair had grown paler until it was actually white in color and her wings were no longer gossamer and were drooping.

There were eight other men now, besides Murtogg and Mullroy. All of them were very surprised to see Abigail and the two marines, although they have expressed their gratitude. They were not quite so shocked to see Whitecap, having been imprisoned by those like her, but they did not try to attack her, seeing as she was the one who were trying to free her.

“I hear someone coming,” Lieutenant Pryce stood up. He held onto Murtogg’s flintlock. He had refueled it with more powder and another shot while he waited for the rest of the crew to be free.

The crewmen were loaned weapons took their position on the ground. None of them had any weapons while they were imprisoned. Murtogg and Mullroy had loaned their flintlocks to Pryce and another naval officer and had given their muskets to two of their fellow Marines while they kept their blades.

“Do not allow yourself to be distracted,” Abigail said as she slipped her hand under the false hem. She had kept what she had called her secret weapon there. She had given out her hammers, and the single knife to the crewmen.

A handful of merfolk raced into the room, several had the same strange blades and pitchforks as before. One had what appeared to have been large fins made out of shell on top of each wrist with three long claw like points protruding from the bottom.

“Revolution,” Murtogg said only to be answered by one of the men throwing a strange disc at him.

“Attack,” lieutenant Pryce commanded and fired his weapon. The shot had struck the discus thrower in the stomach.

The other flintlock and muskets were fired. One struck the chest of a mermaid, another shot missed, and a barnacle-covered shield deflected the third.

The man with the strange fin like weapons raised his hands.

“No,” Whitecap ran in front of Abigail and raised her own hands.

“Whitecap don’t do it,” Abigail removed the pistol she kept on her belt. She aimed it at the man with the fins.

He fired at the same time she had. The long protrusions were similar to arrows as they soared through the air.

Whitecap cried out in fury and the arrows froze in mid air. She made strange circular motion with her hands. The arrows turned around in the air and flew back to the merfolk. The projectiles had impaled the rest of the enemy, except for the man who had fired the arrows.

Abigail stared coldly at that one merman as blood gurgled in the hole in his neck. She dropped the pistol and kneeled next to her friend. “Why?”

“They would,” Whitecap managed to gasp out before she struggled to breath. She had returned to her true size. “Killed you.” She had turned extremely pale and her lips were blue.

“Rest,” Abigail said softly. “Theodore and Elizabeth will bring the others and they will free everyone else.”

James continued to stare at the odd man. What was his real name? Both Julia and Turner had referred to him as Mr. Saris, but Lorelei had called him Sariel. Where had he heard that name before? He stared around the room. Tigris had finally been subdued. Chase had managed to crawl to one of the blankets he and the others were lying on and was trying to dry off his fish tail. Cook was near where Lola was, continuing splashing water on her and trying to keep her salmon pink tail wet.

Lorelei stood up, not removing her gaze from Saris’s. “Why have you returned?”

“To stop this,” Saris pointed at James. “To finally stop the heartbreak you have caused. I could only intervene when the man you have selected has a heart that had already been claimed.” He removed his hat and allowed his long hair to be loose. James did not expect this man to have hair to be so full and rich, like silk.

“You are one to talk,” Lorelei wagged her finger. Her fingernails were still long and sharp. “Who led the others to lust after the daughters of men?”

“I have made a mistake,” Saris sighed. There was movement under his jacket, caused by two strange bulges on his back; there was also a similar bulge in the backside of the strange man’s breeches. “Unlike you I have learned from them.” He held out his hand to her.

“You still want me?”

“Even after all these centuries,” Saris smiled revealing fangs.

“Julia,” James whispered into Julia’s ear. “Where did you find him?”

“We found at the docks in Tripoli.” Julia answered. “We thought he was only a man.”

“This story has been played before,” Saris said as Lorelei was about to accept his hand. “I have missed you.”

“You always were a sentimental fool,” Lorelei leaped towards Saris with her hand spread out.

Both James and Turner rushed to the Saris’s aid, but it turned out they were unneeded. Saris had stepped back and grabbed Lorelei by the arm. He held her arm firmly and twisted it until a distinctive crack could be heard.

“This won’t last,” The nymph said between clenched teeth.

“I know,” tears were forming in his eyes. “I need you both to hold her.”

“We have her,” Turner said, forcing Lorelei’s good arm to her side.

“Thank you,” Saris blinked, causing a few tears to travel down his cheeks. “I loved you once Lorelei, this will hurt me more than you casting me aside.” Still holding her broken arm, he guided her limp wrist to her neck where he forced her fingernails to dig in deep and pulled across. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” she whispered, her claws dug in deeper and she clawed out more of her flesh.

“I’ll always be,” Saris closed his eyes while Lorelei’s body went limp.

“It is over,” Aria said after several minutes. “We are free again.”

“Hopefully your colony will be wary the next time a nymph swims your way,” James released his hold on Lorelei’s seemingly lifeless form. “That is if she is dead.”

“They are fuzzy on the details,” Saris stared at his former lover. “But yes she is dead. Admiral I need to know, did you drink any of the elixir?”

“I have swallowed a spoonful worth,” James explained and felt Julia’s hand grab his. “That isn’t enough is it? I am still human, I hope.”

“It isn’t enough,” Saris turned to face the crewmen who have been transformed. “It is too late for them.”

“That doesn’t mean they still cannot be a part of the Royal Navy,” James nodded towards his men. “That is if they still wish to serve under the crown.”

“You can count me in,” Chase tried to stand up and stumbled. There were still a few patches of scales on his legs and his toes were still webbed. His gills were still visible and while his ears were not as large they still had the strange shape. “That is if you will still have me.”

“Always,” James smiled briefly. “Mr. Cook and Mr. Johnson, what say you?”

“This is our home now,” Johnson said. “They may have lost several numbers and they need to rebuild.”

“I understand,” James turned to where his breeches were still on the ground. “We need to rejoin the others, but after I put on my breeches.”

“We know where they are,” Turner said.

“Good,” James picked up his clothing.

That had to have been too easy, Theodore thought as he, Elizabeth and three-dozen nixies ran from the cave where the faeries were kept imprisoned to where Abigail and the others were. They had thought there would have been a guard of too to keep watch over the imprisoned nixies, but there wasn’t and there was key, hanging from the wall.

“I find this all to be a bit too easy,” Theodore said as they neared the other prison chamber.

“They may all be fighting each other,” Elizabeth suggested and pointed to the newly freed faeries. “They have said their guards had mentioned the revolution.”

“I still don’t like it. We haven’t come across any of the loyalists. There is still a possibility Abigail and the others might come across them.”

“If we were attacked you would have grown even more-“ Elizabeth’s words trailed off as they stepped inside, and had to step over the corpses of more merfolk. “They have been attacked.”

“We have won,” Murtogg said glumly, both he and Mullroy had their hats placed over their chests.

Theodore was about to ask what was wrong when he had heard the loud sobbing and looked over to the center of the room where Abigail was seated and holding what had appeared to be a rag doll in her arms. When she shifted her arms slightly, Theodore could see the flipper like feet.

“Oh no,” Theodore said softly before he made his way to Abigail. Several more Nixies were crowding around the young woman; all had forlorn expressions on her face. “She isn’t.”

Abigail shook her head. “She is still warm and breathing.”

“Almost,” one the other faeries said.

“Can’t you do something?” Elizabeth asked.

The faeries shook their heads. “She had spent too much of her energy, and she had received a serious injury.”

“You lied,” Abigail said between sobs. “You said it wasn’t serious.” She stared up at Theodore. “Look who is here. You wanted to see Captain Groves one last time.”

“Whitecap,” Theodore said as he kneeled down besides Abigail. “I am here.”

“Captain Groves,” Whitecap did not move her head or even open her eyes.

“Theodore,” he corrected her. “You can call me Theodore.”

“Theodore,” she took another shallow breath. “My people are free?”

“Yes they are.”

“What of Admiral Norrington?”

“I am also free,” James Norrington said from behind, prompting Theodore to turn and look to the entrance. James was there, dressed in his breeches and shirt, along with Saris, Turner, a weeping Julia Carlisle and Lieutenant Chase of the marines.

“Everything is well,” Whitecap said before she took another breath. Her chest did not rise again.

“Whitecap,” Theodore said her name. “Whitecap, open your eyes.” He brushed the top of her head and pulled back when her hair had started to melt. The rest of her body turned white before it eroded away, turning into sea foam before it blew away.

“No,” Abigail shook from the sobs. “She shouldn’t have tried to save us.”

“She was noble and brave,” Theodore pulled Abigail to her chest. He stroked her back while she wept. He only half watched as the other water faeries released the rest of the crew from their entrapment.

“How are we going to return to the surface,” Lieutenant Pryce asked. “It is too far to swim.”

“It won’t be difficult for Lieutenant Chase,” Saris said. “The Nixies will be able to help the rest of us up to the surface.”

“What of this Lorelei?” Theodore asked.

“She is dead,” Turner said.

“The Nixies are not the only ones who are free,” Theodore said as a single teardrop fell from one of his own eyes and landed on Abigail’s back.