Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or any refrences to the plots of the previous two movies, in which all are copyrighted to Disney. What do I own? This loverly plot-bunny that I just had to publish before the next chapter of The Way the Wind Blows.
Author's Notes: It's eleven o'clock at night, and this plot bunny jumps into my head, and it won't let me fall asleep until it is put upon paper... erm... word-document. It's a short first chapter, but I didn't want to... go overboard by shoving ALL this information down your throat at once.
So. What do you need to know to read this fanfic? Both movies. You must also know that this is about a week after the crew met with Tia Dalma after Jack died. They are out to get the Pearl, get the Captain, avoid Beckett and Davey Jones. My take of the third movie.
By the way... It's still W/E. May not look like it, but...
...Looks can be decieving. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Devil's Riddle
By: MJ
Chapter One
Eyes of the Road
"Where are we headed?"
"To Isle del Diablo, Miss Swann… or perhaps now it's been made Turner?"
The Island of the Devil, Elizabeth thought to herself, as she, on Barbossa's orders, jumped from the longboat and began swimming towards the black sandy shore before her. From the tiny bit of Spanish she was taught by her governess, she quickly realized how perilous this journey would be. These thoughts were confirmed when the rowboat was carried by the horrible waves around the beaches into a pile of sharp rocks. It completely broke, the large planks now laid amongst the rocks. Elizabeth fought against the powerful waves, trying her best to avoid an unfortunate fate, but it was obvious that the governor's daughter had little swimming experience. She kept her head above the water, and swung her arms terrifyingly, afraid she would not be able to keep herself from an regrettable fate.
Suddenly, she felt someone pull at her waist, holding her to him or her, as they swam farther out into sea, away from the island and towards the small fishing schooner Tia Dalma had been able to give them. She could see the crew aboard the ship, bustling around doing their daily chores, and wondered if the person was taking her back. She continued to flail her arms to get away; she'd be damned if they were going to leave her behind.
"Stop flailing your arms like that," a cold voice hissed at her, "or we'll both drown."
"I can swim," she replied haughtily, and glowered as she heard the man chuckle, as he swam towards the island again; this time he swam at a safe enough distance away from the rocks.
"Not from what I just witnessed, Miss Swann." She flinched as he used her formal name, as she was finally able to recognize the voice. The way he was holding her, however, caused her to be unable of turning to look William Turner in the face. She felt helpless as they finally made it close enough to shore that they could walk, where Will immediately dropped his grasp on Elizabeth. He rearranged his pistol, sword, and hatchet on his belt, before he trudged up the black-sanded beach. He made a point to avoid certain areas, and once Elizabeth had gotten up on the beach, she realized why.
Pointed conch shells and large shards of broken rocks dappled the beaches. She made a point to step exactly where Will stepped. After a few moments, she reached the little congregation around the edge of where the jungle began. She stood beside Will, who seemed to be making it his duty to not even glance her way. Something stung her in her gut, but she ignored it as the one of the two other members of their party began to speak.
"At da edge o' da isle, dere be a volcano," a woman, who's indigenous-looking clothing was clinging to her skeletal frame, spoke; she gestured wildly to the large mountain in the midst of the jungle. "In'a watery cave at da edge o' de volcano, lives da god o' da sea 'imself; Poseidon. But he be way beneath da surface—far from where you an' me could wand'ah. He lives, as da legend goes, on a bed of coral at da bottom of da ocean." Everyone nodded, as if they had already known this, but the astonished looks on their faces ruined what sincerity they thought they were establishing. "We must offer 'im dis," she pulled a small object wrapped in a burlap sack out of her side purse, before she quickly put it back inside, "for da Pearl."
"What about Jack?" Will asked suddenly, causing Elizabeth's head to jerk upwards and her eyes to watch her fiancée.
"We need dat ship before we can rescue de Captain, and we need t' talk to Poseidon." Tia Dalma said gruffly. She folded her arms across her chest in a very defensive way. She stared at him, before she smiled and spoke again.
"Now. Dere be no path to da volcano, but we must be careful dat we do not get lost in da jungle. Because we may never make it out of it alive."
"What optimism," Will said grimly. "Why wouldn't we make it out alive?"
"Ye never let me finish, boy, but dat be all right—I like 'em feisty," Tia Dalma flirted, winking at Will. He seemed to be even more uncomfortable at that thought, as he shifted his weight from foot to foot. Elizabeth cleared her throat, but Will merely rolled his eyes and made a dark comment under his breath, that Elizabeth barely caught:
"As if you have any room to talk."
Again, she felt a panging in her stomach that she couldn't quite explain. She seemed to be grasping at straws with her hurried explanations for his sentence, and she wasn't quite listening to what Tia Dalma was saying anymore. Her thoughts were broken at Will's bitter laugh.
"So… You're saying that not just Poseidon lives on this island, but it's an island created for the devil himself? What kind of a fool do you take me for, Tia Dalma?"
"A larger one than you think if you don't listen to her," Elizabeth said coldly. Will shot her a scathing glare, and she returned it, causing the fourth member of their party to laugh humorlessly. They both turned to look at the scraggily looking man in the large plumed hat, and he merely shrugged in return.
"Trouble in paradise?" He asked rhetorically, yet neither of the pair caught that latter fact.
"No."
"Yes."
Elizabeth turned to stare at Will in shock as he agreed to Barbossa's accusations. It was as if he had slapped her, and she was trying her hardest not to cry. Will turned back to Tia, who was smiling again; in a way that both of them knew meant she knew something they didn't. It made Will squirm slightly under her scrutinizing gaze, and this only made her smile larger. "So… This island was created for the Devil by… God?"
"Not any god—Hades had two brothers, Zeus, god of da upper world, and Poseidon, god of da sea." Tia said calmly "Poseidon has the power within himself, if he wills, to create new lands in da sea. In one o' dese better moods, he created two new islands for 'is brothers."
"Why does he live on this one, then?"
"Because Hades refused it. The god of da underworld don't like to be anywhere else but the underworld. And Poseidon, in his anger for his brother's selfishness, decided to live underneath this island for spite."
"How will he help us retrieve the Pearl?"
"Where d'ya t'ink the Pearl be, boy? On land? Or at da bottom o' da sea?" Tia Dalma asked in such a way that Will felt immediately stupid. She shook her head and smiled. "We must offer 'im a gift in return for da ship. Den, we must offer 'im another for da information on Jack."
She looked around and smiled, "Dis be where we are supposed to start. William Turner—you go first. Go straight; no matter what be in your way. Cut it with your sword. We will come to a clearing after a while. Cap'n Barbossa will go in da end. We bein' women an' all, Mrs. Turner--"
"It's still Miss Swann," Will said roughly before Elizabeth could politely point out Tia's mistake. Again, his words felt like he had physically slapped her. Tia's smile held something of a greater power in it, but both of the feuding members of the troublesome couple were too naïve to notice.
"—We be following in da middle. You go second—I need t' talk to Barbossa."
They took their positions, forming a very crude line as Will took out his sword. He stared at it for a moment, before his eyes turned up to the massive jungle, and finally they landed on Tia Dalma. At her nod, he began to slash the immense vegetation the jungle had.
There was very little noise being emitted from the small group—Barbossa and Tia were talking in hushed voices, and Will would hiss every once in a while as the thorned bushes would scrape and cut his arms and face. He tried to follow the best straight line he could, and he must've succeeded, as after a little bit, they came to a clearing.
"Start a fire, Turner, we rest here," Barbossa barked, extending his arm so that the fully clothed monkey residing on his shoulder could jump down. The little bugger moved about the small clearing, gnawing at an odd-looking coin. Will grunted in reply, looking around until he saw what he needed—kindling. He went to work in the middle of said clearing, completely focused and concentrated on the task at hand. Biting her lips as she saw him purposely avoid her, again, Elizabeth sat next to Tia Dalma, and the island woman offered her a small smile.
"Times be rough now, Miss Swann, but dey be gettin' bett'ah soon," she said in a reassuring voice. Elizabeth offered her a smile as compensation. She was watching Will strike a branch with a rock repeatedly, trying to get sparks to fly onto the dead leaves and twigs he was using for kindling. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and she turned to look at Tia Dalma.
"Ye'll be married t' 'im in no time. Give 'im time, dat boy's got a destiny about 'im so," she said, her eyes slightly glazing as she held a look that made it seem that she was miles away from true reality. Again, all Elizabeth could offer was a smile.
Destiny?
She shook the thought from her head, as she pulled her knees to her chest and hugged them tightly. She rested her chin on the tops of her knees, and continued to watch her love. His motions were quick and well thought out, yet he seemed to not be completely there. In fact, Elizabeth was willing to wager that if he were to look at her, she'd see anger and hurt in his eyes. She sniffed, and watched as the kindling began to smoke.
He bent down, blowing ever so gently on the small fire, and smiled victoriously at the results. The grin grew wider, and he glanced up at Barbossa, who was eating an apple he had retrieved from his coat pocket. "Keep it going, I'm going to go out and get larger pieces of wood."
"I'll go with you," Elizabeth said quickly. Will didn't look her way; instead he looked at Tia, who smiled.
"Go back da way we came. Stay close t'yer path, and if'n ye need 'elp, ye call."
Will nodded at her words and moved towards the faint opening in the vegetation. Barbossa barked, "Well, go on then!" towards Elizabeth, who was still sitting there, dumbstruck that he hadn't even acknowledged her. She jumped up, frightened, and moved quickly behind Will.
After a while of tension-filled silence, Elizabeth had to do something; it was suffocating her. "Will," she said softly, but he kept moving, his eyes darting around him for some dry wood he could use. "Will," she said, louder yet, but he still managed to ignore her. She bit back sobs as she cried aloud, "William Turner—say something! Say anything—I can't take this silence anymore!"
"You should've thought of that before--" but he stopped himself as he turned around to glare icily at her; he had noticed she was silently crying. His face softened, but his eyes remained hard and hurt.
"Before what, Will? What have I done to deserve this?"
"As if you don't already know!"
"I know nothing of why you are so angry with me, as you haven't given me the slightest clue as to what is going on!" She shrieked, her voiced thoughts echoing throughout the jungle. Will folded his arms over his chest.
"It wasn't proper."
"Our relationship has never been proper, Will," she regretted the words just as soon as they left her mouth. The emotion that flashed in his eyes made her sick to her stomach; as betrayal became as clear as light right across his chocolate brown eyes. "No, Will, I didn't mean it--"
She was cut off when he laughed bitterly, and the sound tore her even further apart. "Go back to camp, Elizabeth, so we can save your Jack Sparrow."
"Captain."
"Always was a fan of his, weren't you?" He laughed again, and realization dawned on her features. "I let it go the first time he let it slip up at the fort--do you remember?-- but this is just too much." He snorted, "And our relationship wasn't proper," he laughed again and turned away from her.
He was standing right in front of her—she could see him so clearly! —but it felt as if he wasn't even there anymore. He wasn't real to her anymore, and it only tore her up even more inside. Had she been the one who had turned the gentleman that was William Turner into this beast? She shook her head at the thought.
"Go, Miss Swann, I doubt you'd be much help to me if you stayed," Will said harshly, and she could only reply equally as icily.
"Once again you have underestimated me, Mister Turner. And that is no one's fault but your own," Elizabeth bit the inside of her cheek to keep her from revealing everything yet. He was still angry—she had to find a time when he wasn't so emotionally unstable to tell him that she had done it for him. That she had kissed and betrayed Jack Sparrow so that they might survive long enough to get married. That one-day she and Will could grow old together; watch their children grow old, too. "Remember that one, Will."
He heard her footsteps against the fallen brush, and his shoulders relaxed. She had said his name so softly; that he could distinctly detect the love and passion it held. It made him think of times before Jack Sparrow complicated things. He snorted at the thought, knowing full well that 'complicated' was an understatement.
He wanted so bad to just forgive her and forget about it so that he might be able to hold her in his arms and kiss her as if there was no tomorrow. He wanted just to hold her, that was all, and yet his stubbornness forbade him. She betrayed him, and she'd have to regain that trust.
With a grunt, he picked up the chopped up wood and stood, making his way back into camp, his mind clouded with his thoughts. Once back at camp, he realized that Elizabeth wasn't anywhere to be seen. At first, he was worried, but when he heard faint sniffing, he realized she was probably hidden under the shade of one of the larger trees, and he also realized Tia Dalma was with her, as he specifically heard her voice say:
"Just be patient, Miss Swann, the universe 'as a funny way o' righin' itself."
Will snorted again, and began to build up the fire. His stomach made an odd gurgling noise, and he looked up at Barbossa. "What have we to eat?" He asked him, and the older man laughed. Will rolled his eyes and turned to Tia Dalma. "Well?"
"Didn't t'ink o' it, did'cha, William?" She asked, and he rolled his eyes, returning to his task at hand. "Don' worry—I'll go catch us some fish." Will wondered how'd she be able to do so; the beach was covered in such an array of things, and the ocean seemed untamable as it crashed down upon the black sand. Unfortunately, Tia was gone before he came up with the guts to ask. He moved away from the blazing fire, but stayed close to it. He figured it was getting darker—as the air around them seemed colder. Perhaps another thing that was only signature to this island? After all, he had been sweating moments before.
He heard the snapping of twigs as someone moved to sit next to him, and he didn't have to look to know that it was his Elizabeth.
No. Not anymore—have you already forgotten how she betrayed you?
Will grimaced; he would never be able to get the vision of his love—and his fiancée—kissing that horrible Jack Sparrow. Will silently vowed to kill the man all over again; the first chance he got.
He heard her shiver beside him, and he looked at her. She was still slightly damp from their excursion in the sea, only a few hours previous, and her damp clothes were clinging uncomfortably to her skin. She was also trying her best not to look at him, and unlike he, she was succeeding.
"Move closer if you're cold," he said gently.
"Not that's it's any of your concern, Mister Turner," he winced visibly as she used his proper name (and the wince was somewhat hypocritical, he later realized), "but I'm fine."
"You must be cold, here," he moved to take off his over coat. She silenced him with her last sentence.
"I won't take your coat, nor your pity; I'm fine."
And they didn't speak again until Tia Dalma returned with three large, black fish. Elizabeth took them, and grabbed a dagger out of the inside of her boots—a dagger, Will painfully realized, was the one he had given her—and began to skin them. Will watched her as she impaled them on a long stick Tia provided. She then placed them over the fire, and waited.
He felt somewhat of a savage, and he realized how out-of-place Elizabeth must have felt. If he, the common blacksmith, felt a bit out-of-place eating hunted fish over a fire (which, in a sense, could be considered a delicacy to his normal stew and bread), the governor's daughter must be the true fish out of water.
The group ate silently, all seemed to be too hungry and tired to talk. It was growing darker, and all were soon to realize exactly how tired they were. "Sleep und'ah da shade o' da trees—it'll be chilly tonight, but ye'll be t'ankful in da mornin'," Tia sniffed, and they all agreed with her, moving outwards towards the edges of the clearing. Will made himself comfortable around the above-ground roots of a large, shaded tree. Elizabeth followed him quickly, realizing that it was probably one of the better trees to sleep under. She shivered again, and he offered her a smile that disappeared as quickly as it came to be.
He shrugged off his jacket and handed it to her. At the signs of her protest, he frowned even further, "Take it. We don't need you sick."
Seeing that it was quite reasonable for him to think so, she took it, and buried herself beneath it. She moved around a bit before she got comfortable, and she watched him curiously. He unbuckled his boots, and was placing his weapons in key areas around him. He then shrugged off his large tunic, folded it, and placed it under his head. He turned his back to her, and sighed.
She, however, stifled a gasp at the large, scarred welts on his back. The thought of him going through so much—as they had had little time to discuss what had really gone on during his bout with Davey Jones and the Flying Dutchman—made tears well back up in her eyes. She also noticed that he, too, was cold—but not by visible shivering as she was. He had goosebumps all over his back and arms, and she could tell he wasn't getting much luck in falling asleep. She sighed, and got up. She lay down beside him—their bodies inches away from actually touching—and took off his coat. She placed part of it over him and part of it over her.
"We also don't need you freezing to death, William Turner, just because you're stubborn."
She could've sworn she heard him chuckle.
Will groaned at the offensive light that was slowly trickling through the vast jungle, causing him to stir. He rolled over, and shivered. His eyes jerked open, and he turned and looked beside him, where he had heard a faint noise. He relaxed upon seeing Elizabeth, curled up under his large coat. She looked so tiny, that it made him smile, and for a moment he forgot about their troubles.
For just that moment, as she quickly stirred after him, probably having noticed that there wasn't another body's warmth keeping her comfortable. He blushed as she turned her hazel eyes towards him, and genuinely smiled at him.
"Will," she said softly, sitting up behing him. She began to pull the twigs and leaves out of his hair so gently, that he barely felt her do such. When finished, she began to take them out of her own.
"Yes?" He asked, his voice still holding a bit of something that made her stomach churn.
"What… what happened on the Flying Dutchman?" She asked quietly, almost cautiously; truly afraid of his answer. He was quiet for a moment, wondering where she had gotten the nerve to ask him such a personal question, when he felt her delicate fingers trace the wounds on his back. His vision seemed to go red, and he snapped himself away from her touch.
"Curious now, are we?" He asked coldly, removing his shirt from it's position. He quickly slipped it on, and turned back to stare at her. "As if you care—perhaps my disappearance was just your excuse to be able to get friendly with Jack Sparrow."
"Captain—and, Will, it wasn't—I was worried--"
"That I might find out once I get back?"
"I was worried that you were--"
"Turner! Swann! Stop yer fightin' an' get yer arses over 'ere, we need ter be startin' soon!" Barbossa barked from his seat at the fire, where he was eating a similar-looking fish to last night. Will nodded, and stood, readjusting the miscellaneous weapons and such on his belt. He walked away from Elizabeth again, and she sat there, silently fuming.
Finally, she stood, and put on Will's coat, wrapping it tighter around her. She inhaled his scent and smiled—there was at least one thing from Will that she could keep. Two, if she counted the little golden ring on her fourth finger on her left hand. She twisted said ring around her finger for a moment before she walked towards the group. The three of them were standing in a small semi-circle around the fire, and Tia was dishing out more helpings of that strange black fish. The men ate silently, as Tia worked to put out the fire; her share and Elizabeth's share remaining untouched on two large banana leaves. About six pieces of the tropical fruit were beside them, and Elizabeth smiled at the idea of eating something sweet.
After they ate, silently, of course, they formed their crude line all over again. After the same brief instructions to go straight no matter what, Will began to hack a new path through the thick vegitation.
They didn't rest for hours, it seemed, and it was taking it's toll on Elizabeth. What's more, the temperature on the island had greatly increased, and she was afraid she'd come down with hyperthermia or heat stroke if she continued. She shrugged off Will's jacket and immediately felt cooled, but the good feeling didn't last. It was too hot and humid on the island, and it was driving her insane. She wanted to kiss the volcano as they finally came to it.
"Follow 'round da left side, William," Tia called from her spot, and he nodded. He took them around the left side of the volcano, trying his best to stay away from both the thick, vast forests, and the volcano. It was as if he were afraid that if he touched it, it would erupt, and they'd all die.
Something Will decided he didn't want happening anytime soon. The others followed him silently, until he stopped abruptly. Even at Tia's urging, something was causing Will to stop. Elizabeth grabbed his shoulders and gently nudged him onwards, but his feet seemed glued.
"What the hell is that?" He asked incredulously, although it was still just a quiet murmer, and he bent down a bit so Elizabeth could see, and so they'd still remain in the line. Her face contored into a look of shock, awe, and disbelief.
Before them was the same beach they had previously been on--except that the sand was now the white-gold they knew from their sense of "normal" islands. On the far end of the beach--still connected to the vast volcano--was a large cave. It opened wide in a rectangular-type opening, with large stalactytes that hung from the top. These large, sharp stalactytes were a glittering gold in color. On either sides of the cave wall were carvings in the rocks; all of them were dolphins. Elizabeth couldn't understand how something as trivial as a cave was causing Will to stop.
And then she saw it--or, her, rather--a tall, looming figure perched on the rocks near the cave. All that could be seen was her torso, the rest was hidden. When she saw them, her large, bright blue eyes widened, and she opened her mouth and let out a sound none of the group had ever heard before. They covered their eyes and ears to try and muffle the horrible screeching, until it abruptly stopped. They opened her eyes to realize she was gone.
"Go in dat cave," Tia Dalma said, and Will sent her a look that clearly said are you crazy? He took a deep breath and obeyed, however. He led their crude line into the cave, their footsteps disappearing on the sandy beaches as the waves became more violent. Once they were all inside, Will stopped again, as it sounded like there was an avalanche occuring somewhere in front of him. He turned to question Tia Dalma, when his jaw dropped and his eyes widened.
"What be it, boy?" She demanded. "I'm gettin' tired o' stoppin'!"
He couldn't form the words in his mouth, and instead he gestured behind them.
The stalactytes had lowered to the ground, entraping them in the cave. Elizabeth made an odd squeaking noise, Barbossa chuckled humorlessly, and Tia Dalma's eyes glazed over again. They were quickly knocked out of their dismayed states as a cold, demanding, yet somehow still pretty voice sounded behind them.
"There's no escaping this now."
Thanks again for reading, and I hope you all liked it!