The Ties That Bind

Prologue

Will sighed as he surveyed the waters in the realm between worlds. No one was there. For two hundred fifty one years he had captained the Flying Dutchman and led the souls of those who had perished at sea to the afterlife. Now, however, the influx of souls was down to almost nothing. Of course, there were some accidents that they saw every now and again, but they had not had more than one hundred souls a year in quite a while.

William Turner had come to loathe the task that had been commissioned to him. It was hard enough herding nameless sailors, but before long, he began guiding some that he knew. Jack was the worst, though. He looked at Will with such sorrowful eyes and mouthed "I'm sorry," to him.

It was the apology that cut the deepest. He knew that Jack had died blaming himself for leaving Will alone. But Will could never blame Jack. He knew that the pirate had spent the years after the demise of Davy Jones hunting for immortality, so as not to leave his lover alone.

The years following that were gruesome as war after war passed in the world of the living. The horrors he had scene haunted him during his sleep, when he actually got to sleep that is. Now, however, he was beginning to wonder if those years were better than these, which seriously made him doubt his sanity.

"Eet was not meant ta be dis way, ya know," a voice he had not heard in years said from behind him. He turned around to face the goddess who was the cause of his curse, albeit indirectly. "Davy Jones loved me, an immortal. Ever ten years, he would see him love. But ya, ya love, him mortal, and ya had to see him die."

"If you came to remind me of that fact, I am well aware, Calypso," Will ground out, turning away from her.

"Now, William, dawn't be like dat. I come wit an escape for ya. De ship is nearly useless now. De world has lost eet's need for the sea, or at least eet's respect. Dere are few dat need ya guidance in dese times. I have ta release de Dutchman to the bottom of de sea."

"And what of us?" Will asked, spinning around quickly to face her. She looked the same as she had looked all those years ago, when Jack had introduced him to her in her swamp.

"De crew will move on to de afterlife."

"And me?"

She glanced down before looking him in the eyes. "I am sorry, William."

A shock of fear went through Will. "What do you mean, you're sorry?"

"Davy Jones was bound by twee dings – him love for me, him mission, and him locker. He broke him bond wit me when he betrayed me to de Pirate Lords. Him mission he did not fulfill, but wit eet came de ship, and he kept him ship, which tied him to the land of the living. Wit the releasing of de ship now, ya are tied only to de locker, in this realm between worlds."

"What does that mean?" Will demanded.

"Eet means dat ya will spend de rest of ya eternity in Davy Jones' Locker," Calypso clarified.

"That's it! That's all I get! I had to watch the people I love perish one by one, I toiled relentlessly under the burden of your mission, and all I get is eternity alone? And you're sorry!"

"Eef ya would calm down a moment, I do have a proposal, one dat would allow you to be together wit de one ya love." Will grew silent and looked at her intently. "I could send ya spirit to be reincarnated, along wit de spirits of dose closest to ya, including ya love."

He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "What's the catch?"

"Ya curse of immortality will follow ya, and eef ya dawn't find a way to bind ya to the world of da living b'fore ya die, ya will go to de locker, as will dose dat ya love, but ya will not be together eef dat happens, for ya give dem de immortality curse as well. Ya humans are only meant to travel dis earth once, dat is de way eet is."

Will thought hard. How could he do that to Jack, and gods knew who else Calypso would decide to drag into this? Was he selfish enough to disturb their peace? Could he risk it?

"I know what ya dinking, William, and eet is not selfish. Dere is a way to come out on top of dis bargain, and I will help ya if ya discover eet."

"Will I remember? Will they remember?"

"Ya will each remember de parts that involve dose ya know, and ya will remember ya feelings. Dat's all I kin give ya. De gods help dose who help themselves. Do ya accept?"

Will was silent for a minute.

"Yes."

tbc...