A Little Mermaid's Tale

You took the shell and tentacles oozed its way out.

"Ya sure ya want ta do dis?" You took a deep breath and nodded your head grabbed onto the shell. You let it go over your heart and the tentacles went rigid sensing the immortality within you.

You placed it against your heart and it started sucking on your chest hard. You tried hard not to scream, the pain increasing as you lay there. Tears sprung from your eyes and you could no longer hold it in. Your skin felt like it was hot and on fire. Your insides were crawling as if trying to escape and your mouth went dry. Soon enough your vision became blurred and your breathing shallow. With that, you blacked out.

'Ooo...my head...my body...' Everything ached as you tried hard to lift yourself from the bed you lay in.

"Raven my child." Tia walked over to you and held a cup up to your lips.

"Drink dis." You slowly drank quenching your thirst and your burning insides.

"Feel betta?" You nodded your head and ripped off the covers.

"IT WORKED!" You shouted jumping up on your feet and then falling back onto the bed.

"Whoa." The room started to spin and Tia laughed.

"Ya are still weak, ya should rest." You shook your head.

"I can't. I have to go, do you have any clothes and boots I can wear?" Tia looked at you and nodded her head.

"Ya should really be restin' Raven." You sighed knowing she was right.

"I know, I know but I have to get going. I don't have much time." Tia threw a dirty and ripped up black and gold trimmed dress at you and black sailor boots.

"This?" Tia smirked.

"Wha else do ya think ya be gettin'?" You chuckled, nodded your head, and put on the clothes.

"Thanks." You grabbed the bread and downed the water that Tia had. You ate the bread, headed out to the boat, and waved off to Tia.

"Thanks Tia!" She smiled at you shaking her head.

"You be careful now! I dun need ta be seein' ya back 'ere for a while now." You laughed and nodded your head and made your way out of the small village. Now to find the Pearl.

::Third Person's P.O.V.::
"What?" Jack muttered seeing the compass going crazy again, only this time it was moving slowly in his direction. Jack shook his head and decided to stay the course that the compass had given him before.

"Bloody thing is driving me crazy. Whatever it pointed to before better have been good."

"Talking to yourself again Jack?" Jack turned around to see Kesare and Elma standing there.

"What do ye two be needin'?" Elma smirked and walked closer to him, her head tilting up further.

"To DOCK! Where in bloody hell are we going anyways?!" Jack glared at her as she glared back.

"I...SOMEWHERE! YE DUN NEED TO KNOW!" Jack yelled back at her. Faint laughter was heard from somewhere off the side of the boat. Jack looked at the girls who just shrugged their shoulders and slowly approached the edge of the boat.

"IS SOMEONE GOING TO HELP ME ON OR WHAT?!" They knew that voice. It was a bit shaky but they knew that voice.

"Raven!" Kesare ran to the edge of the boat and saw Raven waving up at them.

"What are ye doing here? HOLY HERA! YOU'VE GOT LEGS!" Raven laughed and coughed a bit, nodded her head.

"Yes now help me onto the bloody ship." Jack looked down at her shocked not knowing what to say.

"Aye, Gibbs!" Gibbs rushed over with a rope and they through it down to her. Raven grabbed on and with much difficulty. Jack noticed and quickly pulled the rope up along with her and helped her over. She pushed him away when she got on and fell into Kesare.

"Are you okay? God you look pale." Raven smiled weakly and she nodded her head.

"It's from the shell of Manu. It was the only way I could be come human, to warn you." She looked at Jack who just furrowed his brow.

"What?" Raven sighed and leaned onto her sister, her eyes closing for a moment and then opening. She rubbed at a piece of cloth that was tied around her thigh that had a bloodstain on it and Jack wondered what that was.

'If someone touched her I'll kill 'im. I swear I'll rip his bloody throat out.'

"What's that?" Raven looked down at the bandage and sighed.

::Your P.O.V.::
"That? I had to give up a scale willingly in order to get a day away from the man. That's what I came to warn you about. It seems no pirate believes that you're dead Jack. I was caught while I was still a mermaid and he had seen me with you and needed a mermaid's scale."

"HE WHAT?!" Kesare screamed. You chuckled lightly and shook your head.

"It's fine. I let him. I made a deal that, if I gave him the scale he would let me go out for one day and I would return to him." You saw Jack's jaw clench but didn't think much of it.

"Why would ye go back to 'im?" You looked at Jack and then down at the ship.

"He wants to use me to get the Pearl. I told him that when I returned that He would let you and your crew go free and unharmed." Jack looked at you like you were crazy.

"Ye really think I'm letting some man take me ship?" You glared at Jack.

"That's why I came here first! I wanted to become human because...the reason why I'm so weak, and pale is because-" You started to go into a fit of coughs and Kesare looked at you worried. She held onto you tightly and the crew just looked at you horrified.

"What she did nearly killed her!" Elma screamed at Jack.

"She's immortal!" Jack yelled back at her. You glared at Jack as did Elma and Kesare.

"That doesn't matter right now! What matters is someone is coming and will kill you all!" Jack stared at you rolling his eyes.

"WHEN IN BLOODY HELL ISN'T THERE SOMEONE COMIN' TO TRY AND KILL ME!" You glared at Jack leaning on your sister, holding on for support. Jack sighed calming down and you just bit at your lip.

"What's his name?"

"Captain Bane Sharpe."

"SHARPE!?" Jack screamed his face furious.

"Bloody bastard-"

"CAPT'N! THERE'S A SHIP COMIN'!" You looked out at sea and saw Bane's ship.

"That's him." Jack looked at you and you him.

"Jack...when he's finds me on the ship he'll try to use me." Jack swallowed the lump that was in his throat and forced out words that broke your heart to hear.

"There's no use in him trying to use you." You bit your lip and saw Bane's ship coming in on the Pearl.

"Raven you're in no shape to fight." Kesare said, sitting you down on a barrel.

"I have to go to Bane. I have to try and stop him from killing you all." You ran to where you saw Bane's men boarding the ship and saw Bane swing over and land near Jack his sword out and pointed at Jack's.

"BANE!" He looked over at you shocked, giving time for Jack to take out his as you ran in front of Bane.

"NO!" Jack looked at you shocked, as did the rest of his crew.

"Raven? Why didn't ye return?" Bane asked bringing you close to him. Everyone just stared at the two of you in complete and total shock.

"I had to come here first I'm sorry. Please, don't kill them, we agreed! I'm here now, I'll stay with you." Jack's jaw had literally dropped along with some of the other crews as they stared at the scene that unfolded in front of them.

"Raven you can't be serious!" Kesare screamed. You looked over at her sadly and then looked up at Bane.

"I am." Bane looked down at you and smirked.

"Stay with me, they live. But..." With that, Bane grabbed you and pulled you towards him, his sword against your neck as he smirked at Jack who just glared at Bane.

"RAVEN!" Kesare cried. One of Bane's crew had grabbed onto her and Bane just laughed.

"Now now, ye do want her alive don't ye? Don't ye Jack?" Bane looked over at Jack smirking, his voice harsh and cold.

"Captain, thank ye very much. And go ahead. This ship is mine, and I'll die first before giving it to you." Jack spat at him. He made eye contact with you, his eyes saying something that you knew would have been true, had you not done what you had did.

"How about her? She'll die before you do Jack." Jack smirked and readied his sword.

"She can't die mate." Tears sprung from your eyes as you began coughing again.

"RAVEN! NO! JACK PLEASE!" Kesare called out before someone hit her, knocking her out.

"Your right...but I can always just...kill her...over and over....and over again." Bane dragged the blade across your neck as you let out a small cry.

"No..." Elma shook her head.

"DON'T DO IT!" The cut was deep but not deep enough to kill you.

"Come on Jack? Still won't give up the Pearl? How about we bring out someone else?" Jack glared at Bane and his hand twitched over his pistol.

"Ah-ah, I wouldn't do that." Bane dragged the blade down the side of your face and then raised it above your stomach.

"Last chance." Jack stood still.

"Go ahead." You bit your lip never before feeling so helpless, so weak. Bane drove the knife down and into your stomach and you cried out.

"NO! YOU IDIOTS!" Elma broke free and ducked under the pirates that were trying to catch her and ran to you.

"Raven? Raven please say something." Tears brimmed her light pink eyes and you just smiled up at her.

"Fight for the Pearl." You whispered as the entire ship then broke out into an all out fight and the two Captain's engaged in a heated battle.

::Third Person's P.O.V.::
Elma took Raven over to a secluded spot so that she wouldn't be hurt anymore and then herself join in the fight for the Pearl.

Jack defended himself, jumping, thrusting, slashing, missing, dodging, and when he could sneak a glance at Raven's shaking body laying there in the corner.

"So ye really didn't care about the lass? Too bad, I did. She was beautiful." Jack attacked harder in anger and Bane laughed.

"Ye do care huh? Why Jack? Ye're never one to settle fer just one woman. Why this one?" Bane went to strike at his head but Jack blocked it and attacked back.

"Because." Bane went to go again for Jack head when Jack ducked and stuck the sword straight through his stomach and out the other end.

"Because this isn't the first time she's died for me. NOW! ANY BODY ELSE WANT TA COME 'ERE AND TRY AND TAKE ME BLOODY SHIP?!" Jack yelled to the rest of Bane's surviving crewmembers. The quickly made their way back to their ships and Jack his way over to Raven. Jack looked over her and she was shaking, her body becoming colder as time passed. Kesare ran over, tears spilling from her eyes at seeing her sister.

"Why isn't she coming back? I thought you people were immortal?!" Jack yelled at Kesare panicking.

"Jack, the only way she was to become human was to give up her immortality. That's why she was so weak before. She was still suffering from the affects of the shell." Jack closed his eyes tight not wanting to believe what he was hearing.

"Let me tell you something...that shell...much worse than this..." Jack opened his eyes to see Raven smiling at him. She raised a pale hand to his cheek and caressed it. Jack grabbed onto her hand and held it tightly.

"Elma...where's Elma?!" Jack looked around and saw Elma laying a little ways from the helm badly injured. Jack looked at Kesare and Kesare ran over to her.

"Elma?" Elma groaned and looked up at Kesare.

"Did we get 'em?" Kesare laughed and nodded her head.

"Listen, I'm going to use the dust to heal you and then you can make more for Raven, okay?" Elma smiled at Kesare and shook her head.

"Dust won't work on me. I'll heal with time. Heal her first, she'll die without it. I'll be okay." Elma coughed and looked down at her leg, which was bloody and gashed open. Kesare nodded her head and took the satchel and threw it to Jack who quickly opened it and sprinkled it on Raven's wounds. Everyone watched to see what would happen but nothing did. Kesare helped Elma and most of the others who were injured badly downstairs to get fixed up while Jack took Raven into his room. He did it again with the dust but nothing happened.

"DAMNIT! WHY ISN'T THIS WORKING!" Jack punched the wall and Raven coughed.

"My throats dry." Jack ran over to her and nodded his head.

"I'll get ye water." Jack ran and quickly got her some water and helped her drink it. She smiled sadly at Jack, tears running down her face silently.

"Jack...I'm going to die." Jack shook his head.

"No, no. Something is just wrong, it's just taking its time. The dust will work. Don't worry. Ye'll be fine." Jack paced back and forth his thoughts racing.

'I can't lose her. No, I can't! God, please I don't want to lose her. Not her.'

::Your P.O.V.::

You shook as you laid in Jack's bed, cold. You felt your life slipping away.

"Jack, I'm cold." Jack got on the bed with you and held you close and brought up the blankets to try and warm you up.

"Better, love?" You nodded your head, your eyes starting to feel heavy.

"Jack, I'm so tired." Jack shook his head turning yours to face his.

"Raven no, stay awake. Ye have to stay awake." You coughed, your body going numb.

"I can't...I-I love you..." Jack let out a nervous laugh and held you close, kissing your lips.

"If ye love me then ye'll stay awake." You smiled sadly tears pouring from your eyes. You didn't want to leave Jack.

"I want to. But I can't. I'm to sleepy." Jack held on tightly as he saw your eyes close.

"No, NO! RAVEN! Please no..." Jack held up your head in his hands, his thumbs wiping away the tears. You could hear Jack's voice break up but faintly. You didn't know what else to do, you just slipped away into the darkness, you let yourself go, until something, something you never thought you would hear pulled you back.