Isabella found Robin leaning over the railing on the starboard side of the ship after she was done straightening up the crew's quarters below deck. She walked up to him silently, noting that in his hands, he held a spherical object. "What do you have there, Robin?" Isabella asked him when she stopped right next to him.
In a moment of irrational panic, Robin tried to cover up the Mermaid's Tear with his hands, but unfortunately, the treasure was too large to escape his companion's curious blue eyes.
"What is that?" Isabella reached over, flung away the hand that was clasped on top of the object, and took it away from Robin. Her eyes widened in amazement as she looked into the orb, and a flash of underwater scenes flitted from inside, just as it had done to Robin and Jack. "This is amazing!" Isabella whispered in awe. She forced herself to tear her gaze away from the pretty images and looked up at the nervous-looking boy. "What is it?" she repeated, more eagerly. "Is this what you and Captain Sparrow retrieved from the cave?"
Robin pressed a finger to her lips for silence. He looked around and was relieved to see that, aside from Jack and Gibbs at the helm, he and Isabella were the only people around. Nearly all of the men had gone down below for the afternoon ration of food from the galley. Robin returned his gaze back to Isabella and removed his finger. He placed both of his hands around her hands, which still held the orb. His palms tingled with the contact of Isabella's smooth, tan skin.
"Well?" Isabella said impatiently as she tried to ignore the feeling of his warm hands on her own. "What is this thing?" She watched Robin bite his lower lip hesitantly, and she knew then that there was something important about this treasure that made it more valuable than the gold coins or the jewels the other men had brought back. She lowered her voice. "Robin?" she whispered, wide-eyed.
Robin moved his head closer towards hers. "You won't tell anyone, will you?" he pleaded. He was both half-frightened and half-eager to tell her his secret.
Isabella slid out her right hand from under his and pressed the palm over her heart "Cross my heart," she promised. She removed her hand and placed it over his.
Robin grinned. "Alright, I'll tell you." He gently took the orb from her hands and held it up close to her eyes, yet not close enough so that she'd be once again lost in the beautiful images it contained inside. "This is called the Mermaid's Tear," he began. "This whole voyage has been to find this treasure."
"Where did it come from?" Isabella gasped.
Robin told her the old legend of the mermaid and her human lover, which ended in the mermaid shedding the first tear when she chose to be a human for her sailor-lover and give up being a mermaid forever. "My mother had the map to the Mermaid's Tear, given to her by her late guardian and lookout, Mr. Drummond," Robin said. "I took the map when I"-he hesitated before saying-"ran away."
Isabella's eyes lit up at the mention of his mother. She cocked her head slightly to the side and pursed her lips. "You know," she drawled. "I specifically remember you promising to me the last time we made port that you'd tell me about your 'infamous' mother."
Robin inwardly cursed, having hoped she'd have long forgotten that promise. He tried to worm his way out. "But that was in a different circumstance," he said dismissively.
Isabella narrowed her eyes and stomped her foot down hard on the wooden floorboards. "The circumstance being that Captain Sparrow was planning on leaving me there so you wouldn't have to ever tell me about her?" she snapped.
Robin flinched and quickly averted his guilty eyes. He mumbled something incomprehensive, but Isabella somehow got the gist of it. She placed her hands on her hips and glared at him, reminding the boy strongly of his mother when he dared to look back at her. "You almost look just like her when you do that," he muttered ruefully as he turned and leaned over the railing again.
Isabella looked at his emotionally torn face and softened her posture and attitude a little. She also leaned on the railing next to him. "So, this is what I know so far from what you've told me," she began. "You're mother is the pirate woman Emelia Kraven, she lives in Barbados, she's still an amazing swordsman, and she gave up her life as a pirate to raise you by herself. Is that right?"
Robin nodded as he idly turned to Mermaid's Tear over and over in his hands, lost in thought.
Beginning to turn impatient with her growing curiosity, Isabella pressed for him to tell her why he ran away from home. "Besides to go look for this," she said, indicating the glass orb he held precariously over the ship's edge.
Robin quickly side-glanced her way. "And how would you know there are other reasons why I ran away?" he asked stiffly.
Isabella merely gave him a stern look.
Robin sighed frustratingly. "I hate living on the land," he first put simply before he began to explain at length of how it was like for him living in Bridgetown, Barbados. "I felt totally landlocked, trapped. I knew I was destined for the sea. Its total freedom called to me, you know? I needed to get away. Not from my mother, for I do love her dearly, but I needed to get away from the land. The map gave me an excuse to."
"Didn't you once tell me you also wanted to find your father?" Isabella recalled thoughtfully. She didn't notice Robin shift uncomfortably with this mild inquiry. She did not know yet who his father really was, but the boy had a feeling that she'd find out very soon enough. "And your mother is Emelia Kraven." Isabella looked up at the sounds of seagulls flying over their ship. Her eyes closed, thinking hard. "But wasn't it well-known that she had taken as a lover. . ." She trailed away as it all began to click inside of her. Gasping in surprise, she rounded on Robin and pointed a finger at him. "Y-Your father i-is-!" She couldn't quite get the words out, great her shock was. "And all this time!" Isabella gasped again. "Did you know?" she whispered loudly.
Robin smiled crookedly, which earned a squeal of delight from his female companion. Isabella clapped her hands, making Robin actually throw his head back and laugh at how comical she looked. "I actually found who he was quite a long time ago before I met you," Robin confessed.
"Does he know?"
Robin nodded. "Definitely."
Isabella's eyes immediately zeroed onto the captain in question, who was at the helm, manning the great steering wheel. "How did he take it when he found out?" she asked. She looked at Robin again as he began to shortly tell her the shock, the anger, and later, the acceptance or, so Robin hoped it was that. "You don't know?" Isabella's tone turned both shocked yet sympathetic. The latter feeling won over her, and in a moment of compassion, she placed her arm around Robin's waist and hugged him. She felt him stiffen at first then slowly relax. In his ear, she whispered, "Every time I see you two speak or otherwise interact, I can see that you do mean something to him, Robin."
Robin looked out to the blue ocean stretched before them. "I hope-" Robin's words trailed away as he squinted his eyes at the distance. He could have sworn to have seen a large, blue tail just disappear from amongst the crushing waves. Robin pulled away from Isabella and leaned more over the railing. "Did you just see that?" he demanded of her.
Isabella looked out into the waves, trying to find what he had seen. "No, what was it?" she asked.
Robin saw the large tail again, but closer this time, as if the fish was coming towards the ship. "Over there, look!" he yelled and pointed.
Isabella did and gasped as the tail went under again. "Could that be some sort of shark?" she exclaimed.
Robin shook his head vigorously. "That's definitely not a shark's tail. Besides, there shouldn't be any bloody sharks in these parts!"
"Oh, careful Robin!" Isabella cautioned as he leaned forward more. One of his hands was gripping tightly onto the railing while the other one that held the glass orb dangled precariously over the water. "You might drop the Mermaid's Tear!"
Robin saw the tail again. However, this time, he could have sworn he had seen the pale back of a human attached to it. "Jack! Jack!" Robin called towards the helm.
"What is it, lad?" Jack Sparrow immediately returned, clearly hearing the urgency in his cabin boy's tone.
Robin's eyes hunted for another sight of the fish, which he prayed was only just a large fish. "There's something swimming up to the Pearl! It's massive!" Out of the corner of his eye, the tail disappeared under the water again. Robin and Isabella waited with abated breath as the seconds stretched into tense minutes.
Isabella relaxed first. "I think it's gone." The relief was clear in her voice. She turned around at the sound of footsteps hurrying towards them. "What the devil was that entire ruckus about?" Jack demanded. "Ye nearly scared the livin' daylights outta Gibbs!"
Robin's brows scrunched together in earnest concentration as his dark brown eyes darted over the water's choppy surface. "I swear I saw something, captain!" he whispered raggedly.
Jack turned to the boy and noticed then how far Robin leaned over the ship's rail. Momentarily forgetting that Isabella was there, Jack said, "Son, get yer arse back onto the ship before we have you fallin' into the ocean again and I have to save you!" Jack strode over to his cabin boy with every intention of reeling Robin back himself. "And this time ye don't even have a rope ar - why in God's name do you have that floatin' over the water?" Jack exploded when his eyes landed on the Mermaid's Tear still held tightly in Robin's hand and over the water. Jack reached for it. "Give it here or else-!"
Isabella screamed. Yet, nothing could have been done in time to prevent the outcome. As Jack had begun to lean over the rail to take the glass orb from his son, there came a great splash from their right side and the same fish Robin and Isabella had seen leaped high into the air.
However, it wasn't a fish at all. Robin's jaw dropped and his pupils dilated. It was her! His mind flew back to that precise moment that seemed a long time ago - to the short but terrifying time spent underwater, fighting the harsh storm waves, and then, seeing a blond mermaid (though he hadn't really acknowledged it at the time) that had fearlessly swum around him in circles before he had been yanked back onto the Pearl.
The mermaid's flawless skin was still a glowing pale. Her eyes, which were as seaweed-green as he had last seen them, now looked at Robin with mischief and triumph as she soared over his and Jacks heads, snatched the Mermaids Tear almost effortlessly from Robin's slackened grip, and dove back down underneath the waves with a delighted laugh.
Jack spent no precious time in waste and wonderment. He immediately had sprung into action as soon as he had seen the mermaid take the treasure from his sons shocked-numb fingers. Jack Sparrow turned to Isabella then. "Izzy, go down to the galley and raise the alarm!" he ordered. "I want all available hands on deck immediately!"
"What am I supposed to tell them, Captain Sparrow?" Isabella cried.
Jack flapped his hands about as he tried to keep calm in front of this obviously hysterical girl. "Tell them a mermaid has just escaped with our treasure! Go, lass!" He flapped his hands at her. When she had bolted towards the hatch, Jack rounded on Robin and hauled him back on board. From his trench coat, Jack pulled out his telescope and pushed it into Robin's hands. "Master Robin, keep an eye on that bloody mermaid!"
Robin quickly sobered into action and let the adrenaline and urgency of the situation overtake him. "Aye aye, captain!" Robin shouted before he turned back around and used to telescope to locate the thief. To Robin's surprise, Jack was able to assemble the men and get them riled up to capture to mermaid and recapture the stolen "treasure". With Robin as their lookout and human compass, the Black Pearl and her crew began a mad chase down of the elusive mermaid as she swam and jumped through the waves just like a dolphin.
With the tremendous help of Jack's telescope, Robin could easily see her. He could see the surprise that came from recognizing how fast the Pearl could sail through the waves as she could, and he could also see the panic on her face as the ship was gaining quickly on her. "We're almost upon on her, captain!" Robin shouted over his shoulder. Indeed, they were almost a few yards' distance from capturing the mermaid with a large fishing net with a tied rope ready to haul her onto the deck.
"Ready the net, you slimy sea slugs!" Jack shouted over the men's excited chatter. "We're capturing us a mermaid!" A roar of assent met these words. A large fishing net was brought onto the main deck from its place in the cargo hold and moved towards the bow of the ship. By this time, the ship had gained on the mermaid and the starboard side bow was sailing along right next to her. "On my count of three! One, two-!"
GO TO THE RESULTS!!!
Robin was thrown off his feet as the first of many cannon fire crashed onto the starboard side of the Pearl. He faintly heard Isabella screaming his name as he fell on his left side. She flew to him and was standing there right next to him in seconds. "Are you alright?" she shouted above the din. With her help, Robin shakily got back onto his feet. "What's happening?" he cried.
However, he needn't have asked the question for it was very plain what was happening before their eyes. Another pirate ship had attacked them from the right of the Pearl, and now, the Pearl was fiercely retaliating. Men from both ships were firing at each other from across the small stretch of sea between the ships. Other brave ones had chosen to take grappling hooks and swing themselves directly into enemy territory.
Robin simultaneously took Isabella's hand and drew out his cutlass with his other hand. He looked over his shoulder and was relieved to see that for all this time, Isabella also had her cutlass in hand. A one-armed pirate from the enemy ship landed right in front of them with a fierce scowl. Robin recognized him immediately as the man named Manchot, one of two other co-conspirators in league with Adder!
"Arr, hand o'er the lass and I won't kill ye boy!" Manchot growled. He brandished his rusty sword threateningly.
Robin's eyes widened. What could he want with Isabella? Instinctively, he pulled the said girl protectively behind his back.
Manchot grinned. "Chivalry's dead, boy, but if ye insist!" Manchot raised his cutlass and brought it down.
Robin back away in time with Isabella still in tow. "If that is all you've got, then I guess having only one arm is more of a burden than I thought!" Robin jeered. He let go of Isabella's hand and pushed her away to blow another swipe down from Manchot. Out of the corner of his eye, Robin saw that Isabella had also been immediately engaged with another pirate, who seemed to have some sort of bad twitch. Robin recognized this man as the stumpy Ceppo, the second co-conspirator. Robin returned his attention to Manchot. "What do you want with Isabella?" he demanded as he pushed Manchot's blade off of his. He began a barrage of offensive attacks and Manchot did his best to parry.
"I follow orders, boy. I don't give a rat's arse wot Adder wants wit the girl!" Manchot yelled between huffs of breath. His missing arm did give him a disadvantage, despite all the years he had practiced his balance in a swordfight. However, Manchot did manage to smirk maliciously as a thought came to mind then. "Ohh ho ho! Now I see it! 'E wants a bit o' payback wit ye, boy!" he sneered.
Robin ducked the swipe to his head. In one move, he flipped around his cutlass to he held the hilt and shoved it up Manchot's gut. As his opponent stumbled back, hacking for air, Robin heard a scream just beyond him. A girl's scream. Robin looked wildly around, but he couldn't find Isabella on the Pearl's battle-raged deck. This only meant that Ceppo must have succeeded. "Jack! Jack!" Robin cried out in anguish as he fought the battling pirates towards his way to the starboard side of the ship. "They've taken her! They've taken Isabella!" Robin pushed an unknown pirate who was fighting Gibbs right in front of him over the railing. "Gibbs! Isabella's been taken by Adder!"
"What?" Gibbs shouted. "Adder's running this whole siege?"
"And he's taken Isabella!" Robin shouted in frustration.
"OI!" The old man and the young boy turned to the helm, where the upper half of Marty's body was seen over the railing. He had one short arm pointed towards the enemy ship. "They're retreating!"
"Noooo!" Robin shouted above the roar of victory that came from his fellow crewmen. Yet, it was true. Any of Adder's men that could still walk on the Pearl were taking their previously abandoned grappling hooks and swinging back onto their ship. Down farther on the Pearl near to the helm, Robin spotted Manchot stumbling towards an abandoned grappling rope. Acting wildly in desperation, Robin roughly pushed Gibbs out of his way and many others as he charged towards Adder's co-conspirator. "Don't let that bloody turncoat get away!" he roared. Robin jumped over a fallen body and effectively tackled Manchot, who was unconscious before they had hit the ground. Leaving him there at the foot of the stairs, Robin turned around and grabbed up the grappling rope. He had barely enough time. He could already see Adder on the other side, barking orders to his men to get his ship out of the area. Behind Adder, Robin saw three things that both shocked and terrified him. One, Adder had Isabella successfully captured, struggling as she was in Ceppo's tight grip. Two, was the blond mermaid that had taken the Mermaid's Tear, captured in a fishing net and trapped. And last, the Mermaid's Tear itself was held in Adder's grimy hand.
Soo, like I said, FIVE more chapters to go until this is OVER!!! *tear* Depending on my amount of homework and my Junior Prom (which is in two weeks), my next chapter will be within those two weeks.
RATE AND MESSAGE!!!
