Sinking with the Titanic, Rose ends up on a ship with the pirate Jack Sparrow and a sea goddess' diamond heart. When she tries to free the cursed Will Turner things get complicated, but falling for a dishonest pirate on rum withdrawal is an even wor...
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"You are no thief, Rose." Calypso's hand was still stretched out. She had almost lost her humanoid appearance entirely now. Her features were shifting, changing, a multitude of sea creatures moving restlessly under her skin.
Rose took a step backwards, frightened by the apparition. But the goddess was right, she was no thief. This was not the way to escape death. If only... if only there was another way.
But wait! Maybe there was one more thing she could try. She thought of it at the same time as Jack. "The seashell!" he cried.
Picking up the white pendant she whispered into it: "Otohime."
She looked around her expectantly. The lagoon was empty except for the towering sea goddess, and on the shore stood Elizabeth, Gibbs and Jack near the bound pirate – Jack's enemy. A bit further away huddled the oddly assorted crew from the Black Pearl and the three animals; Hector the pig, Jack the monkey and an unnamed parrot.
"Drink up ye hearties, yo ho," said the parrot when her eyes fell on it.
Rose's hope dwindled. There was no little girl and no sea turtle anywhere to be seen. Otohime had not come.
Had her adventure under the sea been a hallucination after all?
"Give me my heart!" boomed Calypso. Waves were rippling around her, a brewing storm, and by the fire Elizabeth was down to the last bottle of rum.
In Rose's hand, the now scarlet diamond kept throbbing, its pulse spreading uncomfortable through her own body. She did not want it anymore, it was not right for her to keep it, but if she gave it up and stayed here she would become a ghost.
Was it not better to return it voluntarily and follow the sea goddess to the afterlife? She was dead after all.
Slowly Rose took a step towards the water.
"Don't do it," warned Jack, taking her free hand, holding her back.
She gave him a sad look. "I have to."
"Damn your conscience." He actually looked pained when he relaxed his grip and let her go.
Her hand slowly slipped out of his when she took another step. Maybe Jack still had a heart of his own, and maybe it was not entirely black.
The goddess bent forward, her upturned palm coming down to Rose's level. With a sense of finality Rose dropped the Heart of the Ocean into it.
"You chose well, Rose," she said, her voice soft as a breeze.
Rose looked at her morosely. She had not actually had a choice.
Slowly Calypso shrunk, solidifying into the pretty woman again in the presence of her heart. She was holding it in both her hands, gazing at the pink diamond lovingly.
Then Rose heard a series of tiny splashes from the lagoon, like someone was paddling across it in a tiny boat.
"A sea turtle," said Gibbs. "That's unusual this time of year."
