Disclaimer: I no own, therefore you no sue. I have no money anyways. Unless you want Bob? (My pet slug) Somebody please take him before he gets exterminated with the rest of the slugs in the garden, or dies from the early frost. He's really cute, and doesn't ask for much. Just keep him out of direct sun, and no salt. He's allergic to it.
This is a rewriting of the original story. Rewritten chapters will have a number beside the chapter title as shown below in brackets, and in the chapter selection dropdown in the corner. I finally couldn't stand looking at the horrible writing ability displayed in the earliest chapters, the ooc-ness, or the discrepancies that pop up if you look. So I rewrote/ did some serious editing.
Timeline. Says Jack gets the shard around 1660, and the jewel is shattered in the 1540's, leaving 120ish years between the two events. This is just for reference, if you want to know.
Also…Sesshoumaru's fluffy-item-on-shoulder? ( I know it isn't really a tail. A symbol of rank/importance is probably what it is. I'm not entirely sure, just like the rest of you.) But for now, let's all pretend it actually is a tail. It makes writing so much more fun…XD
Enjoy the (somewhat) less amount of spelling errors. I'll shut up now…)
Prologue (0): Shatter
As the Shikon no Tama burst apart in a spray of light, crystal needles few outwards in all directions. They traveled wide, exploding from the epicenter to find their way east and west, to every corner of the compass.
Some were taken further than others, and some shorter…but none went so far as the smallest shard. It was blown into the air, spinning, flashing in the setting sun as it whistled through the air, heading on a western trajectory. It journeyed towards the sea, finally coming to rest in the pale sand at the mouth of a nameless river.
It lay there, one more rock embedded in the sand, for half a century. Occasionally, youkai of varying strength came to the beach, looking for the source of power they could feel but not name, but they never found the lonely fragment. Not even the group of shard hunters ventured towards the beach, for they had no reason to. The Shikon shard remained forgotten.
Within a few years the nearby town became abandoned, after a particularly nasty snake youkai came though and took out his frustration on the inhabitants, not knowing what it was that he was looking for in the little village by the sea. The violet crystal lay undisturbed for many years before being found.
Some time later, Chinese corsairs drew their boat up on the beach, and set up camp high along the shore. They had a number of younger boys with them, and it was one of these who discovered the shard.
Yuri, the boy who was building their driftwood fire on the shore, found it and decided to tuck it in his pocket for later. He brought the shard back to his village and gave it to his mother. She thought it beautiful enough to put it on a chain around her neck.
When Yuri's mother grew old, she passed the shard down to her daughter, who kept the shard for over ten years. But when the village fell on hard times, and her family was starving, the daughter sold it to a peddler, who in turn sold it to a merchant prince.
The shard was stolen, bought and sold many times in the years after, until it was sold to a merchant named Shota traveling to Singapore, where it resurfaced at last.
Jack sat at a table sipping rum and looking out towards the harbor. He glanced at the ratty little merchant sitting across the table from him, and looked at the sliver of crystal with the sliver clasp on the table.
"I'll pay you what you want, Jack! Here, take this! As an extra, shall we say?" The merchant started dry-washing his greasy little hands. Jack sighed in annoyance. The crystal was nice enough, but he was wishing now he'd never lent anything to the slimy snake across the table. Granted, Shota had done him a few favors, but Jack came to the conclusion then and there that he was never going to lend anything, to anyone, for any reason, ever again. It only led to trouble.
Jack reached out and took the crystal. "One more day, Shota. That's it. Then I come looking for you." He fingered the knife at his hip briefly, and Shota went a pasty, not-quite white color of grey.
Jack smiled "Do we have an agreement?"
"Y-yes. I'll have everything by tomorrow!" Shota stood up hastily, and threw the change for his drinks on the rough cut table. He left rather hastily, and Jack grinned as the door closed. He still had it going for him. Shota was easy to frighten. Not that he'd actually do anything to him, but it took drastic action to get though his greedy little mind.
Jack set down his much, and picked up the necklace left on the table. He examined the sliver closely. Had Shota tried to outsmart him, and give him a bit of glass? He didn't think so. It felt like crystal. Pretty, too. It caught the light brilliantly, yet was smooth enough not to cut the one wearing it. Jack slipped it in his pocket, for later. Now if Shota would just give him his money back…
Draining his mug of rum, he set it down on the table and got up to leave, adding his own coins to Shota's, to pay for the drinks, and something extra for the serving wench.
He wanted to see the Pearl again. No one had bought her yet, and if he finally got his considerable loan(s) back, he'd have enough to purchase her…
Jack disappeared from the tavern, leaving thoughts of Shota and his greasy hair behind. The night spoke of promises, and of the sea salt that lingered permanently in the air.
Jack wandered down to the harbor, dreaming about his, or soon to be his, ship. She was a special model, made by a shipwright who liked to design fast ships. It made the price go up considerably…but it would be well worth it in the end… worth every last pence…
Simply by looking, he could tell she would be one of the fastest vessels afloat, if not the fastest. He continued on his way, dreaming about the day everyone would know the name of Captain Jack Sparrow. Captain Jack Sparrow, master of the Pearl…
In the late morning Jack sat in a tiny room above the tavern, toying with his crystal.
His head throbbed, and he winced. Rum was lovely at night, but you paid most dearly in headaches the next morning. But the price was worth it…. Or at least, it had seemed worth it last night…
He picked up the shard, wondering when he'd found the cord it was hanging from. The memory had faded into the fumes of a dozen drinking houses. He held it up, and glanced in the bubbled glass of the mirror. Right side, or the left side? Finally he decided on left, and wound the crystal into his hair to hang with the assembly of beads and trinkets already hanging there.
He ran a finger though the small collection, grinning. They each meant something. His first journey on a boat. The town he'd first discovered the joys of rum in. The day he was appointed first mate.
And now, the day he would become a captain. A day he'd been looking forward to ever since he'd been a little boy, avidly watching the ships sailing through the harbor entrance.
He rubbed a stray bit of grime from the crystal, grinning wider. If he became a Captain… It had been a dream for so long…
He closed his eyes and got up. Dreaming wouldn't get him anywhere. He had business to attend to first.
He had to see to the collection on Shota's loan (likely to be sticky) and of getting payment on a number of other loans and favors he was owed (likely equally sticky). Come nightfall, he should have the money, then the ship, and then a victory celebration involving rum.
All in all, Jack was a supremely happy man.
He sighed in contentment as he uncorked the first of many rum bottles aboard his new ship. Jack had decided to spend the little money left over from his purchase on victory drinks for himself, and for a few friends. Who hadn't shown up, quite yet. But they would, sooner or later. They wouldn't pass up free drinks.
They had also promised to become his crew. Jack grinned. He was a captain! For real! A bloody, honest to goodness Captain!
Life was good right now. Very good. He fuzzily conjured up visions of the future…he'd get a couple more people looking for passage to help him sail to the Caribbean…. He'd heard stories…lots of stories…he even had the compass now, and if it led him to Cortez, if the stories were true….
Jack took the compass out and rubbed at its polished surface, before putting it away and getting back to the serious business of celebrating, namely, getting as drunk as possible as soon as feasible. Just as soon as those dratted latecomers showed up…
Well, a slightly better version, even if it was a little short. Actually, a lot better. I didn't realize exactly how horrible it was till I looked hard. (Wince) Feel free to provide any comments. I love hearing from people, good or bad. Except, if it's bad, please tell me why you think it's bad so I can improve even more! )
Rewritten chapters will have brackets around the numbers. Original ones do not. Or, alternately, original chapters have review responses, while the new ones won't, to go with the latest set of rules. -.-
Step aside to my homepage: Dark Gardens (http/www. lumbe/ darkgardensps1/ index.html) Just remove spaces. Contains a large amount of writting, original and fanfiction, and an art section. Please come visit!
Originally posted: Jan 23 2004
Revised: Jan 3 2006