Disclaimer: Please, don't sue me, I own nothing worthy. Unfortunately, Pirates of the Caribbean and all its characters belong to Disney and not to me. Jack Sparrow also doesn't belong to me, because if he did, I wouldn't have enough spare time to write silly stories…

The Pirate and The Mermaid

It happens after Jack has been rescued from the Kraken's stomach and resumed the captainship of the Black Pearl. Davy Jones, his crew, Barbossa and his monkey were … well, swallowed by the Kraken. The appearance of a mermaid in the life of our dear Captain will lead him to new adventures and to new emotions. Right now, the rating is for safety. Reviews will be appreciated!

Chapter One – Dead Man's Ship

The gray clouds hung heavily on the sky, darkening the sea below it. In this hostile setting the black ship could barely be spotted. But it was there, its crew too busy with the preparations because of the storm, oblivious to the life undersea. They could hardly imagine what was happening beneath their feet at that right moment…

Sarahswati peered excitedly above the rocks. There it was. The most frightening ship of all times, finally resting at the bottom of the ocean. She had heard the stories about the Flying Dutchmen, and its monstrous Captain, Davy Jones. She had also heard about the men who had finally defeated them: Captain Jack Sparrow and his crew. She swam closer to the ship. It looked so lifeless and serene that she could hardly believe it had caused so much fear and suffering. Sarahswati was the first of her people who had had the courage to investigate the sunken ship. The older ones kept telling merpeople to get away from the ship, warning them about the dangers that could still live there.

However, this particular mermaid was too curious to listen to them… She was not curious about everything, though. There was something about humans that attracted her. Not that she wanted to become one of them, she loved being a mermaid. She loved her people and the way they reunited to tell old stories and sing wonderful melodies, and, above all, she loved the freedom of swimming anywhere. Yet, she remembered when her mom used to tell her stories of how humans dressed and ate and danced, and about pirates. The pirates' stories were her favorite ones.

And there she was, facing the most feared pirate ship of all times. She smiled to herself and her sapphire eyes glittered. She carefully approached the ship and started looking for an entry. A trapdoor on the deck seemed to lead to the insides of the huge boat. As she entered the ship, Sarahswati was swallowed by darkness. Fear crossed her face, but she would not give up. She swam slowly through the remains of the ship: furniture, barrels, weapons and bottles of rum. Everything seemed fascinating to her, even if it was barely visible in the darkness.

Suddenly, a shining spot caught the young mermaid's attention. Although there was little light inside the room where she was, an object gleamed as if it emitted its own light. She approached the object, which proved to be a small, portable mirror. Sarahswati lifted the mirror and gazed at her own image reflected on it. She had never seen something like that before. Mesmerized, she stared deeply at her own sparkling eyes and sighed, murmuring in her language, the one spoken by merpeople:

All these objects are really wonderful. I wish I could know the world from where they came…

What happen next was so quick that Sarahswati did not have time to think. The mirror in her hand started shining much brighter. Temporarily blinded by the intense light, the mermaid dropped the mirror, which landed on the floor of the ship, pouring its light everywhere. Then, she gasped in pain. The whole length of her beautiful fishtail was burning, as if some waterproof fire had been set to it. Terrified, she started swimming as fast as she could towards the trapdoor through which she had entered. It was no easy task, though, due to the horrible sensation on her lower body.

Finally, Sarahswati reached the exit of the ship, but her misery did not stop. Quite the opposite, the pain increased so much that it drove her to unconsciousness. Almost instantly, the storm began. And it was so strong that even at the bottom of the ocean, where it is usually peaceful, the waters started to revolt, carrying the inert body of the young mermaid upwards.