Experience
Jack slunk his way through the bar, arms up in a manner that some would see as non-chalant and others would see as gaudy or strange. But to anyone who knew Jack, it was his trademark characteristic. He approached the corner of the bar his compass had pointed to.
"Didn't expect to see you here," Jack said to the 'stranger', sitting down.
"No, but I knew you'd find your way here eventually," the stranger pulled back his long hair as he spoke. "This town... it expects you often, Jackie. I didn't expect to find you having trouble, though."
"So, what're you doing here, dad? Following me?"
Jack's father remained stoic. "It seems you're the one following me if you keep coming to me every time you need help."
"It's the Pearl, daddy," Jack half-whispered. He pulled out his ship-in-a-bottle and set it on the table. His father leaned in to examine it. Peering inside, the ship sailed a miniature stormy sea complete with a portion of stormy night. Thunder clapped, the ocean roared and the ship churned through an angry sea. The tiny vessel pitched left and right, its sails taut as if it threatened to break out on its own.
"I see... she makes a prettier trophy than I would've imagined. I have to give it to Eddie; he treated her well," Jack's dad remarked.
Jack fidgeted a bit in his seat. He'd struggled to understand his father even when he was little. The way he spoke in riddles, seemed to see things that only he could see was confusing.
"Do you know of any way of getting her out?" Jack asked point blank.
His father sat the bottle down. "Why do you care so much about one ship, Jackie?"
Jack smiled. "Maybe I'm sentimental?"
"Sentimental..." his father repeated. "Is that what you call getting indebted to Jones for all those years about after you begged him to raise her from the depths?"
"Had to do something... can't be captain without a ship."
His father raised an eyebrow. "So, why choose her when you could've had any other?"
"She's the prettiest. Haven't seen a more beautiful boat than the Pearl," Jack responded goofily.
Jack's dad looked at the bottle again. He was silent for a few seconds. "I was the one who lost the Pearl, Jack, not you," he finally said.
Jack silenced himself to listen. Jack's father was the original captain of the Black Pearl but he hadn't mentioned hardly any of his time with the vessel to his son. Decades ago, Jack's father lost the Black Pearl somehow. The ship had been sunk with Jack's father barely escaping with his life. Years later, Jack would make a deal with the infamous Davey Jones to raise his father's ship from the depths so he could take command, refusing to let the ship be lost. It had earned him a 100-year debt to Jones, one he had gotten out of after several long ordeals. Yet it seemed he still couldn't keep ahold of his father's beloved boat for very long.
When his father remained silent, Jack asked, "How did you lose her? What happened?" The light above them flickered as he asked the question, as if a fell wind blew through the bar. Everything became slightly quieter for a few heartbeats.
His father handed him back the bottle. "It's hard to make out what's written on the map's edge. Easier just to go there."
Jack tucked the bottle into his vest again. "I had a map. Had to rip the center out of it to get ahead of Barbossa."
It was Jack's dad's turn to grin. "Your old friend was in town, had himself a new ship. I don't think he's that much concerned with you, though. Seems he's busy trying to secure payment from his former employers."
So Barbossa had his sights on England and not Jack? That was at least a relief. "Gibbs set fire to the map after memorizing the routes... but he's probably forgotten by now." Joshamee Gibbs was a loyal friend and first mate but not always the most fortunate one. His penchant for bad luck was balanced out by Jack's natural ability to win against the fates.
"I paid a visit to the Queen Anne's Revenge after its newest captain made port in town," Jack's dad pulled out a large, black roll. "Helped myself to a little of Barbossa's hospitality."
Jack unfurled it, recognizing it immediately from the gaping hole in the center. The hole that he'd cut into it. A special map obtained from Sao Fang's most revered uncle in Singapore, it detailed the routes leading to the most secretive and dangerous places in the world. Or, at least it did when it was complete.
"And what exactly am I supposed to do with this?" Jack asked, holding it aloft before him. "What good's a map with the middle cut out?"
"What good's a compass that doesn't point north?" Jack's father asked in return, standing up.
Jack turned his attention back to the map. "But... this is a bit different than the compass; the middle is missing!" he whined in frustration. "What am I supposed to do with a map with a missing middle?!"
"Middle's not missing," Jack's father replied, walking away. "You've already filled in the middle. The edge is what you're missing. Head to the edge of the map, Jackie," he cast a smile. "That's what you're missing." His father turned around and walked to the door.
"Well that's just... maddeningly unhelpful," Jack muttered to himself, defeated. He grasped the bottle in his vest. "Well, how am I supposed to get there? How do I get the Pearl out?"
Opening the door, Jack's father turned to him one last time. "I'd think you'd have plenty of experience emptying bottles by now, Jackie." With that, Jack's dad exited.
Jack rolled up his father's 'parting gift' and tucked it under his shoulder, considering his next options. Despite what dad had told him, the center of the map was missing making navigation to its destinations near-impossible. Yet there were things, notes most likely, scribbled on the corners of the chart. It might be something worth looking at while trying to figure out how to get his ship back to normal size.
He got up from the table and stopped halfway to the door, thinking about his father's last words. "Experience emptying bottles..." could it really be that simple? He removed the bottle containing the Pearl and looked at it again, frowning. He then turned back towards the bar, deciding he could probably use a little more 'experience' while he was there. Removing the Black Pearl was most likely going to be another combination riddle and puzzle. And as with all trickery, Jack had no intention of conducting it sober.
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Ha! experience
I'm loving this! so glad it's updating!
Good chapter.
You told me a month ago you went back to work on this, and you didnt dissapoint....now I must ask....moar???
3205302 Actually, that was only two weeks ago. As for an answer...
Ask and you shall receive.
I thought jack would have already tried just pouring it out...
Heh, so he's gonna be going to the worlds edge again? Gonna be hilarious if he and the Pearl just drop right down into the middle of Canterlot.
Good luck with the rest of the story!
To the edge of the world and beyond.
Wonder how he'll cope in a world of talking ponies and no rum.
3207911
Yes, because all they have is cider! Barbossa might like it, though.
Keep the updates coming!
Wiat, is Jack going to ponify and then become addicted to cider
Questions needed to be answered.
3205338
Yo, its been mo' than three weeks, where's 'dis chapta' bro?
3324154 I'm sorry, I'm not going to lie to you. I'm not committed to this story at all. I submitted it at a time when I was trying to hit 100 stories, had no idea it would get this popular.
Rest assured, it'll get done in its time. But I have a few other things I have to commit to first, like my Dan Vs. series. I highly recommend it and I'm very sorry to disappoint you. It might be a couple more weeks on the third chapter but I will work on it.
ACK!
Dude, you're killing me with all these unfinished stories!
They're so good too!
I'm just like 'No, don't end yet...'
.... You will be the death of me.
3324215
This is what I hate about some of these authors. They try to write fifteen stories at a time, and wind up delaying all of them. Would it be too much to ask for you to concentrate on one or two? Even three? Just write down your ideas for other stories, instead of actually writing them, and get to them in their time. You know what? I wouldn't mind if you put this on haitus, and completed your other stuff first, just so when you resumed it, I could have an idea that the next chapter would be out soon.
Sigh.
Sorry about the rant, but I see too many stories by too many authors and not nearly enough updates. Though I suppose I'm not really in a position to complain considering I have ideas but don't write stories.
Either way, keep up the good work (you do write well).
3617716 I am working on 5 at this point, including Dan Vs., my most ambitious project so far. I highly recommend it as it's my best work by far. Sadly, I am going to have to put this on hiatus as you have suggested.
3617752
Okay, thanks. I'll check out your other stuff till you got time for it.
3617752
I hope Jack bumps bump into Hoofbeard from the MLP comics.
Just a question even if this story is on hold, how long will it be till you continue it?
This guy.....this guy. Is the greatest human ever.
Hope you continue this, it's good
Don't give up on the story.
Will this ever be continued? I think it holds a great deal of potential.
~Dollars.
5107591 Eventually, yes. I work on it from time to time, trying to perfect what I can.
To let you in on a secret, Captain Rhymes is actually supposed to be an antagonist. He hates pirates, as you'll soon find out and while he's not the "bad guy" of the story so to speak, it's clear he and Jack won't get along when they finally meet.
5107890 Awesome! can't wait it looks interesting. I found something similar months ago, but, it was pretty bad.
~Dollars.
Noooooooo. On Hiatus, why you do dis?
update?
Is this dead?
8720946
Progress on it is continuing very slowly. It's still on my mind but my focus is Dan Vs. and my Star Wars crossovers right now. I still write in it from time to time but I'm not ready to update it yet.
8721081
But it hasn’t updated in 5 years! D:
Butt fair enough. I know how hard writing can be at times :U
This thing's got amazing potential to it, definitely. Patiently awaiting continuation, over here.
Maybe this could help...? I know I just can't stop replaying it, myself.
9428268
8721086
Still working on this. One step at a time. But I have other things I want as well, sorry.
Not to spoil anything but after a lot of consideration, I don't know if I've said this already, but Captain Rhymes is going to be the antagonist/possible bad guy in the story. He has the unique ability, as is somewhat displayed here to 'sense' the position of things through his ship, the wind and waves. That's kind of his supernatural captain power, like Blackbeard and some of the other baddies in the franchise. And Rhymes hates pirates. So it'll be real fun when he comes across Jack.
9429717
HEY! NO SPOILERS!
Are you so lazy to do it? The end of the MLP G4 is near. And the pirates of the Caribbean probably will already be without our best pirate Captain Jack Sparrow. In my opinion, this story is quite intriguing and I have been waiting for a new chapter for 4 years already. Dude ... I don't know another person who writes with such a delay. Do you even finish the story or not?
9607082
My dad just died yesterday from liver failure, I'm sick with an upper respiratory infection and yes, laziness is actually a factor. I'm sorry. I'll try to hammer out a chapter of this soon.
9607209
When you write a story, you must have the motivation for it.
Turn on some kind of musical theme (pirates of the Caribbean) and imagine the events of pirates and ponies.
(I almost sleep with it).
By the way, if you REALLY have something serious in your life, well, get well!