The Risen Horizon

[Lana]

( mwahahaha, yes, Scarlett is jealous! *hugs tight* Cool ;D *beams* )

I'm sitting on the doorsteps of the palace, staring at the ground, lost in thoughts and worries, having nowhere to go now, no one to talk to, nowhere to hide from it all. Hell, I start feeling that I was at home aboard the ship - I could always find peace at the helm, talk to Ana if I felt down, even... go to the galley and have some rum to drown the sadness in the liquor! But here I am just like a lost kitten... waiting for something to change, but unable of changing anything myself.

Everything is going downhill, just like I felt it would... They lied to Jack... they won't give us the Pearl... what will we do now?.. filthy lying b@stards... I wish I could kill them all...

[Jacky]

Eventually I spot Scarlett by the steps, and I take a deep breath. Breaking one heart a day isn't enough for you, is it? I ask myself, as I slowly make my way over to Scarlett. Aye, to tell you the truth, I feel a slight pang of guilt as I realize what I'm doing.. what Scarlett had seemed to fear all along has become reality. I am chosing my ship over love. Even if I promised we'd never break apart, I'm breaking the promise this very moment. And no, I'm not even exchanging her for Faith, but even worse.. I selfishly chose the Black Pearl. And despite this sense of guilt, I still feel helpness, not seeing any way I could solve the problem differently. And all I can hope is that Scarlett will understand. That she will be able to be happy, even without a future together.

As I reach up to her, I feel my gut clutch together almost painfully. Hell, I wish this could be over already.

"..we gotta talk."

[Lana]

His voice makes me snap out of my thoughts, and I stand up hastily, smiling at him, relieved to see that he's back, relieved to be close to the only person down here, who I can trust, who I can talk to, who doesn't hate me and who's not an alien. And who has no fish-tail. And who I love.

But my smile fades rather quickly, as I see how serious his face is, and how strange his eyes are... But I mistake it for the disappointment, for the frustration 'cause of having been lied to, 'cause of having faced the shattering of his hope yet again. But what does he want to talk about then?..

"Sure..." - I mutter, looking at him unsurely. I'm confused, I have no idea what he is going to tell me, really.

[Jacky]

I look at her in silence for a moment, not sure how to start, not sure what excuse I could give her or what lies I could use to make it all seem better. No lies this time. I decide, my eyes narrowing slightly as I catch myself considering to lie, She deserves to know the truth, even if it's the least ye can do.

I nod slightly, as if agreeing with myself, and then I take her hand in mine. "Sit down." I tell her, so that she lowers herself back onto the step. I crouch before it, so that we're on eyelevel again, my hand holding hers. I stroke the back of her palm with my thumb, searching her eyes for some sort of sign that she already knows.. that I won't have to tell her this and break her heart like it's breaking mine. Maybe hearts don't break, I consider, Most of the time they just seem to bend.

Diverting my thoughts from that, I finally open my mouth to speak up, but no sound manages to cross my lips for another while.

No more lies.

"...I'm leaving."

[Lana]

I look at him for a while, saying nothing, my heart beating twice as fast as it should, my eyes staring right into his, searching for something, for... something that could explain to me what's going on. But, somehow, I mistake everything. I mistake it for the more positive situation. His hand caressing mine gently, I am assured that he means that we *both* are finally leaving this place.

An unsure smile comes to my features, and I squeeze his hand: "Great..." - I say quietly. - "Great... I really want to go back!"
But why is he so sad then?.. what's wrong?.. what's happening?.. Though I decide he just doesn't want to leave Faith... and it hurts him. And I also mistake his seriousness for leaving his only hope to find the Pearl again, having gotten no help from the Gods.

"We'll find her somehow together, we don't need the Gods!" - I try to assure him. - "Let's leave as soon as we can!" - I say with a soft smile... not realizing *what* and *who* he is leaving.

[Jacky]

"Shh." I shush her abruptly, knowing that I can't let her believe illusions any longer, "...Scarlett, you don't understand." I tell her. "*I* am leaving. Alone." I search her eyes for some sort of confirmation that she understands it this time, "...I have to leave you, love."

[Lana]

But I just stare at him, for the first time in my life lacking my usual intuition, for the first time in my life being as innocent and not-understanding as a baby, for the first time clinging to this not-understanging... refusing to admit that he means something different by these words.

"Here? B-but... why?"

[Jacky]

"...The Pearl." I say, frowning slightly and looking away from her for a moment, "...I can't find 'r if I'd stay with you. Tha's what they said." I look back to her and shrug my shoulders slightly, "And trust me, I have reason to believe 'em this time."

[Lana]

"T-they... made you choose... b-between me and the Pearl?.." - I mumble, my voice quavering.

[Jacky]

"They didn't.. my fate did." I try to clarify what was explained to me. "If I stay with you or.." ..Faith I finish in thoughts. I realize that mentioning Faith might make things even more difficult, so I decide to fail to include her into the story. It won't be a lie, but hopefully it'll make sure that one wound less will be plunged into Scarlett's heart. "...keep living by your side," I finish the sentence almost without pause, "that would mean I'd never find me ship." I look back to Scarlett's face and frown slightly, "...I made my choice even before I ever met ye, luv. Ye hafta understand that."