Chapter Text
“What do you mean, ‘under arrest’?”
After a very short ten-minute nap, Mako woke up to a surprise. The people that had been brainwashed and were still alive had come out of their trance and were now speaking with Anne and Ophelia.
Mako could see a couple dozen of them. And more kept appearing. A group of people with French uniforms were speaking with Daniels, who just stared at them with crossed arms.
“Don’t think we don’t recognize that man,” one of them barked, pointing a finger at Mako. “Rutledge should be apprehended and charged for his crimes.”
“Captain, you do realize what happened, right?” Anne sighed. “You were all under the control of the Soothsayer, and thanks to that man you are no longer slaves. You want to apprehend him?”
“He is criminal scum, a pirate! There is an order for his incarceration in several countries, including ours. I do not care what he did; we will arrest him. I have to say, Captain Daniels, I am very surprised you are taking his side.”
Anne rolled her eyes. “Frenchmen.”
Mako made his way over, only for the man to become more agitated. “He should be in prison!”
“I saved your lives. All of you. You want to put me away?” Mako snorted.
“And yet you have killed so many, pirate.”
Mako just shrugged.
“You seem to have affiliation with the Sea Witch too, Daniels,” he angrily yelled as he pointed at Ophelia. “Associating with pirates and witches? What can I expect from someone who used to be a cursed monster?”
Anne stiffened and took a step forward. The man was taller than her, but he was the one intimidated.
“You have a lot of guts to scream at us considering we just saved your lives.” she hissed.
“You killed most of my men in the fight.”
“You want me to finish the job? Because now I have the urge to.”
“Now, let’s not be rash,” Mako said calmly, but to be honest he wanted to just kill the soldiers. His body was still sore and he was pretty exhausted, though, so he went for the rare calm route. “These are extraordinary circumstances. We all just almost died and I saved all of you. Isn’t that enough?”
“You listen well, scum,” the Frenchman scoffed. Mako was pretty much ready to punch him in the face, but another man with the same uniform ran over.
“Captain Clermont, we found the Pégase. She is in perfect condition.”
“Our ship…?” The Captain looked surprised.
Mako looked around towards the sea. He remembered there was a ship graveyard around the area, and sure enough there were ships there as well. Some looked rotten to the core, but others seemed in good condition. Hurt, but fixable.
A sudden spark of excitement appeared, hope that he could find the Sea Hog again.
“Listen, men.” Anne calmed down and took a deep breath. “It has been a long day. You have found your ship. You have found your surviving men. Let’s start with the vendettas tomorrow morning, shall we? I am sure you just want to go home.”
“You don’t have any right to-”
Ophelia yawned very loudly and stepped forward. “Okay. You act all mighty, yet you are also here. I know for a fact that the Soothsayer must have given you something you couldn’t have, which is why you are standing here at this moment. Isn’t that right?”
Captain Clermont was taken aback. “I-”
“What was it? Riches? No. Power, maybe? Political power? It must have seen something really, really good and perhaps illegal if you were willing to risk your entire crew to get it. And look where it got you.” She stepped forward, eyes big and menacing. “You know, I heard some rumors that a certain Bernard Clermont wanted to climb the ranks. I wonder if that is related to this situation.”
“How do you-”
“The sea hears everything, Bernard. And I know why you are here.” She smiled ear to ear. “Wouldn’t be too wise to threaten someone with such a secret, no?”
He was quiet for several moments, then nodded anxiously. “V-very well. We will…we will leave. Let’s forget this has ever happened. Should be fair.”
“I mean, we just saved your lives,” Mako pointed out, but Clermont ignored him.
He rounded up his men and left. Mako was worried more people and captains would try to arrest them, but it seemed all of them were understanding of the fact that he had just saved their lives.
Jamison woke up a couple of hours later as more and more men searched for their ships or tried to figure out how to leave. Mako went over to him and sat down. The young man was just staring at his right leg stump.
He seemed to try to touch it with his flesh hand, but didn’t have the guts to. Ophelia had healed the wound perfectly, but the fact that Jamison had no leg was still very traumatic. Mako could barely wrap his head around it.
“Hey,” Mako greeted him softly. “How are you feeling?”
“I-” He bit his lip. Then placed his hand on his stomach. “Alive?”
“Alive is good.”
“I mean, yes, but.” Jamison just looked confused. “I am very happy I am alive, for sure. Absolutely. But also, it feels kinda weird, ya know. I got gutted like a fish. And I cut me own leg off.”
“You…you cut your leg off.”
They both remained quiet.
“That was a bit extreme, eh?” Jamison chuckled. “But I feel like it made sense at the moment. I mean, that guy said he was gonna use me to control ya. And I couldn’t have that, right! I had to do something! So I guess this was the only thing I could think of.”
Mako had no words. What could he say to that? Nothing he could say could compare to what Jamison did.
“I’m sorry.”
“Thank you.” He just kept staring at his stump. “It will take a while to get used to. I mean, like, I see that I don’t have a leg anymore, but can’t really wrap my head around it, ya know?”
“If you need anything-”
“Yeah. Yeah, okay. I know.”
Mako would make sure Jamison got the best peg leg that ever existed. He was going to make sure of that.
“It was pretty terrifying. All of that.” Jamison played with the fabric of his jacket. “Ya know. Just being gutted and lying there. Knowing we were going to die. I mean, we didn’t die. But…still. That moment thinking we were gonna die…it was pretty terrifying.”
Yes. Yes it was. Mako had never been more terrified in his entire life.
“I was scared, too.”
Jamison stared at him. “Ya killed him, though. Ya acted fast.”
“Yeah, but it was very horrifying. I was terrified. And I felt guilty, too.”
“Huh? Guilty, why?”
“Because you were going to die, too. And I felt like…it was my fault.”
Jamison didn’t say anything. They remained quiet for a while, and then Jamison leaned over and cushioned himself against Mako’s side. Mako wrapped his arm around him and remained silent as they observed more people looking for their ships.
Mako started to drift to sleep, his arm still around the Jester.
“Captain!”
A familiar voice woke him up. He blinked a couple of times to focus his eyes just before the same voice called again. “Captain!”
He spotted several of his men running towards him.
“My crew-” Mako patted Jamison to wake him up while he stared at the pirates. “My crew!”
He stood up and ran to meet them. They met halfway and Mako just opened his arms and hugged as many as he could hug. They all laughed deep from their bellies, laughter echoing through the sky.
“You are alive! Where are the others? Are they-”
“Most of us survived, Captain. The others are already looking for the Sea Hog.”
“Good. One less thing to worry about.”
“Captain, what happened? Why are you here? Were you captured, too?” one of them asked.
Mako shook his head. “No. Came here, killed the Soothsayer.”
Silence. They all stared at him, trying to digest what he had just said.
“It’s true!” Jamison said from where they were sitting. “He killed ‘im!”
“Captain, there is the witch! And Daniels!”
The pirate pointed at the two women, who were having a conversation. He was loud enough to prompt the women to stare at him in annoyance.
“Yes, they, uh…they helped. Saved our lives. So we are leaving them alone.” Mako rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s a long story.”
“But Captain, after everything they did…”
“I said we are leaving them alone. Are you disobeying my direct order?”
They said nothing.
“Good. Rest. As soon as they find the Sea Hog, we are leaving.”
“Aye Captain!” they yelled out, then dispersed. Mako was happy that they were alive, but he had also had a very tiring day. He looked over at Jamison, who was still sitting on the floor. Mako felt like a dick, forgetting he couldn’t follow anymore without help.
He went over him once more and sat down.
“They’re searching for the ship. We are leaving when we find it.”
“Right! Sounds great.”
Mako felt something heavy inside his chest. He took a deep breath.
“I would like you to come with us.”
Jamison turned to face him. “What do you mean?”
“I mean,” Mako licked his lips, “we basically kidnapped you.”
“Mate, if I wanted out, there were hundreds of ways I could have gotten out. I want to stick with ye.”
“Just wanted to make sure.”
Jamison smiled. “I know. I am sure, don’t worry.”
Mako smiled behind his mask, feeling far calmer now. He knew that Jamison would say that, but still. He felt like he had to make sure.
“Hey,”
Mako turned to face him. Jamison propped himself up and kissed Mako’s mask gently. In return, Mako lifted up his mask just enough for his lips to show, shoving it to the side to cover their faces. He cupped Jamison’s face and kissed him deeply.
It was soft. Months ago, he was anything but. A killing machine, ruthless, destroyer of lives. And now Jamison had undone him. Had pulled him apart from the seams, dug out something deep inside of him that he had thought long-dead.
But he didn’t care, honestly. He only cared about what he was now and what he would be.
It felt good.
The sound of the sea was deafening. His crew hadn’t found his ship yet, but most of the ships had already sailed. It was only a matter of time.
There was only one loose end, and Mako figured he should deal with it, otherwise he would never have the opportunity again.
“Be right back.” Mako stood up from next to Jamison.
“Where ya going?”
“Going to talk with Daniels. Getting closure.”
“Hey, tell her I’m sorry about burning her ship.”
“Yeah.” Mako made his way to the Captain, who was staring at the distance.
“Anne,” he greeted her softly.
She turned around and nodded. She looked tired, but at least the woman was now completely human, free of tumorous coral growing out of her. “Hello.”
“I just wanted to thank you for helping us. If it hadn’t been for you…”
She shook her head and shrugged. “I helped you to help myself. I…I knew Ophelia had my heart. And I had hers. I wanted to rescue her myself. She could have destroyed it at any time during all those years but she didn’t. I had to save her. And I used you to save her.”
“Yes. You also had her heart.”
Anne nodded and rubbed her face. “I just couldn’t kill her.”
“I also wanted to give you this,” Mako was already pulling the mirror out, but Anne lifted her hand, stopping him.
“I don’t need the mirror anymore.” She smiled, softly. “I know what I want. And I learned my lesson.”
“Lesson?”
She looked down, and then up at Mako. She looked very young under the light from the sun. “It is very tempting to close yourself to others, to pretend your feelings do not exist.” She looked over at Ophelia, who was standing too far away to hear and looking down at the sea. “I shouldn’t have been an asshole.”
Mako was silent.
“Rutledge, talking won’t kill you. Not talking, however…”
“Wait, how do you-”
She looked over at Ophelia. The little witch probably told her everything.
“That little-”
“Thank you, Rutledge. You helped me fix a huge mistake.”
Mako looked over at her. “I’m fixing mine, too.”
“Good luck with that.”
“What will you do now?”
She turned back towards the ocean and pointed at one of the ships. It was in a decent state, and Mako suddenly recognized it.
“It’s my ship, the Red Tide.”
“I know of it. We set it ablaze.”
Anne stared at him.
“...Jamison apologizes for that.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’ll go back to the capital. Got enough gold and riches to live comfortably.”
“You won’t be a Captain anymore?”
“I spent countless days and nights hunting the seas on behalf of the Soothsayer. I love the sea. It is my home, and my passion, but I do not wish to be on it for a while.” She leaned over, staring at her ship. “Perhaps another time. For myself. I do not wish to belong to anyone.”
“Now you sound like a pirate.”
She chuckled. “Piece of shit pirate.”
“Son of a bitch Captain.”
They shook hands.
Mako made his way back to Jamison, only to find Ophelia sitting down next to him and talking.
“Hey,” he greeted them as he got to their side.
“Hey, Mako.” Jamison smiled.
“Rutledge, hello,” Ophelia said. Her hair looked tangled and she looked a bit pale, but still human like Anne. “Was just thanking him for helping me.”
“I mean, we also hunted you down.”
“Let’s just pretend nothing but good things came out of this,” she sighed. “I am too tired to carry a grudge.”
“You did send us to our deaths, though.”
She shrugged.
“What are you going to do now?” Jamison asked.
Ophelia crossed her arms and shook her head, unsure. “I am not sure. I mean, I don’t have to hide from the Soothsayer anymore. So-”
“Ophelia?” Anne interrupted.
“I- yes? What’s, what’s wrong?” She turned slightly red and nervous. It was very obvious. Mako almost chuckled.
“I found the Red Tide,” Anne followed up.
“I…that’s great! So you’re leaving?”
“Yes. I’m leaving for the capital. I have enough money and riches to live for a while.”
“Oh! Oh. That’s-” Ophelia smiled, but it was awkward. “That’s great. I…I wish you good luck.”
“Ophelia.”
“Mhm?” Her smile was crooked.
“I want you to come with me.”
“I…huh? You…you want me to…what?” she stuttered.
“I mean,” the Captain coughed, “I mean, I have no crew. At all. And you know the sea. So, maybe you can, um,”
Now it was Anne’s turn to be an awkward stuttering mess.
“I mean, you could be my navigator. And first mate. I mean, I don’t have anyone so, yeah. Yeah.”
“You… yes. I mean. Of co- but, you want me? To be your, erm, navigator, of course.”
“Ophelia, I want you to come with me. If you…want.” Her voice was so small. “We can start over. Start everything from zero. If you…want.”
“Yes. Yes, that’s what I want.”
Both women smiled and shuffled awkwardly like they were overflowing with emotions but weren’t sure what to do next.
“Okay, so we should…be going now. Yeah.”
“I was saying goodbye to-” Ophelia pointed at Mako and Jamison, but then turned to face them. “Thank you for everything.”
“Thank ye both, too.” Jamison smiled.
“We won’t see each other ever again, right?” Mako asked.
Both women shrugged. “Maybe. But it will be under different circumstances.”
“Captain!” One of Mako’s men approached him, finally. “We have found the Sea Hog! She is in perfect condition. We are bringing her over soon. It should only be a couple of minutes.”
“It seems we are all leaving now,” Anne added.
“Yeah. It seems so.”
“Rutledge.” Ophelia moved her fingers and a velvet bag appeared from thin air. She handed it to Mako, who just stared at it.
“You can do that now?”
“My magic became stronger. Now, here-”
Mako took the bag and was about to open it, but Ophelia stopped him.
“No. Open it later. It’s…a present. For helping me. For helping all of us, and saving us.”
Mako nodded. “Okay.”
“Goodbye, Mako Rutledge.” Ophelia smiled.
“Good luck.” Anne smiled as well.
They turned around and walked towards the Red Tide, together. Mako watched them get into the ship and sail away.
He never saw them again.
His crew brought the Sea Hog shortly after. They all climbed aboard and sailed on. Their first goal was Tortuga, to just get drunk in celebration. It seemed like the appropriate response to everything that had happened. That, and try to figure out who could build a decent prosthesis for Jamison. It would be tricky. A normal peg leg wouldn’t work; his knee was missing, too. But they would figure something out.
Mako and Jamison were sitting on Mako’s bed. Jamison himself was drinking a bottle of booze while Mako got undressed. He felt like he slept about ten hours that day, but fuck it; he was still extremely exhausted. And nothing beat sleeping in his very comfortable bed.
“Hey,” Jamison called out to him, “didn’t Ophelia give you something?”
Oh, right. Ophelia had given him something. It was probably some gems or something.
He retrieved the bag and opened it. He already knew there was something weird about it; whatever was in it was way, way bigger than the outside of the bag? Like it was bigger on the inside. Mako looked at it curiously and grabbed whatever was inside, pulling it out.
Multiple rolled-up pieces of paper. Mako was even more confused.
“What’s that?”
“I don’t…know?” Mako went over to his desk and unrolled them.
It looked like the interior design of something. Floor plans, very elaborate.
“What is-”
It suddenly struck him what they were. He grabbed the papers, unrolled them all, and stared.
“Oh.”
“Mako? What is it?” Jamison got off the bed and hopped, trying to see what the fuss was about.
“The castle. This, this is the King’s Castle plans.”
“What?” The Jester stared at the paper. “Oh my god! They are! These are the floor plans! This is a map to the King’s Castle!”
“We can steal all the gold!”
“We can steal all the gold!”
Mako wrapped his big arms around Jamison, laughing and making circles. Jamison clung to him and laughed hysterically as well as Mako twirled him around the room.
It seemed that in the end, Ophelia had done her part of the deal.
Mako threw Jamison onto the bed, both of them still hollering. Jamison was already stripping down, but Mako’s hands were all over him. He pressed kisses onto every inch of skin he could get to, helping Jamison undress.
Oh, how it felt to be alive.
The moonlight illuminated the cabin softly. Mako woke up in the middle of the night.
He turned his head and saw Jamison soundly asleep, his soft face relaxed.
Mako took a deep breath. He looked up at the ceiling and saw something reflecting the light. He looked at the source, and saw the mirror. Anne’s mirror next to the bed, on the floor.
He reached over and grabbed it.
Last time he looked at it, he saw nothing.
He had it in his hands, but wasn’t looking at it. He was about to turn it over when he heard Jamison shuffle beside him.
Mako turned around and looked at the young man once more, his freckled white face shining under the moonlight. With one finger, he very gently he caressed his cheek. Jamison sighed and opened his eyes.
“Everythin’ okay?” the jester asked, softly.
“Yes, everything is ok.”
Jamison smiled. “Okay,” he sighed while already ready to go back to sleep.
Mako reached over and gave him a soft kiss. “I love you.”
Jamison smiled. “I love you, too.”
The young man fell asleep pretty much instantly, and Mako watched him for a few seconds.
He returned his focus to the mirror in his hands.
Mako threw it aside.
He turned over and wrapped his arms around Jamison, pressing his chin against the top of his head, and closed his eyes, the sound of the sea lulling him to a deep slumber.
And he was alright.