Blackbeard had blinded Jack with a cloth as they stepped back on dry land to find their way to the cove. He believed it best that Jack not know where his ship was. They led the trek along the beach and deeper into the island they were anchored on. The men had placed the mermaid in the class coffin, filling it with water, and were carrying her along the way.

"It's to you now, Sparrow." Blackbeard said as he stopped Jack and undid the blindfold around his eyes.

"Was that really necessary?" Jack asked.

"Best you not know the exact whereabouts of my ship." the captain said lowly. "I be a cautious man."

"So be I." Jack claimed, and unhooked his compass from his belt. It spun around, until it landed behind him, and on (Y/n), who was watching his movements carefully. They hadn't had time to discuss the kiss he gave her before he ran to blow up the lighthouse. He shook it lightly, telling himself he couldn't have her right now. "What I want first..." he muttered, and finally, the red arrow pointed in another direction, "is Ponce de Leon's ship."

Jack led them along the beach of the island until his compass pointed them into the jungle. They heard the sounds of birds chirping and other unnamable beasts that lurked the jungle here. (Y/n) heard the sound of a monkey, and was reminded of the infernal monkey aboard the Black Pearl that Barbossa had owned.

They were waist deep in water, trudging through the jungle where the compass led them. It was indeed difficult to maneuver through it all. (Y/n) didn't know if she were going to step on something alive, for the water was so murky.

"Why is it we've got to bring her along?" Scrum asked, struggled, for he was one of the men to be carrying the mermaid through the difficult terrain.

"Because tears don't keep. We need them fresh." Angelica called back from beside her sister, who was behind Jack.

"What was the ritual again?" Jack asked (Y/n), speaking to her for the first time since the night before. "Water from the Fountain and a mermaid's tear?"

"And two silver chalices. One cup with a tear, one without." she answered, barely glancing his direction.

"So, one with a tear and water in both?" Jack continued. "Quite complicated, is it not?"

She huffed and said, "Both get water. One gets a tear. The person who drinks the water with the tear gets all the years of life from the other."

"How many years?" Jack inquired, but drew back slightly when he saw a snake in the water. (Y/n) snatched the snake from the water and wrapped it around her shoulders.

"All the years that they have lived, Jack." she brought the snake closer to him, making him step backwards a bit as the snake snapped its jaws at him. "And they could have lived, if fate had been kinder." She threw the animal aside and continued forward, the disappointed stare of her father burning holes in the back of her head.

They exited the swamp, and came to a river which had much cleaner waters. They decided to take a small break, allowing the crew to regain themselves. They set the mermaid down, and (Y/n) saw her eyes glance from her to Philip. Philip washed his face and neck with the water from the river, and Jack approached him.

"Clergyman." Jack started his conversation. "On the off chance that this does not go well for me, I would like it noted here and now that I am fully prepared to believe in whatever I must, so that I may be welcomed into that place where all the goodie-goodies get to go. Savvy?"

Philip gave a tight-lipped smile and said, "We have a word for that, Jack. You can convert."

"I was thinking more of an as-needed basis." Jack stated.

Philip gave the smallest hint of a smile, before his gaze landed upon that of the mermaid. (Y/n)'s eyebrows furrowed in confusion as his face dropped, until she looked to see that the girl was struggling to breathe in the case.

"Quartermaster!" she shouted, gaining his attention.

"She cannot breathe!" Philip claimed, gesturing to the girl.

"She has water." Quartermaster dismissed.

"She needs air!" Philip said, and rushed to the case. He fingered at the lock, trying to find a way to release it. "Open this."

"She will escape."

"You're killing her." he stood.

"I support the missionary's position." Jack stated, seemingly attempting to gain some of those goodie-goodie credit points.

(Y/n), having enough, drew her sword and stuck it in between the opening of the coffin, flipping it vertical so that it was forced open. The girl gasped in the air, finally allowed to breathe, panting from her near loss of consciousness.

"See?" she sneered to the Quartermaster, who only glared. He removed her sword, and Philip replaced it with his Bible. He looked to (Y/n), grateful, and she nodded. He then turned his gaze to the mermaid, who was looking right back at him.

"Onward." Blackbeard commanded, gathering the crew.

"Well done, luv." Jack whispered in (Y/n)'s ear, causing her to shiver. She ignored his attempts to rile her up and walked back towards her sister, who was glaring at Jack. She placed her hand on the younger's back, and led her away with their father.

The brush got thicker as they went along, large leaves smacking them in the face every time they moved one, only to have another brush against their cheek. Those with swords slashed at the plants, and soon, as Jack led, they came to a large cliff where the remainder of a bridge once stood. Looking down, Jack saw the raging river below.

"Just as I thought. Not this way!" he called back to the group as they exited the brush.

Angelica stalked forward, stepping to Jack's side, and asked, "This is the way, isn't it."

"'Course it is, but we should go around to the east." he stated.

"That would take out out of the path of the chalices." (Y/n) claimed.

"Well, then we'll circle back." Jack said, turning to face her.

"There is no time." she told him.

"You and your bloody sister are the ones who insisted on bringing the bloody mermaid!"

"Well the mutiny didn't help!"

"You walk like a girl."

"You would know!"

"Someone must go." Blackbeard broke their fight.

"You mean split up?" Angelica asked.

"You mean jump?" Jack specified. "This I cannot wait to see."

"Sparrow will go." His face dropped at Blackbeard's words. "Find the ship, retrieve the chalices."

"Sparrow? What makes you think he will come back?" Angelica asked.

"Yes, what makes you think he will come back?" Jack spoke in the third-person.

"We cannot trust him, Father." Angelica stated as Jack shook his head in agreement. "I'll go."

"She'll go!" he smiled.

They watched as Angelica removed her sword and pistol, stepping back towards the brush to get a running start. Before she could jump, Blackbeard put his hands in front of her, stopping her. He put her by her sister and stepped towards Jack.

"How much farther to the Fountain?" he asked. "I'm running out of time."

Jack looked to his compass, then to the landscape before them. "About a day's march north, following that river, you'll get to a series of pools. Then you're close."

Blackbeard went to grab the compass from him, but Jack held his grip to it. Reluctantly, he let go as the captain glared at him. "You will go."

Quartermaster drew a knife to Jack, who shook his head lightly and said, "I was sure it would come to this." He angrily eyed Angelica, but glanced to (Y/n) rather sorrowfully. He then looked to the cliff before him, , sticking his sword into what once was the wooden bridge beside him to look over at the drop. The girl behind him could barely watch as he leaned over, looking at the water below. "You know that feeling you get sometimes when you're standing in a high place? Sudden urge to jump?" Jack said, and paused. "I don't have it."

A gun cocking next to him drew his eyes to Blackbeard, who aimed his pistol at Jack's face. "I need those chalices."

"Shoot. Save me the bother of the fall." Jack told the man.

"You will go. You will return..." Blackbeard started, then moved his pistol towards (Y/n), "...or I will kill her."

"Father!" Angelica shouted, only to be restrained. (Y/n) looked on at her father, slight fear in her eyes. Would he really kill her after searching for her for so long? This got her thinking: was he really worth saving?

"You won't kill your own daughter." Jack stated, not believing his claim.

"Quartermaster." Blackbeard called, and handed his gun to the Zombified man. "Get me six more pistols, remove the shot from all but two, but do not tell me which two."

"Father, please. No!" Angelica begged.

"If Sparrow's choice be right, no harm will befall your sister, my child." Blackbeard stated as the Quartermaster did what he was ordered. He laid out the six pistols on a rock, and beckoned Jack over. "You get to chose, Mr. Sparrow."

"Oh." Jack looked at the captain, then drew his gaze to the pistols. "No... mmm... no... yes." he said, picking up the fifth one in line.

"You're sure?" Blackbeard asked, taking the gun.

"'Course I am." Jack said, but was really rather nervous. He did not wish to see his (Y/n) die at the hands of her own father.

(Y/n) let out a shaky breath, brushing it off, and stood before her father, the pistol aimed for her. When the gun clicked, and no shot was fired, everyone surrounding them breathed out in relief. Blackbeard looked to Jack, and gave the pistol to gunner. "Again."

Jack took a random one from the rock and said, "Please, they're not even loaded." He moved around to face everyone else, who gasped and ducked from the aim of the gun. Jack fired it into the air, only for a shot to ring out and smoke to emanate from the barrel as the bullet went flying. Jack looked down at it in shock, then apologetically at (Y/n), who breathed in deeply.

"Again." Blackbeard snapped.

"Why not just let Angelica jump?" Jack asked.

"What?!" the girl in question hissed, as did her sister.

"If you jump and die, then she will have her chance. Again." their father said.

Jack looked between the small family around him, then walked to the Quartermaster and whispered, "Oi... if I jump, will I survive?"

"The doll." Quartermaster asked (Y/n), who took it from her back and handed it over, albite reluctantly. He began chanting in a foreign language, moving towards the cliff. He then, much to Jack and (Y/n)'s opposition, threw the doll over the edge, and Jack began screaming. Rather loudly, at that. When a small splash was heard, and the Quartermaster turned back to them, Jack shut his mouth, his hand over it. "Yes, now you will survive."

"This is ridiculous! I'm going!" (Y/n) shouted, going to run. Before she could, however, Jack ran in front of her and jumped over the cliff. She looked over the edge in fear as she saw him splash into the water, not emerging for some time. She worried, until she saw him surface from the river, and she sighed in relief.

"Wet. Wet again." Jack muttered from below, and began swimming for the shore.

"We go on. Due north to the Fountain." Quartermaster shouted to the crew, who all stood surrounding (Y/n), watching Jack.

"Well played, Father." she muttered, her face turned down to a frown. "You knew which guns were loaded, right?"

Blackbeard hesitated from beside her, telling her everything she needed to know. Angelica stood beside her, a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Of course, my dear." he said, and placed the compass in (Y/n)'s hand, going with the rest of the crew. She recoiled. Johanna used to call her 'my dear'.

She stood in anger and sorrow, her conflicting lives catching up with her now. Her own father almost killed her, and her love just jumped off of a cliff for her. She knew here and now that her life was more valuable to Jack's than it was to Blackbeard, who seemed to be more caring for his own fortunes that that of his daughters. (Y/n) could see that Angelica, although wanting to see the good in him, was beginning to come to the same conclusions as she was.

Blackbeard did not give a damn about their lives when it came to the Fountain of Youth.