KHA:...
Audience: That was a quick update, what happened?
KHA: ...msdjjknf...
Akyra: Are you okay? O_o
KHA: ...KINGDOM HEARTS 3...
Roxas: What? O.O
KHA: ...IT'S COMING...
Everyone: *insane screaming* *faints*
Disclaimer: How do you expect me to write a disclaimer when KINGDOM HEARTS 3 IS COMING? *dies* *comes back to life* I do not own Kingdom Hearts *dies*
No one in their right mind would trust anything with skull and crossbones on it. The symbol meant a multitude of things: poison, danger, pirates… all of which seemed less than pleasurable. Yet, the latter was always laced with some form of adventure.
Immediately after disembarking the ship, Akyra held her arm up in the air, comparing the colour of her skin to her surroundings. In fact, the entire team looked out of place. Their vibrant skin colours, flashy clothes and joyful dispositions made them stick out in this place like a sore thumb. They were surrounded by sullen, gloomy colours; stone walls and archways were dripping with mould and muck and the air felt heavily polluted. Not to mention that pungent sent of alcohol the seemed to linger at every corner.
"Um… this place is…" Sora began, at a loss for words.
"…kinda different," Goofy finished.
Akyra gazed out into the town below them, twitching her nose in disgust. "And smelly. What are we even doing here?"
Her question was immediately answered by a deafening shriek coming from the town below.
"There's your answer," Donald said tiredly.
"Do ya think it might be Organization XIII?" Goofy asked in fright.
"Only one way to find out!" Sora said proudly, whipping out his weapon as he proceeded for the stone staircase that led to the town. The rest of the group followed closely behind him, cowering defensively.
In an open dock near the ocean, Pete, who had narrowly escaped the heroes during their last encounter at Disney Castle, was chatting with what seemed to be a group of grown men, dressed in tattered ship-wear with permanent scowls on their faces.
They were no ordinary men; absolutely nothing of the sorts. This angry crew used to be one of the finest crew of pirates that ocean had ever seen. But, after coveting cursed treasure, they had lost their right to exist, belonging to neither the living nor the dead. In the full moonlight, one can see them for what they really were; fleshless beings with immortal souls.
Pete dismissed their discussion, preferring to attempt to gain this crew as his personal sidekick against his long-time enemies. He had just finished convincing them of the team's threat as they came bounding down the steps, weapons drawn for battle.
"See! Those are the punks I was telling you about!" Pete cried fearfully.
"Who're you calling punks? That's Sora, Akyra, Donald, and Goofy to you. And don't you forget it!" Sora responded aggressively.
"That we won't," ensured the captain of the crew, "And to be sure, we'll engrave it on your tombstone."
"Whoa! I like your style," Pete complimented.
The captain chuckled, unamused. "Men! Half of you stay here and indulge these cullies. The rest – bring me the medallion!"
"Aw, so we only get to stomp on a few of you?" Sora taunted, earning himself a cocky laugh from his team.
Pete grew anxious when the crew split up, leaving five men on the field to confront the group. "Be careful of their magic! They have something that doesn't belong in this world!"
Akyra raised her staff, holding it with both hands as she examined it closely, smiling slyly. "Hear that, Donald? They're afraid of our magic."
"Heh heh heh…" Donald chuckled under his breath, summoning a ball of fire at the tip of his staff as tiny bolts of lightning flickered above Akyra's weapon.
Without hesitation, the team lunged for their enemies, the advantage clearly on their side.
It wasn't long before the captain's men went scurrying away with their tails between their legs.
"Hey! This ain't over!" Pete called as he fled with the crew.
Sora relaxed his weapon. "If Pete's here, then we have some work to do."
"And that pirate captain looked pretty mean too!" Goofy exclaimed.
"Do you think Pete's trying to turn him into a Heartless?" Akyra asked, raising her hand to her chin in thought.
"Well…we ARE here…" Donald pointed out.
The group didn't need convincing. They set off for the town, pursuing the second group of pirates that did not join the battle.
As many encounters as the group had with the Heartless in town, little did they know that their meeting with a poignant young man would change the course of their adventures here. He was a courteous and respectful young adult with an extensive vocabulary and the determination to save a beautiful young woman his age, whom was taken hostage by the pirate crew. The team had rescued him from a group of menacing Heartless, leaving him indebted to them.
"My own fencing skills are not to be ashamed of but I have never faced foes such as that before," he complimented.
"You really think we're that good?" Sora asked with a smile.
"I truly do," he said graciously, "My friend has been taken from me but I must rescue her! Would you help me?"
"Of course!" Sora exclaimed excitedly, mirroring his team's intentions, "My name's Sora. These are my friends: Donald, Akyra and Goofy."
"And I am William Turner," he concluded, "But call me Will."
The newly reformed team resolved their itinerary; they would head for the docks, where the pirate kidnappers surely are headed to return to their ship. The team set off in a frenzy towards the harbour, silently hoping they were not too late.
Despite their efforts, the group made it to the edge of the harbour quick enough to watch the pirate ship sail away into the murky horizon with their friend onboard, most assuredly terrified and alone.
"We're too late…" Will sighed, "Those pirates kidnapped Miss Swann and took her to their ship. Now they've sailed… and I'll never be able to find her!"
"Then she's long gone. The Black Pearl is nigh uncatchable."
The voice that had joined them was low and husky, almost regal. It didn't take long for the team to realize that it belonged to neither of them.
"Best you find yourself another girl, mate," the man continued, hiding himself from their view as he hoped on a ship from the docks.
"You… what are you doing aboard the Interceptor?" Will asked, boarding the ship alongside his new friends, "She is off limit to civilians!"
"Ah, it's a good thing I'm going to commandeer it then," the husky man continued, "She'll make a fine pirate ship."
Sora's eyes widened excitedly as he gasped. "A pirate?"
The man leapt from the shadows, revealing his identity to the team. His face looked dirty and sunken in with streaks of worn-out makeup. His hair sat in dreads and trinkets covered by a red bandana, and his clothes seemed tattered and old, as if they hadn't been washed in weeks. Yet, the smouldering look in his eyes seemed to communicate one thing only: pirate.
"Captain Jack Sparrow, if you please," he introduced.
"Take me with you!" Will pleaded, "Help me hunt down the Black Pearl and save Miss Swann. I got you out of that jail cell, Sparrow. Do this, and your debt's repaid."
The captain scoffed. "You'll have to win fair lady's heart on your own, mate. I see no profit in it for me."
Will chuckled. "Are you sure you can sail her? All on your OWN?"
Captain Jack stuttered, at a loss for words. He composed himself, admitting defeat. "You've a point there."
"Thanks, Sparrow," Will said nonchalantly, boarding the ship.
"CAPTAIN Sparrow," he corrected.
"I'm Sora. This is Donald, Goofy and Akyra," Sora said excitedly as they followed Will onto the ship, "And he's Will Turner."
Captain Jack Sparrow's eyes widened excitedly. "That's short for William, I imagine. No doubt named for your father, eh?"
Will nodded, confused as to how this man new so much about him in so little time.
"Well then, Mr. Turner, you get us ready to make way. I've some effects to liberate."
Will raced onto the ship, preparing the sails for their departure. In the meantime, the group had reassembled, following a smug Sora as he approached the captain.
"Sora, do you really want to be a pirate?" Goofy asked fearfully.
"You never struck me as the pirate type," Akyra added, referring to their childhood together.
Sora laughed proudly. "Of course not!"
He approached the captain, leaving Donald to ponder his true intentions. For someone who doesn't want to be a pirate, he's doing a good job fooling them!
"What do you make of this Will?" the captain asked him quietly.
"I don't know," Sora whispered, "We've only just met him."
"Hmm…." he sighed with a smile, "I think my luck's about to change."
Off into the ocean, the Black Pear sailed smoothly among the rough waves, keeping its passengers and crew at the utmost level of comfort. Yet, Elizabeth Swann's heart was far from comfortable. She was forced to dine with Captain Barbossa, who decided to reveal a most terrifying ghost story.
Elizabeth held a golden amulet in her possession for eighteen years, a medallion she thought to be nothing more than a trinket. But, Barbossa explained the true history behind the medallion and its link to an ancient pirate curse.
It was one of eight hundred and eighty-two identical pieces of cursed Aztec treasure in a stone chest buried on an island that cannot be found by anyone unless they already know where it is. Barbossa and his crew found the island, and stole the treasure. They spent it on every luxury imaginable until they began to realize the folly in their actions. These luxuries did not please them the way they should have, for they were no longer alive, yet not quite dead. They were imprisoned in a state of limbo, immortal beings wishing nothing more than to die.
Miss Swann, believed to be named Miss Turner by the crew, turned away in disinterest at their misfortune.
Barbossa continued his story. The only way to lift the curse; every single medallion must be put back into the stone chest along with the blood of every soul who touched the treasure as repayment. They found all but one medallion and never dreamed they would ever find the final piece, until Elizabeth came along, her medallion secured tightly on her necklace. Barbossa continued with hopeful stories of how he and his crew would be free men, alive and well once the medallion was back where it belonged. Yet, he left out one detail that frightened Elizabeth more than anything. What of the blood that is to be repaid?
"That's why there would be no sense in killing ye…yet."
Elizabeth gasped as she rose from her seat, running for the door. Her efforts to escape were met with a crew of pirates surrounding her exit, foiling her plan to escape. Yet, Barbossa felt charitable to the young woman. He would spare her life for now… but he could still have a little fun in terrifying her, couldn't he?
And so, in the bright moonlight that revealed the crew's true forms, Elizabeth Swann panted in terror as she watched the crew mind the ship, with Barbossa drinking heavily from a dusty wine bottle.
A bit further off, the Interceptor sailed proudly across the unforgiving ocean, her crew beaming with excitement at the prospect of being on a pirate ship. Akyra held onto the edge of the boat, feeling the spray of salt water on her face. It didn't remind her much of home; the salt water on the Destiny Islands was clearer and more inviting. The ocean in this world was bitter and unforgiving, and that was enough to make her homesick.
Further away, Will approached Captain Jack, curious about the tiny compass he kept referring to.
"Why are you so fixated on that compass?"
Captain Jack smiled. "It'd be she that leads us to Isla de Muerta – where Barbossa's headed. Savvy?"
"How do you know?" Sora asked quizzically.
"Ah, lad…" Captain Jack began, "He and I once had our eyes on a treasure – Aztec gold. It was hidden on the Isla de Muerta, but he turned traitor and stole my ship."
"So he's after the treasure then?" Will asked.
"Treasure's already his. So's the curse upon it. I have no desire for such treacherous spoils. But I will have back what's mine – the Black Pearl."
It was not long before they docked on the shores of Isla de Muerta, a tiny island in the middle of the ocean. It is hardly visible and the team would never have even noticed it if the captain hadn't pointed it out. They disembarked from the ship and tied it to the shore, readying it for when they depart once more. Odds are, they may need to run out of there in a hurry.
"Young Turner and I will rescue the lady. The rest of you… wait here and mind the ship," Captain Jack said slyly.
"Are you for real?" Sora asked, annoyed.
"It's a task given to only the bravest of pirates!"
Sora shrugged his shoulders, agreeing with the pirate despite his objections. The captain flashed them a very toothy smile as they set off towards the island, leaving the fuming group behind.
"I think he was just trying to fast-talk us," Sora concluded, crossing his arms.
"And you fell for it," Akyra said with a sarcastic grin.
"But those two sure are taking a long time to get back!" Goofy exclaimed worriedly.
"If Pete's hanging around, there might be Heartless. Will and the captain aren't used to fighting them like we are," Sora said, raising an eyebrow.
"Now you're talking!" Donald quacked excitedly.
Without hesitation, the group set off for Isla de Muerta after their smooth talking pirate friend. How dense did he think they were?
The group didn't even get to step into the cavern tunnel before danger found its way to them. They perceived Will and Elizabeth scurrying towards them, followed by a group of menacing pirates.
"We need to escape!" Will cried, taking a hold of Elizabeth's hand as they ran towards the ship.
Sora and the team followed suit, narrowly dodging the pirates as they leapt onto the Interceptor, hastily getting her out to sea.
"What happened back there?" Sora asked, out of breath, "And where's the captain?"
Will softly shook his head, facing the team with sad eyes. He and the captain had found Barbossa and his crew, right as they were performing the ceremony of repaying the blood of the damned. Will, itching to save Elizabeth from death, attempted to run into the fray but was stopped by Captain Jack, who suggested they wait for an opportune moment. Will, realizing the captain was only after his own best interest, wasted no time in disposing of his obstacle. With a swift blow to the end, Will knocked Jack out cold, leaving him on the ground as he attempted to rescue his friend.
On the other hand, Barbossa had slashed Elizabeth's hand, allowing a small amount of her blood to leak into the chest. Yet, even after performing the ceremony, the curse had not lifted, leaving the crew in disarray. In his fury, Barbossa, who realized Elizabeth was not the one they were searching for, slapped her out of his sight, causing her to fall to the ground and roll down the mound of treasure, coming to a stop beside the water, medallion in hand. While Barbossa tried to reason with his crew, Will sneaked over to Elizabeth underwater, convincing her to follow him out of the cave unnoticed.
As Will explained his escape plan, Sora held a troubled look on his face. He clearly did not enjoy leaving the captain behind.
"Jack's no fairy tale pirate," Will said to him sternly, commandeering the ship away from the island, "The real ones aren't to be trusted."
As the heroes of light set the ship on course for Port Royal, Will joined Elizabeth in the ship's hold, mending her hand where Barbossa had ruthlessly cut her skin with a rusty blade. Elizabeth confessed her absurdity, admitting to have called herself Turner when the pirates kidnapped her.
It all made sense to William now. The medallion truly belonged to him; a gift from his father. They were in need of Will's blood to lift the curse instead of hers.
Overwhelmed with emotions he did not quite understand, Will exited the room in a huff, leaving Elizabeth to sob alone.
Meanwhile, aboard the Black Pearl, the crew had tightly tied Captain Sparrow to the mast, preventing him from escape while Barbossa interrogated his old partner, surrounded by his menacing crew.
"How the blazes did you get off that island, Jack?" he asked nonchalantly, referring to an old encounter of theirs.
Captain Jack scoffed. "When you sailed away in my ship and marooned me on that godforsaken spit of land, with naught but a pistol and a single shot, you forgot one very important thing, mate. I'm Captain Jack Sparrow."
Barbossa huffed. "I won't be making that mistake again."
"Then what say you to putting the past behind us, untying these ropes, and letting me negotiate the return of your medallion, eh? What say you to that?"
Barbossa sighed. "Seeing as how the Black Pearl is mine now, Jack, letting you go doesn't seem to fall within my interest."
"Odd. I'm not concerned with YOUR INTERESTS. Give me back the Pearl!" Jack raged.
"Alright! Lock him in the brig!"
Barbossa laughed proudly as two of his men grabbed hold of Jack, while another crew member raced towards him with news.
"Captain! We're coming up on the Interceptor! What do we do?"
Barbossa sighed angrily. "What do you THINK, you idiot?"
The crew member saluted his captain and set the sip on course for the Interceptor, gaining on its target at high speed.
Elizabeth was the first to spot the Black Pearl gaining on them, alerting her friends of the impending danger. Will stepped back, thinking hard about their dilemma.
"I wonder what Jack would do?" Sora asked, almost spitefully.
"Well…" Will sighed, "I guess he'd run for it – "
He barely had a chance to complete his sentence before falling to the ground by the ship's swaying. The Black Pearl was firing canons at their ship, rocking the Interceptor with such force they could never find a moment to get to their feet. Will felt the worst of the impact, dropping the medallion in the process. Sora luckily caught the medallion before it was lost, but Will was sent flying overboard, falling into unsteady ocean.
Donald and Goofy rushed to console Elizabeth and get her away from the edge of the ship as she cried for William while the rest of the group readied their weapons. There was nowhere they could possibly run at this point; it was do or die.
As much effort as they put into preventing the pirates from endangering them, Barbossa's crew still managed to board the Interceptor, holding Elizabeth and Captain Jack hostage. Luckily, the team had a bargain offer of their own: the final medallion, which Sora held securely.
"Now then, I'll be having back that medallion," Barbossa said coolly, approaching the now defensive team, "Unless it's more important than their lives?"
Sora gritted his teeth, clutching the medallion tightly. Their minds raced at warp speed, searching for any type of scenario that wouldn't involve anyone getting hurt. Yet, although there was nothing they could possibly do to save everyone, one of their friends had a trick up his sleeve.
"Barbossa!" Will Turner called. He had managed to rescue himself by climbing up the side of the ship, and stood dangerously on the edge, a loaded pistol cradled in his hand.
"She goes free!" he demanded.
Barbossa laughed. "Go ahead, boy! Shoot! We can't die!"
"You can't…" he sighed in response, dramatically pointing the gun to his neck, "but I can! My name is Will Turner. My father was Bootstrap Bill Turner. His blood runs in my veins!"
The team gasped at how dangerous Will's situation was, and how he had put himself so close to death. Barbossa, on the other hand, gasped at the news of his lineage.
"On my word, do as I say," he threatened, jumping onto the ship, "or I'll pull this trigger and be lost to Davy Jones locker!"
Barbossa gritted his teeth. "Name your terms, Mr. Turner."
"Release Elizabeth! And Sora, a-and Akyra, and Donald and Goofy too!"
"Anything else?" Barbossa asked slyly as Captain Jack made a desperate attempt to gesture at himself.
"Leave now!"
Jack slumped behind Barbossa, who bowed in acceptance at Will's terms. "Agreed. Leave, we shall… but the Heartless stay."
"What?" Akyra gasped over Donald's loud quack in protest.
Barbossa had taken advantage of their loose terms and allowed the Heartless to round up the group he graciously permitted to go free. After all, HE wasn't the one imprisoning them, was he?
The Heartless surrounded the group as Pete boarded the ship, taking over for Barbossa. The crew held Will hostage as the Heartless tied Elizabeth and Captain Jack with rope, along with the team. And to ensure they never bother hem again, Pete had his Heartless army light gunpowder kegs on fire, destined to explode in a matter of minutes. They left the desperate team to struggle downstairs in the ship's hold as they fled for cover from the impending detonation.
"What are we going to do?" Donald asked fearfully.
"We'll be blown to smithereens!" Goofy added.
Captain Jack sighed. "Why struggle, mates? A pirate knows when to surrender… an average pirate anyway."
The team wore confused looks. Exactly what was he trying to pull? And before they knew it, the captain had severed the rope that tied him with the pocket knife he hid in his boot.
"I'm not about to lose this ship," he said angrily as he untied the rest of them.
"We'll have to put out the fires before going after any enemies," Akyra pointed out as she watched Sora prepare his Keyblade.
"Right," he said, nodding, "We need to save the ship. But I don't plan on trusting pirates any time soon…"
Captain Jack chuckled. "Wise policy, lad."
The team scattered the second they reached the top of the staircase.
"I count five of them!" Donald quacked.
"There's five of us!" Goofy pointed out.
Sora nodded. "Great! Everyone, find a barrel and put it out!"
Akyra raced towards the stern, where a group of airborne Heartless fiddled around a barrel, no doubt filled with gunpowder.
"Get out!" she screeched, waving her Staffblade menacingly at the retreating Heartless. She had a few seconds to spare until they decided to return to their precious barrel. She pointed her weapon at the flaming barrel, summoning the coldest ice spell she could muster. Yet, as she watched the brilliant snowflake make contact with the fire, it blazed proudly as it devoured her attempt at spellcasting. Akyra's face fell. She must be rusty in the ice department.
"No other choice then," she said quickly as she slipped her staff beneath the barrel and flicked it upwards into the air. With a jump, she whacked the barrel with all her strength, sending it flying out to sea.
"I did it!" she cried happily, watching the Heartless pursue the barrel, "How is everyone else?"
"All clear!" Sora responded cheerfully from the ship's mast.
Jack, seeing the opportune moment, raced towards the helm, steering it in the appropriate direction. "That's the second time I've had to watch that man sail away with my ship. But I'll be having her back soon enough."
The team easily deduced where Barbossa was headed: the Isla de Muerta, now that they had the blood they needed to lift the curse. The Interceptor made course for the tiny island, docking itself at the entrance in no time at all. The six of them disembarked the ship, yet Jack had a concern he needed to address.
"You stay with the ship, lass," Jack said assertively to Elizabeth.
She scowled. "I will do no such thing! Will could die in there."
"Dear William is fine, trust me."
"I am not a fool, Jack!"
"Then trust me instead," Sora interjected.
Elizabeth sighed but knew she could rely on them. "Alright. Please bring Will back safely."
The team nodded as they watched her board the ship before beginning their journey to the center of the cave.
"Good job convincing her, lad," Jack praised, "It's too dangerous for a lass here."
Donald coughed as Sora's eyes widened. They cannot be held responsible if anything were to happen at that moment.
Before he knew it, Jack had fallen to the ground, knocked over by a gale-like force. He rubbed the back of his head, now full of tiny ice crystals, and turned to face Akyra, the only member of the team who walked behind him.
"What are you looking at me for?" she said sarcastically, passing by him as she crossed her arms, "I couldn't have done it. Lasses don't fight."
Jack shook his head as he rose to his feet, giving Sora a confused look.
Sora laughed. "You had it coming."
They sped up to rejoin their fuming partner, leaving Jack to trudge behind in disbelief.
Barbossa stood atop the mound of gold before the stone chest containing the Aztec treasure, just as he had with Elizabeth. He waited until the cheers from his crew subsided, as they knew now for sure that they had everything they needed to lift their dreaded curse.
"Now, let's be tryin' this again! The last of the Aztec treasure has been returned. And now, the blood will be repaid to free us from this curse forever… this time for sure!" he boomed, earning him cheers from his crew as he turned to face Will, knife in hand.
"Ahoy! Treasure, mateys!"
Sora laughed at his own reference as the five of them came bounding into the cavern, weapons in hand.
Barbossa gasped. "Not possible!"
"Not probable," Donald added with a wink, "We're alive and we're pirates!"
Captain Jack stepped forward, sword in hand. "Captain Jack Sparrow!"
"Sora!"
"Donald Duck!"
"Akyra, here!"
"And Goofy, too!"
Barbossa gestured towards them, sending his men after them. "So you wanna play pirate, eh? Best save your playacting for the nursery! After them!"
With a swipe of their weapons, each crew member Barbossa sent after them was defeated, proving their power to the angered pirate.
"Who's playacting now?" Sora sneered as he watched another defeated crew member run for cover.
"Thank you, Sora," William said gratefully, catching up with the group.
"Um, where's Jack?" Goofy asked.
Neither of them had seen the captain join in on their swashbuckling. In fact, he seemed to have disappeared after presenting himself to Barbossa. Yet, out of the corner of their eyes they caught a glimpse of two pirate captains, locked in a never-ending sword fight. Well, never-ending on one side. Barbossa was cursed. And Captain Jack….
Sora gasped. "Jack!"
"You're a fool, Jack Sparrow," Barbossa laughed, letting go of his sword.
Akyra looked away as Donald moaned with fright. Barbossa released his sword, knowing all too well that it wouldn't go crashing down. How could it, when he had used it to stab the captain straight in the heart.
Jack stumbled backwards, oddly not falling over the way a normal person as severely wounded as he would. Yet, as he stumbled into an open patch of moonlight, the team breathed a sigh of relief at his fleshless appearance. Jack held a stolen piece of Aztec treasure in his hands, cursing him to a life of immortality. At least that sword wedged between his ribs did nothing to endanger his life.
Barbossa growled at the turning tides. "Show yourself, Pete! The tide has changed!"
"See, I told ya you'd be needing old Pete!" he said proudly, flicking at something on his shoulder. It resembled a shy lizard with a long tongue and beady yellow eyes. Its tail held a tiny lantern while a Heartless crest shone brightly on its forehead, clear as day. It began walking sideways on the wall, scurrying towards Barbossa, taking the light from the room with it. In the almost complete darkness, Barbossa fled from the team, leaving them as sitting ducks in the only patch of light for miles.
"We have to find him!" Sora ordered.
"How? We can't see anything!" Donald quacked angrily.
Akyra lost her train of thought when she felt a small pulse from her weapon. She held it up, gazing down at its metallic surface. The staff twitched in the slightest of ways as Akyra squinted to get a closer look. The pattern that swirled around the blade grew dark and sinister, almost menacing. It was a tiny change; impossible to see if one were not to pay attention. But Akyra watched as this tiny strip of darkness devoured the nooks of her blade.
You're letting the darkness in, she thought to herself, you're letting it win.
"You can't do this to me," she whispered urgently at her weapon. She felt slightly embarrassed; after all, who could watch someone speak to a staff and not think they were crazy?
Yet, she took Merlin's words to heart. It will hunt for a new master. She wasn't about to let darkness consume her again and leave her friends to fight this threat.
"Look, I don't know what's wrong with me and I don't know what's bothering you, but we're in trouble and if this is going to work, we're going to have to work together."
She raised her head and panted heavily. "We are warriors of the light and you have chosen me as your master. You are going to help me eliminate this darkness."
In that moment, Akyra felt something familiar within her. A brilliant light that shone from her heart when they had set out on their first adventure together. When she didn't know pain or fear and when getting to know her weapon was a happy and exciting experience. The Staffblade responded to her the way it always used to, before she began rejecting its magnificence and wickedness. With a flash of light, the staff began glowing like the sun, illuminating the cavern substantially.
It had finally listened to her heart, the way it did before Castle Oblivion.
"You gave me a flashlight…" Akyra said, her voice cracking from her laughter.
"What are you doing?" Donald asked exuberantly, scanning the newly illuminated area.
"Showing you Barbossa," she replied triumphantly.
Sora smiled widely. "Let's get him!"
The Heartless' only job was to swallow the light in the room and crawl to safety, laughing while it watched the heroes stumble in the dark. Yet, Akyra's weapon made it easier to find it and, when the Heartless was knocked out, light was completely restored throughout the cavern, showing Barbossa in his most vulnerable state.
Without the darkness, Barbossa was a pushover. A few swipes of the Keyblade sent him falling to his knees, begging for mercy. Pete, realizing another one of his attempts had ended in failure, fled the scene, leaving his potential Heartless at the hands of Captain Jack.
"Care to surrender, Barbossa?"
Barbossa raised his sword, refusing to go down without a fight.
Jack sighed. "Well, enough of this, then. What say you we call it a draw?"
Barbossa laughed when Jack pulled out his pistol, pointing it threateningly at his heart. "Jack, how many times do I have to tell you?"
Jack tossed his medallion to William before pulling the trigger on Barbossa. Not able to die, he laughed loudly at Jack's idiocy.
"Laugh while you can, Barbossa!" William warned from beside the Aztec treasure chest. He quickly slashed his hand and let his blood drip into the chest, along with Jack's bloody medallion.
Barbossa laid a hand on his heart, feeling the skin and flesh he hadn't felt in years as the curse lifted, the pistol's bullet lodging itself in his chest. He began to stumble backwards, realizing his inevitable fate. Before his life ended, he was able to muster a final phrase, one he had been waiting to truly feel for so long.
"I feel…cold."
"What now, Jack?" Will asked casually when the group reached the Interceptor on the port of Isla de Muerta.
"Whatever I want, now that the Pearl is mine again," he said coolly, turning around to face the ship.
"That she is," Will said gratefully, "Thank you, Jack."
As he extended his hand to shake the captain's, Jack cowered in fear, raising his arms up for protection. "I didn't want ye hitting me again, mate."
"Good luck, Jack," Sora said cheerfully.
"And remember to be good!" Donald added, albeit sarcastically.
"I'm off," Jack said quickly, hoping to leave as quickly as possible.
"Will!"
Elizabeth came scurrying from the ship, arms extended with joy. Captain Jack extended his as well to receive her hug but, the moment she passed him, Jack's expression fell to embarrassment. Elizabeth wrapped her arms around Will, holding him tightly with joy as Jack walked towards his new ship.
Sora relaxed his arms behind his head as he took in the scene. "Good for them!"
Goofy stole a glance at Sora, suspicious of his motives. "Hey Sora? How come your face is all red?"
Donald and Akyra jumped at the chance at taunting him, examining his face closely.
Sora hid his face away in embarrassment. "What? It is not red!"
"Aw, I know who you're thinking about!" Donald taunted.
"Is she pretty?" Akyra mocked, batting her eyelashes quickly.
Sora hid his face away completely, praying the moment would pass as soon as possible. His prayers were quickly answered by Jack's compass, which flashed with a bright light. It revealed the Keyhole to the world, requiring the services of the Keyblade master. He locked the Keyhole with ease, relieved that his moment in the spotlight was over. However, he would get his revenge soon enough.
"You know… for a minute there…" he began, "I was afraid we were going to lose Donald to the curse of the treasure."
"Yup, me too!" Goofy added playfully.
"Oh, absolutely," Akyra intervened, "He was struggling back there. Trust me, I noticed."
"WHAT?" Donald screeched, grumbling as his cohorts laughed at his expense.
"And you really saved us back there," Sora said to Akyra after his fit of laughter.
"Oh, is it my turn to be teased by you guys?" she asked playfully, pointing out the pattern.
Sora shook his head. "No, I mean it."
"He's right. You really lit up the place for us," Goofy added with a smile.
"Huh?"
Akyra gazed at her friends in confusion. What was with all the praise all of a sudden?
Without warning, they hugged her all at once; Sora and Goofy sharing her torso while Donald hugged her leg, too short to join the rest of them.
"We knew the old you was still in there somewhere," Donald complimented.
As much as receiving a compliment from Donald Duck seemed to be impossible enough, she didn't even remember the last time she held any of them. And perhaps she wasn't as lonely as she made herself out to be. For them to have noticed her past struggles and be proud of her accomplishment today, they must really care for her. Maybe she was so obsessed with having lost Naminé, Riku, Kairi and Roxas, she failed to see the friends she still had. And, in all honesty, she would never trade these three goofballs for anyone.
Perhaps things weren't as bad as she originally imagined they were.
Or perhaps she was just too blind to see the horrors that were unravelling in front of her.
KHA: I don't think you understand, I almost went into cardiac arrest when I found out. And I didn't sleep for two days. Then I figured, I might as well get this story done because I'm going to have another story to write when this game comes out O_O Sadly, this chapter is another filler but I paid attention to grammar this time :D
Sora: FINALLY!
Akyra: I hope I have a happy ending ;_;
KHA: Ha ha ha HAHAHAHAHAHA
Akyra: ...shut up... T_T