"An interesting conundrum, holding life and death in the palm of one's hand," Jack quipped with a smile. Will and Elizabeth gazed up at Jack with hopefulness in their eyes, then resumed staring at each other with smiles on their faces.
Jones growled, summoning one of his personally modeled Sky Soldier Heartless to charge Jack. It appeared instantly and flew like a torpedo. However, it was knocked off-course by a blast of ice that spun it out of control and barreling overboard, not to mention one that made Jack jump in surprise, though he kept his grip upon the broken sword and the heart.
Jones' eyes began to bug out of his head and he growled loudly when he spotted Sora at the top of the stairs, still aiming his Keyblade at the spot where the Heartless had just been. He made eye contact with Jones, staring seriously, but triumphantly.
"Sorry we're late!" Steven walked up the stairs just behind Sora, panting a little from exhaustion. He nodded to the Dutchman's resident octopus-man. "I have to hand it to you, Captain Jones. Making the Heartless your own made them slightly less stupid than the usual variety we put up with." He chuckled. "Don't get me wrong, though. They are still pretty darn stupid."
"You are a cruel man, Jack Sparrow!" Jones snapped at Jack.
"Cruel is a matter of perspective," Jack replied, smirking. He now held all the cards. The key to controlling Jones was in the palm of his hand. The captain had no tricks left.
This was a false perception on Jack's parts.
"Is it?" Jones challenged. "Then tell me what you perceive of THIS!" He spun around and thrust his sword downward and into Will's chest. Will gasped loudly when it stuck into him.
Elizabeth lost all breath for a moment, watching in horror as Jones twisted the blade he held in her fiance's chest to the left, slowly, and ended with a sharp twist to the right before he left the wobbling sword sitting there. Jack's eyes widened on a larger proportion. Even though he thought he carried all the cards, he had not anticipated any resistance from Jones. Now that there had been that, Jack was in too much shock to even move his arms from the position they held. All the while, Jones cackled sinisterly. A severely crippling blow to their morale had just been dealt and he now held the upper hand.
Sora had reached out when he saw Jones make his move, as had Steven, but Sora stopped in his tracks. "Will!" he cried out. He rushed past Jones to his friend's side, where Elizabeth had already taken a spot. "This can't be...No!"
"Will, stay with me!" Elizabeth cried. "Please, stay with me!" But the life in Will's eyes was fading fast and he could barely manage to keep them open. "You can't leave us, Will! Please!" Elizabeth held his face, trying to get him to snap out of it.
Steven looked on the scene with a greater shock. He pinched the bridge of his nose and around his eyes, wiping the tears from them very quickly. His eyes were still spread open as he quickly joined Sora and Elizabeth at Will's side. "Pull through, Will! Come on!" he begged. He could barely comprehend that it was happening before his eyes. Will, in his eyes, had been the strongest among their allies. His death was inconceivable to him, even as it took place.
Bootstrap, meanwhile, looked onward from where he had been laying. He could see Jack holding the heart, the hand that held the knife still wavering in his grip. Elizabeth, his son's fiance, was kneeling over the body of Will himself. His eyes widened when his blind devotion to a ship was torn away and his essence returned to him. "William..." he gasped softly. "My son..." He stood to his feet. "My SON!" he bellowed, charging across the deck of the stern. Jones had gotten to his feet, but Bootstrap charged at his captain and slammed him with a fist in the back of the head. Jones spun out a bit and hit the railing. Bootstrap didn't let up, slamming into Jones again.
Jones was caught off-guard by retaliation from Bootstrap, but he quickly pushed back at his crewman and shuffled to his right to pick up a sword. He turned back to catch Bootstrap with both his tentacled hand and claw hand, spinning him around once and then pushing him up against the railing. "You have been a trouble to me for too long!" Jones snarled. "No one shall forestall my judgement!" He lifted the sword in preparation to strike. "Like son, like father!"
But as his arm came down, he dropped the sword. His whole body began to tremble violently, especially his tentacled beard. Despite his spasms, he forced his eyes back to the scene of Will's body. Clutched in the hand of the man who barely clung to life was the remains of Jack's sword, stabbing into the heart. Jack knelt beside his fallen comrade, as did Elizabeth, Sora, and Steven.
This was the end for Jones and he had no way of denying that. His face went solemn as his eyes turned upward to the swirling stormy sky. Before his last breath would escape him, he uttered the name of the only thing in his life that had ever mattered.
"Calypso..."
Davy Jones, the once-proud captain of the Flying Dutchman, toppled over the railing. His hat blew from his head and fell towards the center of the swirling abyss that lay beneath them. Once his body hit the water, he was no more. His body would wind up in the pits of his former domain, the ocean.
Barbossa turned the wheel of the Black Pearl away from the tilted ship they were tied to, but to no avail. "She's taking us down!" he yelled. "Do something or it'll be the Locker for us all!"
Ragetti and Pintel wheeled a cannon away from the starboard side of the ship and set it beside the mast. They stuffed a double cannon ball, connected by a chain, inside of it before they pointed it upward. Without another hesitation, the fuse was lit and the dual projecticle was fired towards the tops of the two ships. It struck in between them, breaking the bind that had been formed. Barbossa quickly spun the wheel in the opposite direction, allowing the Pearl to slowly ascend from the whirling waters of the maelstrom and begin its escape.
Will's body had continued to tremble in its last moments, but the life had now left his body slumped against the wall of the ship. Elizabeth shook him a little bit, trying to keep him with her, but he would no longer respond. "No...no! Will, no! Come back!" she shrieked.
Jack glanced over his shoulder nervously. A chant had arisen. The crew of the Dutchman was advancing towards them in a monotonous march. They repeated the same words, over and over. "Part of the crew, part of the ship. Part of the crew, part of the ship."
Jack couldn't allow Elizabeth to grieve any longer. The ship was going down and they would go with it if they stayed longer. He gripped Elizabeth's shoulders and pulled her up. She struggled against him, but he didn't let go. Sora and Steven quickly heeded his example and followed him. He picked up a fallen gun and pulled the line of a smaller sail from one of its two posts. "Hold on!" he urged. Then he shot the knot at the second posted. The fierce winds caught the sail and pulled them into the air and away from the ship.
Sora and Steven each took one of their own, holding tightly. "Steven!" Sora called, getting his friend's attention. "You going to be okay?"
Steven made eye contact with Sora, then took another look back at the crowd of Dutchman sailors surrounding Will. "I think so..." he replied. "I know this all stinks, but...I have a feeling it'll all turn out for the best."
Sora nodded. "It will," he promised. "I'm not going to let him die in vain." He pointed his Keyblade at the sail's harness. "Fire!" The burst of flame freed Sora's makeshift parachute and he flew off as well. Steven summoned his Keyblade too, but he was stopped by a loud squeak.
"Huh?" He looked to his feet in time to see Jack the monkey bound over to them. The creature hopped up and took hold of Steven's arm, clasping it tightly. "Close call, Jack," he said. His tone was solemn, though he was trying to sound happier. "I wouldn't want to leave you, would I?" With a smile, he cast his own spell of Fire at the harness and sent himself into a flight propelled by the violent winds of the maelstrom.
Heading the crowd of sailors left aboard the Dutchman was Bootstrap, holding the dagger he had given to his Will. He knelt at the boy's side, sighing in regret. "You slaid Jones, Will," he whispered. "The Dutchman must have a captain." He raised his arm to plunge the dagger into his dead son.
There were four people and one monkey that were able to witness the dying maelstrom more closely than any others. As they all floated away on sail fragments, the Dutchman was left at the center to tip over onto its side. It submerged slowly into the water and expelled a geyser-like burst of the ocean above it. Then the ocean began to calm again. The swirling clouds became normal and started to disperse. The once stormy environment that had housed the battle was gave way to sunlight once again. The sun beat down on the world again, giving at least a fraction of the sunny tropics that had been there prior to Calypso's release.
Upon the Endeavor, Beckett had been keeping a keen, close eye upon the battle. He was trembling gently in anger. However, a temper like his only amounted to light trembling in his hands. His face remained calm and collected, but he was burning up inside. "Impossible." He rose from his seat and forced himself to stare at the rest of the armada. One by one, he could see dozens of ships turning tail and abandoning the battle. No doubt they had all witnessed what he had seen as well. "That we could have such a grand armada that would turn tail at the sign of trouble is blasphemous!"
"If I may, my Lord?" The lieutenant of the ship stood upright beside Beckett. "I refuse to leave your side in this battle. But I can hardly see how one would choose not to run from such a force." He gestured out towards the pirate ships, namely the Black Pearl. "We started this battle with an armada, the Flying Dutchman, the Kraken and the Heartless at our command. The Heartless were robbed from us by Jones, the Kraken was taken by the Keybearers, the Dutchman was taken by the maelstrom when its captain was vanquished. Should you really find yourself surprised that fear of such a force has plagued our sailors with fear?"
Beckett glared at the leiutenant silently, causing the man to shuffle away quickly. Beckett knew he was right, however. Who could blame the men? All of their most powerful forces had been exhausted in a brief battle. The strongest of them all had even been vanquished by two teenagers. Three armada ships had been lost in the chaos and the dozens that had turned to flee were doing so in fear that they would be next.
"Lieutenant!" Beckett called. "Ready the Endeavor. We are going to destroy the Black Pearl." The lieutenant opened his mouth to protest, but decided against it after a couple of seconds. He stood upright and saluted Beckett before turning around.
"Let loose the sails!" he ordered. "We will carry out an assault of the Black Pearl immediately!"
The Black Pearl caught sight of their parachuting allies and moved the ship accordingly to pick them up. Sora, Steven, and Jack the monkey were the first to board. Sora's hair remained spiky as ever while Steven had to shake his small mop of hair to get some of the water out. Elizabeth was the next to reboard the ship, followed by Jack Sparrow.
"Thank goodness you're all here!" Gibbs praised, stepping to Jack. "Now Jack, we need a new plan. Much of the armada is still out there, the Endeavor is making haste into attack position, and I think the proper response would be to call on the noblest of our pirate traditions!"
"You want us to run?" Steven shook his head. "Gibbs, we have them by the ropes. More than half the armada turned tail after they saw what we did. You think they want that happening to them?"
"He's got a point," Jack agreed. "And to be honest, I've never truly been one for tradition." He smiled and made way to the wheel of the ship. "Close haul the Pearl! Luff the sails and lay her in irons!"
"Belay that!" Barbossa countered. "We'll be a sitting duck!"
"Belay that 'belay that'!" Jack returned. They tried to protest again, but Jack wouldn't have it. "Belay! Belay! Just...shut it!" he argued.
Across the water, the lieutenant was looking through a telescope, watching as their enemy stayed, exactly where it was. "What is he waiting for?"
"He expects us to honor the agreement," Beckett answered. "Jack brought me the pirates. With the armada, I can wipe them out. But he did expect to sail from here with his precious Pearl in one piece."
The flaps on either side of the Endeavor opened up, revealing dozens of cannons. One side of the ship sported more cannons than the Pearl had on its entire ship. It began to advance towards the Pearl's startboard side.
"Nothing personal, Jack," Beckett assured, more to himself. "It's just good business."
An even larger geyser of water exploded from the sea. It was well-concealed for a few seconds, among the pouring water and debris falling into the ocean, but the shape of an all-too familiar ship made itself clear. The crocodile mouth at the bow of the ship and various carvings on the side painted a vivid picture of the Flying Dutchman.
"Ah, look." Beckett pointed. "She survived."
The Dutchman had resurfaced, but it was not the same ship. It had been stripped of its former demeanor defined by moss, seaweed, clams, and sea creatures in general. The plant life had been torn from it and the weedy boards had been ripped away. Even the sailors aboard the ship gazed with ecstatic relief at their skin, visible to them for the first time in many years.
Bootstrap unstuck the starfish that had attached itself to his face and glanced to the stern with a smile. He was not surprised at all that his had happened. Just like the Dutchman always needed a captain, the world was always in need of the Dutchman. There had to be a ship to allow said captain to ferry souls lost at sea into the next world.
Will Turner was that new captain. With a wide smile, he gripped one post of the wheel with his right hand. He adorned his black jacket from before, but now held a visible scar on his chest. A grey bandana covered his head while the rest of his hair hung down to his shoulders. "Ready the guns!" he ordered.
The sound of his voice quickly caught the attention of the crew aboard the Black Pearl. Elizabeth broke into a wide smile, as did everybody on deck. Marty pumped his fist into the air and cheered. Pintel and Ragetti applauded enthusiastically. Sora summoned his Keyblade and fired a Fire spell into the air as a triumph.
Steven ran around the entire ship, cheering loudest of all. "He's alive! Will is alive! Whooo! Yeaaaah!"
"Full canvas!" Jack ordered.
"Aye, full canvas!" Barbossa eagerly agreed. "Hard to port!"
The three ships formed a triangle, but not for long. The Dutchman and the Pearl both made the same turn, hard to port, and headed not directly at the Endeavor, but alongside it. Beckett's vessel continued to move straight, but the two pirate ships were closing off its escape, right between them both.
Beckett's calm was gone. His face had relaxed, but only to droop in a soft frown and a dismal look in his eyes. It was two against one. Despite the sheer amount of cannons he had, he was in shock. The fact that he had come so close to being defeated had been inconceivable to him. Now that it had taken place, he was in too much shock to even say the word 'fire', to the desperate urging of his crew.
"Sir, orders!" the lieutenant pleaded. "Give the order!" Beckett would do no such thing, continuing to stare blankley ahead, not wanting to witness the beginning of his destruction.
Sora and Steven each took a place at the Pearl's railing, pointing at the opposing ship with their weapons. "Orders, captain?" they said simultaneously.
Jack smirked. "Fire."
"Fire!" they replied.
"Fire!" Barbossa called out.
"Fire!" Will called to his crew aboard the Dutchman.
"Fire all!" Elizabeth cried triumphantly.
From either side of the Endeavor, cannon fire pierced its hull. The soldiers aboard the ship still awaited orders, even as some of the cannons were blown away from their posts. The Keybearers cast Thunder spells upon the side of the ship. Because of the water, the electricity became super-conducting and smashed apart the lower areas of the ship, allowing water to flow inside.
"Sir, orders!" the lieutenant shouted at Beckett, who was still in a wide-eyed trance.
"It's just...good business," Beckett managed to choke out.
The lieutenant managed to realize that his leader was incapable of giving any further orders. By this time, the devastation wreaking havoc upon the ship was already too severe to try fighting back. "Abandon ship!" he declared. "Everyone, abandon ship!"
The sailors didn't think twice about abandoning their posts now that the order was given. The ship was being torn apart, however. Many were able to make it to the railing and jump overboard with a slight hope of being able to swim to safety. Some were slammed by the falling pieces of the ship. Beckett simply walked down the stairs with one hand on the railing. Everything behind him was getting destroyed only a second after he had passed it by. Splintered wood smacked against his body, cascading all around him. Beckett looked straight forward as the gundpowder beneath the deck ignited and caused an explosion. His face did not waver in the slightest as the resulting ball of flame engulfed him and blew the ship apart.
The example made out of the Endeavor was enough proof for the armada about which direction this battle was taking for them. That was made clear enough when Marty called down from his hanging post on the rigging of the ship. "They're turning away!" he declared. "Yeaaah!"
"Alright!" Sora and Steven yelled simultaneously, high-fiving each other. Steven turned to join Pintel and Ragetti and the three of them jumped up and down in celebration. Sora hesitated when approaching, but the flicker of movement was not unnoticed by Pintel, nor Ragetti.
They both ceased for a moment, stepping before Sora. "Mate...we've had a thought," Pintel admitted. "You've done alright for pirates everywhere today."
"Been doing so for some time," Ragetti added. "So we've decided you're off the hook."
"Oh!" Sora was mildly shocked at this token of gratitude, something that he was not used to receiving from pirates. "Well...thanks, guys," he replied. "Um...we won!" he cheered.
"Aye!" Pintel and Ragetti agreed. Without warning, they hoisted Sora onto their shoulders and yelled out in support of him.
"Three cheers for the Keyblade!" Pintel declared.
"Three more for Sora and Stevie!" Ragetti chimed in.
Sora pumped his fists into the air proudly. Steven took one look at his hands, smiled, and stuck them up in the fashion of horns. "Rock and roll," he muttered to himself.
As the celebrations were taking place on the Pearl, Will was left in a relatively silent victory. He was proud, of course, that he had assisted in the fall of the East India Trading company, especially the fall of Beckett. Still, he knew the duty of the Dutchman and knew he was soon to be on his way.
"Orders, sir?"
Will hadn't expected any of the crew to remain. Many of them had jumped ship after battle. One he had expected to most of all was his own father, but he remained as well, having been the one to ask for orders. "You are no longer bound to the Dutchman," Will answered. "You're free."
"Aye," Bootstrap nodded. "A fine thing that may be." He shook his head and smiled. "By my reckoning, I still have some years of debt that need to be paid, if you will have me."
A loyal stubbornness to someone he cared about...Will felt more sure than ever that he was the son of the man standing before him. "On the wheel then, Mr. Turner."
"Aye, Captain Turner." Bootstrap heeded the instruction with a grin. He also took heed of the person Will was looking for aboard the Black Pearl. "This ship has a purpose again," Bootstrap reminded, to which Will nodded. "Where we are bound, she cannot come. You will spend one day ashore with her, then ten years at sea." Bootstrap looked off at the horizon. "It is a steep price for what's been done."
Will finally pinpointed where Elizabeth was. She was looking over at the Dutchman as well, having been doing so for several seconds. She hadn't struggled to find him as he had to find her, and the mere eye contact they made was enough to bring a smile to both their faces.
"We'll see," Will said. "It all depends on the one day."
Elizabeth rested her head on her elbow, which was supported by the railing of the Black Pearl. She, like Will, knew of what must happen next. Still, it was a loyalty she was prepared to give. She turned away to walk down the railing, where a longboat had been fixed for her journey. A procession had formed, leading to the boat.
She encountered Barbossa first. "Mrs. Turner," he spoke with a nod. With a chuckle, he continued. "Been a little while since I've greeted you by that name. Now it be your proper name." She acknowledged him with a nod, then continued along the process to see Pintel and Ragetti.
"So long, Poppet," Pintel said gently.
"It's been fun," Ragetti agreed.
Elizabeth patted their shoulders and smiled gently before moving onto Gibbs.
"Your Highness," Gibbs greeted respectfully. "You make a fine pirate, Mrs. Turner. We wish you luck in your future life."
"I had a good guide, Gibbs," Elizabeth agreed. She gave subtle nods to the other members of the crew she had become familiar with. The last one in line was Jack, an encounter that didn't disturb Elizabeth as much as she would've expected.
"Jack..." She shook her head. "It wouldn't have ever worked out for the two of us."
Jack gave a knowing smile. "Keep on telling yourself that, darling." Elizabeth smiled again. After a moment's hesitation, she advanced. Jack held up his hands immediately to stop her. "No...once was quite enough," he assured.
"Thank you, Jack," she replied. She made her exit and stepped into the longboat. Up until that point, she'd wondered why Sora and Steven were absent in the procession. Her doubts were calmed when she spotted them waiting for her, each having hold of one oar.
"We're not saying good-bye to you and Will just yet," Sora replied. "We've still got something we need to do."
"Your world's still got an open Keyhole somewhere," Steven finished for him.
"Sora!" The Keybearer's attention was caught by Jack, who tipped his hat in favor of his departing comrade. "Should I catch you pirating under somebody else, I will not hesitate to shoot you."
Despite the fact that it was a threat on his life, Sora couldn't help but laugh. "I would expect no less," Sora answered jokingly. He sighed softly, then saluted. "You're my only captain, Jack."
"And if Gibbs hadn't come along, you'd be my first mate," Jack answered proudly. He gave a quick thumbs-up to Gibbs, then leaned over to whisper something to Sora. "Say the word and he walks the plank, no questions asked."
Steven's turn for farewells was next. He briefly exited the boat and hold out both hands for Pintel and Ragetti. With a firm grip, they firmly shook on it. "It's been real fun, guys," Steven replied. "Being a pirate is dangerous, but it's also fun. You guys helped me see the fun side of it."
"You helped us out a right sight too, mate," Pintel said in return.
"We're not going to forget you, mate," Ragetti promised. "Your legend will live on here."
"Make sure it does," Steven insisted. "I want to read about it someday." He sighed solemnly. "Good-bye, guys."
"Good fortunes to you, Steven," Pintel and Ragetti wished at the same time.
Steven approached Barbossa, but not specifically for an exchange of farewell, at least not with Barbossa. He held out his arm for Jack the monkey, who hopped from Barbossa's shoulder and clung to Steven's arm. Steven hugged the little monkey to his chest, petting its fur gently. "You and I had some good times too, Jack," Steven reminded to the small primate. He looked up at Barbossa. "You're the only person closer to this monkey than I am." He lifted Jack upward and the monkey jumped back to its original caretaker's shoulder. "Take care of him, will you?"
"I'll see that it be done, Master Steven," Barbossa promised. "Now begone with ya."
Steven walked back to the side of the ship, waving gently to those that hadn't received a personal good-bye. He rejoined Sora and Elizabeth in the longboat and began to row.
Two swords were stuck into a beach, crossing blades. The sunlight beat down upon the shores of an island, the day nearing its close. Standing at the end of the shore, Will held onto the chest formerly belonging to Davy Jones. The chest, how his possession, held another thing of his.
"It has always been yours," Will said to Elizabeth, adorned in a black tunic with no sleeves, going down to her knees. "Will you keep it safe?"
Elizabeth accepted the chest, holding it in both arms. "Always and forever," she promised. She set it down at her feet, then flung her arms around her fiance and locked lips with him. She wanted to keep the embrace tight, even though the brief seconds they were entwined felt like an eternity already. Still, the eternity didn't last long and Will released her.
"Keep a weather eye on the horizon," he told her. He stepped away from her, departing from the shore and back to the Flying Dutchman. One farewell had been given and now Elizabeth had two more to deliver. With a heavy sigh, she turned around, where Sora and Steven stood in waiting.
She approached Steven first. "We had an interesting way to meet first," she recalled. "It's not generally a custom to congratulate a bride."
Steven shrugged. "Knowing the kind of world we're in, I doubt many brides are lucky enough to get the perfect man like you did. You deserve to be congratulated." He opened his arms in preparation when Elizabeth approached him and hugged him tightly.
"I've caught wiff of the attitude you've been giving to authority figures," Elizabeth revealed. She snickered a little bit. "Make sure you keep that up."
"Don't even have to tell me once on that," Steven promised.
Elizabeth released Steven and turned to Sora. Before even giving him a chance to speak, she took hold of his face and kissed him on the forehead. Then she locked him in an embrace. "You've been helping us so much for so long. I don't think there's ever going to be enough gratitude in the world for how much we owe you."
Sora patted Elizabeth's back as he hugged her. "Moments like this are usually worth all that," he assured. "Knowing I'm helping a lot of people, keeping them safe...that's plenty for me."
"The worlds are lucky to have you, Sora," Elizabeth praised. "A kind heart..." She ruffled his spiky hair a bit and giggled. "With a goofy personality."
Sora tried to resist the ruffling of his hair, but Elizabeth was still hugging him close with one arm. "Cut it out!" he laughed, pulling away at last.
Elizabeth giggled some more, then turned her finger to the horizon. "The sunset is almost here," she informed. "Are you sure?"
"I think so," Sora answered, summong his Keyblade. Steven followed closely as he and Sora walked up to the shoreline. Sora held up his Keyblade, preparing for the moment where it would happen. The Dutchman sailed for a few moments longer, then vanished as the sun peeked down over the horizon and a flash of green light burst into the air. As soon as the flash of green hd taken place, a blue beam shot from Sora's Keyblade towards the horizon. It traveled for many seconds until it apparently struck that horizon. A brighter flash occured that made it seem like daylight again. The outline of the world's Keyhole glowed brightly and the sound of a lock closing echoed across the ocean at them before it slowly faded.
The night was beginning to overtake the world when Sora and Steven both began to shine with gentle light. They were preparing to answer another calling in whatever world awaited them.
"Good-bye, Elizabeth." Sora waved to his friend. "I'm going to miss this place."
The two Keybearers shone brightly still and then they were went flying into the air back towards the Gummi Ship. Elizabeth was left alone on that beach in the beginning of a ten-year wait for her love to return to her one day.