Sora, Donald, and Goofy didn't see Aanyx for a while after that. In each world revisited, he would ask about Riku, Kairi, and Aanyx. In each world, he had less and less to go by.

By the time they returned to Port Royal, they had all but assumed Aanyx was working for the other team.

"So it was the Organization! We'll handle this!" Sora growled, summoning his keyblade. A portal of Darkness suddenly appeared behind them, "Oh really?"

Out stepped Aanyx, dressed in her full pirate regalia. She folded her arms over her chest and glared at the trio, "Going up against a foe you know literally nothing about when there are others who know their every weakness? You really are a fool." She brushed past them to stand between the opposing sides, "Well, Luxord? Think you can face the cards? You always said life's a gamble."

"The Darkness of men's hearts—drawn to these cursed medallions; and this Heartless—a veritable maelstrom of avarice:"

The sea rumbled as a heartless appeared, towering over the deck, and Luxord continued, "I wonder, are they worthy to serve Organization XIII?"

"And you want an answer now?" Jack asked warily. Aanyx summoned her whips, "Stupid question, Captain."

"Precisely!" In a swirl of Dark Matter the two Nobodies were gone, leaving the others to deal with the Heartless. Aanyx let out her laughter at last, leaning good-naturedly against her fellow member, "Man, that was too good! Did you see their faces?"

"Aye, like a lost puppy, that keybearer." Luxord grinned, "It should be most interesting to see how this little gamble plays out."

"Hey, I'm all in as long as I don't have to kill anyone." Aanyx winked before opening a portal once more, "After you, Superior."

Aanyx landed back on deck with a small thud, face once more set in a steely glare as she crouched before Luxord.

"Throw him overboard!" Jack commanded. "Aye aye!" Sora readily agreed, only to stop when Luxord held up a hand. "Parley!"

"Barley?" Goofy asked. Aanyx shook her head, "Parley. According to the code set down by captains Morgan and Bartholomew, anyone who invokes the right of parley must be allowed peaceful negotiations. If an adversary demands parley you can do them no harm until the parley is complete."

"This is no time for rules!" Sora groaned. "True, but as we are honorable pirates we should always stick to the code." Jack muttered before nodding to Luxord, "Alright, you. Out with it!"

"I surrender the chest with my humblest apologies." Luxord gave a flourishing bow. Jack took a step closer, "Rather accommodating of you mate. And for that you want…?"

"Just a few souvenirs…for the memories." Aanyx was suddenly thrown into Sora, who was too distracted to notice the Grim Reaper Heartless had returned and created a wind current strong enough to blow Sora, Donald, Goofy, Jack, and Aanyx onto the abandoned Interceptor.

"FIRE!" All the cannons on the Pearl fired at the Interceptor, throwing it into an outcropping of rocks and destroying the ship.

"If you've quite finished taking a beauty nap, I could use some help over here." Sora's side was jabbed repeatedly by something extremely bony. He opened his eyes warily. Blinked. Rubbed them again.

Aanyx sighed, "No, you're not hallucinating. No, I didn't steal a medallion. No, I'm not the only one like this, and yes, you've gone skelly too." Evidently, he wasn't the first to wake up. Sure enough, Sora found himself cursed; his clothes torn and skin sparse. "What happened?"

"Reckon it's got something to do with that Heartless, savvy? We were perfectly fine before it sent us overboard."

"Speaking of which, how do we get outta here?" Sora asked. Aanyx shrugged, taking various odds and ends and collecting them into a pile. Her hands glowed green, "I can try and make something outta her, but the majority of the wood is in pretty bad shape. We're gonna need a lot of crap for me to make a ship from scratch."

Donald pointed his staff at her, glaring, "I don't trust you, Nobody." Aanyx merely shoved the staff out of her face and continued her work, "You never trusted me, Duck. Your trust means little to me, regardless. And unless I am mistaken, I could very easily portal away leaving all of you to your own devices, so you might as well accept the fact that I can and will help you if you let me."

"Where were you, Aanyx?" Sora asked in hopes of a change of subject. "I had some things to take care of."

"Like?"

"Well, if you must know, Mr. Nosy, I was hunting something. You recall that powerful Nobody I mentioned? The one who created me? Xcaiy, Kat and I think he's planning something, so we've been trying to figure out what." She paused, looking at the four who merely stood listening to her, and rolled her eyes, "What is this, show and tell? Start bringing me any and all decent wood you can find! I can try for other things, but there isn't a whole lot here to work with. I can't make something outta nothing, remember!" She snapped her fingers irritably before returning to morphing the ship, "Or you lot can find a rock to sit on and I can morph the whole thing; your choice."

"Can you do that? It won't…wear you out, or anything?"

"Well it won't be easy, but it'll be easier than what we've started doing already. And you'll have to put your questions on the backburner until I'm done. It may take a few hours."

Once the group had situated themselves on the flattest rock they could find, Aanyx got to work. She kept her eyes closed, hands extended before her as they moved in elaborate patterns. A green glow slowly built up on her hands as she progressed, illuminating their rock in the falling darkness.

By dawn's first light she managed to turn the ship's rubble into a glorified dingy—not quite a sloop but not quite a dingy either—before collapsing to the ground, spent. Goofy offered her an ether but she shoved it away, "Won't do shit except make it worse. Oi, Sparrow, how are we on provisions?"

"Enough to make it three days."

"Good, that'll be plenty."

"Sailing three days into open ocean will do us little good, mate." Jack shook his head, boarding the ship. Aanyx held out her hand, "Compass."

"You have your own!"

"Yes, and it still is just as broken as it was the last time we went through this. Compass." Her tone made it evident she was losing her patience, so the captain unwillingly handed her his compass.

"What're you doing, Aanyx?" Sora asked as she brushed past him to climb the mast. "Just follow my directions and I guarantee we'll be back aboard the Pearl in no time."

"SAIL 'O!" Aanyx pulled out her spyglass with a grin, "What'd I tell ya? Bigfoot? Three days was more than enough."

Indeed, the Pearl was gaining fast, easily broad siding the smaller ship. "Ahoy, mateys!" Elisabeth called as Will threw them a line.

"Horrible imitation, yet I'm flattered." Jack said, touched, as he, Sora, Donald, and Goofy hauled the ship closer. With a bout of Aeroga Aanyx leapt onto the deck, sailing through the air as moonlight fell through the clouds and revealed her undead form. Will took a step back, drawing his sword, "Traitor!"

"Will!" Elisabeth hissed, but Aanyx just met the glare with a level stare. Without raising her hands the sword glowed green, shortening into a wooden dagger. "Traitor, says you? I'm the one who saved the keybearer's ass! I'm the one who made our little raft, savvy? And I'm the pirate what's going to lead our little party to Luxord."

Returning the sword to it's original form she turned and helped Jack aboard, "I vote captain."

"My ship, makes me captain."

"An incompetent captain, then. Can't even navigate us to the booty?"

"I can if you give me my compass back."

Aanyx raised an eyebrow, unhooking the compass from her belt, "Here's the deal; whoever can pinpoint an exact direction of that chest, then they're captain." She offered him the compass, the others crowding around to watch. The cover flipped back…

…Revealing the constant spin of the arrow. Jack closed it, frowned, shoved it in Sora's hands, and opened it again. Still the arrow spun, first one direction, then the other.

Aanyx scooped it up, calling a ball of Dark Matter into her other hand. "Luxord's masking it with Dark Matter," she explained, watching as the arrow settled on NNE, "If I use Dark Matter too, then the effect is nulled."

Jack made to touch the Dark Matter, but Aanyx dissipated it as she closed the compass with a snap.

"Nor-by-nor-east, Mr. Turner. Miss Swann, you're on charts. Bigfoot, I need you, Thing one, and Thing two to do sails. And Captain Sparrow?" A soft green light was just visible behind the door to the Captain's Cabin, "I do believe there's some Rum in your cabin with your name on it."

After a chorus of "Aye cap'n" the group dispersed, Aanyx helping here and there and occasionally changing the direction.

It was about midday the next day when Sora finally cornered the auburn-haired girl. "You're not gonna disappear again…are you?"

Aanyx didn't look up from the compass, "That all depends, Bigfoot. You're running a bit too far West, Mr. Turner. A few clicks Port if you please."

"Depends on what?" Sora asked, following the girl as she crossed the deck to look at the horizon. "On who stands in our way. How well you can handle yourself should I choose to leave."

"I can take care of myself," Sora stopped mid-deck to pout at her blunt statement, only to suddenly find a ball of Dark Matter flying straight at him. Letting out a cry of protest he dodged, summoning his keyblade when it curved back around.

"You're too slow, dumbass." Aanyx charged up another, "If Luxord were here he would have creamed you by now. He's number X of the Organization, and for a reason. What would you do if you suddenly were faced against number II? Or number I?"

With each question she fired off three more balls, and Sora bat them away the best he could. "You're too slow," She repeated, portaling behind him, "Feel the movement. Feel the warp in energy—where it's been and where it's going."

"Wh-what's with the sudden lesson?"

"You're no good to me dead. For me to get what I want we need to take down the Organization."

"But weren't you a part of that?"

"Hence the lesson. There's a brain in your head for a reason, dumbass. I swore the moment my friend died I'd never kill a single one of them."

"So you're using me?"

"To be technical about it, your King used you for the same purpose first. Unlike him, I plan to let you live. Concentrate."

But Sora wasn't finished, "Mickey isn't using anyone! He's counting on me to help!"

"Perhaps, but has he told you anything? Given you any inclination regarding what you're up against?"

Aanyx dissipated the Dark Matter, instead portaling behind him and putting him in a head lock, immobilizing his arms and picking him up off the ground. "Hey! Aanyx—lemme go!"

"Get out first. Rule number one; use what you have when you have it."

Sora tried Thundaga but it was blocked by a dome of Dark Matter. "Try harder. Think, dumbass. Your arms are pinned, head immobilized, but notice your feet are free." He kicked back, hitting her in the knee, and she dropped him with a split-second look of praise before sliding into a battle stance, "No magic, no weapons. Let's see what you've got."

And so the day progressed, Aanyx teaching Sora the basics of combat while occasionally adjusting the course. By the time the moon arose Port Royal was on the horizon. Aanyx had stopped their little lesson at around sundown, instead occupying the crows nest and occasionally telling Will to adjust the course.

Once they were close enough to shore, the Nobody gathered everyone on deck, "Alright, here's the plan. Will, Sora, and I will go ashore. The rest of you dock the ship and we'll rendezvous by Elisabeth's manor. Questions?"

"Yeah, why aren't we going ashore?" Donald squawked. Aanyx glared at him, "Because, Duck, I need to know Sora can handle his own."

"Then why'm I going?"

"Because you have the blood that'll turn us right again. If my source is right—which it always is—that Heartless from earlier is back, with all of the medallions powering it up. When it blasted us to the other ship we were infected—just as though we'd taken the medallions from the chest itself. Now are we done with the Q&A or do I have to repeat myself?"

"One final question;" Jack began, "How're you lot getting ashore if we've got the ship." Aanyx raised her eyebrow, giving him a look that clearly said you're really asking that question? while forming a Portal of Darkness.

"I'm not so sure about this…" Will made to back out, but Aanyx shoved him in before he could protest further. She then gave Sora a look, "Easy way or the hard way, Bigfoot."

The moment they'd stepped out the Heartless attacked, swirling with the medallions. Aanyx shoved Will out of the bay with a gust of Aeroga, creating a barrier to ensure his safety. "Just you an' me, Bigfoot," She grinned and called her whips to hand, "Let's see if you remembered any of it, yeah?"

The Heartless roared, attacking first. "Split!" Aanyx shoved Sora to the right as she rolled left, the attack narrowly missing her braid. "Oh no you didn't!"

"Hey, I've got an idea!" Sora called when they advanced from either side. "Yeah? Would you care to share with the class, Space Case, or do I have to try and read your mind?"

"On 'three' jump for it's head and use Aeroga."

Aanyx skid to the edge of the barrier, nodding once she'd made eye contact with Sora. "One,"

"Two,"

"THREE!"

Aanyx jumped, shooting Aeroga as strong as she could. Sora's jump was propelled higher, reaching the top of a nearby roof, while Aanyx was pushed in the opposite direction. They slid simultaneously down the barrier, the Heartless too distracted trying to decide who to attack to notice as the two landed on its head. Sora went to whacking away, while Aanyx began to suck the medallions up in a ball of Dark Matter. Bunch by bunch they were portaled into the chest before the Heartless roared, sending them flying in different directions. Aanyx lashed out a whip, latching onto the pendulum and swinging back into the Heartless' face. When the Heartless roared again, she flew straight in and was gone.

"AANYX!" Sora yelled, eyes wide in panic. Steeling himself with newfound determination, he closed his eyes in concentration, calling forth his Wisdom Form.

Darkness spread through the area, sucking light from the whole bay. Something went wrong mid-transformation—his Anti Form was reacting instead! His keyblade was gone in a flash of Dark Matter, claws protruding as he took on his Anti Form.

The Heartless twitched, looking this way and that and blinking curiously. Seeing the larger Grim Reaper Heartless, Anti!Sora let out a feral hiss and leapt into action, never noticing the ripple of energy as Aanyx and Luxord appeared on a nearby rooftop to watch the action.

"You brought it out?" Luxord's praise was evident. "It didn't take much to get it to react, honestly. Just a few hits with Dark Matter and the thing was practically screaming to get out. I knew Sora would never intentionally set it free—he needed to be provoked."

"Which explains jumping headfirst into the portal in its mouth."

"Naturally." Aanyx turned her attention back to the fight below, "It's powerful—more than Naminé guessed." She observed, "You can go ahead and RTC—Send Superior my regards and let him know everything is going as planned."

"And what of the report?"

"Use your eyes, Luxord," She waved a hand towards the scene below as Anti!Sora clawed the Grim Reaper's arm off, "Better than we'd hoped. I'll play up to the Keybearer a bit more—let him finish his check up on his little friends—and then we head straight for the castle."

Then, seeming to get an idea, she grabbed number X on the forearm, "And while we're at it, we ought to occupy the boy. He's meddling a bit too much for my taste, methinks."

"You aren't still sore about that thing in Twilight Town?" Luxord chuckled, "That's one thing I never plan to do after being whole—hold a grudge."

When the Heartless was just about to disappear Aanyx portaled back into the arena, tumbling to Sora's feet with a painful oof!

Anti!Sora hissed and withdrew from proximity, but Aanyx held out her hand as one would to a pet, "Little Shadow, little pet," She sang in an almost mockingly sweet tone, "Now your Master's all upset. He doesn't belong with you or I. He whose name means the sky. You've done well, though your master will never tell. Return to Her Darkness, little Heartless."

The arena once more filled with Dark Matter before retracting, and Sora nearly fell foreword. "Easy, Bigfoot." Aanyx caught him by the shoulders, "It's not good for you Somebodies to submerge in Dark Matter too long."

Finally re-oriented, Sora smiled at Aanyx, "You're okay!"

"'Course I am—Still all skelly, but I'm okay. Speaking of…" Aanyx dismissed the barrier, beckoning Will over, "I do believe there's a spell that needs reversing, Mr. Turner."

~w~

"So this is us done, right?" Aanyx waited at the entrance to the Gummi, arms folded across her chest. "Thank you…all of you…for all of your help." Elisabeth smiled. Sora shook Will's hand, "Any time."

"Yeah, sure, happy ending, whatever. Let's go." Aanyx turned and headed up the ramp, calling over her shoulder, "Ten minutes and I'm leaving without you!" She rolled her eyes at them, climbing into the cockpit and staring at the sunrise out the window.

She chose not to react as Sora slid into the copilot seat beside her, "I never really thanked you for those lessons before."

"Mnh."

"Really—it helped. Thanks."

Aanyx rolled her eyes, buckling in and closing the door as she powered the engines, "Just do me a favor, Space Case," She let out a wicked smirk and picked the Gummi off the ground, "Don't wet your pants every time I suddenly disappear."

Having successfully driven her point, she gunned it, taking off into the sky with a mirthful laugh at Sora's cry of "Hey!"