As soon as my odd visions had subsided, I ignored Luxord and opened a fresh corridor that would, if I still had the same kind of unerring aim that had got me to Port Royal, take us to the spit of land I'd seen Jack on. The two visions neatly explained what I had to do next, or at least they did to me.

Luxord of course followed me. "I assume this means you've seen something?" he inquired.

"That's a stupid question," I replied irritably. "You want to see Sparrow, well I'm taking you to see him. It'll be a quick visit though because I need one thing from him, then we'll be leaving again. Don't try to interfere because I'll walk all over you if you do."

"Just what did you see?"

"I thought that was obvious by now. Why else would I be taking you to him?"

"You could simply have told me where he was."

"And just how would you have got there?" I snapped, turning on him in mid-corridor. "On your missing ship? Did you plan to take a dinghy out? And then how would you navigate to get there when you don't have a clue where it is?"

"You know where it is."

"And I don't know how to sail a ship, but I do know how to direct a dark corridor, so shut up and keep out of my way."

Luxord prudently kept his distance from me after that. It might have been his mission, but he was also due to become the second person to board my ship. My irritation came from having to let him in on it, because it would inevitably mean that Saïx would find out. So much for keeping it private.

My aim was only slightly off this time, putting us in the shallows at the far end of the island to Jack. The place was mostly just beach with a narrow spit of trees and greenery in the middle, and the whole place was sun-blasted, making it almost as bad as Agrabah for heat.

"This is where he is?" Luxord wondered idly. "Odd place to find a pirate captain."

"If my suspicions are right, it wasn't his choice. He may be a little drunk when we find him, since the only thing to drink around here is a stash of rum."

"That might make getting answers out of him... awkward."

"Your questions can wait. There's something else we'll have to see to first."

Does it come as a surprise to find he didn't try to find out what?

The vision showing him here had a sense of having only recently happened, so with any luck Jack wouldn't have gone far. It turned out to be even simpler than that, since he appeared to have passed out from the drink.

"For someone so small, he drinks a lot," Luxord observed. "It might be a bit hard to wake him up."

"Oh, I don't know about that," I replied, kneeling close. "I've got a few ideas." I searched one of his pockets to find three shillings – something that'd come in useful later – the single-shot flintlock pistol that Barbossa had left him with, a number of rings and other possibly stolen small items, and his compass. When I reached for the compass a hand quickly snatched my own.

"I don't think you want to be doing that, mate," Jack told me.

"I thought that might work," I murmured. "You can let go of my hand now. I was just trying to wake you up."

"Seems like you've achieved that. Now what are two of the strangest looking people I've seen in a long while doing on this godforsaken spit of land?"

"Looking for you," I replied, getting back to my feet again. "Or he is, but he can wait. We're here to get you off this charming isle you've been made governor of."

Jack hauled on my arm to get up himself, staggered back a bit, then peered around and through the trees.

"I don't see your ship, mate."

"That's because I haven't sailed it here yet. We came by... an alternative means, which wouldn't be all that useful for you. Unless you don't mind getting hurt along the way, that is."

"So why come to all the trouble of telling me when you could just sail here?"

"Because I don't know where 'here' is exactly. I have something here of yours, Captain Sparrow," I went on, holding out his hat. "I propose a little exchange. I'll return it in exchange for your compass. Then, I'll use your compass to sail my ship here, return it and take you back to Port Royal."

"And in exchange for my compass back and getting me off here, you want what?"

I jerked one hand over my shoulder to Luxord. "He's been looking for you, and hasn't told me why. Just deal with whatever he wants once we're aboard my ship."

"Roxas, we don't have a ship," Luxord broke in.

"That's what you think," I smirked back. "So Captain – do we have an accord?"

Jack considered it for a moment then took the hat out of my hand, set it on his head and shook my hand with his own somewhat grubby one. Then as an afterthought, he 'remembered' to add the compass too.

"Aye. I'll be seeing you soon then, no doubt?"

"You can count on it. Don't go anywhere, will you?"

"Oh of course not – being a governor keeps me busy day and night."

"Drinking rum?"

"What else? Welcome to the Caribbean, mate. Don't lose my compass," he added, then headed off to wherever he kept his rum supply, swaying slightly.

Humming to myself, I turned back down the isle, ignored the bemused Luxord and opened one more corridor, this time to Neverland and to the deck of my ship.

"Where do you plan to find a ship, Roxas?" he demanded.

"I don't need to find one," I replied. "I already have one."

"Since when?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

There was a pause, then, "Yes... that's why I asked."

"Keep wondering then."

"There are times where I feel we know absolutely nothing about you, Roxas," Luxord sighed. "Every time we learn something about you, it seems to uncover an entirely new facet that we weren't aware of."

"At least it keeps you busy," I replied, exiting onto the deck of my own ship. "Look lively down there!" I commanded my Nobodies. "Raise the anchor, drop sails and make ready to go – we've got work to do."

"Nobodies," Luxord said disbelievingly. "You have a ship crewed by Nobodies."

"Yes," I agreed pleasantly. "Is there a problem with that?"

"Heading, Captain?" a Samurai asked me while Luxord tried to think up an answer.

"Ah, I know this one, one moment." Jack's compass is an ornate little thing. You don't notice it much because it doesn't get much screen-time, that and Jack himself tends to get more attention, but it really is. Anyway, the compass's point spun around a few times, as if getting its own bearings, then stopped while pointing to starboard – the right side of the ship.

"Aye, Captain," the Samurai responded, seeing the heading on the compass.

"You have a ship," Luxord repeated at last. "With a crew of Nobodies."

"You're going to be a terrible passenger if you're going to say that the whole time. My crew might decide to throw you overboard." Luxord just stared flatly at me. "Maybe you just need some time to adjust to it. Why don't you take the wheel for the moment, they'll correct you if they need."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to go to my cabin and do Captainly sort of things." And read Riku's letter, I mentally added to myself. "Keep an eye on him," I added in passing to one Samurai. I knew they would, but I felt it had to be emphasized.

Hook's old cabin is oddly small for a captain's cabin, I've often thought, but I didn't really need all that room. It was at least well furnished, even if I couldn't rearrange – everything was nailed down so the ship's movements wouldn't dislodge anything. Except for the lanterns, which hung on hooks in the planks and swung in time with the ship, not that I needed them in broad daylight.

Riku's letter was plain and to the point, and I realized almost as soon as I started reading it why I'd kept hold of it in the vision – it wasn't something I wanted to let anyone else read.

'Roxas,

Naminé's been keeping track of Xion and what's left of Liam's memory. He's taken too much, and if he takes any more it won't be Liam you'll be going back to – it'll be Xion. I've talked with the King, and he agrees with me – you're going to have to take your chances and handle Xion before that happens. I know you told me it has to be done at the right time – but in the King's own words, 'doing it at the right time won't mean a thing if it won't get us Liam back'.

That's not all though. DiZ is getting impatient, and I can't keep lying to him forever about not finding you. Since Xion's forced me to take on Ansem's form, I can't even tell him you're overpowering me either. He's determined to find a way into the Organization's Castle, and I'm afraid that if you stay there any longer he'll succeed. If you leave now, he won't know where you've gone and I can make the excuse of looking for you.

Keep in touch through the moogles, Roxas – I've already talked with one who's promised to help you if they can. For a price, of course. You know what moogles are like.

Good luck out there.

Riku.'

"So much for keeping to the original events as close as possible," I muttered aloud. Not that I'd ever actually tried to do that, but this just took it too far. "One of you come in here," I added to the empty air, causing a Samurai to materialize on the other side of the desk.

"You called, Captain?"

"What I tell you here is not to be discussed with anyone but another Samurai Nobody and myself, and other Samurais are also to abide by that, is that understood?"

"We understand Captain."

"This mission with Luxord will be the last one I do for the Organization," I told it. "I'll be returning to the castle, then in the morning I'll be leaving the Organization for good. You're not to take orders from anyone else but me. Your allegiances from now on are to me, not to them. Be especially wary of Saïx, as I've no doubt he'll try to get in my way, or at least try to get you to do it for him. Those of you on my ship here are probably safe, since Luxord will undoubtedly inform Saïx I have the ship, but that can't be helped. Whenever I'm away from here though, monitor the area without getting seen if possible and if you spot any other member of the Organization, tell me immediately. Any objections?"

"What of our hearts and of Kingdom Hearts?"

"Xemnas is doomed to fail," I shook my head. "Kingdom Hearts will be set free, the hearts that make it up released back where they belong. Maybe some of you will get your hearts back because of that, I don't know – hearts are unpredictable. The task of liberating them is Liam's though – not mine."

"You could do it," it told me. "We would support you if you did."

"Xion and I have made enough changes as it is, and after what Riku's suggesting, I'm going to have to make more changes – ones I don't want to make, but the way things are going I don't have a choice. Once Xion has been... neutralized... then we'll see."

"Then there are no objections, Captain."

"Then return to work."