The Great Disney Adventure III: Heroes and Villains
A Disney story by talking2myself
DISCLAIMER: See Chapter 1
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Good news everyone! (read in Dr. Farnsworth voice for full effect) I'm not dead. The response to the previous chapter has mercifully been largely positive. Thought there is an army being raised and I'm pretty sure spies have been dispatched. But other than that things are great! Thanks guys! J
Chapter. 38 What Now?
Jack finally stopped talking and then stared a head. "She's not here," he said at last "She never was here."
For a few moments it felt as though the world had sped up quickly only to come to screeching halt and the momentum had struck Rob hard. "What?" he whispered. "What… but you're here. She has to be here somewhere."
"She's not," Jack said. His voice sounded as though he were in a daze or had awoken from some sort of dream. "I'm sorry." he said softly.
"What do you mean?" Rob repeated. "You're here. She should be here. She HAS to be here!"
Will frowned and tried to reach out a hand for Rob's shoulder. Rob flung him off and ran out across the sand. "Rob!" Will cried after him. Jack stared after Rob as though debating whether Rob was real or another more energetic hallucination. The pirate still appeared as though he had been drugged or was still drunk.
Will shoved Jack out of the way and chased after Rob. He slid down a dune where Rob stood gazing around the beach. Will frowned. This place was an island. A very small island, even smaller than the island that Jack had been marooned on all those years ago. There was no where else for Kelsey to be. She wasn't here. It felt as though a heavy stone had been dropped into the pit of his stomach.
"Rob?" he said gently.
"She's gone," Rob whispered. "She's gone! She's really gone."
"We'll.. we'll keep looking," Will said.
Rob whirled around. "What's the point?" he demanded. He met Will's eyes directly. "Do you think she's still alive." Will hesitated and in that moment Rob had his answer. "You don't think she's alive," he repeated. Will didn't say anything. "She's dead," Rob whispered. It was the first time he had said those words aloud. Rob dropped to his knees, shaking his head. "She's dead." he repeated to himself.
Will dropped besides Rob and pulled Rob into his arms. Rob buried his face into Will's shoulder. As Will held him he could feel Rob shaking. For a several long moments, the two of them remained there as Rob let out every emotion that he had been pushing away since Kelsey had died.
-888-
Jack cocked his head to one side examining the new group. "I can understand why I'd hallucinate some people. But why would I hallucinate you of all people?" he said to Barbosa.
Barbosa glared at Jack. All felt as though they should chase after Will and Rob but no one knew what to say to the boy. Emma was clutching Alice and Jackie's hands as she stared up at them through watery eyes. No one knew what to say to her either. They just waited… tensely.
"You wouldn't." Barbosa snapped. "Which should be proof enough that I'm real."
"Bah," Jack said dismissively, "It's been a good long time since I've had a proper bottle of rum. You could be a symptom of withdrawl."
Elizabeth pushed her way through, "Jack. This is real, we're here.
Jack stared at her and shook his head as though noticing her for the first time. He jumped away from her and hurried to Gibbs' side.
"The Locker, you say?" he asked.
"Aye," Gibbs said.
At that moment, Will and Rob had come back. Will had a gentle hand on Rob's shoulder. It seemed as though he was offering support but at the same time was guiding Rob and keeping him upright.
"Master Hatter," Barbosa said grimly. "We've received a small… very small consolation prize of finding Jack alive, but there's very little more we can do here." Rob squeezed his eyes shut tight for a moment, but nodded. Will shot a glare at Barbosa. "I think I speak for all of us here when I ask this," Barbosa said. "What now?"
Rob frowned. "I'm not sure."
There was a long silence before Will finally spoke. "You should go back." he said softly.
"What?!" Rob nearly screamed.
"We've already lost your sister. It's obviously dangerous here for you and Emma."
"I'm not going!" Emma cried. She crossed her arms. "Not without Kelsey."
"Me neither," Rob said. "I appreciate your concern, Will. But we were all brought here for some reason. Me, Kelsey, Emma… and even Aaron." Aaron made a scoffing sound that earned a swat to the back of the head from Sophia. "Until I figure out why I'm not leaving," Rob said. "Besides if Kelsey were alive she would never run away until The Thirteen was crying at her feet."
"Yeah," Emma said stubbornly. "And we still have to find Kelsey!"
There seemed to be a silent sigh from the entire group. Emma wasn't going to be persuaded otherwise any time soon and everyone was too emotionally exhausted to try.
"Very well then," Barbosa said. "Though that still doesn't answer the question. What now?"
"That would be MY decision," Jack interrupted, starting to come out of his daze.
Elizabeth looked at him in confusion, "We've come to rescue you!"
Jack glared at her. "Have you now? That's very kind of you. But it would seem that as I possess a ship and you don't, you're the ones in need of rescuing, and I'm not sure as I'm in the mood." Will pressed his forehead into his hand. He felt a headache coming on.
"I see my ship," Barbosa smirked. He pointed at the Pearl "Right there."
Jack peered out in the distance. "Can't spot it. Must be a tiny little thing hiding somewhere behind the Pearl."
"Jack!" Will interrupted. He released Rob's shoulder and made his way to Jack's side. "The Thirteen is still alive and well. They're taking over the Kingdom and Cutler Beckett has the heart of Davy Jones. He controls the Flying Dutchman."
"He's taking over the seas!" Elizabeth said.
"The song has already been sung, the Brethren Court is called," Tia Dalma said quietly.
" Leave you people alone for just a minute, look what happens, everything's gone to pot!" Jack cried.
"Aye, Jack," Gibbs agreed. "The world needs you back somethin' fierce."
"Debatable," Sophia muttered.
"And you need a crew," Will added.
Jack seemed to think for a moment before whirling around angrily. "Why should I sail with any of you? Four of you have tried to kill me in the past…" he leaned in closer. "One of you succeeded."
Rob's jaw dropped. Will whirled around to look at Elizabeth. His face was a mask of shock and hurt. Elizabeth stammered unable to find anything to say.
"Oh, she's not told you? You'll have loads to talk about while you're here," Jack said. He glared at Tia Dalma, "As for you…"
Tia Dalma grinned, "Now, don't tell me you didn't enjoy it at the time."
Jack shrugged, "Fair enough, all right, you're in." He turned to Ragetti "Don't need you, you scare me." Ragetti frowned as Jack continued along the line. "Gibbs, you can come, Marty, Cotton. Cotton's parrot I'm a little iffy, but at least I'll have someone to talk to." Jack came to a halt as he stared at Tai Huang. "Who are you?"
"Tai Huang," he said. "These are my men."
"Where do your allegiances lie?" Jack asked.
"With the highest bidder."
Jack shrugged, "I have a ship."
"That makes you the highest bidder."
Jack nodded. "Good man." He turned to his crew. "Weigh anchor, all hands, prepare to make sail. Now if I had my compass I could…"
"Oh," Emma said guiltily. "This compass?"
Jack's mouth hung open. "You little imp. Hand it over."
"Nuh uh," Emma said stubbornly. She clutched it tightly in her little hands. "We'll call it…" she turned to Rob. "What is it? Big word starts with an L."
"Leverage," Rob sighed.
"Yeah that!" she cried. "Just to make sure that you behave yourself."
"Fine," Jack grumbled. "Though… how are we supposed to get out of here then?"
Barbosa grinned, "Jack... Which way you going, Jack?" He patted the charts.
-888-
Captain Hook's ship the Jolly Roger was sailing around in circles. The captain had been shanghaied into ferrying Dr. Facilier out on a mad chase for Rob and his companions. After following reports from Singapore ( both official and unofficial) they had sailed out in the direction of the Hai Peng. But after several days of sailing, they saw nothing. Not so much as a ship.
On board, the captain, his crew and the special thirteen members aboard were getting more than a little frustrated. In the captain's private quarters, Dr. Facilier, Mim, and Khaos had been called in for some news. Khaos seemed to be the only one who seemed unconcerned. He had his wooden chair reclined back on its back legs. His boots propped up on the wooden table before them. The rest of them were tensely staring at the pirate who stood in front of them.
"Tell me what you saw again, Mr. Smee," Captain Hook said.
"A flash, Captain," Mr. Smee insisted wildly. "A green flash off on the horizon."
"Were you perhaps hitting the grog a little too hard, Mr. Smee?" Captain Hook demanded.
"N-n-no sir," Mr. Smee swore. "I was sober as a judge! I swear."
Captain Hook sighed. "What do you think?"
"I think it's the only thing that could explain how an entire ship disappeared," Khaos said casually.
"It's indeed curious," Dr. Facilier agreed. "But I believe I have a little more knowledge on this phenomenon than you, Hook. A green flash often signifies a being moving to the other side."
"Like your friends for example?" Mim asked.
"Exactly," Dr. Facilier said.
"So how did they make it to the other side?" Captain Hook asked.
"That's something of a mystery," Dr. Facillier frowned. "But it's the only lead we have."
Captain Hook sighed. "Very well then. I shall alert the crew and inform them that we are to go chasing after mysterious green flashes." He rose to his feet and left his quarters, Smee chasing after him.
Khaos grinned at the other two. "Honestly, why so grim?" he said. "We have a lead. This is a good thing."
"It's not reliable," Mim scowled.
Khaos rolled his eyes. He sat up in his chair. He picked up a bottle of grog that sat on the table and poured himself a glass. "Fine. In order to cheer up your spirits how about we discuss our future plans? For after Rob and his companions are gone. What next?" He passed the goblet of grog over to Dr. Facilier.
"Khaos does have a point," Mim said. She sipped delicately at the goblet Khaos slid across the table to her. "What is the grand scheme?"
"They plan to release Chernabog from his slumber," Dr. Facilier said. "And use him to take over the kingdom.
Mim spat out a mouthful of grog and began to choke. "They want to WHAT? But… that was attempted before? It failed. Miserably! It was terrible."
"Now Mim…" Dr. Facilier sighed.
"I was THERE," Mim roared. "It destroyed half the members of the Wizard Circle. If Yen Sid hadn't done… whatever he did. The entire place would have been destroyed. And Melly…" Mim crossed her arms and flopped back onto her chair. "Melly should know better."
"It will be different this time," Dr. Facilier insisted. "We have more power. More sorcerers. A demi-god and The Book of Songs. We won't lose control.
Khaos seemed to be listening like a child hearing a bedtime story. "Interesting…" he grinned.
"It will be fine this time, Mim," Dr. Facilier insisted. "We will be victorious."
Mim pursed her lips. She didn't say anything but she did not look convinced.
-888-
"Trim that sail!" Barbosa ordered.
"Trim that sail!" Jack yelled as well.
"Slack windward brace and sheet!"
"Slack windward brace and sheet!"
"Haul a pennant line!"
"Haul a pennant line!"
Emma turned to Sophia as they made their way into the Pearl. "Is there an echo in here?"
"No," Sophia sighed, lifting the girl aboard "Just two idiots fighting over a ship."
"What are you doing?" Barbosa demanded.
"What are you doing?" Jack retorted.
"No, what arrrr ya doin'?" Barbosa repeated.
"What are you doing?"
"No, what arrrrrrr ya doin'?"
Rob shook his head. He slipped down the hallway to the cabin he had called his room. He thought this place would feel like home, but it didn't. Not without Kelsey. Alice silently chased after him.
"What are you doing? Captain gives orders on a ship," Jack snapped.
Barbossa scowled, "The captain of this ship is giving orders."
"My ship." Jack snapped. "Makes me captain.
"They be my charts!" Barbosa countered.
"That makes you... chart man!"
"Isn't Rob the captain?" Emma asked.
"NO!" the two pirates yelled at her. Emma's lip quivered and Sophia shot a glare at them.
"Stop it, the both of you!" somebody hollered suddenly. "That's an order! Understand!"
Everyone on the ship seemed to stop and stare at Pintel who was hollering at the two men. "That. Is the first practical thing I've heard all day," Sophia said. "And it came from Pintel?"
Pintel grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, I just thought, with the captain issuing out I'd throw in my name for consideration. Sorry!" He immediately backed away from the two men.
As he fell back in line Ragetti whispered to him, "I'd vote for you."
Sophia shook her head. "Something tells me that this is going to be a very long trip back to the surface."