GusetWithIdeas: Glad to hear from you again! Glad you enjoyed how things went down in the shrine, and you are right about Subject X and Lea. Can't believe I forgot about that.
The fights in Valm Castle was something i wanted to do due to it being the climatic fight ending the Valm Arc, sorta like i did with the fight for Gangrel. Glad Vaike punching Cervantes in the face made you chuckle. ^^.
As for the other DLC's, the Emmeryn one for Roxas and Naminé's kid works well. the Beach and Hot spring ones might be tricky, but one could be used as an interlude like this one. As for the campfire one, I'll let this chapter do the talking. Hope it's enjoyable ^^.
Interlude: Tales Around a Fire
The stars glitter peacefully in the night sky above Valm, it's visage broken by the dark shadows of mountains in the distance. Outside the city, a fire burns as the Shepherds and Guardians sit around, some finishing their meals while others talk and drink. All the while, the flames dance as shadows morph and warp to their tune.
"This reminds me of the night just after we met Robin." Chrom suddenly says, drawing everyone's attention. "It certainly started as a normal day, going about looking after people. Never expected what came next."
"You mentioned something about that as well. Something about 'invisible warthogs'?" Sora asks, making all present raise their eyebrows in wonder. Chrom laughs hesitantly as Lucina casts him a look.
"I don't remember you mentioning this father? Perhaps a little story is on order?" She says with a slight smirk on her face. Chrom chuckles nervously before sighing while rubbing the back of his head.
"Alright, I'll tell you." He says before clearing his throat. "As I mentioned, it seemed like any normal day as we were on patrol. Nothing unusual was happening, until we came across a group of people. One of them was dressed in silver armour and had a cape, yet he walked around bare foot. He also had pointed ears like Tiki."
"You mean he was a Manakete?" Tiki asks with surprise. Chrom nods before continuing his tale, a slight grin on his face.
"Indeed. He also seemed to be off in his own world, for as soon as I approached him, he seemed to jump out of his skin." He got a few chuckles from around him. "Of course, Frederick was instantly suspicious of them the moment we talked to them." Said knight groans in embarrassment as Panne pats him on the back. "Anyway, after we introduced ourselves, Corrin, the one who walked without shoes, told us about these 'invisible warthogs' that had escaped from his homeland."
"May I interject and mention that they first called them 'invisible warriors'? Their behaviour at the time was considerably suspicious. And that maid with him, Felicia, if I remember, was incredibly flustered the entire time." Frederick says with his usual stoic visage.
"And I remember you giving a suspicious glance to the dancer with them as well. Azura, her name was? Not to mention the cavalier and troubadour that were with them. Although they did seem to recognise us." Lissa says, adding in her memories of the encounter.
"This Frederick we are talking about. When is he NEVER giving someone a suspicious look?" Riku says as he smirks at the knight. Frederick made to counter, only to have his words die in his throat as he looked at the ground in defeat, as those around him chuckled.
"Despite Frederick's concerns, we eventually did find these invisible creatures after we heard a scream not that far away." Chrom continues. "It was a hard battle. If it wasn't for the purplish smoke around their feet, fighting them would have been near impossible. Thankfully, Corrin and his allies were well-versed in fighting these foes, and soon we had delt with them. Soon enough, we departed ways, but not before Frederic gave them a pebble that he had collected from the ground."
"I fear this is starting to sound more of a 'Frederick humiliation' story than anything." Frederick quietly bemoans to Panne.
"But it was shortly after that that we found Robin!" Lissa suddenly yells before looking at the tactician in question, sitting next to Tiki. "I remember it like it was yesterday…
Flashback.
It was just moments after parting ways with Corrin and his allies. Chrom, Lissa and Frederick were making their way down a path towards a nearby village.
"They were pretty interesting people, weren't they?" Lissa asks as she holds her hands behind her back. Chrom nods at her with a slight smile on his face.
"Indeed. I have a feeling might see them again sometime." Lissa smiles back before bouncing on the spot, her gaze upwards.
"I was thinking the same thing! Corrin was a very talented leader, you know. I was really impressed by the different battle tactics he used." Chrom's smile falls as he glances at Falchion, his hand resting on the pommel.
"The Shepherds could really benefit from a talented tactician like that." Sighing, he pinches the brow between his eyes. "Unfortunately, battle strategy is not my strength." Lissa's eyes fall to the ground as she expresses a wince.
"Yeah, your much more brawn before brain." Chrom winces at the remark but doesn't correct her. He knows that strategy is a weakness he has. But he hasn't found anyone who could teach him, let alone provide the Shepherds with a decent strategy. Sighing, Chrom begins walking along the path before noticing someone lying next to a tree. "It looks like someone has fainted up ahead!" He rushes towards the man, Lissa and Frederick close behind before looking over him. Thankfully, there didn't seem to be any visible injuries. In fact, it looked as though he was taking a nap.
"Chrom. We have to do something." Lissa says, missing the twitch on the man's face.
"What do you suppose we do?" Chrom asks, looking at her just as the man's eyes begin to open. Before Lissa could respond, the man groans as he swims back to consciousness, electing relived looks on Chrom and Lissa. "I see you're awake now. There're better places to take a nap than on the ground, you know." He says with a smile before offering his hand. "Give me your hand."
Flashback Ends.
"So that's how you met Robin. And sleeping on the ground? Why does that remind me of Sora?" Kairi says before glancing at her husband, who rubs the back of his head sheepishly. Several others chuckle at the comment before returning their gaze to Chrom.
"Indeed. Of course, not long after that, we soon found Plegian's attacking the nearby village. It was during the fight that Robin demonstrated his skills in strategy, as well as his magic and sword play."
Flashback.
The Plegian commander had been felled, with his subordinates either dead or fleeing. Smoke still raised from several of the stalls and buildings that had been ransacked by the Plegians, but thankfully civilian casualties had been light.
Largely thanks to the timely arrival of Chrom and the others, who were currently looking at their latest acquaintance.
"You were amazing, Robin!" Lissa says as Robin places his tome back into his coat, a sheepish smile on his face. "Swordplay, magic and STRATEGY? Is there nothing you can't do?"
"Indeed. Perhaps you can now explain about where you came from?" Frederick asks with a narrow gaze. Robin sighs before scratching the back of his head.
"I don't know what I can tell you other than what I've said. I don't know why I've only remembered my name or why my skills just happened to come back during the fight." His eyes soon harden as he returns the look to Frederick. "But I can assure you that I am not like these people. I would never do anything that would cause harm to civilians or attack a village." Frederick readied himself to argue, but Chrom stepped between the two.
"He has helped save Ylissean lives. That is enough for me." Robin looked at Chrom with a surprised look as Frederick sighed in resignation. But before anyone could talk further, the sound of an explosion in the air drew their attention upward.
A ball of fire fell from the sky as it shot towards a forest nearby the village.
"W-What was that!?" Lissa asks as the ball of fire crashes into the ground.
"I don't know, but we won't find out by standing around here. Shepherds! With me!" Rushing out from the marketplace, Lissa, Frederick, and Robin follow Chrom to the impact sight. Thankfully, none of the surrounding trees had been caught on fire. Yet wreckage from whatever the object was scattered around the clearing, blocks of black, red and pink littering around. And at the centre was a tangled rectangular mess.
"What do you think this was?" Lissa asks as she looks at the smouldering wreckage. Robin shakes his head with a blank stare while Frederick patrols around the perimeter, eyes open for threats.
"I don't know, but what ever it was, its useless now." Chrom says before glancing at Frederick and Robin, motioning Lissa to come close to him. "But between the two of use, it must have come from beyond our world." He whispers to her.
"What?" Lissa says with a silent gasp. "But why? Do you think something has happened that put the World Order in danger? Or does it no longer exist?" Chrom sighs before rubbing his head, eyes glancing over the wreckage.
"If whoever was piloting this survived, I would like to ask them." Lissa tilts her head at him before a cry from Frederick alerts the two.
"My Lord! I can hear the sound of battle not far from here! It must be more Plegians from earlier!"
"Then we cannot remain here! Lead on, Frederick!" Frederick nods before motioning his horse into a gallop pass the trees, Chrom, Lissa and Robin close behind.
Flashback ends.
"And that was when we ran into Sora and Kairi." Lissa finishes before looking at the couple in question, sheepish looks on their faces.
"That was all fine and all, but I'm more interested in how Sora knew how to deal with the pirates." Vaike says as he grabs some more meat. "So what say you, Sora? Ready to tell us how you knew what to say to them?"
"Oh, please say you will, dad! It's our favourite story!" Oceania suddenly says with stars in her eyes as the other future children chuckle at her reaction. Sora looks at his friends, who give him nods of approval before giving Vaike a smirk.
"Sure, I can tell you." He says as he straitens up. Oceania and the future children also straightened up as well, apart from Gerome, who leaned back but was still paying attention. Clearing his throat, Sora begins his tale.
"It was back during my second adventure against Xemnas and his Organization XIII. Back then, I only had two companions with me who had been with me on my first journey. Donald and Goofy."
"Goofy? Who the hell names their kid Goofy?" Sully asks with an amused smile.
"Well, his name was mighty appropriate for a long time." Pete suddenly says, with what looks to be a nostalgic smile. "A right goof he was. Still is ever now. But a goof he might be, he is a loyal goof at that." Sora couldn't help but chuckle at Pete's description.
"Well, he hit the nail on the head. And Donald had a bad temper problem. But despite that, they were some of the best friends you could ever have. Their oldest friend, Mickey, had known them way longer than us. It's not surprising that he made Donald his Court Magician and Goofy Captain of his Knights."
"Wait, are you saying this Mickey person is a prince?" Chrom asks with intrigue.
"Actually, he is a King." Riku says with his own smile. "A goodhearted King. In fact, he reminds me of you, Chrom." Chrom rubs the back of his head bashfully at the comparison. "King Mickey is also a Keyblade Weidler like us. More specifically, he is a Master, like me, Aqua and Terra."
"Impressive." Chrom says before looking at Sora. "And you had two of his most trusted companion by your side as well? That is amazing."
"Well, the story of how we met is for another day." Sora replies with a sheepish grin. "Anyway, as we continued our search, we stumbled upon an interesting world. The night was as dark as it is now, and the spot we landed in looked like a hill fort overlooking a port town. Not long after, we suddenly heard shouts coming from the nearby town. We rushed towards it, thinking it was either the Heartless or Organization XIII. We didn't expect to find something else, though…."
Flashback
The moon was hidden from view by a thick cloud cover while formless shapes rushed around the village, carrying torches and swords. Standing by the pier, Pete was busy talking to the leader of the group of pirates attacking the town. And what this Barbossa had told him left him both sceptical and intrigued.
"Hmmm. Cursed pirate treasure, ay?" He asks with slight scepticism. Barbossa nods at him, a frown present on his face.
"Aye, and thanks to the curse put upon it, we are neither among the living nor the dead." He says cryptically. Pete couldn't help but narrow his eyes at him. To him, he looked like an average person.
"Really? Cause you look like regular pirates to me." He says. Barbossa smirks at him before glancing up at the sky just as the moon peaked out from beyond the clouds. The moment the moonlight hit him, his clothes decayed until they became rags, while his skin melted and rotted away. His skeleton became visible, while his organs ceased to be. The pirates with him displayed similar changes as they all glared at Pete, who by now was looking at them with an awed and terrified expression.
"Woah! Now I get what yous was saying." He says before his expression becomes thoughtful. "Well, if you see two doofuses and a brat holding a Keyblade, STAY CLEAR. They have a kind of magic that doesn't belong to this world, and no one will know what it will do to ya. Especially with the moon showing what you are."
The moon soon went behind another cloud, reverting the pirates to normal, but the captain was unphased by Pete's warning. In fact, he seemed to relish it. "A match for Barbossa, you say?"
"Hey!" A voice cries out from behind them. Turning around, Pete frowned when he saw Sora, Donald and Goofy rushing up towards them, weapons drawn and expressions steeled.
"See, what did I tell yah. Those are the three fools I was telling you about." Pete says with irritation. They always seemed to appear just when they were least wanted. At least his comment managed to irk Sora.
"Who are you calling fools! That's Sora, Donald and Goofy to you, and don't you forget it!"
"Aye. And we'll engrave it on your tombstones, just to be sure." Barbossa replies with an evil grin while Pete smiles at his response. Turning around, Barbossa glares at his men. "Men, half you stay and indulge these bilge rats! The rest of you, find me that Medallion!" With a roar, half of the pirates stay to fight the trio while Barbossa leaves with the rest. Pete stayed behind to watch the king's fools flounder against the pirates. Yet Sora didn't seem concerned.
"Aww, we only get to thrash a few of you?" He asks, mockingly hurt, before turning serious. While one pirate with a gun fired on Goofy, who blocked the shots while his shield. Donald focused on one who was throwing out bombs like it was confetti. But to the duck's surprise, his magic wasn't doing anything. He even gave his staff a few whacks on the ground and tried again, yet nothing would work.
And for Sora, he found his strikes were hitting, but like Donald, he wasn't doing any damage. In fact, his Keyblade seemed to just phase right on through the pirate as he retaliated with his two tomahawks.
Flashback Ends.
"Well, what happened next!?" Nowi asks excitedly.
"Our backs were up against the wall. Nothing we were doing was working. At the time, a retreat looked like the best possible outcome." Sora says. Everyone was hanging on his words about how they got out of it. "Luckily, a certain shift in the clouds illuminated our path out."
Flashback
They were getting nowhere. Nothing they did could defeat these pirates. Sora could feel sweat coming down his brow as he looked at the goading pirates. Then something strange happened just as he was about to tell Donald and Goofy to run. It was gradual at first, but the moment the moonlight fell over the pier, the pirates just changed. Yet they showed no indication that they were bothered or didn't realise it had happened.
Pete, for his part, did.
"Hey, hey! They can see you! Stay away from their magic!" He cries in alarm, accidentally giving Sora, Donald and Goofy a tip on how to beat these guys. Giving a discrete nod to his two friends, Sora unleashed a blast of fire at one of them, hoping it would cause some damage this time. He was not expecting the pirate to go up like a candle or start running around while jumping in the air in a comedic fashion.
Seeing the panicking pirate, Goofy flung his shield like a discus, beaning the pirate on the head and sending him to the ground, where he turned to ash. The pirate with the gun saw what happened to his friend, and aimed his rifle at Sora, only to be hit by a blizzard from Donald, turning him into an ice cube. In his icy cage, he could do nothing but watch as Sora rushed up towards him before slicing at him horizontal, shattering him into tiny pieces.
The last pirate looked around nervously, realising that he was not only outmatched but vulnerable. He made a dash to the bridge. Only to get struck by a bolt of lightning from Donald, with the electrical current running through him, slowing him down tremendously.
Seeing the Pirate was next to a cargo net filled with boxes, Sora ran up to it before jumping onto the net. The pirate next to it looked in confusion at what he was doing, only for his eyes to widen when Sora started spinning the net around, bashing into him and sending him straight into the fort wall nearby.
The pirate became a pile of bones the moment he hit the wall.
Flashback Ends.
"Using a cargo net as a weapon? Impressive thinking." Robin comments.
"Well, it was right there, so I figured, why not. It would come in handy much later on." Sora replies with a grin. "Anyway, after we defeated the pirates, we rushed into the town to see if we could help. The damage had been done, though, as buildings were on fire and people lied dead in the streets. As we ran, we found a man under attack by the Heartless, who we managed to save, although he was in a bad mood."
"Why? What was wrong with him?" Sumia asks curiously.
"Well, the man, who was called William Turner, was desperate to save his friend, Elizabeth Swan, who was captured by Barbossa and his crew. We rushed to the docks to try and stop them, but we were too late. By the time we arrived, the Black Pearl was just vanishing over the horizon."
"Black Pearl? Is that the name of the ship?" Sora nods at Ricken with a nostalgic smile.
"Yep. The Black Pearl might not have been the ship with the most guns, but her speed was unmatched on the waves. Her former Captain was very proud of that fact."
"Former Captain? You mean Barbossa was not the original Captain?" Frederick asks with a curious stare, matched by everyone else round the fire.
"That's right. He may have been a bit mad from the heat after Barbossa left him to die on an Island in the middle of the ocean, but he had forgotten one thing about his captain. And that his captain was…."
Flashback
"CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow. If you please." The dramatic Jack declares as he stands aboard the Interceptor. Before him on the dock, Sora, Donald, Goofy, and the swordsmith William stare at him with varying looks. As for William, he seemed to be in deep thought before delivering a proclamation to him.
"Help me save Miss Swan, Sparrow. I saved you from that jailcell. You owe me that, at least. And if that won't do, how will you sail this ship by yourself?" Jack, ahem, CAPTAIN Jack looked ready to argue, but a short head tilt had him thinking otherwise.
"You've a point there." He admits. "But you'll have to win her heart on your own when we save her. But before we do, we must head to Tortuga. Even with the three next to you, we will need a bigger crew to command this ship."
Flashback Ends.
"Are those ships tough to control?" Aqua asks. She had seen how the Ylisseans managed their ships, but it looked like they needed only a few people.
"Yeah. The ships in that world are more complicated than here." Sora replies. "After we managed to get the Interceptor to Tortuga, we entered the port, which can only be described as pirate heaven. So much so that Vaike could walk in, and look like a normal resident."
"Hey!" Vaike calls out, but there is no heat in it.
"But there was one thing that was amusing when we landed at Tortuga. When we stepped off the port, Jack was approached by a lady he seemed to recognise, only for her to slap him in the face and walk off annoyed. Jack simply replied that he didn't know what he did to deserve that."
"So he was a playboy as well as a pirate." Gaius says with amusement.
"Oh, we discovered that when a second woman walked up to him and did the same thing. Jack's response after he got hit. 'I think I deserved that'." Laughter erupts around the campfire at the unfortunate story of Jack's love life. "Anyway, after that, we went around looking for people to recruit to the ship…."
Flashback
"Why are we looking around a stable of all places?" Donald asks, slightly irritated. They had walked through the entirety of Tortuga to this stable without finding a single person. But whatever Jack had in mind, he kept hidden from the four of them.
"You will know soon, my feathered friend. But first." Jack says, handing Sora a bucket of water before giving one to William, Goofy and Donald. "We will need these." He says as he takes one of his own. The four follow after Jack, puzzled by his cryptic words as they venture deeper into the stables. Soon, loud snoring could be heard coming from on if the pig holding pens.
They are greeted by an old-looking pirate who seems to be holding onto a teddy bear as he sleeps on top of a couple of pigs. Holding onto his bucket, Jack tossed the water onto the man, waking him up. "Curse you for breathing, you slack-jawed idiot!" He yells as he pulls out a pistole, only for him to go wide-eyed at seeing Jack before him. "Mother's love! Jack! You should know better than to wake a man when he's sleeping. Its bad luck!" He says as he stands up.
"Fortunately, I know how to counter it." Jack replies. "The man who did the waking buys the man who was sleeping a drink. The man who was sleeping drinks it while listening to a proposition from the man who did the waking."
The man looks at Jack before a smile forms on his face. "Aye, that'll about do it." While this was happening, Sora and the others looked at each other with wrinkled noses. After not taking it one second longer, they threw their buckets of water at the man. "Blast! I'm already awake!"
"That was for the smell." William replies with a deadpan look.
"It was starting to get unbearable." Sora also says, waving his hand in front of his face.
"That's fair." The man says, shrugging his shoulders. "My name is Gibbs."
Flashback Ends.
"Did you really have to do that to poor Gibbs?" Kairi says while holding a hand over her mouth, her giggles betraying her. Sora gives her a look before folding his arms.
"Hey, if you were there with me, you would have done the same thing." He says, but the smirk on his face betrays what he is thinking. "So, once we recruited Gibbs and several others, we followed after Barbossa and the Black Pearl towards the Isla du Muerta, where the cursed gold was originaly. We also found out why they captured Elizabeth in the first place."
"You see, to break the curse on them, they had to bring back all 882 pieces of the cursed Aztec gold they took from the chest before offering a drop of blood from every man in the crew who touched it. Since Jack was marooned before they found it, he was exempt. But there was one person who they were missing."
"Who were they missing?" Virion asks as Olivia leans into him. "If they knew about it, then they would have stayed together."
"The man in question was Bill 'Bootstrap' Turner, William's father." Sora reveals, shocking all but the kids. "Apparently, he sent one of the gold coins to him as a gift when he was a baby, but when Barbossa found out, he had him tossed overboard with anchors tied to his bootstraps. But the moment they did so, they realised they didn't have any of his blood on them. So now they had to find a relative of his and the missing coin."
"But why did Elizabeth say her name was Turner? Isn't her name Swan?" Tiki asks as she and Robin unconsciously sit closer to each other.
"Well, not anymore, she isn't." Sora says with a wink. "She confessed to us after we rescued her that she suspected Will was a pirate when they found him when they were kids. So she lied to them to keep him safe."
"Sacrificing yourself to save someone you love. A noble deed." Chrom says with a sad smile, his thoughts returning back to Emmeryn. Sumia lays a hand on his shoulder, knowing his thoughts.
"But what about after you rescued her? Did you escape Barbossa?" Nowi says, her eyes filled with curiosity. Sora chuckled at her before glancing at the future children, warm smiles on their faces while Oceania's eyes still shone like stars.
Were they like Nowi when I told them this? I could imagine that. "Well, to answer your question Nowi, we did initially, but they caught up to us eventually. Realizing we would be unable to outrun them, we turned the Interceptor towards the Black Pearl and engaged in a battle. It was short but fierce, with cannon balls raining down on both sides. Several of Barbossa's crew managed to board us, seeking the Medallion we took from them, but we managed to fight them back. But it was a trick."
"The moment the Pearl's guns fell silent, Barbossa appeared behind us, with the entire crew taken captive. We were faced with a choice of handing the Medallion over or watch as he killed everyone. But William took it out of our hand…."
Flashback.
"Barbossa!" William's voice echoes across the deck as he appears on the rigging leading up to the crow's nest. He points a pistol at Barbossa, his eyes steeled. "They go free."
"Take your shot, lad. We cannot die." Barbossa taunts him, unaffected by William. But he seemed to expect this, as he took a deep breath before pointing the gun at his head.
"You can't. But I can. My name is William Turner. My father was Bootstrap Bill Turner. His BLOOD runs through my veins!" Barbossa's eyes widen in shock at the proclamation, along with the rest of his crew. While Elizabeth and the others watched in horror as William held the gun to his head, Sora, Donald and Goofy stayed on edge and guard. Not trusting anything. "Do as I say, or I'll pull this trigger and be lost to Davy Jones' locker!"
"Name your terms, Mr Turner." Barbossa says with slight irritation, annoyed that he holds none of the cards in this discussion. William clearly states that he wants everyone freed before he goes with him. An offer that Barbossa accepts with a bow. For a moment, it would seem that things would be fine. Until he raised his head with a cruel smirk. "But the Heartless, stay."
No sooner does he say that, Pete suddenly appears behind William, smacking him with a punch and rendering him cold, just as Heartless Air Pirates appear all over the ship.
Flashback Ends
"Attacking someone from behind? Not very honourable." Lon'qu says, giving Pete a look. Pete seems to shrink under it while rubbing the back of his head.
"Well. It wasn't my plan to do that. I was just following Barbossa's orders." He says while looking away. Lon'qu continues to look at him before letting his gaze fall. The past was in the past. No need to hold grudges for things long done.
"After Barbossa's underhanded play, we had to take the ship back from several Heartless he left behind to light bombs over the ship. It was a close call at some points. One of the bombs almost blew up before we knocked it away from the ship. Once cleared, Jack took the ship's helm before setting us back to Isla du Muerta. However, we didn't know that a ship belonging to the British Empire was following us."
"I'm guessing that is a powerful nation in that world." Chrom says with some narrow eyes.
"Yeah. According to Jack, it's an Empire that spans the entire world. And their strength lies in their navy since they are what he called an Island nation. But I'm getting side-tracked." Clearing his throat, Sora continued. "When we got back to the Isla, me, Jack, Donald, Goofy and Elizabeth snuck our way into the caverns while the British acted as a large distraction. While in there, we were spotted by two of Barbossa's men…."
Flashback
The five walked through the caverns, watching their steps as they drew closer to the central chamber. Things were going well until Donald stubbed his toe on a rock and cried in pain. Sora quickly snapped his beak shut, but several of Barbossa's men heard the cry and were now approaching them. Thinking fast, Jack moved ahead, moving around the corner before coming face to face with Pintel and Ragetti, with Pintel pointing his gun right at Jack.
But before he could fire, Jack began to say a word. Or, tried to…
"Pulleley…polleleyleeloo…parlenee…parsnip…parlsey…partner…" as he was saying these random words, Sora and the others looked at each other in confusion. What was Jack trying to say? Thankfully, Ragetti seemed to know what Jack was trying to say.
"Parley?" He says, to which Jack's face lights up with recognition.
"That's the one! Parley! Parley!" While Jack was happy to remember the word, Pintel was not.
"Parlay!? Damn to the depths whatever muttonhead thought up Parlay!" As he ranted, Jack casually put his fingers on the pistol before pointing it towards the ground.
"That would be the French. Latin base, it was. Also, inventors of mayonnaise." Jack kindly informs Pintel, who mentions to those behind him with a smile that he loves mayonnaise. As for Sora and the others, they were baffled at the sudden change in the pirates.
"What's going on? What are the pirates suddenly listening to Jack?" He asks quietly to Elizabeth.
"Well, Sora. It's part of the Pirate Code that all pirates adhere to. Anyone who invokes the right of Parley will not be harmed until negotiations are complete."
"Huh…" Sora says in response as the pirates lead Jack away towards the central chamber. "Let's follow them and find a spot where we won't be seen."
Flashback ends
"I was wondering where you learned 'Parley' Sora. I must say, having a word on hand to prevent needless fighting against pirates will be useful to have for future encounters." Robin says as he writes down 'parley' and what it does.
"It is handy to have, but it will only work on those that know the code. I'm just lucky that they did." Sora replies. "When we got to the central chamber, only Barbossa, three of his minions and Pete were left. Jack and William were near the chest as Barbossa held a sword near William. When we saw Jack giving us a nod, we rushed into the room, catching Barbossa off guard. That was when Jack attacked Barbossa and William joined us. But just as things started to look up, Barbossa managed to stab jack through the chest with his sword."
"He killed him?" Olivia asks, hands over her mouth.
"As he stumbled back, we couldn't believe what we had seen happen while Barbossa gloated over his victory. At least, that was until Jack stepped into the moonlight. Before our eyes, Jack turned into a skeleton as he moved a Medallion over his fingers."
"The crazy captain picked up a Medallion to fight Barbossa?" Vaike asks with wide eyes, along with the rest of the Shepherds.
"Yep. He caught us all off guard as well. He's a good actor." Sora replies with a smile on his face. "The moment Barbossa saw this, he called on Pete for help, didn't he?" He turns to look at Pete, who chuckles away nervously.
"Yeah, he did do dat." He admits. "Though, the Heartless didn't last long against you. Then again, they never do."
"So, what happened next?" Lissa asks, excitement in her eyes.
"Well, after we dealt with the Heartless and Pete made his escape, William and Elizabeth dealt with the three Pirates with Barbossa. Unfortunately, as they escaped, Barbossa saw Elizabeth and pointed his gun at her. She froze as we ran over to block the shot, only for Jack to use his own gun on him…."
Flashback.
Barbossa could not believe what had happened. Jack shot him with the gun he gave him ten years ago when he marooned him. A single shot that he saved just for him, and yet, he went and wasted it. "Ten years you saved that shot, and now you've gone and wasted it." He says to him with a grin, as Jack continued to look on impassively.
"He didn't waste it!" William shouts back, drawing his attention. He held a hand over the chest, with a bloodied dagger in his right hand, before opening his hand. Dropping two Medallions coated in his and Jack's blood into the chest.
For a second, nothing happened. Sora, Donald and Goofy look at Barbossa, wondering if the curse was broken. Yet the look on his face was that of dumb shock before he looked at his jacket. Unbuttoning it, Barbossa looked at the hole in his white shirt as it began to stain red with blood. He looked up with what looked to be both relief, joy, shock, fear and many other emotions swelling within him as he looked at Jack.
"I feel…Cold…" was all he said before he fell to the ground. A green apple fell out of his jacket, and he lay motionless on the floor.
Flashback Ends
"How sad. All Barbossa wanted was to be free of his curse, to feel warmth and taste food. But in the end, all he felt was the cold embrace of death." Miriel says as she looks at Sora, her book closed and lying next to her for a change.
"All the more reason for us not to give in to our desires like he and his crew did." Sora replies. "The moment we do that, we lose sight of who we are." Finishing his tale, he turns to look at Lucina and the others. "Was that like who you remembered it? Or was I a bit more exaggerative?"
"Well, I certainly remember you being more dramatic at some point." Lucina says with a smile. "But hearing you tell that story again reminded me of happier times. That was our favourite story, after all." A round of nods from those around her accompanied her comment, to which Sora gave a soft smile in response.
"Well, do you think we have time for one more story? Or shall we call it a night?" He says as he looks around the fire before eyes fall on Riku.
"W-Why are you looking at me?" He asks nervously. Don't tell me they expect a story from me!? What should I tell them!?
"Aww, come on, Riku. I'm sure you have something to tell us. Maybe from some point during your Mark of Mastery?" Sora says with a smirk. Riku looked ready to argue, but seeing all eyes on him, he reluctantly agreed.
"Alright, you asked for it." He says before sitting up. "SO, the story I'm thinking off took place in a sleeping version of Travers Town…."
Hope you enjoyed this! :)