SEE CHAPTER ONE FOR (MOST) DISCLAIMERS
PLEASE READ & REVIEW, AND TEND TO THE TROPE PAGE
-CHAPTER START-
Keyblade Graveyard
In the heart of the dusty wasteland, a massive rock formation took the form of 13 spires of rock jutting high into the sky. Atop several of them, black-robed figures stood.
"So, why are you back?" Marluxia asked.
Larxene huffed. "Nice way to greet your old partner-in-crime."
Marluxia gave a little smirk at that.
"So," the woman continued, "why do you think the old geezer took us back? He must know we backstabbed the Organization when Xemnas was running it."
"Xehanort doesn't care about you or me" Marluxia replied. "To him, we're nothing but empty husks. The old Organization was the same. Xehanort needs 13 vessels to hold his essence."
"Husks? Not me. You up for another coup?"
"Oh, please" a new voice joined in. "You couldn't do it last time. You gotta play it smart, like me."
With a little smirk, Demyx gave his sitar a strum.
"What?! You're not smart!" she snapped at him.
"Well, you heard what Marly said. I don't have to be smart."
"Or capable, or likeable, or attractive. A cereal bowl would make a better vessel"
"Whoa now, you are way outta line. I am extremely imposing… when I want to be. Which is, admittedly, almost never."
"He's not quite lying, Larxene" Marluxia said. "It's not power or intelligence Demyx is lacking in, but motivation. He's strong, but he's lazy."
"So is that why you haven't gone to any worlds?" Larxene asked the musician. "Are you slacking off again?"
Demyx sighed. "Course not. I got benched."
"…Huh?"
"Saïx brought Vexen on board" Marluxia explained. "They must be planning to use Replicas."
"Those windup toys?"
"Oh, no" Demyx replied. "The Replicas are way more real than you remember. I mean, one stole my spot!"
At that, Larxene burst out laughing. "Of course one stole your spot, you lazy bastard!"
"Hmph"
"Vexen's latest Replicas are no mere puppets" Marluxia said. "The Riku Replica we used in Castle Oblivion was just a prototype. The next Replica, the one crafted from Sora's memories, was real enough to join our ranks. And Vexen claims the new ones will be human in every way. If he ever finishes them."
"Oh…" Larxene fidgeted. "The thing is… I kinda told Sora and his nitwits that we're ready. My bad."
"Let them believe as much" Xemnas replied as he emerged from a Dark Corridor. "If they think we already have all 13 Darknesses, then they will panic. And panic leads to a lack of preparation."
"Totally" Demyx replied. "That's why I always take things slow."
Larxene sighed. "Why is this guy a member, again?"
"The first six members of the original Organization were all apprentices to Ansem the Wise," Xemnas explained, "and the seventh & eighth members joined thereafter. The 13th member was Roxas, a Keyblade wielder. So, what about you? How do you suppose I chose numbers nine through twelve?"
Larxene smirked. "Because our Hearts are uber powerful."
"Wrong. You have been brought together for another purpose."
"What?" Luxord asked as he emerged from a dark portal. "So we can rot away on the bottom rung?"
Larxene sighed. "You're in, too? What is this, Organization Rehash?"
"I happen to play an important role" the gambler replied. "No-one 'benched' me."
"You were listening?" Demyx asked. "So not cool…"
"One must hold one's cards as long as necessary."
"What 'important role'?" Larxene asked. "That stupid box that Xigbar claims is real, but won't tell us a thing about?"
"You'll just have to ask him that. Now then, Xemnas, what is this 'purpose'? You didn't invite us back for old times' sake."
Xemnas smirked a little, and what he said next left the quartet gaping in shock:
"You four are going to reveal your greatest secret: the ancient Keyblade legacy that slumbers within you."
-Break-
In the light of the full moon and the sky full of stars, a lone little raft drifts along the sea, a small sail hanging from its mast which has a lantern tied to it. Aboard the raft, Goofy and Donald man the oars, while Sora and two others keep a look-out or enjoy the night scenery. Sora is singing to himself, clad in a dull-blue stereotypical-pirate outfit.
"Why are you so happy?" Donald asked, wearing a similar nondescript pirate-y outfit, a blue bandanna on his head.
Sora grinned. "Cause we get to be pirates again!"
"Yep," Goofy (wearing a loose white top, brown pants, and a smaller and duller version of his green had) said, "you always did like this world."
"How could I not? Still… it's a real shame we don't have a bigger ship."
"I've never met old-timey, classical-style pirates before" Subaru Nakajima grinned; Donald's magic had put her in an off-white vest over a midnight-blue shirt and dark-grey pants. "Should be a nice change of pace."
"If we're gonna play along as pirates, maybe we can Robin Hood it up around here – y'know, take from the rich, and all that."
Chloe 'Kuro' von Einzbern is wearing a navel-exposing red sleeveless top and a pair of ragged-looking tan-colored short-shorts. There's a bandanna on her head like Donald, except hot-pink with a little jolly-roger on the front.
"And give to the poor?" Goofy asked.
"R-Right…" Kuro averted her gaze, trying not to look suspicious.
"Got any idea where we're going?" Donald asked.
"Where else?" Sora replied. "The edge of the world!" He pointed ahead dramatically.
"Captain Sora!" Goofy stood up, saluting.
"What ails ya, Mister Goofy?" Sora deepened his voice.
The knight pointed forward. "The edge of the world!"
"Aye!"
"We're runnin' out of sea, sir!"
"Aye, we're running out of… sea… Running out?!"
Indeed, straight ahead was something that should be impossible: a spot where the ocean was plummeting off a sheer edge and into a boundless abyss.
"What the hell kinda world did we end up on?!" Kuro shouted as the raft was pulled closer and closer to the edge.
Despite their best efforts, they plummet over the edge…
THE CARIBBEAN
-Scene Break-
When the quintet came to, they found themselves in what seemed to be an endless desert of white sand stretching out in all direction, over a hazy blue sky.
Sora sighed. "Where'd we end up this time?"
"Is this the afterlife?" Goofy asked.
Subaru checked her own neck, then Kuro's and Sora's. "We still have pulses. And I feel a little sore. So, I'd say no."
The group got up and started walking, hoping to find something other than endless blank desert.
"Some pirates" Sora groused. "We won't get anywhere without a ship."
Just then, he looked up, and in the distance, he saw a recognizable shape within the heat haze: the profile of a large sailing ship.
"Um… Did I hit my head when we landed here?"
"Nope" Kuro replied. "I see it, too."
They all took off running after the ship, which seemed to be sailing across the sands as if nothing was wrong. As they began to close in on it, a new figure made himself known, running right past Team Sora in pursuit of the vessel.
"Hail, Sora!" the man said with a grin as he ran past.
"Huh? Jack Sparrow!"
The pirate came to a halt. "Captain Jack Sparrow" he corrected.
"Hey Jack, where are we?"
"Belay that for now!" Jack took off running again. "Ship absconding! Help me catch the Pearl before she gets away!"
Sora nodded with a grin. "Aye-aye, Captain!"
As they all took off in pursuit of the Black Pearl, a couple of Earth Cores sprang up to bar their path. Donald hit one with a Watera spell, and as it reeled Jack tossed a small bomb into its open maw, the internal blast killing the Heartless. Sora froze the other one with Blizzaga, and a charging tackle from Subaru & Goofy shattered it.
"Heartless manning the cannons!" Subaru shouted, her enhanced eyes seeing the Darklings aboard the ship as it began to turn.
As the Black Pearl's guns began to open fire, Sora and Donald cast Reflect barriers. Three larger Heartless appeared on the deck of the ship, pirate-themed, clad in red coats with matching hats and wielding large red & silver swords, their lower bodies ending at the waist. The 'Anchor Raiders' produced large anchors attached to chains, and began spinning the anchors over their heads like helicopter blades as they flew down at the heroes.
The ship came to a halt as the three big Heartless flew in, and Kuro called forth her Divewing fired a wave of Fire-type Sagitta Magica. The bolts of flame magic crashed against two of the Anchor Raiders, stunning and burning them, and Kuro then leapt at the closest one and started slashing with her Keyblade, while Goofy used his shield to protect her from the Heartless' return strikes. Another Anchor Raider came at Captain Jack, and as he brought his sword up to block a swing of the Heartless' sword, he was knocked back by the force, staggering as he fought to regain his balance and shake the tingling pain out of his arms. The Heartless came at him again, swinging its anchor like a flail, but then Subaru was there with Revolver Knuckle ready, and she punched the incoming anchor right back to hit the Anchor Raider in the face, knocking it over and back.
Sora and Donald took on the third Anchor Raider, zapping it with a double Thundara and then bombarding it with Keyblade strikes and magic blasts. Sora ducked under a wide swing of the Heartless' sword, and Donald hit the weapon with a Gravity spell that made it drop from the monster's hand, sinking into the sand below. This gave Sora an opening to deal several heavy blows, finishing with a diagonal strike that finally cut the Heartless down. Meanwhile, Goofy deflected a sword strike aimed at Kuro with enough force that the Anchor Raider was sent reeling back, and Kuro used the opportunity to Trace a kunai with an exploding tag attached and stab the Heartless in the chest with it, leaping back as the explosion killed the dark creature. Nearby, Subaru managed to bash the last Anchor Raider in the back of the head, and as it stumbled forward, Jack Sparrow thrust his blade through its throat. The Heartless collapsed, dissolving away.
-X-
With Captain Sparrow at the helm and Team Sora aboard, the Black Pearl sailed across the rocks and sand. As it crested a hill, it finally reached a beach, and on the beach were several figures, gazing up at the spectacle. Once the Pearl was in the water, the 'crew' disembarked and came over to the other group, who had several familiar faces amongst them.
"Jack!" a man with tied-back greying black hair and a matching beard reached them first.
"Mr. Gibbs!" Jack replied. "I thought so. I expect you're able to account for your actions, then."
"…Sir?"
"There's been a perpetual and virulent lack of discipline upon my vessel – why?"
"Sir, you're… You're in Davy Jones' Locker, Cap'n."
Jack looked pensive and concerned for a moment. "…I-I knew that. Don't think I didn't."
"Jack Sparrow…" a man walked up – a man who was all too familiar to Team Sora, a man who was supposed to be dead.
"Barbossa!?" Sora made ready to conjure his Keyblade in an instant's notice. But Jack simply strolled forward, all casual.
"Ah, Hector! It's been too long, hasn't it?"
"Aye," Barbossa replied, "Isla de Muerta, remember? You shot me."
"Well, you were making a right arse of yourself at the time, as you'll recall."
The older man sighed. "Indeed. I suppose I'd gone off the deep end by that point."
"The deep end of an ocean trench…"
Meanwhile, two more of the new group came over to Sora & company.
"We meet again, Sora" Will Turner said with a friendly smile.
"It's lovely to see you all" Elizabeth Swann added. "And it seems you have some new friends along."
"Oh!" Sora's smile returned. "Will, Elizabeth! Is… something about you different?"
Indeed, the blonde girl was now clad in something much more practical and… pirate-y than what he'd last seen her in.
"You look all swashbuckly" Goofy summed up.
"Well," Elizabeth replied, "I've seen some adventures. But I never thought I'd find you here."
"Speaking of," Sora said, "where exactly is 'here'? What's all this about a locker?"
"Davy Jones' Locker" Will replied. "Jack neglected to repay a certain debt to Jones, who is in charge of ferrying the spirits of those who die at sea to the afterlife. So, Jones sent his Kraken to devour Jack, and that's how he ended up here."
"So… this is the afterlife?!"
"Not quite" Elizabeth replied. "It's a midpoint between the living realm and the afterlife, and it is accessible by the living if they have the right knowledge and the right magical power. And we're here to wrest Jack from his fate."
Meanwhile, Jack had turned to another member of the group: a darker-skinned woman clad in a simple dress with a shawl over her shoulders, with long hair that somehow reminded Sora of seaweed.
"Tia Dalma" Sparrow said. "Out and about, eh? You add an agreeable sense of macabre to any delirium."
"This be no hallucination, Mr. Sparrow" the woman replied with a Caribbean accent. "Ye stand in the space between the lands of the livin' and dead, but ye haven't crossed beyond just yet. We came here to take you back to the mortal plane."
"Well, I'd rather not stay dead if I can help it, but what's in it for you lot?"
"Cutler Beckett has Davy Jones' heart" Will replied. "He's using it to keep Jones under his control, along with the Flying Dutchman and its crew."
"He's taking over the seas" Elizabeth added.
"And him must be stopped" Tia Dalma said. "The Brethren Court is called."
Jack sighed. "I leave you people alone for just a minute, and look what happens. Everything's gone to pot!"
Sora turned to his team. "I'm lost. What's going on? And who's this 'Cutler Beckett'?"
"He's the head of the East India Trading Company" Mr. Gibbs replied as he came over. "He's a control freak who's gone mad with power, basically. And now that he's enslaved Davy Jones, his dream of conquering all the world's oceans might actually be within his reach."
"That's horrible!" Donald said. "The sea belongs to everyone!"
Smiling at the group, Gibbs then turned back to his Captain. "Listen, Jack. The world needs you back somethin' fierce."
"And you need a crew" Will added.
"And why should I sail with any of you?" Jack replied. "Four of you have tried to kill me."
"We're on your side, Jack!" Sora said.
"Aye, so you are, mates. I never could have caught the Pearl without you. You're hired – Sora, Donald, Goofy, and… I don't think I actually caught you lasses' names yet."
"I'm Subaru!" "Chloe. Or Kuro; either's fine."
"…Come to think of it, you lot look like you fit in a bit better than last time. I'm guessin' you found some clothing-based magic that helps you blend in with the locals when you go places?"
"That's Donald's handiwork" Goofy replied.
"Kuro and I also have enchanted outfits we can call upon for battle" Subaru explained. She then leaned in closer to whisper to Jack. "Though between you and me, I think Kuro's is way too skimpy for a girl her age…"
Jack snorted a laugh. "Now, as for the rest of you… Tia Dalma, you're in. Gibbs, you can come. Weight anchor, all hands! Prepare to make sail!"
He pulled out his compass – enchanted to point its wielder in the direction of their heart's desire. The compass merely spun in all directions, never pointing him where he needed to go.
"Jack…" Barbossa spoke up, with a smirk on his face and a map in his hands. "Which way you goin', Jack?"
After a few seconds, Jack let out an exaggerated sigh. "Alright, alright. Get aboard, you lot…"
-Break-
The revived Black Pearl slowly sailed across the calm sea of Davy Jones' Locker.
"So," Sora said, "we do have a destination, right?"
"I can't tell anymore" Goofy replied.
"Jack's making things up as he goes along" Donald surmised.
Across the deck, Jack was fiddling with a rather complex map spread out on a table. Suddenly, Tia Dalma came over.
"Cast your fate with Jack Sparrow," she said, "and you soon be sharing in the wrath of Davy Jones."
"The guy Will mentioned?" Sora asked. "Gibbs told us how Jones is supposed to 'ferry the souls of those who die at sea to the afterlife', but how does that lead to all this? And what did Jack ever do to him?"
"Truly? You don't know who Davy Jones be? And you say you be men of the sea?"
"Uh… Let's put it this way; we're from another sea."
The woman chuckled. "Are you now, Keyblade wielder?" Seeing Sora's shocked reaction, she grinned. "I've been around for a long time, lad. I've seen and heard of things that most men would dismiss as myth and fairytale." She turned to look at Sparrow. "Jack and Davy Jones' fate be intertwined. Jones… Him raised Jack's precious Pearl from the depths, and make Jack captain for 13 years. In exchange, Jack promise to give Jones him soul as payment. But 13 years pass, and Jack fail to return. So Jones, him send the Kraken to devour Jack, taking him and the Pearl back to the depths. But… If Jones learn that Witty Jack cheat that fate, him wanna punish Jack even worse. And Jack's friends, too."
"The Kraken's gonna eat us?" Goofy asked, trembling.
"…Aw, let the Kraken have a crack!" Sora replied.
"You not be scared? How rare" Tia Dalma smiled. "Most men, them run for land at the mention of the Kraken. Not you." She looked at Jack again. "But Jack be scared. He want to be free of his debt to Davy Jones. That's why him need the box."
"A box?!" Sora snapped to attention.
"Would this box happen to be the size of a big suitcase," Subaru asked, "black with a silver & red emblem on the lid?"
Tia Dalma shook her head. "No – smaller, and different colors than that. It be a chest… where Davy Jones lock away the part of him that hurt. The pain it cause him was too much to live with… but not enough to cause him to die. To escape the pain… Davy Jones cut out him heart."
-X-
Aboard another vessel, two black-cloaked figures talked.
"Oh, how does he do it?" Vexen complained. "A creature absent a heart and yet somehow able to keep existing… Not even my finest Replica can claim that achievement. The secret must be in that box. I have to know what mysteries it contains."
"I believe our orders were to find the box and seize it" Luxord replied. "No more. Put a leash on that runaway curiosity."
"Always so shortsighted…" Vexen turned to face him. "Why would the Organization seek me out just as soon as I was recompleted, if not to affirm my intellectual prowess and invest in my research? Every stride I make is a stride for all of us."
"Oh, really? And what exactly are we striding towards?"
Vexen quirked an eyebrow. "Luxord, do I detect… a hint of treachery in your words?"
"What? Don't be absurd. But to be clear, I serve the Organization. I don't share your need to please Xemnas. He's good at wrapping you around his little finger – always has been."
Vexen hmphed. "All I desire is the freedom to continue my research. Ansem the Wise refused to nurture my talents. So I cast my lot with Xemnas – with Xehanort, rather. Simple as that."
"I see. And you don't care how he uses your research?"
"Not in the slightest! All that concerns me is that I complete the perfect human vessel."
Luxord closed his eyes, a mixture of emotions on his face. "That's all well and good. But I know this world better than you. Kindly stay out of the way."
"Oh, of course. Considering those pests have shown up, I'd hardly get anything done."
As Vexen strolled off, Luxord grinned. "I already know what to do with the 'pests'. Then you can resume your stuffy studies."
"Ah, that's my boy. I'll be watching from the shadows, then."
With that, Vexen vanished through a Dark Corridor.
-Break-
As the sun sank below the horizon with a split-second flash of green, the Black Pearl burst up from beneath the waves with a mighty splash. Everyone gasped for breath and tried to dry themselves as they staggered to their feet.
"Thanks, Jack" Sora groused. "You could've warned us."
"Yeah," Goofy said, "everything went topsy-turvy and upsy-downsy!"
"Well, at least we're back in the land of the living."
"Thank goodness!" Donald added.
"Never fear" Jack said, looking himself over. "All according to plan."
"But that be no reason to rest easy" Barbossa said.
He looked out to port as Will came up, the younger man pointing out:
"A ship!"
A large ship with multiple dull-red flags was approaching.
"I've never seen one like that…" Elizabeth said.
Suddenly, a swarm of Heartless emerged from the incoming ship's deck – Vaporflies, looking like steampunk mechanical bat/bug things. There was a deep screech from overhead, and the gang looked up to see a much larger Heartless flying high above – a monster of metal & wood that looked like a vulture, a cannon embedded in each wing's main joint, with three chained anchors dangling from its body. The 'Raging Vulture' fired an energy blast from one of its cannons, and the Black Pearl was rocked as the shot struck the water less than 30 feet from its side.
"Barbossa," Jack asked, "have you allied with those fiends again?"
"Don't impugn me honor?" the revived pirate replied. "Why would I conspire with them?"
"But you did conspire with them."
"Could we discuss this later?!" Elizabeth interrupted.
As Tia Dalma came away after whispering something to Sora, the Raging Vulture circled around, preparing to fire again. Looking above & around, Sora focused power into his Keyblade and threw it upward. The mystical weapon spun through the air and then vanished in a flash of light. When it came back down, it had transformed into a sort of hoverboard with a pair of magic blasters on either side – Sora's own Keyblade Glider. He leapt aboard, his & the Keyblade's magic anchoring his feet firmly to the Glider.
"You guys, protect the ship!" he shouted. "I'll handle the Heartless!"
"I'm coming, too!" Kuro shouted, stepping forward.
"How will you get up there with him?" Will asked.
The little girl smirked. "I haven't managed to pull off the Keyblade Glider trick yet, but… My power lets me conjure replicas of famous bladed weapons, and I can use the powers and attacks the original weapons' wielders could as long as I have them. So, if I 'Trace' a sword used by someone who could fly…"
With a red flash, she summoned her combat outfit. Jack Sparrow's eyes widened.
"Bloody hell, Subaru, you weren't kidding…" he muttered to the blue-haired girl.
Kuro then conjured Future Trunks' sword in one hand and her Divewing in the other, and took flight. She and Sora took to the sky, his Keyblade Glider's blasters and her swords & Sagitta Magica carving through Vaporflies in their way. Soon, they closed in on the alpha Heartless, the mechanical vulture-thing three-quarters as long as the Black Pearl itself. The beast opened its metal beak wide and spat out a stream of hundreds of tightly-clustered little fireballs, acting like a flamethrower. Sora formed a spherical Reflega barrier to protect himself until he could slide out of the line of fire, firing mana bolts at the monster, while Kuro swung her blades to release cutting waves of energy. The Raging Vulture screeched and rolled in the air, forcing the two heroes to break off or else be smacked by its massive wings.
Sora juked to the side to dodge a Vaporfly's spinning tackle, then started shooting down the small-fry to give Kuro a chance to grab onto the Raging Vulture and started slashing with her Keyblade. The beast screeched in rage, its long and skinny neck contorting in a way to let it turn its head 180 degrees and look at its own back and the little darkish-skinned girl clinging to one of its back spikes. Kuro managed to land a few hits to the monster's metal face before it breathed fire at her, forcing her to let go and disengage.
The Raging Vulture oriented to fire its main blaster cannons at Kuro as she flew away, only for a lucky salvo from the Black Pearl to hit it in the side, the cannon shells punching divots in its armored hide and knocking off one of its anchor-&-chains. Meanwhile, Sora flew in, turning his Glider back into his Keyblade and grabbing onto one of the Heartless' back spikes. He immediately started hitting the thing with Fire, Blizzard, and Thunder spells as fast as he could cast them, gritting his teeth as the big Heartless tried and failed to shake him off. Sora finally leapt off of his own accord, re-summoning his Keyblade Glider and jetting away just as Kuro, still wielding a Trace of Trunks' sword, fired a 'Buster Cannon' ki blast at the monster. The blast blew a chunk out of the Raging Vulture's left side and damaged its left wing, leaving it briefly floundering in the air.
Kuro had to devote attention to thinning out Vaporflies again, while Sora continued peppering the Raging Vulture with fire from his Keyblade Glider's mana-bolt blasters, dodging its return fire. The beast was nearing its limit by this point, signs of damage all over. Dodging around an attempt by the monster to snap him up in its beak, Sora put all his strength into a magic-charged Keyblade strike to the base of its neck.
That did it. The Raging Vulture let out one last screech as cracks spread across its body. However, even as it began to disintegrate, it slammed its wing down against Sora, knocking him out and sending him plummeting. The last thing Sora was aware of was the water rushing up to meet him as he fell…
-X-
When Sora came to, he was lying on a beach with Donald, Goofy, Kuro, & Subaru hovering over him.
"Where are the others?" he asked as he sat up.
"After you fell," Goofy replied, "we came looking for ya. I guess that musta kept goin'."
"That's desertion" Donald grumbled.
"Oh…" Sora sulked. "And I was so happy that we got to see them again…"
"That eager to sail under Captain Jack Sparrow?" a familiar voice piped in.
The quintet turned in shock, and there was the man himself, strolling up from deeper in the island. As he stood before them, none of them noticed a tiny white crab drop from the back of his pant leg…
"I got knocked overboard during the scuffle with that overgrown mechanical turkey" he remarked. "At least I've come across some friendly faces; last time I came to after something like that, I had half a dozen blades pointed at me! Now then, shall we?"
"Shall we what?" Sora asked as Jack started walking away.
"Some pirate!" the man teased. "We won't get anywhere without a ship. So, let's go get one!"
As Sora happily followed along, his friends trailed behind.
"Sora and Jack are totally cut from the same cloth" Subaru said with a grin.
Ahead, Sora thought back on what Tia Dalma had told him:
'Use that key to free me, Sora, and you have my most certain promise: all the power on the sea you ever wish for will be yours.'
"…Free her how?" he muttered.
The gang followed Jack's lead, diving into an underwater tunnel and swimming through to a submerged cavern. Donald cast a spell that surrounded everyone's heads with big enchanted air bubbles that could pull oxygen from the surrounding water. A few Sea Sprites spawned in, but a wave of Light-type Sagitta Magica from Sora & Kuro made short work of them. Taking care to avoid the man-sized jellyfish here & there, they passed into an undersea cavern. Reaching a larger space, they were beset by a school of Sea Sprites. Kuro 'Traced' the sharkskin blade Samehada and used Suiton: Suikōdan to sic several water-sharks on the fishy Heartless, culling their numbers quickly. The remainder were finished off when Donald somehow cast Thundara underwater without hurting anyone but the Heartless.
'Magic, I guess…' Sora thought.
Despite not wanting to cause too much damage to the local ecosystem, the gang had no choice but to kill a number of the jellyfish clogging the next tunnel, since there was no way to get through without being covered in jelly-stings otherwise. The underwater tunnels eventually led to a much larger submerged chamber, and in the center there were two large glowing golden-yellow antenna-looking things sprouting up from the rocks, flanking a big treasure chest sitting there right in the middle.
"Well, that's suspicious" Subaru remarked.
"I'll check it out" Sora said, swimming toward the chest. "If it's a trap, I'll toss my Keyblade your way and Reverse Recall myself to safety. Besides… no pirate worth his salt ignores treasure."
He carefully drew near the treasure chest, but nothing happened. Carefully, he tapped the chest with his Keyblade… and the Heartless burst up out of the sand so fast Sora didn't get the chance to get clear, being sent tumbling back through the water. As Goofy steadied Sora, they got their look at their opponent: the Lightning Angler. It looked like a mix between an anglerfish and a gigantic 'Sea Sprite' Heartless, with a vibrant deep-blue hide marked by yellow lightning-bolt patterns. Its tail was shaped sort of like a pirate ship's steering wheel with multiple curving electric-yellow prongs like a giant buzzsaw, and its mouth was framed by multiple large, jagged teeth, including a pair of massive tusks jutting up from its lower jaw. Its side-fins had a ship's-anchor pattern to them, and its dangling bottom fins were like giant fishing hooks.
The huge fish Heartless lunged forward, the heroes scattering to avoid its jaws; it was big enough, and its mouth wide enough, to eat any of them whole. Kuro still had a Traced Samehada, and she swim-dashed in and started slashing at the Lightning Angler's scaly body. The giant fish-monster thrashed around, smacking Kuro away with its wheel-tail, and then it raised one of its antennae up, the tip crackling with electrical magic. The shock-tendril was swung at the still-stunned girl, but then Goofy was there to deflect and bat it away, while Subaru used her Revolver Knuckle to propel herself through the water and close in. Latching onto a scale edge with her other hand, she started pummeling the beast with Knuckle-enhanced crushing punches.
The Lightning Angler discharged electricity around itself, forcing Subaru to let go and swim away. Sora cast a few Fira spells, and they came out as compressed cannon-shells of superhot water that pounded against the big Heartless' hide, chipping a few of its scales. He then had to swim to the side as the Lightning Angler tried to eat him again, while Donald hit the beast with a few more "Sea-Fira" blasts. Kuro 'Traced' Zeratul's Keyblade (earning her own Keyblade had finally allowed her to Trace others) and started firing blasts of Void energy at the Heartless. Sora came in from the side that wasn't being pelted with primordial energy and started bashing & slashing with his Keyblade.
Now thoroughly pissed off, the Lightning Angler started flailing its shocker-antennae around and swinging its spiked saw/wheel tail. Sora and Kuro had to break off, and Goofy & Subaru moved in to take their place and keep the pressure on, using punches and shield-bashes; all the while, Donald kept up supporting fire and healing spells. They didn't give the Lightning Angler room to breathe (well, figuratively – gills, and all that), two people constantly hammering away at it with blows and blasts while Donald & Sora alternated spellcasting duties so the other could catch their breath.
Finally, Kuro re-Traced Samehada and let loose a couple Water Sharks right down the Lightning Angler's throat. As the constructs rampaged around inside, the big Heartless thrashed and swam around in a panic. In its panic, it slammed head-first into the cave wall, and that was enough. The monster went still, disintegrating into motes of Darkness. And as the dust and darkness cleared, there was a new underwater passageway revealed by the Lightning Angler's death throes.
Swimming through the cavern and up, the gang finally reached air again. The oxygen-bubble spell came undone as the quintet (where had Jack gone, anyway?) got up out of the water and followed a passage into a very large cavern. Wading through ankle-deep water, they were met by the sight of a massive sailing ship, as big as the Black Pearl.
"It's our very own ship!" Sora shouted with glee as he & the others ran over to it.
"Are you certain about that?" Jack Sparrow replied, standing on the vessel's deck. "Finder's keepers, lads."
"How'd he get here so fast?" Goofy wondered.
"Jack, you already have the Black Pearl!" Sora said.
"Aye," the man replied, "to which this ship holds no candle. But… you take what you can, mate. Now then, my ship has a captain, but it does appear I'm in need of a crew. Suppose you'll have to do. Don't dawdle; climb aboard!"
The quintet got aboard the vessel, with Sora at the helm.
"Ready, helmsman?" Sparrow asked.
"Ready enough, Cap'n." Sora replied. "But… aren't we kinda… trapped?"
Jack sighed. "Now, Sora, I know you've made passage through straits far more dire than this. Just follow your heart's command."
After a moment, Sora nodded and smiled. And as if triggered by that, the rocks of one of the cavern walls crumbled away, and daylight streamed in as an exit out to the open ocean was revealed. At Sora's command, the Leviathan set sail.
As they exited the cavern, a sudden field of mist sprang up over the waters all around them. It faded several seconds later, to reveal two more ships close by, each about half the size of the Leviathan: wrecks brought back up and put in fighting shape by the Heartless commanding them. The heroes' ship seemed to be enchanted, as Sora was somehow able to will the unmanned cannons to open fire. High-explosive cannonballs arced through the air and impacted the closest enemy ship, blowing several holes in it just above the waterline. A second salvo hit lower, sinking the vessel. The other hostile ship returned fire, and Sora pivoted the Leviathan, dodging all but one cannonball which punched a hole in the deck that began to slowly seal itself. Sora closed in, and a short-range salvo of explosive shells nearly tore the Heartless ship in half, sending it back down to the depths.
As the Leviathan got clear of the island, a fog suddenly rolled in, much more expansive than what the two Heartless ships had arrived with. And then, out of nowhere, a titanic sailing ship appeared off the Leviathan's port side, parked right next to it. The damn thing was a hair less than twice the length of the heroes' ship! Furthermore, there was someone aboard: a figure in a familiar black cloak.
"Isn't that…" Sora started.
"Not the merry company I'd hoped for" Jack remarked.
With a flourish, the figure disappeared through a Dark Corridor and then immediately reappeared on the deck of the Leviathan, his hood falling back.
"Parley" Luxord said.
"You back in the Organization?" Sora asked, ready to summon his Keyblade.
"Yes" Luxord replied. "Surprising, isn't it, that they'd do me the honor? Never count your cards until they've all been dealt."
"Well, whatever you're here for, we're not inclined to even give you the time of day!"
"Come now, are you really so unsophisticated that you'd decline a gentlemanly conversation? If your adversary treats you with respect and speaks with you politely, shouldn't you extend the same courtesy?"
"Stand down, Sora" Jack held an arm out. "It's the Code. Musn't strike a pirate aboard-ship when said pirate offers to confabulate."
"Ah, yes" Luxord said. "And how could I love games and contests without honoring the rules? Because only by winning fairly does victory have any savor at all."
"But… of course the Code is actually more guidelines than rules. Speak your piece, Mr. Luxord."
Luxord exhaled. "I'm looking… for a box. A chest, perhaps. …You know the one?"
"…Possible. I know of a box. But said box is not a box you want to trifle with, mate. Trust me."
"Really? A wager, then."
"And of what nature would this wager be?"
Luxord pointed northeast. "What say we have a little race to that charming port town which you hold so dear?"
"Port Royal?"
"Yes. Whoever reaches it first is the victor. And the stakes: you tell me all about that chest."
"Against what?"
"I will get you whatever it is you want."
Jack thought for a few seconds, then smiled. "Done!"
"Jack!" Sora exclaimed.
"Then we have an accord" Luxord said, teleporting back onto his behemoth of a ship. "Now, let us begin!"
"Jack, do you really know whatever it is he's looking for?" Sora asked.
"Let's just say" Sparrow replied "there's a potential possibility he wants the chest containing Davy Jones' heart. But I haven't the foggiest notion why he'd covet the blighted thing."
"…Well, some other villains we've been dealing with are looking for a mystery box, too. Apparently it's a relic left by an ancient Keyblade Master centuries ago. So that's probably not the same thing as Davy Jones' heart."
"Still," Kuro piped up, "if having that box with Jones' heart allows the bearer to control him, we really oughtta keep it out of the Organization's clutches anyway."
"Precisely" Jack said. "I don't fancy the thought of villains of their caliber having Davy Jones on their leash. So, let's get racing!"
The two ships took off. At first, Luxord's ship had the lead, but then the wind changed to a northeasterly direction, letting the Leviathan catch up and overtake him. For the next while, the two ships made best speed for Port Royal, sliding around islands and moving with the wind. Heartless-commanded ships tried to bar the Leviathan's path, and waterspouts sprang up in its way as well, but they managed to get through it all. Finally, the Leviathan crossed the 'finish line' less than two seconds ahead of Luxord's ship.
Luxord emerged from a dark corridor, applauding.
"If you'd fired at me during that race," he said, "I would've challenged you to a rather intense and lopsided naval battle afterwards. But since you didn't try to hamper me in such a manner, I shall accept the loss of this race. See what being polite gets you, Sora?"
Sora folded his arms. "You're, like, the only member of the Organization that actually sticks to fair play."
"A shame, isn't it?"
"…You're up to something."
"Perish the thought. I know when I've been outdone."
"You were outdone before you even started, mate" Jack replied. "But I admire your conciliatory way of conceding defeat."
"Yes… Now, I believe I owe you your prize. But I neglected to ask what it is that you want."
Jack grinned. "Aye, that's easy. I want the chest that's abord the Dutchman. I want Davy Jones' heart."
Luxord's grin was replaced by a confused look. "His… heart?"
"Sora told me how some of you blokes are looking for some ancient relic box. Sorry to say that's not the box I know of. Davy Jones cut out his own heart and placed it in a little treasure chest, to keep it safe and to keep himself safe from the pain of the betrayal he was subjected to so long ago."
"Hmm… Then that's definitely not what we're looking for. And I have no further reason to stay here."
"Wait, you're just gonna leave?" Subaru asked. "…Will you at least take the Heartless with you?"
"Alas, my dear, the Heartless did not come to these seas at my command. They came of their own accord, lured by the evil Heart of Cutler Beckett. If you want the Heartless to leave this world alone, you'll have to dispose of him."
With that, Luxord vanished through a Corridor of Darkness.
Jack sighed. "The Leviathan took some fire from the Heartless during our race. We'd best make berth at Port Royal to enact repairs."
Soon, the Leviathan pulled into port and docked at Port Royal; some of the civilians gawked at seeing such a huge ship in their harbor.
"Look for crabs" Jack said as they disembarked. "Little white ones, about yea big. They have the sea goddess' magic in them; they'll set her right."
"Magical crabs?" Kuro asked, a little skeptical.
"Trust me, lass."
-Break-
After a long search all over Port Royal and the surrounding wilds, fighting through scores of Heartless, the gang finally managed to find enough of the little white crabs (which did, indeed, contain magic of a divine nature). They made their way back to the Leviathan, and the horde of white crabs converged on the huge ship. They made for the damaged sections of the vessel, somehow melding into the ship to patch the holes. Soon, she looked good as new again.
"There, mates" Jack said. "Fit to sail any sea. Now, Sora, one final inquiry: is there any particular reason you wanted this ship?"
Sora thought for a moment, then smiled. "Yeah. To explore the seas, free as the wind."
"Good answer!" Jack grinned. "You are a pirate… Captain Sora."
Sora grinned too, but then realized something. "But Jack… Why do you say 'final', like you're leaving?""
"Ah… It's because this me has run his course, mate."
A few white crabs dropped out of him, seemingly appearing from nowhere.
"…This you?"
"Aye. The surrogate 'me' that the goddess of the sea sent here to help you lot. Of course, any me is still me. I may be duplicatable, but I'm always incomparable. The sea, she smiles upon us, Sora – and let's leave it at that, shall we? For now, the real me has a crucial engagement at Shipwreck Cove, where the Pirate Brethren will meet Becket and his lot in battle to win back our freedom."
"Then let us help!"
"No. It's for pirates to resolve. But now you, Sora." His body began to glow, wisps of white magic drifting off. "You're as free as the winds now, and far you'll go."
With a burst of light, 'Jack Sparrow' vanished, a pillar of white crabs coming apart and falling to the boardwalk, scuttling away and dropping into the water.
"…So," Goofy said, "Jack was showin' us the way."
"Jack…" Sora murmured. "He said it was the pirates' battle to fight. But a fight for pirates…"
"…Is a fight for us now, too!" Kuro finished, grinning.
"Come on! Let's find the real Jack!"
-Break-
The Leviathan headed northeast, toward where a mass of clouds was growing. A few Heartless ships tried to bar their path along the way, but were quickly dealt with. As they reached Shipwreck Cove, they found themselves sailing through fog that cut visibility to around 1,000 meters. They sailed past multiple pirate warships, all of which were heading in the same direction, and finally caught up with the Black Pearl. Oddly, there seemed to be a huge wave of the magic white crabs 'flowing' off of the Pearl's deck and into the water. The Leviathan pulled up alongside the Pearl, to the latter's crew's surprise.
"Guys!" Sora shouted. "Are you okay?"
"Sora…" Will couldn't help but smile. "You're a welcome sight!"
The quintet of Team Sora hopped over onto the Black Pearl.
"We've all been quite worried about you" Elizabeth said.
Sora looked at a pair of white crabs scuttling across the deck. "Where's Jack?" he asked. "And Tia Dalma?"
Elizabeth & Will sighed. "I'm afraid you've missed a few things while you've been gone" she said.
"Jack has been… taken captive by Cutler Beckett" Will admitted.
"Yes," Elizabeth nodded, "and Beckett commands Davy Jones and the Flying Dutchman.
"Barbossa thought we could defeat them if we released Calypso, the goddess of the sea, from the human form she'd been forcibly bound in – the human form we all knew as Tia Dalma." He looked down at the crabs and sighed. "But it didn't work."
"Aye" Barbossa spoke up. "A fickle goddess Calypso be."
"So, what now?" Goofy asked.
"Nothin'. Our final hope has failed us."
'…So… Tia Dalma was Calypso' Sora thought. 'She's the one who was helping us.' He looked down at the crabs. 'And you know what? I think… that she might just be able to help us again.'
He turned to face Will & Elizabeth. "You can't give up now. We can all fight, together. The sea belongs to everyone!"
Stunned by his proclamation, Elizabeth looked up at the massive storm cloud swirling overhead. Everyone then saw & felt as a beam of sunlight broke through a gap in the clouds, illuminating the Black Pearl.
"…It's not over" she said. "There's still hope for us." She came over to the railing of the ship. "Crew of the Black Pearl, hear me! The Brethren will still be looking here to us, to the Pearl, to lead! And what will they see? Frightened bilge-rats aboard a derelict ship? No. No! They will see free men! And freedom! And what the enemy will see is the flash of our cannons. They will hear the ring of our swords, and they will know what we can do! By the sweat of our brows, and the strength of our backs! And the courage of our hearts! Gentlemen… Hoist the colors!"
As the call rang out, crewmen scrambled to unfurl the sails and man the guns, weapons and ammo being readied. The rain began to pour, muffled thunder heard from the clouds high above. As the pirate fleet moved in formation with the Black Pearl at the lead, the EITC fleet became visible far ahead, the Flying Dutchman in front.
The Leviathan and the Black Pearl advanced together, entering a truly enormous vortex that had opened up in the middle of the sea, the Dutchman entering from the opposite side. The three ships began moving with the spiraling counterclockwise current, and soon the Pearl and the Dutchman started blasting at each other.
As the Leviathan trailed behind the Black Pearl, waiting for an opening to lend its fire to the cause, Luxord suddenly appeared on deck beside Team Sora, leading Kuro and Goofy to draw their weapons.
"So that's the Flying Dutchman" he remarked.
"You do remember that the box aboard that ship has Davy Jones' heart in it, right?" Subaru asked. "There's no way it's what you're looking for."
"None of us know what's in the box we're looking for" Luxord replied. "The higher-ups haven't deigned to tell those of us on the bottom rungs. Though… Xigbar did mention that it contains 'hope'."
"Hope?" Sora asked. "And how would Xigbar know that?"
"…How, indeed…" Then, the man's eyes widened as he looked at the heart of the enormous vortex. "So. Jones' pet monster still lives, does it? I fear you're about to have your hands very full, Sora. Best ready the cannons…"
The black-cloaked man warped away. Seconds later, a swarm of enormous tentacles sprang up from the heart of the maelstrom. Snatching the Black Pearl up, the Kraken hoisted the hapless ship high, and the Flying Dutchman took advantage of the situation and started shooting at the Pearl.
"Sora, man the helm" Subaru said. "Keep the Leviathan in the fight!" Then, she flared with blue light as she assumed her Stage-1 Chakra Cloak form. "I'll handle the Kraken!"
She then took off using chi-based flight, the rain hissing as it hit her hot chakra shroud, and started flinging energy blasts at the enormous creature's huge tentacles. Explosive cannon-shells from the Leviathan and from a few of the pirate ships skirting along the maelstrom's edge chipped in as well, hammering at the sucker-covered tendrils and making a few of them recoil and sink back beneath the waves. The Flying Dutchman took umbrage at this, sailing in close toward the Leviathan and opening fire. The two ships slugged it out for a moment, until a shimmering barrier of Water magic sprang up around the Leviathan, protecting it from further fire and shoving the Dutchman back while starting to erode at its form. The cursed ship sunk beneath the waves and then reappeared a few hundred meters away in the maelstrom, out of the Leviathan's range.
Theoretically, Subaru has enough power in her current state to probably kill a monster of this power level. But the problem is that the Kraken is enormous. Judging by the size of the tentacles, the monster rivals a Tailed Beast in size. To do meaningful damage to something that big, she'll need more power. She ramped it up to Stage 2, her chakra shroud looking like a cloak made of blue 'fire' with intricate black markings, and pulled her hands back, the heels of her palms pressed together and fingers curled forward in a cupping pattern as powerful chakra began to build. Power built and gathered quickly, a mass of blinding blue light with motes of black soon gathered in her hands. Finally, she took aim at the massive submerged body of her target and thrusted her hands forward:
"Bijū Kamehamehaaa!-!"
The concentrated beam/wave of blue ki with motes of black mixed in shot down into the maelstrom, piercing into and through the Kraken's body right through its open sarlacc-like mouth. The monster's screech died as it did, its internal structure torn asunder by the chaotic energies burning through it. The Black Pearl was relinquished, dropping back into the turbulent ocean with a splash, as the Kraken's tentacles fell away and sank beneath the waves, the enormous creature's corpse vanishing into the black abyss.
Subaru flew back down to the Leviathan, which sailed over to beside the Flying Dutchman to let Team Sora get aboard. They arrived just as Davy Jones was bearing down on Jack Sparrow, who was carrying a small treasure chest in one hand. The pirate grinned as Sora, Donald, & Goofy stood with him, while Kuro & Subaru squared off with the Dutchman's enthralled and mutated crew.
"Tables have turned, mate" he said.
Davy Jones snarled, his tentacle-beard thrashing about. "Hand over the chest, Sparrow!"
He charged, and Jack & Sora moved to meet him. The two heroes fought together, covering each other's blind spots and giving each other openings as they chipped away at Jones' stamina. During the fight, the Black Pearl came in close as it & the Flying Dutchman reached the center of the whirlpool maelstrom, continuously circling around the heart of the vortex. Soon, Sora was kept back by more of Jones' men, leaving Jack to fight Jones alone. But as their fight climbed up the Dutchman's main mast, it gradually became clear that Jack didn't need Sora's help; Davy Jones was clearly on the defensive, his swordsmanship inferior to Jack's.
As the two ships' masts locked together, the chest was jarred from Sparrow's grip, falling to the deck of the Dutchman as Will Turner swung across from the Pearl. He went for the chest, only for Davy Jones to leapt down and smack him away with his crab-claw arm. Jack Sparrow came in at Will's defense, but as Jones fought with desperate ferocity, he managed to grab Jack's sword in his crab-claw and snap the blade in two. He smacked Jack away, turned toward the chest, only for Elizabeth to swing in and put herself in his path.
"Harridan!" he snarled. "You'll see no mercy from me!"
"That's why I brought this!" she drew her sword.
As Davy Jones and Elizabeth dueled, he managed to hit hard enough that even blocking she was sent stumbling back. He went in for the kill, only to cry out in shocked pain as Will stabbed him from behind.
"Mister" Jones said. "Did you forget? I'm a heartless wretch!"
He spun, his peg-leg slamming into the side of Will's head and sending him sprawling. As Will and Elizabeth tried to gather themselves, they gave each other looks that Davy Jones quickly realized the meaning of.
"Ah, love" he said. "A dreadful bond. And yet, so easily severed."
"That's not true!" Sora shouted as Jones stalked toward Will, bringing him to a halt. "I may still have a lot to learn about love, but I know what it means to share my heart with others. And it will take more than you to break a bond like that."
Davy Jones scoffed. "What does a whelp like you know about the heart?"
"The 'whelp' has seen far more of the world than you know" Jack Sparrow replied.
"Ha! What of it?" He turned to the downed man at his feet. "Tell me, William Turner: Do you fear death?"
"Do you?" Jack replied.
Jones turned to look, and saw Jack holding a familiar and now-open chest in one hand, pointing his broken sword to point at whatever was inside.
"Heady tonic," Jack said, "holding life and death in the palm of one's hand."
"You're a cruel man, Jack Sparrow."
"Cruel is a matter of perspective."
"…Is it now?"
And then he turned and sank his blade deep into Will's chest. With an enraged roar, Sora charged, focusing something into his Keyblade that he'd almost never felt before: killing intent. Davy Jones went on the defensive as the youth battered at his guard, and finally the sea-man's blade snapped in two from the force it was being subjected to. Sora's next blow severed Davy Jones' crab-claw arm at the shoulder, but as Sora went for a stabbing thrust aimed at Jones' neck, the severed stump seized and then ejected a writhing spiked tentacle that slammed into Sora and knocked him away, bowling over Donald & Goofy as they tried to help. As Sora, laying by the railing along the deck's edge, tried to shake the gray out of his head, Jones stalked over to him.
"You will not forestall my judgment!" Davy Jones growled.
He lifted his sword… and then felt a terrible piercing pain in his chest. He turned to see Jack and Elizabeth beside the dying Will… and Jack's hand around Will's, having guided it to stab the blade it was holding down into Davy Jones' heart. Gasping feebly, Jones staggered back, toward an opening in the railing.
"Ca…lyp…so…"
Finally, the light left his eyes, and his body toppled over backward, off the ship and dropping into the abyss. Seconds later, the Flying Dutchman began to sink, as the various mutated crewmen began to advance toward Will, chanting:
"Part of the ship, part of the crew…"
One of the crew came over to the group and looked to them: Bootstrap Bill Turner.
"The Dutchman must have a Captain…" he told them sadly. "Go, while you still can!"
Jack grabbed Elizabeth, dragging her along as he and Team Sora evacuated the ship. Soon, the Black Pearl turned and raced away, while the Flying Dutchman capsized and sank into the heart of the maelstrom…
-X-
As the skies overhead began to clear, the maelstrom settled and vanished, calm seas returning. On the deck of the Black Pearl, the mood was solemn, Jack and Subaru trying to comfort Elizabeth.
"The armada's still out there" Gibbs reported. "The Endeavor's coming up hard to starboard, and I think it's time we embrace that oldest and noblest of pirate traditions."
Jack sighed. "Never actually been one for tradition." He came up to the captain's post. "In we go! Leviathan, prepare to provide supporting fire against the Endeavor! Creole, Wukong, and Tiger Lily are to focus attention on the Endeavor's main escorts! All other ships are to pick targets and engage at their discretion!"
The EITC flagship Endeavor began to approach, cannons at the ready. On the bridge, Cutler Beckett looked at the Pearl with a sadistic smirk.
"It's nothing personal, Jack" he murmured. "It's just good business."
The Black Pearl and the Endeavor began to close in on each other, the hero crew grimly determined and ready to fight to the death. …But then, the ocean seized, and a massive vessel sprang up from beneath the depths. With pieces of coral and barnacles and moss and grime crumbling away to reveal the ship's long-hidden true splendor, the reborn Flying Dutchman sped toward the fray. At the ship's helm, its new captain called out:
"Ready on the guns!" Will ordered.
"Full canvas!" Barbossa shouted to the Pearl's crew.
The two elite pirate battleships sped toward the Endeavor, and Subaru & Kuro's enhanced eyesight gave them a perfect view of the smug look dropping off Beckett's face aboard the enemy flagship's bridge, replaced with a look of stunned, horrified disbelief.
"FIRE!-!-!"
The Black Pearl and the Flying Dutchman sailed right past the Endeavor on either side, every single one of the Dutchman's port and Pearl's starboard cannons firing in a withering dual broadside. Wood splintered, powder exploded, and men screamed and bled and died as the Endeavor was systematically torn apart. Finally, Cutlet Beckett was consumed as secondary explosions ripped the EITC flagship to pieces, the ruined vessel coming apart and beginning to sink beneath the waves. Up ahead, seeing their leader slain and the rest of the pirate fleet advancing, the EITC fleet turned and fled.
Aboard the Pearl, as everyone celebrated, Sora turned to look at where Elizabeth stared longingly at the Dutchman. Gibbs came up, a comforting hand on Sora's shoulder.
"The Flying Dutchman must have a captain" he said. "Just wed, and now she & Cap'n Turner must live in different worlds. One day ashore, ten years at sea. It's a steep price."
"Will…" Sora muttered.
Gibbs came up to Elizabeth, doing his best to smile. "Your chariot awaits, Your Highness."
After Elizabeth said her goodbyes, she climbed aboard a rowboat bound for her & Will's final meeting. Sora came over beside Jack, watching her go.
"One day isn't enough time…" he said.
"Oh," Jack replied, "there's always enough time for hearts to say what's true. Sora, you know better than anyone. It only takes a moment to connect with your mates… with your hearties."
The smile slowly returned to Sora's face, small but firm. "There's always enough time… And I'm going to find them."
As the victorious Black Pearl sailed away, the now-empty Leviathan disintegrated into countless thousands of white goddess crabs that disappeared beneath the sea.
-Scene Break-
On the cliffs overlooking Port Royal, a black-cloaked figure stood. Xigbar seemed unusually pensive, his lone functional eye looking out over the town and the harbor beyond.
"Picture this" Luxord's voice suddenly rang out, startling him. "A black goat stashes away a letter, then orders a white goat to search for it." The blond Org-XIII member emerged from a Dark Corridor. "What could his intentions possibly be?"
Xigbar sighed. "Great, a riddle. Just what I need."
Luxord drew a card. "There are many possibilities. Perhaps he forgot where it's hidden," the card disappeared, only to reappear in the other hand, "or he's playing a prank," and then there were four cards in each hand, "or the letter has truly gone missing." He shuffled the cards, which then abruptly vanished. "I can think of several reasons offhand; guessing… is simply useless."
Xigbar took a breath. "Well, then just follow your orders, plain and simple.
"Yes… That's what I've always done. I followed the orders from above without question. However, I sometimes can't help but read into my opponent's strategy."
A mirthless chuckle. "Too long on the job?"
"If the contents of the box are so unknown, why is it of such critical importance to the Organization? Furthermore, was it Xehanort or Xemnas who gave the order?"
"…Well. It's tricky."
Luxord smirked at him. "All Xehanort cares about is the clash between the 7 Lights and 13 Darknesses. It's unlikely he would hold such an interest in this mysterious box. Which means, the order was issued by… Xemnas, or by the one who informed me of my task – you."
Xigbar put a hand on his hip, giving a cocky grin. "As if. It musta been Xemnas."
"My inquiries suggest otherwise."
The grin immediately dropped off Xigbar's face. "Oh man… You asked him?"
"What are your intentions?"
"…Look, I don't know what's inside the box. But, it's been protected by Keyblade wielders since way back when. Aren't you curious? I heard it contains information that's vital to all Keyblade wielders – secrets."
"And where did you hear this?"
"Hmm… I don't remember. I keep my eye and ears wide open, but I've traveled to so many different places, it's hard to keep everything straight, y'know?"
Luxord's suspicious expression turned into a glare, and he suddenly tossed a razor-edged card at Xigbar, who just barely caught it.
"If this box is truly as important as you say," the blond asked, "why now? I believe you discovered that others also seek it, and you need to find it before anyone else does, in order to keep your connection to the box a secret from those around you. …Xigbar, who are you?"
The two men glared at each other, power welling up just beneath the surface. After several seconds, though, Luxord stood down with a smirk.
"No matter" he said. "It doesn't make a difference to me. It's all the same. I'm content to feign ignorance."
With that, he vanished through a Dark Corridor. Alone again on the clifftop, Xigbar scowled and tossed the card away.
"The question is, who are you, Luxord?"
-CHAPTER END-