The Tides Go Out

by Regiss

Four months later, the war between Maleficent's Heartless and Braig's Nobodies threatens to consume all worlds. In the middle of the conflict, Sora, Xion, and their friends continue the search for Riku while also dealing with Vanitas, who will stop at nothing to get Ven's heart. Sequel to Remember the Tides.

45. Tarnished Silver

Chapter 45: Tarnished Silver

"Here we are."

Xion hesitated as she followed Captain Amelia into her quarters in the back of the RLS Legacy. The small room was a sharp contrast from the rest of the ship, with the brown wood—er, Gummi blocks—covered up by white and gold wallpaper. A desk sat in the center of the room, in front of a window that took up the entire back wall and showed off the nebulae and stars just outside. Sitting on the desk was a neat and orderly stack of papers. To Xion's left, by the door, was a small cabinet that was locked tight. Against the far wall, in the corner, was a small, humble but comfortable-looking bed with the sheets pulled flat and tucked in tight.

"I hope you enjoy it, Miss Xion," Captain Amelia continued. "Because whether you do or not, you'll be seeing nothing but this room for the remainder of your stay."

Xion raised an eyebrow at the captain's words; something about them bugged her. The captain looked at her expectantly, though, so Xion nodded. "It is a nice room," she admitted. "Where are you going to sleep, though?"

"Certainly not with the crew, if that's what you were thinking." The captain chuckled lightly. "To be honest I find myself too busy for sleep more often than I'd like. When we get to that bridge, Miss Xion, then we will cross it."

Xion ran a hand along the silk sheets of the bed with a frown on her face. There it was again—the part that bugged her about Captain Amelia. "Why are you calling me 'Miss' if I'm your prisoner?" Even if she didn't like it, Xion was no stranger to a superior talking down to her. Saïx and Xemnas had made sure of that. So if Captain Amelia was going to hold her prisoner here, the least she could do is drop the polite pretenses.

"Well at your age, I certainly hope it's not Missus," the captain replied with another soft chuckle. Then she straightened out and folded her hands behind her back. "One must never forget politeness, Miss Xion. That is simply the way of the world."

Xion hid her grimace. Normally she'd probably find that outlook admirable, but she was in a sour mood from everything that had transpired since they boarded the Legacy…even if it was kind of their fault for assuming it was Hook's ship. Still, the least the captain could have done was hear them out.

Solitary confinement! Really! The nerve. Couldn't she at least be with her friends? She…didn't want to be alone. Didn't want to lose people, not again…

Abruptly, Xion realized that Captain Amelia was staring at her with curiosity. Xion glanced down at her hands to see that she had unknowingly clenched them into fists and was currently gripping the sheets of the captain's bed tightly. Feeling her face heat up, she unfurled her fingers and let the sheets loose.

Captain Amelia frowned. "You may want to work on that temper. It's no way for a young lady to act."

Xion held her tongue. Her temper had gotten the better of her on occasion—such as in Symphony of Sorcery, when Braig had goaded on her on atop Bald Mountain. But Xion wasn't about to tell the captain that she was right.

Damn it, she was forming a grudge against this woman.

Before either of them could speak again, there was a knock at the door. "Captain? Oh Captain Amelia?"

The captain's face brightened as she turned around. "Oh, come in, Doctor! What is it?"

The door opened to reveal the dog man that Xion had seen in the crowd before. He nervously looked behind him before shutting the door swiftly but quietly. "Captain, I'd like to confirm our route. May I see the ma—"

"Doctor, we are not the only ones in here."

Xion raised a curious eyebrow as the doctor suddenly cut himself off and glanced at her with an awkward smile. "O-Of course, Captain. Sorry."

"Mm," Captain Amelia replied curtly. She turned back to Xion and held out a hand to her side, motioning to the newcomer. "Miss Xion, this is Dr. Delbert Doppler; the financier of this expedition."

"It's nice to meet you," Xion said simply. At least now there was someone else she could talk to.

Dr. Doppler stood up straight and adjusted his glasses. "Y-Yes, you too. I'm sorry about this situation, but you'll see: it will all be worth it in the end, when we reach the world we're heading toward."

Well, if the earlier exchange hadn't caught Xion's curiosity that certainly would have. "And what world is that?"

Dr. Doppler grinned and leaned forward almost conspiratorially. "Why, Trea—"

"Doctor!" Captain Amelia stepped between the two of them. "Need I remind you that this mission is top secret?"

"I- Ahem. Yes, of course, Captain. I'm sorry, I'll watch my tongue." For an instant, Dr. Doppler's eyes flickered over to the cabinet by the door.

What was that about?This crew was up to something, and didn't want Xion or her friends to know. For a brief moment she considered that maybe they were actually pirates after all, but would pirates have a kid like that Jim guy aboard? When Captain Amelia turned to look at Xion, Xion immediately dropped her inquisitive glance and replaced it with a stoic mask. The captain frowned at her for a moment before looking to Dr. Doppler once more.

"Doctor, let's continue this conversation with Mr. Arrow outside." Captain Amelia walked past him and opened up the door, holding it for the doctor.

"Yes, that sounds good. Well, Xion, it was nice meeting you!" With one last wave, before Xion could even reply, the door shut with a click. Xion chuckled to herself; as if locking her in would do anything. Still, she didn't want to get into even more trouble… It'd be best to listen and stay put, at least for now.

Sitting on the bed, Xion again glanced around the small, fancy room. There really wasn't a lot to it that hadn't already been said; not much to write home about. With a light frown on her face, Xion turned to the window in the back and looked at the cosmos beyond. It's funny; she saw this sort of thing all the time aboard the Highwind, but here it looked different somehow.

She couldn't place what it was—maybe because she was moving away from the stars out there instead of toward them? Or perhaps it was the way that the purples and blue swirled and clashed out there in a way that she couldn't see as easily through the small windows she had grown used to. Either way, Xion found herself mesmerized by the sight. She lost track of time as she sat there, staring out the window and watching the dancing light of what stars remained in the universe.

But as that went on, her interest eventually faded away. Xion looked from the shining, shimmering, splendid view outside and turned back inward. She glanced at the locked cabinet near the door, the one that Dr. Doppler had looked to for a moment while he had been in here. Her curiosity was rising again. Whatever Captain Amelia was up to, whatever she didn't want Xion to know, something in that cabinet was involved.

Organization XIII's guidelines came to her mind, even after she had ignored them for so long. The first thing you do when you get to a new world is investigate and learn about the locals. Standing up from the bed, Xion called on her Keyblade and moved toward the cabinet. She raised the black and white weapon toward the door as light begin to shine on its tip.

"Hey, Xion!"

Xion gasped and stumbled backwards, tripping over her own feet. She fell to the ground, her Keyblade clattering beside her before it vanished in a flash of light. Rubbing her back where it hit the ground, Xion stared up at the door with bated breath. In her surprise she hadn't noticed who had called her, but she had definitely heard someone say her name. What would the captain or Mr. Arrow do if they found her snooping around something that's locked? Oh man…

…Wait, the voice hadn't called her 'Miss.'

Xion turned to the door as she heard it click, signifying that it was unlocked. The door opened slowly, and Xion watched nervously until it was wide enough to spot the spiky brown hair on the other side. Sora glanced nervously over his shoulder while Donald and Goofy kept lookout, then when he didn't see whoever he was looking for he slipped inside and motioned for the others to follow. As Sora's Keyblade vanished, Goofy shut and the door behind them.

"What are you guys doing here?" Xion asked in a whisper, though it was probably unnecessary.

Sora grinned and jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. "We came to get you so we can get out of here!"

"How? You plan to just sneak downstairs and open the bottom of this ship up without any of the crew noticing?"

Donald frowned. "Maybe we didn't exactly think this through."

Sora laughed and held his hands behind his head. "Well, maybe. I guess it would cause a racket to get back to the Highwind, huh?" His eyes widened. "Oh yeah! There's more than that, Xion; I also wanted to tell you about what Jim and Silver told us."

"What, the cook and cabin boy? Did they tell you how to peel potatoes or something?"

Over Goofy's laughter, Sora shook his head. "No—well yes, actually, but no! Listen: this ship is on a treasure hunt!"

"Treasure?" Xion frowned. Could that have been what Dr. Doppler and Captain Amelia had wanted to hide? It didn't seem like that big of a deal.

"Yeah, a whole world of treasure called Treasure Planet!" Goofy added.

Xion gasped. Okay, an entire world of gold and jewels was definitely worth keeping secret. But wait… There was a lingering worry. Something didn't add up. "Why would Pete join their crew just for that?"

There was a pause among the other three as they glanced at each other, before Sora rubbed the back of his head. "I…have to admit I forgot about Pete."

"Seriously?" Donald asked with crossed arms and narrowed eyes. "Sora, Pete's a threat!"

"Is he though? I mean, he can't control the Heartless anymore…"

"He has to be up to something, I know it." Xion shook her head. "And it can't just be treasure. I don't think we should leave while he's here, at least not until we know what's up."

Goofy frowned. "But don't ya think we should at least tell King Mickey?"

Sora waved Goofy's question away. "Nah, Xion actually has a good point and we can handle Pete of all people just fine. Besides, we don't know what world Riku and the King are on anyway."

Xion smiled. "So it's agreed. You guys think you can sneak back to the kitchen without getting caught?"

That caught their attention though, especially Sora's. He raised an eyebrow. "Are you nuts? We need to be together, first of all—"

"And second," Xion interrupted, "we need to get on the crew's good side if they're going to let us do anything about Pete. They don't exactly trust us right now, and you guys sneaking off wouldn't help."

"…I guess that's a good point," Sora relented. "But does it have to be right now? I don't want to go back to peeling potatoes."

Donald nodded. "Yeah, and I was peeling more feathers than spuds!"

"Oh don't worry, you won't be seeing any potatoes where you're going."

With simultaneous gasps, Sora, Donald, and Goofy turned around at the deep voice. There, standing in the doorway, was a tall, imposing figure dressed in red and made entirely of stone: Mr. Arrow.

"Uh…" Sora raised his open hands in an awkward show of peace. "Hey there."

"Disobeying the captain's orders, are we?" Mr. Arrow asked, his chiseled jaw tightening. He moved his hands from the doorknob to behind his back. "It seems you'd rather be locked in the brig than work in the kitchens."

"Hey, that's not fair!" Xion said, moving forward. "They just wanted to see me!"

But Mr. Arrow shook his head. "You lot are stowaways and prisoners until we return to Traverse Town. On this ship, Captain Amelia's word is absolute. One more word out of you, Miss Xion, and you'll be joining them."

"Your brig can't hold us anyway!" Donald shouted. "Not when we've got the Ke—"

"Donald, be quiet!" Goofy clamped his hands over Donald's beak and held tightly onto the struggling duck.

Mr. Arrow raised an eyebrow, but then shook his head. "We can do this either the easy way or the hard way, gentlemen. My advice is that you do not want to do this the hard way."

Donald successfully pried himself out of Goofy's grip and glared at the stoic Mr. Arrow. "And what's the easy way?"

Mr. Arrow smirked. "Well—"

KssshhBOOM

Heads turned. All attention was diverted away from their conversation, away from the very room, as an explosion rocked the entirety of the RLS Legacy. Immediately after, screams and shouts from the crew resounded across the brown halls, coming from the deck upstairs.

"Oh, oh God!"

"Did they follow us?!"

"I can't deal with them; I already lost my home once!"

"What in all the worlds…?" Mr. Arrow glanced at the assembled group, unsure. Then, shaking his head, he turned his back to them with one last, quick glance over his shoulder. "Stay right here. This will take only a minute."

But despite his assurances, another voice rang clearly above everyone else's shouting. "H-H-Heartless!"

"Heartless?!" Sora gasped, Oathkeeper already forming in his grip. Xion called on Two Become One beside him, and without any hesitation they broke into a run. Donald and Goofy were close behind them, their own weapons primed and ready. Mr. Arrow was left in the dust, a shocked expression on his face—but it only lasted a moment.

Adjusting his hat, Mr. Arrow began marching forward as his booming voice echoed across the ship. "Sound the bells! All hands on deck! We have Heartless aboard the ship! This is not a drill!"

The door slammed open as Sora, Xion, Donald, and Goofy emerged onto the deck and into chaos. Warning bells flared up around them as the crew of the RLS Legacy did battle both on the deck itself and up on the masts, among the sails. Alien sailors did battle with Pirates, Air Pirates, and Battleships—a familiar array, but a fitting one.

Air Pirates darted and weaved between the ropes, masts, and sails above them with the stars as a backdrop. Crewmen that climbed the rope or dived down from above were met with swift punches and kicks from the flying Heartless, which often ended up knocking the men into the line of fire of the Battleships that orbited the Legacy out of melee range. Those that didn't get blasted by the Battleships instead crashed into the floor and open to attack from sword-wielding Pirates. The men looked battle-worn, and perhaps they were experienced, but they were no match for Heartless.

The door behind Xion and her friends burst open once more. Mr. Arrow sprinted out, followed by the last remnants of the crew that had been below decks, but he did not stay nearby. Drawing a gun from the insides of his coat, Mr. Arrow made a beeline for the stairs leading to the ship's wheel where Captain Amelia waited with a gun of her own.

"About time you arrived, Mr. Arrow!" The captain barely gave him a glance as she fired her gun at a Pirate, though that only served to send it back slightly before it began marching forward again.

"My apologies, Captain. I had to rally the men!" Mr. Arrow stood back-to-back with Captain Amelia as he, too, fired away at the Heartless. When an Air Pirate swooped down from the battle above and aimed for the wheel, Mr. Arrow's gun pierced a hole in its wing that sent it spiraling overboard.

After the captain watched the Air Pirate vanish into the abyss, she eyed the wheel carefully then turned to the main part of the deck and shouted at the top of her lungs: "Mr. Turnbuckle, front and center!"

"Aye, Captain!" The sluglike crewman who had first captured them below decks slithered up to the wheel, wrapping his tentacles around handles at different points on the wheel. "Keep them off me and it's steady as she goes!"

Back below, Sora looked to his side. "Donald, you handle the Battleships."

The reply wasn't a verbal one. Donald gave Sora a hasty thumbs-up and charged into battle, fire already crackling on the tip of his staff. As Xion moved into battle with her friends, one person was on her mind: where was Pete? Was he somehow behind this?

"Get…offa me!" Speak of the devil. With a flash of white energy, a crowd of Heartless was flung away from one spot where they had piled up near the bow of the ship. Pete let out a roar and flexed his arms, white lightning surging over his body and centering on his fists. When the Heartless recovered and flew back at him, Pete thrust his fist forward with an accompanying battlecry. The force of his punch dissolved a Pirate into particles of darkness and sent out a shockwave through the air, knocking down the others nearby.

"Who do you bozos think you're dealin' with?!" Pete demanded of the Heartless as he slammed his fists together. Then, holding one palm up in the air, a bomb appeared in his hand in a flash of light. "Nobody, and I do mean nobody, messes with the mighty Pete! This is what you get for turnin' traitor!" Pete's explosion did destroy the Heartless nearest to him, but also rocked the RLS Legacy and earned angry shouts from Turnbuckle back at the wheel. Pete paid him no mind, however, and as the ship grew stable once again he threw himself into the fray with fists flying.

"Firaga!" Balls of flame burst out of Donald's staff at the wizard's command, flying over the edge of the deck and toward one of the two orbiting Battleships. The Firaga was followed by Blizzaga and Thundaga, then another round of fire. As elements assaulted the Battleship again and again, its wooden exterior began to chip away and its weapons fell apart. Finally, one last lightning strike crashed dead-center onto the little humanoid sitting atop the Battleship, causing the deadly Heartless to vanish into the darkness.

Sora and Xion charged forward, Keyblades at the ready. The Heartless seemed to sense them and reacted accordingly, turning their attention from the crew and toward the two heroes instead. As an Air Pirate swooped down from above, Xion dropped down and slid beneath it with an Aero boost. Jumping back up onto her feet, she spun around and dug the teeth of her Keyblade between the Heartless's wings. The Heartless lurched in pain and swung back at her, aiming a fist at her head only to be blocked as Xion held her Keyblade up in front of her. Momentarily stunned and open from the parry, Xion took the opportunity and thrust Two Become One into the Air Pirate's chest.

As the Air Pirate vanished and a pink heart flew off into the sky, a Pirate leaped at Xion from behind, bringing its sword down on her. Sora intercepted the strike, locking the Heartless's blade between the two bars of Oathkeeper. He swung his Keyblade down, directing the Pirate's sword with it, then swiftly pulled the Keyblade back and directed a kick at the Pirate's chest, knocking it backwards. Before the Heartless could recover, Sora spun Oathkeeper in his hands and darted forward, slashing across the Pirate's front and continuing forward. Now behind it, he quickly spun on his heel and made a second slash across the back. As with Xion's foe, the Pirate faded away as it released a glowing pink heart into the sky.

BANG!

"Look out!" Goofy jumped in front of Sora, his shield held high, and deflected a blast from the remaining Battleship that had been aimed at the boy.

Sora looked up with a smile. "Thanks, Goofy."

"No need to thank me, Sora. Just keep an eye out while Donald handles that ship." At this, Goofy looked up to see Donald cornered by a trio of Pirates, preventing him from focusing on the Battleship. "I'm comin', Don!"

Holding his shield in front of him, Goofy barreled forward at top speed. Moments before colliding with the Heartless, he suddenly stood straight up on one foot, arms held out, and spun around rapidly. The collision sent the Pirates flying, even sending one over the edge of the ship and into space. As the sword-wielding Heartless recovered, Donald leaped away from the scene of the battle and ran up the nearby stairs two steps at a time, finding himself by Turnbuckle and the wheel. Goofy intercepted the Pirates that attempted to follow the wizard, knocking them back with his shield and blocking their sword swings. Still, though Goofy was skilled he couldn't handle everything. While busying himself with one Pirate another ducked under his arm and swerved to the side, then made a dash for the stairs.

"I got it!" Xion thrust her open palm out and cast Pearl, sending an orb of light flying at the Pirate. It exploded in a brilliant array when it made contact with the back of the Heartless's head, stunning it long enough for Xion to run at it and bring her Keyblade down. The Pirate dodged, and Two Become One's teeth dug into the wood-like Gummi blocks instead. The Pirate swung its sword down and Xion brought her Keyblade back up just in time, parrying the blow.

Xion and the Heartless were locked in combat, shuffling their feet as their swords clashed again and again. While it wasn't getting an opening on her, she couldn't hit it either. Xion spared a glance over the Pirate's shoulder as they moved down the stairs; if she kept this up, she could knock it over the edge of the ship. That would work. Unfortunately, another seemed to catch on to her plan—an Air Pirate. The flying Heartless dived down at Xion and delivered a powerful kick to her shoulder. Xion cried out in pain as her Keyblade flew from her grasp and the Pirate, taking the chance, swung its sword across her chest.

Xion stumbled and backed up against the wall. Her Keyblade lay on the ground, with the two Heartless between it and her. She could call it back, but it would take a few seconds—time she didn't have. Instead, Xion held her hands up above her head, fighting through the pain in her shoulder, and cast Pearl in both her open palms. The two orbs of light pressed together until they merged into one that shook in her grip. She didn't normally channel magic above the first level without a Keyblade, but it would have to do.

"Light!" Xion brought both of her hands down, tossing the shifting magic onto the floor. A pillar of light—a Faith spell—erupted out of the ground around her and then exploded, sending out a shockwave of light that flew across the entirety of the deck. The Heartless nearest to her were destroyed, but those further away—even only slightly further—were simply knocked back and stunned. Still, it did the job. Xion picked her Keyblade up from the floor and jumped back into the fray to help Sora and Goofy.

The Faith spell had helped Donald, too. The Battleship rocked back and forth like a ship on a stormy sea, a reaction caused by the shockwave. While it was attempting to recover Donald help up his staff and cast Thundaga, Blizzaga, and Firaga once again, assaulting the Heartless with the elements and hitting a few stray Air Pirates for good measure. Like its companion before it, pieces of the Battleship fell apart before it ultimately returned to the darkness. Donald laughed and turned around, turning his focus to the main battle and charging another spell.

"What the devil is going on up here?!"

As new Gravity and Magnet spells assaulted the Heartless in the air, a voice called from the door that led below deck. Silver, his hand on the door, looked up at the battle in the sky and then scanned the fighting on the deck, and his skin paled slightly. "Oh, mother of…" Behind the large cook, Jim watched with worry and a spark in his eye.

"Glad you could join us, Mr. Silver!" Captain Amelia admonished from her spot at the wheel. "Mr. Arrow, I have things handled here. Join them below."

"Aye, Captain!" His heavy feet banging on the planks, Mr. Arrow sprinted down the stairs and entered the main heat of the battle. "Mr. Silver, I imagine that arm of yours has a weapon within?"

"Well… Aye, sir. That it does." Silver's fingers retracted and the mechanical hand moved around, forming into a cannon of sorts. "Jimbo, stay back. Battle is no place for a lad."

"What?!" Jim stepped forward, but Silver pushed him back again with his good arm. "Silver, Sora and his friends—!"

"Aye, and I don't like it either. But at least they have weapons!"

"Mr. Silver is right, Mr. Hawkins." Mr. Arrow's short statement was accentuated by another bang of his gun. "I do have a job for you though. Secure the sails! Make sure nothing comes loose or is torn, or else we'll be lost in space." With that he turned away, completely ignoring Jim's presence.

Jim's face hardened, and he glared up at the stone man who was no longer paying him any mind. "…Aye, sir," he spat before running off.

To Xion's surprise, the door opened once again after that. Who could possibly still be below deck? But the answer to her question only raised further questions, as…something stepped out into the fray. What in all the worlds was that? Some kind of armor?

With the main color scheme being brown and a pale yellow-orange, the man certainly looked like he had stepped straight out of Traverse Town. It was large and round, especially around the belly where a red button or dial or something sat. A with a glass pane would have shown his face if it weren't for the heavy, nervous breathing that had fogged up the inside. Who designed this?

"It's fine! I'm here! I am ready for battle!" the 'armored' man said while holding a pistol in his shaking hands.

Xion's hand met her face. Was that Dr. Doppler in that ridiculous getup? That wouldn't help anyone; dressed like that he'd only get in the way of everyone! That outfit was a liability!

"Oh, for crying out loud…" Thankfully, Sora noticed too. How could he not? While she, Donald, and Goofy kept up the fight, Sora swerved his way through the crew and Heartless until he reached the big, hulking target that was Dr. Doppler.

"What are you doing?" he demanded while knocking away an approaching Air Pirate. "You've gotta run!"

"Oh no, I'm fully capable—"

Sora grimaced and held his hand up with a shake of his head. "Listen, that outfit—"

"Dr. Delbert Doppler."

Sora raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"

"You're one of the stowaways. Sora, correct?" He held out a hand. "I don't believe we've met. I'm Dr. Delbert Doppler."

Sora stared at Doppler's hand, then sighed and took it. "Okay, Dr. Doppler. But listen, it's way to dangerous to—"

"Of course!" Pulling his hand back, Dr. Doppler held up his gun and gripped it tightly in both hands. "Of course, you are correct. This is hardly the time for pleasantries."

Sora groaned and rubbed his face. "No, I mean it's too dangerous in that thing! You'll just call attention to—look out!" The Air Pirate that Sora had knocked aside before had returned. Sora shoved Dr. Doppler aside and brought Oathkeeper down on the Heartless, cleaving it in two. As the two halves flew past them they vanished into darkness at the foot of young Jim.

Jim tightened his grip on a nearby rope and then glanced up the sails above, including the Air Pirates and crewmen. Taking in a deep breath, he made sure his grip was secure and prepared to climb the mast—only for a Pirate to leap down from above. Jim let out a shout of surprise and stumbled backwards as the Pirate was joined by another of its kind, but the two Heartless ignored him. No, they were focused on the large men in the middle of the deck gunning their kindred down: Silver and Mr. Arrow.

Jim gulped as he watched the Heartless approach the two men, their backs turned to the danger. Someone had to warn them—someone had to do something! But everyone else was so focused on their own enemies. If he distracted them, something terrible could happen. Jim stared down at his hands. He wasn't a fighter. He didn't have a weapon…but he could distract one Heartless, probably. Two, though…?

The Pirates were getting closer, their swords rising above their heads. Jim didn't have time to think. He had to make his choice…and he made it.

Charging at the Pirate to his left with an unpracticed battlecry, Jim tackled it—the one that was about to strike Silver. The two of them tumbled and rolled along the ground. Jim knocked the Pirate's sword out of its hand, but as it clattered across the deck it was too far for him to grab himself. So he pinned the Heartless by its wrists and struggled to keep it down, but the little monster's strength didn't match its size.

"Wha—Jimbo! What are you doing, lad?!" Silver shouted. He held his gun arm out and attempted to aim at the Pirate, but his arm shook—he would hit Jim with them tumbling about like they were. "Hold steady, I've got this! I just gotta—"

"GrrAAAAAAARRRRRGH!"

A horrible, guttural, gruesome shout echoed across the RLS Legacy, accompanied by the sound of sundering, shattering stone. Wide-eyed and pale-skinned, Jim whipped his head around and completely forgot about the Heartless beneath him. All eyes of the crew turned from their opponents to the sight in the center: Mr. Arrow, with the claws of a Pirate buried deep into his torn-open chest. Shards of rock rained down at his feet as his chest wound began to glow with a pink light.

The Pirate pulled its clawed hands back and landed on the ground, a beating pink heart in its hands. Before their eyes Mr. Arrow began to fade away, but the Heartless paid him no mind. It held its hand up and squeezed tight as darkness swirled around its fingers. The darkness infused the heart as the Pirate's grip tightened, and then…the heart shattered, consumed by the blackness.

Mr. Arrow was no more.

"MR. ARROW!" Captain Amelia shouted, her voice breaking in grief.

"No…" Jim whispered, falling to his knees. He didn't even notice as Silver shot the Heartless he had been struggling with.

Xion turned to Sora, who looked just as pale as Jim did; she was sure she looked much the same. No words needed to be said between them, because with a nod they both knew what had to be done. The Heartless had to leave the ship, now. Sora approached her, holding his Keyblade up as he did so. Xion met him halfway and raised her own. Their blades crossed each other and wind picked up around them as the keys burst to life with auras of light.

"LIGHT!" they shouted together. A beam of light similar to Xion's earlier Faith spell shot high into the sky, where it exploded at its apex and split into thirteen slightly smaller beams. The light rained down upon the ship, piercing every remaining Heartless until nothing remained of the battle but the tired crew.

Still no one said anything. No one made a sound as the two of them dismissed their Keyblades. Well, that wasn't entirely correct; there was one sound: footsteps, slowly making their way down the nearby stairs. Captain Amelia made her way to the middle of the deck and knelt down, picking up Mr. Arrow's hat from the floor. She looked up at the crew, Pete included, who had gathered around her as she stared down at the hat.

"Mr. Arrow was a..." She choked softly and then cleared her throat. "A fine spacer...finer than most of us could ever hope to be... But he knew the risks, as do we all." Taking in a deep breath, Captain Amelia clenched her fingers tightly around Arrow's hat and turned away from the crew. "Resume your posts. We carry on."

Muttering amongst themselves, the crew did as the captain ordered. Most of them, anyway. Xion, Sora, Donald, and Goofy lingered, as did Dr. Doppler (who removed his helmet), Silver, Jim, and…some odd, pink, gooey thing that hovered above Silver's shoulder.

Silver rubbed his back and shook his head. "That's just bad luck, that," he said softly. Then, he turned to Sora and Xion. "But mighty impressive work from you two—and your friends as well," he added with a glance at Donald and Goofy. "What are those fantastic weapons o' yours?"

"Keyblades," Sora replied shortly. He shivered, evidently replaying what had just happened in his mind. Xion couldn't blame him, in fact she felt sick herself. For all that they did, they really didn't see people lose their hearts all that often.

"Interesting indeed. I'd like to study them," Dr. Doppler said. "Though it's probably far outside my area of expertise."

Donald eyed him warily. "And why should we trust you? We just met you!"

Xion shook her head and put a hand on Donald's shoulder. "Don't mind him, Doctor. He's always like this." She leaned down slightly, and also spoke so Sora and Goofy could hear. "The captain told me that Dr. Doppler here is the man who financed this voyage. They're all being paid by him." Well, Donald's eyes lit up at that immediately.

"Keyblade! Keyblade!" A high-pitched voice called. Xion turned to the speaker, that strange pink goo, and watched with surprise as it shifted into a perfect replica of Sora's Oathkeeper that swung about by an invisible hand.

Goofy laughed. "Gawrsh, I think Morph is as interested in it as you are, Doctor!"

"Morph?" Xion asked.

Sora's face brightened. "Xion, you have to see it! Morph can turn into literally anything, it's so cool!"

"Really?!"

"Anything, anything!" Morph repeated.

But before Morph could show off, Captain Amelia's voice called out to them. "Mr. Silver! I thought I made myself clear. Back to your post, the children as well."

Mr. Silver nodded sadly and placed a hand on a silent Jim's shoulder. "Aye, Captain. Come along, lads."

Xion glanced at the captain, who stared at her and Sora as she held the door open. "…That was fine work out there, you know," she admitted with a soft smile. "Though you're still stowaways."

Xion sighed and returned the smile. Maybe she could get along with the captain after all.

x-x-x

Getting along with Captain Amelia, however, didn't mean obeying her all of the time. Late that night, when the captain had long since fallen asleep, Xion unlocked the door with her Keyblade and slipped outside onto the deck. Escaping onto the ship was one thing, but Xion just wanted some air. She'd be back soon, and what the captain didn't know couldn't hurt her.

It seemed she wasn't the only one who needed air, though. Xion stopped mid-step as she saw two other figures sitting near the edge of the ship, one very large and one much smaller in comparison. Jim and Silver. Their bodies were silhouetted against the stars, and it looked like they were talking about something important…and personal. As quietly as she could, Xion shut the door behind her and moved to a different part of the ship. Still, the deck was small; she couldn't help but overhear some of their conversation.

"Don't blame yourself, lad."

"I just… I let the captain down, Silver. I messed up."

"Jim, you couldn't have handled two Heartless on your own!"

"That's what I tell myself, but still…"

Silver sighed. His face grew stony, and he took Jim by the shoulders. "Now, you listen to me, James Hawkins. You got the makings of greatness in you, but you gotta take the helm and chart your own course! Stick to it, no matter the squalls! And when the time comes, you'll get the chance to really test the cut of your sails and show what you're made of!"

Jim stared back up at Silver, saying nothing. Silver's stone mask fell, kind features returning to his face. He rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed as he finished. "And... Well, I hope I'm there, catching some of the light coming off you that day."

"…Thanks, Silver. Really." Jim smiled and, to Xion's surprise, suddenly embraced Silver in a hug. It seemed to catch the old chef off guard just as much as Xion, as he looked around awkwardly, nervously, as if he didn't want anyone to see. But someone did see, and he saw her in turn.

Silver cleared his throat and gently pushed Jim away from his chest. "Well now, Jimbo, uh…" He coughed and nodded over his shoulder. "I think you mighta made things uncomfortable for the lass back there."

Jim's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. Hurriedly, he looked over Jim's shoulder at Xion, who smiled awkwardly and waved. Jim's face darkened; were it better lit out here, she imagined he would have been red as a tomato. "Oh, man…" he muttered.

Silver laughed. "Aye, 'oh man' indeed!" Looking over his shoulder, the cyborg waved Xion over with his robotic hand. "Come here, come here, lass! Enjoyin' the stars, are ya?"

Xion looked aside with embarrassment as she approached the two of them. "That and air," she admitted. "Captain Amelia's kept me locked up all day. I didn't mean to spy on you two, really."

Jim stumbled over his words, trying to make up excuses, but Silver laughed again. "Ah, don't worry about it! I can't help it if some kids get curious. Just be sure not to let that curiosity get you in trouble day, young lady."

Xion couldn't hide a smile. "I'll make sure, sir."

Beside Silver, Jim rubbed his face. He still looked embarrassed, but considerably less so. "You're, uh, Xion right?"

Xion nodded and held out a hand which he took. "Yeah, and you're Jim?" They hadn't actually spoken…at all, really. Sora, Donald, and Goofy had met him, but she had only seen Jim behind Silver before this.

"You were, uh, really awesome out there," Jim said. "You and Sora, and Donald and Goofy too. Those swords of yours—Keyblades, you said?"

Xion nodded as she sat down next to Jim and Silver. "Yeah, Keyblades. A key and a sword in one. They can open or close any lock."

Silver hummed lightly and rubbed his chin. "Really now? Well isn't that something…" He grinned. "May I see yours?"

Xion shrugged helplessly. "Sorry, but if I hand it to you it will just flash back into my hand. They're kind of picky about their owners."

"I see, I see."

It was with that that the three of them fell into silence, lost in their own thoughts. Jim, with one leg propped up so his chin could rest on his knee and the other leg hanging over the side of the ship, stared off into space. Silver watched Jim, who knew what he was thinking. Xion herself didn't have a lot on her mind, instead choosing to just watch the stars and maybe spot a few familiar worlds in the distance.

She didn't know how long they were like that, just three people all alone in the empty vastness of space. As time went on, the lights on the deck began to slowly brighten. She could only assume they were set to a clock, and this was to signify 'morning' since they weren't on a world to experience sunrise. Sighing, Xion figured she should probably be getting back inside. Yet as she stood up and prepared to leave Jim and Silver, a loud gasp rang out from the boy behind her.

Jim jumped to his feet on the ship's railing, near falling overboard in excitement before he grabbed a nearby rope that hung from the mast. Against Silver's shouts of concern, Jim hung as far out as he dared while still keeping a good grip on the rope, and a brilliant, wide smile broke onto his face.

"Silver, Xion, look! This is it! We're here!"

"What are ya talkin' about, we're—" Silver's jaw hit the floor. He, too, leaned as far out as he could before jumping back and letting out a mighty guffaw. "Jimbo! That's it! Boy, we've reached it at last!"

Xion's heart raced as she recalled her conversation with Sora, Donald, and Goofy. It couldn't be… She, too, hurried back to the two of them and looked out, her hands on the railing as she leaned forward. Her eyes widened. "Oh my gosh!"

Unlike the worlds Xion was used to, this one was completely spherical. It was a pale yellow-green in color, with two rings orbiting around it: one an active, glowing green energy, and the other a belt of asteroids or some other space rock. It was rather small for a world, too, but no less impressive than any other she had visited.

"Treasure Planet…!" Jim's voice was filled with wonder and awe as the RLS Legacy approached it slowly. He looked like he was about to cry.

Silver's expression's matched Jim's own. "Well I'll be… It's real! Jimbo, you go tell the captain and I'll go tell the crew!" Without waiting for a reply, Silver ran as fast as his large frame would allow as Jim watched after him.

"I'll go with you!" Xion smiled at Jim and turned around, already running toward Captain Amelia's quarters…but Jim wasn't following her. "Jim?"

In contrast to just moments ago, Jim's face was hard. His brow was furrowed, his eyes were narrowed, and his mouth was forming into a frown. It wasn't directed at Xion though, no. His gaze was locked on the door that Silver had left ajar…he was directing that look to the chef. Why?

"Jim!" To Xion's surprise, he suddenly shot past her and pushed the door open, then hurried down the steps into the dark quarters of the crew where Silver had gone to wake everyone else up. "Jim, wait!"

"Ssh!" Jim hissed at her, glaring daggers over his shoulder. The door at the bottom of the stairs was shut, but he didn't open it. Instead he placed his ear against the cold surface.

"What is it?" Xion whispered, growing nervous. Was Pete back there? He had to be. Though that wouldn't explain Jim's odd behavior; as far as he knew Pete was just another crewman. And besides, he had seemed concerned about Silver, not Pete.

"Just listen."

Frowning, Xion moved beside Jim on the bottom step and, like him, pressed an ear to the door. People were talking.

"If the world's really out there, then it's time we get moving!" one of the men declared. Was that Turnbuckle? Xion wasn't sure.

"Not yet!" Silver replied forcefully. Jim's expression grew darker.

Another man spoke up. "Look. What we're saying is we're sick of all this waiting. We are wanting to move."

"Do and you're a dead man! We don't move till we got the treasure in hand."

A boisterous laugh came from them, and Xion had to bite back a gasp. Pete! Whatever these men were up to, Pete was involved in it. He wasn't working alone. That couldn't be good.

"Who cares about the treasure of one world, huh?" Pete asked with more laughter in his voice. "If you guys work with me, me and Maleficent will let you have all the loot of all the worlds we conquer!"

"I like this plan!"

"Aye, I do too," Silver replied slowly, carefully. "But not. Right. Now."

"Why are you so hesitant?!" another demanded. "This was your idea in the first place, Captain!"

"I think I know why," Pete said in a dangerous tone. "It's that boy. You have a soft spot for him. Big bad Silver doesn't want hurt poor little Mr. Hawkins!" Xion glanced at Jim, who had practically stopped breathing. Sweat was trickling down his face as he glanced nervously at the door. "What was it now? 'Oh, you got the makings of greatness in ya'?"

"Dangerous ground you're treading on, Pete," Silver warned. "I told you yesterday—"

"And I heard ya! But you're outnumbered, Captain. Clearly everyone else wants to go through with this." Pete chuckled darkly. "So give the order, here and now. Mutiny!"

"Mutiny!" The other pirates began to chant around Pete. "Mutiny! Mutiny! Mutiny!"

"Enough!" Silver shouted, silencing the mob. "Long John Silver is not afraid of hurting some snot-nosed brat. Take the ship, and kill them all while doin' it! Especially the Keybearers!"

Footsteps. Xion frantically pulled away from the door as someone—Silver, probably—began to approach it. "Jim, we have to go," she whispered harshly. He didn't respond, staring down at his hands instead. "Jim!" Still nothing.

The doorknob turned. The door opened.

"Oh, dear…" Silver looked down at the two of them and rubbed his deck. "Now what did I tell you about curiosity getting you in trouble?"

Xion's hand shot out and grabbed Jim by the wrist. He looked up at her. "Run!" Without waiting for an affirmation, she took off up the stairs. Silver, Pete, and the others were charging up as well. Taking in a deep breath, Xion pushed Jim ahead of her and spared a moment to send an Aero blast down the passageway, blowing the pirates—for the truth was out, and they could be nothing else—off their feet. Then she hurried up after Jim.

"We have to tell the captain and Doppler!" Jim shouted out of fear and anger, his senses having come back to him.

"Not yet! My friends first!" Xion barreled down the short, barely-lit hall and threw open the kitchen doors. There, in the orange room, were Sora, Donald, and Goofy sitting at a table.

"Xion?!"

"No time! Come with us!" Xion grabbed Sora's arm and pulled him along, motioning for Donald and Goofy to follow.

"What's goin' on?!" Goofy asked through pants as they hurried up more stairs. "And why's Jim here?!"

Without replying, Xion turned the next corner and ran straight at the white door in front of her. It burst open with an Aero spell, threatening to tear off its hinges from the force. As the five of them hurried inside, Xion quickly spun around and called on her Keyblade. Another Aero spell slammed the door shut, and she leveled the weapon at the keyhole, allowing it to work its magic.

"What the devil is going on?!" Dr. Doppler asked, pressing himself into a corner. "Are you kids trying to give me a heart attack?"

Jim sighed in relief. "Doc, it is so good that you're already here."

Captain Amelia frowned dangerously, her hands on her hips. "Miss Xion, where have you—"

"Save it!" Xion dismissed her Keyblade and pressed her back against the wall. She slid down and rubbed her face. "Oh man, that was… I need to catch my breath."

"Can someone please tell me what's going on?" Sora asked, hints of a whine in his voice.

Xion wiped some sweat off of her forehead and leaned her head back, feeling it hit the door. "Pete happened. And Silver, and the rest of the crew."

"What?"

"It's a mutiny!" Jim shouted. "Captain, Silver is—he's a pirate! The whole crew are pirates! And that Pete guy… He said he was gonna get them to help him conquer worlds! They're throwing a mutiny right now, now that Treasure Planet is in sight!"

"We've arrived?!" the captain asked.

Dr. Doppler paled. "Oh dear, oh, oh dear. The same pirate, Jim? The same cyborg?"

Jim nodded. "Has to be. I was suspicious, but…I didn't want to believe it."

"What are you talking about?" Donald asked with crossed arms. "You knew he was a bad guy?"

"I didn't want to believe it," Jim repeated. He turned to the cabinet and tried to open it, but it didn't budge. "Locked… Xion, could you—?"

"Yeah." Xion climbed back up to her feet and summoned her Keyblade again. An instant and beam of light later, and Jim flung the doors open. Inside was a simple brown box, which Jim opened just as quickly. And inside that…a bronze orb, something with odd geometric designs on it. Jim picked it up carefully and began tinkering with the ball, moving parts around and pressing buttons.

"I met a man back in Traverse Town," he explained as he worked on the ball. "He was hurt bad, and he handed this to me. When he did, he said to beware a cyborg. He had to have meant Silver."

"What is it?" Sora asked.

"It's what got us going out here in the first place." The last piece of the ball clicked into place and it lit up. It floated out of Jim's hand and then expanded, filling the room with green lights. The lights flew around everyone gathered as they took shape—a familiar shape.

"What is this?" Donald asked as he looked up and around him. Then he let out a loud quack of surprise and pointed to one glowing object in particular. "That's Disney Castle!"

Goofy laughed and poked at another object near him. "And here's Hollow Bastion!"

Sora turned around slowly as he got a look at each light in turn. "Twilight Town, Olympus Coliseum, Arendelle…"

"And here…" Xion held a hand out at the nearest world to her. "Treasure Planet."

"It's a map," Jim said. In another instant the lights retracted into the ball and it fell lifelessly into the boy's open hand. "Silver wants it to get Treasure Planet's loot."

"He'll kill us to get it," Captain Amelia stated plainly. She brought a hand to her chin and paced the room. "We have to get out of here. Not just this room, but the whole ship. But how? There's far too many of us for a skiff."

Sora grinned. "That's easy! We have the Highwind, our Gummi ship. It's attached to the bottom of the Legacy."

"Gawrsh, ya think it's still there?" Goofy asked. "Could Pete have gotten rid of it?"

The captain shook her head. "Doubtful. Pete isn't exactly the brightest member of our crew. If I didn't know about your ship, then he definitely didn't."

Donald pumped a fist in the air. "Okay then! Down to the hangar!"

x-x-x

They had miraculously avoided the pirates as everyone snuck out of Amelia's room and down the stairs. No doubt they were above decks or the kitchen or somewhere, searching for her and Jim first and foremost. Still, it didn't hurt to be cautious. Even when they reached the absolute bottom of the ship, where the skiff was stored, nobody let their guard down.

Amelia flipped a switch that opened the bottom of the RLS Legacy, revealing the Highwind still sitting beneath it and attached to the hull. Carefully, with a nervous Dr. Doppler, everyone boarded onto the skiff (though it was a tight fit) and began to lower it down so they could climb onto the awaiting Gummi ship. Fate, however, had other plans.

"There ya are!" Silver roared as he kicked down the door, sending Gummi blocks flying. His robotic hand transformed into a gun, and on his shoulder Morph let out a high-pitched growl before morphing into an animated pistol himself. The two of them fired rounds at the skiff, causing it to rock dangerously.

"Silver, stop!" Jim pleaded.

"Sorry, Jimbo. I need that map!"

Sora grimaced. "Well you're not getting it!"

"Oh yeah?" Silver smiled and nodded at the little pistol on his shoulder. "Morph, fetch!"

"Fetch, fetch!" The pistol melted into pink goop and Morph shot forward, little arms stretched out. Jim gasped and swatted at the flying pink slime, but Morph was persistent. He transformed into tongs and pulled the map out of his hands, which tugged Jim over as well.

"No!" Silver shouted, reaching a hand out as Jim teetered over the edge of nothing.

"Jim!" Xion grabbed him by the waist and saved him from a deadly fall. Jim glared up at Silver and the retreating Morph dangerously. Silver looked caught between relief and anger.

"You can't have it!" Jim shouted, leaping out of the skiff and back aboard the Legacy. Gritting her teeth, Xion jumped after him without a second thought. Sora was beside her.

"Well, neither can you." Silver leveled his gun at Jim. "I don't want to do this, lad. Give up the chase and I won't hurt you or your friends."

"I don't trust you," Jim hissed through clenched teeth.

Silver grew silent. He glanced at Morph and the map, then at Jim, then back at the map. He sighed. "…I'm sorry, Jimbo." He fired.

Sora jumped in front of Jim and quickly cast Reflect, bouncing the blast off into space. Before the smoke even cleared, Xion sprinted ahead and blew Silver back with Aero, then swung her Keyblade at Morph. Morph giggled and pulled his body apart, the Keyblade passing through him effortlessly.

"Attaboy, Morph!" Silver shouted with laughter. Morph mimicked his chortling and dove down, into a box. Jim grimaced and watched Silver carefully; the box was at equal distance between the two of them. Silver frowned as well. "Morph… Be a good boy, now. Give the map to Daddy." Morph's response was a bubbly giggle.

Jim didn't wait any longer. He dashed at the box, prompting Silver to do the same. But Jim was faster, his hand reaching inside and swiftly pulling the map out. He held it up triumphantly before turning around.

"Blast you!" Silver roared in rage, firing his gun into the ceiling.

"RUN!" Jim jumped off of the edge and landed in the rocking skiff. Xion grabbed Sora's hand and didn't hesitate, following behind him just a second later. Even as they landed, Jim had already jumped through the Highwind's open door. Sora did the same and then turned around, holding his hand out to Xion.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Silver fired on them, a rain of deadly force that threatened to tear a hole through Xion; or worse, the Gummi ship.

"Xion, hurry!" Sora demanded.

"Silver!" Xion called up as she ducked down to avoid the blasts. "It's over! You lost!"

"I haven't yet! I'll find that blasted map, do you hear me?!" One final shot flew past her leg. It didn't hit her, but as Xion moved to avoid it she lost her balance. She fell over the edge of the skiff, and felt her stomach leap up into her chest. There was nothing below her, and then the surface of Treasure Planet far, far below that. She clenched her eyes tightly shut as she felt the skiff vanish beneath her feet.

Sora caught her just in time. She glanced up to see her friend holding her one hand tight in both of his hands and straining to pull her up onto the ship. As he succeeded, as she climbed onto the cold tile of the Highwind, she hugged Sora tightly and didn't let go. The two of them sat there in the ship's doorway while it detached from the RLS Legacy above.

And as they descended toward Treasure Planet, they could still hear Silver's heartbroken screams.

---

Well, it's been a year since The Tides Go Out began on February 13, 2014. When I started I had planned on being done by now, but as you're aware updates slowed down as it went on. Still, we are nearing the end with only two full Disney worlds to go after Treasure Planet is done. Thank you all for reading all this time, and really since August 2013 when I started Remember the Tides. When The Tides Go Out ends (which will probably end up being some time in the summer), I hope you all look forward to the third part of the story.