A/N: Does anyone want me to still be putting words on the internet? You could leave reviews if you wanted! I will respond and it'll be really nice! We could even be internet friends! If you wanted...
They reached the top side of the ship to a find a light breeze rolling over the barely cresting sea. Will had managed to man the boat thus far alone, as Elizabeth sat in something of a shocked silence on the steps leading up to the helm. While doing her best to keep her worry under wraps, Eleanor showed Sora, Donald and Goofy how to open up the sails in order to get more wind in them. She waved her arms in the air and pointed up at the ropes.
"No more." She huffed. "There's more wind that can be coaxed into them. Otherwise it'll take us ages to get back do you see?"
Sora turned to her and wiped a bead of sweat off his forehead. "I'm trying! But it's a lot easier said than done El."
She grinned. "Well maybe you're not cut out to be in our crew after all." She took a few steps towards him and him to her, with a defiant glint in his eyes. "I misjudged your ability."
"Who says?" Sora crossed his arms and tilted his chin up at her.
"Maybe I do." She narrowed her eyes playfully as he stepped up to her.
A thud made them turn away from one another. Donald and Goofy had collapsed in a heap tangled up in ropes. Donald began shouting at Goofy who was clumsily trying to find a rope that he could pull on to free them both. Eleanor snorted, and then began giggling despite herself. She doubled over and clutched her stomach as they struggled to free themselves. She tried to bring herself back to composure but failed miserably.
"That's a good laugh. Very genuine." Sora complimented with a giggle of his own.
She cleared her throat and straightened her back. "No it wasn't. I'm a fearsome pirate remember? It was a snarl." She wiped the tears that had appeared at the corners of her eyes.
Sora snorted then and began laughing. His eyes sparked like the sky and Eleanor couldn't help but return a toothy grin. "We should probably help them untangle yeah?"
Sora winked. "Yeah I guess we should."
"Will look at that!" Elizabeth's alarmed voice made everyone turn. As soon as Sora and Eleanor untangled Donald and Goofy they turned to the ocean.
"The Pearl." Eleanor rushed to the side of the boat. A ship with tattered black sails was creeping up behind them, an ominous fog dragged along behind it.
Sora hit the rail beside her, the wind pulling at his hair. "What do you think they want?" He asked her in a low voice.
"Negotiations. Usually of a sinister nature." She didn't take her eyes off the sails.
A loud boom shook the boards under their feet.
"Cannon fire!" Will shouted down from the helm. "Everyone below deck and brace yourselves!"
"No we'll stay right here! What if they board Mr. Turner?" Eleanor reached for her sword to find an empty space. "What.."
"Where did your sword go?" Sora asked from beside her.
She shook her head. "I don't know."
Another cannon blast shook the ship violently and sent everyone crashing to the wooden deck. The Interceptor rocked dangerously and Eleanor looked up to make sure everyone was alright. Will was slipping down the water slicked stairs to get to Elizabeth. Another cannon blast shook the boat and the blacksmith lost his footing and went over-board.
"No Will!" The golden medallion Elizabeth had been clutching in her hands slipped forgotten to the deck and she struggled on the still rocking boat to get to the side where the blacksmith had hit the water.
"What was that!" Donald squeaked.
Goofy wobbled on unsteady feet and the trio all suddenly had their strange weapons in hand. Eleanor slipped and slid on her hands and knees to where Elizabeth had dropped the single ancient coin. With a shaking breath she picked it up and studied its intricate surface.
"What is it?" Sora whispered at her ear.
"What Barbossa's after." She looked up at him. His eyes were as brilliant as they had ever been up close. She slipped the chain around her neck. "We can't let him get it."
He nodded. "Promise we won't."
They were cut off as Eleanor was jerked roughly to her feet by her hair. A cold blade was pushed against her throat. Barbossa's deep laugh reverberated through her back.
"Surprise." He snarled.
"Let her go!" Sora scrambled back to where Donald and Goofy faced a ring of sneering pirates. In a flash, his key blade appeared in his ready hands. Elizabeth was dragged from below deck and held tightly by one of the men.
"Don't do anything you'll be regrettin' boy." Barbossa pushed the blade into Eleanor's warm skin and she squeezed her eyes shut. "Now I'm not fond of repeatin' myself, so listen well. I'm only going to inquire once as to the location of my medallion."
Eleanor struggled to meet Sora's gaze and shook her head minutely. He clenched his jaw but said nothing. A tense moment passed and Barbossa sighed deeply.
"They ain't talking Captain." A member of the crew observed.
"Noted. Suit yourselves. Bring 'im." The pirate captain ordered and pushed Eleanor into the waiting hands of the crew, who had also grabbed Sora, Donald and Goofy.
"Bring who?" Sora asked through clenched teeth. His keyblade disappeared as it hit the deck. "What's going on?"
Suddenly Jack was shoved to the front of the group of angry pirates with a sheepish grin on his face and his hands shackled in front of him. Immediately Eleanor began to struggle against the hands holding her.
"Jack!" She tried desperately.
"Everything alright love?" He flashed a gold tooth grin and leaned into her. "Just follow my lead, yes?"
Eleanor relaxed, hesitantly with a few shaking breaths. "Always."
Barbossa growled. He took out his pistol in a swish of leather and held it against Jack's temple. "Now you're makin' me repeat myself. We'll be havin' the medallion back now!"
Although now looking on nervously, everyone remained silent. Sora kept his bright gaze stubbornly on Barbossa. An unbearably tense moment passed where all was completely still.
"You'll talk one way or another." Barbossa finally conceded. He nodded to Elizabeth who was being hauled by his crew to him. "You'll be comin' aboard Missy. All of you will be spending some time in the brig with your thoughts-"
"Barbossa!" The voice called attention from everyone on the deck. Will stood, dripping wet on the railing of the Interceptor with a pistol in hand. "Leave my friends alone."
"Oh well there's a surprise." Jack rolled his dark eyes, but was silenced with a grunt from the giant man holding him.
Barbossa snarled. "What are you going to do with that boy. We can't die. Go ahead and take your shot." The pirate crew that held them all captive only laughed in response.
Will set his jaw and turned the gun on himself, earning a murmur from the pirates. "You can't but I can. My names William Turner and I believe you need my blood."
"Idiot." Jack murmured. Eleanor stole a glance at him as his eyes slipped shut. She knew then that this had not been in the cards at all and he was going to have to formulate a new plan entirely.
"Hm. Turner eh?" Barbossa crossed his arms and tilted up his chin at the blacksmith. "Name your terms than, Mr. Turner." He challenged through his teeth.
"Release my friends. Elizabeth first. And Sora, Donald and Goofy too." Will narrowed his gaze and stepped down from the railing. "Or I'll pull the trigger, mark my words Captain." He spit out the last word.
From the corner of her eye Eleanor saw Sora struggling against his captors. It did not go unnoticed that the blacksmith hadn't said either her or Jack's name. She clenched her jaw as he was jerked harshly and his mouth covered before he could speak up in their defense.
"Keep yer mouth shut if you know what's good for you." His captor growled in his ear.
After a tense moment, Barbosssa spoke again. "Will you be needin' anythin' else?"
"I want you to leave now." Will lowered the gun.
Barbossa gave the blacksmith a toothy grin. "Fine, leave we shall Mr. Turner. But the heartless stay."
"Heartless?" Eleanor struggled against the hands that pushed her down into the soaked deck. Sora hit the wood beside her and grabbed at her hand.
"Are you okay?" He asked as his blue eyes scanned the deck above them. Somewhere nearby Elizabeth was screaming. Eleanor looked up in time to see her being dragged off the deck by a massive creature who had Will under the other arm. "That's Pete. That must be where Barbossa got the ability to control the heartless."
"What does that mean?" She asked. She was dragged to her feet again, and although she tried to cling to Sora's hand she couldn't hang on as she was ripped away from him. The crew from the Black Pearl threw them one by one into the captain's quarters. Donald and Goofy landed on top of one another. Jack grunted but tried to make his fall look somewhat graceful. Sora's hands were tied behind his back before he hit the floorboards with a loud thud. Eleanor's hands were tied in the same way and she was pushed into the cabin after him and into Jack who used his knee to right her. The pirate's slammed the door shut after them with a loud bout of wicked laughter.
"Blow it to bits." Barbossa's muffled voice came through the thick wood of the door. A chorus of boots moving about on the deck followed and then suddenly silence and the sound of the ocean.
Sora struggled to his knees to face the door. He fought weakly against the ropes that bound his hands behind his back. "It's no use at all. These are so tight.."
"They lit a powder keg!" Donald squeaked as he and Goofy scrambled to the locked door. "We gotta get outta here!"
"We're gonna get blown up if we don't!" Goofy grabbed the handle and started tugging.
"Those dirty liars!" Sora said through his teeth. "We should have listened to Will from the start and never trusted any pirates."
"Careful what you say mate or you'll hurt the ladies feelings." Jack's voice came from behind Eleanor and the three of them turned to him. "She may look tough, more or less, but she is a lady non-the less. Now get this through all of your heads, Barbossa was never going to keep his word and young Master Turner was a fool to think he might." He stood slowly with a wobble and the rope that had bound his hands uncoiled itself and hit the floor. He tossed a stolen knife over in his hand. "Now we have to avoid losing this ship if we stand a shot at getting to Captain Barbossa saavy?"
Goofy and Donald managed to force the door open as Jack tossed Eleanor the knife.
"Get Sora free and join us won't you?" He muttered as he followed the other two onto the deck.
"I trust you. I didn't mean.. I mean.." Sora stuttered awkwardly as her fingers brushed across his and she sliced through the thick rope. He turned to her. "I only meant-"
"I know what you meant." She smiled. "Don't worry. Even Jack and I think those pirates are dirty."
He stood first and pulled her to her feet. "They'll need our help with the heartless. I promise I will always trust you no matter what. Just so you know." He flashed her a dazzling smile and squeezed her hand.
Before she could quip out an embarrassed response, he was out the door of the cabin with his keyblade in hand. Eleanor let out a breath and followed as quick as she could. When her hand dropped to her belt though, her sword was missing. "What.." He looked up frantically to find the heartless swarming towards her.
The monsters were larger than the ones that she had faced before. They wore the façade of shadowy pirates, with swords and the same bright yellow eyes as before. "Stay back." She ordered and held out her hand.
The group of heartless stopped and looked her over.
"Good.. Now just stay away and we won't have any problems." She held out her hand and searched the deck for Sora. "Someone better get over here.."
The heartless crept forward after her until her back hit the door of the cabin. With nowhere else to go, the monsters pounced. She scrunched her eyes closed and braced herself. A bright flash lit the deck causing the heartless to scatter and disappear. The light faded, and she blinked her eyes back into focus. The blade that had appeared to her in her dreams shimmered in her hand. The monsters disappeared along with the fading flash.
"Again.." She let out a shaking breath. "You were supposed to just be a nightmare."
"Eleanor?" Sora's voice made her look up.
"I didn't mean to." She responded immediately.
"You are more trouble than your worth you know that?" Donald stalked over to her side and pointed up into her face.
"But it does explain why the heartless were attracted here to her." Goofy nodded thoughtfully.
With a desperate look, Eleanor turned to Sora as some kind of anchor.
"So.. What is it?" Jack touched the shimmering weapon which caused it to disappear in another flash of light.
"It's a keyblade." Sora answered.
"And where exactly did it come from?" Jack asked. He looked to Donald and Goofy who didn't seem to have an explanation. Eleanor desperately looked to Sora who didn't have any answers for her. "What a clarifying moment we've just had."