So that Uncovered event for FFXV was quite the thing. A movie, anime, Florence + The Machine and a flying car to boot. Who could ask for more? Well, I certainly wouldn't blame you for asking for more CotP chapters, that's what. So seeing as we've been to Notre Dame, Hawaii, Dwarf Woodlands (kind of), Monster's Inc., Nottingham, Victorian London, Nomanisan Island, The Grid, Virginia, New Orleans, Corona and Atlantis, what could possibly be next? Oh, I see we're missing our obligatory pirates world.
Chapter 74
The Dead Man's Chest
Two more days passed with no word for Roxas and Xion. There was little time to waste. The group would split up again after what seemed like such a short time together. Sora found himself standing while the others walked ahead of him. They would all be leaving without him this time. It felt strange to think that when they come back, he might barely even recognize them at all. No, that was simply stupid to think such a thing. It would only be a short time and the others were so accustomed to travelling to other worlds that Sora doubted much could change them.
Still, he wondered as he entered the Gummi Hangar, if this was how people confined to their own worlds felt when they met him again after so long. It was certainly how his parents had felt. They could not believe that the boy that was standing in front of them was the same as the one who had departed their home over a year ago.
"This is it then," Sora declared with a sigh as they arrived at the departure gates that separated them from the Gummi Ships. They would usually have to travel through a long tunnel that took them out of the city before emerging out on the other side of the world.
"This is it," Kairi replied in agreement. She looked from Riku to Sora and back to Riku again in worry. "Okay, I'm not letting us leave until you resolve this petty issue between the two of you."
Riku looked at Sora before turning his and walking off to the Gummi Ship, shouting back at him. "Look after Rapunzel!"
"You know I'm not going to let Yen Sid perform that purification process on her right? I'll oppose him if I have to," Sora said. Riku stopped and eventually turned around, a smile on his face.
"I'm counting on it," Riku said. With that he placed his hands back in his pockets and entered the Gummi Ship.
"Well that was rather rude. Talk about spitting at an olive branch!" Donald criticized from Sora's side. He, Goofy and Jiminy would be going along with Luna at her personal request along with Yuna, Rikku and Paine via a transferring spell Merlin had performed, moving the ability to summon them over to Luna. Meanwhile, Max would once again be tagging along with Kairi and Riku.
"Riku is Riku," Sora said. He cocked his head to the left and smiled. He liked to think that this was a small but important step forward in reconciling their friendship. Riku, of course, would play stubborn and insist that he was correct but that was fine. Sora would play stubborn too. This was nothing unusual for them.
"You'll be okay, Kairi? You're stuck with a real piece of work, y'know," Luna asked her with a chuckle.
"All the more satisfaction when I make a nice piece of art then. I'll have Max with me as well so I'll be fine," Kairi said. "Okay, time to go. Don't worry, wherever Roxas and Xion are, we'll definitely bring them back. Luna, good luck with Astra. I hope everything goes well for you. You deserve it."
"Thank you. Good luck to you too," Luna said. Kairi gave each of them a farewell hug—much to Donald's reluctance— finishing off with Sora, before gesturing for Max to follow with her head.
"Max," Goofy called out to him. "Be sure to brush your teeth, and don't forget to go to bed early. You don't want to drag Riku and Kairi down now, do ya?"
"Got it, I got it, dad. See you when I see you," Max said, following after Kairi.
"And not a moment later," Goofy added with a chuckle. The two soon disappeared into the stomach of the Gummi Ship and the doors closed soon afterwards. This left Sora, Luna, Donald and Goofy to walk over to the next gate for where the other Gummi Ship was being prepared.
"Just a few more minutes, guys. Almost done refuelling," Chip said to them, popping out and back in the Gummi Ship as if he were a part of a whac-a-mole game.
"I guess we should say our goodbyes then, Sora," Luna said. One hand was locked by the other behind her back and she looked as if she were about to cry at any moment. "I don't want to think that I'll never be able to go anywhere with you ever again. I know it's selfish of me, but please don't leave me alone."
Sora smiled and put his hand on Luna's shoulder. "Take care of her like you did me, guys," Sora addressed Donald and Goofy.
"Luna, as lonely as it might seem without Sora, he's never left your side and he never will. We'll always be together, even when we're apart," Goofy comforted her.
"That's right. All for one and one for all!" Donald exclaimed.
"You see, Luna? We're all connected. The bonds that make our friendship, can't be so easily broken, even when we take different roads from each other," Sora said before pulling her into a hug.
"Sora, when I get back, I need to tell you something," Luna said as they parted.
"You can't tell me now?"
"It's not the right time. I promise, when I want you to know, you'll definitely know," Luna said.
"Oh, that doesn't sound ominous or anything," Sora said sarcastically.
Luna laughed. "It's a good thing, really. Well, it's good if you want it to be."
"I should have you know that I'm not a very patient person when it comes to riddles, unlike some people," Sora said. "So you better return soon so I can hear the answer to that."
"Alright. We're good to go. You're prepped and ready." It was Dale this time who announced the update even though both chipmunks had come out at the same time.
Luna gave a nod at them and looked back to Sora. "I will or you might just cry your eyes out from missing me so much."
"Oh, I'm sure I won't," Sora said with a mischievous smile. Luna smiled and gave him another hug before entering the Gummi Ship. This was a different one from the Highwind that Riku, Kairi and Max were riding in. In fact, it was the very same ship that Cid and the group had travelled in when they had come to the town from Traverse Town, or in Cid's words, "consider it a goddam honor."
After saying his goodbyes to Donald and Goofy, he was left to stand by himself and watch as the two Gummi Ships set off through the tunnel, one after the other. After another minute of feeling suddenly lonely, he came to realize that it wasn't that they were walking ahead of him. He turned his back and began walking, a hopeful smile on his face. He was simply choosing to walk a different path now.
Salome's skipping down the hallway was interrupted by the cries of a wailing pirate behind bars. As he continued to beg for her to come back, Salome smiled and skipped backwards, stopping just outside of Captain James Hook's cell. He hadn't been easy to find, but tracking the Jolly Roger's position had allowed Jill and Desiree to capture it, Hook's crew and even the captain himself.
"Ahoy! Have you decided to talk now?" Salome asked sweetly.
"Come on, just let me out! I don't know fiddlesticks about what goes on in KRONOS!" Hook yelled, jumping up and down as one would expect a petulant child to do so.
"I don't think you understand the position you're in, Hooky. You've been a very naughty man, haven't you? Lying can only make things worse, though I suppose that's what you pirates pride yourself on best." Salome wrapped her hands around the bars and rested her forehead up against the cold metal. "Pride can be a beautiful thing—when it's not in the hands of the arrogant, at least. Though I didn't know him much, my father served in the Emperor's imperial army for a while. I could be proud of him and especially proud of my mother who worked all day in the paddy fields. I was a single child who only had my friends in the village to play with. One evening when I was returning from the village, I opened the door of my house to find my fallen mother and a man standing above her with a steel sword in his hand. Back in the day, the Mongols were feared among many villagers. They pillaged and destroyed in their attempts to take the Imperial City. My mother fell to them, as soon did my entire village. As for me, I ran. I ran as far as my feet could carry, all the way to the mountains. And when my feet hurt, I forced them to walk some more. I was angry at my father for not being there for my mother. The honor of the family name meant nothing if the person I had looked up to for most of my life was unable to take pride in it with me.
"I found out just recently actually that my father was felled by the Heartless when the world was destroyed. I can't even confront him about it now, not that I would want to. I've found a new beginning here, and a new family. The funny thing is, I'm not angry at him anymore. I'm sure he had his regrets, I'm sure he even died thinking I was dead as well, but he died doing his duty. I'm sure it's what my mother would have wanted. I have a duty similar to his so in a way I'm carrying on my family's legacy, even as we speak. So where's your honor, Hooky?"
"It probably slipped away while I had to sit through that boring story of yours, I'd imagine," Hook said, letting out an exaggerated yawn. Salome silently snickered, attempting to cover her mouth in the process. As Hook raised his brow, Salome dropped her hand and burst out into a fit of giggles.
"Oh, that's… funny. You know, you'd make… a great comedian," Salome said in between her laughter. She shut her eyes and mouth tight and placed her hand back on her hand for a few seconds, trying to regain her composure. "Okay, okay, I'm done. I really am. Well, I should go before I start up- hehehe- uhm, again. In the meantime, you know what you need to do if you want to get out of here."
Salome made to turn again, but Hook called out again to stop her. "Wait! A true gentleman never surrenders without a little negotiation first."
"Well, I don't know if you can call yourself a gentleman given that you spend your time chasing little kids but okeydokey, I'm up for listening," Salome said.
A few minutes later, Salome knocked on the study room door with a satisfied smirk on her face. Receiving the okay from her boss, Salome opened the door and walked into a room she had admittedly spent little time in. Books were just not her thing. What little time she spent to herself was practicing her violin in garden.
"Kohle, look who got a confession out of the mean old pirate!" Salome announced with a grin fitting of her child-like features.
"Excellent work, Salome. How did you get him to talk?" Kohle asked. He quickly inserted a bookmark in between the pages and closed the book shut.
"I guess he just realized the risk wasn't worth it. I mean, he wanted full immunity… and I may or may not have offered him a job here as our bartender. Anyway, here's the list of people he gave me," Salome said, producing a notebook in front of her.
"Well who said rehabilitation can't work? But do keep an eye on him all the same," Kohle said with a laugh. He accepted and ran through the names with a hum of approval. "Some of these I can't say I know but we were definitely right about a few of them. Well, that's if the good Captain is telling the truth. You know, despite me telling her to go along with Rhea, she insisted that she wanted to verify the Intel she gathered. Looking at this list, I guess she was right," he replied with a smirk on his lips. "This will be her first solo mission. It's an important step for her."
"Asty's sure got eyes of fire. I think she just wants to make it up to us as much as possible. Where is she going anyway?" Salome asked.
"More of these things? You can't be serious. They're like zits or something. You pop one of them only more to come back," yelled a blue-coated soldier, almost tripping backwards as he tried to back away from the creatures. An Air Pirate Heartless swooned into attack, but the man evaded and aimed his rifle at it before pulling the trigger. Smoke poured out from the gun's barrel as the shot just about made connection with the Heartless, clipping its wings.
"Stand your ground, men. If we don't stop them here we won't be able to stop them anywhere," said one Lord Cutler Beckett. "It is our duty to protect the people of this town. Give them no reason to be intrepid of you."
"I'll handle it from here!"
Beckett turned in surprise at the female newcomer. In all his time at Port Royal he had never seen a girl like her before. He jumped in surprise as the girl ran fearlessly up to the clipped Heartless and struck it, an oversized key of some kind appearing in her hands. The girl jumped back after taking out the creature and looked at him.
"The name's Astra, you can thank me later. Right now though, you're kind of getting in my way," she said. Beckett was shaken out of his stupor not by her gesturing head telling him to leave but his right-hand man instead.
"M'lord, I don't know who she is but I suggest we do what the young lady says. It's not worth risking our men," Ian Mercer advised, placing a hand on his superior's shoulder.
"Yes… yes, you're quite right. Then we'll leave it to you," Beckett said. He looked at the rest of the men and motioned for them to follow.
When the area cleared out, Astra sprung straight into action. She bounced through the Heartless like a pinball, clearing them all in a single hit. The last remaining ground Pirate Heartless, seeing the others disappear at the drop of a hat, attempted to run away only to be taken out by Astra throwing the Keyblade.
"Hmm, I think I'm getting as good as Desiree." Astra vanished her Keyblade and looked at her hands. She dropped them as the group of soldiers led by Beckett and Mercer returned to the area.
"That was quite impressive. I've never seen such skill before outside of the East India Company. You wouldn't happen to be a pirate, would you?" Beckett asked.
"A pirate? Wait, there are pirates here?" Astra asked. Quickly realizing that asking such a question would be seen as a strange response from someone native of the world, she cleared her throat. As she searched around quickly, her eyes settled on a port in the distance and she smiled. "I mean, I'm kind of new around here. I just happened to arrive by ship so I don't really know the place that well."
"Well, I thank you all the same for coming to our aid. Welcome to Port Royal. I'm Lord Beckett and this is my assistant, Ian Mercer." The man held up his hand and Astra shook it. Judging from the title and obvious white wig, she figured he must have been a very important and prestigious person.
"Astra. You mentioned the East India Company? You run it?"
"I'm the Governor. More precisely the name is called the East India Trading Company but we exercise our influence through more than just trading, as you can see," Beckett said, looking at the soldiers behind him.
"So you enforce the law around here then," Astra said. Beckett nodded. He was about to say something else when Mercer leaned in and whispered something into his ear. Astra could only guess at what Mercer was saying based on the smirk playing on Beckett's face but it probably wasn't good. Mercer soon leaned away and Beckett turned his attention back to Astra with the look of someone who had suddenly seen value in something originally thought to be worth very little.
"Astra, as skilled a person in combat as you are, I believe you would be of some help to us. You see, we have a problem, one that threatens to disrupt both order and progress. The world is changing but there are those who would refuse to change along with it. One such an individual has time and again chosen to mark himself as the quintessential contour of the bunch. Jack Sparrow."
"And you want me too…?"
"There is something in that pirate's possession that I wish to possess—a compass," Beckett answered.
"What's so important about a compass? You can't get one from any old store?" Astra asked.
"Ah, but it is not any old compass that I desire. This particular compass is special. Tell me, Astra, what is it that you desire most?"
"Huh?" Astra wasn't sure whether he was trying to win her over or whether there actually was a point to asking that. Looking at his attire, she could tell that he probably afford a luxurious lifestyle in comparison to most of the townsfolk she had seen on her way here, but she certainly didn't need any of it.
"It was rhetorical. Please, do join me in my quarters. We can discuss more over some tea and scones," Beckett said.
Astra folded her arms and looked away thoughtfully for a moment. A policy of Moira's Crescent was not to get directly involved in other worlds. Even if she cared to help them, and she didn't, she would only risk playing sides in something that seemed heavily political.
"I'm sorry, but I can't. I'm looking for someone and I need to be one my way. I'm not even sure where they are actually. Do you know someone named Davy Jones?" she asked instead. Beckett's smile faded from his face and he exchanged questioning looks with Mercer before returning his gaze back to Astra. Had she said something funny?
"It appears you and I have more in common than I first thought. Where interests align, it only makes sense to help each other out then, no?"
"Wait, so you mean you're also looking for him?" Astra asked.
Beckett seemed to consider his answer for a moment before answering. "In a way, but to do so we both need something first."
"The compass," Astra answered, filling in the questioning hole previously left.
"Precisely. So will you reconsider?"
Astra nodded. "Since I have no clues to go on, I'll be happy to join you. I'm pretty hungry anyway."
Beckett smiled and dismissed the other soldiers before leading Mercer and Astra through the town. On their way to Beckett's mansion, Astra filled them in on the creatures and that the weapon she held was the only way of permanently discarding them. She mentioned that specifically on purpose because it was usually a good measure of checking to see who had and had not heard of the Keyblade. If they had then there was probably a need for Astra to be cautious around them. Beckett expressed some curiosity, as anyone usually would, but nothing of his or Mercer's behaviour would have suggested that they knew about it in some capacity. There was also the fact that they didn't know about the Heartless in the first place, of course.
Passing through a plantation, they soon arrived at a cliff where the mansion was situated. Just before she entered, she looked in the opposite direction to see the brilliant sparkling ocean. She was sure plenty would have killed for such a view so Beckett could count himself as very lucky man. As expected, the interior of the mansion was rich and extravagant in a way befitting a governor. She found herself following a ruby red carpet all the way up the stairs, observing some of the whitest pottery she had ever seen. They soon arrived in a room in the back with a balcony that overlooked the port. Beckett turned to Mercer and asked of him to wait outside. The door soon closed behind them, leaving Astra and Beckett alone.
"So this compass… are you telling me it's a magic compass that shows you what you desire most?" she finally asked, watching as he poured tea from a teapot into two separate cups.
"Yes, and Davy Jones is who you want to find?" Beckett asked. Within seconds he had a bunch of what Astra assumed were the scones he had mentioned earlier on two separate plates. Having never tasted one before, Astra immediately went for the scones rather than the tea like Beckett. What was a mixture between jam and a creamy mesh melted in her mouth and she smiled. This added with the sugar and butter she also tasted caused her to shake her head in approval. Having been to Luna's Aunt Kit's Bakery a lot of times, she had acquired a certain palette expectation when it came to sweets and the thing she was eating now certainly matched that expectation.
"Mmph, I mean yes. Well, maybe someone else as well," Astra said, going right after another scone. If this compass Beckett so desperately wanted could lead them to Davy Jones, then perhaps it could work outside of the world as well.
"You'll have to have the most stalwart of desires. From what I understand, if you desire something more than the thing you want it to point to, it will still only point to the most desirable thing," Beckett said, as if reading Astra's mind.
Then I might be able to find Luna with it, Astra realized. It was certainly worth a shot anyway.
"If I help you, once you've finished with whatever it is you need for the compass, I can have it?" Astra asked.
"If that is what you wish, I can't see why not," Beckett replied with a smile.
Astra took a sip of her tea and kept the cup held in her hands. "You said 'in a way' back in town when I asked whether you were looking for Davy Jones. What did you mean by that?"
"I'm glad you asked. You see, finding Jones and hoping to come out unscathed is quite the optimistic outcome. He's the ruler of the seas and a fisher of souls. His ship, the Flying Dutchman serves as a morbid coffin of servitude for those on the cusp of life and death. At least, that's what the legends say. I've obviously never met him otherwise I wouldn't be here. If you want to see Jones and even better, return alive, you'll need something, an unbeatable hand that turns the game completely in your favor—The Dead Man's Chest."
"Dead Man's Chest?" Astra repeated.
"It is said that whoever has control of the chest has control of Davy Jones," answered Beckett. He reached over the table and picked up a red apple, turning it with his hand.
"And what's in the chest?" Astra asked.
Beckett stopped rotating the apple, his eyes flickering over to Astra. "The heart of Davy Jones."
Tea spluttered in every direction from Astra's mouth. "You've got to be kidding, right? You don't mean like a possession he values dearly or something, you mean his actual heart? Do you expect me to believe that?"
"Choose to believe it or not, once you deliver the compass to us, your beliefs will hardly matter. But to answer your question, I do very much mean his actual heart," Beckett said, clearly enjoying the bemused expression on Astra's face.
"But how is he still…" Astra was starting to get the feeling that she had taken on more than she could chew. Her first solo mission and she had already gotten tangled up in complex political affairs and a guy whose heart wasn't even in his own body.
"He's more beast than man. Anyway, I'd already arranged for someone else to find Sparrow but I think you can catch up with him if you leave soon. His name is Will Turner, an associate of Sparrow who I believe is my best chance of obtaining the compass," Beckett said.
"If he's an associate, how can you be sure he'll even help you?" Astra asked.
"Because he and his betrothed who is currently being held at Fort Charles are officially charged under the Crown with aiding the escape of said pirate who was to be executed some time ago. If he wants a full acquittal for both of their crimes then he won't hesitate betray Sparrow. Of course, you being with him will also ensure that the compass reaches my hands."
"I see." Astra finished off the last scone and set the cup down before nodding. "Alright, I'll do it."
"Excellent. Now word has it that Mr. Turner was recently seen in Tortuga. A ship is set to leave there soon and you'll be on it. Once you reach there you are on your own. We cannot help you, understand?" Beckett asked. Having written something while they were talking, he finished stamping down on it and held it up for Astra to take. "Hand this over the captain. It's a letter of request that should get you on board."
"Alright, I'll be on my way then. Just so long as you keep your end of the bargain," Astra said with a small smile. Ultimately, she didn't care whether he kept his promise or not. Astra certainly didn't plan on keeping hers.
Two Days Later…
Luna waded her way through the water in annoyance as she, Donald and Goofy tried to reach dry land. It seemed that the Gummi Ship had teleported them just off the fringe of beach that they could see ahead of them by quite some ways away. It wasn't anything that a little swim couldn't handle but it had left Luna's clothes wet. In fairness, it was because of her poor calculation that they had materialized in the water in the first place.
"This is the last time I let you drive the Gummi Ship," Donald moaned.
"Hey, it could be worse. We could be in the belly of a whale by now, hyuck!" Goofy humored them.
"Ugh, don't remind me. Just thinking about how warm it was inside that thing just makes me wanna throw up!" Donald snapped.
"You were inside a whale? You must have had a whale of a time. Haha, get it? Because you're in a whale and… oh dear," Luna said, seeing her joke fall as flat as Donald's expressionless gaze.
"I'm just gonna pretend you never said that," Donald said.
"I thought it was funny," Goofy chipped in.
"Hey, what's that over there?" Luna asked. She pointed to a strange looking ship with black sails stranded on the beach to the left of them.
"Y'know, I can't help but think that that ship looks awfully familiar somehow," Goofy said, scratching at his head.
"You've been here then?" Luna asked.
"Hmm, not here especially but the ship… WAK! That's the Black Pearl!" Donald exclaimed.
"It kinda does look like it, but what's it doing all the way out here? This isn't Port Royal," Goofy said.
Luna waved her hands about dramatically. "Er, guys? Clueless newbie here!"
"Oops, sorry. Sora, Goofy and I last came to this world a long time ago. We helped one of the pirates here take down another pirate named Barbossa who had control of the Black Pearl. Now Jack has it. I wonder if he's here," Donald said.
"Pirates? You said pirates, right? WOO HOO! Argh, me mateys, it's time to scavenge the land in search of some booty," Luna imitated excitedly.
"Nah, you're mistaken. These are a different kind of pirates," Donald said. "As in the greedy, scary kind."
"Well I'm sure they can't all be that bad," Luna said, reassuring mainly herself that her dreams weren't about to be shattered into a thousand pieces. She had loved playing pirate in the school playground with Astra and she wasn't about to let Donald influence her opinion in any way.
Once they all reached land, Donald quickly performed a spell which quickly dry cleaned their clothes. As this was happening, Luna looked around and scanned their surrounding area. They were on a tropical island with plenty of trees ascending up in a slope. Their terrain was a mountainous one and seemed unlikely to have anyone living there, though the presence of the Black Pearl would at least hint at some form of life being on the island. The other possibility was that the ship had just washed up onto shore after some terrible incident but Luna chose to hope that its crewmembers were alright.
Tilting her head slightly, she smiled, glad that the latter seemed more possible. She had just noticed that the ship was anchored down to the beach with thick rope, something that definitely could not have been accomplished without human hands. So there were people on the island, and considering the number of people it would take to maintain such a ship, there probably wasn't just one person.
"Alright, I think if we head up the mountain we're bound to come across something. If your friend is here then he and his crew might need help," Luna said once the wind cast from Donald's staff had subsided. All that was left in its wake was a natural nice breeze and salty air that Luna wouldn't have minded just standing around and letting it take her were it any other circumstance.
"You might be right. Why, look there," Jiminy said from Goofy's shoulder, pointing at the top of the mountain. Smoke could be seen from their location as it danced up into the otherwise cloudless sky.
"A fire? Hmm, the smoke's not thick enough for it to be a big one. I guess someone must have started it. Okay, let's hurry then," Donald ordered.
Luna took the lead as they started their way through the trees and up the steep climb to the source of the smoke. A few minutes later, they emerged out to see a small village full of huts. Perhaps even stranger was that it was suspiciously quiet, resulting from the lack of presence in the village.
"Where is everyone?" Luna asked, looking around. The trio entered the first hut they came across to see what was expensive silver cutlery and other items that meshed incompatibly with hut they were in. Investigating the other huts as well, they found similar looking silverware. Luna picked up one of the forks near her and inspected it closely, furrowing her brow as she read what was on the back. "EITC? Must be an abbreviation for something. You guys have any idea?"
"Never heard of it before," Donald replied and Goofy nodded his head. "Maybe Jack brought these with him on to the island."
"Wouldn't that imply that he was planning on settling here though? I mean, it makes no sense that he'd come here of all places, right? Then the fire… I don't know, maybe they're just cooking something," Luna said, trying to make sense out of it all.
"Yeah, it's pretty unusual. Anyway, let's keep moving. We're close to the smoke," Donald suggested. Luna smiled and put the fork back down. As she made to leave the hut she froze in place, Donald walking into her back." Hey, what's the big idea?"
In front of them was a strange looking boy. Other than being shirtless, he wore material that Luna could only imagine was gathered from the environment around them. War paint covered his face and upper body, and last but not least he held a spear in his hand.
"Uh, hey, it's nice to meet you. Are you with Jack?" Luna asked him, trying to flash her best smile despite the creepiness she felt exuding from the boy. The boy only continued to stare at her though something changed— something she felt uncomfortable about. His still expression suddenly changed to a hungry grin, something that caused her to shrink back. She laughed awkwardly. "Ha, ha, ha, well, you know… for some moments in life, there are really no words. This is one of them so… we'll just be running along now, right, guys?"
"Err, yeah… but we'll be sure to send you a postcard," Donald gulped out. Both of them and Goofy eased their way around the boy before setting off into a run. They cut through a thicket of trees and arrived in a clearing only to be stopped short once again by the group of similar looking warrior-like individuals with spears.
"Oh boy, we're surrounded!" Goofy yelled. Luna turned around to see more of the warriors popping out from the trees they had come from.
"Oh! Wait a moment. Um, um, er, barley!" Goofy yelled, raising his hands into the air as if he were in a classroom. This only served to confuse the entire warrior tribe, who exchanged questioning looks with one another. Luna didn't blame them.
"Excuse me?" she asked.
"I think he means parley," Donald corrected. "Pirate talk for a truce and peaceful negotiation if I remember correctly, but I don't think these guys are the pirate types."
"Well, you tried, Goof," Luna said, raising both her hands. She forced a friendly smile which must have come across as anything but. "We surrender?"
