In Which Jack Defeats Sora

"Sora…Sora…"

"Boy, are you alright?"

Pump! Pump! Water, gushing up from somewhere…pain in the chest.

"Ah, let him die! He's a nuisance! Make his friends walk the plank!" that voice sounded horribly familiar…

Sora opened his eyes to see a scruffy beard faced peering down at him. His chest felt like it was on fire, and he was soaking wet. He was covered in cuts and bruises. Donald and Goofy were tied up on the deck of a ship. They looked pretty much the same. Some of Donald's feathers seemed to have been burned off in some terrible explosion. The ship! That was right! The Gummi ship had crashed, and they had been hurled into the water amongst the wreckage and energy from the engine. And then…blackness. But that was not the worst of it. The man peering down at him, and suggesting that they kill him and his friends, was none other than Captain Barbossa.

"AHHHHHH!" Sora screamed and tried to back up, but was held firmly by two pirates.

"Hold on now, Sora" said another familiar voice. Sora turned to see Jack Sparrow leaning against a pile of rope on the deck. "Don't be too afraid now, Sora. It's been a long time since we last saw you!"

"Jack!" Sora yelled. "What are you doing with these guys? They're…they're…"

"Captain Jack Sparrow" said Jack, as always, stressing the captain part. "Welcome on board the Black Pearl."

"Welcome?" Barbossa snarled. "Throw them off, is what I say!"

"Ah, don't be a sore loser Barbossa" said Jack. "So, Sora what's going on? Other than being blasted out of the sky by Lord Beckett's army?"

"What's going on Jack?" asked Sora, stumbling to his feet. "Who was that guy, and why does he want to kill all the pirates? He can't really do that, can he?"

Jack sighed. "Beckett's a corporate madman who takes it into his fancy to eliminate the world of pirates, for 'civilized people'."

"Then there's Davy Jones" said Barbossa. "Beckett has Jones' heart in his grasp and with it he commands the Flying Dutchman to sink some of the best ships we have. Now, it's come to this."

"Come to what?" asked Goofy.

"The Nine Pirate Lords, or Brethren Court are soon to meet" Jack said morosely. "And what's worse is that I seem to owe all of them money."

"Wow" said Donald.

"I'm really sorry about that" Sora said. "But what happened to our ship? It wasn't that badly damaged…was it?"

One of the pirates pointed to another area on the deck. Sora saw a twisted, burned mass that apparently used to be the ship. "Oh no" he groaned. "Now we're stuck here!"

"We could fix the ship" said Donald. "But it would take a while."

"Yes, time you don't have" said Jack.

"What do you mean?" Sora asked.

"Within three days we'll be arriving in Shipwreck Cove. At that point, the Brethren Court will convene. You'll just be in the way."

"What'll happen if we're in the way?" Donald asked uneasily.

Barbossa leered unpleasantly. "The thing about pirates is…we tend to kill those who are in the way."

Sora and his friends exchanged uneasy glances. "This sucks" he said. "I have to go back and talk to the King about Beckett. He's in deep with Maleficent, and she's planning on using an experiment to control all the worlds. We'll never stop them this way!"

Jack's eyebrows went up at the mention of Maleficent, but Sora didn't notice. "Maleficent eh?" he said. He turned to Barbossa. "I think that big guy who was here a year ago was connected to someone like that, wasn't he?"

"Ah, he might have been, but I don't tend to remember stuff like tha---" Jack whirled around, and pulled out a pistol. He put it to Barbossa's head.

"Then I suggest you start remembering" Jack said. There was something about his voice that Sora didn't like. Something too strained and tense.

"Okay, so he was with Maleficent Jack" he said nervously. Jack put the pistol away. "Knew I could count on you" he said lightly. He turned to Sora. "So tell me about this Maleficent."

Sora, Donald, and Goofy explained what Maleficent had done, their history with the witch, and her new plans to exert her will over the universe.

"So what happened to this experiment?" Jack asked. "Is it still alive?"

"I don't know" Sora said. He pulled up his shirt to show the large scar across his stomach where Tine had slashed him with her sword. Even Barbossa gasped. "I hope she's dead" said Sora. "Because if she isn't I don't know if I can go against her."

"Captain!" said a voice.

"Yes!" responded Jack and Barbossa at the same time. Then they glared at each other. A sailor was coming up the stairs.

"What is it, Gibbs?" asked Jack.

"Ah…you're wanted in the Captain's Stateroom, captain. Someone wants to talk to you" Gibbs said nervously.

Sora saw an odd look cross Jack's face. "That soon eh?" he said. "Gibbs, take Sora, Donald, and Goofy to the empty cabins. You guys" he said to them. "Just stay there. This won't take long, savvy?"

"Yeah!" they said.

Jack walked up to the Stateroom and looked around. A table sat there and many maps and charts. Cannonballs stood tied in chains around cabinets and drawers. "Come on out" Jack called. "There's no one here but me."

A figure in a black robe appeared in a whoosh of dark energy. "Well, it's about time" the Organization member said. "So Sparrow, did you get the info like I asked?"

"Captain Jack Sparrow" Jack corrected. "And all I got was that Sora beat the thing and it's gone into hiding."

The member took off their hood revealing a woman with short blond hair. "That's all?" Larxene asked. "Are you sure that there wasn't a detail, any tiny detail that could be crucial to our hunt?"

Jack shook his head. "Not a thing. But we still have our deal, don't we, love?"

Larxene glared at him, and her hands were instantly full of small daggers. "That little brat, Sora is on this floating junk heap?" her blue eyes gleamed with evil light. "I wonder if Superior Xemnas will mind if I cut him up a bit?"

Jack drew his pistol and aimed it at the Nobody's head. "No, but I will, and especially if you kill him and run off before we complete our business. Remember, I need him alive. And if you want to kill him, you'll have to do it after I've finished with him." Jack pulled out a mug from one of the cabinets. "Now, if you don't mind, would you tell me what I want to know and leave? You make the rum taste bad."

Larxene's body began to crackle with electricity. Jack's hair stood on end, yet his face remained calm. "I could kill you right now, do you realize that?" she said menacingly.

"And I could shoot you and kill you right now" Jack said. "So we're both even."

"Fine" Larxene spat and the energy vanished. "I'll tell you how you can possess the Keyblade."

"Exactly what I want to know" said Jack.

Larxene smiled seductively. "You know, if you want to escape Davy Jones so badly, then why don't you join us? We'll provide you with the escape you need."

Jack shook his head. "Thanks, but no thanks. I don't think that becoming what you are is worth that. I'd rather a thousand years of service on the Flying Dutchman than losing my heart."

Larxene shrugged. "Your loss. Now…here's what you have to do…"

Sora, Donald and Goofy sat in one of the beds in an empty cabin. The ship creaked and groaned around them. It was getting to be nighttime and lanterns were lit all along the deck.

"So what do you think is going on?" Sora asked.

"What do you mean Sora?" asked Goofy.

"Something's not right with Jack" Sora said. "He seems nervous about something. I can't put my finger on it…"

"Forget about him, what about us?" Donald wailed. "The ship's a mess! How are we going to get out of here?!"

Sora sighed. "I don't know. This has never happened before. We could always leave if it got too bad, I guess. But now we're stuck. And this Brethren Court thing…I don't like it."

Suddenly there was a knock on door. Gibbs stuck his head in. "Hey there lad. I was told to tell you that Captain Sparrow wants to see you all, right away."

"Okay, let's go" said Goofy.

"I wonder what he wants us for" Sora said. He felt uneasy. He didn't know why it was, but everything seemed sinister now. The lantern light bounced off the ship's wood and off the faces of the crewmen. It was a moonless night and the water was silent. It was like being on a ghost ship. This was a ghost ship once, Sora thought with a chill. Soon they reached Jack. He and Barbossa were standing in the light of several lanterns. Gibbs took his place next to Jack. "Sora!" Jack said brightly, but it was a false cheer and Sora could feel it.

"What is it, Jack?" Sora asked warily.

"I'm afraid that I have to ask a little something of you" Jack said. "You see, I'm wanted by Davy Jones."

"What? Wanted? Why?" Donald asked, jumping up and down.

"Long story" said Jack, waving one hand. "Bu the point is that if he hears I'm back…well it's service on board the Flying Dutchman for me."

"But…well…but…" Sora said. "Don't worry! We'll help you fight him off."

Jack shook his head. "That's not what I want Sora. Instead, I just need a weapon to fight him with. A weapon like your Keyblade."

Donald and Goofy gasped, and Sora felt like the bottom had dropped out of his stomach. "You want what?" he said. "You can't have the Keyblade! It's mine. It stays with me, you know that!"

"Yes, I did try and take it. But it didn't work" Jack said. "But it didn't work because I didn't know how to take it from you. Savvy?"

"I'd like to see you try and take it" Sora said. He folded his arms in front of his chest. "You'll never be able to."

Jack walked over to the Keyblade Master. "Then let's try it out, if you're so confident."

Sora walked forward toward Jack to meet the challenge. "I'm ready" he said grimly.

Jack extended his hand and closed his eyes, concentrating. Sora held the Keyblade horizontally, and did the same closing his eyes and concentrating.

Jack began to tremble, gritting his teeth. Sora did the same. They both stood still their eyes tightly shut, their bodies shaking. Donald and Goofy, Jack's crew watched this all with nervousness. They didn't know who was going to win. Then, suddenly something began to take shape in Jack's hand. At the same time, Sora's Keyblade began to shimmer and grow less solid. Sora's eyes snapped open and he yelled "No!!"

That was a mistake. His concentration broken, the Keyblade fled his hand and went to Jack Sparrow.

"And the Keyblade is mine" Jack said calmly.

"B-but you can't do this?" Sora exclaimed. "That's mine! I'm the Keyblade Master! Don't you get it? People need me! Something's going on! People are counting on me!"

Jack shrugged. "Doesn't affect me" he said. "I need this blade of your for something very special Sora."

"What'll happen to us?" Goofy asked. Sora felt a sudden queasiness. Last time, they had abandoned him when Riku had taken the Keyblade from him. He wondered what was going to happen this time.

"'Cause we're not going to abandon Sora!" Goofy exclaimed, raising his shield. Sora was surprised to see that they had brought their weapons on the deck. Like him, Donald and Goofy seemed to have sensed something wrong.

"What'll we do with them?" asked Gibbs.

Jack considered Sora and his friends. "Well…we could…hmmm…"

"Throw 'em overboard men! Better yet, maroon them on a desert island to suffer before they die!" called a female voice from the crows nest. There was a whoosh of dark energy in the middle of the gathering. Larxene appeared, looking maliciously pleased.

"You!" Sora gasped. Donald and Goofy backed away from the member of Organization XIII.

Larxene grinned. "Surprised to see me, Sora?" she asked.

"What are you doing on the ship?" Donald asked.

"What are you doing alive?" Sora asked.

Larxene shook her head. "Aw, that's a little complicated for tiny brains like yours…but don't worry, you'll soon have a lot more worries about what I'm doing alive." She walked toward Sora. "Grab them" she commanded Jack's crew. The pirates moved to grab Sora, Donald and Goofy. They fought, but were held by the strong men.

"Answers, Keyblade Master---or should I say former Keyblade Master" Larxene sneered. "Where's Tine? You fought that thing. So where did she go?"

"I don't know!" Sora said.

Larxene's face became gentle. "Oh, that's okay…I understand. You want to protect her. That's pretty nice of a boy, protecting a girl like that. It makes me happy to see it."

"No it doesn't" Sora said. "It doesn't because you have no emotions!"

Larxene slapped Sora across the face. "I will ask only a few times more, before I loose my patience" Larxene snarled.

"I told you…I DON'T KNOW!!!" Sora snarled back at her.

Larxene smiled patiently at him. "Fine then" she said. "I was actually hoping that you wouldn't tell me this easily. It gives me an excuse to inflict some serious…discomfort." Electricity began to crackle around her hands. It streamed out in a controlled burst and made a crackling aura around Sora's body.

"AHHHHHHH!" he screamed and writhed in the rough hands of the pirates. "I…don't…know" he panted when it was over. "Kill me if you want…but you won't find out what you want."

Larxene drew a small, yellow dagger from her sleeve. "Do you see this, Sora?" she asked. "This small little knife will find its new home in some part of your body if you do not tell me what I want to know this instant!"

"I don't know where she is" Sora whispered.

"Fine then" Larxene said. "How about an eye---" suddenly, Jack stepped in front of her, raising the Keyblade.

"This isn't your ship" he said softly. "And I suggest you stop ordering my crew about like it is."

Larxene glared at Jack. "This is my interrogation, Sparrow, so I suggest you stay out of it" she snapped.

Jack pointed the Keyblade at her. "The Black Pearl is mine, so I suggest that you leave." The Keyblade began to glow.

Larxene pointed at Sora. "I will see you in agony" she promised before disappearing into a Dark Corridor.

Sora almost thanked jack for saving him, when he remembered that Jack still had the Keyblade.

"Give it back!" Sora screamed at him. Jack tossed Sora a sword.

"What is this?" he asked.

"Everyone deserves a shot" he said.

"What do you mean?" asked Goofy.

"We're going to be coming up on a small island soon, on our way to the Court. You'll be spending a long time there, fellows."

"You're marooningus?" Donald screamed. "What do you mean?"

"That's exactly what I mean" said Jack, and Sora gave himself up to despair.