Aanyx made sure to wake before the others, carefully returning the maps to her room. She landed the Gummi out of sight and had just finished a pot of tea when she heard the others stir. Swearing under her breath she portaled away, hastily morphing a note saying she'd already left to explore.

She came out of the portal near a fort under siege. Finding herself once more in a flowing, Victorian-era dress made the girl groan, "What is it with worlds and dresses lately?" With a snap of her fingers, the burgundy fabric glowed green, turning at once into a very 'Pirate' getup. Her shirt was off-white, sleeves poufy to the wrist where they gathered with an elastic band over fingerless leather gloves, collar erect. Over that, she wore a wrap-around plum vest, held closed by the black sash around her midsection. She wore simple brown cotton trousers tucked into darker brown boots, a belt around the thigh holding her skull-tipped dagger, while one hung over one shoulder—holding a cutlass—and one more around her waist—holding her whips in place. Though she kept her braid in, it was now tied at the nape of her neck, rather than atop her head, allowing her to wear the black-and-white striped sash securely tied just behind the unruly auburn bangs.

Aanyx grinned in approval, "Much better…Now to find that Pirate…" With that, she walked down the nearest dirt road, leather boots crunching gravel in time to her jolly tune.

"Do what you want 'cause a pirate is free

You are a pirate!

Yar har, fiddle de dee

Being a pirate is alright with me

Do what you want 'cause a pirate lives free

You are a pirate!

We've got us a map

To lead us to a hidden box

That's all locked up with locks

And buried deep away!

We'll dig up the box

We know it's full of precious booty

Bust open the locks

And then we'll say hooray.

Yar, har, fiddle de dee.

If you love to sail the sea

You are a pirate!"

"That is probably the sorriest excuse for a pirate song I have ever heard!"

Aanyx smirked at the familiar voice before turning towards the rubble remnants of the cell wall, "Well, well, well. Look who finally got caught. Enjoying your stay?"

"What's a pretty pirate like you bothering 'round here?" The man asked, pressing his face against the tiny gap of his cell wall that had been blown off. Aanyx grinned, walking over and almost tauntingly sitting on the edge of the much bigger hole of the cell next door, "Perhaps it's to reek havoc. Perhaps I'd be a pirate in search of a captain. Or perhaps it's all of the above. Consider this the second time I've saved your hide, Captain, and a way to get your ship back."

As she spoke, Aanyx snapped her fingers, making the face of the wall around his cell fall effortlessly away. The pirate grabbed his 'effects' and looked her over shrewdly, "And what, might I ask, do you get in return of this?"

"Oh, let's just say there's a barnacle that's a bit too stubborn to take a hint. I need him to realize that I'm not on his side, and you need a crew."

"You won't have any of those…" The man trailed off, twitching like a Dusk. Aanyx chuckled, "Nah, not this time. Though I have to warn you, there may be a fight involved."

The man gave a wicked grin, "Then count me in. All hands to the boats!" The man placed his tricorn hat on his head and marched toward the docks. Aanyx rolled her eyes but followed with an amused, "Aye, Cap'n."

Hearing a scuttle of running feet made the Captain stop short, holding out his arm to signal silence. "We're too late!" A voice cried. "Huh?" The familiar voice of Sora replied. The first voice sighed, "Those pirates kidnapped Miss Swann and took her to their ship. Now they've sailed, and I'll never be able to find her!"

"Then she's long gone. The Black Pearl is nigh uncatchable. Best find yourself another girl, mate." The Captain said, jumping into view. Aanyx smacked herself in the forehead at the man's typical showiness.

"You…what are you doing aboard the Interceptor? She's off limits to civilians."

"Ah, fortunate that I'm not a civilian then, isn't it? She'll make a fine pirate ship, eh lass?" He looked over his shoulder, directing the last question at Aanyx, who merely glared and shrunk lower into the shadows.

"A pirate!" Sora yelled, stating the obvious. The Captain jumped to the deck, "Captain Jack Sparrow, if you please."

"Take me with you. Help me hunt down the Black Pearl and save Miss Swann." The other man said desperately. Jack smiled cruelly, "If you're intending to brave all hope and so win fair lady's heart…you'll have to do it alone, mate. I see no profit in it for me."

"C'mon, Captain!" Sora wined. The man raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure you can sail her, all on your own?"

"Ah, but I'm not alone!" Jack turned towards Aanyx with a triumphant grin, only to have it fall as his gaze met only ship. He frowned, "I hate it when she does that…" He then turned towards the others, "Alright, you have a point."

Aanyx, meanwhile, had portaled into the crow's nest during their bickering, and felt content to wait there for the plan to continue. Feeling her communicator buzz she flipped it open to see Luxord's face. "Change o' plans, dearie. I can't go until Barbossa's dead."

"So it's safe to assume I won't be seeing you for some time?" Aanyx murmured. Luxord chuckled, "I'll be around. Xemnas wants me to go to Deep Jungle first—something about getting the Nobody of some ape man."

"Well, good luck with that. I'll find some other way to amuse myself, I suppose. Lemme know if you need help."

"Will do."

Aanyx sat there a moment longer, contemplating her options. She could always lend Xcaiyet a hand…but then again Sues did tend to cling to her a bit too much, and with her blood pressure there was no telling when she'd blow…

She might be able to get away with visiting her brother…but according to Xcaiyet almost all the rooms of the castle were rigged to catch her….

There was also the option of simply exploring on her own…but then what if something happened and Roxas actually came back?

Sighing, she stood from her hiding place, accepting the inevitable—she was stuck with the do-dos. Aanyx made quick work of the top sail, unfurling its cloth before heading down the ratlines to the next one. She made it ½ of the way down the mainmast before she was noticed. "Aanyx!" Sora called. Aanyx scowled, very nearly losing her balance, and finished the sail without responding. She grabbed a loose rope and swung to the bowsprit, unfurling both jibs and the foretopmast staysail. Sora ran up, "Aanyx, I really think we should wait—"

"Belay that!"

"But—"

"Did the Captain or did he not say to make ready to sail?"

"Yes, but—"

"Then how are we expected to move without the sails unfurled?"

"But—"

"Let me make this as monosyllabic as possible: GET OUTTA MY WAY." Aanyx growled, shoving past him to climb the Foremast ratlines. Spotting Captain Jack making his way back, she hollered, "Captain Sparrow! Permission to slap the cabin boy!"

"Granted!" Grinning, the Nobody finished the final sail and swooped down, smacking Sora upside the head as she went. "Ow! Captain! Permission to slap her back!"

"Denied!" Jack called, carrying a crate of sorts into the captain's cabin.

"Whaat?" Sora wined. Aanyx stuck her tongue out at the boy immaturely before jumping to attention. Jack walked up, "Miss Twilight, on the helm. We sail for Tortuga."

"Aye, Cap'n." Aanyx said, jumping up to the helm. "What about me, Captain?" Sora asked hopefully. Jack handed him a mop, "Swab the deck, lad. You two can help." He added, gesturing towards Donald and Goofy. Aanyx concealed a grin as she turned the wheel.

"How'd you come to know Jack?" Will Turner asked her, watching as the trio attempted to mop. Aanyx shrugged, "It just sort of happened, I suppose. I was sent here to try and find out about one of the islands around the Caribbean. Met Jack in Singapore, saved his hide from some major Pirate Lord, and the rest is ancient history."

"Sent by whom?"

Aanyx glanced at the trio, making sure they couldn't hear before continuing, "An Organization. It's made up of lost souls that need to…err…find themselves, as it were." That was true enough, she reasoned. She could tell that the man was pretty straight-collar, and was almost sure that if she said too much he'd tell Sora. "And this organization…you're part of it?"

"I was." Aanyx corrected, "But I didn't exactly agree with some of their decisions, so I bailed. Now I'm free…well, more or less. So what's your story?"

They sailed well into the night, Jack taking over for Aanyx around sundown. She now sat on the bowsprit—belts, boots, weapons, and vest abandoned below deck. She had successfully managed to avoid Sora the entire day, but alas that luck seemed to run out, "…Aanyx?"

Said auburn sighed, turning and walking past him. "Look, Aanyx, can't we talk?"

"No." Aanyx climbed the nearest ratlines, irritation growing as he persistently followed. "Why not? I thought we were making headway!" Aanyx marched across the beam and up the next ratline, hoping if the boy followed he'd fall. "You're delusional, then."

Sora struggled to keep up, "But you weren't nasty at all in Atlantica!" Her eye twitched, but she chose not to respond, instead increasing her speed. "Aanyx…" He pleaded, "I don't understand why we can't talk about it!"

"Maybe I don't want to talk about it!" Aanyx snarled, glaring at him over her shoulder. She was running out of mast, and quickly. "Why not?"

'Because you annoy the crap outta me.' Aanyx thought, swinging to the mainmast. "Because."

"Because…?"

"Just because, alright? Do I need an explanation for everything?"

"No…I just wanna know why."

Aanyx groaned, eyes flying heavenward, "Captain! Permission to punch Cabin Boy!"

"Granted!" Grinning with malice, she made to hit him in the face, making him flinch. "You pester me again and I swear I won't hold back. Be lucky I still have a conscious." With that she dropped down into the crow's nest, sitting in the shadows out of sight. Turning on her communicator she changed it to 'text mode', deciding to check up on things at the castle.

Hey Dem, how's life? Port Royal's a pain, since I can't get Dumbass off my back. (Luxord, if you read this, I'm not blaming you!) How's Kat doing? I know being sick can be tough—especially for her. Just kinda wanted to check in on you guys—can't risk the comm-line with Sora around. I'll check back l8er.

-XVI

Aanyx sent the message and closed the communicator before realizing it was Thursday—game night at the Castle. A rush of homesickness came over her, and she looked up at the ¼ moon in the sky. She closed her eyes tightly, curling into a ball on her side and letting the gentle sway of the ship rock her to sleep.

By the afternoon of the next day they had already docked in Tortuga, a potential crew assembled and loading supplies aboard. This ment Aanyx wouldn't have to worry about sailing—she was merely along for the ride. With more people also ment it was easier to avoid Sora, Donald, and Goofy—as she oh-so-kindly suggested they make the most of their sailing experience, meaning they were forced to work while Aanyx fooled around as she pleased.

She spent the majority of the voyage either on the bowsprit or below deck, texting her brother and generally feeling miserable. The homesickness seemed to stay no matter what she tried to do—it'd gotten so bad even yelling curses at Sora had lost its fun.

So, it was no surprise that she'd come to the Captain's Cabin with a declaration of, "I need a leave of absence." Jack raised an eyebrow, "Must be something big, if you're asking first."

"I need you to cover for me…tell them all I'm sick or something."

Jack leaned back in his seat, chugging rum before replying, "It's safe to assume the Cabin Boy's the barnacle what you were talking of?"

"Unfortunately, yes. AND I can't let him know about my powers—otherwise I can't save Roxas."

"Roxas being that blonde feller you were always with?" Aanyx's silence was as good an answer as any. Jack chuckled, shooing her out with the bottle in his hand, "Go then, lass. I'll keep the barnacle at bay."

With a grin of thanks, she portaled away, heading to Deep Jungle. Making sure she was alone, Aanyx closed her eyes, letting every ounce of emotion leave her body. She felt the extra weight of her Organization Cloak drape over her skin, making her grin as she pulled the hood over her face.

Aanyx turned on her communicator, "Luxord, where are you?"

The scuffle of battle met her question, "Treehouse."

"On my way."

Not sure what kind of situation to expect, Aanyx climbed up the sloped net, jumping up and delivering a roundhouse kick to the charging gorilla. Luxord, clutching a stitch in his side, chuckled, "Well aren't you a sight!" She merely chucked a potion at him with a grin, "I think you're getting too old for this, X."

"If Xiggy can do it, so can I!"

Once the two had successfully defeated the horde of angry gorillas, Aanyx removed her hood, allowing the older man to scruff her hair. "So; not that I'm complaining, but what're you doing here?"

"Oh, felt a little homesick, decided to be reckless. You know, bask in the glory days, and all that sentimental shit." Aanyx grinned, "And not that I'm complaining, but why the sudden angry mob of apes?"

"I stepped foot in their nest."

This caused the auburn-haired Nobody to burst out laughing, making Luxord frown, "I swear! I finally find the damn thing, take one bloody step, and BAM! Ape time."

"Damn, I forgot how amusing missions can be with ya, Lux." Aanyx chuckled, wiping a tear from her eye and leaning against his shoulder. The Gambler of Fate shoved her off with a grin of his own, "Are we here to find the Ape Man, or are we gonna stand around having flashbacks all day?" Aanyx giggled, pulled up her hood, and followed after her Superior. 'Maybe I should do this more often…' She thought.

Unfortunately, the two were never able to reach said 'Ape Man', as the gorillas were more surplus than Intel made mention, and anyone with common sense knew that the jungle was no place to hike at night. Aanyx returned to the HMS Interceptor with high spirits, making sure to dismiss her cloak before making her presence known.

Upon resurfacing above deck, however, she learned that Jack and Will had already left inside Isla De Muerta, much to Sora, Donald, and Goofy's displeasure. Getting a sudden idea, she turned towards the trio, "Psst!" When Sora made to yell something, Aanyx quickly covered his mouth, "Quiet! Barbossa's working with the Heartless, right? But Jack and Will don't know how to fight them off. We're going to get on that island and help them."

Sora removed her hand from his mouth, "…Are you saying this because you want to help them, or because you want to get on the island?" Her only reply was to wink and to place a finger to her lips, creeping silently towards the side of the ship. She made sure all belts and weapons were in place before diving off, swimming for the nearby island. She morphed her clothes dry, wrung out her hair, and crept off into the shadows, not bothering to see if the trio was following. She knew they would, however—in repayment for Luxord putting up with her for the day, the Organization would get a couple more hearts out of the Key Bearer.

Hearing a sudden scuffle of footsteps, Aanyx pressed herself into the shadows, watching as Will led a girl by the hand, a horde of heartless chasing not far behind. Noting the lack of one rum-loving pirate captain, she went against her initial instinct to follow them, instead exploring further into the cave. Sure enough, she found a dazed Jack Sparrow standing with the support of an oar, blinking in an attempt to come to his senses.

"Jack!"

"You!" A nearby pirate suddenly yelled, as what appeared to be the entire crew quickly circled them, "You're supposed to be dead!"

"Am I not?" Jack asked stupidly, looking down and prodding his own chest. Realizing he was surrounded, he began to stumble through a list of words, "Pearly. Per-lay-lay-lee-lou…Par…snip…Par…sley…Partner, Partner…" Aanyx rolled her eyes, "Parley?"

Jack pointed at her in triumph, "That's the one! Parley! PARLEY!" The first pirate glared at her, "Parley? Damn to the depths whatever madness thought of Parley!" Jack lowered the pirate's rifle, "That would be the French. Latin-based word. Inventers of Mayonnaise."

"I like Mayonnaise!" Another pirate called happily. It was then that Barbossa made his way to the front of the crowd, "…How the blazes did you get off that island?"

"When you marooned me on that god-forsaken spit of land…You forgot one very important thing, mate…I'm Captain Jack Sparrow!" Seeing Barbossa's glare in her direction, Aanyx added, "I'm just a Nobody, don't mind me!"

Barbossa raised an eyebrow, "Well, since y'all remember Captain Jack Sparrow…Kill 'im." Several pirates lifted eager pistols, but Jack—cool as a cucumber—merely said, "The girl's blood didn't work, did it?" Barbossa growled, "Hold 'yer fire!" He turned towards the cornered two, measuring Jack before smirking, "You know whose blood we need."

"I know whose blood you need." Jack agreed with a smirk of his own.

Aanyx sighed, absent-mindedly petting Barbossa's monkey as she listened to Jack and Barbossa negotiate. She'd originally been confined to the brig, but as she had power over the darkness, Barbossa decided it would be pointless to try and keep the girl down there, instead letting her roam as she willed.

"So you expect to leave me standing on some beach with naught but a name and your word—it's the one I need—and watch you sail away on my ship?" Barbossa asked, chuckling as he finished the sentence. Jack smirked, "No. I expect to leave you, standing on some beach with absolutely no name at all, watching me sail away on my ship—and then I'll shout the name back to you. Savvy?"

"But that still leaves us with the problem of me standing on some beach with naught but a name, and your word—it's the one I need."

Jack sat on the other end of the table, propping his feet up on it as he tossed an apple back and fourth, "Of the two of us. I am the only one who hasn't committed mutiny. Therefore, my word is the one we'll be trusting. Although, I suppose I should be thanking you because, in fact…if you hadn't betrayed me and left me to die…I would have an equal share in the curse, same as you." He paused to take a large bite of apple, "Funny ol' worl', iddnit?"

It was then the Bo 'son entered, "Captain, we are coming up on the Interceptor." Jack and Aanyx exchanged worried glances before scurrying after Barbossa as he left to look for himself. Aanyx watched with hands on her whips as Jack attempted to stall. The Bo 'son glared at her, and she let out a silent snarl in return, baring her teeth like a cornered panther. This was turning out to be quite interesting indeed, she mused. She'd never expected a return to the Pirate World, much less one that involved such little contact with Sora, Donald, and Goofy.

"Lock him in the brig." Aanyx whipped her head around, smacking the one-eyed pirate in the chest with her braid, and jumped high, flipping a few times to propel her further mid-air. She landed between the Bo 'son and Jack, "I don't think so, mate. You take 'im in there, I'll take him right back out."

"Touching display of loyalty, but there won't be a need for violence." Jack assured the girl, allowing himself to be shoved below deck. Aanyx nodded in understanding—there was no way she alone could stop an angry horde of undead pirates, with or without help from the Dusks.

So instead she prepared for battle, waiting for the Interceptor to broadside before swinging over. The girl was greeted with several happy cries, but they went ignored as she began issuing orders to load cannons and bring up muskets. She stopped short as she reached Sora, Donald, and Goofy, "You three are on Heartless duty. You see any undead pirates coming at you, use fire magic. It's the only thing that'll work besides darkness."

"What about you? You've been missing since Isla De Muerta!"

"Jack's in the brig of the Pearl. I'm going back for him."

"We'll go with you!"

Aanyx growled, patience wearing thin, "No. You won't. The others—they don't have the keyblade, or magic for that matter. And while gunfire'll slow down the bastards, it won't kill them. It's up to you. For the sake of my sanity, don't mess this up."

"Canon's loaded, Captain!" One of the pirates called. Aanyx gave the trio a level gaze before grabbing the nearest line, "Fire all! And keep it coming, I want to see holes in her before we're done!"

"Sorry, Jack, but the Pearl can be fixed…Our hides can't…" She muttered to herself as she swung on deck. The Nobody fought her way through the horde of undead pirates, managing to stun the majority of them enough to move onto the next. She just made her way to the exit below deck when she ran into Jack, very nearly decapitating him with her whip. She instead tossed him her cutlass, fighting back-to-back with the captain as they made their way back to the side. "Don't suppose this was your doing." Jack commented over the continual chink of sword fighting. Aanyx grinned, "When would you expect any less, Captain?"

"It's safe to assume the medallion is with them?"

"The Cabin Boy has it. Can't grantee it'll be there for long…"

The two paused their conversation to swing back over, Aanyx quickly blocking the fireball headed straight for her. "GOD DAMNIT YOU FUCKING IDIOT, SAVE YOUR FUCKING MANA AND LOOK BEFORE YOU SHOOT!" The girl yelled, half-tempted to kill the keybearer where he stood. "WELL IT'S NOT LIKE YOU STAND OUT FROM THE OTHERS!" Sora yelled back. In reply, she merely turned to the nearest pirate, stabbing him in the chest with her skull dagger. Jack gave her an annoyed look, "You know he's undead, right?"

"Not for long!" Aanyx grinned, shooting the dagger with pure darkness. The man screamed, disappearing into a heartless. "Since when can you do that?" Jack demanded incredulously. "Um, to be honest, not until just now." She admitted, replacing her dagger, "I didn't expect it to work, or for him to turn into a heartless for that matter..."

They split up after that, each engaged in their own battle. Aanyx made sure to keep the darkness to a minimum, should Sora, Donald, or Goofy catch her, instead zapping everyone with her signature 'Thundaga' spell.

Hearing the captain give a shout of "MONKEY!" made her turn, however, watching in shock as Barbossa's monkey raced across a fallen mast—she guessed it came from the Interceptor, but didn't bother to think on it—with Jack hot on its heels. The Captain was just a might too late, however, for when he finally reached the medallion it sat in Barbossa's hand. They swapped a few words before Barbossa held the medallion high, "GENTS! OUR HOPE IS RESTORED!" His crew gave a chorus of cheers, much to Aanyx's annoyance.

The remaining pirates aboard the Interceptor were not-so-willingly bound, the majority locked in the Pearl's brig, the others shoved into the Captain's Cabin—Sora and Donald, Goofy and Elisabeth, and Jack and Aanyx tied back to back. Will had, apparently, been captured some time during the brawl, and was now on the safe ship, while the rest of them faced explosion.

And so there they sat, Sora desperately attempting to wriggle free, while Aanyx and Jack appeared to have given up. "That's the last time I trust a Pirate!" Sora grunted, still pulling fruitlessly against his bonds. "What are we gonna do?" Donald asked. "We'll be blown to smithereens!" Goofy whimpered. Jack gave a heavy sigh, "Why struggle, mate? A pirate knows when to surrender."

"You can't be serious!"

"Your average pirate, anyway." Jack added as Aanyx let out a small 'Ha!' and the ropes around their wrists fell to the ground. "And since when have we been average pirates?" The girl added, holding up her Skull dagger for the others to see—it appeared the Bo 'son forgot a few weapons to leave on the table before them…though in reality, she had merely conjured it through a hand-sized portal of darkness—making sure to do so on the side not facing the others.

She then cut the others' ropes as Jack said, "First, we've got to see to the gunpowder. I'm not about to loose this ship!"

"I still don't plan to trust pirates again." Sora muttered, rubbing his wrists. Jack nodded, "Wise policy, lad."

The group headed above deck—where Sora and Aanyx made short work of the barrels of ignited gunpowder. "That's the last one, Captain!" Sora called. Jack stood at the helm with a white-knuckled grip, "That's the second time I've had to watch that man sail away with my ship."

"We'll get her back, Jack. Don't worry." Aanyx assured, casting an Aeroga spell and easily lifting the fallen mast. Sora nodded, casting 'cure' to seal the mast into place, "Yeah, we've just gotta head back to the Island and stop them, right?"

"Well, we won't get anywhere with this wind…" Aanyx muttered, racing across the boat to stand as far back as she could on the poop deck. She crossed her arms over her chest with a cry of, "AEROGA," letting the wind form a ball in front of her face. Shoving her arms out to her sides, the ball divided into several smaller balls, each one headed straight for a sail.

Within no time, they docked at Isla De Muerta, Jack instructing Aanyx to scout out the situation while the others tied off the ship. She hid in the shadows of the entrance to the cave, watching as Will was led to the Aztec chest. "Begun by blood…By blood, undone…"

"Pardon me…beg 'yer pardon…coming through…" Muttered an all too familiar voice, making Aanyx chuckle. She went silent, however, ducking out of sight as a nearby pirate shushed another angrily. She watched in silent glee as Barbossa growled, "It's not possible!"

"Not probable." Jack corrected. Aanyx heard no more, however, for at that moment she felt the rock face melt away, causing her to fall through the awaiting portal. She didn't scream, however—this was no portal of darkness—and instead attempted to calm her racing heart by concentrating instead on the throne now before her.

Aanyx dusted off her trousers with a cocky air, "You wished to see me? Or did you snare the wrong Abovegrounder?" She asked with a mocking grin. The Goblin King didn't look up, however, making the grin falter. The Throne Room, usually so vibrant in Goblinistic sounds, was eerily silent, save for the tmp, tmp, tmp of the horsewhip tapping against a leather boot. Jareth removed a gloved hand from over his eyes, staring at the wall before him as he at last addressed her, "I understand now, Aanyx. I understand what it feels like—loosing everything."

Sympathy washed through the Nobody as she realized what must have happened. Aanyx walked over, sitting on a nearby ledge of stone and staring at her own booted feet, "Life's a bitch, huh? Just when you think you've got a lead—it slips away like sand through your fingers."

"I was a fool to hope—" The dejected King began, only to be cut off by an angry Aanyx. "No. Never a fool to hope. A fool, but never to hope. Hope is all we have now, Jareth. Words have power, remember, so don't you dare even think about finishing that sentence."

Jareth swung his legs back around, careful not to hit Aanyx in the head, so that he could stride angrily away, "Then what do you expect of me? It's maddening; to think that I was so close…that she said those words…"

Aanyx sighed, walking over to place a comforting hand on his arm, "Jareth, if there's one thing I know about this whole situation…" Not sure how to continue, she tried again, "I mean, you're the Goblin King, for Kingdom Hearts' sake!"

"What's your bloody point?" He asked through clenched teeth, still not looking at the girl. "So, she was obviously not old enough! You told me yourself: Too young to keep, too old to change, right?" Aanyx morphed one of his many crystals, gently pressing it into a gloved hand, "Watch over her. If she's anything like you've told me, she won't forget. And because I know you, I give you full permission to sway her heart in your favor." She added with a chuckle. Mis-matched eyes glanced down at the confident seaweed green, a flash of devious, downright Fae determination sparking at last.

Jareth chuckled, clutching the crystal tighter, "To think you actually approve of my methods…" Aanyx gave an easy shrug, "What can I say? The girl's perfect for you—you've just gotta convince her first. And maybe wait until she's mature enough to not whine all the time."

The two smiled at each other a moment longer before Aanyx bit her lip, bowing low to the Goblin King, "If that's all the advice His Majesty needs of me, I'll take my leave. There is still a fight to be had, and I'm afraid my traveling companions are a bit too dimwitted to trust they'll get the job done."

"You know you don't have to do that." Aanyx wasn't sure if he was more irritated or amused, but she gave him a serious look nonetheless, "On the contrary, Your Highness, I do. If there was ever a King to look up to, it would be you, Jareth. You've taken the Goblin Kingdom and given it life. If I had my way, it would be you and Sarah ruling this muddled up universe. Maybe then there'd be balance among the Roads…"

Aanyx bit her lip again before giving the surprised Goblin King a tight hug, "Take care of yourself...and her, when she comes 'round."

Jareth chuckled, gently petting the girl's hair, "My dear little girl, when have I ever done otherwise?"

Aanyx didn't look back as she walked through her portal, nor did she show any hint of having been elsewhere when she reemerged from the shadows to aid in the battle—now in full swing. When questioned by Sora, she faked irritation and stated she'd been there the whole time. And when she noticed the sly upgrade to her whips, the flicker of surprise and gratitude lasted all of a millisecond as she easily jumped into the fray.

She did, however, freeze with her dagger impaled into a pirate's chest as all motion stopped, all eyes drawn to Jack and Barbossa, the former pointing a smoking pistol at the latter. Barbossa ripped his shirt front open, blood billowing from the wound, and gave a sardonic chuckle, "I feel….cold…" And with that, Hector Barbossa was no more, falling to a heap of gold to stare lifelessly at the moon in the open chamber.

Disgust evident on her face, she pulled her dagger out of the now-dead pirate as he fell, nose wrinkled as she wiped the blood on his shirt. Aanyx looked around the room at her panting comrades as she sheathed the weapon, allowing the once-cursed pirates to flee for their lives. Smirk growing on her face, she walked over and thumped Sora on the back as hard as she could—inwardly chuckling as he very nearly toppled over—and dismissed her remaining whip, "Not bad…you know, for a strait-collared nincompoop."

"Hey! At least I'm not a…big eared…pirate!" Sora shot back. Aanyx raised an eyebrow, folding her arms over her chest in a pose that clearly stated 'THAT'S the best you can do?'

"No, but you are a flat-groined dumbass who has a fetish for zippers and belts."

"Am not!"

"Sora, you've got a pair of belts crossing your ass. You have a belt fetish."

"Hey, you said my name!"

"No shit, Sherlock! What, did you forget it in that pea-sized thing you call your brain?"

"It's not pea-sized!"

"You're right, my mistake: it's smaller than that!"

"As amusing as this verbal spat is…" Jack intervened, making shooing motions towards the two. They silently complied, and Aanyx watched in amusement as Jack sifted through the chest they had been blocking. Resurfacing with a wide grin, he hung the ruby-ladden crown on his hat, only to frown with a shout of "Hey" as it floated upwards, glowing white. Aanyx chose to ignore Sora as he struck his typical pose, instead sighing to herself. 'Looks like things are gonna be rough for the both of us, Jareth. It'll take time, but I'm hoping that one day we'll both be able to get what we want…'