Demyx: 0.0; ...Holy crap. So many people wanna kill me now- *gets knocked out*

Kirkysaurus: That's for ruining the kiss-scene! *picks him up* I'm kidnapping you so you can't interrupt their next kiss attempt!

Namine: But we need Demyx because Author's still sick!

Me:... I'm not dying, okay? GOD! It's just the flu...

Kyrie (c) Me

Kingdom Hearts characters/some of the story (c) Square Enix

Kingdom Hearts

Bonded Soul

Chapter 56

"Precisely!" Luxord spoke as he disappeared, allowing his heartless to go after the group. Kyrie growled silently as she rushed in, aiming to take her anger out on the heartless before her.

"Kyrie, wait-" Sora cried as she rushed in, but stopped when she looked back at him. Her eyes were red, and her right eye showed black swirling in her iris as she glared at him, her anger speaking volumes. He gave a small nod and she continued on, slamming her keyblades into the scythes' staff, pushing the large heartless back.

Sora and the others rushed in behind her as she held it off, dealing blows to the defenseless heartless as it tried to fend off the girl. Finally getting some leverage, the heartless swung its staff, sending the girl and the others flying as they landed on the deck, with her getting thrown into the mast. She gasped in pain as she slid down, her back throbbing painfully as she did so.

"Ugh…that's gonna leave a bruise." she thought as she got to her feet. Sora and the others had it cornered again as she rushed in, slamming her keyblades into the massive scythe once more. After a few minutes, Sora, Jack, and Kyrie worked together and sent the heartless flying into the water, making a massive splash as it did so. Donald jumped in joy.

"Oh boy!" he cheered. But Sora stopped him.

"Not over yet!" he cried as he, Jack, Kyrie, and Goofy glared at Luxord as he stood next to the chest. The man reached up and lowered his hood, revealing platinum blonde hair, goatee, and multiple ear piercings as he stared at them.

"Throw him overboard!" Jack ordered as he pointed to the man. Sora and Kyrie nodded.

"Aye aye!" but the man held his hand up.

"Parley!" he exclaimed, making Jack jerk in surprise.

"'Scuse me?" he asked, surprised that the man knew the term. Goofy looked between them in confusion.

"Barley?"

"It's a bit of a pirates' code. Anyone who invokes "parley" must not be harmed 'til the negotiations are complete." Jack explained. Kyrie sighed, not surprised that Luxord knew such a term. Especially since it was close to gambling as it could be, in a strange sense. Sora turned to him.

"This is no time for rules!" he argued. But Jack stopped him.

"True. But as we're honorable pirates we should always stick to the Code." He explained as he took a few steps forward. "All right, you. Out with it!"

"I surrender the chest with my humblest apologies." He spoke as he indicated the chest. But Kyrie's eyes narrowed, after all the trouble of getting it, there was no possible way he was going to give the chest up without a fight.

"Rather accommodating of you, mate. And for that you want…?"

"Just a few souvenirs…for the memories." And with that, he reached into the chest and grabbed a few medallions, throwing them up into the air as four Gambler Nobodies came out of the water, swiping them and disappearing.

"Oh, no! We can't stop the curse unless we got all the medallions!" Goofy exclaimed. Luxord smirked at him smugly before turning to Kyrie.

"As for you, young Kyrie, the Superior wishes to inform you of his regrets and would like for you to accompany me back to the Organization. He wants to make a deal with you in regards to your friends and the traitors." he explained. Jack, Sora, Donald, and Goofy looked at her as she stared at him, completely silent as she contemplated his words. Wordlessly, she pulled out her notebook and began to write, handing it to Sora. He blinked at her in confusion, before she pointed to the notebook.

"Read it aloud?" he asked. She nodded as he did as he was told.

"She says: It's very kind of him to allow me back into the Organization, but I humbly refuse. He is not to be trusted, and I learn from my mistakes, unlike the rest of you. Keep your cloaks, I prefer my friends over you lot, anyways. And this includes the "traitors" you speak of." he spoke, reading her words aloud. Donald and Goofy, as well as Jack, smiled at this as he handed the notebook back to her, Luxord shaking his head.

"I will inform him of your decision. Such a shame, really. You could've had much more potential allied with us then you would with them. Ah, well…" but Jack and the others already had their weapons drawn, glaring at the man.

"Our friend's about to learn what it means to cross a pirate." But Luxord only smirked at this.

"Oh?" and with that there was a loud rumble, turning their attention to the side of the ship. The same heartless they had defeated just minutes before had emerged again, this time more ghost-like. "Sora! Donald! Goofy! Kyrie! He's yours!" Jack ordered. But the heartless swung its scythe, sending Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Jack onto the Interceptor while Kyrie slammed into the mast once more.

"Ugh…that thing really likes slamming me into the mast…huh?" she thought as she looked over her shoulder, only to see Luxord as he loaded the canons. Her eyes widened as dusks and gamblers stationed themselves at the canons, and he pointed.

"Fire!"

"No! Sora, Donald, Goofy, Jack!" she thought as she got to her feet, watching as the canons destroyed the ship. Will and Elizabeth came out as well and gasped as the ship exploded, sinking into the sea. Luxord smirked and disappeared, just as Kyrie ran over to the side of the ship. She slumped to her knees as tears blurred her vision, thinking the worse.

"No…oh please…no…please don't let them be dead. Please…" she thought as she covered her face with her hands. She felt hands on her shoulders and turned, to see Elizabeth staring at her sympathetically.

"Don't worry, we'll find them. They're going to be okay." She soothed, trying to calm the younger girl down. She sniffled and nodded, wiping her tears. She had to believe that they would find them alive, she had to. Elizabeth turned to Will as he stood over them, the man placing a hand to his chin as he thought.

"If they're still alive, they would probably be at the Ship Graveyard." Kyrie blinked at him in confusion as she pulled out her notebook and wrote.

Ship Graveyard?

"Yes. It's a graveyard for sunken ships. If anything, they could've drifted to there. We better set course and hurry, or we may be too late." the two women nodded as they go to their feet, following Will as he headed to the wheel. Kyrie looked out at the darkened sea, her fists clenched as she stared out.

"Guys…please be safe."

-Later-

Kyrie growled silently as she paced the deck of the ship, impatient as the ship sailed. She wanted to get to the graveyard as soon as possible and find them, but the ship was going so slow!

"Argh! C'mon, stupid ship! Go faster!" she thought as she paced. Suddenly Elizabeth gasped, looking at Will and Kyrie.

"Will, Kyrie! We're here!" she called. Kyrie perked up and ran over to the side of the ship as she and Elizabeth looked out at the ship graveyard. Looking around, she felt her hopes diminish when she didn't spot the four.

"Guys…c'mon…" she thought as she looked. Elizabeth gasped and grabbed her shoulder, pointing. Following her gaze, Kyrie gasped and smiled when she spotted four familiar figures walking towards the ship.

"Ahoy, mateys!" Elizabeth called as she and Kyrie waved, getting the attention of the four. Jack muttered something as he shook his head, but nevertheless approached the ship as the two women lowered the gangplank. Once they got on, Kyrie tackled the boys and held them tight, thankful that they were alright.

"Kyrie…t-too tight…" Sora gasped as she hugged the living daylights out of him, Donald, and Goofy. She gasped and released them, scratching the back of her head in embarrassment. Turning to Jack, she gasped at his appearance. He looked he same as the cursed pirates!

"Jack, what happened? This is horrible!" Elizabeth exclaimed as she looked Jack over.

"Ah, but who's to blame for it, eh?" he asked with a wave of his hand. Will narrowed his eyes at the man.

"Well, it certainly isn't Elizabeth's." he argued. Sora nodded.

"It's Organization XIII. They're the ones behind it all." He explained. Goofy nodded as he put a finger to his head.

"Wonder where they went."

"The hooded man took the pirates and his creatures with him into some strange hole. We saw them leave from inside the captain's statesroom." Will answered. Kyrie nodded, remembering how Luxord left right after he blew the Interceptor to smithereens. Jack turned to the man, eyebrow raised.

"Didn't occur to you to fight them, mate?" he asked. Will shook his head. "I'm no fool. I knew I was no match for them." At this, Jack nodded with a wave of his hand.

"That I believe." Will turned to Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Kyrie. "I think we'll need your help." He spoke, making the four nod in understanding.

"Got it."

"First, let's find all the medallions. Otherwise, the curse can't be broken and the creatures will remain invincible." Will added. With that everyone went to their posts, Jack taking the wheel as he steered a course to Isla de Muerta.

- A little while later-

Kyrie sighed as she landed on her feet, catching a medallion as it fell to the floor after being knocked off a Gambler who was trying to get away. She looked at the coin and tossed it, before turning to Sora and Jack. Both of them each had a medallion, and Donald and Goofy were working on getting the last one. Which proved to be more difficult.

"Hold still, will ya?" Donald shouted as he tried to land a blow on a fleeing Gambler. Goofy chuckled as he got behind the nobody, cornering it. Donald quickly raised his staff, aiming a Thundara spell at it. With one hit, the nobody was gone, and the medallion fell into Goofy's open palm. Sora walked over, and Kyrie gave him her medallion while Goofy have him his. Jack smirked and waved his hand, signaling for them to follow him back to the ship.

"Phew…I think we got them all. At least now we can go find Luxord and put a stop to him." she thought as she followed closely behind. Once they got onto the ship, Sora counted the medallions in his hand.

"That's four medallions! We got 'em all!" he cheered. But Jack shook his head at the boy as he waved a hand.

"But where's the chest?" Jack asked as he stared at the boy. Everyone was silent for a moment, before Will spoke up. "If we find the hooded man, we'll find it." Sora nodded.

"Prob'ly in Port Royal." At this, Elizabeth turned to him. "Why's that?"

"Organization XIII is after people's hearts. So they're gonna go where there's lots of people." he explained. Will blinked at this.

"They'll hurt the townsfolk?" Jack rolled his eyes at the man as he placed a hand on his waist.

"No, they're bringin' 'em flowers, mate. I don't know who these Organizers are, but I will say they're makin' we pirates look like proper gents." He said angrily as he walked away. Kyrie blinked, she had never seen Jack so angry. He began walking up the stairs to the helm as Will spoke up again.

"Well, Jack…then we…we'll have to help!" the man was silent as he approached the wheel, taking it with one hand.

"Then let go, and haul to run free!" at this, the group scattered, getting the ship ready to sail as Kyrie sat down, resting on the stairs as she watched them work. She wanted to help, but it seemed that she wasn't needed as they worked together to get the ship going. She turned her attention on Jack and frowned, he was really pissed.

"I can't blame him for that, though. Jack's pride is piracy, and Luxord is dragging it through the mud. I would be mad, too." she thought as she stared at him. With that she turned her attention to the front as she watched Isla de Muerta disappear into the distance.

-A few hours later-

"C'mon!" Sora cried as they ran along the pier, heading towards the town of Port Royal. Just as they hit the soil that led to both the town and the Rampart, the grim reaper-like heartless appeared, causing them to stop. Jack pulled out his sword and turned to them.

"Go! He's for me." Jack ordered as he ran, drawing the heartless away from the chest. Sora and Will nodded as they and the others ran to the chest, dropping the medallions into the chest. With that, the heartless reverted to its normal appearance.

"The curse- it's gone!" Donald exclaimed. But Jack looked himself over, only to see cloth and bone. "Then, what's this?"

"Aw, I understand. Jack musta been cursed by that monster, not from takin' the gold." Goofy explained. Jack sighed. "Oh, I've no worries, then."

"It's okay, Jack. We'll just have to defeat the monster, that's all." Sora explained. Out of nowhere, the monster lunged, Sora and the others jumping out of the way just as it slammed its scythe into the chest, scattering pieces of gold and returning to its ghost-like shape.

"Get the gold!" Jack ordered. Kyrie nodded as she ran in, picking up pieces of gold as the monster moved about, dodging Donald's spells. Sora followed after her as Goofy and Jack went to assist Donald with distracting the monster, each teen picking up pieces of gold and throwing them into the stone chest. Once all the pieces were in, the heartless returned to its normal appearance, making it vulnerable. With that the two rushed back in, swinging their keyblades down on the heartless as it tried, in vain, to defend itself.

But after a few minutes it swung its scythe, flinging them away and heading towards the chest once more. After repeating this a couple of times, Kyrie finally decided enough was enough and closed the chest, so the heartless' scythe couldn't penetrate the stone lid.

"There. That'll stop it from scattering the gold again."

"Clever. Wish we'd thought of that the first time." Jack called as they began their attack. Kyrie smiled and joined them, swinging her keyblades in a series of strokes and uppercuts. Within minutes, the heartless was down for the count, reverting Jack to his human form. The man looked at his now fleshy hand and kissed his knuckles, thankful that he was no longer cursed.

"All better." Sora said in relief. The man smirked.

"Ah, not quite, mate." looking forward, the heartless disappeared and a large heart fell into Luxord's palm, the man smirking at them. "Sora, bravo." and with that, he disappeared. All was quiet for a moment before Jack turned to them.

"Just who was that chap?"

"He's part of an Organization that's collecting hearts. First, they release Heartless into different worlds. We defeat those heartless. Then they get the hearts. We're never gonna stop 'em like this." he explained. Jack nodded.

"What's the plan, then?"

"We've gotta find their stronghold and finish them off once and for all." at this, Kyrie flinched.

"Would he…hurt Demyx, Xigbar, and Axel? Is there any way I can convince them otherwise?" she thought, ignoring their conversation. Suddenly Jack, Will, and Goofy began picking up the stone chest, carrying it towards the docks. She snapped out of her daze and followed after them, confused on where they were taking it.

"Just what exactly are they going to do with the chest?"

-The Black Pearl-

"Heave-ho!" Shouted Jack as he and Will threw the chest overboard into the water, watching it as it sunk into the darkness.

"It's certain we don't need the likes of that hooded fellow and the Heartless about. They'll ruin the market for us true pirates." Jack spoke as he turned to them. Elizabeth scowled.

"So that's why you went to Port Royal. And we thought you actually wanted to save everyone."

"A pirate always looks to profit, Miss Swann." Jack explained as he smirked, making Kyrie smile as she bit off a giggle. Sora sighed. "Too bad. You had us going there, thinking you'd turned over a new leaf."

"The question is, what's beyond the leaf? Savvy?" he said as he turned to the young woman, eyebrow raised. She nodded.

"Oh…oh, yes- a reward. And what'll it be?" she asked. He looked at Sora and Kyrie, before looking back at her.

"That lovely blade of Sora's. Or perhaps Kyrie's, since she has plenty to go around." He answered, looking at the two people in question. The two looked at each other before Sora smiled, looking back at the captain.

"Okay. Sure." With that he summoned his keyblade, Jack looking at it apprehensively.

"Hold on! That was far too easy. What's the rub?" he asked. Sora held out the keyblade and the man took it carefully, looking at it for a moment before it disappeared, right into Sora's hand. "There, you see?"

"Well, you've always got the Pearl, Jack." Sora spoke, indicating the ship. The man nodded. "That I do. But someday, I'll gather a blood-thirsty crew, and come to take that blade. Chance by then I'll have the way to wield it. And if I succeed, I'll ask you two to join me. That'd be reward enough." at this, Elizabeth nodded. Goofy turned to Donald as he began.

"Maybe someday, Jack'll be able to use the Keyblade after all." The duck raised an eyebrow at him. "Why's that?"

"A-hyuck! He and Sora are kind of alike, dontcha think?" he explained. Kyrie smiled and nodded as the two shrugged their shoulders. "Are not!" they spoke simultaneously, causing them to look at each other as the others laughed. Once the laughing had died down, the pirate turned to Kyrie.

"What say ye, lass? Think I could try to wield one of your blades?" he asked. The girl was silent for a moment before nodding, summoning both blades and holding both out to him. He looked at the blades for a moment, before grabbing Lost Memory. Like with Sora, the keyblade returned to her open palm, causing him to sigh and shrug his shoulders.

With that, the four said goodbye to their friends in Port Royal before returning to the Gummi ship, to continue their quest to find Riku and Kairi.

Wow. Well, I hope this chapter was enough action for you guys, since I'm REALLY trying to limit the chapters needed for their second visits to each world. And hopefully by friday I'll have the next update!

Xemnas: Pity. And here I thought you were too sick to keep writing.

Me: ...*grabs a fan and hits him with it* What are you, nuts? When you're sick you're bored out of your mind so I fill the boredom with poetry, writing, and videogames!

Axel: ...You really don't have a life, do you?

Me: *hangs head* No...'cept for college...

Kyrie: *sighs and shakes head before writing* The Author thanks everyone who has reviewed so far, and especially the ones who reviewed last chapter. She actually laughed at a couple. So please, keep going with the reviews. And she doesn't mind a little constructive critscism either. As long as you're not trying to be a jerk, that is.

Me: That's right, Kyrie! *hugs* So, until the next chapter, see ya!