Viola! Next up, another slightly copied scene... Yeah.
Jack: "And now, lads and lasses, for the disclaimer. DarthKingdom doesn't own Kingdom Hearts, Disney, or Square Enix. He does, however, own some overpriced college textbooks for some extra classes in his senior year."
Sigh... Real life, here I come.
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Chapter 59: A Parley and a Goddess
It was morning. Around two-hundred ships sat floating in front of Shipwreck Island, facing the west, waiting.
On the deck of the Black Pearl were a few dozen pirates, along with Sora's 'crew'. Sora himself leaned against the railing. Kairi and Nehrut were with him. Something puzzled him.
"Why did Jack vote for Elizabeth?" He asked them.
"He wanted to go to war." Nehrut guessed. "But something doesn't seem quite right here. I know Jack; he'd probably have jumped ship by now."
Gibbs walked toward them and leaned against the railing on Nehrut's right. "There's something you lot should know. About the heart of Davy Jones."
"Enlighten us."
"You see now, Davy Jones has lived well over a century with his heart out of his body." He explained. "Without that wicked thing beatin' in his chest, he cannot die. That's why Beckett wanted to acquire it. You can only kill the beast by stabbing the heart."
"So he's invincible without it?" Sora replied.
"Aye, and vulnerable with it. The only way we're going to take Jones and the Dutchman out 'a the fight is to stab the heart. But there be a high price to pay for doin' so."
"He who stabs the heart in the chest, and kills the captain of the Flying Dutchman, must take his place. Sail the seas forever as its captain, ferrying lost souls to the other side. Or else they end up just like Jones." He made an odd gesture like he was stroking his invisible beard.
"Sail the seas forever..." Nehrut thought. "Oh, Jack wants to stab the heart. He's still searching for eternal life, it seems."
"Why would anyone want eternal life?" Kairi asked. "Never seeing your loved ones again, there would never be an end to anything. Who wants that?"
"Especially if you're doing a job like that. It's insane." Sora agreed.
"Aye." Gibbs conceded. "But no one ever accused Jack Sparrow of being entirely sane, now did they?"
"One other question, Gibbs." Sora asked. "What happened to Will?"
"I'm afraid lad, that he's on the Dutchman with Jones right now. He tried to strike a bargain with him and Beckett to free his father."
"'Bootstrap Bill?' I thought he was dead?"
"Aye. He was found by Jones all them years ago. Shanghaied into service by the hope of living long enough to see his son again." He explained. "Well, he did see him again, but he's still bound to the Dutchman. Now Will's become obsessed with killing Jones to free him. Even to the point where he'd bargain with Beckett.
Sora was spared having to respond by Goofy, who was sitting in the Pearl's crow's nest with the diminutive Marty. "Ahoy! EITC ships incoming!"
The heads of every last pirate shot to the east. There was a thick layer of fog on the horizon, but it was easy to make out the silhouette of the HMS Endeavour sailing directly toward the island. Goofy slid clumsily down the mast, and was caught by Axel when he fell from halfway up.
The off-world crew rushed up to the stem of the ship. Elizabeth and Jack were standing there already. Jack was looking through a small telescope at the ship in the distance. Gibbs and Cotton walked up after them.
"The enemy is here!" Marty cried out in a surprisingly loud voice. "Let's kick 'em!"
Every last pirate in every last ship let out a loud battle cry, with a few notable exceptions. One was Hector Barbossa, who was still steaming that his plan to release Calypso had been rejected. Another was King Mickey, who had seen too many battles to feel particularly excited about one. Teague stared grimly at the Endeavour, knowing that there had to be more to the attack than this. Sora and Kairi didn't cheer, neither did Bariss. Elizabeth still held on to a small amount of her lady-like composure, and stared ahead at the ship.
Nehrut groaned in annoyance, sensing what was coming seconds before anyone else.
From out of the massive fog bank came hundreds of EITC ships, following behind the Endeavour. One of them (much different than the rest) sailed to the front, to where it was even with the flagship. The Flying Dutchman looked like a nightmare from the bottom of the sea, covered in sea weed and all other manner of aquatic life.
The shouting of the pirates died away almost immediately at this unnerving sight. Lord Beckett meant business. He really intended to destroy every last pirate at Shipwreck Cove down to the last man.
There were also small, airborne things darting around the ships. Taking a closer look from the telescope on Cotton's belt, Sora's heart sank. The Brotherhood was here.
Those flying specks were Heartless and Nobodies. There were Air Pirate and Battleship Heartless soaring alongside the ships. There was a newer breed below them in the water. There were large, sleek, jet-black shark-like Heartless in the water, moving in the wakes of the ships, or escorting them toward the soon-to-be battleground. The Heartless emblem was on either side of their dorsal fin. They occasionally left the water altogether, gliding above it.
There was a new breed of Nobody in the sky. The Sky Pirates (1) were soaring faster and higher than their Heartless counterparts, and didn't seem to have any wings or other means of flight. Their rifles were fully armed and ready to fire at a moment's notice.
It was a humbling sight.
Cotton's parrot took flight back toward the island, squawking, "Abandon ship! Abandon ship!" This did nothing to reassure anyone.
A great deal of the assembled crew glared at Jack Sparrow, the man who had gotten them into this war by electing Elizabeth as King.
He smiled weakly, and started to sweat. "Parley?"
Minutes later, it was agreed that Jack, Elizabeth, Barbossa (plus Jack the monkey), and Sora would sail via longboat to a nearby sandbar between the two fleets to negotiate with Beckett's men.
"Be extremely careful Sora." Kairi said, her worry glaringly obvious on her face.
He smiled reassuringly and pulled her into a soft kiss. After parting, he put his forehead against hers and said, "Don't worry, Kairi. I've been through worse, haven't I?"
She smiled, though she wasn't entirely reassured.
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Ten minutes of rowing got the four of them to the sandbar. It was long and roughly the shape of the state of Oklahoma (which existed on less than ten worlds), and served as an effectively dramatic location for the parley. They stood up, and exited the boat.
There were another four people waiting for them at the very end. Left-to-right, it was Will, Beckett, Davy Jones, and a woman Sora could only assume was Liasa (from Bariss's description). There were a few airborne Nobodies circling the sandbar from midair as added insurance for those four. Xigbar floated among them, smirking toward Sora.
As they strode calmly toward them, Liasa winked at Sora, Jones smirked at Sparrow, Elizabeth glared daggers at Beckett, and Will and Barbossa traded looks of the upmost contempt.
They came to a stop two meters apart. Barbossa spoke first (to Will). "And you be the cur that led these wolves to our dorm?"
Then Sora spoke to Liasa. "And I guess you're the one who's supplying Heartless and Nobodies to this murderer?"
Will was silent, and looked calmly at the pirate without a word. But Liasa smiled at him.
Then Beckett spoke, and his voice had that same quality that Larxene's did: You just wanted to knock him flat. "Miss Liasa is my new partner, young man. I would appreciate it if you showed more respect. And as for the Nobodies, they were provided by my good friend Jones here."
Sora's eyes flicked toward Jones. He was standing in a wooden tub filled with water. Apparently this wasn't the day he was allowed on land. Somehow, Sora thought him comical at the moment, rather than intimidating.
"And as to the first accusation, do not blame Turner." Beckett continued. "He was merely the tool of your betrayal. If you wish to see it's grand architect, look to your left.
Barbossa looked to the left. So did the monkey, Elizabeth, and Sora. Captain Jack was standing to their left.
After looking to the left himself, Jack turned back to them, and jumped at the glares that were being sent his way. "My hands are clean in this." He looked at his very dirty hands. "Figuratively."
Will spoke up. "My actions were my own, and to my own purpose. Jack had nothing to do with it."
"Well spoken! Listen to the tool!" Jack exclaimed.
"Will, I've been on board the Dutchman," Elizabeth said, "I understand the burden you bare, but I fear that cause is lost."
What?
But Will shook his head slightly. "No cause is lost, so long as there is one fool left to fight for it."
"And we have that one fool right here." Liasa cut in.
"If Turner was not acting on your behalf, then how did he come to give me this?" Beckett asked. He held up a familiar compass by a string. Jack's compass. Sora glared at the man in question.
"You made a deal with me Jack, to deliver the pirates. And here they are!" He tossed the compass to Jack, who caught it. He looked extremely uncomfortable. "Well, don't be bashful! Step up! Claim your reward!"
What?
Jones had been totally silent throughout the entire exchange, looking at Jack as if he were a valuable prize he hoped to win. He spoke for the first time since the meeting, and Sora was surprised to hear a Scottish accent. "Your debt to me is still to be satisfied. One-hundred years in servitude aboard the Dutchman, as a start!"
What?
"I propose an exchange." Elizabeth said suddenly. Beckett and Liasa looked particularly interested. "Will leaves with us. And you can take Jack and Sora."
"What!?" Sora and Jack exclaimed as one.
"Done." Will said.
"Undone!" Jack.
"Done." Beckett.
"Undone!" Sora.
"Done." Liasa.
"Jack is one of the nine Pirate Lords!" Barbossa exclaimed. "You have no right!"
"King." Elizabeth reminded with a tiny smirk. She looked at Jack and Sora. No one else noticed, but she sent at Sora a tiny, almost invisible wink.
"As you command, Your Highness." Jack took off his hat and bowed to her. Sora followed suit. The two of them walked slowly toward the 'other side' just as Will walked forward too. He didn't look at either of them, he was extremely hard to read.
Beckett adjusted his position slightly to where Jack was forced to stand next to Davy Jones. He put his hat back on, and tried not to make eye contact. Jones leaned down. "Do you fear death?"
"You have no idea."
Sora had to stand by Liasa, who thought it would be fun to entertain herself by flicking one of the spikes on his head back and forth over and over. He grimaced when she asked, "You ever heard of this handy invention called, 'the comb?'"
I get it already. My hair is funny.
"But she's right, you know." Roxas interrupted.
Beckett stepped forward a few paces. "Advise your brethren, and that pack of off-worlders on the Pearl. You can fight, and all of you will die, or you cannot fight, in which case, only most of you will die."
Elizabeth put herself right in front of him, and stood at eye level, glaring at him. "You murdered my father."
What?
"He chose his own fate."
"Then you have chosen yours. We will fight. And you will die." And with that, the parley was over. Elizabeth turned on her heel and walked back toward her boat. Will and Barbossa flanked her without another word.
Beckett smiled wickedly. "So be it."
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A few minutes later, Sora and Jack were sitting in a dirty, water-filled cell in the Flying Dutchman's brig. Jones had done his homework. There wasn't a single lock in the cage, and Liasa had erected magical shields between the many bars. A few of Jones's motley crew stomped past every now and then.
"Well! We have successfully arrived aboard the Flying Dutchman as per the overall scheme." Jack said, peering through the bars.
"Thanks to you and your scheme, we're locked in the brig!" Sora exclaimed, his dislike for the pirate starting to bubble up to the surface anew.
"But we are aboard!" Jack replied. "Meaning that I'm in a perfect position to stab the heart of Davy Jones."
"How do you know it's on the ship?"
"A little birdie in a powdered wig told me."
"Why do you want to stab the heart anyway?" He was puzzled. "Is eternal life really worth having to cut out your own heart and bind yourself to this ship? Forever?"
"Mate, I'm free forever! Free to sail the edges of the map, free from death itself."
"But you need to do the job Jack." Sora got up from his sitting position and walked up to him. "Ferry souls to the other side, or wind up like Jones."
Jack gulped. "True, I'd rather not have a face with tentacles... But immortal has to count for something, eh?"
Sora sighed in exasperation. He sat down on a long, rotting piece of wood and put his hands in his hair.
Roxas spoke. "We have missed a lot here haven't we?"
Sora didn't respond. He remembered the look on Kairi's face when she had told him to be careful. He had assured her that he would be. Now would he be? He sighed again, and desperately hoped that somehow, Kairi would know he was alright for now. And that she would be safe during the incoming fight.
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Kairi did know. But that didn't stop her from worrying about the one she loved. Especially when some of the Tortugan pirates (supposedly under Elizabeth's command) snuck up from behind their group and held swords at their throats.
She knew enough about these pirates by now. They wouldn't hesitate to kill her if she made a wrong move. So, she held completely still, but still craned her neck to glare daggers at her captor. He looked down at her apologetically.
Why didn't Nehrut sense them?
"Because he's not here." Namine answered.
He's not?
She looked around as well as she could. Axel had murder in his eyes and was muttering a constant stream of abuse at the one who had his sword at his throat. Yuffie was in the same boat, only she was repeatedly stomping on her guy's foot. He flinched every time, but didn't act. Donald was steaming. But Goofy, Mickey, Riku, and Bariss looked oddly calm.
Namine was right, Nehrut wasn't there.
That was when she noticed a shape in the water. It was barely noticeable, and even Kairi only saw it for a split second. A section of the bright blue water was slightly darker. It was moving very, very fast toward the EITC armada. But she lost sight of it when the man holding Gibbs moved slightly, blocking it from view.
Kairi smiled briefly, and mentally wished Nehrut good luck. Surprisingly, it was followed up by a wave of assurance in her mind. He must have been listening in.
"He's pretty sharp, isn't he?" Namine said.
She craned her neck and caught Riku's eye. He winked.
Barbossa stepped onto the deck. He looked over his new prisoners, and looked as if he was mentally counting them. He seemed perplexed by the absence of one of them, but not very troubled.
"We were going to use the Black Pearl as a flagship to lead the attack." Elizabeth explained to Will as they stepped onto the deck.
"Oh were we now?"
The two looked up, at his statement. Then they saw Kairi and the others being restrained by Barbossa's men. Will, of course, only knew Donald and Goofy, but that was enough to tell him that something was very wrong. Two seconds after they realized this, they were similarly restrained.
From below deck, a great deal of pirates were 'escorting' a woman up. She was bound tight with extremely thick ropes. The woman was black, with very dirty, braided black hair. She had black marks on her face and around her eyes.
Kairi understood immediately that this was the goddess Calypso, bound in her bones.
"Barbossa!" Will said. "You can't release her!"
"We have to give Sora and Jack a chance." Elizabeth said.
Barbossa swung around to face her. "Apologies, Your Majesty. Too long, my fate has not been in me own hands. No longer!"
Kairi watched nervously as the pirates tied Calypso to the Pearl's center mast. She was silent throughout the whole ordeal. Ragetti (now wearing an eyepatch where his wooden eye had been before) pulled out the tray from the previous night's meeting, all nine pieces of eight were inside.
"Be there some manner of right, or incantation?" Despite the circumstances, Gibbs was still curious.
"Aye. These nine items must be burned." He held out his hand, and Pintel handed him a torch. "And someone must speak the words, 'Calypso, I release you from your human bonds.' As if to a lover."
Kairi doubted that any pirate here had the capacity to be a lover. And just the term was enough to get her worried about Sora again. But somehow, she still sensed that he was alright.
Barbossa stood as straight as possible. "Calypso! I release you from your human bonds!" He sounded nothing like a lover. She struggled to hold back laughter, and she saw Yuffie and Bariss trying to do the same. It wasn't that surprising that the contents of the tray didn't ignite when Barbossa attempted to light them.
"Y-you didn't say it right." Ragetti said. "You've got to say it right."
"Oh no..." Namine moaned in annoyance.
Ragetti leaned toward Calypso, and gently brushed a strand of hair away from her ear. "Calypso..." He said softly. He leaned his head against the side of hers. "I release you from your human bonds."
"Woah." Namine ate her own words. (2)
The effect was astonishing. The torch (which was still in the tray) burst into flames. The contents in the tray ignited, burning very quickly. The thin grey smoke rose from it, and then shot into Calypso's nostrils in a stream. She shivered, and her eyes slowly closed.
The guards began to let their guard down, and Will took advantage of this. He broke free of his captor and rushed to Calypso's side. He knew that if her powers returned, the first thing she would do was to destroy them all. "Tia Dalma!"
She didn't respond, so he tried a new direction. "Calypso."
Her head snapped toward him, and her eyes shot open. The tray fell out of Pintel's hands and rolled across the deck to stop at Kairi's feet. Its contents were now no more than ash.
"When the Brethren Court imprisoned you, who was it who told them how?" Will asked. "Who was it that betrayed you?"
"Name him!" Her voice was harsh, and trembling.
"Davy Jones."
Her face was the picture of shock, and then sadness. Her eyes closed, and she looked about to cry. Her head slowly went up. Then, she began to grow, both in height, and in width. As she grew, the pirates became so disturbed, that they backed away from her quickly. The men holding Kairi, Elizabeth, and the others dropped their weapons and left them. Yuffie stomped on her guy's foot one last time, and Kairi could hear something go crunch.
The ropes binding Calypso started to creak, snap, and break. She grew ever taller, and all the ropes were soon at a heap at her giant feet. She stood over thirty feet tall, and the floorboards were creaking ominously under her feet.
The crew gazed up at her in silent awe for what felt like a very long time. Then Barbossa stepped forward, and knelt down on one knee, discarding the torch. He gestured for everyone else to do the same. Kairi and the others did it only reluctantly.
"Calypso!" He said, and she gazed down at him. "I come before you as but a servant, humble and contrite. I have fulfilled me vow, and now ask your favor. Spare meself, me ship, me crew. But unleash your fury on those who dare to call themselves your masters... and mine."
She was silent for a moment, and just smiled down at them all. Then, she got very angry. Her face split into an expression of pure rage. Her voice was not her own when she screamed curses at them in her native tongue. "Malfaituer an Tombeau! Crochir I'Esplande! Dans I'Fond d'leau!"
The pirates backed farther away from her, drawing weapons just in case. As she shouted, Calypso began to lose her shape. Her skin appeared to be cracking in places. But then Kairi realized that she was transforming. She became thousands of stone-like crabs that fell to the deck.
They slid toward the pirates, tiny pinchers snapping. They washed over the terrified men and women like a flood, filling the deck before falling over the sides into the water.
When they had all fallen over the side, the crew staggered to its feet. Pintel had gotten one crab stuck on his nose, and threw it into the water. Ragetti had one in a place that no man wants to be hit. Donald was trying to shake two off of his webbed feet, and kicked them into the water.
Everyone gazed over the railing. "Is that it?" Axel asked, incredulous. "She was no help at all!"
Riku glared dully at Barbossa, who was just gazing out at the armada now. "What now, Captain?"
Barbossa looked away from him and answered bitterly, "Nothin'. Our final hope has failed us."
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As if we didn't know what was going to happen. ^^; Anywho, I hope you enjoyed.
I start school Monday... Life sucks.
(1) Not to be mistaken for the aforementioned 'Air Pirate' Heartless.
(2) Did this scene weird anybody else out when they saw it?
Please review!