Here we go, we're almost done with Port Royal. Almost there now...

Axel: "I'm about ready to get off of this freaking world already. Would you hurry it up!?"

You're just hoping that nobody noticed Liasa kiss you. Now read the disclaimer."

Axel: "Okay. This punk doesn't own Kingdom Hearts, Disney, Square Enix, or anything else. And he'd better not tell anybody about Lia-"

Riku: "Hey Axel, I heard you kissed Liasa."

Roxas: "Nice! HAHA!"

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Chapter 62: The Dead Man's Chest

Jack Sparrow and Davy Jones were still dueling fiercely on the mast of the Flying Dutchman. Both were skilled fencers, and equally determined to walk away with the heart beating in that black chest in Jack's hand.

For a long while, they seemed to be of totally equal skill. Jones was possibly the stronger one, a useful trait from his large size, and unnatural body. Not to mention that he had a large crab claw for a left hand.

But Jack was faster, and perhaps a shade more seasoned. For every blow Jones rained down on him, he had a parry to answer it. His saber also had a slightly greater reach than Jones's broadsword. As far as technique went, they were opposites.

Jones struck at his legs, but he caught his blade with his own. They were locked together for a moment, trying to get the edge over the other.

"You can do nothing without the key!" Jones shouted over the rain.

"I already have the key!"

Jones looked a bit confused, and then reached into his coat pocket with one of his tentacles. He pulled out the rusty key. "Ah... No you don't. Ha ha."

"Oh that key."

Jack pulled his blade free of Jones's. He struck at his leg, but Jones blocked it. Then he aimed higher, and successfully sliced off one of Jones's longer tentacles. It was the one that had been holding onto the key to the chest.

Jones screamed in pain and shock as the dismembered tentacle fell to the deck below, still clutching the key. He aimed a rather clumsy stab at Jack, who stepped back to avoid it, and knocked the weapon to the deck, as well. Now that he was unarmed, Jack smacked Jones across the face with the chest, but he still didn't fall off. He brought his blade down toward his head, but it was caught by Jones's crab claw.

He looked about ready to kill the pirate, when fate intervened. With Barbossa being occupied back aboard the Black Pearl, the two fighting ships became stuck together by the masts.

The collision caused Jack to drop the chest, and fall off the mast.

He screamed as he fell. And he was one inch away from the ground, before something caught him. He opened his eyes, and realized that Kairi was flying around, holding him up by his coat collar.

They landed easily on the deck near Sora and Bariss. Axel was near the helm, setting fire to the crew. Kairi was extremely relieved to find Sora in good health, and ran into his arms immediately.

"Told you I'd be fine." He said into her wet hair.

"Uh, mates?" Jack said, tapping Sora on the shoulder. He looked up and realized that lots of the enemy crew was closing in around them.

Sora traded a significant look with Sparrow. "Captain!"

They ran forward, and Jack pulled out his compass. He cracked it open, and tossed it onto the ground. A blazing white light shot from the opening up into the air. It stopped about six feet above the ground, and turned into a swirling ball of energy.

All the immediate enemies were sucked up toward the light, looking very confused and helpless. They were revolving around it, thrashing against the hold that had them stuck there. Then Jack was floating there with them, but it was clear that he had control over his movements. His saber was in hand.

He struck at them in the air, with such force that he spun around with every strike. The soldiers and crewmen were helpless to defend themselves, and therefore couldn't stop him from taking chunks out of them with his attacks.

Sora, meanwhile, was striking from below, aiming powerful strikes at the trapped enemies that were almost as strong as Jack's.

In less than a minute, what had been eight fish people and four soldiers had become only three battered fish people. And it was time to finish their Limit.

"Okay! Finish it!" Sora scooped the compass up from the ground, but didn't close it yet.

"Right you are!" Jack pulled a small explosive from his inside jacket pocket, and lit it. He dropped it onto the ground at Sora's feet.

Sora snapped the compass closed, and the light emitting from it vanished. Jack and the three remaining crewmen fell to the ground; some more gracefully than others. Sora handed the pirate captain the compass, and the two shot in different directions to avoid the explosion.

The explosive activated, tearing apart a small section of the deck, and taking out the other crewmen with it. (1)

Looking around, Sora realized that despite the success of the Limit move, the deck of the Flying Dutchman was still thick with fighting. Pirates vs. soldiers vs. fish people vs. Heartless. Then, on the other side of the deck, just feet behind the helm, three-hundred pounds of tentacled captain landed with a thud. He picked up his fallen sword from the ground, and stomped down the stairs leading to the deck.

At the same moment, a more familiar figure landed not far from Sora. Will had swung over from the Black Pearl when he saw Jack on the mast, holding the chest. He ran toward the bow of the ship, and picked up something that Sora hadn't noticed.

The Dead Man's chest.

Unfortunately, Jones noticed him. He waded through the dozens of combatants, shoving aside anyone in his way, ally or not. His face was a mask of rage, and his eyes were focused on Will, filled with murder. Someone else, however, beat him to the man... A mostly human crewmember with greenish-grey skin, and a starfish covering one side of his face. He had a large assortment of coral stuck on his back, shoulders, and forehead.

He smashed his fist under Will's jaw, knocking him backwards. He dropped the chest to the deck.

The crewmember pulled a cutlass from his moldy belt and rushed at Will with it. Will unsheathed his saber, and blocked the strike as he got back to his feet.

Sora and Kairi moved to give him help, but surprisingly, he stopped them with a wave of his hand. He pointed frantically toward the stern of the ship, where Jones was. The Dutchman's captain was still storming toward them.

Bariss ran toward him, and pulled out her sai. She stabbed at his stomach, but he parried the blow with his significantly larger blade. She tried one more strike, but it, too failed. He pushed her backwards with his blade. He advanced, ready to deliver the killing blow.

Bariss quickly took her new shield off her back. The previous night, she had painted it green, and it now matched the rest of her equipment. It was on her left arm immediately, and caught the blade as it fell. Her knees nearly buckled under the force of the attack, but she was unharmed.

Axel came up from behind Jones and struck him across the back with a chakram. Jones cried in pain, but it turned into a roar of anger as he twisted around and struck horizontally at his head. He blocked it with one of his weapons.

Green energy blasts struck the deck at his feet, and he leapt backwards. Two Sky Pirates descended toward him, firing rapidly. Axel backed away, blocking their fire as Jones turned his attention back to Bariss.

Only, she was now occupied by his first mate Maccus (a humanoid man with a hammerhead shark's head, wielding a hatchet). He was pressing her back towards the port railing. Water was splashing over the side frequently, soaking them both. Bariss's hair was sticking to her scalp. Her bangs were obscuring her vision.

Sora came up behind Maccus to add a Keyblade into the mix of axe, shield, whip, and sai.

Maccus turned around, and struck at Sora's head. He leapt away from it, then stabbed forward. He would have stabbed the Keyblade right through his stomach if Maccus hadn't sidestepped at the last second. Bariss bashed her shield into the fish person's face, knocking him totally over the side into the maelstrom.

"Thanks." Bariss said.

Sora nodded and turned around. He grunted in annoyance. Jack was dueling with Jones again, and they were gradually moving back toward the bridge. By this time, that section of the ship was a mess. It had been holed by cannons in several places.

Will was still dueling that one particular crewman. But Sora knew good and well that he wasn't trying as hard as he could. His strikes were slower than usual, and only half-hearted. And the only time he really seemed serious was when he was trying to disable the man. Sora was wondering what was up when he heard. "It's me! It's Will! Your son!"

He was shocked. So that was Bootstrap Bill. He didn't appear to recognize Will at all, every time that Will tried to say something to him, he would respond with an inarticulate shout, or sometimes spout off phrases like, "Captain's orders!"

Sora was divided on where he should go. To Jack, or to Will? And where were the chest and the key?

His decision was made much simpler when he looked back toward the helm. He started to run.

Jack was on the ground, and appeared only half-conscious. He expected Jones to try and finish him, but what he saw next scared him. Kairi was standing between Jack and Jones, Keyblade in hand.

"Harridan!" Jones shouted at her. "You'll see no mercy from me!"

"That's why I brought this!" She stabbed at Jones's chest, and he was barely able to deflect it. He slashed at her head, and she ducked under it, slashing vertically toward his head. She shaved a tentacle off his face, and he actually gave ground.

It was funny, a giant, monstrous, octopus-faced monster giving ground to a young, skinny, girl.

She struck at his legs. He was a bit too bulky to move away totally, and took a hit to his right crab-like leg. He did a funny little hop, and then stabbed at her face. She parried the strike, and jumped back. Her hand stretched out, and Light burst from it toward Jones's chest. He was blasted backwards into the railing, which began to splinter under his weight.

Kairi seemed to be close to actually beating him, but it was amazing really, how quickly the tide could turn.

She rushed at Jones, intent on finishing him. He brought his crab leg up, and lashed out with it, hard. He nailed Kairi in her stomach, knocking the breath from her lungs instantly. She was knocked back across the deck, and hit her back and head against the railing. She collapsed to the ground near Jack.

And as far as Sora was concerned, Jones had just signed his death warrant. He rushed the rest of the way up to the bridge, tearing through some Heartless that got in his way. He charged up the steps, and slashed Jones in the side. He howled in agony, and swiped at Sora with his blade.

He blocked it easily enough, and stabbed at him. It was parried, and Jones brought his sword down toward him. Sora's blade stopped it cold. They stood there for a moment, glaring at each other from either side of their blades, until Jones disengaged and let out a loud cry. He spun around to face the person who had hit him from behind.

Elizabeth stood there, sword out, and hair dripping. She struck toward his face, but he parried the blow, and leapt away from a strike from Sora. The two attacked together, Elizabeth striking high, and Sora low. They were both very skilled, but it seemed that they couldn't get past Jones's guard.

Sora pointed his blade at the captain, and in became enveloped in flames. He released it all in one massive burst. Flames roared toward him, but amazingly, it contacted harmlessly against his claw. The claw shot out before Sora could react to it. Jones grabbed his waist in the massive claw, and tossed him hard enough to land him near the middle of the ship.

"That's going to leave a scar." A voice said.

When Sora got up, he realized that it was Jack. He had a red lump on his forehead, but appeared otherwise unharmed. He had a very dazed looking Kairi slung over his shoulder. "You forgot your girl, mate."

"I didn't forget her, but thanks for getting her away from Jones." He summoned his Keyblade back to his hand, and blocked a strike from an inexperienced soldier who had noticed them. Jack shot him in the chest almost casually.

Suddenly, Will Turner was running past them fast as lightning toward the bridge. Apparently, he had noticed Elizabeth dueling Jones on her own. He struck at a crewman as he passed, and then stabbed his blade into a Heartless just before he reached the steps.

At the exact same moment Will's foot touched the bottom step, Elizabeth took a hit to the head from Jones's huge crab claw. She fell, half-conscious to the deck, her sword slipping from her grasp.

Sora took one panicked step forward, and felt his foot come down on something small and squishy. He lifted his foot, and realized with widening eyes, that he had stepped on one of Jones's severed tentacles. Clutched to one end was a long, iron key. He bent down, and took the key, dripping with a sick, dark fluid.

Jack took it from his grasp, and held it up to observe it.

"Guys!" The two spun around, and saw Axel and Bariss running toward them. And it was only then that Sora realized that (aside from the dozens of bodies strewn across the ground) the deck was almost empty. Bootstrap Bill was at the other end of the ship, staring at a black-handled dagger stuck into the railing as if he was trying hard to remember something, but didn't know what it was.

The next thing he noticed was that Axel was holding a chakram in his right hand, and the Dead Man's chest in his left. A gleam came into Jack's eyes.

And back at the helm, Jones had a much different gleam in his eye. He advanced, slowly, manacingly, toward Elizabeth, who was seeing three of him at the moment, and was too stunned to move much. He lifted his blade.

Then shouted in pain when Will's sword went all the way through the left side of his chest, where his heart should have been. The scream died away very quickly, to Will's horror.

There wasn't a sign of pain when Jones said calmly, "Missed! Did you forget? I'm a heartless wretch!" He used his claw to bend the tip of the sword protruding from his chest.

When Will tried to tug his sword back out, it didn't budge an inch. Jones chuckled briefly, before he spun around and kicked Will in the side of the head with his crab leg. He lost his sword and tumbled down the stairs.

Jones walked down after him, ready for the kill.

Will cast his eyes fearfully to a space behind Jones, where Elizabeth was staggering back to her feet. His look was repeated on her face. Jones noticed him look. He appeared just a bit confused, but when he turned his head and saw the girl, his face split into something resembling a grin.

"Ahhhh..." He said, comprehension dawning on his face. "Love. A dreadful bond." He turned to face Will again holding his blade to his throat as he lay, helpless on the ground. "And yet, so easily severed. Tell me, William Turner... Do you fear death?"

"Do you?" Jack's voice rang out.

Jones turned around, and met the one sight he was hoping to never see in his lifetime. Jack Sparrow held a beating heart in one hand –his heart. The other hand held a dagger. The Dead Man's chest was open at his feet, the key lying next to it. Sora, Axel, and Bariss stood confidently around him. Kairi was still a bit punch-drunk, and was leaning on Sora's shoulder.

"Heavy tonic, holding life and death in the palm of one's hand." Jack smiled.

Jones had never looked more angry. "You're a cruel man, Jack Sparrow!" He spat out the name.

Jack had the same expression on his face as when he had killed Barbossa on the Isle de Muerta. "Cruel is a matter of perspective."

"Is it?"

Perhaps believing that he had nothing else to lose at this point, Jones did something that everyone could see, but few could believe. It never felt like it could happen. With a snarl, he spun around, and drove his blade into Will's chest, less than an inch away from the man's heart.

Will hardly made a noise.

Elizabeth's breath caught in her throat, and came out in a tiny, squealing gasp. Sora and Axel's jaws dropped, and they stared in disbelief. Bariss gasped, hands shooting to her mouth. Even Kairi, who was finally starting to recuperate, reacted.

Jack stood stock-still, staring in horror and shock. For the first time in living memory, his hand trembled. He had never liked to tell anyone, and would never admit to it if asked, but Will had been a friend. Never mind the fact that they had tried to kill each other on more than one occasion, there was always some kind of unspoken brotherhood between them.

Jones twisted the blade around a little, out of pure spite and twisted, sadistic pleasure. He took his hand off the blade, leaving it stuck in his body. He looked calmly at Jack and the others. One look at their horrified expressions of mingled shock and fury was enough to make him start laughing wickedly.

Jack looked back and forth from Will, and the heart in his hand, unsure of what to do for the first time in his life.

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And there it is. Hope you enjoyed!

(1) So, I changed it a bit. Did the whole 'box appearing out of nowhere' thing irritated anybody else?

Please review!