Here's to the release of the English version of 358/2 Days! Here to do this disclaimer is our newest friend...
Xion: "Hello! Since it's too late for a certain lazy author to add me to the story..."
Sorry.
Xion: "He's invited me to do this. DarthKingdom doesn't own Kingdom Hearts, Disney, Square Enix, or anything else he wants to use. Enjoy!
Man, I wish I had a Nintendo DS.
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Chapter 63: Part of the Ship
Slowly, Elizabeth inched across the deck, practically crawling, staring at her dying love. He was gasping in shallow breaths, trying to collect what little air in his lungs that he could. When she reached him, he gazed at her, his eyes starting to glaze over. She cupped his face in her hands.
"Will... Will, stay with me! Don't go please!"
Jones turned toward them. He gazed down at her in contempt.
Suddenly, there was a very loud shout. One of anger, pain, betrayal, grief, and pure adrenalin. Sora's head snapped down to the other end of the ship, and he saw Bootstrap Bill Turner running at Jones as fast as a blur. He was surprisingly quick for a big guy.
Jones heard the shout, but didn't have enough time to turn around before Bootstrap charged into his back. He smashed him against the railing of the ship, screaming, "Get away from my son!"
The others watched in awed respect, as Bootstrap bashed Jones with only his fists, beating him to the other side of the ship. He grabbed his head in one of his wide hands, and smashed it into the railing. Jones pushed him off, and spun around to punch him in the jaw. He barely reacted to it, and continued punching him.
Meanwhile, Jack was looking at the heart in his hand. Live eternal life on the seas, or save the life of a good man? He looked back up at Elizabeth, who was desperately demanding Will to stay with her. His face was set.
Bootstrap was slammed into the railing. Jones reached around his own back and yanked out the sword that was still sticking through him. The bent end broke off, but for the purpose he had in mind, it would do.
"You will not stall my judgment!" His blade began to descend, and then he jerked to a halt, the sword falling from slackening fingers over the side. His tentacles began to twitch, as if on their own accord. His arms jerked. He started making low, gurgling noises in his throat. He turned around, slowly.
The heart had been stabbed. Jack's dagger was sticking through it, and it was being held by Will. Jack had put it there. Because no matter how much he denied it, he really was a good man.
As Jones pulled in his last breaths, he gaped at them in disbelief. With his absolute last breath, he uttered a single word into the stormy sky: A name that meant everything to him.
"Calypso..." His entire being went slack, and he slumped over the railing. His body fell into the heart of the maelstrom. The gale blew his tricorn off, and carried it far away, to eventually be reclaimed by the ocean.
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"She's takin' us down!" Barbossa shouted.
The Black Pearl was devoid of enemies. On the deck, there were only pirates, plus Riku, Yuffie, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and Nehrut. The EITC's forces had just been driven off.
The Flying Dutchman, now captain-less, was being carried easily into the whirlpool between the two ships. Its mast was still locked with the Pearl's, as if determined to carry it into the depths with it.
"Can't let that happen." Nehrut said to himself. He lifted his hand into the sky, working his powers on the enemy's mast. He pushed against it, splintering wood. Eventually, the section of the mast broke free completely. It fell into the space between the two ships, tumbling into the whirlpool.
Barbossa steered the newly freed ship hard to starboard, out of the maelstrom to relative safety. Salt water splashed against their faces and sloshed over the sides.
"What about the guys?" Yuffie shouted over the noise.
It was at that moment that Nehrut's head shot over to where the Dutchman was sinking into the maelstrom. "No..." A strong life had just flickered out of existence.
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Will gazed into Elizabeth's eyes, as they glazed over, and closed: His last sight in this life. Elizabeth let out a pained little sob, and gave him one last kiss. And with his last movement, he returned it.
For the first time since Sora had known him, Jack looked sad. He wasn't alone. Kairi was clutching his arm as if in a death grip. Tears were leaking from her eyes. Axel was pale, and looked as if he would be sick. Bariss was trying to put on a strong face, but she was just barely hanging on. And Sora let a few tears slip, too.
As Will slipped away, something strange happened. The small amount of fighting that was still going on in the ship totally stopped. All around them, the Dutchman's crew was walking slowly toward them, as if in a trance. Some were emerging from out of the woodwork, as Jones had earlier.
Their weapons weren't drawn, and they were chanting, "Part of the ship, part of the crew. Part of the ship, part of the crew." One of them (Jimmy Legs) picked up the Dead Man's chest, and opened it. None of them were really paying them any attention, and only one held a weapon. Bootstrap held the black handled knife Sora had seen before –Will's knife, he surmised.
They grabbed their weapons, nervously, but Jack motioned for them to put them away. "We have to abandon ship, mates." He tried to pull Elizabeth away from Will's prone form.
She was practically screaming at him to wake up, and not to leave her, as if she thought she could bring life back into his body with pure volume. She was clutching the front of his jacket, desperately. It was a sad sight. "I won't leave you!"
"How do we get out of here?" Axel said, running toward the port side of the ship, where he could see the Pearl climbing out of the maelstrom. Fortunately, there were two specks coming toward them in the direction of the Pearl. Riku and Nehrut.
They landed on the deck, and drew their weapons instantly when they noticed the dozens of crewmen. "Leave them!" Jack exclaimed. "Just get us out of here!"
Nehrut scooped up Bariss from around her waist. Then he grabbed Jack with his mind. "How many times do I have to save your life, Sparrow?" Riku picked Axel up from under his shoulders, while the Guardian gently picked up Elizabeth, all but kicking and screaming. Sora summoned his Keyboard, and Kairi wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he got on. Apparently, she wasn't entirely up to flying herself just yet.
They took to the air, and at the last second, Jack the monkey leapt onto her shoulder and crawled into Sora's hair. They streaked toward the Black Pearl just as Bootstrap bent over his son's lifeless body.
"The Dutchman must have a captain." He raised his knife and began to work.
Moments later the entire ship was claimed by the maelstrom.
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Jack was the first one who touched down on the deck of the Pearl. The monstrous storm was clearing up unbelievably quickly. It seemed that Calypso was satisfied with the death of Davy Jones, and was calling her storm away. Already there were patches of bright blue sky.
Gibbs walked up to Jack as the rest of them touched down, looking worried. "Jack! Oh, thank goodness. The armada's still out there, the Endeavour's coming upon us starboard, and I think it's time we embraced that oldest and noblest of pirate traditions."
Running away.
"I can't believe," Roxas said, "that you went through all that, and only one ship has been destroyed."
Jack stared out at the armada for a second before responding to Gibbs, "Never actually been one for tradition."
"Orders!" He shouted, "Lock the sails and lay 'em in irons!"
Sora didn't know much about nautical terms, but this didn't sound like great advice. Apparently, Barbossa shared his opinion.
"Belay that! Or we'll be a sittin' duck!"
"Belay that 'belay that!'" Jack countered.
"But captain-" Gibbs said.
"Belay!"
"The arma-"
"Belay!"
"The End-"
"No!"
"But-"
"Shut it!" He walked up to stand by the helm.
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Lieutenant Groves watched the Black Pearl come to a complete stop through a small telescope. He stood on the bridge of the HMS Endeavour, as Lord Beckett walked up to join him.
"What are they waiting for?" Groves wondered aloud, puzzled.
"He expects us to honor our agreement." Beckett answered simply. "Ready the guns." He smiled to himself. Despite the loss of Jones, and the Heartless and Nobodies' support, he would have victory here today. He'd eliminate every last trace of piracy in the Caribbean for good. And he'd start with the Black Pearl.
His smile widened further as he heard the familiar sound of cannons being prepared for battle. "Nothing personal Jack. It's just good business."
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As the Endeavour advanced toward the Pearl at top speed, Sora began to worry. He, Riku, and Nehrut walked up on the bridge where Jack and Barbossa were standing.
"Shouldn't we do something?" Sora asked.
"Jack, I know you have something planned here." Nehrut said. "It would make us feel a whole lot better if you would just be out with it already."
Jack didn't respond, he just scanned the ocean, as if looking for something. Suddenly there was a disturbance to the port side of the Pearl. Something huge was breaking the surface.
The Flying Dutchman had survived. Water was pouring from its portholes, streaming from the sails and off the deck. It turned, and sailed directly toward the Pearl. But Sora noticed something odd. Its features seemed a bit less frightening than before. Its timbers didn't look as if they were covered in algae, and it had lost its green appearance.
On the deck of said ship, something similar was happening. The surviving crew was changing. Bits of green or grey skin were peeling off. Mollusks and bits of coral were slipping from their skin, and hitting the ground with sickening clomp sounding noises. They were becoming human again.
One particular man looked to be in his early fifties. He had long black hair slightly reminiscent of a certain younger man's. He peeled a dying starfish off his face and dropped it into the calm water below.
They all looked up at a young man in a black coat standing on the bridge. He was covering up his chest, where there was now a fresh, long red scar over the place his heart used to be. He turned around with a strange smile on his face.
"Ready on the guns!" Will ordered, smiling. (1)
Back on the Pearl, Elizabeth beamed.
"Full canvas!" Jack exclaimed, a genuine smile plastered on his face once again.
Laughing ecstatically, Sora rushed down the deck and climbed up one of the masts himself, unfurling one of the massive, black sails with Nehrut floating on the other end. Barbossa spun the wheel hard to starboard, as Will spun his new ship hard to port.
Sora realized at the same time as Beckett: the two ships were lining up on either side of the Endeavour. They were going to pass on either side of it and blast it to shreds as they went by.
Jack looked at the approaching vessel, a smirk on his face. When the Pearl was even with it, he said calmly to Gibbs, "Fire."
Gibbs spun around and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Fire!"
Will heard it. "Fire!"
Barbossa and Elizabeth repeated it. "Fire!"
Sora, Riku, Axel, and Nehrut echoed them, "Fire!"
Every gun on the two newly allied ships opened fire on the Endeavour at once. Cannon balls blasted from the guns in a shower of flames, impacting with the sides of the ship and spewing chunks of metal and slivers of wood everywhere.
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During the last few moments of Beckett's life, he was approaching a form of quiet madness. He was paralyzed with a mixture of fear, doubt, incredulity, and indecision. That is why he found himself totally unable to give his men a single order.
In the chaos of the double-broadside, his lieutenants Groves, Greitzer, and others rushed toward him, asking desperately for orders. He didn't answer, he couldn't.
"Orders sir!?"
"Sir!"
"Sir, what is your command!?"
Staring straight ahead, white faced, and terrified, he said only four words. They were so quiet that the men barely heard them over the explosions. "It's just... good business."
Apparently, Groves took this to mean 'abandon ship', because that's what he shouted to the men, and it's what he himself did three seconds later.
As his men died around him, and his ship was blown to splinters, Beckett stood almost completely still, wondering how it had all gone wrong. Holes opened up in the deck, soldiers were tossed about like rag dolls, slivers of wood came down like the rain that had only just abated.
The center mast of the ship was knocked down soon, crushing a handful of men before falling into the ocean.
Beckett slowly began to walk down the stairs to the bridge as the rear mast was felled by a cannon ball from the Dutchman. He walked down calmly, and without a sound (not that anyone would have heard a sound). He ran his hand along the railing as he did, as it was destroyed behind him.
No sooner had he reached the deck, the bridge was annihilated by the Pearl. Strangely, not one piece of wood hit him. He stopped near the middle of the deck, and simply stood there, staring into the sky with empty eyes. That was the moment when one of the cannon balls struck the hundreds of barrels of gun powder stored in the bowels of the ship.
The HMS Endeavour exploded in a huge ball of flame. What was left of it sank quickly into the ocean to join Davy Jones, and Beckett's body was thrown onto the tattered remains of a floating East India Trading Company flag.
The Black Pearl and the Flying Dutchman sailed back to Shipwreck Cove, as the armada turned tail and retreated.
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"They're running away!" Donald exclaimed from the crow's nest.
There was a split second of silence before every man, woman, animal, and otherwise cheered at the top of their lungs. They threw their hats in the air, flourished their weapons, discharged bullets into the sky.
Cotton's parrot abrubtly flew back to the Pearl and landed on his master's shoulder. "Ready to sail! Ready to sail!"
All across the bay, it was the same. Some of the Pirate Lords were dancing around in joy. Captain Teague casually tossed his hat into the air, and grinned.
On the bridge of the Pearl, captain Jack smiled in satisfaction. "Mr. Gibbs."
"Captain?"
He handed his precious tricorn to him. "You may throw my hat, if you like."
"Aye-aye Captain!" He tossed it far toward the other end of the ship, smiling.
"Now go and get it."
Sora was leaping up and down in ecstasy, making a total fool of himself, but no one seemed to care. Kairi ran up to him and hugged him tight, and he gladly returned it. Nehrut was zipping around the sails, feeling pretty excited. Yuffie was the picture of enthusiasm, running up and down the length of the ship, pumping her fists into the air. It was rather funny, until a grubby pirate tried to grope her, and then Riku slugged him.
Everyone was celebrating, even Barbossa cried out in joy once, little Jack hopping up and down on his shoulder.
They had won.
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It was a slightly different scene of the bridge of the Flying Dutchman. Its new captain, William Turner was leaning against the railing, gazing out at the Pearl, where his new wife was.
His father walked up from behind him. With his curse lifted, the resemblance to his son was more noticeable. Will had inherited his hair.
"Orders sir?"
Will turned to face him. "You're no longer bound to the Dutchman, you're free."
"Aye." He admitted, looking him right in the face. "That's a fine thing, but from my reckoning, I still have a debt that must be paid... if you'll have me."
A small smile appeared on the face of Will II. "On the wheel then, Mr. Turner."
"Aye, Captain Turner."
Will went back to staring at the Pearl, his eyes betrayed a bit of the sorrow that he was feeling. Will I saw him staring, and followed his gaze to a blonde-haired woman standing on the other ship. He gazed at his son with understanding.
"This ship has a purpose again." He said. "And where we are bound, she cannot come. One day ashore, ten years at sea. It's a steep price, but it must be done."
Will looked at his father, and smiled. "Depends on the one day."
Bootstrap smiled approvingly at him. Suddenly, there was a light flashing above him. He, Will, and the rest of the now human crew looked up in the direction of the third sail above them. In it was the dark shape of a Keyhole. Will knew enough about such things to know what needed to be done.
He stood up on the railing and waved his arms. "Sora!" He shouted across the water. Presently, Sora noticed him. He pointed toward the sail, and his eyes followed his pointing finger.
"Be right back." Sora kissed Kairi's forehead, and leapt over the side of the ship, to the astonishment of a few pirates. Halfway down the side, he summoned the Keyboard beneath his feet. He pulled up at the last second and cruised above the water toward the Dutchman.
He shot up the side of the ship, and over the bridge. He transformed the board back into a blade and landed lightly next to Will.
"Hey captain." He said lightly. He looked up at the sail, and pointed Oblivion into the center of the Keyhole. Blue light gathered around it, and then burst forward in a beam of light toward the sail. It pierced the Keyhole, which emitted a huge flash of light.
Sora dismissed Oblivion as the Keyhole vanished, and put his hands behind his head. He turned to Will. "So what's new with you?"
Will leaned against the railing. "Well, I've gotten married, I've died, I've blown up an EITC flagship, and I've become captain of a magic galleon. It's been an interesting day."
"I've had some of those."
"Care to introduce me, son?" Bootstrap asked.
"This is Sora. The boy I mentioned to you before." He patted a hand on the Keybearer's shoulder. "Sora, this is my father."
"Hiya. Glad to see you're not all fishy anymore."
"You're too kind, lad."
"So, Sora..." Will smiled a little. "I take it that the young red-haired woman I saw earlier was this 'Kairi' you've been looking for?"
Sora smiled widely. "I'm happy to say that she is. And we've been dating for a few weeks now."
"Congratulations." Will looked over at the Pearl, and saw Kairi talking to Elizabeth. "Take good care of her, Sora. Don't take her for granted, or you may lose her."
"I won't." Sora said. He was silent for a moment, and then said, "Are you sure you can go through with this, Will? It'll be ten years before you can see Elizabeth again, you know that, right?"
"I know, Sora." He admitted. "But it has to be done. And in ten years, who knows? Maybe one day will become a lifetime."
"I'll be back in ten years, then." Sora smiled.
"I look forward to it."
They shook hands. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I think your bride wants some time alone with you." He saw a single rowboat coming from the Pearl. Elizabeth was in the back, and Pintel and Ragetti were at the oars.
"Until we meet again, Captain." Sending a smile at Will, he leapt from the ship and summoned the Keyboard as he went. He cruised just above the water, gave a high-five to Elizabeth as he passed, and landed back on the deck of Jack's ship.
Captain Sparrow sat on the bridge. When he saw Sora trade a kiss with Kairi, he said, "Mr. Gibbs!"
"Aye, Captain?"
"I've just been struck by inspiration. Plot a course for Tortuga!" As Gibbs walked away to speak with Mr. Cotton, he leaned against the railing of the ship. "From here on out, it's smooth sailing for me."
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We're finally off of Port Royal! The next chapter is a special one, and after that comes a brand new world with a more original plot. I hope you enjoyed it.
Xion: "Watch out for 358/2 Days! If you don't know what happens yet, you'll be completely shocked."
(1) Single most awesome moment of the series, right there. I am not kidding, the entire movie theater burst into cheers when this happened.
Please review!