Hi, it's-a me, TonicShadow!
Love the positive reviews from the story, and I'm glad that I'm brining a new unique original story for the everyone to enjoy. :D
So here's chapter 8 coming at ya!
Chapter 8
Welcome! To la Tierra de los Muertos!
Outside the Hunted Mansion we find our heroes walking through the extended around the back building, with Naruto leading the way as he looks at the compass that was leading them further into the Graveyard…
"I all my years of sailing the seven sea's-…this wasn't one of the things I expected to be in." Jack called out. "…maybe when I'm dead and buried here-…but not when I'm still alive."
Naruto and Tinkerbell both stop and turn to the pirate captain. "Quit complaining, Jack." Naeruto replied. "You know as well as I do that the compass is pointing this way-…even though I hate the irony to this." He looks back at the compass. "It's like she told us, follow the compass-…it will guide our way."
(Flashback)
"To reach the land of the dead you must go to the Graveyard and look for a tomb that is different then the rest." Madame Leota replied telling the young ninja. "The compass will guide you where to go."
"When you say that the tomb will be different-…different how?" Naruto asked.
"You will know when you see it." She answered mysteriously. "When you reach the tomb use your key to open it-…and with that you'll travel to the land of the dead."
"That's simple enough." Jack replied. "Thank you Madame Leota, you have been most helpful." He then turns to leave.
"Wait!" Naruto said stopping him. "What about a way out? When the find what we're looking for-…how do we get back?"
Jack turns to answer the young ninja…but he can't think of one… "…that's a good question-…I prefer living in the land of the living-…not the dead."
"Unforgenetly, you both have asked one question each-…so I can not answer a second one."
"…did I forget to mention why I never like hidden catches." The pirate said to the ninja with a unhappy tone.
"…but then again, there is still someone who has yet to ask me a question." Madame Leota suggested getting everyone attention.
Naruto raises an eyebrow at that wondering who she's talking about…before his eyes widen and turns to Tinkerbell who also realises it as well. She turns to Naruto and nods her head before she flies down to the table.
"…really?" Jack asked with a bewildered look to the fairy. "How can you answer her question-…she talks in bells."
Ignoring the pirate Tinkerbell makes some bell noises as she tells Madame Leota her question while also gesturing with her hands and arms while doing it.
"See." Jack replied. "Even I can't tel-…"
"To leave the land of the dead, you must head out into the sea." She starts to rhyme. "Because that is the only way, for you all to be free."
"…or I could be wrong."
"But the waters are dangerous, you need a mind straight and narrow. Because for the pearl to survive, you only need one Sparrow."
Both Naruto and Tinkerbell turn to Jack with raised eyebrows which said pirate noticed.
"…What?"
"That is all I can tell you, I can't say more." She finished.
"Thank you." Naruto replied before he looks to his friends. "We better get going."
"Before you leave you must know this…" The head replied. "Beware when you reach the land of the dead-…the Shadowman has friends that will surly find a way to stop you."
"…like who?" Naruto asked not sure if he wanted to know.
"One you must avoid at all costs…" She answered. "The Boogieman himself…Oogie Boogie."
(Flashback end)
"I just find it oddly confidant that my ship-…the one that's been missing, is in the land of the dead." Jack said as they carried on following the compass. "…or that it's the only way out-…from the land of the dead."
"Unless that shadow guy or the ghost pirate took your ship there." Naruto replied getting a look from the pirate. "If I was a bad guy-…that's would I would do. Take something you love, then keep it in a place you can't reach."
"…wickedly ingenious." The pirate muttered. "I should try that sometime."
CRACK
Suddenly stopping at the noise Naruto quickly turns to where and who made that noise…only to find nothing.
Jack noticing the young ninja's reaction pauses. "What's wrong?" He asked.
"…did you hear that?" Naruto quietly asked.
"…hear what?" Jack asked with a puzzled look. "The sounds of the crows? Which by the way-…didn't hear that either."
"…I thought I heard something." Naruto replied as he looks around the Graveyard…before he turns back to the pirate. "Or I'm just paranoid and it's nothing."
"Nothing is always good-…it's the…something…that's not good-…I learned that lesson on my many…past adventures."
"And I know them tales all too well, Jack."
Our heroes stop after hearing that and realise who was making that sound.
"…I'm gonna turn around and see Davy Jones behind me-…aren't I?" Jack quietly asked the ninja getting a nod from both the ninja and the fairy.
They slowly turns to look behind them…to find no one…which confused them.
"…huh." Jack muttered before he turned around-…
"Hello, Sparrow." Davy Jones said appearing in front of them which startled everyone and take a few steps away from. "In all the places I expect to see ya-…this was one I didn't expect."
"Well, you know what they say." Jack nervously replied. "Expect the unexpected-…especially when I'm…Captain Jack Sparrow"
"I'll be changing that-…once you're dead." The dead pirate captain then turns to the young ninja who was starting to sweat. "…and you be the boy, Mr Facilier was most interested in meeting." He replied with a wicked grin. "The keybearer-…as I recall correctly."
Naruto then took notice that more of Davy Jones's crew where appearing all around him, Jack and Tinkerbell surrounding them.
"The good doctor as also told me, that you have something that he wants. So you have two choices boy-…you either die quickly…or you very slowly. Pick ya poison."
Our heroes look at there surroundings to see if there was a way to escape from the dead pirate crew…only to find none.
"I knew I should have brought my jar of dirt with me." Jack muttered to himself.
As Naruto keeps looking he mentally asks. 'Kyuubi, do you have any idea's of getting us out of this?'
'If you were by yourself-…yes I do.' The fox replied. 'But you're not alone so I can't see any other way out.'
Naruto narrows his eyes in frustration after hearing that, there really was no way out of this.
'…unless you have your smoke bombs on you.' The fox hinted reminding the young ninja who blinks at that.
He sweatdrops after that. '…I'm such an idiot.' He mentally replied.
'I could tell you that-…but its not new to me.' The fox smugly answered.
"What'll be then boys?" Davy Jones smugly asked snapping Naruto out with his talk with the fox. "Option one? Or option two?"
Naruto narrows his eyes before giving Jack a quick look-…who quickly got the expression, before he turned to Davy Jones…before giving the dead pirate a smirk.
"Then we'll take option three." Naruto replied before he threw the smoke bomb.
POOF
The whole area was covered in a big smoke cloud that covers our heroes and hiding them from Davy Jones and his crew surprising them.
When it cleared the dead crew noticed that they have vanished getting shocked looks from them, especially Davy Jones before he become angry and looks around to find them…before noticing the three heroes running away in the distance.
He turns to his crew yelling. "Don't just stand there! Get after them! NOW!" Who quickly complied and chase after them. "And kill them all when you do!"
With Naruto leading the way, he and Jack are running though the Graveyard away from the chasing crew of Davy Jones, with Tinkerbell flying right behind them.
"If you have anymore idea's mate-…now is a good time!" The pirate captain called out.
"That was all I could think of!" Naruto replied leaping of a few Gravestones. "But I'm open to suggestions right now!"
"Then I suggest we keep running!"
Just then Tinkerbell took notice that the compass in Naruto's hand as glowing making her eyes widen and quickly gets Naruto attention with her hands.
Taking notice of the compass, Naruto quickly looks to see that as well as glowing it was pointing straight forward. When he looks up he took notice of something up ahead…THE TOMB!
The tomb itself looked to be an old white monetary-…but with no windows to show the inside of the tomb…or either a door?!
"Oh crap!" Naruto called out before they stopped in front of the tomb. "This is it-…but where the door?!"
"I hate it when that happens." Jack replied before he looks back to see the crew catching up. "I that's even worse."
Naruto and Tinkerbell franticly search for a way in but couldn't find nither high and hair of getting in.
…just then Naruto paused as he felt a sensation that felt…familiar in some way…the same sensation when he was holding the key. Without a second thought he took out the key and held it in front of him…when the key began to glow.
When it did, he took notice that a keyhole as well as lines formed on the tomb wall…making a door!
Naruto grins at that before he hears the dead pirate crew getting closer and turns to Jack. "I've found it!" He called out before putting the key in the keyhole and turning it.
CL-CLICK
With that they quickly open the tomb door before shutting it behind themselves before the dead crew could grab them.
They took a few steps away from the door before they notice the tomb door becoming one with the wall, sealing them inside and away from Davy Jones's crew.
"…that…was too close." Jack said breaking the silence before patting the young ninja's back. "Quick thinking there mate-…any later and we be shark food."
"You and me both." Naruto replied as Tinkerbell sits on his shoulder exhausted from flying so fast. He quickly looks to his key. "I guess having this thing has its perks."
"One of which I am most glad of." The pirate cheerfully replied before he turn to look around the inside of the tomb. "Now, how do we get out of here-…while we don't get caught?"
"We don't need to escape." Naruto replied getting the pirates attention. "Before coming here the compass pointed at this tomb-…it wanted us here." He then looks around. "This doorway to the land of the dead."
Jack raises both his eyebrows before he also looks around the aw well. "…not much of a doorway then-…it's just one room." He muttered.
"No, no there's got to be something more then that." Naruto replied before he walked to the centre of the room. "Just like the fireplace at the mansion-…there's got to be something out of place."
"Not much to look for mate." The pirate captain answered taking a couple of steps. "Just a small dark room with two touches-…can't get any more than that."
Looking around the room again Naruto realises that Jack was right…
Four brick stone walls, and two lightly lit touches close to where the entrance was…
…there was nothing…
"…great." He muttered to himself before sighing as Tinkerbell pats his cheek to comfort him.
…just then a petal floated down pass his face getting his attention and watches it slowly fall to the ground…but it wasn't what got his attention…what did was that the petal, which was a Marigold petal…was glowing.
Naruto raises an eyebrow at that. "The hell?" He muttered before he kneels down and picks up the glowing petal. "It's…glowing? Why is it doing that?"
"If I had to make a guess mate-…I think there's a reason why it's glowing." The pirate answered before he looks ahead of him. "…just like why the others are."
Naruto blinks hearing that before he raises his head slowly to take notice of a few more glowing Marigold petals…then more…and a lot…until he could see that the petals where forming a glowing bridge into the darkness like a beacon.
As he slowly stands up he soon realises that this was the way to get to the land of the dead. "…I guess this is…?" He started to say.
"The path to the land of the dead." Jack said finishing the ninja's sentence. "…where I'll find my ship-…and your…whatever it is you need."
Tinkerbell flies forward down the bridge before turning around and does a couple of bell sounds.
"Your little friend has the right idea-…no point us standing around in the dark." The pirate replied and starts to walk down the path towards who knows where. "We must make haste-…we don't have long until Davy Jones and his crew break in here!"
Nodding in agreement Naruto quickly follows the two on the Marigold path into the darkness.
-: Outside the Tomb :-
The crew of Davy Jones where pushing, pulling and attempting to phase though the tomb to get inside but to their surprise they can't.
Just then Davy Jones comes walking towards them and shouts. "What's taking you so long-…I want that tomb open, now!"
"We can't captain!" On of his crew answered. "It's sealed tight!"
"We can't even phase inside it!" Another crewmate replied.
"Impossible!" Davy Jones called out. "It's only brick and stone-…nothing more! Now put ya back into it!"
"…unless it not just brick and stone, Mr Jones."
Davy Jones turns to see Dr. Facilier leaning against one of the tombstones looking at his fingertips.
"I believe our little troublemakers might have found the doorway to the dead." The witch doctor told him before walking up to the tomb and with his cane knock on it a few times. "They must found asked the talking head where to find it-…and are now on there way to the land of the dead."
"How?" The dead captain asked. "I made sure that every entrance to there was locked and sealed tight-…like you told me too. How can they get one of them open?"
The witch doctor turns and points his cane at the dead captain. "Because of the key you fool! The boy used it to open the door and now he and his companions and now a step ahead of us!" He looks back at the tomb. "There's a reason why that key is important-…and well as the boy who holds it."
"But why go to the land of the dead?" The dead captain asked. "What possible reason do they need to go there?"
The witch doctor rubs his chin in thought. "Hmm…unless there's something there that can help them find the artefact." He muttering realising it before grinning evilly. "So that's the reason…" He quickly turn to Davy Jones. "Get you and your crew to your ship-…and chase down that boy at all costs! Once you do he'll hopefully have something that will help us get the artefact! Now go!"
The dead captain turns to his crew and shouts. "Back to the Flying Dutchman! We've got to catch a little Maelstrom on the way!"
The crew cheer and they all head to the ship…except for the Shadowman who was left alone in the Graveyard.
Dr. Facilier then raises his cane at eyes height and waves his hand on the orb making it glow, before a shadowed figure with glowing green eyes is seen inside it. "Greetings my friend-…just a little heads up." He told the shadowed image. "Your about to receive some uninvited guest to your little party."
The shadow image gives the witch doctor and wicked grin.
-: On the Marigold Bridge :-
Meanwhile we see Naruto leading the way as Tinkerbell and Jack follow him as they walk along the bridge that made from the Marigold petals…surrounded by the dark in the void…and they've been walking for nearly half an hour now…
"…this is super wired." Naruto muttered as he looked at the bridge with a raised eyebrow.
"Wired that we're taking a path to the land of the dead?" Jack asked. "Or is it that we're walking on petals?"
"Um…both, actually." He replied turning to the pirate.
"…I guess it would be-…if you don't count the other wired stuff you saw already, that is." The pirate said as Tinkerbell nods in agreement.
The young ninja raises an eyebrow at that…before he sighs as he realises that Jack was right. "Yeah…when I first came-…I didn't expect any of this to happen." He replied lost in thought.
"No one ever does mate-…that's what makes it the wired." Jack answered as he walks next to the young ninja. "Take me for example-…you can't get any weirder then a pirate…who lost his own ship."
Naruto scoffed at that. "Your not that wired-…and I've know Bushy Brows and Bushy Brows-sensei." He said which earned him confused looks from the pirate and the fairy. "…it's best you don't know."
"Fair enough." Jack replied before he took notice ahead a smiles. "…I'll tell you this though mate." He then stops which Naruto noticed and also stops and looks at him. "When it comes to weirdness-…you haven't seen nothing yet." He finished before pointing up ahead.
Not sure what Jack meant, Naruto turns his head to where the pirate was pointing at…before his eye widen at what he saw.
"Whoa…" Naruto muttered in awe.
What he saw wasn't what he expected…in its heart on the void was a large city full of bright lights and colours, and the structures in the city from the distance looked that they were on top of each other, buildings and buildings of them. They also have tram cars going from one place to another-…all lit up and on the move.
'…is this where you go when you die?' Naruto mentally asks himself still looking at the city.
'…huh, I thought being dead would be more…gloomy and dark.' Kyuubi replied with a raised eyebrow. 'Not colourful…' He then deadpans. 'Now I our someone a favour for a bet I made years ago.'
'Wait what? What bet?'
'None of your business brat.' The fox sharply answered before he cut the connection.
"No time to gawk mate-…we have a mission to accomplish." Jack said getting the young ninja's attention and heads towards the other side of the bridge with Naruto and Tinkerbell quickly following him.
Once they did they took notice that there was what seemed to be a toll booth that was placed on top of Mayan temples and pyramids-…and when they slowed down to look inside they see a skeleton…that was sleeping?
The skeleton-…who male, was dressed in what looked to be a modem police outfit with a flat cap on it's head-…which was covering its eyes as and snoring his head off.
Naruto blinks at that. "…huh, I guess even the dead have jobs." He quietly muttered as to not wake the police man.
"Best not disturb the man-…leave him where he rests." Jack whispered back before they quietly walk pass the sleeping skeleton.
When they reached solid land and off the Marigold bridge, a small gust of wind went pass making them look back…and watch as the bridge falls apart into the wind like petals.
"…well, now we know we can't turn back now." Naruto said breaking the silence.
"Right you are mate." The pirate replied before they started to look around the place. "Now then-…if I was a ship, where will I be?"
Naruto and Tinkerbell both gave him a look which he took notice. "…never mind, first we find…the thing-…then, we find me ship."
Naruto shakes his head at that before taking out the compass and saw that it was pointing forward. "…this way." He said as heads into said direction with Tinkerbell-…who is resting on his shoulder, and Jack following behind him.
"[Welcome new arrivals!]" A female voice from the hanging speaker called out as they walked pass. "[To la Tierra de los Muertos! Please remember to keep your valuables with you at all times, and enjoy visit!]"
They carried on and soon they came across more skeletons all dressed as well and a few ghosts flouting about the place, and the more they travelled the crowded the place became. It wasn't long until they took notice that they we're being looked at by the crowd, especially when they've there only living people around here.
…but when the young ninja took a closer look at the crow…he was given a oddly familiar feeling as the crow stared at him-…as well as Jack and Tinkerbell…he then saw them quietly whispering to each other with nervous expressions…which looked odd from skeleton people with no skin.
…it then hit him why it felt familiar…it was the same stares he had back in Konoha when he was little-…but the looks weren't filled with anger like Konoha had, but it did have the same feeling of fear…but then if that was the case…
Naruto narrows his eyes at that. "…why are they afraid us?" He quietly asked getting Jack's and Tinkerbell's attention.
Taking notice of the scene as well, Jack gives them crowd a look. "…that can't be right-…it's usually the living who fear the dead, not the other way round." He replied as he looks around.
Tinkerbell starts to get nervous and flies into the young ninja's jacket to hide herself.
FLASH
They where cut off as a flash of green caught there attention as well as the crowd and look to sea to see nothing…until a ship came bursting out of its waters surprising everyone.
"It's the Flying Duchman!" One of the skeleton crowd called out in fear.
"It's Davy Jones!" Another cried out.
"Oh crap." Naruto muttered.
And it was, the ship looked like a seventeenth century Swedish warship, however the ship looked more like it had organic plant matter than the timber and sails -…that was heavily encrusted with marine life…and there standing at the front of the ship was Davy Jones himself…staring back at them-…knowing where they are.
"…or they could be afraid of that-…that big enough reason." Jack said breaking the silence.
"It's them!"
Naruto and his friends turn to see that the crowd where backing away from them in fear.
"He's after them!"
"They shouldn't be here!"
"He'll be looking for them!"
"I'm not staying here when he gets here!"
And like that the crowd begin to panic and run away not wanting to get in between them and Davy Jones.
"Oh crap." Naruto muttered again before he saw more policemen were coming towards them. "Oh crap!"
"I think that's out cue to leave mate!" Jack said and ran away from the police.
"Stop right there!" The police called out as the chase them into the alley's.
From the distance Davy Jones took notice of the commotion on land and smirks…before turning to his crew. "Men! Drop the anchor and go ashore! And capture that boy at all costs!" He called out as his crew cheer before leaping off the boat to swim to land leaving the dead captain alone on the ship. "…and I'll have a chat with Mr Oogie Boogie."
-: In the Alleys :-
Our heroes exit from the alleyway and into the streets-…where more people and ghost where about, and pushed their way through the crowd with the police not far behind. Taking shape turns around corners and avoiding the people in there way they took a turn onto a small bridge.
"There they are!"
"Get them!"
They quickly stop to look down and see the crew of Davy Jones quickly making their way towards them-…before they took off again hoping to not face them. They took a few more turns before they found themselves in a narrow alleyway leading to stairs going up.
When they reached then top they found themselves of the rooftops, and began to run across the top-…jumping over the gaps in-between of the buildings but suddenly stop when they came at the end of the roofs…and Davy Jones's crew down below.
"…I vote we turn around." Jack replied before turning…only to see the police exiting the stairs. "-…or not."
Looking around Naruto took notice a cable car coming towards them heading across. "Over there!" He shouted before running towards it with Jack not far behind.
When the cable car was close enough both the ninja and the pirate leaped from the roof to the top of the car-…grabbing hold of the edge. Using his chakra to stick his feet to the side of it, he pulls Jack onto the top of the cable car before they jumped down on to another set of roofs and took off.
They then took a shape turn down another alleyway towards another opened street area and ran down it…they then skidded to a stop as saw Davy Jones's crew making there way towards them uphill.
"Not that way!" Naruto shouted before they turn to run uphill…but stop again when they saw the police coming from the other direction.
"Or that way!" Jack replied before he turns to the right to see another alleyway. "This way!" He shouted as took off down it with Naruto right behind him.
As they kept running for the lives they took a few more shape turns into alleyway and up a few stairs until they came to a crossroad…
"Why does this place have so many alleys?" Jack muttered before them took off again down one of them-…
Until a pair of hands grab them both and pulled them through an open window before they slam shut behind them.
CLANG
THUMP
"Ow!" They cried out as they hit the floor.
"Shhh!" A voice said in the dark shutting them up.
They then saw in the darkness the police and Davy Jones's crew running by the window and stayed perfectly quiet until they all ran by and disappear down the alleyway.
Naruto and Jack sigh in relief at that and Tinkerbell sticks her head out from the young ninja's jacket.
"That was too close muchacho's." The voice said breaking the silence. "Any closer and you would have need new heads."
"Thanks for the save mate." The pirate replied as they slowly got up from the ground. "But next time-…don't use a window, it's safer with a door."
Tinkerbell flies out of Naruto's jacket and onto the table and Naruto tries to see in the dark room who saved them, but could only make out the figure. "Yeah, thanks." He said to the figure.
"Not need for thanks amigo." The figure said waving his hand. "Us small time heroes always got to help when needed around here-…especially the living ones."
"Yeah." Naruto replied with a small smile…before his blinked at the last part he heard and gives the figure a look. "Wait, did you say living ones?"
"Of course I did, your in the land of the dead-…what did you expect?" The figure answered with a obvious tone.
"Don't mind him-…he's new to the whole dead people walking about kind of thing." Jack told the figure. "Especially the ones that are chasing us and trying to kill us."
Naruto gives the pirate a deadpanned look before he turns to the figure in the dark room and asks. "Who are you? Why did you help us?"
"Now that's an easy question to answer muchacho." The figure replied with his figure pointing upwards…before he uses it to turn on a light switch revelling the out heroes what he looks like…which was a skeleton.
'Of course it would be another skeleton, kit-…the whole place is crawly with them.' The fox mentally told the ninja.
'Thanks for the reminder furball.' Naruto mentally replied sarcastically before taking notice of said skeleton appearance.
The skeleton himself with his bones yellow and rusted, sans the bright gold markings on his skull. His appearance was overall unkempt-…his black hair became messier, while the rest of himself was held together by things such as tape and bandages on his right arm and left leg. On his head, he wears a straw hat. He also wears a torn-up indigo formal jacket with a red tie and red, black and white suspenders, and torn-up light brown and black pinstriped pants to show his skeletal knees and feet. He also gained a single gold tooth in his frontal teeth.
"My name is Héctor Rivera, my fellow amigos." The Skeleton introduced itself with a grin. "And today is your lucky day!"
Our heroes share a look before Jack asked. "And why is that our new…bony friend?"
"Because unlike to two of you-…" He started to say but what interrupted by Tinkerbell with her bell talk. "Sorry, senorita-…the three of you, I know every nook and cranny in this city-…where the best hiding places, the best foods, the best shows-…"
"We get it, you know a lot of places." Naruto said interrupting him…before he realises something. "…what about places that are in dangerous places?"
Héctor raises an eyebrow at that. "…that depends what you are looking for." He answered.
"We're not sure-…but we know it's something." Jack replied which earned him a look from Héctor…then looks to the young ninja with the same look.
"…I'm guessing this something is either very important-…or very powerful, right?" Héctor asked as he points at Naruto.
"We're not sure." The ninja replied. "All we know is that if we find it…it'll help us get to an artefact first before anyone bad does."
Héctor raises an eyebrow at that. "Hmmm…" He then taps his chin in thought… "I think I might know where." He answered. "But it's not a place not many would want to go."
"And where's that?" Jack asked.
Héctor gives our heroes a hesitant expression. "…the only place where anything powerful or important would go." He then looks to the young ninja. "…The Boogieman's Casino."
Naruto's eyes widen at the name and remembers the warning from Madame Leota said.
"Beware when you reach the land of the dead…" Leota's voice echo's in his head.
"The Boogieman himself…"
"Oogie Boogie…" Naruto muttered out with a nervous expression as he realises that his trip in the land of the dead…just got more complicated…
-: To Be Continued :-
And that's chapter 8 done and dusted.
How do you like it, was it good? Please comment.
This is TonicShadow, signing off!
