Chapter 68: live and die a pirate king
I do not own kingdom hearts or the properties shown in this fanfic. They belong to the respective owners and the original story is based on the works of Darius Almighty. Kingdom hearts and trials of the keyblade is owned by square Enix, Disney, and Tetsuya Nomura. Please support the official release.
Right. Now arriving at shipwreck cove! The original fanfic writer stopped his work at 2009 right about there! Please do NOT abandon your fanfic content or your life's work! But if you want to adapt this story as I did or adopt it feel free! But please please PLEASE finish off darius almighty's work in your own words. (and no frozen or big hero 6!)
With that out of the way, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!
Shipwreck City was more than just a city, something that the crew of the Black Pearl soon discovered as they sailed into the hidden volcano crater that was Shipwreck Cove. It was a fortress. A massive collection of marooned and broken galleons made up a giant spire. Lights lit up nearly every section, where thousands of pirates had already gathered. "Whoa," Sora gasped. "There's so many of them."
"Incredible," Mulan whispered in awe.
"Who would have thought pirates could make all this?" Beast grumbled.
"We're a determined lot when you give us the chance," Jack Sparrow commented. "Not to worry, my red-headed teen." He rubbed Kairi's head. "If anyone can help you out, it's us."
"Really?" Kairi asked hopefully.
"Of course! Think of it like seven more me's!" Sora and Kairi cringed in horror at that. "Only less spectacular." And then they both sighed in relief.
After docking the Black Pearl along with the many other vessels that had gathered, the heroes proceeded into Shipwreck City. The journey to the heart of the structure where the Brethren Court was meeting was full of makeshift bridges and pathways, elevators and winding staircases; they passed many pirates that had come from all corners of the globe. It was an interesting walk and soon they had made it to the spire's centre, heading for a door that stood between them and the meeting place.
Suddenly the door slammed open, and who should stumble out of it but the cyborg pirate Silver. "You do that again and I'll blast the lot of ya!" he yelled indignantly. Several random objects were thrown at him through the open door, along with the amused shouts of several men. Silver growled and slammed the door behind, and then sighed tiredly. When he raised his head again, his bionic red eye immediately fell upon the approaching group. He instantly broke out into a wide grin. "By the code, I knew it!" he laughed hobbling over to them. "I never would have believed it if it weren't you lot! You got them back from dead!" Sweeping Sora and Kairi up in his arms he gave them both a big hug; Sora was the unfortunate one, getting grabbed by his metal arm.
"It's great to see you too, Silver," Kairi said smiling sincerely. The cyborg grinned and set them both down on their feet, so he could go to Jack, who quickly raised his hands before him.
"Er, not one for hugs, mate," he said.
"What's it like in there?" Barbossa asked as he hobbled up.
Silver reached under his hat to rub his head. "About what'd you'd expect from a group of pirates who sailed half-way around the world, and in some cases all the way around, only to wait another three hours for you lot to show up." Barbossa frowned, but nodded.
"Now listen," he said, addressing the entire group. "When we go in there everybody shuts up. The only ones who have the right to speak in the Brethren Court are Jack and I. We'll handle everything."
"Why doesn't that fill me with confidence?" Beast muttered.
"Okay," Kairi confirmed, nodding. She turned to Sora, and he nodded as well, albeit reluctantly. With that in mind, they all entered the room.
Six of the nine Pirate Lords had already gathered, all of them seated in ornate chairs around a long rectangular table. They were Gentleman Jocard from the seas of Africa, Ammand the Corsair from the seas of Persia, Mistress Ching from the seas of China, Eduardo Villanueva from the seas of Spain, Capitaine Chevalle from the Seas of France, and Sri Sumbhajee Angria from the seas of India. Each one of them brought with them members of their crew to serve as bodyguards. All of them turned their attention as two more Pirate Lords entered their midst, bringing with them a strange entourage.
Capitaine Chevalle stroked his thick handlebar mustache. "Captain Barbossa," he greeted in his thick French accent. "We were just wondering when you were going show up...for the last couple of hours."
"It was you who called us," Ammand stated, throwing an embroidered scarf he wore over his shoulder with a flourish. "And you have the nerve to be late?"
Sri Sumbhajee raised an arm for one of his men, and that man spoke for him. "Sri Sumbhajee asks that we start this meeting right away." The Indian Pirate Lord didn't speak much it seemed.
"Aye," Barbossa acknowledged taking place at the head of the table, everyone flanking his sides. "And as he who issued the summons, I convene this, the Fourth Brethren Court." The Pirate Lords settled at their seats, except for Jack and Barbossa who stood at the table's end with everyone else. "To confirm your lordship and right to be heard, present now your nine pieces of eight." Ragetti went around the table with a bowl, and each Pirate Lord dropped their piece inside. But as they did so, the heroes came to notice something.
"Those aren't pieces of eight," Pintel muttered aloud.
"They're pieces of junk," Sora said for lack of a better word. Rather than silver coins, the pirates were putting forward old random objects. A small goblet, a playing card, a pair of spectacles, a broken bottle neck, a pair of tobacco covers, and a calf-horn snuff box all made up the so-called pieces of eight.
"Aye, the original plan was to use nine pieces of eight to bind Calypso," Gibbs explained. "Unfortunately, when the first Brethren Court met they were all of them, flat broke."
"Why not just change the name?" Sora asked.
"To what?" Gibbs asked skeptically. "Nine pieces of 'whatever we had in our pockets at the time'? Yeah, that sounds real pirate-y." Sora grinned helplessly.
By this time Ragetti had collected six of the nine pieces, and returned to Barbossa's side. "Mister Ragetti," the villainous captain said, and held out his hand. "My piece of eight, if you please."
Ragetti nodded, almost regretfully. "I-I kept it safe for you," he said. "Just like you told me."
"Aye," Barbossa chuckled. "And now I need it back." And he whacked Ragetti over the head, and Ragetti's wooden eye, Barbossa's piece of eight, plopped into his hand. With a grin, Barbossa dropped it in with the others. Ragetti frowned sadly. Now the only pieces missing were Sao Feng's, and Jack's.
Everyone now turned expectantly to Jack. But Jack didn't put forth his piece just yet. "Sparrow!" Villanueva shouted impatiently. Still Jack did nothing, but seemed to be stroking the coin that hung from the top of his bandana...something Barbossa noticed.
"Might I point out that we are still short one Pirate Lord," Jack immediately pointed out, avoiding the issue completely. "And I'm as content as a cucumber to wait until Sao Feng joins us."
"Sao Feng is dead."
The whole Court turned to the entrance; there stood Elizabeth Swann, as well as po, Aladdin and Jack Skellington. All of them were dressed appropriately as pirates. "He was killed by the Flying Dutchman," she reported as she assumed her new role as Pirate Lord.
"The plague ship?!" Mistress Ching gasped in horror. Elizabeth went to stand with the others, and placed the necklace in the bowl with the other pieces of eight.
"He made you captain?" Jack Sparrow stammered. "They're just giving the bloody title away these days!"
"You guys look like you've been busy," Sora noted once the three Keyblade bearers of Elizabeth's crew stood with them.
"Arrr, it be true, matey!" po answered in pirate slang, now wearing a coat and a sword at his hip, and a bandana on his head. "Now bring me your wenches and ramen noodlles or I'll keelhaul you through the plank and make you walk the poop deck!"
"Uh, he means it's good to see you," Aladdin interpreted. He now wore a red bandana as well, and a frock shirt under his purple vest.
"We're pirates now!" Jack Skellington declared as he approached. He now wore a fancy hat, a red coat and brown pants. And for some reason he wore an eyepatch over both his eyes. "And I learned an assortment of pirate songs! I sang them on the way here, until everyone started throwing things at me!" With his lack of vision he walked straight into a support beam. "I'm okay!"
"Listen to me!" Elizabeth shouted through the uproar that had started at the news of Sao Feng's death. "Our location has been betrayed! Beckett has command of Davy Jones and his forces are on their way here!" The Court then became silent, with only nervous murmurs passing through them.
"Who is this betrayer?" Jocard demanded.
"Not likely among us," Barbossa assured.
Elizabeth looked around the room. "Where's Will?"
"Not among us," Jack Sparrow answered.
"And it matters not how they found us," Barbossa said addressing the entire Court again."What matters is what we intend to do now that they have." Sora wanted to speak up now, but he had no standing in the pirate gathering.
Fortunately Elizabeth would voice his thoughts. "We must fight them," she said loudly. "Bring the full strength of the Brethren Court against them."
"You speak foolishness!" Mistress Ching snapped. "Shipwreck Cove is a fortress. A well supplied fortress, able to withstand blockade for years. There is no need to fight if they cannot get to us!"
"That won't work!" Sora shouted before he could stop himself. The entire Brethren Court turned to him, and he resisted the urge to gulp. No turning back now. "It won't work. Not with Maleficent and the Horned King with them."
"Who is this boy?" Villanueva demanded slamming his fist on the table. "And what right does he have to be heard?"
"Worry not who he is, but what he says!" Barbossa interrupted. "For Beckett is the least of our worries, my fellow captains. We face enemies not just of this world, but from others. Witches, sorcerers, monsters the likes of which have never been encountered in our lifetime. Beckett has made a deal with devils." The Pirate Lords became deathly silent. "This is no ordinary situation we find ourselves in. The rules of mortals no longer apply here."
"Witches? Monsters?" Ammand scoffed dismissively. "You speak nonsense, Barbossa! A mockery of the Brethren Court you make with these wild statements. Such creatures do not exist."
"Right," Jack Sparrow said rolling his eyes. "So I'm the only one who notices the skeleton, the dog-demon, the cyborg and the walking shag rug in the room?" Beast growled menacingly.
Sumbhajee Angria raised an arm to one of his attendants to speak for him. "Sri Sumbhajee wishes to know what they want."
"Her," Jack answered, pointing at Kairi without a second thought.
"Jack!" Sora yelled.
"Oh. Was I not supposed to say that?"
"Her?" Chevalle repeated incredulously. "You're telling me this all because of a girl?!"
"What?" Jack shrugged. "It's not like this is the worst thing that's ever happened because of a girl." The Brethren considered this, then eventually had to agree.
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Mistress Ching asked angrily standing from her seat. "Give them the girl!" Her declaration was met with unanimous cheering from the entire Court.
"What!?" Sora shouted, pushing Kairi behind him. "There's no way we're doing that!"
"Handing over Kairi is out of the question!" Elizabeth argued.
"Why should we risk our lives for the fate of one child?!" Jocard growled also standing up. "Give them the girl!" Another chorus of cheers went up amongst the pirates.
"Enough!" Barbossa cried to quiet the cheers. "Know the rest of the story before you jump to conclusions. Giving the young maiden to our enemies would result in a fate far worse to this world, nay to the very universe itself!" The Brethren stopped arguing, now staring at Kairi in abject curiosity. "Do not forget that these are not law-abiding honest men at our doorstep. Even if we were to hand the girl over to those monsters, would they really let us off scot-free? They'd slaughter the lot of us just for wasting their time! Not to mention Beckett, who's hatred for pirates runs as deep as the ocean itself. This world and all others turns to us, Court of Shipwreck Cove, to not let that happen." When he was finished, the room was silent again, each contemplating the situation at hand.
"What are you proposing, Barbossa?" Ammand asked patiently.
Barbossa smiled triumphantly. "We have been given three options. We can fight, we can hide away here, or we can give them the girl. But there is a fourth course. Over a thousand years ago, in this very spot, the first Brethren Court captured the sea goddess Calypso, and bound her in human form." Each Pirate Lord nodded, having learned the story upon taking their roles as Pirate Lords. "But that was a mistake! We tamed the seas for ourselves, this is true. But we left them unprotected against these invaders, and ilk like Beckett. They bring with them powers not of this world, and creatures that can devour a man's heart in a single gulp, not to mention Davy Jones himself. But even these would pale in comparison to the power of a god." Barbossa smiled wider. "Gentlemen, ladies. We must free Calypso."
"..."
There was a long moment of silence where no one said a word. Then the entire Court, all at once, shouted angrily in outrage. "Shoot him!" Chevalle shouted pointing at Barbossa.
"Cut out his tongue!" Jocard snarled.
"Shoot him and cut out his tongue! Then shoot his tongue!" Jack Sparrow grinned. Barbossa glared straight death at Jack.
"Calypso was our enemy then, she is our enemy now!" Ammand stated loudly.
"And her mood is not likely to have improved," Chevalle spat, shaking his head. "We cannot free her! Who do you think she'd go after first?"
"I agree with Barbossa!" Villaneuva announced. "We must fight fire with fire! Calypso must be freed!"
"You're crazy!" Chevalle accused.
"You're dead!" Villaneuva promptly punched Chevalle in the face. And then all hell broke loose. The proud Brethren Court suddenly erupted into a massive brawl. The Pirate Lords and their crews duked it out over the table.
"This is madness!" Elizabeth stammered. This certainly shattered her image of the Pirate Lords.
"This is politics," Jack replied indifferently.
"No. This is SPARTA!" Jack Skellington laughed, and dove into the fight himself.
"Leave some for me!" po laughed and jumped in as well.
"I don't believe this," Mulan sighed. "We'll never get anything decided at this ra-" A man's boot suddenly collided with her head. "Hey! Who threw that!?" And then she joined the fray.
"I think I'm in love," Ragetti sighed.
Sora slapped his forehead. "This world does stuff to you..."
Meanwhile, where the Black Pearl was docked, Tia Dalma sat alone in the ship's brig, quietly listening the to music that played from the heart-shaped locket in her hand. She must have listened to it thousands of times in the many, many years she had been alive. But she never tired of it. She never stopped remembering...remembering a time when she wasn't trapped in a single form. She dropped her eyes, and closed the locket, cutting off the music.
Only for it to start playing again.
Tia raised her head when she could still hear it playing in the shadows. It was the exact same song, the exact same tune, for it was coming from the exact same locket. For the one who stepped from the shadows, holding a locket identical to the one she had in his disfigured hand, was Davy Jones.
Tia breathed and pressed herself against the bars of her cell. "My love," she whispered forlornly. "You've come for me."
"You were expecting me," Davy Jones stated, little emotion in his words, the musical locket continuing to play in his hand.
"I knew you would come someday," Tia said softly. "The sea is a harsh and untamable lover, but you can always count on it to someday bring you back home."
"Ten years," Jones growled, and started hobbling towards her cell. "That's how long I did the duty you charged me with. Ten years I ferried souls to the afterlife. And after ten years I could come ashore to be with you. And when those ten years had past and we could be together again, you...weren't...there!" He snapped the locket shut, and his eyes bored into her. "Why weren't you there?"
Tia was unable to meet his accusing gaze. "It's my nature," she whispered, and she smiled sadly. "Would you love me if I was anything other than my self?" Jones snarled, tearing his eyes away from her.
"I...do not love you."
"Many things you were, Davy Jones. But never cruel. You have even abandoned your duty as Keyblade bearer."
"I never cared about the Keyblade," Jones growled glaring at her. "I never cared about my duty. All I ever cared about was you! And you betrayed me."
"You were given a purpose." Tia slowly brought her hand up to Davy Jones octopus face, and traced her hand along his features. He flinched at the contact, but he did nothing to stop her. "But you have corrupted that purpose," she whispered, tracing her hand to his chest. "And thus you have corrupted yourself." Jones suddenly gasped, a strange feeling overtaking him as Tia touched him. He didn't need to look in a mirror to tell what had happened.
He was human again.
Gone was his tentacle beard, now the grey-haired beard of an old man. His claw and deformed hand were gone, as well as the stump on his leg. Jones could feel tears come to his eyes; he no longer felt the cold wet existence of a drowned life. He felt...warm. Tia's hand traced its way back to his face, but this time it was not the slimy exterior of monster, but a face, his face. Jones' own arm found its way to his beloved. She felt so warm.
"Calypso...," he whispered.
Tia smiled warmly, her own sense of longing in her eyes. "Soon I will be free," she told him. "And when I am, I will give you my heart. And we will be together, always." Tia's smile faded. "If only you had a heart left to give." As soon as her hand left his face, Davy Jones' eyes widened. His skin became slimy, his limbs became deformities, his beard turned to tentacles, and he was the monster captain again. Jones snarled as the change overtook him. His now clawed hand clamped around Tia's throat. "Why have you come?" she demanded coarsely.
Davy Jones growled as he held her, but as he took deep breaths he seemed to calm down. Soon his claw unlatched itself from her throat. Though as he tried to remove it through the bars of her cell, he found it to be to big to fit now that it had returned to its repulsive state. He frowned in annoyance. Then suddenly he simply walked straight through the bars, like he was made entirely of water, and confronted Tia inside the jail cell.
"And what fate have you planned for your captors?"
Tia's features became dark. "The Brethren Court?" she spat maliciously. She walked past him, pressing up against the bars of her cell. If only she could see and hear the meeting right now, the meeting that would decide her fate. "The last thing they will learn in this life is how cruel I can be!" she snarled. Jones smiled, satisfied with her answer. He was making to leave when Tia turned to him again. "And what of you, Davy Jones?"
Davy Jones looked over his shoulder. "My heart...will always belong to you." And with those last words he phased through the wall of the ship, leaving a wet and slimy stain in his wake.
Back with the brawling Brethren they continued to make punching bags out of each other, until a shot from Barbossa's pistol rang through the air, and everyone froze in place. "Enough!" he growled, holstering his pistol. "It was the first Brethren Court that imprisoned Calypso, not us! We will be the ones who set her free, and in her gratitude she will see fit to help us in our hour of need."
"Help us?" Jack Sparrow scoffed to Barbossa's annoyance. "Or help you?"
"If you have better alternative, I'd be glad to here it," Barbossa growled. Jack pondered a bit, and smiled wryly.
"Cuttlefish." Everyone stared blankly at Jack. "Let us not, dear friends, forget our dear friends the cuttlefish. Flippant glorious little sausages. Pen em' up together and they'll devour each other without a second thought. Human nature, or, uh...fish nature. So yes, we could hole up in here well provisioned and well armed," he said putting his hands on Mistress Cheng's shoulder, backing off when her crew started drawing their weapons. "And being the pirates that we are we would kill each other before the month was out, which seems grim to me any way you slice it. Or we could simply give them what they want and hand fair Miss Kairi over to her would-be captors, and make an enemy out of someone who I find much scarier." Sora crossed his arms as if daring anyone to try it. "And of course, as my learned colleague so naively suggests, we can release Calypso, and pray she will be merciful." He leaned right in Villaneuava's face. "I rather doubt it. Can we in fact pretend she is anything more than a woman scorned, like which hell hath no fury? We cannot!" He now stood at the other end of the table to address all the Court. "So we are left with one option. I agree with, and I cannot believe I am saying this," Jack grumbled bitterly. "Captain Swann. We must fight!" Elizabeth blinked in surprise.
Barbossa sneered contemptuously. "You've only ever run away from a fight."
"Have not," Jack scoffed. "Go on, ask anybody."
"Actually, he has," Sora admitted.
"First sign of trouble," Mulan sighed.
"Usually screaming," Beast grumbled.
"Anyway," Jack growled. "What my loyal allies fail to understand is that I've only ever embraced the oldest and noblest of pirate traditions. We must fight..." He grinned like only he could. "...to run away!" It came as no surprise to Sora that all the pirates cheered to this.
Barbossa, however, rolled his eyes. "As per the Code, an act of war, which this is, can only be declared by the Pirate King."
"You made that up!" Jack accused.
"Did I?" Barbossa sneered. "Well there's only one way to find out. I call upon Captain Teague! Keeper of the Code!"
Jack went pale all the sudden.
"Oh you gotta be kidding me!" po snapped. So far he had been quiet, which was a big deal for him. "You guys are pirates! You shouldn't be following rules! Forget the Code! Who cares-"
BANG
A shot rang through the air. po stood stiff as a statue. Everybody rounded to the other side of the room, where a man now stood, holding a smoking pistol. He wore a long crimson frock coat embroidered with white, and a large hat with a feather, underneath which was long dread locked hair.
"The Code," Captain Teague whispered in a dark frightening voice, blowing the smoke from his pistol. "Is law." The entire Brethren Court became deathly silent at the appearance of this man.
Sora gulped. "W-Who's he?"
Barbossa smiled amusingly. "You don't want to know."
Captain Teague stalked his way to the end of the table where Jack stood. "You're in my way, boy," he grumbled. And then Jack did something Sora and the other Keyblade bearers never would have expected. He did what he was told, and stepped aside without argument. Teague then snapped his fingers. At his signal two old men entered carrying between them a huge book, labelled Pirata Codex.
"By the Code," Silver gasped in wonder. "It's the Code."
"Passed down by Morgan and Bartholomew," Ragetti recited awe struck.
The two old men placed the heavy book on the table, and shuffled off for Teague to take his rightful place before it. A padlock was in place, only to be unlocked when the necessary time came to consult the Code. With a flick of Teague's wrist, light filled his palm. Jolly Roger flittered through Sora's mind, who's mouth fell open in disbelief, as did the other Keyblade bearers. Teague merely winked at them, and tapped the padlock with his legendary weapon. There was a click, and he opened the book. Silently he turned the pages, and read when he found what he was looking for.
"You know, that guy looks a lot like Keith Richards," Jack Skellington muttered.
"What? You're crazy, he looks nothing like him," sonic scoffed.
Eventually Teague stopped reading, as he found what he was looking for, and everyone waited on the result. "Barbossa is right," he announced calmly. Barbossa smirked victoriously. "Only the Pirate King can declare war."
"There has not been a Pirate King since the first Court!" Chevalle groaned slapping his forehead. "And that's not likely to change."
"Not likely," Teague muttered. He propped his Keyblade against the wall and took a seat in a chair in the back.
"Pirate King?" Sora questioned.
"The very leader of the Brethren Court," Gibbs explained. "The Pirate King commands all the Pirate Lords, and therefore every pirate on the globe."
"Why has there never been one?" Elizabeth asked curiously.
"Because the Pirate King is elected by popular vote," Barbossa answered, scoffing. "And each Pirate Lord only ever votes for himself." That actually made sense to Sora. What pirate would ever even think of being considerate?
"I call for a vote!" Jack Sparrow called out. The Court groaned in unison. Clearly they had gone through this before. In the back, Teague had taken to strumming on an old guitar, seemingly unconcerned with all that went on.
Ammand rose from his seat. "I vote for Ammand the Corsair!"
"Sri Sumbhajee votes for Sri Sumbhajee," the Pirate Lord's attendant said.
"Capitan Chevalle, the penniless Frenchman."
"Mistress Cheng."
"Gentleman Jocard."
"Villanueva!"
"Uh, Elizabeth Swann."
"Barbossa." Finally, everyone once again turned to Jack Sparrow.
Jack smiled saucily.
"Elizabeth Swann."
Elizabeth blinked. "What?"
"What?" Barbossa growled.
"WHAT!?" the entire Court screamed.
"I know. It's crazy, isn't it?" Jack Sparrow chuckled. The Pirate Lords were in outrage, jumping from their seats, screaming and cursing Jack, because never in the history of the Brethren Court had a pirate not been enough of a jerk to vote for someone else. "So am I to understand," Jack chuckled. "That you all will not be honouring the code?"
A string snapped on Teague's guitar.
The Court was once again forced into silence. Slowly they took their seats again. "Very well, then," Mistress Ching growled resigned. She rose to her feet. "What say you, Captain Swann, King of the Brethren Court?" All eyes turned to Elizabeth.
"Prepare every vessel that floats," she ordered. A smile slowly began to grace her features. "At dawn, we go to war." The weight of her words weighed heavily. Surprisingly, Sri Sumbhajee was the one who rose from his seat, and for the first time since the meeting began, he spoke for himself.
"And so, we go to war." And it was in the squeakiest voice reminiscent of a certain big-eared King.
The pirates cheered righteously, jumping from their seats and pumping their fists. Where once they were sceptical now they were in full support of their new Pirate King. The Keyblade bearers cheered as well, Sora and Kairi with them, glad to finally be striking back at Maleficent and the Horned King. But there was one pirate who was not cheering. Barbossa scowled after being out ruled, and gave a quick nod to Ragetti. Amongst the celebrations, no one noticed the one-eyed pirate slink off, the assembled pieces of eight still in his possession.
Jack Sparrow smirked victoriously. As the pirates left to prepare for the upcoming war he stayed behind with Captain Teague, who was still seated with his guitar. And he was staring at Jack. "What?" he asked at the man's stare. "You've seen it all, done it all. You survived." He glanced off at the Keyblade that Teague had placed against the wall as he said this. "That's what it's all about, isn't it? Surviving?" Teague continued to stare at Jack, before he put his guitar aside.
"It's not just about living forever, Jackie," he whispered, and stood from his chair, walking to him until he stood eye-level with Jack. "The trick is living with yourself, forever." Jack slowly nodded, honestly taking the words to heart. Then he grew fidgety, and gave an embarrassed smirk.
"How's Mum?"
Captain Teague reached into his pocket, and pulled out a tiny shrivelled shrunken head of a woman hanging from a string. Jack gagged at the sight, and slowly took the freaky thing in his hand.
"She looks...great."
KHKHKHKH
Dawn came quickly.
Before Shipwreck Island the forces of the Brethren Court had gathered. Every ship they had at their disposal was brought to force; galleons, schooners, frigates, brigs, junks, all crewed by pirates from around the world. The Black Pearl floated at the forefront, where all the heroes were gathered. It would serve as the fleet's flagship in upcoming battle. Everyone was silent from ship to ship, awaiting the arrival of their enemy.
po stood in the crow's-nest, peering into the morning fog that had descended upon the sea. And that's when he saw it. Off in the distance, emerging through the fog, was the Flying Dutchman. "There they are!" he shouted loud enough for everyone to hear. He drew the sword at his waist. "Let's get em'!" The pirates and heroes erupted with righteous cheers, even the Beast let loose a mighty roar. Their fighting spirits never waned and their cheers didn't die, even as more ships began to emerge from the fog. And more. And more.
And more.
The cheering soon came to a complete stop, and the arms that held their weapons soon slackened at their sides. There were dozens of ships appearing through the fog. Much more than they had anticipated. Not only East India Trading Company vessels filled with soldiers, but also Heartless pirate ships armed to the teeth with cannons, their monstrous skull faces piercing through the fog. Hundreds of these made up an entire armada.
Stricken with silence, everyone turned to the one who's bright idea this was.
Jack Sparrow grinned nervously. "Parley?"
KHKHKHKH
As per the Pirate Code, a parley with the enemy commanders was required before battle could commence. Representatives from each side would meet to discuss terms or negotiations. A sandbar right between the Brethren fleet and the Company armada was the perfect place for such a meeting to take place. The pirate representatives were Hector Barbossa, Keyblade wielder Sora, Pirate King Elizabeth Swann, and Captain Jack Sparrow.
And waiting for them at the end of the sandbar were the followers of darkness. The Horned King stood proud and menacing, his hands clasped behind his back as he smiled. Maleficent drummed her green fingers on her staff, sneering cruelly as they approached. Davy Jones scowled darkly the entire time, raising a slimy eyebrow when he caught sight of Jack, made less threatening by the fact he had to stand in a bucket of water to be on land. Lord Cutler Beckett merely smiled confidently, completely at ease standing with these creatures. And perhaps the most the disturbing of all, Will Turner waited with them, his face kept neutral.
It was a short walk for the heroes, but it seemed to take forever before their confrontation with the villains. The kind of walk only made appropriate by dramatic background music. The only thing that stopped the villains from tearing their foes apart right now was the fact their true objective wasn't with them. Likewise with the heroes, even if they were to strike down their enemies they would have an armada to contest with right after.
"Will," Sora said upon stopping.
"So you're the one that lead these wolves to our door," Barbossa growled. Will said nothing.
"Do not blame Turner," Beckett said cooly, smirking amusingly. "He was merely the tool of your betrayal. If you wish to see its grand architect, you need merely look to your left."
Barbossa looked at Sora. Sora looked to Elizabeth. Elizabeth looked at Jack. Jack looked to...no one. When Jack turned back he saw all three were looking at him. "My hands are clean in this!" Jack declared, and inspected his dirty hands. "Figuratively."
"My actions were to my own and to my own purpose," Will stated firmly. "Jack had nothing to do with it."
"Well said! Listen to the tool!" Jack assured.
"Will, I've been aboard the Dutchman," Elizabeth said to her fiancé'. His eyes widened at the news. "I've seen your father, I know the burden you bear. But I fear that course may be lost."
"No course is lost," Will replied firmly. "Not as long as there is one fool left to fight for it." Jack Sparrow smiled; he couldn't have said it better himself.
"This can all be avoided, Sora," the Horned King chuckled morosely to the Keyblade bearer. "Simply hand Kairi over to us, and no blood need be spilt this day."
"You're out of your mind if you think that's going to happen," Sora growled angrily, and was half-tempted to whip out his Keyblade there and then.
"Barbossa," Maleficent said to the pirate, smiling. "You fought for me once. Do so again. You need not associate yourself with these fools if you merely give us Kairi."
Barbossa sneered. "Beggin' your pardon, missy. If this were only about the fate of one lass, I'd hand her over without a second thought. But there be more at stake here than that, and I'm not about to betray my own kind for a green-faced wench." Maleficent growled furiously.
Beckett took this time to fish something out of his pocket. "If Turner was not acting on your behalf," he said to Jack as he brought it out. "Then how did he come by this?" And Beckett dangled Jack's black compass before the heroes. Jack gulped, and his group glared at him, to which he looked away awkwardly. Beckett tossed him back the compass. "You made a deal with me, Jack. To deliver the girl." Sora's eyes widened, and he turned to Jack with an intensified glare. "And now she's here. Don't be bashful, step up. Claim you prize."
"Your debt to me is yet to be satisfied, Jack Sparrow," Davy Jones growled to Jack's dread. "One hundred years of service aboard the Dutchman is good, as a start!"
"But, that account has been settled," Jack told him. "Remember? I died. It wasn't pleasant." An idea suddenly lit up in Elizabeth's head. From the look she exchanged with Will, he had the same idea.
"I propose an exchange," she announced to the confusion of all present. "Will leaves with us. And you can have Jack."
"What?" Jack stammered and Barbossa snarled.
"Done," Will replied smiling.
"Undone!" Jack stammered.
"One less Keyblade bearer?" Maleficent mused. "Done."
"Undone! Stop that!" Jack exclaimed. "Sora, me lad, help me out here."
Sora, however, looked like he showed no remorse for the captain. "You were going to give them Kairi?" he asked. Jack nervously tugged on his collar.
"But what you're failing to understand is-"
"Done." Jack slapped his forehead in despair.
"Jack is one of the nine Pirate Lords," Barbossa hissed to Elizabeth. "You have no right to do this!"
Elizabeth merely smiled . "King," she reminded. Barbossa clenched his teeth; he was hating this new Pirate King more and more.
Everyone stared expectantly at Jack, who sighed in defeat, quickly flashing a grin. "As you wish, your highness," he said, and took off his hat to give a humble bow to Elizabeth. It was all the chance Barbossa needed. In a flash he drew his sword and swung it across Jack's bowed head, where it sliced through the thread that held the coin in his bandana. It fell to the sand, where it was quickly recovered by Barbossa's monkey.
"Hey!" Sora shouted and swiftly drew his Keyblade, holding it at point with Barbossa. The man smiled, and sheathed his sword. Jack, however, seemed much more distressed that his coin was missing than the fact Barbossa had almost killed him.
"Can't blame a man for trying," Barbossa chuckled. Sora glared at him one last time before he let his Keyblade vanish. No one noticed that when Barbossa's monkey clambered its way up his shoulder, and dropped Jack's trinket in his hand. Jack's look soured.
Will stepped forward and so did Jack, both sharing a gaze before they switched places with each other. Will went to stand beside Elizabeth, while Jack, reluctantly, went to stand beside Davy Jones. "Do you fear death?" the octopus captain growled.
Jack shuddered under his gaze. "You have no idea..."
"Enough," the Horned King commanded. "You can fight, and all of you will die. Or you can surrender." He smiled decrepitly. "In which case only most of you will die." Elizabeth scowled darkly. Suddenly she walked away from the assembled group, confronting Beckett.
"You murdered my father," she stated in a whisper.
Beckett smiled coldly. "He chose his fate."
"And you have chosen yours," Elizabeth shot back. Standing unwavering before the assembled villains before her, she made a bold statement. "We will fight. And you will die." And with that she turned her back on them to head back to the long boats. Sora, Will and Barbossa followed after her, officially ending negotiations. Beckett scowled, glaring at their backs before his terrible entourage made their way back as well, dragging an unfortunate Jack with them.
"King?" Will asked as they walked.
"Of the Brethren Court," Elizabeth
"Jack's idea," Sora explained simply.
Will blinked in surprise, a slow smile coming upon his face. "Maybe he really does know what he's doing."
After the botched negotiation in which one person was traded for another the heroes returned to the Black Pearl, and were helped back aboard by their comrades. "So, what happened?" Kairi asked once Sora was aboard again.
"Well, we talked it out," Sora sighed, a grin on his face. "Buuuuut it looks like we're gonna have to kick their asses after all." Kairi giggled despite such grim news.
"You had to sail out just to find out that?" sonic asked, cracking his knuckles one by one. "We could have just done that in the first place."
"Hey, where's Jack?" Mulan asked. And that's when everyone noticed that Jack had not come back with them.
"He fell behind," Will answered gruffly, surprising everyone to find he was back.
"Jack...doesn't matter right now," Sora hesitantly explained. He was still uncertain to just what the pirate captain thought he was doing. "We have a fight to win, and we don't exactly have an advantage in numbers."
"That's right," Elizabeth agreed. "We'll use the Black Pearl as a flagship."
"Do we now?" Barbossa chuckled, and he gestured before they could question the meaning of his words. Being lead from the ship's hold by long thick ropes that bound her entire body, was Tia Dalma. At the same time, Ragetti revealed the bowl that contained the nine pieces of eight.
Will's eyes widened in alarm. "No!" he shouted, but when he tried to interfere, all the pirates on board stopped him. The same thing happened to Sora, Elizabeth and Kairi, and any other Keyblade bearer who tried to step in. "Barbossa, you can't release her!"
"We have to give Jack more time!" Elizabeth cried.
"Apologies, your majesty," Barbossa growled. "But too long my fate has not been in my own hands. No longer!" He grabbed the bowl from Ragetti and placed Jack's piece of eight in with the others. Tia was brought to stand before the assembled pirates
"Now what?" Pintel asked anxiously.
"We have all the pieces of eight," Barbossa whispered, grinning as he looked at them. "But that's not all that's required. According to the stories, in addition to the nine pieces of eight, Calypso was locked in her human form by another power. A legendary weapon, with powers unlike any other. A weapon in the shape of a key."
Sora's eyes widened in realization. "A Keyblade?"
"Aye. It was a Keyblade that sealed Calypso all those years ago, it'll be a Keyblade that releases her. And while we do have an assortment of Keyblades to choose from, I think it's only appropriate if you do the honours." Sora frowned uncertainly.
"Sora, you can't," Will pleaded to the boy. "There's no telling what she'll do if she's free!" On the one hand if he released Calypso and she agreed to help them, it would give them an advantage in the upcoming battle. If she didn't, then they'd have an even worse enemy to contend with.
"I...I don't know," he muttered helplessly.
"Indecisive, are we?" Barbossa growled, his patience growing thin. "Perhaps I can help you with that." He gave a nod, and Pintel and Ragetti grabbed Kairi, pressing a blade against her throat and a pistol at her head.
"NO!" Sora shouted, restrained by pirates before he could stop them. Kairi stiffened against the cold steel of the knife.
"Nothing personal, Miss Kairi," Pintel whispered to her.
"We're just susceptible lackeys, you see," Ragetti explained matter-of-fact.
Sora glared daggers at Barbossa, but the pirate merely smiled, and Sora knew he was beat. "Alright," he sighed in defeat, and his Keyblade appeared. "You win." Will bowed his head. He would've done the same if it was Elizabeth.
Sora came before Tia with Keyblade in hand. The would be goddess was looking at him so pleadingly, even a little scared. "So what do I do?" Sora grudgingly asked Barbossa.
"First, the items must be gathered." Barbossa took the bowl containing the pieces of eight. "And the key must be pointed upon her." Sora awkwardly aimed his Keyblade at Tia. "And then the bearer of the key must speak the words, 'Calypso, I release you from your human bonds!'"
Sora frowned. "That's it?"
Barbossa flashed his rotting teeth with a smile. "It must be spoken as if to a lover." Everyone 'oohhooed' in understanding, then giggled naughtily. Barbossa shoved the bowl in Sora's face. "Now do it," he ordered.
Sora glared once more at him before he begrudgingly readied his Keyblade. Tia waited on him, not saying a word, her eyes wide in longing. "Calypso," Sora began, and not wanting to watch he closed his eyes. "I release you from your human bonds!"
"..."
Sora dared to open his eyes, only to find that Tia was still there, just as she always was, and all the pirates were staring at him expectantly. "What!?" he shouted. "It doesn't work! He must have got it wrong!"
"Sora," Beast called to him. "You're not doing it right." Sora stared at him, questioning, shaking his head in confusion. Beast smiled softly. "I mean, you're not saying it right." Sora pondered what the Beast could have meant by that, and then it hit. Giving a thankful nod to Beast, he turned back to Tia.
To a lover...
Sora didn't know why, or maybe he did and just denied it, but he looked right at Kairi. His face turned a deep shade of red, and he quickly looked away.
"Calypso," Sora said softly, much calmer than before. "I release you from your human bonds."
The pieces of eight burst into flame.
Ragetti yelped and dropped the bowl containing them in surprise. It turned out it wasn't needed, as the nine objects were now floating in mid-air. Despite the flames, they stayed completely undamaged. Everyone stared in wonder as they moved about, right in front of Tia Dalma, shaping themselves into some kind of image. That image was of a keyhole. That's when Sora's Keyblade, much to his astonishment, blasted white light from the tip, where it passed through the keyhole, and hit Tia Dalma in her chest.
The bayou woman gasped when it did. All the locks came undone, she actually felt them. Soon after the Keyblade's glowing ceased, all nine pieces of eight fell to the deck, still burning fully. No one payed them any mind because all eyes were on Tia. Whatever change that was supposed to take place hadn't happened yet, but it was clearly coming.
"Tia Dalma!" Will shouted. The woman did not seem to hear him. "Calypso."
Calypso's fierce gaze rounded to meet his.
She asked, "When the Brethren Court imprisoned you, who was it who told them how? Who's Keyblade was it that sealed you away?" Calypso's eyes seemed to grow more intense and angry with each reminder. "Who was it that betrayed you?"
"Name him!" she finally demanded. Her very voice seemed to command power. And Will did.
"Davy Jones."
What was once an expression of anger and fear, became one of shock. And then hurt. And finally utter sadness. The only one she had trusted, the one she had loved...was the one who had betrayed her. Calypso slowly shook her head, refusing to believe it, but she knew it to be true. A single tear ran down her cheek. It seemed that even gods can suffer a broken heart.
And then she started to grow. Everyone backed away in shock and fear as Tia Dalma- Calypso, started growing larger and larger, taller and taller. The ridiculous amount of ropes that contained her before turned out to be necessary as she rose even higher than the masts of the Black Pearl. Somehow they managed to hold on
"What a woman!" Silver said in amazement, craning his neck like everyone to gaze upon the fifty-foot woman.
"Calypso!" Barbossa shouted. He bowed upon one knee. Everyone on board slowly followed suit. "I come before you your humble servant. I have fulfilled my vow, and now I ask your favour." Calypso stared down at them all, like she was looking at ants. "Spare myself, my ship, my crew, but unleash your fury upon those who would dare call themselves your masters, or mine!"
Calypso did nothing, said nothing, only towered above them. Barbossa frowned uncertainly, especially when a wicked smile came across the goddesses' face. Chills went down the spines of all present. Suddenly she started shouting in Latin, her voice loud and booming. And then she started to change again, becoming no longer Tia Dalma, but something else entirely. Crabs! Thousands and thousands of crabs. She came apart this way as they started spilling from her form all at once. Everyone screamed in alarm as they swept across the deck, drowning them in a tidal wave of pinching, before they spilled overboard and into the sea.
Everyone soon raised themselves in various states, some plucking pinching crabs from their persons, and others still wondering just had happened. "OwowowowowowowOWWW!" Sora screamed, pulling a crab painfully from one of his hair spikes. po hopped around the deck screaming in pain until he reached into his pants, and threw the crabby culprit into the ocean.
Everyone else looked over the side of the ship where the crabs had gone, but they had all sunk to the bottom by now. There was no other sign of the bsea goddess Calypso. "So...what now?" Pintel dared to ask. But as Barbossa stared over the ship as well, for the first time, he had no answer.
"Nothing," he soon replied. He shook his head. "Our last hope is gone."
"Well that was a whole lot of work for no reward!" sonic growled, and winced as he plucked a crab's pincer from one of his spikes. "We rescued Jack for this?!"
Elizabeth, also looking over the rail, was torn away from it when she noticed something. The wind had begun to pick up. Subtly at first but it seemed to be growing as the minutes passed.
"It's not over," she whispered.
"That's right!" Sora declared. "We still have a fight to win!"
"We've an armada against us," Gibbs groaned, gesturing out at sea where their enemy waited. "And with the Dutchman there's no chance."
"But...we gotta do something!" Sora implored.
"Your devotion to your woman is admirable, boy," Barbossa said drearily. "But it's not something I'm willing to die for."
"Then what will you die for?" Everyone turned to Elizabeth when she asked her question. She looked to all the assembled crew. "What would any of you die for?" Everyone was silent, either unable to answer or could find no reason to.
A determined look came upon Elizabeth's face. "You will listen to me," she commanded. She pushed her way through the pirates, and suddenly grabbed the rope ladder and leapt onto the rails. She gazed out over the pirates assembled on the Black Pearl. "The Brethren will still be looking to us, to the Black Pearl to lead, and what will they see? Frightened bilge rats aboard a derelict ship?" They all stared up at her in wonder. The crews of neighbouring ships were also listening intently. "No! They will not! What they will see is free men, and freedom. And they will see the flash of our cannons, and they will hear the ring of our swords and they will know what we can do! By the sweat of our brows, and the strength of our backs and the courage of our hearts." Pirate King Elizabeth Swann steeled her gaze, and the pirates waited on her command. "Gentlemen...hoist the colours."
Will nodded slowly. "Hoist the colours..."
"Hoist the colours...," Gibbs whispered in a grin.
"Yeah," Silver muttered, a big grin forming on his chubby face. "Yeah! The winds at our backs, boys! That's all we need!" Everyone cheered in righteous agreement, raising their fists.
"HOIST THE COLOURS!" Elizabeth hollered. The Pirate King's order went out, and all set to work. All across the Brethren Fleet the pirates prepared themselves. Guns were passed out, swords were sharpened and unsheathed, cannons were armed and rolled out. One by one the ships raised their flags, the standards of their Pirate Lords and their heritage. From Ammand the Corsair to Mistress Cheng or even to the ship of Captain Teague, men from all around the world were readying to fight for their freedom.
Sora stepped to the front of the Black Pearl, gazing out at the armada set before them. Their enemies had gathered here, Maleficent, the Horned King, Cutler Beckett, and the misguided Davy Jones. They would all come for Kairi. And they would all find him standing in their way.
The battle would come soon...
And that concludes another chapter. Be sure to write nice reviews, adapt the original story (Darius Almighty's work) on DeviantArt, turn it into a webcomic or post the story on TV tropes or follow and favorite it. And remember may your heart be your guiding key!