"Ugh...huh? Where...am I?"
"Well well, it seems as though you've finally woken up!" Jexana said with a smirk, sitting down on a chair and staring at the woman who had just woken up. The woman instantly tried to sit up, but she felt as if her body was made of stone, for she couldn't move!
"What have you done to me!? And what have you done to Ven!?" she demanded furiously, as she noticed she was on a bed, and Jexana simply giggled.
"Oh, you worry too much, Trish! My darling little Ventus is doing just fine under my care! Why, I think he's better than he ever was before! And you have me to thank for that!" Jexana replied as she crossed her arms. Trish glared at her and tried to move, but it was no use.
"Go to hell!" she shouted out, and at that, Jexana burst out laughing. She really seemed to be enjoying this!
"Oh ho, well, aren't you being aggressive? You should really consider just who you're talking to! Because one more insult like that..." she started to say, and then she summoned a sharp, dark dagger and pointed it at Trish's throat. Jexana made her point quite clear.
"Well, I don't think I have to explain myself, do I?" she asked, and Trish remained silent. She then unsummoned her dark dagger and shook her head.
"Oh, you definitely are a piece of work! You rest and think just how much of use you can be to me, you hear me?" she proclaimed, and then she opened the door and closed it shut under lock and key. She then looked at one of the guards waiting outside, and she looked at him.
"Keep watch, and let me know if she acts up." she relayed her orders, and the soldier nodded and stood by the door dutifully. Then, she went above decks for some fresh air. She noticed that Emmxett was standing quietly, looking at the stars. She then walked towards him and stood by his side.
"Thinking of something?" she asked. Emmxett looked at her momentarily before looking back at the stars.
"I'm just gazing at the stars, appreciating the peaceful scenery. It's not every day that we see nights such as this. It really does make you feel like a small part of a much bigger universe, wouldn't you agree? Breathing in this air, looking at all the worlds that lie before us and everywhere else, one can't help but feel helplessly small. It's a wonder how the universe works, wouldn't you say? Anyways, enough of this. I received a report from one of our scouts. It seems that two more armies of Keyblade Wielders had sided with us, and they are on their way to us as we speak. It seems that they are very enthusiastic on the idea of siding with us, a fact I find very advantageous. We already have a massive fleet, and now we add two armies of Keyblade Wielders, and it all adds up to our forces becoming that much stronger. It's good news, if I do say so myself." he said, as he alternated glances to Jexana and then to the stars again. She nodded and gave a satisfied smile.
"That is good news indeed. Thank you for the report." she said. Emmxett then cleared his throat and seemed a bit uncomfortable. Jexana immediately noticed this and then crossed her arms.
"Is there something else you wish to say?" she asked, and then he scratched his head before answering. He looked to the left, and then Jexana glanced back, and noticed that he was looking at Ventus, who was staring at the endless horizon of the Lanes Between, silent and still. She then glanced back at Emmxett.
"What about him?" she asked.
"It seems to me that we're on borrowed time with him...he may be under your spell now, but what if he breaks free? If he's able to break out of his trance, he'll pose a serious problem, and when he finds out that Trish is here, well, I don't think I have to be much clearer than that..." he said cautiously. Jexana shook her head and smirked.
"Nonsense, my paranoid friend. Ventus is not able to break from my spell, and I've made sure of that numerous times. He's mine now, and will always be." she said with utmost confidence. Emmxett shook his head and gave out a sigh.
"Just to be fair, I'm going to give you a fair warning. All may be fine and well for now...but if Ventus finds a way to break free of your spell...if he finds a way to do so and becomes a threat to us...I won't hesitate to kill him on the spot. If that's what happens, just know that I'm not to blame." he declared. For a moment, Jexana looked at him grimly, and she clenched her fists, as if she was going to say something, but she decided not to press on the argument, and she nodded.
"Fair enough...but he won't break free....of that much I promise you." she said, and with that, she headed towards the soldiers. Emmxett gave out a smirk and chuckled to himself.
"Keep telling yourself that..." he thought to himself.
Ever since Jexana had brought Ventus into the fold, Emmxett had been uneasy. Sure, he was under her spell and all, but there was just something about the whole situation that made Emmxett extremely uncomfortable. Maybe he was being paranoid, but at the same time, he was just being cautious. He held his Kuzuri closely to him, and he looked at the stars anew. He closed his eyes for a brief moment and enjoyed the soft, cold breeze that blew past, and when he opened his eyes, he smiled and sniffed the air, almost as if he was tracking someone, or something. He then summoned his Kuzuri and swung it in wide arcs, and then stabbed it on the wooden floor, placing his palms on the hilt and chuckling softly.
"This is going to be very interesting indeed...very, very interesting. We'll see what comes out of all this in the end. That'll be worth every single moment of this...yes it will..." he said aloud to himself, as he continued gazing at the stars.
---
Meanwhile, Dawn, Riku, Mickey and the rest of the Keyblade Wielders saw the portal open to the other side, at which point they came out of the portal, and once they got out, they noticed that they seemed to have gotten into a ship! Well, at least that's what they felt it was like, since they were being swayed back and forth gently. Suddenly, all of them felt instantly cold, and when they breathed out, they could see the very air they were breathing! Everyone except Gilgamesh was feeling the cold. He was just looking around, wondering where they had arrived to!
"W-which world did we end up on? I-it's freezing!" Vanitas said as he stuttered, his arms shaking from the low temperatures. Dexeres took a few steps and then walked upstairs, and then he noticed something, and then looked down to the others.
"Guys, I think we're in a pirate ship!" he deduced, for the smell of rum was in the air, mixed with the cold. Dawn and the others followed Dexeres, who kept going up the stairs, going from the bottom of the ship to the deck above. He then noticed a few people huddled up ahead, looking at something. He looked back at his friends and notioned them to be quiet. He summoned his Keyblade and gripped it tightly at the ready. Mickey then recognized one of the people on the other side of the ship.
"Guys, wait a minute, I think one of those people over there is Mr. Gibbs!" the little mouse whispered, and at that, Riku approached him.
"Wait, you mean Gibbs, friend of Jack Sparrow?" he asked. Mickey nodded.
"That's the one!" he answered.
"Well, if you two know him, then that's good, isn't it?" Kairi asked, and the two nodded in confirmation.
"Well, then that settles that. Let's go talk to them." Dawn said, and so, they went towards Gibbs and the others. When Gibbs turned around, he instantly recognized Riku and Mickey.
"Ah, if it isn't you two! I haven't seen you two since the last time you came around! How has everything been faring for ye?" he asked, covering himself up as he shivered from the cold.
"We've been through...quite a lot lately, but we've been able to manage. How about you? Have all of you been able to recover from Jack's death...? The last time we saw you, the Kraken swallowed up the Black Pearl, am I right?" Riku said. Gibbs nodded grimly.
"There's no denying the fact...Jack sunk down with the Pearl, and we've all been grieving mighty much ever since...it hasn't been easy, let me tell you. Jack offered to stay behind to fend off the Kraken while the rest of us made our escape...and well, here we are today. If it hadn't been for Jack's sacrifice...we would've been goners..." he explained, a grim expression forming on his face.
"I see...I'm sorry to hear that!" Mickey said, feeling sympathy for Gibbs.
"There be no need to feel sorry, little one. For we be going to the locker to fetch Jack back!" another pirate said. This pirate looked quite sinister, and he was clad in black, and had a big hat with a long, black feather. His beard was scruffy, and he seemed to be the only person who wasn't being affected by the cold.
"And who might you be?" Dawn asked. The pirate simply chuckled to himself and then bowed mockingly.
"Ah yes, apologies M'lady. The name's Hector Barbossa, the rightful captain to the Black Pearl!" he introduced himself. The Keyblade Wielders gave each other momentary glances, for they sensed that Barbossa was more of a rogue than a friend. Well, with appearances like his, you'd think he was a villain!
"So wait, you mentioned your going to the locker? What is that place?" Riku asked. Barbossa was quick to answer.
"That be the place where all souls be laid to rest." was his answer. Simple and clean, and to the point.
"So wait, are you saying that this locker is the afterlife?" Kairi asked, a bit concerned with all this talk about souls being laid to rest.
"That could be a term for it, yes." Barbossa replied casually.
"But, if this locker you're speaking of is the afterlife, isn't it inaccessible? After all, when people die, you can't bring them back to life, am I right? So how are you going to bring back a person who's already died? It's impossible!" Kairi said, for she didn't seem to believe in what Barbossa was saying.
"Ha ha ha, I can tell you aren't from these waters, lass. True, Davy Jones's locker is where the dead gather and can no longer return, but...given the right circumstances...one can be able to arrive to the locker, and even possibly bring back those we had thought to be lost." Barbossa explained.
"I see..." was all Kairi could say, as she didn't know what else to discuss regarding the topic. Barbossa then shook his head and frowned.
"Truth be told, I'd leave Jack to his fate and not bring him back in the slightest...but, since the song has already been sung...the time has come for all the Pirate Lords to gather...and just our luck, Jack is one of them, I being another one." he said.
"Wait, Jack Sparrow is a Pirate Lord? I never took him for a lord of anything, to be honest." Riku said, and all the others on the ship agreed.
"Well, it's just as people sometimes say: 'Looks can be deceiving." a voice said. When Riku and the others turned around, they saw the same man who had been in the Black Pearl the last time.
"Ah, I remember you! You're...Will Turner, right?" Mickey guessed. The pirate nodded.
"That's right. I remember you, and your silver haired friend as well. You were with us the day that the Black Pearl sunk with Jack...it is good to see that you are doing well." he said with a bow, and they nodded. Will then looked at Barbossa.
"Are we close?" he asked. Barbossa gave a sinister smirk and nodded slowly.
"Aye, we be very close!" he answered. He then went towards the other members of the crew, while Will crossed his arms, for his mind seemed to be distant. Riku noticed this and then put his hand on his shoulder.
"Will, are you okay?" he asked. The young man nodded and sighed.
"Yes, I'm alright...I'm just...concerned..." he answered, and with that, he left the Keyblade Wielders and went inside the ship. They all looked at each other and remained silent for a bit. Then, Kairi stepped forward.
"Well guys, from the looks of things, I think it's best if we stay here. This gives us the chance to be on a lookout for any unexpected enemies. We need to be ready for anything!" she said. The others nodded.
"I agree with you, lass! And also, I am very curious as to what this locker of this supposed Davy Jones looks like!" Gilgamesh said, stating his standing on things. Vanitas, however, was distant from the group, and seemed oddly quiet.
"Vanitas...is everything okay?" Dexeres asked, wondering what Vanitas was thinking. Vanitas, noticing that everyone was looking at him, snapped out of himself and cleared his throat.
"Sorry about that...but my mind was somewhere else..." he said.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Dawn asked, feeling concern for Vanitas. He shook his head and shrugged.
"Ah, it's nothing. No need to be worrying yourselves over me, now." he stated with a chuckle. And with that, everyone got settled on the ship, as their journey to Davy Jones's locker kept on.
All the while, everyone had used this peaceful time on the ship to think deeply to themselves. They were all silent and pondering about what the future might hold. Dexeres wondered what fate had in store for himself and his friends, and he sighed as he looked up at the cloudy sky. He closed his eyes for a moment and remembered all the adventures he had been through with his friends, and a smile came across his face, and then he opened his eyes and chuckled softly to himself. He was lucky that he had friends he could care for like family. He felt very blessed for it.
Vanitas, who was again distant from the group, stood near the ropes holding the ship's sails. He gazed at the enormous glaciers that dotted the horizon, and he noticed how dark the icy cold water was. With every breath he took, he could see his own breath swirling in tiny puffs that looked like smoke. He had a grim expression on his face. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, for he seemed to have remembered something he didn't want to remember...or rather, something that he could have been able to handle, but wasn't able to. He remembered the battle against Jexana, and how he wasn't able to free Ventus from her trance! And the fact that both he and Trish were captured, and that he hadn't been able to free them, made Vanitas very angry. He closed his eyes, shook his head, and took a deep breath, and then he sighed.
"I failed you...but you two better be alive...don't you dare die..." he whispered to himself, as he continued to gaze at the glacier dotted landscape.
Kairi was spacing out now and then. Her thoughts were focused on Sora, Donald, Goofy and Xion, and she was worried sick about them! She was especially worried about Sora! Every time she thought of him, her heart ached, but then she constantly reassured herself that everything would be okay. She needed to keep a positive mindset, she just had to! She looked at the others, and then she sighed and summoned her Keyblade, and she looked at it for a long time.
"What kind of life is this...?" she asked to herself, and she shook her head and struggled to answer her own question.
Riku, Dawn, Gilgamesh and Mickey were close together, and they were discussing what they should do, in the event that another group like the Knights Of Yggdrasil were to come their way.
"We have to consider the fact that not all the armies that'll come our way will be enemies. We have to also keep in mind that there may be those armies that would be willing to be our allies! If we could find such armies, and convince them to help us to put a stop to the Keyblade War, then we'd have a huge advantage! But, at the same time, we need to be extra cautious. We've lost so many loved ones, and right now we're on edge as is, and the last thing we need is another fatal casualty..." Dawn said, weary and worried. Riku put his hand on her shoulder.
"It'll be okay, Dawn. And at least we have aid of your father's counsel, so if anything ends up too extreme, we know we can count on them for help." he reassured her.
"Master Riku is correct, young lass! We need to keep heart, no matter what!" Gilgamesh proclaimed, and Mickey nodded.
"Well fellas, I think the best thing we can do right now is rest ourselves and save our strength. With everything that's happening in all the other worlds, we need to be as strong as ever for whatever threats come our way!" Mickey remarked, and the others nodded in agreement.
As the hours passed, day turned to night, and now, the ship had moved from a glacier dotted landscape, to a flawless, seemingly endless sea, with no island, glacier, or anything else on sight. The only thing that could be seen were the stars, and when looking at the water, the reflection of the stars made it seems as if they were floating in space. It seemed almost dream-like! Everyone on the ship was quite, and their surroundings also had an eerie silence. Perhaps it was a bit too quiet! Everyone, except for Barbossa, were asleep below decks. Riku, who was the only one awake, came above decks and went to Barbossa. Both of them remained in silence for a long time. Riku then glanced over at Barbossa and crossed his arms.
"Do you really think he'll be on the other side?" he asked.
"Let us pray it to be so, lad...let us pray it to be so..." Barbossa said in a grim tone. Suddenly, a noise, at first faint, started to get louder.
"What's that noise...?" Riku asked.
Barbossa's grim expression had suddenly changed into one of defiance and confidence.
---
Back in Atlantis, the battle was raging intensely, as the entire cavern was lit with explosions and aircraft zooming above and about! Kyle, Raxon and Sky were giving it their all to defeat the Unborn creature, who still refused to fall down! It was incredibly strong, and it had taken out a fair share of both Atlanteans and Roark's men in equal measure! Roark was higher up the cavern, about halfway towards the exit! Kyle panted as he was feeling tired, but he shook off his tiredness and made sure to remain in focus on the battle! He momentarily glanced upwards and noticed Roark still floating higher up! He then performed a quick Ars Arcanum attack at the Unborn and drove it to the ground.
"Guys, Roark's escaping!" he shouted.
"We can't be at too many places at once, Kyle, we can't deal with him right now!" Raxon said as he dodged the Unborn's attacks.
"Raxon, the best thing you can do now is go to Roark and stop him! Kyle and I will stay here to fend off this pest, kupo!" Sky suggested, and Raxon looked at him, and then at Kyle before saying anything.
"Are the two of you sure?" he asked. They both nodded in unison.
"Alright then...I'm going to take out that bastard once and for all!" he said, as he propelled himself from the ground, then proceeding to land on one of the fighter planes, taking out the pilot, and then taking control of the figher plane himself. He went full throttle and was going straight towards Roark! From the corner of his eye, he could also see Milo closing in on him!
"Well, isn't he the brave one?" he thought to himself.
Mere seconds before Raxon reached Roark, Milo jumped off from his vehicle, which hit another one of the hot air balloon supports, causing Roark to float further down! He landed near a furious Roark, who was now hell bent on taking out Milo! Luckily, Raxon arrived in time and came to lend a helping hand!
"I'm sure you could use the help!" the pirate said, and Milo nodded greatfully.
"Yeah, I could use the help indeed!" he replied, and all of a sudden, Roark came in between them, with a big axe in his hand, and he swung it forth violently, Milo and Raxon just barely dodging his attack!
"You just had to get in the way, Milo! Well, if I'm going down, you'll be going down with me!" Roark said through gritted teeth, as his eyes had a menacing feel to them! Raxon then heard the Unborn creature below roar louder than before, and he noticed that the Unborn creature was synched with Roark! It was feeding off of Roark's greed! He then knew what had to be done.
"This is for the old man!" the pirate said, as he summoned his Keyblade and attacked Roark, but the latter had quick reflexes, and so blocked Raxon's attack, pushing him to the left side of the hot air balloon! He then regained his attention to Milo.
"You know Mr. Thatch, it takes a lot to get under my skin, so congratulations, you've done it! You've won the grand kupie doll!" Roark said, a psychotic look plastered on his face! Milo looked in horror, as he tried to think of a way to take out Roark. Raxon again attempted to attack Roark, but he blocked his attack again, and then proceeded to kick him in the gut. Raxon wouldn't give up though, as he and Roark continuously fought! The duel between the two was intense, but it wasn't long until Roark punched Raxon right in the jaw, knocking him unconscious, and sending him falling down towards the battle below!
"Oh no!" Milo yelled, and in a split second, he turned around and saw Roark coming at him again. But this time, Milo crouched and dodged him, but even so, Roark managed to pull his leg, and they both fell right on top of the container where Kida was!
Down below, the battle was raging ever more intensely, as Kyle and Sky were being cornered by the Unborn creature. No matter what they did, they just couldn't be able to bring it down! Sky tried providing cover for Kyle by casting Mine Square, but their foe was immune to the spell! Kyle then tried to perform a Reversal and then attack with Stun Edge, but he was stopped short in his tracks before even attempting the attack! They were both bruised and tired, and they didn't know if they could keep going! Sky then looked upward and gasped!
"Oh no, it's Sky! He's unconscious, kupo!" the little moogle yelped out. Kyle saw what was happening, and he felt his heart race.
"Go get him Sky, I'll take care of the Unborn!" he shouted. Sky nodded and flew quickly towards Raxon, who kept plummeting down! Kyle then tried to distract the Unborn, but didn't get any results!
"Come on, come on...I need to finish you off!" he shouted out, but the Unborn still ignored him, preparing to attack Sky and Raxon in midair!
"No!" Kyle shouted out, as everything seemed to slow down! Suddenly, he blacked out!
"Heh, looks like you could use my help!"
And just like that, Kyle transformed into his Feral Form, but now, he seemed even more intimidating and powerful than ever before! He seemed even more bestial, and his eyes flared an even brighter yellow! His teeth were razor sharp, and his hair was now so long that it reached the ground! His Keyblade transformed into an even more powerful form, and its power was so great, that the ground below him shook slightly, with tiny rocks slowly floating upwards! Sky immediately noticed Kyle's transformation, just as he caught Raxon, and he gasped! He now felt shivers go down his spine!
"H-he's transformed again, kupo...!" the little moogle thought to himself, as he saw the fearsome eyes that Feral Kyle had!
"Come over here, you brute!" Feral Kyle shouted out to the Unborn, and this time, the large foe turned its attention to him! Feral Kyle smirked.
"About time you paid attention!" he spoke.
All of a sudden, he disappeared. Sky landed a short distance away from where Fearl Kyle had been, and he tried to see if he could spot him on the battlefield!
"W-where is he, kupo?" the little moogle muttered to himself, as he glanced over at Raxon, who was still unconscious.
Suddenly, the Unborn creature roared in pain, and it tilted to the side and crashed against the cavern wall! Sky gasped, and when he narrowed his eyes and took a closer look, he noticed Feral Kyle relentlessly bashing the Unborn's head with his Keyblade and claws, practically marauding it! He then leapt up quickly and swooped down, piercing through the Unborn's stomach, and then proceeding to perform lighting fast Reversals, and then adding the finishing touch, he used the power of the Dark Light to imbue his Keyblade with even greater power! Shortly afterwards, he performed a devastating Meteor Smash attack that crushed the Unborn, pulverizing it into oblivion! Just like that, Feral Kyle had defeated the menacing foe! He then walked towards a panicked Sky and an unconscious Raxon. The little moogle prepared to cast a spell.
"S-stay back! I'm warning you, kupo!" the little moogle said, barely holding back a scream! Feral Kyle smirked and got close, literally eye to eye with the little moogle.
"Afraid of me, aren't you? Well, you should be...boo!" he said, and with that, Kyle reverted back to his normal self, and fell unconscious! Sky, while then feeling relief, also groaned at his current predicament.
"Oh, c-come on, now the two of you are unconscious! You two are reckless, kupo!" the little moogle said, as he created protective orbs around them, and then used his magic to levitate them and take them to a safe place!
---
At that same moment, Barbossa had woken everyone in the ship, and now the crew was in an uproar, bracing themselves for what was to come! Riku and the rest of the Keyblade Wielders were already prepared, and were ready for whatever was coming now! The rest of the crew was panicking, while Will Turner fastened himself. Barbossa was simply laughing, for he seemed to be the only one who was enjoying the moment!
"Well lads, this is where we fall down into the locker! There may be no returning, and this may be the only time we'll ever set upon this path...and these may be the final words you ever hear..." he said with a sinister grin, and then he braced himself, as the ship started to sail faster! Riku had already seen what lied beyond. A waterfall that lead to...nowhere. Whether this was the way to the locker or not, it seemed like suicide! But, if this was the way to rescue Jack, then there was no other option!
"Everyone ready!?" Riku asked out loud.
"You bet we are!" Dawn answered, with absolutely no fear resounding in her voice.
"As ready as we'll ever be!" Vanitas confirmed.
"Ready!" Dexeres replied.
"Yes, I am prepared!" Gilgamesh proclaimed, while Kairi and Mickey simply nodded, for they seemed a bit nervous.
"Everybody hold on!!!" Will Turner yelled, and everyone braced themselves for what was to come.
In the next few seconds, there was only a deafening sound of crashing water, and the sound of the ship creaking down, as it slowly fell down the bottomless waterfall! No one was able to make sense of the moment, since they all blacked out instantly! Just as suddenly as they had fallen down the waterfall, each and every one of them was now unconscious!
Dawn tried to open her eyes, but she found that she couldn't. She felt as if she was floating, and she struggled again to open her eyes, but with no results. She tried to call out to her friends, but when her mouth opened, no sound came out of it. She desperately tried to move, but even that failed to do anything! She felt alone, and very, very cold. She didn't like this feeling one bit! She felt a cold shiver down her spine, and she had goosebumps! Suddenly, she thought she heard a fain sound. She tried opening her eyes, and this time, she was able to! But what lay before her was nothing but pitch black nothingness. Everything around her was dark, and no one was in sight. She felt scared for a moment, but then regained her composure. Then, she heard the sound again. It sounded like a voice!
"R-Riku? Is that you?" she asked, trying to acertain the identity of the voice. No response.
"Who's there!?" she asked again, this time louder and clearer. Still no response. She sighed and remained quiet for a while, but then, she suddenly felt as if someone was behind her, but when she turned around, no one was there.
"Come and find me..." a voice suddenly said. It sounded like the voice of a female!
"Huh? Who's that? Who are you?" Dawn asked, hoping to get an aswer this time.
"Find me..." the voice said again.
"I don't even know who you are!" Dawn shouted out, and just like that, she suddenly felt like she was drowning! Then, she quickly closed her eyes momentarily, and when she opened them, she found herself swirling in an ocean wave towards a shore! She landed right on the sand!
She coughed out water, and she rubbed her eyes and shook her head. What had just happened? She stood up and felt the sun burning on her skin, and then she saw an endless horizon of white sand. There were small traces of wood and small objects, but this wasteland was practically a land of sand! She looked around and wondered where she was. Then, she instantly thought of the other, and she gasped, wondering where they were! She quickly ran along the shore of the seemingly endless ocean, and she searched all around, but so far, she had found no one.
"Riku! Mickey! Gilgamesh! Anybody?" she called out.
"What the heck happened?" she asked to herself. The last thing she remembered was falling off a bottomless waterfall on a ship with the others. Then she remembered the conversation with Barbossa, Gibbs and Will.
"Davy Jones's locker..." she whispered to herself. Suddenly, she heard a shout from far away. When she tried to pinpoint the source, she noticed that it was Kairi!
"Hey!!!" Kairi shouted, and Dawn, relieved, ran towards her.
After reaching Kairi, they both embraced each other and smiled of relief.
"I'm so glad that you're okay!" Kairi said, and Dawn nodded and smiled.
"And I'm glad to see that you're doing okay too! But...where are the others?" Dawn asked. Kairi seemed uncertain.
"I...really don't know. But, since we were all together on the ship, I'm sure all of us made it here..." she stated. Dawn shrugged and looked at the surroundings, and then she pointed towards a big sand dune.
"Let's head over there! With luck, we may find our friends!" Dawn suggested, and Kairi nodded.
"Right!" she replied, and so, they both went towards the sand dune.
At that same moment, Vanitas and Dexeres had already been scouring the far side of the shore, and they hadn't found anyone. Vanitas was starting to get annoyed, while Dexeres was admiring the beautiful scenery.
"Damn it, some trip this was..." Vanitas cursed under his breath.
"Look at that ocean...it's beautiful, isn't it?" Dexeres asked, ignoring Vanitas' comment. Vanitas rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever, let's just go and find our friends already!" he proclaimed, and so Dexeres followed.
Everything was quite in this barren wasteland, except, of course, for the ocean waves, which were the only source of noise in this entire place! As Vanitas and Dexeres kept walking, Dexeres could feel the smoothness of the sand under his feet, and he closed his eyes and smiled. Even though they were in this precarious situation, he seemed really relaxed, almost soothed! Vanitas, on the other hand, was kicking the sand in annoyance. It looked like he really didn't like the desert scenery so much. He kept mumbling to himself and trying to get the sand off of his damp clothes. After walking a bit more, they saw Mickey and Gilgamesh in the distance, along with Barbossa and his crew!
"There they are." Dexeres said.
"Finally!" Vanitas puffed out, still very much annoyed.
--------------------------------------------------------
And so, it seems that the company has reached Davy Jones's Locker! Will they find Jack Sparrow here, or was their journey in vain? And what will be the fate of Atlantis? And just what else will happen? Keep a lookout for Chapter Ten: "The Song Has Been Sung!"