Kingdom Hearts II: Home Sweet Sanctuary

Chapter 54: Vanitas!?

I opened my eyes and saw I was back on the Interceptor, or what was left of it. I lifted myself up as best I could.

"Sis, are you okay?!" Sora asked, worried. Sora helped me to my feet and I nodded. "You protected me... from being paralyzed."

"Of course, I promised I would protect you." I looked at Jack and saw he was a skeleton again. "You stole a medallion again!?" I exclaimed.

"Were I only that fortunate..." Jack said.

"Fortunate?" Donald asked.

"So, uh, how come you're skeleton-y?" Goofy asked.

"Perhaps I got a touch o' somethin' from that monster what attacked us. Yet, why's the skin restin' right on you 4?" Jack asked.

"'Cause we're not greedy!" The 3 of us looked at Donald. "What are you looking at?" Donald asked and I snickered.

"You." He grumbled at this.

"That still doesn't solve the mystery." Sora said. Jack walked out of the light and became human again.

"Gawrsh... Maybe the reason we're all okay is because we're not from this world." Goofy said.

"There must be different laws." Donald said.

"Yeah. We're always just passing through." I said.

"Wonder if we'll never see home again..." Sora said.

"Sora, don't say that!"

"Just kiddin' you! Lucky we didn't get cursed!"

"Quit yammerin', mates! We've got to find ourselves a ship that'll float." Jack said. We searched, but found nothing that would help us.

"Oh, Sora, thanks for saving me from drowning. I thought I was a goner." Sora looked at me confused.

"Piri, it couldn't have been me. I was unconscious and floated here." Sora said. If it wasn't Sora, then who could have... Vanitas. He had saved me. He was still good inside... or was it for his own value?

"Look!" Donald exclaimed. We looked in the direction Donald pointed and saw a Nobody tossing a medallion around.

"A medallion! Get it!" Jack exclaimed. I managed to destroy it before it escaped. Jack picked up the medallion. "3 more to go!"

"How do you know?" Sora asked.

"A pirate has to have a keen eye, or they won't last long." I said.

"Precisely." Jack said.

~

Sora's Pov

We managed to find another medallion while at the ship graveyard, but we still need a way to go find the others. That's when we heard a creaking noise coming toward us. We turned to see the Black Pearl.

"Ahoy, mateys!" Elizabeth called.

"Ridiculous imitation— and yet, I'm flattered." Jack said. We sailed to Isla de Muerta and found the last 2 medallions.

"That's 4 medallions. We got 'em all!" I said.

"But where's the chest?" Jack asked.

"If we find the hooded man, we'll find it." Will said.

"Then we need to head back to Port Royal." Piri said.

"Why's that?" Elizabeth asked.

"Organization XIII's after people's hearts. So, they're going to go where there's lots of people." I said.

"They'll hurt the townsfolk?" Will asked.

"No, they're bringin' 'em flowers, mate. I don't know who these Organizers are, but I will say they're makin' we pirates look like proper gents." Jack said.

"Well, Jack... then... we have to help!"

"Then let go and haul to run free!" We soon came to Port Royal and found the chest, along with the Heartless. "Go! He's for me." The Heartless chased after Jack. I placed the medallions and the Heartless changed back to normal.

"The curse— it's gone!" Donald exclaimed. The curse was gone, but Jack hadn't changed back.

"Then what's this?" Jack asked.

"Aw, I understand. Jack musta been cursed by the monster, not from takin' the gold." Goofy said.

"Oh, I've no worries, then."

"Jack, we just need to beat the Heartless, that's all." Piri said. It would've been that easy, but the Heartless would knock out medallions and absorb to prevent us from inflicting damage.

~

There! All better." I said.

"Ah, not quite, mate." Jack said. We looked to Luxord taking the Heartless's heart.

"Sora, Piri, bravo." Luxord said. We went to grab him, but he disappeared before we could.

"Just who was that chap?" Jack asked.

"He's part of an organization that's collecting hearts." I said.

"They release Heartless into different worlds and when we defeat the Heartless, they collect the hearts. At this rate, we won't stop them." Piri said.

"What's the plan, then?" Jack asked.

"We've gotta find their stronghold and finish them off once and for all." I said. Jack suddenly came up with the idea that he could claim my Keyblade. I let him hold it, only for it to come back to me within a second. After that, we left Port Royal and headed to the next world.

AN Does anyone think next time we see Jack in kh3, he'll have a keyblade? I have a feeling it's gonna happen.