A Heart Unbound

Chapter 14: Old Men Tell No Tales (Part 1)

"Yo-ho, yo-ho, a pirate's life for me." Sora sung and swayed to his little tune.

"Why are you so happy?" Donald questioned the chanting Sora.

"'Cause we get to be pirates again!"

"Yep! Ya always did like this world!" Goofy remarked while helping Donald row the compact raft.

"Still, it's a real shame we don't have a bigger ship."

"You're right, Sora. Hana would appreciate that too!" Donald gestured to me rocking back and forth with my knees held close to my chest.

"I would appreciate it if we found land."

"Aw, c'mon, Hana!" Sora reached out for me, but I only continued to quiver in fear of the deep parts of the ocean. "Hey," Sora kneeled before me, "how many times do I have to say that I'll never let anything happen to you? Take my hand, Hana." I slowly reached for him, but even when our hands clasped, I still trembled. "We'll face all of our fears, together."

"Okay." The grip we had on each other's hands tightened as he helped me up on my feet again.

"Nice outfit!." Sora complimented.

"Hm?" I glanced down at my uncomfortably short bloomers and tight-wasted blouse. My brown, calf-high, buckled boots complimented the overall cream coloration of my whole outfit. I noticed the style of my hair changed to two pigtails as I felt a headband wrapped snuggly around my head. "Ah! This is so...uh..."

"C'mon, Hana, I think you look nice." Sora grinned.

"You think so?" I returned his grin with a toothy smile of my own as my cheeks started to flush.

"Hey, look! It's an island!" Goofy pointed, and my attention immediately transferred to the small island in the distance.

We reached the island, and I rejoiced at the final thought of land.

"Land! How I missed you!"

"We weren't even at sea for that long, Hana." Sora laughed.

"It felt like we were there for a whole week."

Sora, Donald, and Goofy decided to form their own huddle without me, whispering each other's thoughts on my odd fear.

"She won't be able to handle this world." Donald murmured.

"I was thinkin' the same thing." Goofy agreed rather loudly.

"Mhm, mhm!" Sora nodded.

"You know I can still hear you, right?" I glared at them, but the sight of a large ship in the distance shifted my attention.
"Guys, look." I pointed.

"Uh!" Sora gasped, for when the ship approached the shore, people he seemed to recognize emerged from its deck. "William! Elizabeth! And...Barbossa?!" He grunted and summoned his Keyblade while assuming a protective stance before me.

"Put down your weapon, boy." A woman with odd markings under her eyes and dreads scolded.

"And why should I?" Sora snapped back.

"It's okay, Sora." Elizabeth, a beautiful woman with flowing, blonde hair and dark eyes, reassured Sora with a soft gesture of her hand.

"What's going on here? Where's Jack?" Sora interrogated as his Keyblade vanished from his grip.

"Aye, that's what we're here for. To find 'em." Barbossa informed.

"Here? What do you mean 'here'?" Sora continued to question.

"This is Davy Jones' Locker. Jack is trapped here somewhere, and we've come to find him." Will, I assumed, explained.

"Huh? Augh! I'm so confused." Sora scratched the top of his head, in attempt to think, but a sudden quake of the ground beneath us broke his focus. A massive shadow creeped up from behind us, and we turned to uncover its creator. Yet another ship emerged from behind a hill of sand, and a noble looking man stood regally on the descending ship. "Ah! It's Jack!" Sora rejoiced as the ship lowered to the shore. "Aheheh!" He grabbed my wrist, and we charged for the now still ship. "Jack!" Sora called to the man.