First Blood Shed

*Monu's spell is wasted on enemies that can be eliminated in 1 or 2 solid strikes, such as from bolts of lightning. Also they would probably be agile enough to fly away from the tornado anyway. Fortunately, it does pick up some of the pirates, allowing Lilith to execute several dash maneuvers, eliminating the remainder. Thiera adds another Blizzard to Azuma's Dark, & they destroy the Large Body. Jack & Will use this opportunity to run ahead, preparing the Interceptor to be sailed. Thiera & Lilith help Ariel aboard, now that I've finally remembered she exists.*
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E"But how could it have the Keyblades? Not just anything can use them."
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*Once on Curly Hill, they see another Tentaclaw sprout from the ground as advertised, plucking up a Creepworm & devouring it. The others jump & skitter away, more Tentaclaws emerging to eat them as well.*

N"Looks like we're going to have to clear some of these to get through!"

*He holds the Keyblade up to gather enough shadows to become coated in darkness, before pointing to the Tentaclaws occupying the top of the hill, charging an enlarged Ragnarok. Meanwhile, Daisy decides to approach the Tentaclaws in front of her, whirling & slashing at them. When they bite into her, they of course spill drops of blood that grow into fingers, which continue her assault, triggering a feedback loop.*

Taiyo: "Maybe it has part of his heart."

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They board the ship.

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Vega begins with a Gauntlet Blitz on a Tentaclaw not near Daisy as she's of the false notion that fire is bad. From there a Rage Blast and Blazing Strike.

*Monu brings up the rear of the party boarding the ship*
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Safian:<Maybe Senthose created something to fool us into thinking that we...that we...you know. He did have silver hair.>
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*Artexi summons both her keyblades, then uses Spark Raid and Sparkga on some Tentaclaws not currently under attack*

E"If Senthose wanted to fool us, he wouldn't get something so obvious wrong."

*Euryale looks at Taiyo, if possible more worried than ever.*

E"Is that possible? But then...where would the rest of him be?"
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*The tides keep trying to punch them off the pier, but eventually they all get aboard the ship. Thiera leads the tremulously shivering Ariel below deck, activating a fire ring to try to dry her clothes. Lilith walks over to Jack, who is manning the ship's wheel.*

L"Will we be able to catch them in this storm?"

Jack<A small boat like this'll be hard to blow off-course, & the waves won't be a match for Cap'n Jack. The Pearl could sail to world's end & back, but luckily I know where it'll be headin'.>

L"And that is?"

Jack<Well now, that's a trickier question. Y'see, the last man I told that little secret to stranded me on a desert isle with only a bullet for comp'ny.>

L"I'm not a man."

Jack<Doesn't make ya any more trustworthy, love.>
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*Vega overkills the shit out of a Tentaclaw & presumably dashes towards the next one, killing it as well. Tentaclaws packing a lot of health & not being weak to light, the ones Artexi is attacking whether the damage. Ragnarok being a powerful attack, suped up even further by Umbral Eater, Nero manages to fire a blast of energy that drills through a copse of Tentaclaws on the top of Curly Hill, obliterating it. Daisy flash-freezes the Heartless Artexi was attacking..*

Daisy<Let's get to the main plant before those that or any more grow back.>

N"Avoid the man-eating plants? Don't have to tell me twice."

*So he begins running up the hill, Daisy following along. This leads to a bridge, beyond which they can see the ruins of the mansion. The area is free of Tentaclaws, presumably thanks to the Samurai Nobodies standing around the bridge like guards, which bow deeply as they approach.*

Taiyo: "I don't know. Maybe with the Organization?"

======================

As it's suspicious that there are Nobodies present, Vega maintains being ever vigilant.

Safian:<Yeah! But...uh...why send him here?>
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*Monu comes up behind Lilith*

Monu:<We would never abandon an ally like that. You have our word.>
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*Artexi grits her teeth, very annoyed. She turns and follows Nero towards the samurai heartless*

E"I just can't make sense of any of this...."

*She looks back to the mouth of the whale, narrowing her eyes.*

E"But I know someone who might have some answers. Let's find Ursula & beat her until things start making sense again."

*She swims forward, & as they proceed further into the carcass, they can see pathetic little [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] cowering below them. They also see that the tunnel is filled with more Search Ghosts blindly wandering around. Beyond them, a coolly lit chamber with a large cauldron at the center.*
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Jack<Well then, if our word is as gold, then we're rich enough without sharing secrets, aren't we?>

L"Our word is good. You're still a pirate."

Jack<Right you are, lass. And you can always trust a pirate to do something dishonest. It's the honest ones you need to worry about, in case they do something...stupid. But I guess that's all the more reason to tell you, so you don't bungle the whole thing up. We're going to Isla de Murta.>

Will<The Island of Death? It's not just a myth?>

Jack<As real as its name. It can only be found by those who already know where it is, but those who do will find a great cache of Aztec Gold.>

*He pulls an odd gold coin with a skull on it, holding it up for all of them to see.*

Jack<One of 882 identical pieces they delivered in a stone chest to Cortés himself. Blood money paid to stem the slaughter he wreaked upon them with his armies. But the greed of Cortés was insatiable. So the heathen gods placed upon the gold...a terrible curse.>

L"So that's what makes them undead."

Jack<Aye. And it's a bit hard to experience pleasures of the flesh without the flesh. But knowing my ill-mannered crew, they probably spent it all trying to do just that. Must have been trying to return the treasure ever since we last met. Only that, and a blood sacrifice from each thief, will break the curse.>

Will<You can't seriously be suggesting that Elizabeth is the spawn of pirates!>

Jack<If not, then she must have convinced my old first mate that she is.>
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*Once they enter into the mansion yard, the remainder of the debris is pulled into the ground. In its place emerges a kind of [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]. Something surges through the thorny stems securing it to the ground, resulting in 4 Tentaclaws popping up all around it. The pair closest to them attack from either side, Daisy & Nero protecting them with herself & Dark Barrier, respectively. The Heartless just kind of flails around in the background, vaguely seeming to be tracking their movements.*

I bet they could sneak past the Heartless, but that is probably not what they're going to do.

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Vega jumps to avoid the Tentaclaws. While midai, Vega equips the Keyblade and attacks the Leechgrave with Wind Blade.

*Safian hangs back in the shadows, whispering*

Safian:<(Do you think Ursula lives here?)>
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*Monu looks at Will*

Monu:<If they think they need her, the pirates will keep her alive. I know this won't be very reassuring, but at least she's still alive.>
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*Artexi leaps back, summoning both keyblades. She proceeds to use Venom Raid and Spark on the Leechgrave*

*The light blasts & wind blade dissipate on the side of the coffin, doing absolutely nothing, though Venom Raid makes a shallow gash. As Daisy sprouts fingers to attack the Tentaclaw she's grappling with, Nero tries to hack down the one he's facing, rolling when it attacks so it bites into the ground.*

N"Hey, you guys wanna come help!?"

*On his cue, the Samurai enter, drawing their swords & looking from each combatant to the next. They seem to decide to attack the main body, as they advance on it with their swords raised, fanning out as they go. It seems to retaliate by shooting blasts of purple pollen out of its head towards them, which they block.*
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Will<But who knows what those beasts will do to her?!>

Jack<Nothing, if she's invoked the right of parley. Barbossa will want to keep her cooperation.>

L"Hang on just a second, if this Elizabeth isn't the 'spawn of pirates,' as you put it, then who is?"

*Jack glances subtly over her shoulder. She follows his gaze, & Will raises a skeptical eyebrow.*

Jack<You said your name is Will Turner...would you have any relation to a "Bootstrap Bill" Turner?>

Will<Surely you jest. "Bootstrap Bill" must be a common nickname for a sailor.>

Jack<But if your girl were to convince Barbossa that she is a Turner, born & bred, she must have a piece of the Cursed Aztec Gold. You gave her a gold medallion, didn't you?>

*William practically snarls, waving his hand at Jack in angry dismissal.*

Will<I don't know what game you're playing, but I'll have no more part of it! If you need me, I'll be below deck, drying my pistol in preparation for the upcoming battles!>

*As he leaves, Jack bursts out laughing, prompting Lilith to look curiously at him.*

Jack<Heh. Going to his room to "dry his pistol.">
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E"This must be where she's made her lair."

*Of course Euryale isn't the type to sneak around, & she starts to swing her Keyblade towards the floor, stopping abruptly as she sees the sniveling polyps cowering below her.*

E"Great...guess we'll just have to force our way through mano-a-mano!"

*She plows forward, holding her Keyblade in front of her so as to act like a ram.*

Taiyo follows without the trying to bash through the Heartless as after the previous battle, it'd be best to not engage enemies if it can be avoided.

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Azuma: "So what you're saying is it Will they need for their get together?"

==============================

Likely to still be flanked by Tentaclaws, Vega lands with Crushing Eagle and follows through with Fire Ring.

Monu:<Based on what Jack said and Will's reaction, I think you are right, Azuma.>
---
*Since the Samurai are attacking the main body, Artexi turns to the nearest Tentaclaw. She sends a blast of acid and Venom Raid at it*
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*Safian shadow travels to the other side of the cavern, then turns to wait for Euryale and Taiyo*

*Artexi uses projectile attacks on something that's right in front of her, right before Vega causes a shockwave that sends them all into the air, then hits them with a fire ring, causing Daisy to screech & writhe around as she hits the ground. Naturally, except for Vega they've all sustained some pretty heavy injuries & none of them can heal, so that oughta be fun. Good news is, they killed 2 out of 4 Tentaclaws. The others are around on the other side of the Leechgrave. More bad news, after blocking even more poison pollen, the Samurai move in only for it to swing its grave & knock them all on their asses, heavily damaging their armor & swords.*

N"That thing must be freakishly strong to do that much damage to Samurai Nobodies in 1 shot!"

*He notes this while frantically trying to put the fires on his coat out.*
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*Euryale bashes a bunch of Search Ghosts, which make disgruntled booing noises as they are pushed aside. She then executes a quick 2-swing combo, destroying a pair of them while they are stunned. The rest shake their daze off & surge towards the Order, who are now between them & Ursula's Lair.*
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Jack<Aye, so best be gettin' there before they realize they've been had. We'll be passing the storm soon. Clear skies may be a blessing as well as a curse.>

*Lilith is about to ask what he means when they pass into the moonlight & Jack's flesh seemingly dissolves away along with the darkness, revealing a skeletal form. As she jumps back, he flashes her a hideous grin.*

Jack<I told you I took part of the plunder. What did you expect?>

L"Wait...then why doesn't this happen to Will?"

Jack<His father left him the medallion. Doesn't count. You have to steal them with your own hands.>

*He waves his phalanges in her face, at which point she looks revolted. They soon approach a lifeless, rocky island that's more of a bunch of mountains, & Jack steers them to the entrance of some caverns, where they can see that a dock has been constructed. There are no guards, however as they approach, they hear the sound of Dark Corridors opening. Turning, they can see half a dozen pirates charging towards them, trying to surround them, as an equal number of Screwdivers climb aboard the ship. Naturally, Lilith summons her Keyblade, shifting into an Iaido stance. Thiera & Will emerge from below decks to see what's causing the racket, withdrawing their own swords.*

Taiyo throws the Fenrir at an approaching Search Ghost, attacking with Tiger Slash while using Bubble Blaster with the remaining Keyblade on another.

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Hitomi casts Bad Moon Rising on herself, Azuma, and Thiera. Azuma begins by attacking with Wolf Storm.

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While inaction has caused Vega problems before, action is doing the same thing leaving him in a difficult position at the worst time as he is not a monster.

Artexi:<Watch it with the fire, Vega!>

*Since they are now at a distance, Artexi uses Venom Raid on the nearest of the two remaining Tentaclaws, then attempts to put out any of her clothes that are on fire*
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*Monu casts Eagle's Claw on the nearest screwdiver*
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*Safian starts sneaking behind Search Ghosts, then launching dark shots at them*

*The Search Ghosts turn & start flailing in confusion as they're being killed by some unseen force from behind. As there were probably 10 or fewer Serch Ghosts in this whale, Euryale destroys the rest with physical combos while they're distracted. She then turns back around.*

E"Guess that's all that stood between us & Ursula's lair, then. Maybe we should heal before going in."
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*Monu knocks a Screwdiver back into the ocean, but it'll probably return. The pirates raise their swords to defend against the ice bullets, but due to the increased power, they are staggered & shot, causing them to fall on their asses. At Thiera's direction, Will hangs back & shoot them. She herself pulls out the big guns, moving closer to Will & holding the Keyblade up, releasing a golden light that expands into a molten, shifting sun around them. When it explodes, it lets off a brilliant flash that severely damages the Screwdivers that were coming after them, knocking them back & forcing them to scrabble blindly to get up. The orb even extends far enough to destroy a pair of Pirate Heartless, Lilith destroying another trio by firing a Bramble Bomb in their center. Jack steps away from the wheel to do battle with the remaining pair of Screwdivers, successfully parrying a trident stab before its fellow pins the weapon with its own trident & claws at him. Meanwhile, the last remaining Pirate sits, dazed after the onslaught.*
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*The Tentaclaw is far enough away from Venom Raid that it can twist its stalk & evade the strike. Daisy uses a spell to surround herself with ice, putting out the fire. When the water melts, she lies groaning, charred bones visible. As the Samurai slowly rise to their feet, the Leechgrave spits a cloud of purple gas from its bulb that begins to expand all over the battlefield, following it up with purple blasts aimed at Vega, which Nero blocks with Dark Barrier while glancing anxiously at Daisy.*

N"I don't think it wants the Tentaclaws destroyed, will she be okay if we split up & take them out?"

So Taiyo gets to healing because everyone else is bad at things.

============================

Hitomi casts Blizzaga for days which is probably enough to finish off the Heartless and sink the ship, but as a show of good faith, Azuma attacks some Heartless with Wraith Ice.

===========================

Vega: "Take my Keyblade and heal."

*Artexi stabs one of her keyblades into the ground, vines sprouting up to shield Daisy from any attacks*

Artexi:<Hopefully we won't need to!>
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*Monu darts at the screwdivers attacking Jack, sending diamond shards at one, then slashing at the other*
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*Safian is presumably healed by Taiyo*

Safian:<Thanks Taiyo!>

*Daisy violently shakes her head at Vega's suggestion & skitters away as best as she can. Nero starts coughing as the poison mist sweeps over them. Evidently having heard him, the Samurai back away from the Leechgrave's main body, moving around to the Tentaclaws, but they are limping from the poison.*
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*Hitomi sucessfully destroys the Heartless while putting holes in the ship, Monu, & Jack. Lilith yelps, pulling a spike out of her shoulder & turns to shake the bloody ice in Hitomi's face while shouting at her.*

L"I guess none of those books you read are dictionaries, because apparently you don't know the meaning of the word restraint!"

*Meanwhile, Thiera approaches Jack & Monu, laying a ring of healing flowers down around them. Jack's skull winces as he pulls an ice spike out of himself & stares at it idly, inspecting it in the moonlight.*

Jack<Am I imagining things, or did I actually feel that one?>

Th"Will told me about the curse. It would seem that it can be disrupted by even more powerful magic."

Jack<And here I thought those oversized keys of yours were a novelty. Where can I find me one of them?>
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*Euryale opts to show her gratitude by tapping her fist lightly against Taiyo's shoulder & flashing her a smile, before turning to the entrance of Ursula's lair with a more somber expression.*

E"Okay! Are we ready to face Ursula for hopefully the last time?"

A pat on the head would've been better, but Taiyo smiles back anyways and I reckon follows whoever is taking the lead into Ursula's lair.

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Hitomi casts Curaja on Lilith even though it's quite excessive to do. I don't know how it'd work on Jack, so it'd be best to not do anything more, but apparently it won't fuck up his shit, so she casts an excessive healing spell on him too.

Azuma: "So we could potentially defeat them without having to lift the curse?"

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Vega switches weapons and rushes a Tentaclaw, activating Dragon Claw which probably looks more like a Dracolich Claw in this world and just might terrify some of his allies and goes ham, mainly with kicks that are followed up by swipes with his claw.

*Safian follows Euryale into the lair*
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Monu:<Thank you, Thiera. It is most appreciated.>

*He removes any spikes, looking pointedly at Hitomi*
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Artexi:<Wait, I've got this! I can't be poisoned, so I can go in to the mist!>

*She summons her glider, then jumps on and flies around towards the two remaining tentaclaws. She then sends a blast of acid at one*

*If they head straight for a Tentaclaw, which the posts seem to indicate that they are doing, they will pass dangerously close to the Leechgrave, which proceeds to swing its grave to & fro, attempting to bash them both into submission. Vega in particular will have a difficult time evading this, as he can already tell his movements are being slowed by the poison. Meeting the same fate as the Samurai is not recommended. Speaking of them, a Samurai readies its sword, but before it can even attack, the Tentaclaw gobbles it up in a single bite, using its jaws to push it into its stalk. A bulge is seen as the Nobody is transferred into the ground, up 1 of the Leechgrave's stalks, & finally shot out of the bulge, crushed & partially melted. It lasts until it hits the ground, at which point it dissolves into Nothingness. The others fare a bit better, getting off a few slashes, but between their already existing injuries & the Tentaclaws' attacks, they are quickly destroyed. Nero uses Dark Splicer to warp to a Tentaclaw, hacking it up & finishing it off before doubling over & coughing up blood. The Leechgrave responds by shooting poison pollen at him.*
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*Ursula's lair turns out to be a circular chamber where the ridged, fleshy walls are a mottled texture of various hues of purple, blue, & some pink. Aside from the cauldron, a kind of coral shelf with a mirror & various bottles is set in the wall on 1 side, a very large seashell with a dark opening on the other. Meanwhile, a pair of eels circle overhead, sneering at them in raspy voices.*

Eel 1<Have more poor, unfortunate souls sought us out, Flotsam?>

Flotsam<Looks that way, Jetsam. What do you think the bottom feeders want?>

E"Tell us where Ursula is."

Jetsam<Of course they want to see Ursula. Ursula can give them anything they want.>

Flotsam<But what is it that they REALLY want?>
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Jack<Not until I've given my dear old first mate back his bullet.>

*He taps the gun holstered to his side. As they're talking, Will shoots the Screwdiver that thinks it's sneaking back aboard & destroys it.*

Will<How we destroy them doesn't matter, what matters is that we hurry. The pirates will be making their "blood sacrifice" any minute now.>

Jack<Easy there, kiddo. But you do have a point. After waiting so long for this reunion, it would be a shame to keep my old crew waiting. You lot lash the moors to the bollards and let down the docking ramp while I steer us into port.>

*He turns the wheel, spinning the ship around so that it will face the outside & he can back into the docks.*

Taiyo: "Ariel's voice back."

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I guess they're pretending to know how a ship functions.

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Vega counters that shit with Dragon Crush as is its function, the lot of good it'll do.

Safian:<...Hey Euryale, can I eat those eels? I haven't eaten in a while and they look pretty tasty.>

*Safian grins, showing her large, pointy teeth. She winks at Euryale*
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*Monu shoots the Screwdiver with diamond shards if it's still alive, otherwise he helps moor the ship*
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*Artexi dives away from the swinging grave, aiming for the last remaining Tentaclaw. She fires her lasers on it, then uses Venom Raid*

Artexi:<Hold on, Nero!>

*It does not do any good. He kind of punches it, only for it to hit him from behind on the 2nd swing & send him sprawling, feeling as if he just got hit by a grave the size of a van. Because he did. It then tries to squash him under its bulk. The Tentaclaw explodes into darkness & the Heartless automatically shoots poison pollen at Artexi. Nero drops the Darker Than Dark in the midst of his convulsions, & when he reaches out to summon again, he finds himself staring at the Ultima Weapon in shock.*
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*Flotsam circles Taiyo & Euryale stares at Safian in utter horrified revulsion as Jetsam circles around her.*

Flotsam<The princess's voice? Yes...Ursula can help with that...for a price....>

Jetsam<The shark is a NASTY one...what SHOULD we do to it...?>
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*Thiera heads down to grab Ariel, since she's probably closest to Shield Maiden. Inside the caves, they can hear a faint but raucous cheering. The tunnel twists & turns, but eventually they start to see a light up ahead. However, between them & it is Luxord, leaning against a wall. He quickly flashes them a grin & holds a hand in the air.*

L<Parley!>