Captain Faris had taken command, and it didn't take much for the men, both Torenstenian and pirates, to fall in line. Their fierce demeanor could scare the pants off a Behemoth, much less a group of men, and they had no qualms with heeding their words. The chests would be dropped on Faris' command, their lives would come first. And they could always come back for it when they were, you know. Alive.

The sea was a wretched beast, and one that had been incensed by the Kraken's magic. The ship had taken a fair bit of damage, but it would hold for at least awhile longer. Water splashed onto the deck, threatening to carry members of their party overboard at every turn, the winds impeded their attempts to steer and the sails were ripped at constantly, requiring constant repair. Luckily the cargo hold was stocked well. The former captain may not have been a strong reader, but he did at least come prepared. It was clear that the pirates had been prepared for a long and grueling fight against whoever might have intended to go against the Kraken, and had the group not taken advantage as quickly as they had when the advantage was theirs, the pirates may well have managed to outlast them. But once it had been taken to a boarding battle, nothing the pirates could have done would be enough.

But what preparation they did have supplied sails to replace those the winds were slicing. Materials for patching holes and leaks, and water to keep the men going. Through their resources, Faris' skills as a leader and through Rinoa's Haste magic, the crew would be able to hold their own. It was a long and grueling hour of fighting, but it felt like forever before the clouds began to part. The rains would dry up and the whistle of the wind could only be heard by the listening ear. The Kraken's final bellows had ended, and while the ship was rattled, she had held together through it all.

Soon, the crew would find themselves back on the shores of Torensten. While another group had found and killed the Kraken, Captain Faris and Rinoa would be heralded for taking down the dreaded Ghost Ship, a legend that had started back when the seas had seemingly been safer to traverse. It appeared that many a ship had been lost to some sort of phenomenon, with the few survivors speaking of a sort of ghost ship that arrived in the worst of storms. Unabated by the loosing winds, the Man 'O War had unleashed hellfire upon unsuspecting ships, destroying all in their wake. While the guard wasn't able to do anything with these reports as they were merely rumor, the revelation that it was true came from a sight that some sailors recognized. A shard from the Dark Crystal that had been impaled in their ship's figurehead after it had been destroyed. No longer glowing, the shard appeared to have lost its power, and posed no threat. It would be up to the pirates and whoever captained them next as to what to do with it.

But with this proof, the group would find themselves celebrated. Heroes, pirates and all. While the King was busy preparing a ceremony for the Kraken slayers, a healthy sum of gil would be granted to all those involved for what they had done. But there was also much mourning to be had. Sailors and pirates alike had lost those they considered brothers. Many tears would be shed on this night.

A few days later, Yuffie would find herself back on Torensten's shore with her bounty. A Yuffie had been mentioned to Torensten's officials in their report, but none knew if she was alive. It would be up to her if she wanted to try and cash on that.

The pirate crew now lacked a Captain, but it didn't stop them from repairing their ship and taking her out to salvage the rest of the treasure. The only indication they had succeeded would be a tender at the tavern Faris frequented stating that something had been left for him. A box full of treasure, their share. Rinoa would be more difficult to track down, but eventually one of the pirates would walk up to her in civilian attire, present her share, and flee. They may be pirates, but they still had some semblance of honor among thieves.

The pirates though, were greatly impressed by Captain Faris. Should he seek them out, perhaps they would be willing to listen. For the time being, a great threat to Zephon's seas had been eradicated, and with the Kraken and the Ghost Ship out of commission, sea travel was hopefully safe once more. For Faris, Rinoa and Yuffie, the question remains. What's next for them?

ulla

The Captain didn't seem to care as to whether Faris believed him or not. They had a fight to get to, and the Cap did enjoy a fight! Though even he could tell they were up to next to impossible odds. A massive ship, skeletal fighters... It wasn't going to be easy. The skeletons had some semblance of intelligence too. Not as much as a human, but Faris, Yuffie and Rinoa would quickly find that the skeletons were at least capable of understanding basic swordfighting tactics.

The cannonfire stopped even before Faris ordered it -- it appeared that many of the undead had swarmed their ship. Why? The answer was simple, Rinoa would soon find herself the target of many of the skeletons, who realized she was beginning to summon something. The pirates didn't understand what she was doing, but they did their best to buy her time. Captain Redbeard growled low at the sight, and had been about to move back to the main ship in order to fight them off when something forced him to duck down. Because the ship suddenly began to shake violently as of all things, a train crashed against it as it rose from the murky deep.

"By Ramuh's beard! WHAT in blazes is THAT?!" cried Captain Redbeard. Oh no, a horrible storm and a ghost ship wasn't enough to faze the Captain. But a TRAIN? Now that seemed to put a spring in the Captain's step as he quickly rolled to the side to cut down a skeletal foe that tried to take advantage of the chaos. The Doomtrain slammed into the deck of the ship, taking many skeletons with it. But by exposing below deck, Rinoa's Doomtrain had revealed something sinister.

Below the deck was a massive dark Crystal with a forcefield around it. Inside of it, a blue flame raged through the Crystal, almost seeming liable to break out and burn everything to cinders at any time. What was the purpose of it? Well, they didn't have long to think on it, as the crystal began to glow. The flames inside grew bigger, and all of a sudden, the undead they had felled so far were back on their feet. The flames in their raged more than ever, and they struck with more ferocity than before.

But their troubles were still just beginning. For after the Doomtrain disappeared, there posed another question. Where was Yuffie?

---

The truth of the matter was that Yuffie had jumped aboard the ghost ship in order to aid Faris. The young thief had managed to cast Trine once more, clearing out another group of undead before something came bearing down on her...

... And that was the Doomtrain.

The Doomtrain had been aiming for a group of skeletons, but one thing you have to remember about a train is that it stops for nobody. Yuffie found this out the hard way, as the materia thief found herself yeeted into the air by the Doomtrain, narrowly avoiding being hit by the brunt of its attack as she was sent overboard.

Yuffie would awaken waterlogged and covered in sand. It was coarse and rough and irritating, and it just got everywhere. But she was alive. It seemed that the ocean had been merciful enough to spit her out on a small island. While Yuffie would likely be irritable about being knocked overboard, and by a crazy train of all things, her mood may very well improve when she saw what was nearby. It was a boat. Old, but not entirely decayed and certainly still usable, with a magic crystal from Torensten powering it, which still had enough juice to get her a ways. But it was what was inside the boat that would prove most interesting. The skelefied remains of two sailors, and firearms resting in their skeletal hands. If she dared move the skeletons, she would find that indeed, they were normal skeletons. Not undead. And the holes in their head indicated that they had both been shot in the head by firearms. Why? Well, if she dared investigate further, she would see why. The boat was filled almost from top to bottom with jewels, gold, doubloons and other finery that would fetch a heavy price if sold. It was most likely that these two lads had gone treasure hunting and found what they were looking for. But the both of them turned on each other, and killed each other in the process.

Which meant it was all Yuffie's for the taking, if she could manage to get the boat back to shore.

Luckily for Yuffie, if she looked out far enough... She may very well spot the impressive and very much welcome sight of Castle Aryle in the distance.

---

Down a fighter and with their opponents seemingly invincible, the odds weren't looking good for our ragtag band of unlikely heroes. Even though some of the skeletons were beset by various status effects thanks to the Doomtrain, there were still so many of them that the group would still find trouble if they didn't find a way to take them down soon. As Faris and Rinoa fought back, the Captain had made his way back up and continued fighting through the skeleton pirates as well. But something caught his eye, and he furrowed his bushy brows.

"Those traitorous little..."

Something Faris wouldn't have been looking at most likely, fighting off the undead as he was, was his own side. But something the Captain noticed was that the two mages from before who had been fighting with his crew, were suddenly now floating over the ground. Their cloaks came off to reveal what the Captain had already realized. The two mages had been replaced by skeletal mages in robes at some point during the fight, and they were concentrating their magic to fire straight at Faris while he was distracted.

Just before the two spells could hit, the Captain picked Faris up by the shirt and yeeted them into the air, taking the attacks himself in the process.

Why?

The answer was simple. If a fighting man were to go down because of the Captain's carelessness and inability to see that two of his own crew members weren't who he thought they were... Well, even he had his own sense of honor. But believe it or not, while damaged pretty bad, the Captain managed to struggle to his feet. He was clearly a tough old guy, despite his flaws.

But no good deed goes unpunished.

A massive cutlass stabbed through the Captain's back, going straight through his chest. The culprit was a gigantic skeleton that had slowly been assembled by the dark Crystal throughout the fight. The captain of the ghost ship, most likely. The Captain's crew began to cry out in distress, beginning to fight harder than ever before as they began to push the ghost crew back, though whenever they defeated one, they soon reformed. Despite this, it was clear they were fighting as hard as they could to get aboard and get to their Captain. Not wanting to be near Rinoa after she summoned a giant spooky train probably helped their motivation as well.

The Captain slumped over onto his knees as the blade was withdrawn. But as pirates began to swarm the giant skeleton, their attacks didn't seem to do much. The skeleton raised its blade to cut them down, but suddenly its blade would be yanked back. It was unclear how the Captain had survived, though by his haggard breaths it was clear he was just barely holding on. Sheer stubborn determination and will were keeping him alive as he struck back and sent the skeleton overboard. It wouldn't stop it forever, he knew, but it was out of the fight for a bit longer.

"Ya need... Ya need to get... The crystal. That infernal monstrosity exposed that crystal! Break it! Its flames look like the ones in the skeletons! It might destroy them! Hurry! No... No time!"

It may very well have been his last command to his crew, who while worried for their Captain, did as ordered. The pirates cut through the skeletons as a unit until they could get to the forcefield. But try as they might, their strikes could never get past the forcefield. It may very well be hopeless...

Between harsh breaths and barely managing to suck in any air, Captain Redbeard drew his blade and tried to move forward and fight. As he did, he tried to get the attention of one Captain Faris across the battlefield.

"You... Hah... Cap'n Faris! I won't pretend ta be the greatest Cap'n in the world. Gods know me mates would be better off wiff a more competent Cap! But they been loyal! To the end, no matter what. I know I have no business asking this o' ye, considerin' the trouble we caused ya. But all I can ask ya, Cap'n Faris... Take care of me boys. They be a bit green an' rough round the edges. But they have heart. They're loyal. All I can ask of ye... Is to fulfill this dream 'o mine. An' that's... To see the dreams 'o these boys through. That... Be the responsibility... Of any Cap'n... Worth his salt."

Nothing would deter Captain Redbeard from the course he had charted. Perhaps he knew deep down that there was no healing the wounds he'd suffered. As he gave this request to Faris, he watched as his crew began to be cut down by the skeletons, as he watched the hope die in their eyes in realizing there was no winning this... The despair as the massive skeleton began to climb back onto the deck...

It was something the Captain could not allow.

Dragging himself across the deck, he began to pull back his trenchcoat. The undead swarmed the Captain as he advanced towards the crystal, and others swarmed on Faris, likely realizing throughout the fight that he was a threat to their crystal as well. With his last bits of strength, Captain Redbeard fought like a demon possessed, cutting through the undead as though they were butter. He placed his hands on the forcefield, and it began to electrocute him violently. The other pirates tried to get to him, but there was no getting to him with the sea of skeletons before them. The Captain fought through as he pulled out some kind of mechanism. And with his trenchcoat pulled back, it was time to see why.

Every pocket was lined with explosives.

The Captain looked back one last time at his crew, as they fought like men far greater than they to reach their Captain with all they had. And he smiled one last smile as he raised his hand.

"Live well."

With that... He pulled the trigger.

KABOOM!

"CAPTAIN!"

Several of the pirates screamed in agony as the explosion rocked the ship. The ship itself didn't seem to take much damage, as though the area around the crystal were made of something unbreakable. But one thing had changed.

The forcefield was down.

A smoking body hung near the exposed crystal, and this time... It wasn't getting back up.

One thing stood between them and the crystal now. The giant skeletal monster. Armed with two cutlasses and a suit of armor, the 12 foot tall undead creature seemed to know that their very existence may well hinge on the Dark Crystal. The undead aboard the pirate ship began to make their way back to their own ship, seeming to realize they needed to make a last stand.

ulla

Yuffie and Faris' attempts to parlay with the pirates led them to stop fighting, and to form up as a large, balding man with a big bushy red beard stood at the end of the deck. It appeared that the pirates actually did have a Captain, who had been waiting to join the fray when it looked like it was the best time. The time, it seemed, was now.

"A ceasefire, ye squawkin?" the Captain remarked as he stared out at the shit that had fired upon them. It was starting to pick up speed... And he knew what that meant. "Aye. They got far too much firepower for us to take on. Ya got yerselves a deal, mates! Hop off that wreck before ye join it!"

The pirates quickly got to work in placing down a plank, allowing the remaining sailors and Yuffie to drag the crystal aboard and for the rest to board the ship. They had very little time to do so, as within the next few minutes, the titan of a ship would slam straight into the brig the Torensten crew had been aboard. It ran through it like a monster truck would a tiny car, very quickly sinking the Torensten Brig and leaving only the pirate vessel still standing.

"Cap'n Erick Redbeard's the name. And this is a fine mess we've gotten ourselves into" the Captain commented as the figures aboard the ship soon turned to them. He motioned to the remaining cannons on the ship as the cloaked figures began to crowd the cannons on their own ship...

The large man pointed his cutlass towards the body of the enemy ship.

"Arrgh, they intend tae throttle us with lead! Don't aim fer the men, disable their cannons! We'll force 'em ta board and fight on our terms!"

The remaining pirates on their ship would begin to crowd what cannons they had. Unless they saw fit to direct the shots the pirates were firing, Faris, Yuffie and Rinoa would soon find a group of small puckle guns at the ends of the ship they could use to try and pick off the cannon manners and buy them some time, or try a coordinated attack to take out the cannons themselves. Magic was also an option if they could figure out the best methods of utilizing it.

ulla

Things appeared to be going well so far. The Bad Breath from Yuffie had proven effective...

Maybe even too effective.

The Froggy God had rolled a dice, and Yuffie was able to bring ruin to the entire field with Bad Breath, as they fell to a variety of ailments. One dozed off on the deck, another became hysterical and attacked friend or foe... One even turned into a frog! Some even ended up with a combination of these effects. Either way, many of them had been rendered easy pickings for Yuffie and Rinoa to finish off. Captain Faris meanwhile had been able to deftly evade many of the pirates, his agility forcing them to swap to using firearms which while they had some effect, still wound up being no match for Faris.

Things were going well.

Maybe too well.

Things had a way of coming around, and now appeared to be the time. Both ships would be struck by a massive wave and lurch heavily, both of them nearly capsizing before returning to their normal, albeit shaky positions. The winds grew intense, as the sails threatened to come down on them, and the rains worsened, making vision poor. On the plus side, the rains would put out the fires on the ships.

The sailors that had been ordered around by Faris previously and tried to stay out of the fighting took the initiative now that the crew had managed to rout the pirates so far, moving to activate the Crystal. If they could keep the Crystal safe for a bit longer... then perhaps they would be saved from a watery grave after all.

The situation was getting hectic, but still salvageable. Unfortunately, the crew had forgotten something. The man and woman In Robes, the Mages that had been lurking on the enemy ship. As Faris was focused on surviving the assault from the gun-touting pirates, he had been unable to dispatch the mages, who had taken position and had charged up spells without being detected.

"Fira!"

Two Fira spells were launched at their ship, one blowing a hole through the side and another setting fire to the ship's hull. With it being inside the ship, the storm wouldn't be able to put that one out. Either they needed to find a way to salvage this ship, or find a way to get the sailors on board the other ship, as risky as that might be. Not to mention keeping the crystal safe in the process while the sailors tried to activate it.

ulla