Mariya exited in Port Royal at the Rampart. She smiled. "Port Royal, wonder if Jack's around."

Mario steps through the door as well, the doors disappearing after closing behind him. "Well, for the time, we should be safe here."

"Yeah, safe." Mariya mutters. She sighs and goes down the nearby stairs down to the harbor. "Come on, we should see if we can find some clothes so we can fit in."

Mariya looks around and spots the Black Pearl, she smiles to herself. She then goes into town and finds a clothing store. She find piraty clothing and tries them on. She comes out with a smile and turns."what do you think?"

Mario quirks an eyebrow. "Not bad, but I think I'll stick with what I'm wearing. It's kind of a trademark."

"Fine, if that's what you want." Mariya says and puts her other clothes in a pouch and gives the shopkeeper a bag of coins. She leaves then and notices the street's are empty. She hmms and goes back to the Harbor. She smiles noticeing a familiar figure watching some pirates load cargo onto the Black Pearl.

"Jack Sparrow, you're under arrest." She says, smiling.

Jack turns and smiles as well. "Mariya, long time no see, how's your father?"

"Fine, would you mind if we came with you for awhile?" Mariya asks.

"We?" Jack asked before he noticed Mario. "Well, who's this?"

Mario raises an eyebrow upon seeing Jack Sparrow. "Well well, if it isn't Jack Sparrow," he states. "I've heard a bit about you on other planets. You seem to have quite a reputation, although whether it is a good one or a bad one is questionable."

Mariya laughs. "This is Mario, a friend of mine."

Jack nods. "Hmm, well I don't know, I have all the help I need really."

Mariya pulls something out of her pocket. Another, larger bag of coins. "Hmm, then this'll have to go to someone else then."

Suddenly Jack takes the bag, a greedy look on is face. "Your hired."

Mariya nods and goes onto the Black Pearl and goes into the Captains cabin. She makes herself comfortable and sighs.

Mario raises an eyebrow but remains silent as he boards the ship as well. He then sits down next to one of the cannons, settling in a little.

Mariya looks around a bit before going on deck. She see's Mario and goes and sits next to him. "So, what did you want to tell me?" She asks. She throws a sneer at the crew who stare at her. They instanly turn away and go back to work.

Jack comes on board, and starts shouting orders. He nods to Mariya and Mario, approving of them manning the cannons. Soon enough the Black Pearl sail's off twords Isle de la Muerta.

---

Darren looks about town and ask one shop owner about MAriya. He points to the Harbor and Darren runs off. He sneers, finding the ship Mariya was most likely on was sailing away.

Sora runs down to the harbor and see's Darren. "Darren Delmar you are under arrest."

Darren laughs. "So you figured me out eh? Wel, I'm sorry but, I'm going to have to kill you Sora."

Mario sighs as he twiddles his fingers. "Well, as you probably have guessed by now, there are some holes in my earlier story. For one, I haven't been at Traverse Town for my entire life. In fact, I have been traveling the cosmos for about the last three years. For the second thing, I will need you to take back this Oblivion you gave me. I honestly don't think that I will need it." With that, he summons the Oblivion and then offers it to Mariya.

Mariya takes it. It disapears and seems to go into her arm. "Destiny Island right? I'd recognise those clothes anywhere, and plus your a bit tan." Mariya mutters. "Let me guess on the few holes, I like to test my wits. Now, you came to Traverse Town because Destiny was 'consumed'....you found me when the Neoshadow kidnapped me...and you healed my wounds...anything I missed?"

---

"There's a laugh" Sora says, smiling. He summons Ultima ad atacks Darren.

Darren attacks back, extreamly fast, and cuts Sora deeply on the side. "Pathetic mortal." He mutters.

Sora winces and falls to the ground. How did Darren do that, the blow didn't seem that bad, and yet, the wound was so deep.

Darren turned, got on a ship that had a crew and quickly took over. He went to the helm and followed the Black Pearl. He smirked.

"Well, there is a bit left..." Mario admits. With a quick swing of his arm, a Keyblade appears, but while this one was much like the black Oblivion, it seems to give off an aura that is much darker. "I, too, fight the Heartless throughout the universe, and this is my Keyblade. It's called the Shadow Blade."

"Impressive." Mariya says, eyeing it. "Better put that away quickly though..Jack used to try and steal mine when I was a kid.....but then Dad hit him over he head." She laughed, and stopped herself after a bit. "Anything else I shou-"

"Ship off the port bow!" Someone shouted. "She's coming on quick!"

Jack muttered something. "Man the cannons!"

Mariya flipped around and started loading up the cannon. She eyed the ship. Her jaw dropped. "Wait, I know this....slime. We'd loose, trust me, the best thing for us to do is loose as much weight as we can and Speed off to Isle de la Muerta." She shouted to Jack.

Jack smiled. "You heard her, dump what ya can, even the rum!"

The crew started unloading some Cargo. Mariya mutters under her breath nd kicks the cannon. "Stupid darren, why can't you just leave me alone?" She asks herself in a low voice.

---

Sora lied on the ground, leaning on some crates, mutering something to himself. He quickly akes some makeshift banages and wraps them around the wound. "Hurry Riku....you may be Mariya's only chance."

Mario quickly stands as the commotion begins, and looking at the approaching ship, he frowns. "Wait a sec...that's the guy who was asking me about you back in Traverse! I'll try and slow him down." Mario then jumps up onto the railing and takes aim. "Shadow Stop!"

In an instant, small moments of time on the approaching ship begin to come to a halt, the stopped objects taking a shadowy hue. But the small sizes of these moments and the widespread scattering of these time stops makes it evident that there isn't much skill in this Stop spell.

Soon enough the crew stops, realizing what happened and put tha cases back. Mariya smiles. "That out to help, thanks."

Indeed, the time stops are efficent enough to get the Black Pearl. Out of sight of the other ship. Mariya eases up a bit. "I wish Darren would just fall off the ship and drown." She mutters. Now one can only wonder what makes Mariya wish that, did something happen between them?

Mario is silent as he looks at Mariya, hearing what she mutters. "I am curious about what it is that makes you hate Darren, but it is not my place to interfere in such matters."

"Well, who else will listen? My parent's love and adore him." Mariya says. She leans against the cannon. She sighs. "There;s this guy namesd Axel that I really liked, childhood sweethearts really, but he, turned to the heartless and well, I haven't seen him since. Darren comforted me, knowing how close we were, he was another friend of mine, but we weren't that close. Well....after a few days, he thought I was over him, and...........proposed. I slapped him and immediatly left Hollow Bastion. I had plans to leave anyway, everything reminded me of him, so that left me a good excuse to leave."

Mariya found herself pacing on the deck and stopped. "I don't know who he think he is...I promised myself never to open up my heart again...theres to much pain in the end." She says, before breaking into tears.

Mario is silent before he pats Mariya on the back. "There there..." he says, but he sounds like he really isn't sure about what to do. After all, he's never gone through anything like this, so he wouldn't know what to say.

Mariya calms herself as they reach the Isle de la Muerta. She tries to compose herself. "Sorry about that...I thought I could keep calm."

---

Meanwhile Darren sighs as the time stops just begin to cease. At this rate, they'd leave the Island before they even got there. He takes off his shirt and jumps into the water. He could swin faster then the ship even without the spell, but he thought he'd need the arms the ship provided. he begins to swim to the island.

"It's fine," Mario says as he looks the island over. "So what do we do? My spell won't last for long."

"What can we do? If we run he'll just follow us." Mariya says.

Darren see's the Isle at last adn swims faster. Once near the shore he climbs up the Black Pearl. He see's Mariya and smiles, but it tuns to a sneer when he see's Mario. Lucky for himMariya was closer. He walks silently over and grabs her, pulling er back. "Hello Mariya, your coming with me."

Mariya's eyes widen. She struggles but Darren just laughs. She kicks him and he lets go. "How many times do I have to tell you no Darren? I'll never get over....him."

Riku arrived in Port Royal just moments after Darren had fought Sora. He walked to the port looking around seeing sora lying there he rushed to his side "Are you ok Sora?"

Mario spins around, seeing Darren with Mariya. "Crap!" he yells, summoning his Shadow Blade and rushing toward Darren. Within a second, he suddenly disappears in a cloud of shadows, moving behind Darren and reappearing to try and strike his back.

Darren is hit and turns to Mario, sneering. He seems pailer and draws Flying Dragon. He attacks Mario, annoyed.

Mariya summons her keyblade and attacks Darren while he's mid-attack. He simply turns around and throws her into the rock face. He then turns his attantion back to Mario and attacks again.

---

"I'm fine Riku, you have to get to Isla de Muerta and fast. Once there you have to arrest Darren, I'll explain later why, don't worry about me." Sora said, before sitting up.

Mario quickly throws his Shadow Blade up in defense, deflecting the blow. He then spins around to strike once more, trying a direct attack.

Riku nods "here"he hands Sora a potion and quickly finds the first ship with a crew. Walking to the front of the ship he cuts the rope to the release the ship from port and grabs the wheel steering to Isla de Muerta

Sora atches as the ship disapears and drinks the potion. His wound heals, leaveing only a small slash left of it. He stands and hopes Riku gets to the island before anything bad happened.

---

Darren laughs as he blocks Mario's attack easily. "Your no match for me boy."

Meanwhile, Mariya has disapeared. She just crshed into the rock face right? She should have been injured. So where could she have gone?

Suddenly someone behind Darren atwcks and hits him Darren turns and sneers again. "This has nothing to do with you Sparrow."

"Oh, but it does, I promised Sora years ago that if Mariya came here and trouble followed I'd protect her. For a price of course, and the price has been paid." Jack said before stepping infront of Mario. "Mario, go on ahead, I'll take care of this." Behind his back he slipped MArio a piece of paper, the scrpit read:
She's in the Powder Store, check behind the crates.

Mario sees the small slip, reads it, and nods. Without hesistation, he rushes from the battle, running into the island's caves to find the Powder Store.

After a while Riku sees the two ships and Jack fighting Darren. He jumps onto shore and runs over to the fight" Darren by order of the King you are here by under arrest. Come quietly or i will be forced to take action" He draws his Way to Dawn and watched Darren. In his right hand is a ball of dark energy , he thinks to himself: Once belonging to the darkness has it's perks.

Darren looked around for any means of escape. When he found none he dopped his sword. He couldn't take on both Jack and Riku. "I surrender." He said, sighing. I'll find a way out, one way or another.

---

Mariya lied on the hard rock floor behind some stacked crates. From what she saw this was the biggest pile of them and was rather roomy behind the creates, despite the outside apperance. jack said Mario would come for her, just to stay put. She cringed when she took a deep breath. she figured some of her ribs might be broken from them impacting on the rock face.

On the other side of the crates a group of Neoshadow's and Armored Knight's are walking threw the Powder Store. They seem to be looking for something, or someone.

Mario runs through the caves, skidding to a halt near a corner and glancing around it to see the Heartless. He considers fighting them, but with the surrounding explosives nearby, he could risk blowing everyone up. After a few more seconds, he sighs before transforming into his Heartless form and walking out to encounter the Heartless as if he were a higher rank in the Heartless army. "New orders," he declares. "You are to check the next room while I remain stationed here."

The heartless seemed to nod, and went off to the next area. One of the NeoShadow's seemed suspisious though.

Jack puts Darren in shackles and ties him up. Two of his musular crew mmbers drag him onto the Black Pearl and down to the brig. "Mariya is behind some crates in the poder store, but I already sent Mario to fetch her, I thik she may have some broken ribs. How's Sora these days?"

---

Mariya hears something from the other side of the crates, and sits up, grimancing. "Mario?" She asks loudly enough so he could hear on the other side.

Mario, hearing Mariya's voice, immediately looks around for her. Not seeing her in sight, he returns to his human form and begins checking behind the crates. Soon, he finds Mariya behind the largest stack. "Mariya, there you are!" he states. "I've been looking for you! Are you okay?"

"I think I might have some broken ribs." Mariya states, cringing. She mutters something and slowly stands up and leans against the side of her hiding spot.

Mario is quick to rush to her side. "Is there anything I can do to help? Perhaps a Shadow Cure spell?"

"Hmmm, as far as I know, cure doesn't heal broken bones, but really no one has tried. Wait, did you say shadow cure?"

---

Meanwhile, back at the rockface Sora clibs up and smiles. "I see Darren has been aprehended, where's Mariya?"

"She's in good hands Sora, no need to worry." Jack says with a smile.

"Um, yeah?" Mario answers. "Because of my Shadow Blade, my magic and special attacks all use shadow magic and energy instead of normal magic and energy. I though you would have figured that out with my Reversal attack and my earlier Shadow Stop spell."

"Oh, right, forgot aout that...." Mariya mutters. "Hmm, you could try it, but no guarentees it'll heal the broken bones."

Mairo nods before summoning his Shadow Blade. "Shadow Cure!" he yells, pointing the blade at the wound. Dark energy surrounds it, but whether it will heal or not depends.

Mariya's face relieves a bit. She blinks and sighs. "Feels better, but still have some pain. I think I can make it back to the ship." She says before heading back to the Black Pearl.

---

"What do you mean in good hands, who is she with?" Sora asked, giving Jack a suspisious look.

Jack laughed. "His name is Mario Sora, he's a keyblad weilder adn our daughter seems to trust him. Besides, he was fighting Darren when I went off to hide Mariya. He's a good lad."

"We'll see about that, I don't sappose you remeber Axel Striker do you?" Sora asked.

Mario follows behind Mariya, a bit relieved that she is much better. He glances behind for a moment to see if the Heartless were returning, then continues forward.

When they arrive back at the rock face Mariya stops, seeing her dad. Her dad runs over and hugs her adn Mariya cringes. "I'm glad your safe, your mother and I were worried sick, next time you run off, tell us where your going so if trouble-"

"Dad....broken ribs." Mariya said and Sora immediatly let go. "Mario managed to heal some of it, but that still hurt."

Sora looks over at Mario and smiles. "So, Jack tells me you fought Darren."

"And some heartless. There was some in the Powder Store, Three Neoshadows and Two Armoured Knights." Mariya said and noticed Riku. "Oh Riku, long time no see. Wait, is there something about Darren I don't know?"

Mario stands there, looking aside when the Powder Store Heartless are mentioned since he never really fought them.

Riku gives a small nod to Mariya before looking at Sora. "Yes, Sora, please tell us what it is that has you so riled up about Darren."

"Darren, is corrupted by the heartless, I discovered he planned to take over all the worlds. He was going to start with Radiant Garden. I know how he felt about Mariya, I was afraid he would corrupt her."

Mariya's eyes widened. "Where is Darren?"

"In the Bring, locked up tight, guarded well." Jack said with a smile. "Will you all be needing a ride to Port Royal?"

"Thanks Jack, we will." Sora said and looked at Mariya. "You are staying in the Captains Cabin."

Mariya made no argument, and went ont the Black Pearl and into the Captains Cabin. She leaned against the window and looked out to the sea.

Mario is silent before looking at Sora. "Well, if there isn't anything for me to do, I suppose I could always go. The Heartless won't defeat themselves."

Sora nods. "Your welcome to come." He says before going on the ship. He goes below deck, perhaps to check if darren is still in the brig.

Mariya sighs. It was getting dark now, and she was begining to doze off. She lied on the floor, making her self as comfortable as she could. But something was at the back of her mind bugging her, sure it made sence that the Shadow Blade may have special capabitlities, but RIku told her when she was a kid that no one could open a dark portal uless they belonged to the darkness. She hoped Mario wasn't a triator, she couldn't take being stabbed in the back again.

Mario is a bit surprised by the offer, but nods. "Very well then," he says before he boards the ship, sitting down next to the cannons once more.

Riku boards the ship and enters the Captain's Cabin, and when he sees that something seems to be bugging Mariya, he quietly leaves but keeps in mind ot ask her about it later.

Once everyone is aboard, the Black Pearl takes off to Port Royal. Sora comes back from the brig, and goes up to the helm to talk to Jack, it seems he's watching Mario in the corner of his eye. He looks away, out in the distance and see's something odd.

"Heartless!" He shouts and heartless appear on the deck he jumps down and Ultima appears in his hand. He stands infront of the door leading to the Captains Cabin, wiling to protect it with his life.

Mario suddenly springs into action as he summons his Shadow Blade, leaping toward the closest Heartless and slashing at it, whipping around and firing a Shadow Fire at another Heartless.

Riku sees the action on deck and jumps down, drawing Way to Dawn as he does so. He then proceeds to take out any Heartless near him.

Mariya hears the rucus outside, but doesn't move, she was in no condition to fight.

Sora slashes away at the heartless, making sure none get around him. Jack junpos down and helps him defend the door, and soon they are defeated. Jack rushes up to the helm, while Sora makes sure no more are coming. He goes up to the bow, kepping a sharp eye.

With the Heartless defeated, Mario glances at the sun. He sees that it has almost set. He frowns a bit as he returns his Shadow Blade to its energy form and absorbs it, turning and heading for a door on deck. "Pardon me for a moment, I gonna see if I can find something to eat," he says before opening the door and disappearing into the cabin.

Riku is silent as he sheaths Way to Dawn before he joins Sora on the bow. "What do you think?" he asks, giving a small glance toward Mario as he disappears into the ship.

"He acts strange, keep an eye on him. I know Mariya trusts him, but well, she han't been thinking clearly ever since, well, you know. I have a feeling he's hiding something."

Mariya puts that away from her mind and makes herself fall asleep.

Five minutes later, after the sun has set and night has come, Mario reappears on deck, looking content. He then sits down among the cannons once more.

Soon after, theship docks and Sor goes in the Captains Cabin and comes back up witha sleeping Mariya in his arms. He turns to Riku. "My gummi ship is up at the rampart, I'll meet you back at Radiant Garden."

He pauses and looks at Mario. "You go with Riku." he says before going up to the rampart, carrying Mariya.

Mario blinks and looks at Riku. "Erm...okay...so what are you taking?"

Riku gives a side glance at Mario, looking both suspicious and curious. "Same thing, a gummi ship," he responds as he turns toward the docks where a small gummi ship is in the harbor. "Come," he says as he then begins to walk toward the gummi ship.

Mario is silent, blinking a little before silently following.

Two minutes later, the gummi ship takes off for Radiant Garden with both Riku and Mario inside.