"Who dares?" the man in the coffin said. The coffin hadn’t lied. Within the coffin was indeed the pirate known as Black Valentine, though he was in a sorry shape for his return. His once tan skin had gone pallid and he looked more skeletal than wiry.
He was dressed in a heavy slashed-sleeved jupe over a billowing shirt the same color. His trousers were the same, slashed over black and billowing leggings under him. His hands, one gripping the edge of the coffin and the other holding the gun were asymmetrical, black leather, one past the wrist, the other up to his elbow. Over his trademark black, he wore a red cape that fastened under his left shoulder and a red bandana tied over his forehead.
"He’ve been dead fer twenty years!" Cid exclaimed.
"Uh… ‘ullo," Yuffie said.
"See?" Cloud said. "I read it right."
"You dun have no treasure, does ya?" Yuffie asked.
"You be treasure hunters, then?" Black Valentine asked.
"Well, Sharkbait is," Cid said, pointing at Yuffie. "We jus’ came to git her rump back ta the ship."
"Forgive me then, young lady," he said, and rose out of his coffin.
"Hey!" Cid yelled. "Ya knew she was a she?"
"I be dead, not blind," Black Valentine said. "You said you had a ship. Is she seaworthy or are you also stranded here to die?"
"I’ll be damned if I die!" Cid said. "She’s good if we kin fix the mast. Fell over."
"Ah, the sky she be a fickle wench," Black Valentine said.
"Uh… yeah. Right," Cid said. "Ship ain’t fer sale."
"I am not interested in transactions," Black Valentine said. "If you do not wish of me to travel, or at least not to survive after the journey, then I must bid you all adieu."
"Ya as good as they say ya is?" Cid asked.
Black Valentine laughed. Yuffie backed away and Cid and Cloud shivered. If he truly was dead, despite his walking about, he had a laugh to match it. "My kind man, I am far greater than that. I was bested once, I admit, but I am the greatest that ever set foot above the seas, and the best at pistol and sword."
"Well, ya got some competition," Cid said.
"I ask for one thing: If you will not grant me this, abandon me at port and I shall see you as no less of a true man of the seas; either grant me the chance for a revenge I have dreamed about since before I laid to sleep in that casket or leave me a chance to call upon my children if they still be alive or mercenaries if they have perished as well. I only hope my brethren have met a true end as opposed to this horrid purgatory."
"Not sure I caught all that," Cid said. "We bin had ‘nough revenge sought on the ship, but we kin take ya ta the next port."
"Agreed then, my fair fellow. Lead on."
Cid started up the hole. Cloud was hesitant, but shrugged off his wariness easily. He would ask Barret about it.
"Ya ain’t no good pirate!" Yuffie chided at Black Valentine. "Ya jest be ‘nother mercenary. Ya took a false name ya did!"
"Sharkbait, ain’t smart ta argue with zombies," Cid said, and helped Cloud up.
"And what would be a true pirate to you, young lady?"
"I ain’t no lady!" Yuffie yelled. "Never wore a girdle, never will!"
"Interesting." Black Valentine said.
"If ya the best pirate there is and was, ya take gold, not death as yer duty! That be true fer a pirate!"
"All the gold in the sacred lands of Arabia could not amount to the pleasure I would know at the death of the one who took so much from me. But I promise, if I be rescued I turn not in my crown. I shall take the seas back. I shall show you a true pirate, young one. Wait. Wait and be prepared for the tales you shall here of me."
"If yer done squalling, git yer dirty rumps up here!" Cid yelled.
Black Valentine began to climb up. "I thank all of you for your discovery and kindness."
"I wished fer money," Yuffie complained.
………………………………………………………………………………………….
Nanaki was snoozing off a meal of rats and Barret was on deck when Cid returned.
"Found the little imp," Cid said.
"Ye found more’n that," Barret said. "Who be this?"
"Vincent the Black Valentine," Black Valentine greeted. "My hat would be off to you my fine man, but it was stolen a long time before."
"Nice man," Barret said.
"Best ‘haved zombie I ever found," Cid said. "Sharkbait found him. Stupid li’l lass, thinkin’ there be treasure in a coffin."
"If he is truly dead, he not needin’ it!" Yuffie complained.
"Good, got that mast upright again. We kind fix the railin’ later in port. Maybe trade this wreck fer something that’ll stay ‘gether."
"Yer Shera be in worse shape," Barret said. Cid looked startled at the comment. For a moment Barret thought the man would go on a tirade about how little he cared for the girl.
"She took a sword straight through. Had ta be nasty o’ a wound. Ain’t dead, is she?"
Barret shook his head.
"Git this into the waves, men! Now!" Cid said, and went below deck.
"You have a doctor on board?" Vincent asked.
"Nah, jus’ Tifa," Barret answered. "Kind woman. Kinder if you got enough brass."
………………………………………………………………………………………
"How bad is she?" Cid asked, shoving the remaining half of the door.
Tifa was bandaged on her head and her knees, one leg was in a crude splint.
"Fever. Lord’s work if she lives," Tifa answered. "Lose those pretty eyes of hers too, don’ doubt."
"Too?" Cid asked. "I ain’t too good at language an’ such, but—"
"She was with chil’, Captain. Was. Lost it. Sword wen’ right through it."
"I ain’t atouched her!"
"Barret rather have what lie beneath trousers than skirts," Tifa said. "An… An' I saw Cloud with your cousin. He looked at her so much Shera be up in the rigging, her skirt ahiked up past her pretty knees an’ he don’ look up."
Cid said nothing and just shook his head.
"You touched or she found a nice man who loved her ta sink his ship in," Tifa said. "We movin’?"
"Yeah. Ya kin meet the new mate up on deck," Cid said, not really paying attention to Tifa. "Kin take yer place for a few. That leg broken?"
"’Tis, but none too bad. I thought… I thought you might want to give Aeris last rights on the island afore we left it."
"She be more ‘live on the sea and she be best in heaven with waves ‘stead o’ clouds."
"Cid?"
"Dress her an’ warp her in a blanket. I say my mournin’s the way I wish."