Things Need To Change

Alright, I deleted my profile/bio. Truth be told, who cares. Chances are if you are on this page? You found one of my stories and liked it, so you decided to see if I had other stories. Alternatively, you found one of my stories and hated it, and came to "Ensure" that the said story you hated was the only trashy story I had polluting the website.

Either way, what you are reading now has nothing to do with my stories, similar to how they used to. This profile I want to dedicate solely to try and teach/assist writers in creating more creative fan fiction that showcases original content. And even if they decide not to go down a road entirely original? I want to assist in helping them create a story that feels original, and will have it's place in the community by the time it is done.

Intro

I personally feel that far too often stories are released that are far too similar to other people's fan fictions. And it is of my personal opinion that such a thing shouldn't be happening. Now this may seem cold or blunt. Yet take this for example.

JK Rowling released the Harry Potter series, correct? It grew to be extremely well known and successful, did it not?

Now wouldn't it be funny if a whole bunch of authors saw that success, and promptly decided to create a whole bunch of stories about boy's and girls discovering they are wizards and going to schools for magic, essentially making it "Harry Potter with less details..."?

Now there is an exception to this of course. "Well Bleed, I get what you're saying, but what if I can improve upon the idea? Just because I am making a similar story doesn't mean there will be any less detail."

And I would say, you are absolutely right. Everyone is perfectly capable of improving upon an idea. Everyone is perfectly capable of improving on these genres of fan fiction. Yet here is the issue.

I can promise you 95/100 of these stories you see on this site fail to reach this bar. I believe that there is this idea, this imaginary bar. Bare with me for a moment as I explain it.

The Bar

Imagine your favorite fan fiction category right now. For me personally? It is Naruto, and Harry Potter. Then to a lesser extent things like Highschool of the Dead, Final Fantasy X, Mass Effect, Bleach, and Star Wars.

Got your favorite category in your head? Excellent. Now think of their canon plot lines. (This is significantly easier with more streamlined plots unlike Star Wars or Mass Effect). Their Universe was obviously something impressive. After all, it got a whole bunch of people to sit down and each and every one of them decided individually, "Hey... this story is cool, I'm going to write my own spin on this story."

Therefore? Canon set... The Bar.

Now I am sure you have heard of the term "Raising The Bar" The idea that you should go above and beyond what is expected. This is a concept people should understand. After all, anyone who has a job has probably had a manager tell them that they expect the best of them, if not more than that.

So when someone produces fan fiction that is simply outstanding, that is original, and shines brightly through a sea of darkness. When there sole story exceeds everyone's expectations, and you are left amazed as to why some of the ideas in the story weren't in the canon story? That author Raised the Bar.

Yet whenever you end up reading a story that is dragging along, the characters are walking cliches, other characters are being bashed. You have plots that are too similar to other successful stories. These stories... Lower the Bar.

Now it is my belief that over the years the amount of people Raising the Bar have declined while as consequence the amount of people Lowering the Bar have increased. This is a problem.

"But Bleed! How do we solve this problem. How can we get people to Raise the bar? Not everyone can do it... can they?"

The truth is? I don't know if everyone can raise the bar. Yet I would hope that most people could do it. I thoroughly believe that if people take the time to think out of the box, and to take their time with the content that they produce? The quality of stories produced will improve, and the creative imagination of a collective community will serve to broaden more ideas for potential stories never thought possible.

This brings me to what I feel are a few key principles necessary to understand for the future of good fan fiction.

1: First off, have a relatively unique idea.

This idea doesn't need to be completely unique. The truth is that many story ideas have already been done. Yet you can always change how a story unravels. I hate using one of my own stories for an example, but it is the first one that comes to mind.

Consequences of an Honest Enemy. Bottom Line? It's a Puppetmaster Naruto story. The truth of the matter is that it was by no means the first. (I believe credit for that goes to Serpentsannin). The concept that Naruto is trained in Suna to be a puppeteer, or is trained by Sasori, or finds a hidden warehouse with puppeteering techniques. These stories have been done. Some are notable and should gain significant recognition.

Scorpion's Disciple: The author expertly crafted the character of Sasori, while not rushing through the details of Naruto's tutelage. Here is something important, and huge that most people don't even realize. He created an amazing story, fully fleshed out, without even getting passed the chunin exams. He just went from the academy to the chunin exams.

This to me is incredibly, particularly for me as an author. A big reason as to why I am actually stopping two of my bigger stories is the simple fact that they were too grand in scale for me to complete. For a long time, even when I first started writing fan fiction? I believed that in order for a story to be great? You need to tell a large Lord of the Rings like tale that consists of a huge journey consistent with something like Naruto of the Shikon. The truth is that it is unnecessary. All you need to tell a good story... is to tell a good story.

Now we have one Puppeteer Naruto story. How about another?

Puppetmaster Naruto: This story is perhaps the exact opposite of Scorpion's Disciple. This story admittedly had it's early cliches of fan fiction, but it grew into something great and impressive. A young Naruto is found on the outskirts of Konoha, beaten and bloodied, and assumed dead by none other than the puppet master Sasori. Sasori takes Naruto under his wing and takes him away into solitude to teach Naruto everything he knows.

This changes Naruto's entire outlook on life, and all of his decision making from that point on. The author was able to adequately mix in an intimidating teenager while at the same time maintaining witty and fun dialog between his sidekick, enemies and allies. You ended up getting a story that would be remembered not just for being a great puppeteer Naruto story, but also for it's great characters.

Now what about my story? Consequences of an Honest Enemy

What sets it apart as a Puppetmaster Naruto story? Why is it unique? Why is it different? I chose to have Naruto actually learn about puppeteering after timeskip, when he had already grown up. I also chose to not have Sasori directly mentor Naruto. Two extremely small differences that could prove to go on and have a huge impact on the story and genre entirely.

"Will Naruto follow in Sasori's footsteps personality wise? Or will he continue to maintain his happy go lucky feel."

"Naruto is learning a lot from Sasori through this book, but it is just a book... what is it gets damaged? Or burned? If he loses it, what then? It is like only completing a class half way, will he have to fill in the gaps?"

"Now Naruto and Sasori may not know it, but we the readers do. What are you going to do with Kabuto? They don't realize he is faithfully loyal to Orochimaru, and in fact a traitor. How is that going to effect the relationship Naruto builds with the medical ninja, knowing that the blonde killed his master?"

It is the ability to ask these questions that sets a person's story apart from anyone else's. And it is only through answering them, and following through with these questions that your story gets remembered as something different and something unique.

You see? There is really nothing special about the ideas I proposed in my story. Yet it is through these tiny details, and minimal changes that you are able to capitalize and build on to create a whole new story in an already preexisting and cliched genre.

So in a few sentences, what have we established?

You don't need to have a completely original idea to have an original story. You originality and creativity can come from the way you choose to go about creating the classic elements of whatever genre you are attempting to produce a story for. It is through effort, time, and attention that you are able to to patiently address the concepts of your story before you attempt to put them onto paper without thinking about them.

2: Have A Plan, and a goal for your story! Not just your ideas. And if this is your first story? Have a small plan.

Again, this is me speaking from personal experience a bit. When you first start writing? Chances are your first works are going to be... pretty shitty. I actually remember the first story I posted. It was actually the first story that showcased the idea of Naruto possessing Frostmourne from the Warcraft series. (This was before the crossover category was even developed.) It was a cool concept. And It was really all I had. I had all of these cool ideas, and how to make Naruto seem cool. Yet I didn't really think about a story. Just ideas. And that was a problem.

You see the thing that is great about fan fiction is also it's biggest curse. People come to fan fiction because it allows you to creatively do whatever you want with a story. For example?

Lets say I loved the Naruto series. I could come in and then lets say in the Snow arc of the Naruto series? I could have Naruto find the technology of Snow Country incredibly interesting, he uses clones to learn the technology, and promptly thrusts Konoha into an age of Steampunk and invention. Yet Naruto doesn't understand the effects he is having on the world around him as he continually invents new things that trivializes trades and practices that were formerly run by shinobi. His inventions serve to throw the elemental nations on it's axis, and the plans of the Akatsuki gradually go haywire as the capabilities of shinobi quickly become overwhelmed by the new technology rapidly being introduced into the world.

This, while a bit fleshed out in concept, is a story idea that anyone coming to fan fiction can jump right into. Yet what is the problem here? This story has a great idea that is extremely original (Please tell me if you have ever seen something like it before.)

Yet what is the problem? There is no end in sight. There is also no mention of how Naruto would grow or develop as a character at all in these ideas. Star Wars was not made big solely on the idea of aliens, space, a galactic empire and rebels. It was made big due to the amazing characters that lead you throughout this universe. The farm boy that wants to see the rest of the world, talented but unrecognized by his family. The wise old man that brought wisdom and knowledge to every member of the group. The scoundrel with a heart of gold. The princess trying to lead a rebellion.

That is why I suggest you have a small plan when you first start off. Have an end in sight. Nothing is more demoralizing than getting far and committing a lot of time to a story, and then realizing that the story is just too large in concept for you to feel comfortable taking on. So on the note of stories being too long? Or "Bleed, I need to make a big story in order to adequately showcase their characters!"

And I respond? Take it a day at a time. Harry Potter and the Philosophers had only 76,944 words. Allow me to put that into perspective.

Scorpion's Disciple has only 149,612 words.

Twice as much as the first Harry Potter. Yet the first Harry Potter adequately introduces you to the core characters, while at the same time presenting you with a pleasant mystery. In fact, the second Harry Potter, Chamber of Secrets is only 85,141 words. If only to give you a feel for the fact that stories don't need to be long to have an impact.

So what did we learn here?

It's not about the size of the tool, it's how you use it...

It's not about the size of the boat, it's about the motion of the ocean...

It's not about the size of the dog in the fight, it's about the size of the fight in the dog...

Alright enough of letting your mind wander. The truth is simple. You don't need to have a super long story with super awesome ideas to have a great story. Yet too many people like to focus on shit that doesn't matter in a story. Myself included. I am soooooo bad about this. However if you can keep your mind focused on the goal? I promise you that you will be able to repeatedly put out stories that are consistently good, while at the same time achieving the sense of accomplishment.

Remember this!

Even JK Rowling didn't start off trying to release her 200k word Deathly Hallow book. She started with her 75k word Philosopher's stone. She took the time, and grew.

The final idea I'd like to note while writing fan fiction is similar to raising the bar.

3: Make the best out of a shitty situation

A big reason why I ended up getting into fan fiction was actually because I grew to hate the Naruto series. There was a time around the chunin exams (and particularly right after time skip) where Naruto was just lame. The character and the story both. We were forced to watch a series where the title character was cast off to the side in favor of Sasuke. It was not fun. The main character wasn't really receiving the attention, and was constantly getting outclassed by his rival. The idea that after all this time, he could not even equal/trump Sasuke once was just utterly embarrassing.

Yet this is not and I will repeat NOT! A reason to bash Sasuke. This is the biggest and greatest failure of the fan fiction community. If you don't like a character in the canon story? The beauty about fan fiction is that you can simply write them out of the story if you truly don't like them. However if you truly don't like them? You can also in turn, turn it around and create them into a character that you can like and respect. For example, imagine this story I have always thought about(Albeit, never decided to write it, but I felt it was a great idea.)

Imagine this, and I say this with a completely serious tone, and I'm by no means trolling. This is my own personal opinion. But I believe that every single issue with the Naruto series could have been resolved if Sasuke was a female character.

Sasuke isn't a male. He is in fact a female character. The night the Uchiha Clan was murder by Itachi, Itachi didn't leave his little brother behind. He left his little sister alone, failing as an older brother(Whom anyone who has siblings will know that as the older brother you have to look out for your little sisters). Sasuke grows up pained and bitter and angry. Yet her anger grows into a silent jealousy towards Naruto. Naruto is a boy that has no parents, just like her, yet he is able to run around laughing and playing with friends, a concept that was foreign to her. A life that she felt she could never truly have. Not after her brother took everything she held close to her.

Yet what Sasuke doesn't see is that Naruto is just as equally sad and angry. Yet he grew up and learned to hide that pain. I'm not suggesting hiding behind a mask, and having a truly emo side to himself. That is a bullshit excuse. But the concept that Naruto just feels "For the longest time I was angry and sad, all the time. Yet eventually I just stopped being angry and sad. I can't change what happened when I was younger. After awhile sorrow isn't a condition, it is a choice. I got tired of living like that, and I chose to try and do something about it."

Sakura develops a bit of a crush on Sasuke. No, she isn't a lesbian... although that route would be equally interesting to pursue a love triangle. However Sakura sees Sasuke as her idol. Where she is only capable with bookwork. Here is Sasuke, perfectly capable in both intellect as well as physical capabilities. She strives to reach Sasuke's level, no matter how out of reach Sasuke may be to her.

Then you can have this team dynamic where Naruto has this crush on Sakura. Yet Sakura is too focused on attempting to grow to Sasuke's level that she doesn't notice Naruto. Yet Sasuke is so far ahead of Sakura that she barely pays her mind. Although Sasuke does consider Sakura a close friend, gradually with time. During this time Sasuke resent's the fact that Naruto is so happy. And Naruto grows to resent Sasuke because she has all of Sakura's attention, while not even caring for it.

Yet as Naruto grows, and begins to surpass not only Sakura, but also Sasuke. Not to mention they are all growing older. Sasuke's anger and frustration serves to grow even further. Naruto won't even look at her. He only has eyes for Sakura, and he continues to improve past them both. Jealousy begins to spur deep within her, and her relationship with Sakura begins to fizzle and die as Sasuke's feelings for Naruto grow. Yet these feelings are never returned by Naruto as he continues to chase after Sakura, who continues to chase after Sasuke's attention as she strives to perform better... as Sasuke is only wanting Naruto to acknowledge her and not just Sakura.

You effectively create this story where the dynamic between these three characters shifts several times, the roles consistently change, and the relationships develop. This on it's own right is a story, by itself, no questions asked. You don't need crazy amazing ideas or any amazing plot. You just need good driven characters that an audience can relate to.

PS: After reading that? I imagine a lot more people understand why Yaoi between Naruto and Sasuke can be so common. If Sasuke was a female, I think this is how the dynamic of the story would have turned out.

So with all of that being provided? Here is what I'm going to do.

The Challenges

Challenges are common throughout the fan fiction community. Yet most of the time challenges are simply there as stories the author has in mind, and wants to see written, but doesn't want to write themselves. I don't want to go down that route. Truthfully, these ideas will solely be for your benefit. These will be stories ideas that have short term concepts and goals. These goals should be able to be accomplished relatively early on into the story, rather than some grand scale, seven years of Harry Potter or the entire Naruto series span of a story. They will hopefully be simple enough so that all of you will be able to focus on what is more important than ideas when it comes to writing.

The mechanics of creating good characters.

So with that said...

Challenge 1:

Title ideas: It's all a Dream or The Yellow Flash Complex

Summary: Naruto was born with photographic memory. Traumatized by the events of watching his parent's death right before his eyes, Naruto developed paranoid schizophrenia and dealt with the trauma in a way that many young children do. They buried it away and created this hero, in this alternate reality in their mind to help himself cope. In his mind he became what his father was known as, "The Yellow Flash".

However as Naruto has grown older reading about the Yellow Flash and his exploits, as well as other famous shinobi in the world to fuel his dreams, and his condition continues to grow worse, Sarutobi fearing for the child's future enlists the more specific help of a group of individuals. Ibiki Morino, Anko Mitarashi, Yuuhi Kurenai, Hatake Kakashi, and Inoichi Yamanaka. It is his intention that they will be able to dive inside Naruto's mind and help free him from this alternate reality that he has created for himself as The Yellow Flash.

Yet it is only when the team dive into Naruto's mind that they realize the danger that they face inside his mind. The Kyuubi's influence has served to trap them inside his mind until they solve the problem.

Yet the problem for them is that Naruto's mind is far more complex than they realized. He has powerful shinobi such as Hanzo, Former Kages, and "The Orange Masked Man" in his mind, posing a danger to each and every one of them as they are trapped in his mind trying to find answers to Naruto's problem.

It is only then that they catch sight inside the boy's mind of the godly yellow blur long since thought lost. The Yellow Flash.

Inspired by: Inception and The Batman Complex

Naturally the end goal here is getting out of Naruto's mind. Whether you find a cure for Naruto, or whether you deem his mind far too dangerous, or you even have all of the people that entered his mind killed off, and the Hokage is forced to not interfere as Naruto's condition continues to worsen from that point on. There are numerous ways to go about the story, just as there are numerous ways to end it. Numerous different characters you can add in for them to encounter. And even the main characters aren't set in stone. You can use anyone. Although... a Yamanaka would probably be required...

Challenge 2

Title: Doesn't matter, figure it out.

Naruto grows up under both of his parents, and through their guide, and his use of clones, he grows to become easily one of the greatest ninjas in the world before he is even 12 years old. With his mastery of the Kyuubi, as well as his incredible skills.

Minato retained his position as Hokage, however over the years he has frowned upon Naruto's growth. It was not that he was not proud of his son, he was. However Naruto had not yet grown into a man. He used his powers to show off, and to boast. No one questioned his power and skill. Yet he lacked the wisdom of his superiors.

One day Naruto shows off with his power, and uses it in a method that would be frowned upon. Minato promptly seals off the majority of his power and tells Naruto that only when he is deemed ready, will he gain his power once again.

Minato then promptly sends Naruto to the academy to mingle with those his own age, and to learn humility. A punishment yet also a lesson. And it is through these moments where he is forced to grow accustomed to those his own age does he begin to realize how he had been treating those around him.

You can end this story around the chunin exams.

The story is modeled a bit after the movie Thor. The concept that you can have someone so cocky and arrogant grow into this compelling respectable character is an interesting one. And the best thing is that this is very open ended. Nothing is really set in stone other then a general outline of the concept. Your originality and creativity can bleed through by differing the actions he took to lose his powers, how he treated people, and how or if he ever gets his powers back.

Challenge 3

This was a story idea I was toying with late at night, but it is a bit grand in scale. So only take this on if you feel comfortable doing so.

If you wanted to shorten the story to make it easier? I'd suggest having Harry Return in 4th year. Yet having the Harry Potter series resolved by the end of it. I'll explain what I mean below.

Title: You shouldn't have come back

Concept: I'm surprised honestly that I have not seen this done. Sure there are Harry Potter stories out there where Harry is taken away and trained by 'Insert band of people here' and comes back to kick ass. Yet all of those stories follow a rather similar flow which to me doesn't make sense. How can a boy go out and see the world, and then come back to Hogwarts, and still see taunting Draco, or getting baited into Snape's insults, or flirting with all the girls in school a legitimate way to spend his time? You would think that he would return more mature?

So then furthermore, lets take a look at Harry's character. His character has extreme potential to be exactly like another character many people know and love. Can you take a guess?

Batman.

Now I'm not suggesting turning Harry into a caped crusader. However hear me out as I lay out this groundwork.

The story:

Harry's parents die when he is three-four years old. Voldemort came to the Potter Mansion and killed both Lily and James, as well as their newborn baby girl XXXX. Harry instead of being sent to the Dursley's remains at the Potter Manor under the care of the House Elf that had formerly taken care of the entire Potter family. She looks after Harry as if she were her own son.

However as Harry grew a couple years older, with the constant watch over the British Ministry of Magic. Everyone being understanding, and wanting him to move on past the fate of his parents and little sister. Yet the truth of the matter is that he couldn't. So he leaves, and proceeds to travel the world at his young age.

Upon his return, years later, the House Elf gives him a speech very similar to the one Alfred gave to Bruce. The simple idea that I feel sums up the story of Harry Potter perfectly if Harry grew up in a loving family. "I never wanted you to come back to the Wizarding World... I always knew that there was nothing here for you, except pain and tragedy. The day you left the Potter Manor, it broke my heart. Yet I believed that out there you would find something for yourself, something good, something you deserved. I still do. But not here."

However Harry's return to the wizarding world isn't for his own happiness. Voldemort and dark magic stole his parents from him. They also terrorized the lives of many. Harry sets out to ensure that what happened to him as a child cannot happen to anyone else. And with the skills he learned on his travels, he sets out to use them to cleanse the wizarding world of dark wizards.

Now naturally with these foundations being set. We can come to an ending or a goal for the story. Harry in this story isn't the chosen one, that was his sister.

So perhaps an end to the story would be Harry defeating Voldemort at the end of the Tri-Wizard tournament, at the cost of his own life. His actions inspire the population into standing up for themselves. That there is no such thing as a chosen one, or prophecy. That anyone can be a hero.

Perhaps you have Harry defeat Voldemort and have him proceed on to be a silent guardian for the wizarding world. They no longer need him, so he no longer needs to be present. And he vanishes once again.

Maybe you have the hero turn cold over his journey. He realizes that in a moment of desperation that he can't do this alone. Yet with the wizarding world choosing not to rally behind him, and fight the darkness. He grows bitter. Perhaps a time in the future will come for our hero where those people will look to him for help. And he will look back upon them, and tell them... no...

Now you see, there is a lot you can do with this story to make it your own. What Harry does during his years away is up to you. How he decides to try and clean up the wizarding world? Up to you. How Voldemort returns? It's up to you. How Harry acts while in Hogwarts? It's up to you. How the story ends, is also up to you. So this was all just an idea that I always felt could happen with Harry. Although I never really found a story do it right. As they often take this character we are supposed to see as a mature adult, and then have him proceed to bash Draco, Snape, Dumbledore, while surrounding himself with women and doing little to his long term goals.

Challenge 4

Alright, I'll admit, this one is more so an idea that came to me. And this is a story that I am probably going to take a crack at myself. Thankfully however, the concept behind it is very simple, and each story should be original.

The title of the story can really be anything. However I would probably title the story "Feet First" You will understand in a moment.

The story is inspired by Halo's ODST's. Now naturally I am sure a lot of you are rolling your eyes with the idea. "It can't be done, realistically." For the longest time I believed that, and as such I always put this fantasy idea of mine on the back burner. Yet today I realized that my former assumption was anything but. In fact, there is one very key way to make this viable, and make it fit in the canon type of universe.

Remember the Naruto Shippuden movie 2, Bonds? The sky country? Even Konoha feared them. So much so that Tsunade herself was terrified by the fact that their mere descendants survived. So allow me to give you this brief little speech/lesson from Halo, Forward Unto Dawn. Hopefully you will be able to make a couple parallels with it.

"The Pincer Movement" The strategy used in Earth's second Punic War against the Roman Republic at the battle of Cannae.

Red represents the Roman's troupes. Blue Hannibal's. Hannibal placed his spearmen and slinger's at the front. Behind him, his swordsman flanked by cavalry.

When the Roman's attacked, Hannibal's swordsman retreated. To the Roman's, they believed it was due to their force. Yet in reality, Hannibal had ordered the retreat. As the Romans continued to drive the swordsman back, Hannibal's cavalry galloped in from behind. Once the attacking pincers connected, the Romans were completely surrounded.

The Roman's outnumbered Hannibal's army by 10,000 strong. And yet they were defeated. Why? Hubris. Never underestimate your opponents, and what they will sacrifice for victory.

How is this applied? ODST's.

They drop behind enemy lines, attack from the rear. Neutralize.

The Hidden Sky village had a reason to be feared. I think this concept combined with their superior technology, moving city, and means of flight gives them the ability to do just that.

So the story in essence would follow a Naruto that ends up either in the hands of Sky technology, or ends up in the Sky Nation. Then they would just be short stories depicting Naruto often deep behind enemy lines. And since Sky Country has no shortage of enemies, similar to Konoha, it shouldn't be too hard to get creative with the idea.

Have fun with it.

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This is more so a story/idea that I want to tell, but I don't want to actually spend the time writing. (AKA about 95% of the stories I think of). So this will just be less of a challenge, and more of an outline.

Universe: Pirates of the Carribbean and *Read below*

Narrator 1

Shortly after William Turner is captured by Davy Jones, Jack finds himself in Tortuga in hopes of recruiting more members to his crew. However when Joshamee Gibbs reveals that only four people have signed the roster, and those four people are broken individuals at best? Things are not looking good for the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow.

That is until one young dark haired man in his mid twenties steps forward. He claims to have little recollection of his past, and that his memories are hazy. He has no idea how he injured his painful hand however many years ago. Yet he knows that he can work a ship. It is one of the few things he does remember. That, and his name of course. So naturally when both Jack and Joshamee Gibbs are glad to have a younger man to join the crew. There was only one thing for the men to say.

"Welcome aboard, sign your name on the charter."

James

Weeks go by after James signed the charter. He had grown to become not just a member of the crew, but a vital member of the crew on the Black Pearl. No one expected it, how could they? This young man with no recollection of his past outside of his occasional nightmares could master a ship as beautiful as the Pearl on his first voyage? The way he manned the sails, and could work everything on the ship with little effort, one handed. The day a storm hit, and Jack was forced to abandon the Helm? Never did he expect to see the Pearl steered expertly back on course by none other than the new recruit, James.

To say a respect for the young man developed for Jack would be an understatement. Jack claimed to be the greatest pirate. Yet he knew the truth deep down. He was a great pirate. Yet there were many great pirates. Every pirate that was apart of the Brethren Court was a great pirate. Hector had been a great pirate. His father, Captain Teague is a great pirate. The idea that he, Captain Jack Sparrow, was even attempting to compare himself to pirates like Blackbeard? Jack knew that he may be great, and he certainly may have been lucky, but he was no where near the greatest. Perhaps it was for that reason James' presence felt so strange.

His skirmish on the island with Davy Jones men, defeating all that opposed him, barely needing to move about. No matter how much James may have tried to hide it on the ship, they knew that something was wrong. Young James was injured. Whatever injury he had to his hand when he boarded the ship and became a part of the crew was only growing worse. Day by day it was leaving him in further and further pain. And yet, he still not only outperformed the crew... he began to outperform Jack.

His navigation, his leadership, his skill. They had believed that they would need the Heart of Davy Jones to best the Captain of the Flying Dutchman? Jack was inclined to believe that they would just need James.

Yet before that idea could sink in? Jack had gone down with the Pearl, taking the Kraken with him. Only giving James command mere moments before.

"It's not about living forever Jackie. It's about living with yourself... forever..."

Narrator 2

Tia Dalma that day had said we would need a captain that day that knew those waters. I don't think she realized who we had left on the ship that day when we went to see her.

Hector had come back to the Pearl ready to lead his old ship with an iron fist. Perhaps with a skill and finesse that went far beyond Jack's. Yet James... he said his memories were coming back to him quicker, day by day. It was as if the very sea WANTED him to remember who he was. Each day James grew greater. Yet it was also with each passing day that James grew colder. Our dark captain manned the helm day by day with a single hand as he peered off into the distance. No one doubted that he would lead us to where we needed to go, to fetch back Jack. We just wanted to know what we would lose along the way.

The trip off World's End was terrifying. Yet James manned the Helm without hesitation, without a second thought. As if a journey such as this mattered little to him. He manned the helm with a confidence of a man that would undoubtedly return from Davy Jones Locker. A terrifying thought when I really stopped to think about it. Who didn't fear the prospect of the locker?

Strangely enough, there were no casualties during the voyage. The worst that happened was a few injuries amongst the crew. Yet it was nothing serious. James' pain however seemed to be getting worse. By the time we had gotten Jack back, James claimed he would need to leave the crew for the meantime.

Initially the crew wanted to place blame. We wanted to say that perhaps James was afraid of Jones. Yet we all came to realize that wasn't the case. In truth, deep down we probably all knew that from the moment he left. James in all of our travels was oddly enough the one person that didn't seem to fear Jones. The one person that seemed to not care if Becket would command the seas with the Dutchman. The rumors floating around said that there was only one other captain so brazen, Blackbeard.

When I mentioned it to Jack, he found it strange. He said that Captain Teague, his father had told him stories, of all the great pirates. Blackbeard in particular. He had told Jack that there was even one man that Blackbeard feared. Yet if it wasn't Davy Jones? Than who was it? We had all hoped to find out at the Brethren Court. And it was on that journey that I came to be a pirate lord, and Norrington lost his life.

A band of pirates gathered together to discuss politics actually wasn't that far off from what my father had spoken of. It was only when Captain Teague had been called upon that things truly took a turn for the better... or the worse...

"Hang The Code!" he said

A bullet to the chest was the reply he got

"The Code is the law." Captain Teague said as he blew out the smoke on his pistol, and stepped before the group.

I would never forget the voice I heard.

"Really now? I remember when I was the law! You always were a stickler for the rules, weren't you Teague. You weren't anything like Teach."

It was James! I couldn't believe it. He had come back! Even Jack and Hector were surprised. Yet my shock and awe quickly died when I realized that there was no one more shocked than Captain Teague.

"It can't be... I watched you go down..."

It was stupid of me. I know. but I had to know... just how did James know Captain Teague? So I asked.

Yet the words that came out of Teague's mouth were not what I were expecting.

"Most of you young ones won't know of this name. Yet the Court will undoubtedly know of my Captain, Captain Hook."

The Story after that

The story then slowly unfolds, the closing events of At World's End take place. However a lot of the focus is on Captain Hook, and his infamous ship The Jolly Roger.

His backstory would be revealed in no particular order:

Captain James the Mysterious was a young man of 15 years old when he was kicked out of Eton College by his father Lord B. He went on to be on a slave ship called the Sea Witch, where there were numerous slaves. Notably Edward Teague and Edward Teach, both around James' age alongside his friend Roger. They overthrow the captain with the assistance of the Quartermaster which goes by the nickname of Smee. However during the conflict, his friend Roger falls. James takes command of the Sea Witch and renames it "The Jolly Roger"

James goes on to earn the name James the Mysterious and grows to become infamous amongst the seven seas. And since this was in the rather early days of piracy, James with both Edward Teague(Jack's father) and Edward Teach(Blackbeard) at his side, he goes on to command the seas with an almost supernatural might.

James' exploits lead both Captain Teague and Blackbeard toward their first ships, The Misty Lady(Later known as the Black Pearl) and Queen Anne's Revenge.

However both Teague and Blackbeard as they turned into formidable pirates in their own right grew to fear James' control of the seas. So they set James up in a storm, and they bottlenecked James' ship into a whirlpool. James was never seen from again. Both captains assumed James had died that day.

That was not the case.

James along with Smee and The Jolly Roger had ended up in Neverland. James was burning with revenge and anger. He went on to find endless wealth in Neverland. And for decades he controlled those seas until one day Peter arrived, and united the lost boys.

However James' skill and anger was too great. Over several more decades, James and Peter were at war with each other. James went on to one day burn down the forests that held the lost boys. He then kidnapped and harvested Tinkerbell for her fairy dust.

In a rage Peter hunts down James and cuts off his hand and feeds it to the giant, forcing the pirate captain to replace it with a hook, which only improved his swordsmanship.

With his improved swordsmanship, he bests Peter in a contest of skill, and kicks him overboard before departing from Neverland, forcing Peter to live a life of immortality alone.

James returns to the world with significant amnesia and separated from his crew. However the most noteworthy part is that his ceased aging in Neverland never ceased upon returning to the normal world.

He encounters Tia Dalma at some point before the story began, and she uses magic/voodoo to mask his clawed hand, which permanently leaves him in pain. She never feared the prospect of pirates controlling her seas before, because every pirate would one day die. However James Hook's presence contradicted that. An immortal pirate potentially causing havoc amongst the seas forever? She couldn't have that.

Essentially the end of the story, as pretty much anyone who knows about At World's End, already knows how the movie ends. So the majority of the focus would be on James Hook and how he goes from being James, friends with both Captain Teague and Blackbeard to James Hook the most dangerous pirate on the seas of the past and the present.

The closing would be a motto that James would end up telling X character. "A man that is unwilling to fight for what he wants deserves what he gets."

From the day forth with the defeat of Davy Jones, we all believed that us pirates would be free to make our own way in the world. Yet the truth was we had only traded one wicked ruler of the seas for another.

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