Chapter 1:
Jim Hawkins had hardly descended the stage platform before finding himself flung into Zarabeth's tight embrace.
The girl could hardly believe how happy she felt, her laughter mixing with Jim's as they clung to each other at the base of the steps.
The two hardly even noticed that they were in anyone's way, forcing the other graduates to file around them as they descended the short steps to join the crowd standing a little ways off from the platform.
Zara closed her eyes as she buried her face against Jim's shoulder, her words only loud enough for him to hear as she whispered them. "You made it."
"Were you worried?"
Finally pulling a little bit away from him, Zarabeth smiled as she quickly replied to the boy's mocking tone, straightening the collar of his uniform as she spoke. "Course not. I'm just so proud of you."
Jim really did look handsome in the dark blue fabric which made up his new uniform. It was similar to the one that Amelia used to wear aboard the Legacy, with even a three-cornered hat to complete the whole ensemble. Everything Jim had worked for to get to this day had now payed off. After four long years, he'd graduated from the Interstellar Academy, the title of Captain to forever be printed alongside his name. Before long, Jim would have a ship, a first-officer, a crew. It was so exciting to see Jim reach this point in his life.
Satisfied that he now looked perfect, Zarabeth scrunched her nose in a mixture of disappointment and amusement as she brought up the thought on her mind. "I wish you'd just wear this for the wedding. You look so handsome in it."
Jim chuckled at the girl's prodding, leaning down slightly to give her forehead a small kiss before replying with a chuckle. "It's the only thing I have any real say in. It'd feel weird to wear this since I don't have a ship yet. Ya know?"
"I think you just don't like the hat." The girl couldn't help but continue her teasing as she playfully pulled the brim of Jim's hat down over his eyes.
Joining Zarabeth's laughter, Jim removed the three-cornered hat from his face, shaking his head to let his hair fall back into its normal look before placing the cap on the girl's head instead. "Never been one for 'em. But if I have to, I have to. Amelia didn't always wear hers."
"Well I think you look rather dashing."
"Then I guess that's all that matters."
Catching the look of love filling the boy's crystal eyes, Zara closed hers in anticipation as she saw him lean down nearer to her, one hand pulling her close, the other retrieving his three-cornered cap from her head. Their faces mere inches apart, the two suddenly separated as a familiar voice called out to them.
"There's the man of the hour! Darling, they're over here." Delbert Doppler wove his way toward the two, a little blond feline girl of about four in one arm, a second girl, this one brunette, walking alongside her father, her tiny hand tightly clasped in his. Upon seeing Jim and Zara, the girls gave squeals of delight, each fighting against the hands which held them to get to their aunt's side.
It wasn't long before everyone was together, Jim's mother, Sarah Hawkins, and Amelia following closely behind Delbert, Sarah's attention occupied by the red-haired feline girl in her arms, Amelia's with her only son, his appearance much like that of his dog-man father.
While Zarabeth was busily accepting hugs and kisses from her nieces and nephew, Jim was lost in his mother's warm embrace, the two speaking so that only they could hear one another as they passed words of praise and love back and forth.
The loud clanking of metal scraping together alerted the group of the approach of the only beings missing from their little party. As soon as he'd caught sight of everyone, B.E.N. threw his spindly arms into the air, his metallic voice rising above the din of the crowded room as he and the shape-shifter, Morph, joined everyone. "There you are! I turn away for a half a second and-bam! You're all gone. Oh Jimmy, I'm so happy for you! You did great, absolutely flawless up there. No tripping or nothing. How does it feel, Captain Jimmy sir?"
"Thanks B.E.N. Feels pretty good. Hey, Andrew?" Jim suddenly caught the attention of the Doppler's little boy, his dark brown eyes brightening as he was pulled up into Jim's arms. With a mischievous smile, Jim pulled the cap in his hand down over Andrew's face, causing the little boy to giggle as he pulled the brim back up a bit to see. "Wanna hang onto that for me for a little while?"
The tiny dog-boy's face grew suddenly serious, his little hand pulled up in an attempted salute as Jim lowered him back to the ground. It wasn't until Jim saluted him back that Andrew ran off to join his sisters, the four children laughing and squealing as they chased after Morph, the oversized hat atop the little boy's head bouncing all the way.
Zarabeth turned her head to face Jim as she felt his arm wrap about her waist, pulling her close. "You know, you might not get that back." The girl scrunched her nose as she felt him give it a light tap, his eyes brightening as he chuckled.
"Hey, it's an honest way to lose it."
"Stinker."
Zara followed Jim's gaze as he pulled her left hand up into his. The early afternoon light glinted off of the emerald set into Zarabeth's engagement ring, the smaller diamonds on either side of the gem sending small fragments of light around it as Jim slowly turned her hand to different angles.
"One more week. Can you believe it?"
Zara couldn't help but smile as she let her head rest against the boy's shoulder, the thought making her heart pound in growing anticipation. "Some days it felt like it'd never come. I hope this week flies."
"That makes two of us."
This time next week, Zara and Jim would be married. The thought made her head twist and spin in excitement, trying her best to take in every last moment leading up to that day. After being engaged for two years, they were more than ready to start their new life together as one. Everything was basically ready, all they needed was for everyone to come home with them to Montressor. Even though Zarabeth wished she could be married to Jim by even that next day, she knew that the time she'd spend with her friends leading up to that day would be more precious than she could yet understand.
Those thoughts crossing her mind, Zara playfully nudged the boy beside her as she urged him to follow her deeper into the crowd. "Let's go find everyone. I was with Jewel and Calypsa for just a bit before, but I haven't talked to Gen or Anaise yet."
Following Zara's lead, Jim chuckled, dodging a small knot of children as they ran between the two walking hand-in-hand. "Well, wherever Cane is, Gen will be close behind. Kinda hard to separate newlyweds."
It'd been a few months since Cane and Genevieve's wedding, but Zara remembered it like it was yesterday. It had definitely been one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen. Ever since their first year at school together, the two had been inseparable, both overcoming prejudice and family pressure to be where they were now. Even though they lived so far away, Brendor being a good four days' flight, Gen and Cane were definitely Zarabeth and Jim's closest friends.
The girl's expedition through the throng of people suddenly ended when she found herself locked in someone's embrace, a voice Zara would recognize anywhere talking hurriedly in her ear.
"I'm so glad you came! Well, duh, of course you came. Jim's here, but still! Oh, Zara, you look beautiful! I'm so excited for the wedding! One week! Ah!"
"I missed you so much, Gen! Sure it's only been a few months, but I did! And I must say, that color blue looks great on you."
The two girls giggled and talked as they stood at arm's length together, Cane and Jim talking just beside them.
Zarabeth meant what she said. The Brendorian girl's golden hair paired beautifully with her new Captain's uniform, even the hat looked well with it. The fact that Genevieve and Jim had been in the same program at the Academy all four years had done nothing but help strengthen the bond between the four of them, making each day a little easier to arrange times to get together during those school years.
A new wave of giggling and hugs hit the two girls sidelong as they were suddenly joined by three more.
Zarabeth could hardly hear over the noise as everyone began talking over each other, Jewel, who'd now found her friends again, talking above the din, her accent only thickening as she fought to be understand. "Ladies, we've got ourselves a real party here! Gen, girl, you are lookin' fine! How's it feel to join the ranks of us already graduates?"
"Hey, better late than never!"
It was pure entertainment, watching everyone as they interacted. All of her and Jim's friends were now standing together in a tight knot among the constantly moving maze of people. It was nearly impossible to greet each one, so she had to be content to simply wave at Cygnus and Talyn, Calypsa practically glued to the harpy until she separated herself to join the other girls.
Feeling a tug on her arm, Zarabeth turned to see Anaise behind her, the Cloud Child seeming as cheery and bright as ever, her golden eyes glowing like her smile as she tried to pull Zara aside.
Once the two girls were in an area which was a little more subdued, Anaise began to speak, her voice ringing like a bell as she looked cautiously over her friend's shoulder. "I got it."
"You-you did?" If Zarabeth was excited before, she was even more so now. "Do you have it here?"
The girl's white-blond hair bounced about her face as she hurriedly nodded, pulling out something she'd been hiding from behind her back.
The item now in Zara's hands, she couldn't help but laugh as her gaze shifted between it and her friend. "I can hardly believe you found it! Thank you, Anaise! I'll pay you back as soon as we're home."
After a few moments, the Cloud Child pulled away from their hug, a radiant smile dawning on her face as she giggled quietly. "Are you going to give it to him now, or wait until the wedding?"
Biting her lip in momentary indecision, Zarabeth returned her friend's smile as she nodded resolutely. "Now."
"Well then, hop to it, girl!"
It didn't take long for Zara to make her way back to Jim, being careful to keep her newly procured gift out of his sight as she wrapped an arm about one of his. "Hey you."
"Well hello, beautiful."
The boy's tone of mock formality was always a sure-fire way to get her to smile, the girl trying hard to remind herself of why she'd tried to find him. "I've got somethin' for ya."
"Oh do you now?" Jim's curiosity was now obviously piqued.
"If you want it, you're gonna have to follow me." Pulling her best mysterious look, Zarabeth left the boy's side without another word, making her way through the crowd toward the closest wall of the vast room before turning to see Jim following close behind. Still doing her best to hide her gift, the girl picked up her pace as she led Jim into an empty hallway just off of the main room. It was so much quieter in that hallway than in the auditorium, the absence of noise making Zara's head feel suddenly light. It was Jim's voice behind her which brought the girl back to reality.
"Well, milady? You have my full attention."
Turning to face him, Zara hid the object behind her in a single fluid motion as she let a mischievous smile cross her lips. "I wasn't sure when to give this to you, but I just can't wait till our wedding. Now, close your eyes. Just close them! No peeking. Ok, hold out your hands. Careful, it's kinda heavy. Alright, on the count of three. One..."
Jim was always teasing her like this when he had a surprise, but now it was her turn for revenge.
"Two..."
Knowing full-well what the girl was purposefully doing to him, Jim began to laugh, tipping his head back as he released a groan. "Ha, ha, very funny. Seriously, Zara!"
"Three!"
Silence. Upon opening his eyes, Jim didn't move for what felt like forever. In his hands was an old leather-bound book, it's thickness being a good two inches, gold letters revealing the title and author on it's cover and binding. Swallowing hard, the boy spoke without raising his eyes, his voice almost timid as he fought to create a coherent sentence. "Th-this is...Where did you get this?"
"I drilled your mom a little bit and I had Anaise keeping her eye out for it. It's the same one, isn't it?" Stepping closer to him, Zara finally was able to see his face, unsure of what to make of the almost blank expression marking it.
Shaking his head slightly, as if to clear it, the boy finally raised his gaze to meet hers, his crystal eyes glassy as if at the brink of tears. "This book...it..."
Carefully holding the binding in one hand, Jim opened it's pages to a certain section near the middle, the boy obviously knowing exactly where to turn. The pages now unfolded, a holographic image of the dark Etherium rose from its surface, a calm and evenly toned voice breaking the silence of the room. "On the clearest of nights, when the winds of the Etherium were calm and peaceful, the great merchant ships with their cargos of Octurian solar crystals felt safe and secure..."
"I can hardly believe it. It's been forever." Closing the book once more, Jim held the leather back close to his chest as he met the girl's constant look. "Me and this book, some nights it was just us. Hearing these stories over and over, I could forget the sounds of my mom and dad fighting downstairs. It kept me sane when all I could do was dream about flying through the Etherium. Didn't think I'd ever see this again. I mean, sure it's not the exact, exact same. Mine burned with the inn, but..."
Jim's arms suddenly surrounding her, Zara could feel her heart warm with his embrace, holding him just as tightly as she fought to hold back her own tears.
"Thank you, Zarabeth."
"It was the least I could do."
"No, really."
Pulling back at arm's length, the girl hoped that her smile spoke for all the feelings she couldn't put to words. She wanted to do this for Jim, to give him back a piece of his childhood, a good part of it. Sometimes memories were stronger than physical objects, but when an object was a memory, you sometimes needed one to have the other.
"Thank you. I-I don't know what else to say."
Zara could only watch as Jim's face drew closer and closer to hers, his voice lowering with every sound until his lips gently met hers.
Jim's kiss. No matter how many times she experienced it, his touch always felt like the first time, tender yet bursting with passion beyond what words could ever say.
Zarabeth didn't know whether to fight or give into the sensation of pure joy which sought to numb her mind into emptiness, Jim's every touch bringing a small piece back into reality as she felt his hand gently cup the side of her face, his other still clutching the book as he pulled her closer to himself.
The span of time that must have been mere seconds seemed to stretch on into eternity, neither wanting to be the first to pull away, but both still doing so nearly simultaneously.
Her arms still wrapped about the boy's neck, Zara instantly lost herself in the endless blue of his eyes, her fingers playing mindlessly in the ends of his hair as they stood together without a word.
This was love.
This much she knew. It was as if she and Jim were made for each other. No one could understand or complete them nearly as much as they did.
That next week marked not only her new life with Jim, but the fourth anniversary of her life of freedom. Nothing could hold her back from being with the man she loved; not slavery, not anger, not jealousy, not time, not even pirates or exploding stars. All the pain and hardship they'd endured, both together and apart, they knew that nothing but death itself could permanently separate them. That's how they both knew it; they were simply meant to be.