Rose Gold

A pink blob cooed into Jim's ear softly, tickling him so that he awoke. Jim rubbed his eyes and got up quickly. This was the morning he had been waiting for a very long time. He jumped out of his bed and immediately rushed to get ready with Morph floating around the sparse room eagerly as Jim. His Academy days were long over and he was getting bored of the monotony of working at the new Benbow. After becoming a captain during the Battle at Procyon, Jim's life had slowed down. Sure he was glad to be helping his mother, but business had been going great for a long time now without him. A few profitable trips into space had come up every now and then, but they were minor escapades from Montressor. He made his way to the bathroom so he could start washing up. He shut the door and looked in the mirror. Jim had longed for a real adventure.

He was now 21; six years had passed since Treasure Planet. He had returned home from graduating the Interstellar Academy when he was eighteen, clean cut and well-polished, but some of his old habits had returned. He wasn't sullen and brooding anymore but he was still reckless and sharp as always. Jim Hawkins was now much taller than when he was fifteen, and more muscular too, though he still was slightly thin. He worked out enough to get toned while he went solar surfing. Slight stubble covered his chin that he shaved regularly. Although his brown hair didn't cover his eyes anymore he grew his hair out at the back and now had a thin braid that went past his shoulders. He put his earring back on soon after leaving the Academy, liking the way it made him feel more like a pirate. More like Silver. Drying his face, he glanced in the bathroom mirror. Jim looked back at his refection and smiled. Today was the day.

Jim's luggage was already waiting in entrance lobby. He had packed the night before and all he had to do was make sure he hadn't forgotten anything important. He tucked a silver holocket that had his initials which was like the one his mother wore around her neck inside his shirt. It had some captured moments of him and his mother as well as his good friends and was given to him by his mother for his eighteenth birthday. He also put on a bronze colored wristwatch that Doctor Doppler had made for him. Not only was it an intricate timepiece, but it was also able to project a minor map of the Etherium and could be used as a compass. He decided to wear a slim fitting off-white linen shirt and coarse maroon trousers. He slipped his feet into heavy buckled boots that went up to shins.

Jim definitely dressed better than he used to, but he still wore mostly simple clothes that would allow him to move freely. He put on a black leather jacket and scored his room one last time. Morph glided over to his side, chattering on his shoulder. Deciding that he was all set and ready to leave, he made his way down the winding hallway. He leaped over the railing of the main stairwell, landing right in front of his mother who was already hurrying along with the breakfast service.

"Jim! You know how much I hate it when you do that! I could have dropped something!" She cried angrily. Jim laughed and apologized, and made his way to the kitchen to help himself to some breakfast. He greeted B.E.N. who hugged him tightly mumbling excitedly about how excited he was for Jim. Jim chuckled as he quietly slipped out before B.E.N. noticed he wasn't listening to him remind him how to take care of himself while he was away. That robot was always excessively talkative at all hours of the day, even when he had been up talking the entire night before.

The Doppler's had come by last night and stayed late to see Jim before he left. They visited often and the two families were closer than ever. Their four young children were quick to begin playing with Morph who was all but too happy for the attention. As the shape shifter kept the young ones preoccupied, the adults, including Jim, all sat around the warm hearth to talk. Amelia was lively and enthusiastic about Jim's voyage into space. Even after becoming the mother of four, she was still a seafarer at heart, always supportive of Jim's love for adventure. They all discussed his trip well into the night with warm intentions. Jim had high hopes. He was going into space with some of his best mates from the Academy to do business on a newly discovered planet called Amaranthe. Doing trade there would be good for Jim since he had his credentials from the Interstellar Academy. It would be profitable as well as intriguing to explore a planet that had only recently joined the Interstellar Union. Delbert was thrilled for Jim, and soon the conversation became nostalgic, with everyone sharing memories from the RLS Legacy. Treasure Planet felt like ages ago but they all remembered the journey like it had happened yesterday.

Jim paced around the Inn chewing on a purp he swiped from the fruit basket, trying to wake his body up completely for the day ahead. Looking for his mother in the dining room, Jim made his way over to the far corner near the entrance. His mother who was wearing her usual apron and long dress was just finishing taking an order from an elderly looking couple that appeared to be partially reptile. Sarah Hawkins looked at her son and gestured for him to wait for her to finish before she could talk to him. Jim was patient, he had plenty of time, he only wanted to leave early so he could hurry up and start his journey.

Sarah returned to the table she was serving with coffee and plates of breakfast, and then made her way to Jim. She looked happy yet a little teary, as she was always emotional every time her son left the Inn. Jim's eagerness to leave melted and he embraced her whole-heartedly. B.E.N. came bounding to the scene blubbering laments about how much he would miss Jim. Morph not understanding what was happening joined B.E.N. and began crying too, dramatically turning into a puddle of tears. Jim and Sarah laughed at this, and stepped apart.

"Remember to keep in touch Jim, we will really miss you" said Sarah sorrowfully.

"Don't worry mom, I'll contact you often, promise. Besides, B.E.N. isn't going anywhere" reassured Jim. Sarah pressed her lips into a half smile and looked at her son with watery eyes.

"You're all grown up now Jim. Don't forget to come home" she said.

"I'll never forget, I love you Mom" and Jim pulled her into one last bear hug. He knew it was hard for her to watch him leave every time. Especially because he was starting to look exactly like the splitting image of someone who never came back home.

"I love you so much Jim" said Sarah shakily as he let her go. Jim turned to B.E.N. who had started bawling.

"Take care of Mom, you old rust bucket" said Jim cheerfully, bending down to B.E.N.'s height. The bronze colored robot stopped his crying abruptly.

"Who are you calling rust bucket, you scalawag?" yelped B.E.N. who had now thrown himself around Jim's shoulders. The two friends laughed and joked until Jim had wrestled himself out of his hug. Straightening his clothes out, Jim said a final goodbye to his dismal mother and the robot as he walked over to his things that were near the door. Morph had settled onto Jim's collar as he began to put a heavy bag on. A big rucksack and large trunk were all that he was going to need for the upcoming months in the Etherium.

B.E.N. opened the door for Jim as he made his way to the back shed which now served as a hangar for his solar surfers. He had kept all of his older ones from when he was younger for sentimental reasons but they were still in excellent condition. Jim's latest solar surfer was now more practical and larger than his older ones. Although it wasn't designed to allow him to do many tricks, it was extremely steady and fast. It also had stronger magnets that would let Jim to load some cargo onto the back. He strapped the leather-bound trunk onto the floorboard just in case, because flying the surfer to Montressor's port would be a long ride. From there he planned to meet his best friend Desmond who would go with him on the ferry ride to Crescentia.

Jim checked his wallet to make sure he had his ticket and Interstellar ID. He unchained the solar surfer which was lightly hovering and pulled it out into the morning sun. He pulled the surfer's solar sail open and immediately watched it pulse to life. The sun had just risen but the new sails he had bought were able to work even in the dimmest light, and the solar surfer began to lift up higher. Morph chirruped with excitement because he loved surfing as much as Jim did. Shutting the shed up again, Jim hurried and hopped onto the surfer's deck, using its long rail to gather his balance. It didn't move at all from the sudden impact of his weight. As the engine warmed up, Jim's heart prepared too, beating faster. Taking a last glance at the Benbow Inn, he kicked off in the direction he wanted to go.

"Better hang on Morph" shouted Jim gleefully as the wind rushed into face. Morph shrieked in glee, hiding himself in Jim's jacket. They would be there in a few hours if they continued at this speed. Jim couldn't wait, so he urged the board faster as the sun rose higher.

….

Tell me what all of you think, this is my first fanfiction and I have a general idea for my story but I would love to hear some ideas for where I can take this plot wise. I will update as often as I can. I welcome constructive criticism as long as it's not too mean. I plan on introducing new characters in the next chapter so please stay tuned. I hope you all enjoy my writing. Please follow/favourite/comment :)