The Forgotten Treasure.
Disclaimer: I do not own Treasure Planet…I do own Marie! This is my first story so it's probably not very good so any suggestions are readily accepted. Personally I think it sounds choppy and I wasn't too sure if the guy that killed Mr. Arrow was Scroop…
Chapter One- Promise of Adventure
"Well Morph, what do you think? Did Captain Amelia make a good choice?" Jim Hawkins asked his little pink friend as they leaned against a rail separating the city from the ships.
Jim gazed up at the newly finished Arrow Legacy, the excitement evident in his eyes. In a few short hours he would be back in the stars, not as the troubled boy he once was or an academy student, but as Amelia's first mate! Out of all the ships he had seen, the Legacy was still the most majestic in his opinion, but the Arrow Legacy was a close second.
"Good choice! Good choice!" Morph repeated as he searched Jim for any treats.
"First mate…I hope I can live up to you Mr. Arrow." Jim muttered as he absently fed Morph a cracker.
He felt a sense of pride in having thought of the name honoring Mr. Arrow, but guilt as well even though he knew Mr. Arrow's death was not his fault. The rest of Silver's crew was more than willing to talk of Scroop's hand in Mr. Arrow's murder in order to save their lives. At times Jim felt as if people's eyes were watching him constantly, just waiting for him to make a mistake. A mistake Mr. Arrow never made. In his dreams, people whispered, "Murderer! You were just dying to take his place!"
"Ah Jim. There you are. Your mother and I have been searching for you." Dr. Doppler replied breaking Jim from his thoughts.
"I'm sorry. I just have to see the ship everyday to make sure I'm not dreaming." Jim replied as he pushed off the railings and Morph disappeared into his pocket.
"Yes, it is a lovely vessel. Amelia will be pleased. Speaking of which, she is already in captain mode so it's best not to keep her waiting." Dr Doppler said as he and Jim paid one final glance to the ship before heading back to the inn.
Jim had barely opened the door when he was pulled into a metallic hug by a hysterical B.E.N., several small Dopplers, and his teary-eyed mother. Captain Amelia sat at a table calmly sipping tea seemingly uninterested in the emotional fest.
"Calm down…We're only going to be gone for a few months, a year at most. B.E.N. you're coming with me so why are you crying?!" Jim commented desperately trying to escape before looking to Amelia and Dr. Doppler for help.
"Chin up Mr. Hawkins. We already endured the same treatment. It is best for tears now instead of at departure. I do wish they were old enough to accompany us though." Amelia stated.
"This will be the first time that the children will been separated from us, but I must see the Terra Star's formation. An opportunity like this comes once in a lifetime!" Dr. Doppler finished.
"Since the Inn has become so busy, I can't run it alone. The little ones know this place so well, they'll be a tremendous help." Sarah Hawkins replied wiping tears from her eyes.
"Now that we all have had a good cry, it's time for bed for little ones and anyone departing tomorrow. I need my top crew members in superb form. Make sure that uniform is flawless Mr. Hawkins." Amelia ordered as she and her family climbed the stairs to their temporary rooms.
"Another rip roaring adventure with my buddy Jim! It's enough to make me lose my mind…again!" B.E.N. commented still holding on to Jim.
"I just thought it would be best for everyone to express themselves tonight instead of tomorrow. We don't want to embarrasses the first mate on his first official space journey. Jim, I'm so proud of you…" Sarah replied as she pulled Jim into another hug, not full of sadness but pride.
Jim held his mother the best he could considering there was a robot latched on to him. He knew she was upset about his going, but she accepted it just as she had done seven years ago.
"I know mom. Maybe we'll find another treasure. Enough for you to hire real employees." Jim replied knowing what her response would be.
"I don't care about treasure. I just want you to come back safely. Promise me you won't do anything too foolish! I love you too much to lose you…"
"I promise mom. I love you too…"
"Let's go B.E.N. Jim needs his rest." Sarah stated dragging B.E.N. away.
Jim took a sit at a table closest to the window, not in a rush to go to bed. He was too excited to sleep anyway. As he stared out the window he could feel the stars calling him. Taunting him with the promise of adventure.
Morning came and went and in what felt like the blink of an eye, it was time to depart. True to their word, there were no tears but hugs that did not want to end. Captain Amelia was in full force with her insults and countless orders as she made sure everything was ready for sail. Dr. Doppler was busily trying to insure all his equipment was handled carefully which was a lost cause for his pleas fell on deaf ears. Between looking after Ben and entertaining Morph (both were already getting in everyone's way), Jim was busy accounting for each and every crew member.
They were not as rough as the original crew, but were just as diverse. Out of them all, Jim was most impressed by Abe and Botter. Abe was a tough lizard looking man serving as the Gunner. Botter, a worm like creature with several eyes, was the Midshipman. Despite their appearance, in the brief moment he spoke with each, their intelligence was obvious. There were also two other humans aboard that Jim had already taken liken to. One was Trest, the navigator. He was about the same age as Jim with knowledge of the galaxy beyond his years. The other was Johnson, the ship's cook. He was an older man full of pride that took nonsense from no one. Jim had just checked off the last name when Captain Amelia finished her inspection.
"Well Mr. Hawkins is everyone present and accounted for?" Captain Amelia asked as she slid down the ship's main mast.
"Ready for sail Captain!" Jim replied with a smart salute.
"Host the anchors, secure lifelines, and prepare the gravity machine!" Captain Amelia ordered
"Host anchors and secure the lifelines! We set sail!" Jim shouted as the sails rose and the ship set off into the stars.
"Sail! Sail!" Morph repeated changing into a miniature copy of Jim
He, Captain Amelia, and Dr. Doppler waved one final goodbye to their family before the space port was out of site. Something greater than the formation of a star or even a treasure was waiting for them. Jim could feel it in his soul.