A/N: Just got this chapter done! I hope you all love it, I tried but I don't think I captured the mood of this chapter very well. Let me know what you think, leave reviews and show me you care! It's kind of the only way I know to continue or not.
With love,
Nolovelydreamers.
Wood flew everywhere and brown smoke clouded the air, water rolling onto what was left of the dock and the 'RLS: Legacy' pushed into it. Ariel was lucky enough to dodge the flying ship, but when the dock had scattered she had to go far in order to avoid being hurt. She watched it now, hesitant and curious, laying in the sand just inches away from the disaster. Her throat burned from the smoke in her lungs and she began coughing uncontrollably, scrambling to her feet and scuttling to inspect the ship before Eric or any of the royal guards could arrive; she hoped that she got there in time to save those who were still alive, but also didn't want to see the Prince after what happened.
Her eyebrows rose as she got a closer look at the strange ship; the sails were crisped as if they were burnt, the front of it was clearly damaged but could be tended to, and sparks were flashing on deck. It wasn't anything like she saw before, of course she'd only been around long enough to see Eric's ship, but she was sure this one was somehow different.
It did fall from the sky, after all. I wonder if…
She thought to herself, making her way around the broken pieces of the dock carefully to get closer, looking skeptically at the side of the large ship for any way to get on the deck of it. Her eyes scanned each part of the one half of it, seeing the name of it engraved in one jagged board that stuck out from the rest of it.
The RLS: Legacy. How odd.
Her attention was dragged away from it when she saw one of the poles from the dock leaning against the ship, crushing into the deck and tightly wedged there. She bit her lip, wondering for a second if it was safe, but deciding it wasn't really important and climbing onto it, then gently getting up to balance herself well enough to run all the way across it and to jump on the deck. It wasn't easy, her heart was pounding in her ears, but she took it as another one of her adventures and it relaxed her enough to get there.
Her feet dropped heavily onto the wooden floors and they creaked, causing her to catch her breath in worry that she'd fall through it.
Focus.
She took a deep breath and tried harder to make her footsteps lighter, but ended up fumbling over her feet and falling to the floor with a thud. Pain shot through her and she whimpered, rubbing her thigh while sitting up.
"Who are you?!" a weak voice boomed and Ariel jumped, looking up to a boy with chestnut colored hair and an odd weapon in his hand. Her eyes widened.
"I-" she began, but cut herself off when she saw he'd been wounded. Half of his body was covered in blood, and his left eye was twitching. She stood, going over to him in a hurry and worriedly looking over his injury.
Jim flinched back when she got closer, his eyes wide in surprise.
"Hey-"
"You're hurt badly." She spoke over him, reaching out and grabbing his shirt. He jolted back more, his cheeks slightly flushed and his teeth gritted.
"Don't touch me!" He snapped, his voice high from nerves. It didn't take him long to remember what had happened though, and he lost interest in her trying to help, beginning to panic more than he did before. He held his head, eyes darting left and right as he started pacing.
"What-Silver, the captain, and the crew-"He ran off to the place he woke up, knowing that that was where he and Silver last stood. Ariel watched him in concern, he was becoming weaker, he was losing a lot of blood and yet he was moving so fast. Whether or not there were other survivors, he was alive and she swore to keep it that way.
"Silver! Silver, where are you?!" He called out, too tired to keep moving after no sign of the old cyborg, making him collapse to his knees. Ariel hurried to his side, kneeling down beside him and wrapping his arm around her neck, quickly trying to get him up and away to safety. He squirmed hopelessly in her hold.
"Stop moving! I'm trying to help you, you know?" She grumbled, frustrated with him. She knew how difficult it was getting on the ship the way she did, if it was the only way of getting off he wasn't going to make it any easier.
He stopped struggling and glared lazily at her, annoyed and drained. She sighed and frowned, dragging him to the pole and halting, looking at him seriously.
"I know you're really worried, and confused, but I can't help you unless you want to be helped!" She took a deep breath, glancing over the ship to look for the Prince's Guards, or someone- anyone that was coming to help. No one was there yet. She turned to him, biting her lip.
"This is the only way down, so, brace yourself."
She held onto him even tighter, accidently gripping his side and making him wince.
"Sorry!" She laughed nervously, moving her hand up higher and mounting the pole with some struggle. Jim lifted his head to look at her, the light from the setting sun circling around her and making her red hair lit like fire, a concentrated expression on her face.
She's beautiful.
He narrowed his eyes, beginning to drift off. He was just too exhausted to force himself to stay awake. She glanced down at him, knowing that she didn't have much time.
She skeptically began running down the pole, her feet aching and her heart pounding even louder than before. She gave a little cry of victory when she finally made it back to the ground, wanting so badly to jump for joy but stopping herself and forcing herself to run even further to get to the palace.
If I keep going like this, my feet will bleed.
She shook her head, trudging up the palace steps. Hoping that the boy she carried was alright, and that he wasn't the only one to survive.
A/N: Again, just let me know what you think, people, that's all I need.
- Nolovelydreamers
