Disclaimer: I do not own Treasure Planet or any material related to Walt Disney in any way or form.
Lai stood outside the main entrance of Dr. Doppler's mansion, her gaze directed down at her feet. The doctor had gingerly led a near-fainting Sarah inside, hopefully to give her comfort and to assure her she would be cared for until the Benbow Inn could be rebuilt. Intense anger and self-loathing bubbled in the pit of Lai's stomach; she hated to feel useless. But that was just what she felt like as she remembered standing by Sarah's side as she watched the woman's establishment burn.
In the very short time Lai had known her, the young woman had grown an inexplicable attachment to her benefactress; she felt it was her obligation to help the woman and protect her and her family. She didn't know why she felt the way she did, and that amused Lai immensely.
A crunch in the gravel surrounding the house brought Lai's attention to her left, around the side of the mansion. Quick wits and years of training brought the woman's hand to grasp the dark cylindrical object at her side, her feet spread apart in a ready stance. Her ears opening to the sound of light, composed breathing, Lai relaxed slightly. As Jim rounded the corner, Lai was already back to playing sentinel in front of the door, her eyes closed to amplify her other senses. The young man frowned at the girl's strange behavior, remembering her intense, soldier-like attitude back at the inn. Jim inched closer, hands in his pockets, eyes scanning her face for any indication of that cold, determined demeanor he swore he did not trust.
"Are you trying to bore a hole in my forehead, Jim?" The boy jumped at the sudden remark, his face mere inches from hers. Intense, light brown eyes met unsullied, icy blue in a staring contest. For the first time ever, Lai began to feel herself drowning in an abyss; she had never seen someone with such a beautiful hue in their eyes. She thought the soft blue of the boy's eyes were an even more stunning shade than that of the Etherium itself. Jim noticed the girl's gaze soften, and she began to revert back to the personality she had had when he first met her.
"I suggest you back away before I'm forced to smack you, Brownie," Lai said smiling, leaning away from the brunette. Jim raised an eyebrow at her playful tone; he had never heard her say something in such a manner, and she didn't seem to want to annoy him. He decided to make an attempt at conversation with her.
"Lai… What you did for us… For my mom… Well-"
"I don't need a thank you, Jim," the girl said, looking at him, a soft expression on her face. "Your mother is a very strong woman, but she needs you to be strong, too, and support her." Lai shifted so she faced away from the boy, her dark locks hiding her face.
"I merely did what I had to," she whispered. This statement rekindled Jim's curiosity.
"By the way… What happened back there?" he asked. "One minute, you're joking and trying to push my buttons, the next, you're-"
"I said I merely did what I had to." The sternness in Lai's voice made Jim drop the subject immediately. But his azure gaze lingered on the two cylindrical objects at the girl's waist. Lai followed his eyes, and sighed, slipping the shorter of the two from a loop of what looked like cord around her waist.
"If you're so curious, I dare you to draw that," Lai whispered. Jim frowned, his eyes trained on her face. Lai's gaze was directed at the short, smooth object in his hand, and the emotion she wore was… was it anticipation?
"No need to dare," Jim said, smirking, his fingers grasping both ends of the cylinder. The object wriggled in his grasp, and Jim nearly dropped it. Suddenly, Jim saw a flash of metal as the object flew apart, one half becoming a sheath, the other a short dagger without a hilt. Jim stared openmouthed; the sword was… floating. Suddenly, the blade flashed brightly, and Jim yelled.
"What the-? Ah-ow…" Jim looked at his hand; his palm had been slashed so cleanly that only a single drop of blood beaded on the surface of his skin.
"Pyre, I thought I told you not to scare him," Lai said darkly, lifting her palm to rest under the blade. Jim stared at the girl as though she had grown five heads.
"… Did you just… talk to it?" The girl looked at him.
"Yes, I just did." She smiled a sardonic smile. "I forgot to tell you what these are. Well, if you must know, Jim, I'm a Lifeblader." Jim's eyes grew even wider than dinner plates at this statement.
"You… You're a …. What?" Lai rolled her eyes, and the small dagger in her hand stood straight up, sharp end pointing straight down at her palm. It seemed to be quivering, as though emanating a hostile force that caused the hairs on the back of Jim's neck to stand up.
"Pyre, behave." The blade did as instructed, and fell to lie still in the girl's palm. Lai withdrew a roll of gauze and helped Jim with his wound. She noted how his fingers were callused, probably from the hours of working with his solar surfer. The girl's eyes fell on the cut, and Jim grew worried when she frowned at it. She looked up at him.
"You won't need stitches, if that's what you're worried about," she said, wiping her blade off on a cloth she produced from her jacket pocket. Jim watched with wary eyes as the girl slid the silver metal back into its sheath.
"Jim! Lai! Where are you?" Lai turned her head to the front door as it opened, revealing the looming shadow of Dr. Doppler. The two teens held up their hands against the sudden light, and the doctor adjusted his glasses as he gazed down at the pair.
"You can come in now. Sarah's not in shock anymore. Just be quiet when you go into the library, all right?" Jim immediately leapt up and ran inside, his boots thundering in the grand entrance hall. Lai walked in swiftly after him, watching as a look of pure desperation flashed across the brunette's face as he twisted and turned his body, looking at the numerous doors around the hall. He turned to his companions, an animalistic fear in his eyes.
"Where is she?!" he yelled, his cerulean eyes wide and aggravated. Dr. Doppler hesitatingly pointed out a pair of enormous double doors to Jim's right, and the brunette took off in a dead run. Lai looked sympathetically after the boy, and sighed, following the boy sedately with Dr. Doppler.
