*Ding!* Alright, who ordered the next chapter?

Reviewer Thanks

SweetAngel1183: Don't worry, Valerie will show up eventually.

Nims: Lol, yeah...

OMGitsEMILY: Completely understandable. I'm just glad your computer is working, and I hope you did well at your competition :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Treasure Planet... Have you forgotten that it exploded?

0o0o0o0o0o0

Tesoro froze in Kenta's grasp, too stunned to speak. What is she doing down here? she thought.

"Well, hon, are you going to answer me?" Kenta asked, her voice more gentle.

"Um, what?" Tesoro was able to say.

"What are you doing down here?"

"Oh, I was uh, looking for something. I dropped my pocket knife somewhere, so I decided to check down here."

Kenta nodded. "Ah, I see. I'm looking for something as well..." she looked over to the pantry. "And I think I know where it is."

Kenta walked over to the pantry, Tesoro right behind her. They heard more creaking, as if whoever- or whatever- was in there was turning frantic. The pirate-woman opened the door-

-only to see Jonesy, with his hand stuck in a jar of red peppernions. "Uh... want one?" he asked, grinning innocently and holding up his jarred hand.

Tesoro chuckled and shook her head. "I thought you said you were going to cut down on spicy foods." she said.

"Actually, I said I would cut down on spicy hot sauces. I didn't say anything about spicy foods."

"Well, you'd better start cutting down on them tonight, lad," Kenta said. "If Tyson catches you with your hand in his jars, he's going to be redder than those peppernions, if you know what I mean."

Jonesy shrugged. "Ah, Tyson's been red at me before, but he tends to gray down his silver personality and let it slide." he held up his jarred hand. "Um, Tesoro, could you, uh...?"

"Oh, sure," Tesoro said, grabbing the jar and tugging it, but it wouldn't budge. "We may have to grease your wrist to get it off."

Kenta yawned and stretched. "Well, you can help your little friend. I'm going to bed." And she climbed up the stairs and left, clutching her fists and gritting her teeth in anger when she was out of their sight. Stupid kids. They're going to screw everything up! she thought.

Tesoro found some crisco and rubbed it around Jonesy's wrist, using her fingers to reach into the jar to grease the rim. "Okay, pull," she said once she was done.

With a *pop* the jar slid off Jonesy's hand. "Thanks, Tess," he said, wiping crisco off his hand as Tesoro wiped it off the rim of the jar. "Man, I'm glad you have little fingers to get around the rim. ...Wish my hands were that small."

"Then every peppernion jar would be empty." They chuckled quietly at her remark. "I'd better get back to sleep. I'll look for my knife tomorrow."

"I'll keep an eye out for it for you."

"Thanks." Grabbing his shoulders and standing up on her toes, she kissed Jonesy on the lips. " 'Night, Jonesy."

"Goodnight,"

Tesoro walked up the stairs, and Jonesy let out a sigh of relief. He walked over to the pantry and peeked inside at a large figure hidden underneath a large piece of tarp, which neither Kenta nor Tesoro noticed, thankfully. "Thanks, Jonesy," the figure said.

Jonesy shrugged. "No problem, but you'd better hide in the galley's storage area in case that Kenta woman decides to come back. I don't trust her."

"An' it's a good t'ing ya don't."

Jonesy looked around the galley, making sure no one else was around. "Okay, c'mon." The figure followed him across the galley, toward a door that led to the storage deck. "It's roomier in here, anyway."

"So it is. Well, ya better be off tah bed, lad. T'at brother of yours may not like ya stayin' up past yer bedtime."

Jonesy rolled his eyes. "Sheesh, you sound like my mother."

"Boy, I knew yer mother, remember?"

"Oh, right. Well, goodnight."

" 'Night, an' t'anks again."

"Anytime, B.J." Jonesy then closed the door and left.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Tesoro walked back to the girl's quarters, where she was sharing a room with Ninn (who's hammock was empty), Kenta (who seemed to be asleep) and Shifter (who was asleep next to Kenta's neck). She looked over and saw that Morph was asleep on her pillow in her hammock, and she chuckled. At least he and Shifter aren't fighting. she thought as she stepped in the room and shut the door...

No more than five seconds after she shut the door a green, swirling portal opened, and Sapphire stepped through it, followed by Wulfgang. Rather than wearing her purple tunic, tights and knee-high boots, she was wearing a black t-shirt, brown tattered jeans, and black hiking boots, along with a black cap which she tucked her red hair under.

"Thanks, Wulf," she whispered to her companion. "I'll telepath you when I'm done."

The wolf-creature nodded, then stepped back through the portal, leaving the disguised princess to explore the ship on her own.

"Out for a stroll?" A voice whispered behind her, making her jump. She spun around and saw another wolf-creature, with blonde fur, an orange-and-brown streaked mane that was barely long enough to touch its shoulders, a pierced ear, two fangs, and was wearing... exactly what Ninn had been wearing- except without the boots.

"Ninn, don't sneak up on me, like that!" Sapphire hissed.

"Ah-ah-ah, it's 'Foxy' when I'm in this form, remember?"

Sapphire rolled her eyes. "Whatever. What are you doing up?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing."

"You first."

"No, you first."

"...How about at the same time?"

"Agreed."

"Exploring." The two cousins said at the same time.

"You shouldn't be out- especially as Foxy." Sapphire whispered to her. "What if someone saw you? ...Someone we're supposed to be avoiding?"

Foxy rolled her eyes. "Relax, I just transformed. I mean, 'Ninn' can't hog all the fun."

"Look, I just don't want you to be seen by-"

"No one will see me. Only you, and Wulfgang... (sigh) Man, I wish we could find him a replacement for his human half..."

Sapphire put an arm on Foxy's shoulder. "Do not worry. My family promised you and your cousin we would help. But in the meantime, I suggest you keep your wolf-half hidden, if you don't want to be caught by you-know-who."

Foxy nodded, then in a short spin, turned back into Ninn. "By the way, before I forget, you might want to keep an eye for that Kenta Jade woman. Tyson and I just saw her... and she may be up to something."

Sapphire sighed heavily. "First it's someone after your family, and now we have suspicious characters on the ship. What's next?" With that, she walked off.

"See ya, 'cousin'." Ninn opened the door...

...seeing Tesoro crouching by the doorway, looking as if she- what do I mean looking? Of course she was eavesdropping! "Uh... hi?" she said, meekly.

Ninn grabbed her and pulled her into the hall. "How much did you hear? And don't lie!"

Tesoro gulped. "I just heard about Sapphire helping you and your cousin, you being a wolf-creature- so it sounded- and something about Kenta. ...What did you see Kenta doing?"

Ninn looked around, making sure no one was listening, then in a quiet whisper. "I don't know why... but I think she was waiting for someone."

"Who, do you think?"

"I don't know... but Tyson and I are going to keep an eye on her. But, don't let her know we're on to her. We're acting like we saw nothing last night, got it?"

"That sounds like a Tyson plan. Alright."

"Good. ...And don't tell anyone about my wolf-half."

"I won't. ...Who's after you?"

Ninn looked at her. She seems trustworthy enough. she thought, then whispered to her, "A man by the name of Silver."

Tesoro's eyes widened. "Um... Come again?"

"There's a man called Silver. He used to work with a band of pirates... until he found a new profession of wiping out my family."

"But... why?"

"I don't know, but Wulf and I aren't sticking around to find out. That's the real reason we're with Sapphire- her family has offered to help protect us."

"Wait, so she's not your actual cousin?"

"No... just a friend who feels like family."

Tesoro nodded. "Ah, I have a few friends like that. Tyson, Jonesy, April, Valerie, Elizabeth, Eric- the last four are from the Doppler family- Gene, Louigi, BEN- they work for my dad- and..." she paused, remembering Silver, and she couldn't help but still feel shocked.

"And...?"

"Well, there was someone else... but he passed away."

"Oh... Sorry, I-"

"It's okay. ...Shall we get to bed?"

"Uh, sure."

They climbed in their hammocks. Ninn drifted to sleep quickly, but Tesoro remained wide awake. What other secrets had Silver left before he passed away? she wondered.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Tyson sat in the shrouds, staring out into the Etherium. He pulled out a circular object- a locket, one that Valerie had given to him. He opened it, showing a holographic image of the two of them sitting outside the Benbow, Valerie pushing him off the rock they sat on when he was making witty remarks about her- something they tended to do to each other in their relationship.

The next image showed him, Jonesy, and Tesoro by the mines, as they went bungee-jumping. They went down together- Tyson came up first, followed by Tesoro- who held a quivering Jonesy in her arms. He chuckled, remembering how nervous Jonesy had been. Of course, he didn't blame him after the incident on Xenta, where he had fallen out of the longboat.

His smile faded when an image of him, Jonesy, and Silver in a longboat, soaring through the stars last year. He closed the locket, then looked up at the stars sadly.

"Ah, Dad, why'd ya have tah leave so soon?" he asked in a whisper.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Jim couldn't sleep.

He kept changing positions in his bed, but found it useless.

Finally, he got out of bed, walked out of his quarters, and climbed up onto a mast, looking up at the stars.

He sighed, remembering his voyage to Treasure Planet, how he had always stood on the mast of the ship and stared at the stars, his mind lost in wonder... wondering what would happen during the voyage.

He sighed, remembering that night when he had stared at the stars so long he didn't notice the air turn cold, and he had to go to the galley for a warm mug of cider, and overhearing Silver tell his former-crew a tale about one of his past journeys.

Jim loved those stories.

"Ah, Silver, why'd you have to go so soon?" he asked quietly, holding back tears. They came down anyway.

0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: Okay, so how many of you expected Silver to be on the ship? And how many of you didn't expect Ninn of being a wolf-creature? And was Silver actually after a family of wolf-creatures? And will Tesoro ever find her pocket knife? And will I ever stop leaving you with so many questions?

...I don't know, review and find out! ...And, I could use a couple ideas, too. BUT NO FLAMES!