Taking a little turn in this chapter... enjoy!

Chapter 6

She's a mermaid. And the girl who saved Eric. Honestly, he never would have guessed either of those scenarios. Ariel was mute, so how could she sing to him as he woke up on the beach? And as for the mermaid bit... she had legs! No one would guess that someone was a mermaid if they had legs. But a mermaid-turned human? Good thing he was from Montressor and there were very bizarre aliens there. He would have a hard time believing Ariel if he was from anywhere else and was not used to seeing strange creatures.

And if he didn't have feelings for her, and if he wasn't Eric's friend, he wouldn't have agreed to help her. He honestly wants to hear what Ariel's voice sounds like, and really, he wants her to stay human. But what of her family? Her people? Those who miss her while she's on land? Was he being selfish in wanting her to stay human just so he can continue seeing her, and have her not go back to where she belongs? Even if she ends up with Eric?

He guiltily had to answer.. yes. He didn't want to play matchmaker, but for Ariel's, Eric's, and his happiness, he will. Maybe this test did not have anything to do with being a guard or being in the military... and Lieutenant McHillen somehow knew that. Maybe Jim just needed to learn something. But learn what?

"I don't want to think about it anymore," he muttered, and the tall, thin guard Johanson glanced over at them as they stood near the throne room doors as usual. But he needs to figure out some way to push Eric and Ariel together. Talking to Eric first would be a good idea. And asking him why on this planet he turned away from Ariel earlier.

Time ticked on, and Jim could feel it. He checked his pocket watch. It was almost seven. He would be taking his dinner break soon, even though he had a late lunch break. He continued to stand there, bored. Nothing really happens as he stands there at the doors. Even when the king and queen go in there, Jim and whoever his companion is just stand at the doors, just in case. But there hasn't been any threats. Or changes. The only change in the castle was Ariel.

Since he has arrived on this planet, he has heard stories about an undersea city called Atlantica where the merpeople live. Could Ariel be from there? He heard from the sailors of the first ship that Jim went on when he first arrived that the merpeople lived there and were ruled by King Triton, who was king of the ocean, and who wielded a trident with more power than most machines on Montressor. Who was he to Ariel? Was he her king or someone else, like a relative? And there was the sea witch. Those sailors mentioned her as well, and how she was banished from King Triton's kingdom because of her evil nature, and has been seeking revenge ever since. She apparently had two eels that followed her around as well, acting as a looking glass.

Jim thought they were all just stories, like what his mother thought the stories of Treasure Planet were. Now, after Ariel's tale, he wants to prove these stories true, like he proved the Treasure Planet stories true. And the only way to do that is to push Eric and Ariel together, have them kiss.

"Cadet Hawkins!"

Both Johanson and Jim jumped at the sound of another palace guard, Henricks, a blonde man about ten years older than Jim, walk briskly up to them. His voice echoed off the walls. "Yes, Henricks?" Jim asked.

"The prince needs your assistance up in his chambers. I am not certain of the reason, but I know that it is urgent. Lieutenant McHillen says to see to it immediately. I will take your post until you return."

Eric needs him? Now? Could this be any easier? "He asked for me specifically?"

"Yes, he did."

"Alright. I'll go right on up."

He left his fellow guards and went up the west staircase to the castle. He knew exactly where Eric's room was since he has been in there countless times before when he and Eric would hang out and chat about sailing and ships in the evenings before Jim would retire for the night. He walked down a long hallway, and at the end were a set of double doors. He knocked and a "Come in!" came on the other end. Jim entered the lavish room with a tall canopy four-poster bed with blue sheets, and saw saw Eric sitting on the window seat cushion, staring out the window at the sea.

"You called, Eric? Thought this was urgent. Doesn't look urgent to me."

He was silent for a moment, and said, without looking at Jim, "I saw you and Ariel talking out in the garden earlier. I was walking near the window and saw you two down there. You two seemed... close."

He wanted to talk about this? He walked over next to Eric and gazed out the window as well. "It's not what you think, Eric."

"Are you sure?" He looked at Jim this time, and Jim saw the jealousy in his eyes. "She seems comfortable around you. Unlike me."

"Psht," Jim couldn't help but let out, and gave his friend a disbelieving look. "I think you have that backwards. Who's the one who walked away just as you were about to kiss her?" Eric's eyes widened in surprise. Jim explained, "I saw you two down there also. That window is in the main part of the castle, you know."

Eric let out a sigh in embarrassment. "You saw that, huh?"

"Yeah. And honestly, I felt bad for Ariel. Why the heck did you just leave her there?"

Jim's mind immediately thought, I wouldn't have left her. I would've just kissed her. Jim hick-uped, alarmed that he thought that, and kept it to himself. Eric ran a hand down his face in frustration. "I just... I don't know... I guess I just didn't have the nerve to do it."

"When you had the nerve to almost do it on the lake before the boat tipped over?" Jim gave Eric a questioning look. "C'mon. You're not making much sense here."

"I guess I just felt confident then... now, I just... Ariel is such a beautiful, wonderful and mysterious girl. She wouldn't be interested in me like that."

Jim couldn't believe what he was hearing! "Eric, are you really that dense? Ariel's crazy about you! When I found her in the garden, she was sulking, and she looked pretty darn sad that you didn't kiss her earlier. And didn't you notice how she insisted that only the two of you be on a boat together at the lake and leave me in a separate one?"

Eric thought a moment. "I... guess you have a point."

"Of course I do. I think that the next time you see her, pull her off somewhere secluded and plant one on her." He recalled her saying the kiss needed to mean something. "And really mean it. Show her how you feel in the kiss you give her."

Jim couldn't believe he was spouting such muck, but he wanted prove Ariel's story, and he wanted his friend and... the girl he's insanely attracted to... to be happy. Eric leaned back against the wall to the inlet of the window, eyeing his friend. "You really think I should do that?"

"Yes, I think so. It would put both of you out of your misery."

Eric nodded, and suddenly stood up. His chest puffed up in confidence. "Alright. I'll do it. I'll go find Ariel right now and kiss her like I have wanted to since I first set eyes on her."

Before Jim could say anything more, Eric was out the door. Morph came out of Jim's pocket and floated next to him. Jim asked his blob friend, "Do you think I did the right thing, Morph? I mean... Ariel will permanently become human if Eric kisses her. She'll be happy and she'll have her man." Morph suddenly changed into a miniature form of him and, like before, started chanting jealous, jealous jealous. Jim huffed through his nose and leaned back against the wall. "Okay. You're right, Morph. I'm jealous. I've never been this jealous before, but I have to endure it so I can find out if what Ariel told me is true."

He got up and left Eric's room. He passed a door-window and walked out onto the balcony. He breathed in the salty sea air and sighed. There wasn't fresh air like this on Montressor. He leaned over the railing, his arms folded. The sea sparkled as the sun was lowering in the sky. He looked around and happened to see two people on the beach. He immediately went over to the side of the balcony and saw that the two people were Eric and Ariel.

"That was fast," Jim muttered as Eric had Ariel's hands. If only he could listen to what Eric was saying... He looked over at Morph who was watching the couple down below intently. "Hey, Morph, could you turn into something that would make it so I can hear what's going on?"

Morph suddenly turned into a mini-satellite and earpiece. Jim grinned and put the earpiece in his ear and held the handle to the satellite and pointed it to the couple below. Eric's voice came in loud and clear...

"Ariel... I'm sorry for running away from you earlier, I just... I was nervous. I thought that you didn't want me to kiss you. I thought that after the lake incident, you wouldn't want to come that close to me."

Jim saw Ariel frantically shake her head and she took a step to him, her hands in Eric's. Eric said nothing and leaned in to her face, and... their lips met. Jim's heart pricked painfully with that jealousy as Eric wrapped his arms around Ariel, and she wrapped hers around his neck. Fighting pirates, almost getting sucked into a black hole, finding a planet full of treasure... those seemed simple compared to this. And, he never thought that his heart could hurt this much again... about as it did when he saw his father leave, as well as Silver.

The couple separated, and Ariel beamed. Eric laughed through Jim's earpiece and picked up Ariel by her tiny waist and twirled her around. As soon as she was back on the sand, she started to glow, as if sunlight was radiating off of her body. Eric stood back, and Jim stared at her, eyes wide. A golden stream suddenly came out of the ocean and pierced Ariel's shining form. A sweet, melodic voice suddenly came through Jim's earpiece, then...

"Eric!"

"No way..." Jim uttered, stunned.

Ariel couldn't express her happiness at finally receiving a kiss from Eric and receiving her voice back! She'll be human permanently! She couldn't believe it! She saw that stream of gold come to her from the ocean, and she knew exactly what that was. Her body ceased glowing, and she could feel a refreshing tingling as her vocal chords started to work. She let out a sweet note, and said the first word that came to her lips... "Eric!"

"Ariel, you can talk!" Eric said, and came up to her and grabbed her hands again. "You really are the one I have been looking for all along! The girl who saved me! I would recognize that voice anywhere!"

"Oh, I wanted to tell you so badly, Eric! I wanted to tell you everything. I..." She happened to look up and see someone standing on the balcony above them. Cadet Hawkins! She gasped when she realized that he saw that kiss. She suddenly felt her high spirits drain out of her, making her limbs weak.

"What, Ariel?" Eric prodded. "Tell me. I want to know everything about you. Why couldn't you talk before? Why were you washed up on the beach?"

She glanced back at Jim, then at Eric. "I will tell you everything, I promise. I will tell you inside, okay?"

"Okay." He took her in his arms and she inhaled his fresh sea scent. "Oh, Ariel... I know it has only been a few days, but... I love you. I want to be with you. I want you by my side always."

She would have loved to hear those words when she first came here, and she would have responded in the same fashion in an instant, but… now, it was different. She was certainly happy that she is human now, and can live on land and not under the stern and controlling eyes of her father, but the thought that she has been using Eric to become human and get back at her father hurt her... as well as the fact that Cadet Hawkins could see all this unfold.

"Eric, I..." She started, and wondered what to say. She didn't love him like she did a few days ago. Her heart was now turned towards the dashing guard on the balcony above them. The mere thought of his lips on hers made her heart flutter and heart pound more than when Eric kissed her for real just a moment ago. "I care about you, too. Let's go back inside and talk."

They walked back to the castle and Ariel made one last look up at the balcony. Cadet Hawkins was gone.

Jim cantered down the hallway that led to the throne room, his mouth pulled into a frown. He was the cause of this. Why did he have to agree to helping Ariel out? Because he wanted to hear her voice and wanted her to be human? Now that it has happened, he regretted it. He regretted telling Eric to go and kiss the girl. But he did! Why did Eric have to listen to him?!

Because the guy's in love with her, just like he heard him say down there. All this should make Jim happy—that Ariel and Eric got what they wanted, that Ariel got her rather lovely and intoxicating voice back, proving her wild tale true... and that she can finally have the man that she fell in love with and turned human for...

But it all just made his gut twist so painfully he wanted to hurl.

He turned a corner and about ran into Lieutenant McHillen, but, not wanting to face anyone in his current furiously jealous and angry state, he walked right on passed his Lieutenant.

"Cadet Hawkins!"

Jim stopped and groaned. He didn't have a choice. He turned and faced his boss as the man walked up to him. Jim stood tall and saluted. "Yes—Sir!"

"Did I just see you walk passed me and not stop to greet your Lieutenant?" he asked in a tone Jim's mother used whenever he did something wrong and she was about to reprimand him.

"My apologies—Sir! It won't happen again—Sir!"

"Very well. At ease." Jim lowered his arm and stood normally. "I was on my way to the throne room to look for you when I remembered that Prince Eric called for you. I was on my way up to his quarters to retrieve you, but here you are." He clasped his hands behind his back and stood tall. "I was looking for you because I needed to speak to you about a very important matter. If you would follow me to my office, we can speak without interruption."

Go to his office? This had to be serious, since the last time one of the guards went to Lieutenant McHillen's office came out relieved of duty. Jim's heart pulsed. Did he find out about Jim's attraction to Ariel? How would he have found out? Was it even that big of a deal? His mind whirled with these thoughts as he followed his Lieutenant to the other side of the castle, and after several hallways, came to a set of double-doors that had a suit of armor standing next to them. Both men walked into the office with a large wooden desk in the exact center of it. Sea paraphernalia adorned the large room, as well as bookshelves along the walls, filled with books.

"Have a seat, Cadet," Lieutenant McHillen ordered, and Jim sat in one of the thick wooden chairs in front of the desk. Jim was ready for his reprimand.

"Yes, Sir?"

The older man across the desk sat down in his desk chair and let out a large sigh. "Well... where to start, here?"

"I can explain," Jim said, and the Lieutenant gave him a bewildered look. The man noticed the fear in Jim's eyes.

"Relax, Cadet, you're not in trouble."

Jim immediately felt his tense muscles relax. "I'm not?"

"No." He opened a drawer on his desk and pulled out the transmitter that is used to communicate with Montressor. He gave Jim a serious look, and Jim sat at full attention. Maybe this was more serious than he thought. "Cadet Hawkins, I will get right to the point. We have received word from Montressor. From your mother to precise. I'm afraid it's urgent."

Jim's heart pulsed with shock, and alarm started to course through his system like an angry fish in his veins. His mouth ran before he had a chance to think about how he was going to respond. "My mother? What happened? Is she alright? Is the Benbow Inn alright?"

"Yes, Cadet, your mother and her place of work are fine. You see, I keep in contact with the family of all you guards here in the castle. With that said, I have been in contact with your mother. I give her details of your welfare and so on and so forth, but in the beginning when you first arrived, I asked that she give me updates regarding someone that you knew in the past. Someone that you were rather close to while you were on your voyage to Treasure Planet, and someone who I have been rather intrigued with." He leaned in and said with conviction, "Captain Long John Silver. Your mother said that he has returned to Montressor."

If Jim wasn't about to cry with this whole ordeal with Ariel, this news brought on the tightness in his throat and the stinging tears in his eyes. He really tried to not let his emotions get the better of him, but those tears came and fell, and in embarrassment that his Lieutenant had to see them, he swiped them away from his eyes with his jacket sleeve.

"Silver... has returned?"

"Yes, apparently. And judging by your reaction to this news, you two were closer than I thought."

Jim took in a massive breath, trying to alleviate his emotions. No wonder he overheard McHillen say 'silver' earlier... he really was talking about Long John! "I looked up to him, yes. But... why are you telling me this in such a serious manner, Sir?"

"Because," he began and set the transmitter aside, "when I spoke to your mother earlier today, she begged for you to come home and reunite with Captain Silver. She had only heard that he was on your planet, and you would have to search him out when you get there."

Go back... to Montressor? Is that what he was trying to tell Jim? That couldn't be it. Not now, in the middle of his test! "What are you telling me, Sir?"

He leaned in, keeping Jim's gaze, his hands clasped on top of the maps on his desk. "I am giving you a choice, Cadet. You can stay here for the next four months to finish out your test here, or you can go back home to your planet and finish out your test there. Only your test will be searching out Captain Long John Silver."

Jim's jaw dropped open, and shock filled his system. "What? Are you serious, Sir? Go home to finish my test?"

"Yes. I have spoken with the Interstellar Academy after speaking with your mother. We discussed the situation, and they were agreeable that having you search out Captain Silver would be a fair test for you instead of this one. Given your actions on the voyage to Treasure Planet, they think that you have been wasting your skills here as a guard. If you choose to go home and take up this charge, you will be in command of a crew on your own ship. It will be a small one, but a ship nonetheless. This will test your skills as a commander and, if you succeed, it will be beneficial when you move up to the Interstellar Navy. Now, what do you say?"

Jim had to be dreaming this conversation up! Go home and take command of his own crew and ship? Like a captain? Like the general he wants to eventually become? "I... I don't know what to say, Sir."

"Well, then, think about it." He leaned back in his seat and folded his arms. "And I am not the old codgure that does not pay attention to detail like a lot of you guards think. I have seen that you have gotten close to that red-head, and have seen you talk with her with a blushing face. I have seen the battle erupting inside of you every time you look at that girl as you try not to get in the way of her and Prince Eric. Being here has definitely tested your emotions and feelings, which is beneficial in moving up in the military since you need to know how to control your emotions and feelings when the occasion calls for it. But now, it is time to test your skills. Time to move on from all that fluffy stuff."

Jim figured he needed to learn something while he was here—how to control his emotions. And he knew that McHillen noticed his attraction to Ariel... but his inner battle of trying to stay away so he doesn't fail his test? The man was really observant. But why does it matter now? What good is that attraction, now that Ariel and Eric have each other? Eric has said that he intends to marry the girl who saved him from that shipwreck. If those two get married, what is the point of Jim being there and being tortured by seeing the two of them day after day? He can go home and look for Silver and prove to him and everyone that he can achieve something great and be something great.

Take the helm and chart your own course. Stick to it, no matter the squalls.

Those words rang in his conscious again. He can choose his path—to go home or stay here. The squall of falling for the girl Eric is in love with can be passed by and he can face a new adventure. This can be the excitement that he has been seeking.

"Well?" the Lieutenant prodded. "Thought about it? I'm afraid we need your answer before the day's through."

You're something special, Jim. You are going to rattle the stars, you are. And I hope that I'm there... catching some of the light coming off of you that day.

Silver will be there when that happens. When Jim finds him.

Jim sat up straight in his seat and told his Lieutenant with conviction, "Yes, I accept the offer to go back to Montressor and complete my test."