Author Note: Chapter three... not much to say... except for the fact that my "pirate talk" is weak. I've been using some web sites to help with it, but I still can't help but feel like I suck at it. I apologize for this.

Also, if the characters aren't acting or talking like themselves feel free to correct me! As I suck at it.

And, before I forget, you may notice that Captain Skull doesn't sound like a pirate. This is because there was a point in time in which he wasn't a pirate, and he just hasn't really picked up the talk. The same goes for another character. Make sense?

Oh yeah, and I forgot to mention this in the last two chapters...

A big THANK YOU to Abby for helping me out and stopping me from writing a Mary-Sue! And Mia for always commenting on DeviantArt! You girls rock!

Disclaimer: You know the drill; Treasure Planet is copyright Disney. I only own Lora and Skull's crew.

The Sphere of Parmile

Chapter Three: Vanished

Three days had past since the young woman's unexpected arrival. Each day, the family kindly made her a meal and set it on the small desk next to the bed she slept in. And each day they would hope to find her awake, yearning to get some words out of her mouth. Unfortunately, she was always sound asleep and never woke. When they would return for the plates, they'd find every bowl, plate, and cup empty down to the last scrap, with the young woman hidden beneath the covers.

The Dopplers' visited daily eager to hear some good news. Sarah would dish up their usual, B.E.N and Morph would play with the children, and Jim would take orders from the customers. The weather had not changed in the past three days. The heat worsened by each passing day causing the customers to become crabby and harder to deal with.

Anneliese was no better. It seemed the humidity was bothering her as well as she would pester the customers' daily. An annoyed Mrs. Dunwoodie was her unfortunate victim of the day. Anneliese observed the woman as she slurped her juice loudly. If Anneliese wasn't aloud to break rules while eating, then why should any adult be an exception? Ruining her day would be quite amusing.

"Can I help you, young lady?" Mrs. Dunwoodie eyed the kitten.

"Are you aware of your resemblance to a clown?"

"I beg your pardon!"

"Your makeup is horribly done! Do you apply it in the dark?" With an innocent look, Anneliese turned her head sideways in confusion as she studied the woman's face.

"Why you obnoxious little!..."

"Okay!" Jim grabbed Anneliese from under her arms, "That's enough torturing the customers for one day, Anneliese!"

"I was merely being honest," Anneliese snorted as Jim placed her on the floor with her siblings.

"Uh, sorry about that," Jim laughed nervously hoping the stubborn woman wouldn't take the girl's words seriously, "Heh, kids!"

Mrs. Dunwoodie's face did not relax at all. Jim was starting to find Anneliese's words truthful. In a way, he was grateful Anneliese was bold enough to speak her thoughts. Perhaps Mrs. Dunwoodie would consider changing her appearance to a more faltering look. Jim shook the thoughts from his head.

"What can I get you, ma'am?"

"Well for starters, you could give that child some discipline!" Mrs. Dunwoodie's eyes focused on Anneliese on the other side of the room. Jim turned his gaze to find Anneliese with her small, pink tongue sticking out at Mrs. Dunwoodie. Apparently she'd heard Mrs. Dunwoodie's harsh words.

Jim tried to end the argument with a cough; "I'll talk to her parents about that,"

"Make sure that you do! Now, I would like two powdered spheroids and one lunar eclipse. And another glass of purp juice,"

Jim scribbled the order down in a small notebook with a pen, "Yes, ma'am! Your meal will be ready in a couple of minutes,"

Jim turned and walked towards the swinging kitchen doors in a nimble movement. Just as he gently pushed one of the doors open the other did the same. His mother, Sarah Hawkins, nearly jumped as her son came face to face with her.

"Oh, Jim!" She gasped, "You surprised me!"

"Sorry, mom,"

"Sweetheart, could you do me a favor? Bring that tray of food upstairs to the girl's room," Sarah used her head to direct Jim to the position of the tray.

"Sure, mom," Jim agreed as he headed for the tray of food.

"Thank you, Jim."

As Jim sauntered into the kitchen Sarah approached Delbert and Amelia's table by the windows. She set a bowl of Alponian chowder and a bowl of water before Delbert as Amelia quietly sipped her coffee. A starving Delbert politely took the bowl from Sarah with a smile.

"Thank you, Sarah,"

"Sorry for the hold up, Delbert," Sarah breathed; "I had to make the girl's breakfast along with some of the customers,"

"Oh, don't apologize!" Delbert laughed, "I understand how busy this place can be,"

"Speaking of this outlandish, young woman," Amelia set her coffee cup down on the table, "What is her condintion?"

"Well, she's eating at least, but none of us have spoken to her," Sarah answered, "Each day we bring food to her room, but when we return for the plates every plate is cleaned off and she's sound asleep,"

"It appears she's trying to avoid all contact," Delbert made a suggestion.

"Yes, but what is her reason?" Amelia questioned.

"Perhaps she's just shy,"

"Yes, it is a possibility... but my mind still grows suspicious of this woman..." Amelia gazed at her reflection in her coffee in deep thought. A strong feeling told her there was something wrong... something very wrong...

"Is she dead?"

The curious little kittens and their canine brother poked their heads over the bed. As B.E.N. walked off to search for Morph, the children snuck their way up the stairs without being noticed. They'd heard their parents and every one else discussing about the unconscious woman asleep in one of the rooms.

The woman's eyes were closed tightly and her mouth hung open slightly. Her chest slowly moved inward and outward as she inhaled and exhaled the fresh air. Every few moments she moaned and mouthed out small words in her sleep. She twitched about as sweat rushed down her face.

"I think she's having a nightmare," Abigail whispered amongst her siblings, "Should we wake her up?"

"What if she's dying?" Annette shook at the mere thought, "We should tell mommy and daddy!"

"No! We can't!" Anneliese protested.

"And why not?" Dominic asked.

"'Cause we're not even supposed to be up here! Remember?"

"... You know she has a point," Dominic, for once, was agreeing with Anneliese.

Suddenly, the woman stopped moving completely. She inhaled one last breath and exhaled slowly. The baffled children stood in silence and confusion as they gawked at her. It was almost hard to tell if she'd stopped breathing or not.

"... Somebody poke her," Anneliese suggested.

In that moment, the young woman's body lunged forward and her hand swung to her heart. She let out a terrifying, loud gasp for air and breathed heavily. The startled children panicked and began to scream. One after the other, they ran out of the room.

The woman's nails dug into her chest as she continued to gasp for air. Beads of sweat dripped down the sides of her face as her breathing slowed down. Her deep slumber had been disturbed by a horrifying nightmare. But it certainly wasn't the first time this had happened... not after her journey...

Jim quietly made his way up the wooden stairs balancing the tray. He heard several screams coming from down the hall. In a flash, the four Doppler children ran past his legs in a frightened state. A dumbfounded Jim and Morph exchanged glances and shrugged. They would have to discover the cause of their screaming later. The customers needed to come first!

The two friends walked down to the end of the hall and came upon the last door on the right. Jim approached the door and lightly knocked on the wood, hoping for an answer in return. The awkward silence was nothing new to him by now. It wasn't sure why this girl was so frightened by them, but he was starting to grow curious. Was it really that difficult to utter a few kind words to a family of strangers that were generous enough to care for her in this time of need?

Unable to wait any longer, Jim gave a warning of his coming before gradually pushing the door open, "Hello? Are you awake? I've got your lunch."

No reply was returned. Jim and Morph peaked inside to see the young woman's back turned from them as she softly breathed in her sleep. The two of them were not surprised at what they discovered. They just wished for once they could catch her awake so they could question her. Jim took loud steps in an attempt to wake her, but it was useless. Whoever this woman was, she was no light sleeper.

The tray made a loud clatter as it was set on the desk beside the bed. Jim took one last glance at her face to see if her eyes had opened. He was disappointed to still find them shut tightly. He shook his head and began to walk away.

However, Morph was in no need to leave so quickly. He spotted the woman's jacket hanging on the back of a chair by a window. He slipped inside the sleeves and flew in and out at a rapid speed. Too busy enjoying his own game, he failed to notice the jacket was slipping from the chair. Within less than a minute, the jacket fell from its position and Morph was trapped underneath. Laughing hysterically, Morph bounced around under the jacket. Not able to see where he was going, only made his little game more exciting.

It didn't take Jim very long to notice his tiny; shape-shifting friend was missing. He came back to the room to come upon a giggling, hopping jacket on the floor. Somewhat amused by his little friend's game he chuckled as he removed the jacket from the floor. Morph whipped out from underneath and twirled around in the air chirping. Their happy moment was suddenly interrupted by the clank of something hard hitting the floor. Something must have fallen from inside the jacket.

Startled by the noise, Jim looked down to find the source of the sound. It was a round object wrapped in a dirty cloth. Curiosity struck him as he observed the object from where he stood. It was oddly familiar, he felt as though he'd seen these images once before. Unable to contain himself, he bent down to grasp the round object. He picked it up and observed it closely. Untying the string that held the cloth wrapped around it, he became uneasy about his actions.

Was it okay to snoop through a stranger's belongings? This woman had spent three days at the inn and had not spoken a word to any one in that time. It was only normal for him to want to know more behind who she was. Why was she flying a ship alone? Why did her ship crash? If she was not going to give him answers, then he would have to find them on his own!

The filthy cloth peeled open from the object to reveal something Jim never expected. A gold light shone in Jim's eyes as his mouth hung open. Hidden beneath the cloth was a gold sphere; an exact replica of Flint's treasure map.

No... it couldn't be possible! The planet and the sphere were destroyed over four years ago! How could the map withstand an explosion that enormous? It was impossible... nothing could actually be cable of surviving that. There had to be another explanation.

"Put it down," A stern voice spoke from behind.

Jim spun around to find the woman glaring back at him. Blue eyes were exposed from behind strands of thick, brown hair. Her look was that of a serious and frightening frown. She did not seem too pleased about someone prying through her belongings. Unable to find any words, the baffled young man and the girl exchanged long glances.

"If you value your life," the girl was the one to break the silence first, "you'll place that sphere back where you found it and forget you ever saw it,"

Was she really threating him over a sphere? What was she trying to hide? Why did she even have it? And where did she get it? 'Who is this woman?' Jim found him questioning himself.

Jim was startled when she leaped out from underneath the covers and quickly approached him. She snatched the sphere from his hand and picked her jacket up off the floor. As she placing her jacket on in a fast pace, Jim could almost see the sweat dripping down her face. And when she took one last glimpse at him, he could see the fear in her eyes.

She spoke once more, acting as though she were speaking to a child, "If you know what's good for you, you'll forget any of this happened and above all... you won't follow me..." With her last words she slammed the door behind her and took off.

"Wait!" Confused, Jim was unsure what to do. What was she frightened by and why was she running? If she's in any real danger, Jim should get the authorities involved. But first he would need to catch the girl and question her...

"That's odd," Dilbert's eyes wandered to the window as a loud clash of thunder and lightning roared through the dark sky, "I don't remember hearing any thing about an evening storm,"

As every ones' gaze turned to the window and they pondered the same thoughts a girl in a black jacket rushed passed them and burst through the door; almost losing her balance in the process. Jim practically flew down the stairs and jumped the last four or five steps. The remaining customers, along with Sarah and Dilbert, gasped as Jim's loud stomp from his jump echoed through the room.

"Jim!" A bewildered Sarah shouted, "What's going on? Is something wrong?"

"I'm not sure," Jim grabbed his coat and threw it on, "but I'm about to find out. I'll be right back!" Morph zipped out through an opening in the door just before it shut.

"Wait! Jim!" Sarah's eyes focused on Jim as he disappeared behind the closed door. In her mind, every second moved by slowly as though they were framed images. She felt a sharp pain in her chest as the pace of her heart beat quickened. She knew this familiar feeling. The feeling of fear. Panicking, she knew she couldn't abandon the inn with all the customers. She needed to send someone to keep an eye on Jim. Desperate she reached out and grabbed the nearest person.

"B.E.N., I need you to do me a favor," She was astonished to find herself asking him to do this favor, "follow Jim and make sure he doesn't get hurt,"

"Yes, sir! I mean ma'am!" Without the slightest hesitation, B.E.N. dashed out the door. Shortly after, a loud crash came from outside followed by B.E.N.'s voice, "I'm okay!"

"I'm not entirely sure that was the best decision you've made today," Amelia acknowledged.

"I'm starting to have my doubts." Sarah groaned. One of B.E.N.'s best skills may not have been protection, but at least he was loyal member of their family.

Moments later, Jim was sprinting at a fast pace to capture the abnormal young woman with Morph floating close behind. A stream of thoughts flowed through his head as he attempted to reach her. The identical sphere made no sense to him. Flint's trove was destroyed with all it's treasures, including the map. He hoped to discover the answers to these questions soon, for his brain was starting to ache.

Panting heavily, the woman came to a decision to take a breather as she leaned against a boulder. Placing a hand over her chest she inhaled the air several times. Her eyes took a glimpse into the sky, as the clouds grew darker by the minute. She understood these signs well and knew what threat was approaching her. She prayed to herself that no fool was courageous enough to follow her.

"Hey, you!" A voice ahead of her broke the woman from her thoughts. It was the young man from the inn! She was wanted to be it was a mirage or that she was merely losing her mind. But no matter how much she tried to believe, she knew he was real. Desperate, she tried to sprint away only to have him snatch her by the arm in the process.

"Wait! I'm not going to hurt you!"

"Release me at once!" At this harsh demand, the woman ripped her arm free from his grasp.

"Why did you take off like that? You could've at least thanked us for our generosity!"

"You have to get out of here! It's dangerous!"

"If it's so dangerous then why are you out here alone?" Jim demanded to know. When she hesitated to return an answer, Jim took the opportunity to make a suggestion, "Look, if you really are in danger, then running away isn't going to do you any good. Just come back to the inn and we'll get the authorities to take care of whatever problems you're having, okay?"

"You don't understand! There isn't any thing you or any one can do to help me!" She was starting to grow very impatient with him, "So just be a good little boy and GO HOME!"

A loud voice caught their attention and the three of them turned their gaze to source of the noise. Jim was not surprised to find B.E.N. running towards them waving happily. Jim cringed his teeth as he took a few steps forward, but not only enough to grab the woman should she try to run.

"B.E.N. what are you doing?" Jim questioned the lively robot.

"Well... I... uh..."

B.E.N. understood why he was there, but was his reason supposed to be to tell Jim why? Unsure of what to do next, the dense robot stuttered the same three words again and again as he proceeded to think of an excuse. At that moment, the woman was flung unexpectedly flung forward past Jim and face first into the dirt. Shocked by this, Jim, B.E.N., and even Morph did not move as she slowly tried to pick herself up, only to fly up from the ground and slam against the boulder behind them. She collapsed on the ground as her entire body ached with pain.

The group stood there with their jaws hanging open startled by what they'd just witnessed. There was someone else there with them. They could feel the presence, but they couldn't make out what it was. A feminine chuckle came from were the beaten woman lay, as steady footsteps approached them. Jim stood his ground as Morph hide behind his back, shaking with fear.

The body of a woman started to form as the once invisible figure came toward Jim. Once she was right before him, her entire body became visible. She would have been commonly mistaken for a human, had it not been for her sea green skin, thick, dark forest green hair, and fiery red eyes with a hint of orange. Her cloths were rather revealing, as her white shirt was falling around her shoulders. She definitely seemed more like the fighting time, rather then the sweet, innocent time. And her sick and twisted smile was only proving Jim's theory more.

"Oh," She placed a hand on Jim's cheek revealing black fingernails, "well, aren't you quite the stud?" She pulled him close to her as he took several steps back, "It's such a sin you were found with that little wench over there... otherwise... I wouldn't have to kill you,"

B.E.N. glanced over at the woman that lay near the boulder. She was slowly raising from the ground with one hand against the boulder to balance her body that shook with pain. He noticed the angry look on her face as she picked up a rock. Leaping forward, she tugged at the green woman's hair. The green woman gave out a blood, thrilling scream just before she was hit in the face with a rock.

"Come on!" The woman gave Jim a slap on the back to get him moving.

In a flash, the four of them were racing in the direction of the inn. Howling wind was heard along with roars of thunder and lightning. As Jim caught up with the woman he noticed she had her arm wrapped around her ribs. The impact with the boulder must of hurt her badly, and yet she was still able to move. There was obviously some thought in her mind that was keeping her going despite how much pain she was in.

The clanking noises of B.E.N. came to a screeching halt as the woman fell before him. Jim almost fell as his boots slid against the dirt to come to a stop. He stood over her with worry eyes staring down.

"Look, you need to stop this before you seriously hurt yourself!" He demanded. He got down on his knees and began to put one of her arms around his shoulder, "Listen; I'll carry you until we back to the inn, all right?"

"No!" She refused as she pulled her arm from his grasp. "We have to move fast before the rest of them come!"

"The rest?" Jim exclaimed, "You mean there's more? How many?"

"An entire crew... come on, we should keep moving,"

"Don't be so hasty, lass," A deep voice echoed in the wind. A shady figure approached them from the winds that blew the dust from the ground. As it came closer, the wind became calm and started to clear, revealing the man that spoke to them, "You might get hurt,"

A flash of lightning hit the ground at those last words. The man was nearly seven feet tall with grayish blue, skin. His black eyes showed pure evil in his sole as his muscular arms showed strength. His clothing proved his importance as the captain of the crew and his massive size struck fear into their hearts as he stood before them. Jim noticed that the woman had stopped dead in her tracks and was barely able to breathe.

"You had us a little worried, Miss Stanfun," at this point the rest of the crew had come out of hiding with cutlasses and guns drawn, "Thought we'd lost yeh for good,"

"I was hoping..." Miss Stanfun mumbled under her breath.

"You won't be running away this time, lass... my men will be making sure of that,"

The small group of four huddled together as the pirates beleaguered them. The circle grew tight and soon they found themselves back to back with all hope of escaping lost. Miss Stanfun reached her hand into her pocket and felt a round object. This gold sphere was their last chance if they were going to escape from this situation alive.

"Grab onto me," She whispered to the fellows behind her.

"What?" A baffled Jim questioned her.

"Every one hang onto me," She whispered once more, "I've got a plan,"

As Miss Stanfun removed the sphere from the pocket of her black jacket, Jim noticed the pirates stopped at the mere sight of it. At this moment, Jim and B.E.N. each grabbed onto a shoulder of Miss Stanfun while Morph perched himself on Jim's shoulder. Grasping the sphere in the palm of her hand, Miss Stanfun gave the captain a wicked glare before pressing one of the buttons on the sphere.

The pirates stood clear as the bodies of the four once soon-to-be victims transformed into small drops of liquid. In moments, the little drops swirled around in twister until each drop evaporated. Where they once stood was nothing. The pirates turned to face their captain expecting him to slash at them for failing to kill them. But he merely chuckled to himself and shook his head.

"Run all you want, Miss Stanfun. You'll just be making the hunt more enjoyable,"

Next Chapter...

Chapter Four: Lora

Nov. 4th, 2004 - Old chapter four and five are still up! They will be rewritten and then the rest of the story will come. I plan on finishing this with a big ending I'm sure you all will love!