Hanging there, clutching life by only my fingertips, I realized just how much my life meant to me. Every little bit of it mattered. Every memory, every small detail, every person, every place. Jim. I kicked and struggled. I had to get back to Jim somehow! I sighed and let my body go limp again. It was no use. I had nowhere to go... no where except into the fire. I squinched my eyes shut.
"Sasha!" I heard the voice that had spoken so many times and I could recognize a mile away.
"JIM!" I cried.
"C'mon! Sasha! Reach for me, now!" I did my best to reach, but couldn't hold my hand out for long without falling.
"I . . . I can't!!" I exclaimed.
The ledge that I was holding onto suddenly aligned with the wall, leaving me without a handhold. I shouted as I slid down the wall and managed to grab another ledge, but was entirely too far away from Jim to reach without letting go of the ship. Jim looked frantically at me, and then suddenly jumped from the platform. I screamed, horrified, but saw that he had landed on a little ledge above me. He laid down on it and reached for my hand. I stretched my hand towards him, and at first only my fingertips brushed his, but I leaned up further, my body screaming in protest.
Finally I clutched his hand. He pulled me up to the small ledge, and my legs became locked up. I couldn't move. I could just sit there, clutching Jim like a lifepreserver in a stormy sea. We couldn't help but watch in terror as an energy beam made the wall where I had been seconds before explode violently, a few chunks of it showering out. Jim pulled me to my feet and reached over, holding onto my arm.
"Now I want you to jump to the next platform. We can get out from there. Just jump as hard and fast as you can. Don't worry about falling. I'll never let you fall."
"Jim--" I looked over at him. After that I was horrified of standing on this planet, much less jumping across a chasm under life-or-death situations here!
"Please... It's our only chance."
"For you."
I nodded, wavering before turning around, backing up the few feet that the small ledge would allow, and running and jumping. My feet hit solid ground. I let out a breath of relief and stumbled forward a few steps so Jim would have room to land. The next thing I knew he was clasping my hand firmly and dragging me thought the portal to the surface of Treasure Planet. The Legacy suddenly flew up, Amelia with her arm in a sling and Doppler at the helm. "waved to us from the controls.
"Aloha, Jimmy, Sasha!" "worked quickly at his own navigational controls and at the ship's. "Hurry, people! We've got exactly two minutes and thirty-four seconds 'til planet destruction!"
Amelia watched Doppler at the helm. "Alright, you're doing fine, Doctor! Now, ease her over, gently, GENTLY!"
Doppler had a look of concentration on his face as he attempted to fly the Legacy over to Jim and I. It banged against the side of the cliff slightly. We clambered onto the Legacy together. Amelia got up and began to walk to Jim and I. I saw Silver on the ship, looking a bit dejected.
"Take us out of here, Metal Man!" Amelia called to B.E.N.
"Aye, Captain!" B.E.N. nodded.
Silver spotted Amelia on the bridge and took off his hat, and grinning up at her.
"Cap'n! Yeh dropped from the heavens in the nick o'--"
"Save your clap-trap for the judge, Silver!" Amelia ordered forcefully.
Silver kept his grin, but it was a nervous one. He put his hat back on his head. "A-heh-heh. . . a-heh."
Debris suddenly crashed into one of the masts, knocking down one of the main sails. Shrapnel rained to the deck. Everyone ducked, and then looked up again. B.E.N. looked at the controls.
"Pistons failed to mobilize, Captain! Thrusters at only thirty percent of capacity!" B.E.N. rattled off.
Doppler looked up, shocked. "Thirty percent?! That means we'll..." Doppler looked to Amelia nervously for confirmation. "...We'll never clear the planet's explosion in time."
Jim, meanwhile, ran to a part of the deck, and I dashed after him. Jim was looking at some of the debris and thinking as quickly as he couls, brow furrowed in concentration. He looked at a smoldering cylinder, then at a long piece of metal knocked down earlier
"...We gotta turn around!" He said suddenly, looking up.
"What?!" Amelia gaped at him as if he was crazy.
Jim knelt down and began working at the cylinder and the long piece of metal.
"There's a portal back there! It can get us out of here!" he said ugently.
"Pardon me, Jim, but, doesn't that portal open onto a RAGING INFERNO?!!" Doppler said, his voice rather higher than usual. Jim glanced up at Doppler, then went back to work.
"Yes!" Jim said, struggling with what he was doing, "But I'm gonna change that! I'm gonna open a different door!"
Doppler looked at Amelia. "Captain, really, I-I just don't see how this could possibly--"
"Listen to Jim! He knows what he's doing! He's saved my butt more than once!" I exclaimed.
"Yeah, Listen to th' boy!!" Silver suddenly roared.
Silver leaned down next to Jim. "was typing so rapidly that his hand was just a blur at his navigational system.
" One minute twenty-nine seconds 'til planet destruction!" B.E.N. called.
Silver looked over what Jim was doing. "Whatta yeh need, Jim?"
Jim looked at the long piece of metal and the cylinder. "Just. . . just some way t' attach this!"
"Alright. . . stand back, stand back, now!"
Silver quickly changed his cybernetic arm into a blowtorch and welded the two pieces of metal together as Jim watcheed. Silver finished and helped Jim lift up the now-attached cylinder and long piece of metal. I kind of stood back, afraid I'd mess everything up. I was bad like that sometimes....
"There yeh go!" Silver nodded.
"There yeh go!" Morph repeated.
Jim balanced up on the piece of metal and looked back at Silver.
"Okay, now, no matter what happens, keep the ship heading straight for that portal!"
We all turned at the sound of B.E.N.'s voice.
"Fifty-eight seconds!!!" he declared.
Jim looked back at Silver, his eyes holding a mixture of hurt, fear, and determination. Silver looked up at him pointedly, and Jim turned, his face now one of complete determination. He kicked the cylinder, starting it with his foot. It sparked and began spinning rapidly. Jim started off. Already pieces of the planet were breaking off, and Jim swerved around them. I stood there nervously, clinging to the edge of the boat and watching my Jim fly into danger.
"Well you 'eard 'im! Get this blasted heap turned 'round!!!" Silver bellowed.
Silver gestured forcefully back toward the portal. Doppler looked at Amelia in question. Amelia could get used to that, having her permission asked for anything and everything.
"Doctor, head us back for the portal." Amelia commanded.
"Aye, Captain. . ." Doppler nodded, turning back to the helm.
I watched as Jim started back towards the portal. He worked to dodge the breaking metal pieces of the planet, and everything was coming apart much more quickly. Large chunks had jutted out of the surface and the inner workings, overheating dangerously, were beginning to show. The cylinder stalled once, making me hold my breath, and Jim starts it up again with his heel. He continued on quickly.
"Turn to the right, THE RIGHT--" Amelia yelled.
"I know! I know! Will you just let me DRIVE?!" Doppler exclaimed.
Perfect. They were -perfect- together... Fighting over random little things like backseat driving, yet so cute together. Oh, cripes, Sasha, stop thinking like that....
Meanwhile B.E.N. was becoming even more panicked. "TWENTY-FIVE SECONDS!!!"
I turned back to watch Jim again. He was flying over a particularly large chasm, the size of a small canyon. The cylinder suddenly stalled out again, and Jim began to fall toward the molten workings of the planet. He attempts to start the cylinder up again with his heel, but this time it doesn't work.
"No, NO!"
"JIM!" I screamed, and Amelia grabbed my arm.
"He'll be alright, Sasha."
"But--"
"He can take care of himself. Have faith in him."
I watched, almost in tears, as Jim disappeared into the giant chasm. I reached out, not that it would do any good, towards the place where he'd fallen. Come on Jim.... You can do it! Remember....? You're the one, because you're still here. Are you still here? Or did this planet take your life? I love you. Don't leave me. Please?
I turned around because I couldn't stand the suspense any longer. B.E.N. was near mental-breakdown from panic.
"SEVENTEEN SECONDS!!" B.E.N. announced.
Morph gasped in horror, and wrapped himself around a rope on the Legacy. I heard a faint noise and turned around. It was Jim! He was heading straight up the canyon wall and continueed to dodge more peices of the broken planet, which was barely holding together.
"Seven. . . six. . . five. . . " B.E.N. said.
Jim caught up to us, passing us slightly. He flew just in front of us, face set.
"Four. . . THREE. . . TWO--"
I squeezed my eyes shut, clutching the little box Jim had given me tightly. Suddenly the sound all stopped and I just had to open my eyes. All I saw was the quiet blue etherium. It seemed peaceful and silent, undisturbed. Jim flew in front of us, whooping in victory.
"HAH! YEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAH!! HEEAHYAAEHHHHAHHH!!!" He grinned excitedly.
Jim flew up past me, and I watched him, overjoyed. Morph turned into a miniature flashing display of fireworks and confetti for Jim. Jim high-fived me and flew past again. He really was making me a little nervous on that peice of junk. I knew it wasn't totally safe, seeing as it almost failed him while he was on the planet. Everyone on deck continued cheering happily.
I looked around, grinning, and caught sight of Doppler and Amelia hugging, both of them with their eyes shut and cheek-to-cheek. They both suddenly openned their eyes and stared at one another in shock, then smiled. Jim flew back down to the deck of the Legacy, letting the slapdash solar surfer fall away. He stood on the deck, reveling in his victory. I ran up and threw my arms around him. Amelia and Doppler walked up, both smiling at Jim, and I stepped away from him.
"Unorthodox, but ludicrously effective! I'd be proud to recommend you to the interstellar academy. They could use a man like you!" Amelia smiled.
Jim grinned, and Doppler leaned down next to him, grinning. "Just wait until your mother hears about THIS! 'Course we may downplay the life-threatening parts. . ."
Jim laughed a little. Amelia stepped up next to Doppler and B.E.N. walked up to him.
"Jimmy, that was. . . UNFORGETTABLE!" B.E.N. beamed. "I know you don't like touching, but. .. get ready for a hug, Big Guy, 'cause I gotta hug ya!" B.E.N. laughed and hugged Jim. Jim tolerated the hug with a small smile, then suddenly grabbed B.E.N.
"C'mere!" he laughed.
"Woah!"
Jim hugged B.E.N. tighlty against himself, swinging him around once. He set him down.
"Heeeyyyyy, you hugged me BACK... Oh, I promised myself I wouldn't cry!! WAAAGHHH!!" B.E.N. sounded choked up and started sobbing, once again overdramatic, on Jim's shoulder. Jim sighed and rolled his eyes.
"Does anyone have a tissue?" B.E.N. sniffed.
"Thankyou, Sasha." Jim smiled to me now, taking both my hands in his. "You made the biggest difference."
"How did... I... make a difference?"
"You changed me... from a rebel into who I am now. You just sort of... healed an old wound, I guess. I owe you for that.... I really do. I love you."
"I love you too." I gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Just wait till I show you everything on Montressor." he grinned suddenly. "It'll be great...."
"Yeah.... as long as I'm with you." I paused, "....Man, that was so cheesey..."
"Cheesey isn't always bad." Jim laughed.
"Alrighty then."
I watched the etherial light wash over us as we neared Crecentia, my hand in Jim's. I'd never forget my journey to Treasure Planet.