The next day proved to be a fun one...well, at least for Kitty, it was. Her day of amusement was begun early on with a yell from Amelia after her morning shower.
"KITTY!" Amelia's irate voice boomed within the confines of her stateroom. Kitty, knowing full well what prompted Amelia's howl of outrage, had wisely chose to run out on deck, laughing herself silly at Amelia who had been more than a bit surprised to find she now sported bright bubble-gum pink hair.
Amelia frowned once again at her reflection in the mirror, her eyebrows knitted together in barely suppressed fury. She combed her hair into place, straightened her uniform and headed out to her place on the bridge. There she saw Kitty, her eyes dancing with laughter. Amelia moved to her usual place starboard of the ship's helm, and moved a bit close to speak in whisper to Kitty. "Ms. Petro, I'm sure I need not tell you that my retribution for this childish prank will be swift and unexpected," Amelia declared, her teeth clenched together. The helmsman snorted, trying very hard not to laugh, which prompted an already irate Amelia to spit him with one of her most formidable frosty looks. The helmsman instantly found he needed desperately to pay attention to his gauges for some reason.
Kitty only softly giggled. "Aw, come on, Captain, pink really is your color. You should wear it more often, you know," Kitty remarked matter-of-factly.
Amelia, the consummate Captain, merely ignored her statement...despite the most irrational urge to reach over and strangle this impetuous girl.
"Oh, incidentally, Captain," Kitty began just then.
"Yes, Ms. Petro?" Amelia managed to get out through her gritted teeth.
"Consider this as my payback for you trying you- know-what with you-know-whom. Just so you learn your lesson, I´ll turn back your hair to it´s normal color at the end of the week," Kitty finished, smiling in smug satisfaction.
Amelia took a deep breath, and concentrated on plotting a course to the Cross Nebula, so that she could restrain herself from doing something wery un-captain like just that moment. "You are far too kind, Ms. Petro. Just do keep in mind one thing though, my clever child..." Amelia began in a soft yet commanding voice.
"...and that would be?" Kitty replied saucily.
Amelia leaned over, her green eyes like emerald lasers, until her nose nearly touched Kitty's. "I am the Captain. Aboard this ship, I am in command, understood?"
Kitty scowled right back. "Understood. I promise I won't interfere in your running of the ship. But, that doesn't mean I'm going to stand by and let you plan my life for me either!"
"Very well. Agreed," Amelia then said.
"Agreed," Kitty then replied, and the two shook on the bargain.
"Whatever is the matter with you, Arrow?" Amelia then snapped at Arrow, who silently rumbled in restrained laughter. Amelia's expression became irate, though her eyes showed some hurt. "Just you hush, Arrow. I quite frankly expected better of you, old man," she told him, while reaching up a hand to run through her new pink locks.
"I do apologize, Captain. But, in all fairness, it´s only fair, you know," Arrow said steadfastly.
"What?" Amelia asked, appalled.
"Oh, I seem to remember a time when you attempted to play matchmaker before...between me and a certain woman named Suzanne? Ring any bells, Captain?" Arrow said, giving Amelia a knowing expression.
"Oh, that," Amelia said, smiling. "I'd nearly forgotten about that. Yes, I do remember her, she was a very cute girl. Remind me again, Arrow, exactly why didn't the two of you marry anyway?"
Arrow sighed. "Because Suzanne wanted me to give up being a spacer, Captain," Arrow said, crossing his arms before his broad chest. "As I recall, I never did repay that kindess, Captain. Perhaps, since you seem inclined to play matchmaker again, I should rethink my position, eh?"
Amelia was used to Arrow and her verbal sparing. "Oh, really? Like what, perhaps?" Amelia challenged.
"Oh, I don't know," Arrow began, looking over to catch Kitty's eye and give her a wink. "Perhaps, should the opportunity present itself, Kitty and I might try our hand at playing matchmaker with you, my fine Captain."
"I see. And, when---pray tell---will this opportunity arise, do you think?" Amelia replied unconvinced. "I am the Captain of this ship, and as such I do not see myself in any relationship anytime soon, Sylvester Arrow."
Arrow gave Amelia a knowing glance, then snorted. "Quite. I say I'll give you a few years, Captain, and we'll see," Arrow told her with a grin.
Amelia snorted, held her head high, and turned to begin her daily inspection of her beloved ship.
"Hey, Captain!" a voice called. Amelia turned around to see Kitty looking her way, standing beside the cabin boy, Alexander Dalley.
"Yes, Ms. Petro?" Amelia replied, her expression still a bit chilly toward Kitty, but she did smile in Alex's direction.
"Would it be all right if I help Alex here mop the deck this morning?" Kitty asked.
"Of course you may. Do carry on then," Amelia said.
"Thanks!" Kitty replied, winked at the dumbfounded Alex, and murmured something.
Amelia started as the deck---the entire deck, the entire length of the ship----suddenly began to glow. A moment later, the entire ship appeared just as spotless and pristine as it had the first time it had left spacedock. Kitty had not just made the deck look good. No, the entire hull was now polished and painted, as well as the masts and the bowsprit.
"There you go, buddy! Go do something fun this morning," Kitty declared, looking over at Amelia, grinning.
Alex beamed in pleasure. "Thanks, Kitty! You're the best!" Alex said, dashing off to have some fun. Amelia watched Alex head off past her before looking back over at Kitty with an arched pink eyebrow.
"We're friends...nothing more," Kitty said defensively.
"I see," Amelia said, though her voice had an undertone of mystery to it that made Kitty frankly nervous.
"Watch yourself, Captain," Kitty warned softly. "You really don´t want that tail now, do you?"
Amelia held up her hands in a warding gesture. "Very well, all right. No need to get tetchy. I am just giving you my opinion on this matter."
"Why am I not surprised?" Kitty replied sarcastically. Kitty then took out her CD player.
Amelia looked in curiosity at the small round device. "Exactly what is that thing?" Amelia asked.
Kitty looked up startled by Amelia's sense of confusion. "This? Oh, this is called a CD player," Kitty explained. It plays small disks with music imprinted upon it. I thought we could do with some entertaiment aboard ship. If you don't mind, that is, Captain?"
"Not at all. Be my guest," Amelia replied, carrying on with her inspection.
Kitty retrieved, then put on a disk into her player, and suddenly the whole ship had the song
'True Colors' by Phil Collins booming over it with Kitty singing along with the CD:
You with the sad eyes
Don't be discouraged
Oh I realize
It's hard to take courage
In a world full of people
You can lose sight of it
And the darkness, inside you
Makes you feel so small
But I see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And that's why I love you
So don't be afraid to let them show
Just show your true colors
True colors are beautiful,
Like a rainbow
Show me a smile then,
Don't be unhappy, can't remember
When I last saw you laughing
If this world makes you crazy
And you've taken all you can bear
Just call me up
Because you know I'll be there
And I'll see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And that's why I love you
So don't be afraid to let them show
Just show your true colors
True colors are beautiful,
Like a rainbow
Such sad eyes
Take courage now
Realize
When this world makes you crazy
And you've taken all you can bear
Just call me up
Because you know I'll be there
And I'll see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And that's why I love you
So don't be afraid to let them show
Just show your true colors
True colors, true colors
Are shining through
I see your true colors
And that's why I love you
So don't be afraid; just let them show
Your true colors, true colors
True colors are beautiful,
Beautiful, like a rainbow
Amelia was most pleasantly surprised as the song finished. "You've quite a good singing voice, Ms. Petro," she observed quite truthfully.
Kitty grinned. "Thanks, Captain," Kitty said. "I practice a lot."
"I really did like the lyrics of that song," Amelia continued, but with a mischievous grin.
Kitty sighed. "Amelia, if I hear one more word on that subject..." Kitty said holding up a finger.
Amelia's grin dimmed, but didn't disappear. "Very well. Touchy, touchy. I promise, I shall try to resist the temptation, Kitty," Amelia pledged.
Kitty snorted at that. "Yeah, right. You aren't going to hold to that promise anyway, right?"
"I'm sorry, but you are correct, I'm afraid," Amelia said, smiling.
"Right. Here's some friendly advice then, on that subject, Captain. The next time you open your mouth to comment, just you think about the pain of getting your new tail slammed in a door, okay?"
Amelia winced at that, glancing over her shoulder briefly in a way that clearly said a great deal.
Kitty smiled then, assured that Amelia now had her thoughts on a much different subject, and began singing a new song with music thrumming from behind herself:
Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer
We're a notorious couple of cats
As knockabout clowns, quick-change comedians
Tight-rope walkers and acrobats
We have an extensive reputation
We make our home in Victoria Grove
This is merely our centre of operation
For we are incurably given to rove
We are very well known in Cornwall Gardens
In Launceston Place and in Kensington Square
We have really a little more reputation
Than a couple of cats can very well bear
If the area window is found ajar
And the basement looks like a field of war
If a tile or two comes loose on the roof
(Which presently fails to be waterproof)
If the drawers are pulled out from the bedroom chest
And you can't find one of your winter vests
If after supper one of the girls
Suddenly misses her Woolworth pearls
The family will say, "It's that horrible cat!
It was Mungojerrie or Rumpelteazer!"
And most of the time they leave it at that
Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer have a very unusual gift of the gab
We are highly efficient cat burglars as well
And remarkably smart at a smash and grab
We make our home in Victoria Grove
We have no regular occupation
We are plausible fellows who like to engage
A friendly policeman in conversation
When the family assembles for Sunday dinner
With their minds made up that they won't get thinner
On Argentine joint, potatoes and greens
And the cook will appear from behind the scenes
And say in a voice that is broken with sorrow,
"I'm afraid you must wait and have dinner tomorrow!
For the joint has gone from the oven like that!"
The family will say, "It's that horrible cat!
It was Mungojerrie or Rumpelteazer!"
And most of the time they leave it at that
Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer have a wonderful way of working together
And some of the time you would say it was luck
And some of the time you would say it was weather
We go through the house like a hurricane
And no sober person could take his oath
Was it Mungojerrie or Rumpelteazer?
Or could you have sworn that it mightn't be both?
And when you hear a dining room smash
Or up from the pantry there comes a loud crash
Or down from the library there comes a loud ping
From a vase that was commonly said to be Ming
The family will say: "Now which was which cat?
It was Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer!
And there's nothing at all to be done about that!
Amelia sighed as she rounded the stern of the Legacy on her inspection tour. She thoguht back on her own tumultous teenage years. Had she not been a just out of her teenage years herself, she would of said that teens these days just didn't have any respect for anyone other than themselves. She paused to clear her thoughts then, and began climbing the mizzen shrouds, all the while ignoring the applause Kitty was getting from her crew as well as all the cadets upon her ship. As she ascended into the solitude of the mast, she checked, surprised to find that she was feeling perhaps just the smallest bit jealous of the attention this girl was now receiving...