The next few days were ones of calm atmosphere. Kitty decided to take a few days rest from her usual hobbies and started going down to the galley to talk with Alex now and again.
Amelia, on the other hand, had more than enough problems thank you---what with learning how to not get her new tail slammed in doors and the like. But, after a period of transition, she managed to figure out how control her tail, so that it was nearly like having a third hand. She found it could prove actually quite handy at times, like when she was brandishing a sword in one hand, a laser flintlock in the other, she still could manage to use her tail to hang on to the shrouds.
The next day Kitty was woken up by Arrow, who ordered her, "Come along, Kitty. You simply must see something."
Kitty opened her eyes blearily, and saw Arrow smiling down at her. She yawned, stretched, and then got dressed with the help of a little mumbling---and magic---before heading out on deck after Arrow. She stopped dead in her tracks. The etherium was quite the sight this night. A reverberating rumble was heard, followed by streaking bolts of ethereal lightning that flashed over the ship. Kitty gulped just then, not being a particular fan of storms of any kind, and looked toward the bridge where Amelia usually could be found...only, she wasn't there. "Where is Amelia, Arrow?" she asked.
In reply, Arrow simply pointed up toward the crow's nest, up where Amelia could see everything perfectly.
"Is she mad? What's she doing up there in this storm?" Kitty asked in concern. You see, it wasn't only Amelia who had developed an affection for Kitty it seemed...
"Now now, calm yourself, Kitty. It´s not dangerous," Arrow explained, laying one giant hand comfortingly on Kitty's slender shoulder. "The Captain's always loved watching the etherium durring lightstorms."
"Lightstorms?" Kitty asked, though in a certain sense the word did seem appropriate. To herself, this looked like a thunderstorm... and she was plain terrified of such storms.
"Yes, Kitty. You see those flashes of light over there?" Arrow pointed.
Kitty nodded. "How could I not?" Kitty answered back, nervous.
"Well, you see, there are regions of the etherium---usually around blue-white stars---that experience extended bouts of excessive heat. When this occurs, it is not unusual for lightstorms, such as this one, to happen. I do apologize as the science of this isn't very easy to explain to a neophyte such as yourself."
"Not to worry, Arrow," Kitty assured him, though her eyes were getting a little bit wild now. "Now, I'm going inside...and staying there. Call me when the lightstorm's gone."
Arrow was surprised. "You mean, you don´t want to watch? The phenomena can be very appealing, Kitty," Arrow asked puzzled. Kitty shook her head emphatically, wincing as another rumble of thunder was heard in the distance.
Arrow was a seasoned spacer, as well as a good judge of people, and could read Kitty's body language. "You don´t enjoy this sort of weather, do you, my dear?"
Kitty shook her head, ducked inside, and closed the door quickly before heading deep into Amelia's quarters and laid down in bed, pulling the quilt up over her head, praying that the lightning blazing away out there wouldn't hit her. It was several agonizing minutes later that she heard the door to the cabin open.
"Kitty? Arrow informs me you are not feeling well. Are you all right?" Amelias voice said.
"Weren't you outside watching the weather?" Kitty asked a bit tritely.
"I was indeed," Amelia answered truthfully...as was her wont. "But then Arrow stopped by to tell me that you were in a dither about the lightstorm, so I stopped by to provide you some company, and some support. I suppose Arrow thought me the best person for the job...well, next to Mr. Dalley, of course." Amelia's smile was clever and suggestive.
If anything could get Kitty's mind off her fear of the storm, it would be that particular subject. "Amelia...hasn't your tail taught you anything?" Kitty asked scathingly.
Amelia pretended to muse that question over. "Hmm. No, not really, I suppose," Amelia answered. She then turned the conversation back to the matter at hand, which was brought back into focus sharply when a particularly loud crack of thunder detonated outside and reverberated through the Legacy's stout timbers. "Ah, I see you're afraid of lightstorms, correct?"
Kitty could only nod miserably, wincing again as yet another rumble was heard, angry because she was trembling beneath the quilt.
Amelia turned a compassionate eye on her young protégé. "Might I inquire as to when you began this loathing of turbulent weather?" Amelia asked, sitting down beside Kitty on the bed.
"Well, I suppose it reminds me of thunder. And, I just hate thunder," Kitty told her.
Amelia smiled, nodding sympathetically. "I'm sorry, Kitty, but thunder only happens in planetary atmosphere's."
"Maybe so, but I still don't like it," Kitty said and sniffed, visibly upset. "You see, my father once told me about a man that died because he was hit by ligthning. Now, I'm pretty sure he only did it so I wouldn't escape during a thunderstorm, but there you have it. I've been terrified of thunder ever since that time."
"There, there, Kitty. Thunder is only sound, and the Legacy will protect you from any rogue lightning that might be about," Amelia told her with a smile, and hugged Kitty to herself to comfort the trembling girl.
"I've something you most likely will be most pleased to hear. Would you like me to tell you?" Amelia asked a moment later, gently rocking Kitty in her arms.
Kitty nodded her head, and then looked up from Amelia's chest. "Lightning from lightstorms have never, ever---not even once---actually hit a lightship before. It is completely safe, you haven't a need to fear on that account, my dear girl."
"Really?" Kitty asked, wiping a tear from her cheek, as she sat up in the bed.
"Oh, yes, really," Amelia assured the girl. "You may ask Arrow if you need further reassurance, Kitty. So would you consider coming out on deck and view the storm with me?"
Kitty smiled at Amelia, and nodded her head. "Yeah, I will...but I´m not going up in the crow's nest in it," she said.
Amelia hugged the girl again, then released her, smiling. "Agreed, no crow's nest," Amelia answered.
Kitty smiled and said, "Well, I suppose that now all I have to be afraid of is pirates and supernovas."
"Supernova?" Amelia asked. "How did you come to know about those, Kitty? Were you studying astrophysics on your own home world?"
"No," Kitty answered, grinning. "It's just that in that movie I'm always telling you about, the Legacy gets caught in the blast of a new supernova."
Amelia's eyebrows leapt up, and her mouth opened slightly.
Kitty didn't seem to notice this though, and continued along. "Well...that was before it exploded and transformed into a black hole, I guess..."
Amelia was getting a bit wild-eyed by now, and Kitty finally noticed this.
"Whoops! Sorry bout that. Can´t really say any more," she said apologetically, as Amelia again opened her mouth to ask more. Kitty threw up a cautionary hand. "Hey, look, Amelia...the story goes as it goes, and I´m not changing everything about to let you get prepared for it, okay? It would ruin the whole ending of the story, trust me."
Kitty turned to go, but before she could take more than a single step, Amelia's new tail went once about her leg and then lifted her upside down off the ground to hang before the now commanding felinid Captain.
"Fine then. Be that way. But, do remember that tomorrow, I shall of sported this ridiculous pink hair one week, my dear Kitty. And, that being the case, I do expect to get my usual auburn colored hair back."
"Not to worry, Amelia," Kitty assured her. "Now, if you would, could you please put me down again? All my blood seems to be going to my head."
Amelia smiled, nodded, and then put Kitty down before heading out and opening the door after herself with the tail around the handle. "Do come along, Kitty," Amelia said. "Don't dawdle."
"And, to think...she actually complained about getting that tail," Kitty grumbled good-naturedly before heading after her...