Wow, one little change of the last name and I'm already feeling better about this! Here's the next chap. Oh yes...before I forget...the original story of "Treasure Planet" is entirely Disney's doing. I'm not that much of a genius!
Chapter 2: What Future?
Meanwhile, life was buzzing at the Kingdom Hearts Inn.
"Mrs. Strife!" a plump lady with an octopus body called. Aerith gathered up her tray of food.
"Yes, Ursula," Aerith replied. "Refill on the kelp juice." The brunette woman walked over to table where a lion cub, a meerkat, and a warthog were sitting. "Okay, here's the crunchy grub bowl for Timon, the slimy grub bowl for Pumbaa, and the special cream-filled grub…for the future king." Aerith winked at the cub, who happened to be Simba.
"Awesome," Simba said, digging into his meal.
"Please enjoy!" Aerith strolled over to a large man in an orange jumpsuit. "I'm sorry, Jack," she apologized in an exasperated tone. "It's been a madhouse all morning!" She placed a piece of pie on the table.
"Ah, don't worry, Aerith! Why, I have all day!" Jack exclaimed. He narrowed his dark eyes and became mysterious. "You haven't seen any ghosts around, have you?"
Aerith chuckled. "No, Jack. Not today." She left to clean up the dishes.
"Ah, Aerith's homemade apple pie…my favorite!" Jack said, picking his fork. He was about to eat when he spotted a light-colored lion cub with blue staring up at him. "Uh…hello…little lion."
The cub was Simba's friend, Nala, and the pie on Jack's plate was looking pretty appetizing at the moment. Jack, however, shrugged his broad shoulders and proceeded to eat the pie, but Nala was getting on his nerves.
Jack's shoulders slumped. "Uh, do you mind?" he asked. "Are your parents around?"
No reply.
"What's the matter? Cat's got your…"
Just then, Nala pounced on Jack playfully and swiped the little bite of pie from the fork. The lion cub leaped off, sending a teasing grin Jack's way.
"Maybe next time, Mr. Fenton!" Nala called.
"Oh…was that Nala?" Jack asked himself while scratching his head. Aerith approached him, a tray in hand. She sighed admiringly.
"Lion cubs are so adorable at that age," Aerith smiled.
"Are you kidding? They're furballs of utter chaos and mass destruction that like to steal pie."
Aerith giggled slightly before finishing up her work.
"Hey, speaking of utter chaos, how's Jaqulin?" asked Jack.
"She's doing much better," Aerith replied, lifting a stack of plates. "She's hit some rough spots here and there, but I believe she's finally turning the right corner."
Suddenly, the doors of Aerith's hotel burst open and revealed Walker's guards with Jaqulin in hand.
"Mrs. Strife?" one of the guards announced.
"Jaqulin!" gasped Aerith as she let the plates fall and shatter on the floor.
"Ooh…wrong turn," Jack mumbled.
Jaqulin brushed the other guards hand off her shoulder casually. "Okay. Thanks for the lift, boys," she said. She was about to walk to her mother when the first guard caught her by the arm.
"Not so fast," the guard growled.
"We apprehended your daughter operating a solar vehicle in a restricted area," the other guard explained.
"The moving violation section fifteen, paragraph…uh…"
"Six?" Jaqulin finished, rubbing her cheek in boredom.
"Thank you," the first guard said.
"Don't mention it."
"Jaqulin!" Aerith scolded in disapproval. Jaqulin lowered her head shamefully, hinting the disappointment from her mother.
"As you are aware, ma'am, this constitutes the violation of her probation," the second guard continued.
"Yes, yes. No, I understand," Aerith stammered. "Um, could we just…?"
Jack rose from his seat and cleared his throat. "Uh…pardon me," he interjected as he moved toward the guards. "Officers, if I could, um…what's the word?"
"Interject?" Jaqulin finished again.
"Why, yes! Yes, that's what I meant. If I could interject…I'm the noted ghost hunter, Jack Fenton! Maybe you've heard of me!"
The guards merely stared at him.
"No? Uh, I have a card…"
"Are you the girl's father?" the second guard inquired. Aerith and Jack started to stutter over each other.
"Oh, good heavens, no….eww," Aerith stated. "He's just an old friend of the family."
"Back off, sir," snapped the first guard.
"Thank you, Jack, I'll take it from here," Aerith whispered to Jack.
"Okay, Aerith…if you want me to," Jack responded. "Um…never let me do that again, would ya?" Aerith shook her head with a tired smile.
"Due to repeated violations of statute-C, we have impounded her vehicle," the first guard continued. "Any more slip-ups will result in a one-way ticket to Juvenile Hall."
"The kiddie hoosegow," the second guard added.
"The slammo."
"Thank you, officers," Aerith replied. "It won't happen again." When Jaqulin came to her, she stopped her daughter and looked her in the eye with hinted meaning.
"We see this type all the time, ma'am," the first guard explained.
"Wrong choices," said the second.
"Dead-enders."
"Losers."
Jaqulin glared up at the two guards with loathing. She didn't like being called a loser, especially by the government.
"You take care now!" the second guard exclaimed, lifting his helmet in farewell.
"Let's fly," the first guard suggested. With that, they turned their backs on mother and daughter and flew out the door. Aerith was stunned; she glanced at her customers, who went back to their conversations. She turned her attention back to Jaqulin.
"Jaqulin, I. Have. Had it," Aerith sighed, emphasizing her words. "Do you want to go to Juvenile Hall, is that it?"
Jaqulin turned away and started piling dirty dishes into a tray, not answering the question.
"Jaqulin? Jaqulin, look at me."
Jaqulin unwillingly turned around.
"It's hard enough keeping this place afloat by myself without you--"
"Mom, it's no big deal," Jaqulin interrupted. "There was nobody around. Those cops just won't get off my…"
Aerith frowned, folding her arms.
"Forget it," muttered Jaqulin, going back to stacking dishes.
"Mrs. Strife!" called Ursula. "My juice!"
"Yes, I'll be right there, Ursula!" Aerith responded. She looked back at Jaqulin. "Jaqulin, I just don't want to watch you throw away your entire future." She walked away.
Jaqulin picked up the tray of dishes and leaned against the kitchen door. "Yeah, what future?" she whispered before backing into the cooking area.
