Ch.12, Defiance

Life is filled with irony. Whether it's when a person talks about another, only to see that person walking their way, or if it's when two people hate one another and end up being best friends, it's always there. Irony is almost a key ingredient in life itself. Whatever the case may be, this thing we call irony isn't always wanted or amusing. Rather, it can be a horrible creature hiding around the corner and snickering at your pain. Perhaps that's what their lives turned out to be: ironic. Yet, there was no humor in the fact that these friends were close to becoming enemies…

A shot rang out into the forest, the sound echoing against the strange canopies of green. A heart stopped… but only for a moment, out of fear. The trees' massive trunks hid the two beings well from one another, the night's shadows also playing a part. A young woman's acute ears tried picking up any sound telling of her pursuer. Nothing. Only silence met her feline ears, yet she hardly dared to breath. Faces and names flashed in her mind, and she mentally crossed some of them out. How many were left? How many had escaped, and how many had died?

Her heartbeat grew faster, and she struggled to keep her breathing unheard. Once again, she was faced with a decision. Go on, and risk leading this man to the Doctor, Captain, and B.E.N. or else lead him away- and risk not being able to leave the planet in time. She didn't have time to choose, for another bullet flew past, shattering the bark of the tree she hid behind. It narrowly missed her ear, and her eyes snapped shut as splinters flew everywhere. The ground rumbled, causing the tree to shake as Sora winced, smelling the smoke in the air. The end of this planet's time was clearly growing near.

The silence settled in quickly. Apparently, whoever had followed her had gone. At least, she hoped so. Sora inched her way around the massive trunk, desperately trying to be quiet. Still, no sound had met her ears, yet as she turned around she bumped into another being. Letting out a gasp, her wrists were grabbed tightly, but not harshly.

"Are yeh alright?" They asked. The shadows played cruelly on his face, and it was a moment before her mind registered who it was.

"Grant?" She asked, for he was the last person she thought she would see. "What- what are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question." He replied, not looking away from her.

"Yes," She started. Pausing, she knew there was something different about his gaze. "Yes, I suppose you could." She tried pulling away, but his grasp held firm. His face remained emotionless, yet as Sora looked into his cold eyes, they revealed more than he wanted. He knows. The thought struck like lightening and there was no doubt that it was true. He knew all along… so why is he acting like this?

"Do my eyes deceive me, Sora?" He said with a grin. "You look almost frightened."

She shook her head, attempting to pull her wrists away once more. Again, his grip tightened, and she resisted the urge to cry out in pain. "Let me go."

"Why?" He said with the grin still on his green face. "So you and your little friends can escape?"

She remained silent, for she wouldn't let herself deny it. Not again.

"I don't think so." He said with a small chuckle, but his voice grew serious quickly. "You've played both sides long enough. Whose side are you on, Sora?" His anger made his voice shake, as the young woman before him tried not to cry out once more from the pain in her hands.

She already knew her gun lay forgotten on the floor of the pirate's longboat, but she knew another way out. "I'll let you guess." At that moment, she wrenched her arm out of his grasp. And, reaching behind her back, she quickly realized her gully was gone.

His tail rose over his shoulder, coiled around the handle of the knife. "Looking for this?" He sneered. She tried backing up, but his other hand did not let go. Instead, her back hit the tree behind her, just as the gully was plunged into the wood only inches from her face. She suddenly felt a lot of empathy for the cabin boy who had come on the Legacy so long ago. Grant grabbed her arm again, not going to let her escape any time soon. Of all times, she thought miserably. This planet's gong to be destroyed and he's not going to let either of us leave, is he? She asked herself.

He smirked cruelly, but she would not let herself admit to being afraid. "Why are you doing this?" She asked with a glare.

Grant's anger rose. "Why are you doing this, Sora?" His eyes reflected the hate in his heart, yet it was not against her. "Why would you defy everything we've worked for?"

She was silent, her mind almost unwilling to speak aloud the name that formed upon her lips. The night's silence was broken as a voice sounded across the area. "Hello?" It echoed. "Who's out there?"

She turned to look, but the person who spoke must have been a good distance away, for she saw no one. The pressure on her wrists disappeared, and her head snapped back to where Grant once stood. He was gone. Not a bent blade of grass or the sound of his steps gave him away.

"Hello?" She recognized it as B.E.N.'s voice. It was louder now, and she was grateful he called out when he did. The silence that followed was almost eerie. Looking around once more, she pulled her knife out of the bark. She turned to leave, but not before looking around the forest again as paranoia crept behind her. Still a bit shaken, Sora came out into the clearing where the longboat had been left. B.E.N. stood leaning on the side of the longboat as did Doppler. "Finally!" B.E.N. said as Morph flew around her head when he saw her. "The captain can't fly this thing and Doc… well, let's just not chance it."

However, when the captain and Doc saw her, she received a less pleasant greeting. Doppler raised a shaking hand, and the gun was badly positioned at her line of sight. "Don't… Don't come any c-closer." It was apparent that he did not want to harm a young girl. "Where is Jim?"

"Oh-" B.E.N. stuttered. "I forgot. He's-"

"Staying behind to see if he can start Flint's ship." Sora interrupted. "He wants everyone to leave if he's not back in five minutes."

"What?" Amelia and Doppler asked at the same time.

"That's what he said." B.E.N. confirmed.

Sora said nothing more, but still noticed that Doppler did not lower the gun. Perhaps she had been careless not to expect this. She carried no trust with them, so how could she hope to help them? Instead, with the calmest face she could muster, she walked over to B.E.N., thanking the heavens with each step that she did not get shot. She desperately hoped her voice hadn't been shaky, for who could stay completely calm when you have a gun to your head? "Calm down, Doc." B.E.N. said, flashing his robotic smile. "She's on our side!"

She didn't look at any of them as she walked over to the engine. After the crash of the Coracle she swore to check any engine's status before actually using it. "But I- I just don't think…" Doc exchanged looks with Captain Amelia. "I-"

"Look," Sora said, pressing a small button on the back of the engine. A small keyboard flipped out and so did a tiny screen. "First- If you're going to point a gun at someone, make sure you remember to recharge it." He was close enough that she could lift her hand and flip a small switch on the gun without looking up.

"Second- I helped Jim get the map back. He trusts me, but that doesn't give you much of a reason to." She brought her gaze up after a moment of typing. "The last thing I deserve is a second chance. And I know the gallows are awaitin' me if we ever make it off this cruddy excuse for a planet… but, I can at least help you now."

Doppler looked to Amelia in hopes she'd give a decision. "Perhaps," Amelia started. "On account of your age and everything... maybe the sentence-"

Several glowing plasma bullets rocketed through the trees and ricocheted off the bottom of the longboat. Luckily, no one was hurt, and neither was the longboat. B.E.N. slowly lifted his head out of the longboat of which he jumped into upon hearing the sounds. After a moment, everyone lifted their heads, clearly worried about more shots. Without making a sound, Sora crept over to the bushes, where she peered out into a large valley. Three figures in the distance were steadily making their way to where they all stood.

The sky had turned an almost red color from the smoke and fires within the core, and made it difficult for her to see who these men actually were. Then, in an instant, she held her breath. She recognized two of the men, but it was the third that caused the reaction. Grant walked with a wicked smirk playing on his face and with his gun held tightly in his reptilian hands.

Her eyes narrowed at him, though she knew he could not see her clearly. Standing up, she turned back to the rest. "It's Grant and two other men." She said plainly, taking a deep breath and thinking through what she was about to say. "I can stay here and hold them off while you get the Legacy up and running. If Jim can get that ship to fly then we can all get out of here."

"What!" B.E.N. shouted. "No way! Nuh-uh. I'm not leaving my other bestest buddie here!"

She raised an eyebrow at the robot before responding. "B.E.N.-"

"Not in a million-"

"Shut up, will you?" She said sharply at him. "I have to –you all need time to get to the Legacy, okay?"

A sad look came upon the robot's face, but she tried to ignore it. Walking back over to the longboat, she reached in and took her gun that still lay on the floor.

"Very well."

Her head shot up as she heard the captain speak. Doppler had a surprised look come over his face, but said nothing. With one hand holding her side, Amelia took the rifle that one of the pirates had taken with them and handed it to the young woman. "This is your choice, but you'll need this."

She took the gun from the Captain with an emotionless face, and then nodded slowly. B.E.N. got into the boat reluctantly, folding his arms and huffing as Amelia took the controls. He looked like he was pouting, and she would have laughed, had she not suddenly felt the seriousness of her choice.

"So," She began, her eyes fixed blankly past the trees. "Any advice before you go?" She didn't look at him as she spoke.

B.E.N. placed a hand on his chin as the longboat moved forward slowly. "Just don't get shot!" He shouted as the boat sped away, rising quickly.

Her fists tightened. "Well, you're no help!" She called out after him. Freezing, her ears picked up the noise behind her. She clutched the gun tighter before turning around to look. A few steps and she was right at the edge of the clearing. With the bushes in front of her and a few small trees also, she narrowed her eyes at the approaching men. The rifle was raised reluctantly, and aimed accordingly. One man was in range –but she had her doubts. Could she really take down one of her former comrades? Her hand shook, but she willed it to stay firm. Once again, her heart raced and her mind was torn. These men were her comrades… no, enemies… but now-

-the gun clicked as she held her breath.

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The Micriki stopped, wincing in pain, the bullet having just skimmed his arm. He cursed the woman in ways that would make any sailor sickened. Grant looked up the slope to where he had seen her face just moments before. "Odd thing, though." He said with a wicked smile, realizing her weakness. "She never misses."

The other man grunted, grasping his gun tighter. Glancing from him to Mr. Collins who was clutching his arm, Grant spoke once more. "Fan out," His gaze rose to where he knew she must have been. "We're getting out of this cursed place."

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The fires consumed them.

As the treasure fell, in their attempts to save it, the two men had fallen to their deaths inside the very center of the core. The heat from the fires below was felt all across the area, possibly even on the surface of the planet, itself.

"Come back here, you blighters!" Silver shouted as some of the men had tried to escape back to the portal. He never found out if they made it or not, for a new sound met his ears. Across the way, he spotted an old ship –and oddly enough, it was starting to move slowly. His robotic eyes zoomed in and his eyes widened in shock as he saw Jim on the deck, Morph at his side. A grin swept across his features when he realized there was a way out of this yet.

On the deck of Flint's ship, Morph chirped happily as Jim took the wheel. "Yes! Morph, we are so out of here!" He said with a smile. The look was wiped clean off his face when he heard chuckling from behind him.

He turned around instantly, only to see Silver making his way closer on the deck. "Ah, Jimbo! Aren't you the seventh wonder of the universe!" The pirate finished with a grin.

Jim, looking to his right, noticed a sword sticking out of a pile of coins. Grabbing it quickly, he pointed it at the man before he could get any closer. "Get. Back." He said with a glare.

Silver looked down at the sword, his expression changing in an instant. Looking back up at the boy, there was a feeling of complete seriousness about him. "I liked yah, lad. But I've come too far to let you stand between me and me treasure." As he stepped closer, Jim backed up, his back hitting the wheel. His glare turned into a glimmer of fear. Would Silver really try to hurt him?

None would ever find out, for at that moment a beam of energy that had once fed into holes in the core struck the hull of the ship.

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A blazing bullet flew less than an inch from her face and she reeled back, leaning against the trunk of a small tree. "Come on, lass," Mr. Collins' voice rose from beyond the clearing. "We know you're up there."

Remaining silent, she waited and listened. I've got to keep them busy until B.E.N. and the rest come with the Legacy. Another shot flew past, shattering her thoughts. If they come. Keeping close to the trunk of the tree in the shadows, she peered around the side. Mr. Collins and the man who went by Johnson still crept closer, their guns and cutlasses drawn. It was then that she realized who wasn't there, just as her rifle was wrenched from her hands. Without a moment to think, she took a blow to the head. The man holding the gun now had hit her hard enough so that she tumbled past the pushes. He looked as her body lay motionless at the bottom of the slope. The dust flew up as she opened her eyes, and, through the pain in her head, managed to get up slowly. She looked up the hill to where Grant stood, emotionless. He tossed the rifle down as if it were a toy, and it rolled down the hill with a noisy clatter. It had been taken apart cleanly –for it was now in three separate pieces.

Sora narrowed her eyes at him as she withdrew her gully. In one quick second it was blown away, causing her to jump. To her left, Mr. Collins stood, his pistol still smoking. "We always knew you were weak." He commented as Grant slid down the slope without losing his balance. "Never thought you'd actually go against us, though."

"You don't know a lot about me." She replied, her senses alert since these men were armed. But, once more that hated flicker of fear ran amuck in her senses, causing her voice to falter. Before another word was said, the ground shook terribly, far worse than it had earlier. She stumbled, but quickly stood straight again, using this distraction to grab the grip of her gun. Grant, however, watched her like a hawk all the while, but she desperately hoped he hadn't seen her just then. Already, in the distance, Sora could see large masses of land floating upward, no longer having any hold from the planet's gravity. Clouds of flame were beneath them, lurking there for the unwary to step.

Grant must have noticed this, for his voice held an authority that made all those who were present listen. "You two had better catch that longboat 'afore it leaves. Wouldn't want to get stuck here now, would we?" The two men exchanged glances but nodded, agreeing quickly.

Sora remained expressionless, knowing they would find nothing. Johnson and Collins headed up the slope, despite the fact the ground still trembled. "Now," Grant said, looking back at her. "I think it's time we had a little… talk."

Glaring at him, she stepped back quickly, before freezing in med-step. It felt as if there was an earthquake –one of the worst this planet had seen yet. Cracks appeared in the ground, though they were so straight in places that one would think they weren't natural. An orange glow came from underneath, and just as she thought the cracks were headed toward where she and Grant stood, they curved around. They formed the outline of a large area, only a few feet in front of her and ending about ten feet past the top of the hill. Mr. Collins turned on his heel, making it back to the starting point in a moment. Johnson, however, sprinted toward the top of the slope and, in an instant, was consumed by the fires that sprang from other cracks in the land mass. She heard his cries, but looked away, feeling the heat upon her face. The block of land he had once stood on shifted, moving away at a diagonal direction from the onlookers.

Sora felt like the breath had been drawn from her lungs. Everyone remained silent for a moment, before the Micriki turned to her. "What now?" He said. "That longboat wasn't up there was it? If it were, you woulda reacted somewhat." She stayed silent. "Where are they?" Again there was silence.

"Lass," He said, drawing his cutlass once more. "You'd better start talking."

She stepped back again, but the ground that should have been there wasn't present. Nearly slipping, she regained her balance after a moment. Mr. Collins lifted his sword a bit higher, but Grant put his hand forward, stopping him. "Sora," He said with a stern look. "Tell us where they are."

Unable to speak, she merely shook her head in response. Grant stepped forward, pulling out his own pistol. The urge to step back was too strong, for she almost lost balance once more. With one hand, he grabbed her wrist, steadying her at the same time. The gun was pressed to her neck as he spoke in a quiet but harsh tone. "You want to get off this planet as much as everyone else. Where are they?"

She glared in response. "We'll all die here before I tell you anything." She said with complete defiance written across her face. As she spoke, the ground shook once again, knocking them both to the ground. The pistol she had been holding behind her back fell onto the ground a few feet in front of her. Just as she reached out quickly to take it, she stopped with a small gasp. When another wave of tremors swept across the planet, the ground underneath Collins' feet had given way. He had managed to grab onto the edge of the block of land that remained, but, unfortunately, the blocks were moving even more freely now –some of them actually colliding. It was because of this that he lay with his face on the ground to the side, laying in a puddle of dark red blood.

Grant stood a few feet away now, looking down at the body that still reached forward. He gazed at the man without any expression other than that of disgust. It was then that she wondered how any living being could be so heartless; at the same time, she stood up, grabbing the gun that lay on the ground. A few still and silent moments passed before he even noticed that she was there. He turned to her swiftly, without emotion, but in his eyes she saw a hidden pain and fury burning like no other. This is what sparked the fear in her, and she tried to turn and escape. But, already as she did so, he was behind her quickly, grabbing her arms so she could move no more. Still she persisted, struggling to be free of his grasp.

With one arm, he held her still, and as for the other –she guessed quickly as a gun was pressed into her neck. Roughly, he turned her so as to look at her face to face. Even with the gun to her neck, her expression made her seem unafraid. "Are you going to shoot me?" Her voice held no fear and she spoke in a casual tone.

He tightened his grip on the pistol. "I should." He answered.

"Why?" Her monotone matched her expressionless face.

Grant spoke with an anger that could've matched her own. "I should kill you right now for all you've gone against! The plan was simple, Sora. You screwed everything up after you met that boy. Can't you see how much he's changed in you?"

"Yes, I can." She replied. "But I might just be thankful for that."

As his grip tightened, she tried not to wince. "How can you be? You're no longer the same woman I knew. He's made you soft."

Her eyes narrowed, but she said nothing. Yet, as she looked straight into his eyes, she grinned and spoke in nothing but a whisper. "You can't do it." No expression crossed his features as she almost laughed under her breath. "You can't kill me, can you?" She scoffed.

He scowled as he replied. "I could kill you if I wanted too." His face moved closer to hers as he spoke.

"Yet," With each word spoken her confidence grew. "You don't." As she whispered into his ear, she tried not to shiver since she could feel his breath on her neck. "I don't think you could want that. The guilt… would just… eat away at you."

He was too distracted by the fact that she had willingly moved closer to him and –she could most certainly use this to her advantage. Taking him by surprise, she brought her fist up in a hard punch. As he stumbled back, his head hit the ground hard. In an instant she kicked his gun out of his hand and it slid all the way to the edge of the block they were on. He held his jaw with a bit of shock on his face. With her gun pointed at him, she still could feel no relief. Behind the mask of courage, she was terrified.

Grant stood up slowly, mumbling under his breath. "You always did throw a good punch." She could clearly see the blood running down his chin as he spoke. He looked back up at her with a grin. "Cheater."

She kept an angry look on her face as she recalled his words spoken long ago. "I thought we all were."

He laughed almost inaudibly, wiping the blood off of his face. "I suppose so…"

The tension was thick as they fell into silence. Her gun still aimed at him, she took a step back. Her hand brushed the vines hanging off of the tree behind her as she kept her eyes on him. He made no move, but seemed to just now notice the damage the planet had received. Hardly any of the strange green foliage remained, and the lone trees that still existed stayed persistent in clinging to the floating blocks.

Without warning of any noise or tremble, the ground shifted drastically. It felt as if the land had been pulled out from beneath her feet. With no ground behind her, she fell backwards, dropping the gun. As quickly as she could, she grasped the vines of the tree that clung to the edge of the block. Her eyes were shut tightly, but as she opened them, she realized she still hung on. It was a terrible feeling, having no ground beneath your feet. Desperately, she hoped she would be able to get herself back up.

Meanwhile, Grant merely smirked, but did not move any closer to her. Instead, he briskly walked back to where his gun had been kicked and picked it up, nonchalantly. Slipping it into his belt, he watched Sora as she managed to pull herself back onto the block. As she got to her feet, she quickly noted her pistol had fallen at least ten feet away. Cursing under her breath, she knew she could only wait to see what would happen next.

From a good distance away, Grant sneered at her, casually looking down and seeming to notice Collins' sword. "Enough of this," He said rather loudly, leaning down and picking up the cutlass that lay forgotten in front of Mr. Collins' body. As a small tremor swept across the area, the body fell into the fires below, leaving the bloody remains.

"Let's settle this like gentlemen," He continued. "Well… one of us, at least." And with that he threw her the sword as he pulled out his own. She caught it by the hilt, yet did not raise it. For a moment, she doubted his seriousness. How could he expect her to fight him? They had been… well, something close to friends. Their pasts couldn't just be put aside that quickly; there were so many complications that he just didn't seem to be considering.

Yet, as she saw the position of his sword and the stance of his body, she knew he was really going to fight her. At that moment, she did not know if she could fight him. Ordinarily, they were evenly matched… but, one slip up… one disadvantage… one unseen variable and it could possibly cost her the one life she had. Without realizing she did so, her arm lifted the sword and she took on a familiar mind-set. "Fine then, have it your way." She muttered through clenched teeth. At once, he closed the space between them, with a clash of steel.

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The force of the impact threw both man and boy over the edge of the ship. Luck and chance seemed to follow over their shoulders, for they both fell onto a piece of land that remained unharmed, but slightly slanted. Silver had a strong hand on the side of the ship's railing, but Jim tumbled past the edge. Bright, burning fires could be seen from below them, and this didn't make things any easier. As Jim fell forward, his hands hit the side of another block of land. It was like a wall, and he slid quickly, trying to grab onto something.

And then, just as the heat from the fires grew stronger, his hands hit a piece of metal, extending only inches from the metal wall. He struggled to hang on, and quickly realized that the piece was slowly moving into the block of land. Morph flew around his head once, as if to reassure him, and then zipped back to where Silver stood.

The pirate watched as the beam of energy once again hit the hull and seemed to start to cut through the ship. "Oh, no, you don't!" He grunted as he pulled the ship closer to himself. Lucky for him, it was a small ship, and it bobbed up and down before moving closer to the block of land.

Morph flew up to his shoulder and started chirping insistently. "What?" He said. Morph flew behind his head, and caused him to change his view. His mechanical eye zoomed in on Jim's hands, and he quickly saw that the boy was losing his grip. "Jimbo…"

His robotic arm switched to something better in order to hold the ship steady as he stretched out his other arm. "Reach for me, now! Reach!"

With only inches of a gap, Jim felt doubt creep into his mind. "I- I can't!" Only seconds later, the piece of metal he clung to moved in all the way and he slid down another two or three feet until he grabbed another piece.

"I-" Silver looked back and forth between the boy and the treasure sitting so innocently on the deck of the ship. "I…" He had a choice- Jim's life, or a life-long obsession. Yet, he still hesitated.

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She fought with hesitation, trying her best to forget everything. Fight. Don't think. And fight she did. Their swords met each others with vigorous strength and timing. The sound of the metal clashing resembled, all too well, Flint's treasure as it also fell into the pirate's unmerciful trap. She stayed silent, even through his occasional taunting. Her mind focused on one thing- stay alive. No other thoughts were allowed to cross her mind, for she knew that could be the downfall of any swordsman.

"Just answer me this, Sora," He said, grunting as the swords struck again. "Was it really that boy who made you defy everything?"

She remained silent, trying not to listen and instead concentrate on the battle at hand. Missing him once again, she doubted either of them would be able to overcome the other. Their swords hit again, and she stepped back a foot or two, catching her breath.

"So what was it?" He asked again, smirking. "Why are you giving it up?"

Despite her efforts, her anger caused her to answer. "Because it's wrong!" She muttered quite loudly. As he swung and their swords collided, she took a quick breath.

"It's always been wrong, Sora!" He shouted, with an almost insane smile. "That's what made it fun!"

Glaring, she tried to ignore the fact she was growing more tired by the minute. Her arms ached, but she showed no signs. "You call having the authorities after us every minute of every day…" She paused as the swords scraped against one another's. "… fun?"

He laughed. "Call me crazy, then." The man smirked at her as his sword crashed down upon hers.

The force was too much and she stumbled back a few feet before regaining balance. Without a moment's hesitation, she raised her sword once more just as a piercing noise reached her sensitive ears. The blocks of land that once made up the planet were, in fact, completely made of steel or some other kind of metal. And, being so, they made an unbearable sound as they scraped against one another. Grant stood still, completely unfazed by the noise. Her head rang, and she could endure it no longer. She dropped the sword, clamping her hands over her ears in a vain attempt to block out the noise.

The effort proved unsuccessful, and from the pain in her head, she fell to her knees with a moan. The thoughts rushed through her mind… he could kill her now. She was not a threat any longer. Even now, she couldn't even see what was happening around her. When in pain, other thoughts seem forgotten and the only thing you are able to think about is that unyielding suffering.

And, as quickly as it came, the sound left. Her head still ringing, she just barely managed to open her eyes. Looking to where he had once stood, she realized Grant had disappeared. Her hands fell to her sides and she struggled to stand again. Her vision blurring for a moment, she staggered. With one hand to her head, she opened her eyes once more, the orange light from the fires below and the red tint in the sky adding to her headache.

After a few seconds, still he did not appear… but, feeling no reassurance, she reached down to take up the cutlass. Her fingers touched the hilt and picked it up slowly, the blade grating the ground as she lifted it. "You wanted a fight." Her voice sounded muffled to her own ears, yet as she continued talking, it grew clearer. "Yet you act like a coward."

She could hear the faint sound of him laughing, but she could not tell from where it came. "You think I'm hiding?" He answered.

Staring at the ground in front of her, she didn't bother looking around, for she knew she would not see him. "You treat this like a game." Her reply sounded louder in her ears, but she made no indication that she could now hear normally.

"Why can't I?" His response clearly came from her left, but she didn't react.

"Our lives are on the line, Grant." Her monotone didn't match the anger on her face.

"Yes," He said with a chuckle. "But I thought you doubted I would kill you."

"You know what I meant!" Her voice grew louder as she tightened her grip on the hilt of the sword. "This planet is going to be blown into oblivion. There isn't much time and you want to stay here and prolong the suffering of us both!"

The silence filled the air, but she could hear his breathing, still from her left. "Suffering?" He asked after a moment.

She shook her head, the anger building. "Why can't you accept that I no longer want to be a part of that? Why can't you see that I don't want to be on your side?"

"Because," He said. "It hardly seems your own choice."

"What do you mean?" She asked. "It's my choice and my choice alone. I can't see how you would care- or why you're so angry with me over this!"

Listening to his footsteps as he walked around her, she felt the tension between them grow. "I'm not angry with you, just disappointed."

Her eyebrows furrowed from the emphasis on the word. "Who are you angry with?"

She heard him take a deep breath before continuing. "Who started all this?" He said in a quiet voice, from behind her back. "Who was the one who finally got through to you? Who was the one who found a place in your heart, well enough so that when the mutiny began they were able to escape with help from the enemy's traitor?"

Not moving, realization hit her hard as he spoke. "Who was the one who convinced you, after three years of piracy, to give it all up? Who told you that you could rebuild the so called trust you two once had… the one who supposedly 'loves' you?"

Her other hand clenched into a fist as she spoke. "If you're angry with him, then why fight me?"

Once again, he stood to her left, and without looking up she knew how close he was. A shiver ran up her spin as he spoke in a hate-filled whisper. "Because you started to listen."

He must have doubted she could hear clearly, for when she lifted her sword, surprise hit him quickly, even if she could not see it on his face. Before he could make any move, she felt the cutlass make contact… and did so without much regret. He stumbled back, the pain in his arm causing him to be unable to concentrate on blending in with the background. His back hitting the trunk of one of the many remaining trees behind him, he became fully visible.

He slid down a few inches, clutching his arm tightly, the blood showing from between his fingers. Being his left arm that had been sliced up pretty badly, he knew he could still hold a gun -but as he looked up, he saw her drop the sword to the ground. Her face was emotionless, yet he could see right through her –the guilt would set in soon. She took a few steps back, and he could see her hands trembling. A few more steps were taken until she finally turned around and ran towards the edge of the block.

Not looking back, she was only a few yards away from the edge when she saw her gun. The pistol lay on the ground, forgotten; and when she bent down and took it, she looked back at him as she slid the gun back into the belt behind her back. Yet… there was nothing to look at. He was gone.

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The shimmer of gold upon the deck, and the sight of the young man losing his hold ran across the man's mind instantly. Whatever he did, he would have to decide quickly. The beams of energy still carved through the core and Silver knew the planet's time grew short. His heart beat was heard in his ears, and he took one last glance at Flint's treasure. "Oh! Blast me for a fool!" He said and slid down the block of land just as Jim fell with a shout. His grip on the boy's hand was strong –and he swung him up.

Jim's breathing was ragged as he pulled himself to a sitting position. He watched as Silver looked another way towards the ship that now floated freely. They looked on as another beam hit the hull, causing the entire thing to break into pieces. The coins fell with a loud noise, and they both covered their heads so as to not get hit by any of them.

Without saying a word, they headed back to the portal, both running at a fast pace. As they emerged from the core, the portal sent a rippling wave of colors from where they both passed through. Jim, finally being able to catch his breath, spoke first. "Silver, you gave up-"

"Just a life long obsession, Jim." He said, wiping his forehead, and sighing. "I'll get over it."

Jim whirled around as he heard his name. "Aloha, Jimmy!" A happy voice cried out.

The Legacy came to a slow stop near the portal, with B.E.N. waving like a maniac at the helm. "Hurry, people!" He said quickly. "We've got exactly seven minutes and forty-two seconds until planet's destruction!"

Doppler was behind the wheel, with Amelia instructing him, of course. "You're doing fine, Doctor." She said.

"Now, ease her over, gently." The ship scraped the side of the canyon wall. "Gently!" The captain said more forcefully.

From underneath the deck, the pirates that had survived sat bound, some gagged, and… terrified. "Aah! We were better off on exploding planet!" Mr. Onus shouted.

Jim and Silver quickly climbed onto the deck, relieved, knowing they were leaving all that chaos behind. "Take us out of here, metal man!" The captain instructed B.E.N.

"Aye, Captain!" He replied, for once, in a serious tone.

Silver made his way up the stairs to the helm. Stopping, he looked up to where the Captain stood with a smile on his face. "Captain, you dropped from the heavens in the nick of-"

"Save your claptrap for the judge, Silver." She promptly replied.

His hearty chuckle soon turned to a quite sad one. Jim climbed past him and stopped in his tracks as he reached the helm and turned to B.E.N. quickly. "B.E.N., where's Sora?"

The robot's blue eyes widened. "Oh- right, you see… about that-" He stuttered. "She kinda volunteered to stay behind and hold off some pirate guys so we could get to the ship."

"What?" He asked in astonishment. "Who?"

"Um… some guy name Grant."

The shock showed on both his face and Silver's. "What?" They both shouted at the same time.

B.E.N. shrunk back, still stuttering. "Man, relax. We're gonna go get her, right Captain?"

Amelia nodded, and said something to Doppler that Jim couldn't hear. As he felt the ship change in direction, his thoughts were racing –how could she stay behind? She was supposed to be on the ship, safe. He did know that she could be stubborn, and he knew that she could take care of herself. But, he still worried, for he knew how dangerous that one man was.

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Her breath caught in her throat and she looked around quickly, not really expecting to see him. Cursing under her breath, she glanced around once more before a sharp pain was felt in her stomach. Wincing, she fell to her knees, feeling as though she had been kicked. With a hand holding her side, she moaned softly, trying to keep her eyes open despite the pain. She saw no one, but knew he was still there. A moment of silence passed before she was suddenly pulled to her feet –painfully. Her eyes screwed shut in pain as her hands gripped the wrist of the man who had a fistful of her hair.

"Leaving so soon?" Grant whispered harshly in her ear. As she elbowed him in the ribs, he let go, but recovered quickly and had an arm around her immediately. Surprised by his strength, she still struggled to move.

Her arms were pinned to her sides, and it quickly became hard to breathe. "Can't you just be a decent person for once?" She managed to choke out.

He merely laughed at her before answering. "I will when you are!" Certainly, he seemed unwilling to let her go, for even when he saw the bow of a ship in the distance he did not let his guard down. After a moment, she too saw the Legacy as the ship dodged and weaved about in the floating blocks of land. Never had something as ordinary as a ship given her so much hope… at first.

The large galleon sailed towards the block they stood on, and as she neared around ten yards away from the edge she slowed. Sora could see Doctor Doppler at the wheel, concentrating on getting the ship closer. With B.E.N. at his side, she could faintly hear what the robot shouted to the remaining crew. "Five minutes until planet's destruction!"

After this, she noticed no one else other than the young man standing on the deck, concern plastered on his features. Continuing to struggle, she instantly froze when a gun was pressed into her neck once more.

"Perfect." He said; quiet enough so that only she heard him. "I can kill you slowly in front that boy."

"Let me go!" She shouted as she attempted to be free of his grasp.

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On the deck of the Legacy, Jim could finally see the two of them clearer. "Sora!" He saw the gun to her neck and had never felt more terrified in his life. Her life lay in the hands of that man… and there wasn't anything he could do about it.

"Well come on now, lad." Grant said loudly. "Come out here so you can see the life leave her eyes!"

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Things became a blur… she could see his wicked smirk and Jim's glare towards the man; she could hear B.E.N.'s warning once more, and the sound of the small explosions that still continued from the center of the planet. "Don't!" She called out.

She could see the confusion in Jim's face and the anger in Grant's, yet she continued. "Just leave! There isn't much time left!"

As the smoke from underneath the block grew thicker, she could no longer get a good look at anyone standing on the ship's deck. "You know he won't." He whispered against the skin of her neck as she shuddered. It seemed like they both waited until the smoke cleared and they could both see the ship once more… but without giving much of a hint, Sora found she could get one of her arms free. And, that was all she needed.

Before he could react, she reached up and grabbed his wrist, pushing the gun away from her neck. As he tried to stop her she suddenly had both arms free from him and made sure the gun pointed skyward. She fought to keep him from gaining control of it –but even she couldn't deny the fact that he was stronger than her. The gun fired once or twice but she didn't notice. Though she knew not why, she seemed to gain the upper hand, and as fast as she could manage, twisted his arm behind him. He dropped the gun instantly, and she kicked him hard in the back, sending him tripping forward.

She backed up a few feet, and, before he could scramble to his feet, rushed to the edge of the block of land. Stopping a few feet from the edge, she could see the smile upon the young man's face but could not hear his sigh of relief.

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From his right, he heard Silver chuckle as she made it to the edge. Jim could see no smile on her lips, but could still sense the relief in her eyes. A small glimmer of hope entered his mind –she was safe now. They just needed to get the ship a bit closer and then they would all leave this place. It would all be over… wouldn't it?

"A bit closer." Amelia instructed Doppler as the Legacy grew nearer and nearer to the block.

They must have been only a couple of yards away when Jim felt like he couldn't breathe. "Sora, behind you!" He shouted and she instantly turned around.

She glared at the man who stood a few yards away from her now, no longer smirking as before. But, she quickly looked over her shoulder as she heard the ship moan and creak. A rather thin piece of metal struck the hull. It may have been thin, but was still a few feet wide and many, many feet long. Still scraping the hull, it seemed to push the ship away and block the view of anyone on the ship. She could not see anyone standing on the deck, for now she wasn't even able to see any part of the ship at all.

Her ears perked up as she heard a gun power up. She returned her attention to the man who now had his gun pointed at her. Without a moment's thought, she brought hers out also, her emotions spinning. "It's come to this, then?" She said in a shaky voice. He made no move at all, an angry look still on his face. As she spoke, she shook her head. "Please don't."

"I've had enough of this game of cat and mouse." He mumbled.

"You know I can't miss." Biting her lip, she felt the tears at the corners of her eyes but tried her best not to show any emotion. "Don't do this. You can come back with us all. Prison has to be better than dying here, isn't it?" Her voice shook and she found she couldn't quite catch her breath.

"I'm sorry, Sora." He muttered with a glare.

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Gunshot.

It was all those on board the Legacy heard next.