Disclaimer: I do not own Treasure Planet

A/N: Hey there! Sorry about the brief hiatus on updates. I've been busy with things in general along with other stories. Basically university plans have to be put on hold since I missed off the grade I needed oh-so-narrowly and the state of university admissions in Britain are a shambles since there's more people than ever wanting to apply and all that sort of thing. It's terrible. I thought I may have more time, if I got my act together, to submit chapters to all my stories but I have to do another year of school effectively but not exactly. It's still ambiguous as what lays in store for me this year but I also have to get a job...yay. I'm not good on getting jobs. Anyway, I hope you guys are having a better time with how your lives are going I hope you enjoy this new chapter.

Everything Is Possible

For EventHorizon6

Cassandra stared out the window as the ship slowly drifted through open space. This was where she was going to spend the rest of her life. Out in the open space where the sky wasn't just overhead but around you. There was no end to it. Everything seemed to be falling into place for everyone around her. Selina would be going to live in some exciting city doing whatever she wanted to do. She was too free-spirited to be tied down to a husband or to become a governess. They lived in a different world to that of the older generation. Diana had more chances of being in a happy marriage now that Selina was going to begin her scheming there was one word Selina didn't know the meaning of and that was failure. She had never encountered it because she didn't know how to fail. Cassandra's life on the other hand, seemed to be beginning from other people's perspective but she felt like she was going backwards. She knew all the things that they were going to be teaching her at the college she was just going to get a qualification in it. There was something which was also worried her. What if these studies dumbed her down? What if she no longer had a love for the subjects and just found herself at another dead end. She felt like she was going backwards not forwards. She was being held back by her insecurities and her fears whereas everyone was bounding forward to their bright happy futures and she was being left behind.

"Well," Selina said breathlessly as she walked into her room. "I think this has been a very eventful and informative day. Therefore it deserves a drink."

She handed Cassandra the glass which she gulped down before Selina could make a toast. She continued to stare out the window leaving Selina standing there with her glass and an eyebrow raised.

"Cheers." She muttered sarcastically. She sat down and stared at her friend intently until Cassandra would feel her eyes burning on her and turned round.

"What?" She snapped.

"I know when you're in a bad mood, dearest. Or when something's bothering me. Believe me, it's one of my gifts."

"Of course it is."

"Look don't talk back to me that way. It seems I have to be the one right now to sort you and Diana out so you better fess up. I know that there may be some romantic thoughts in that head of yours involving a certain young Space Captain but this is something else."

Cassandra sighed, hating Selina's aptitude for intuitions. "I feel lost."

"Lost? Why do you feel lost?" Selina laughed. "You know where your life is going now. You know what you're going to do with your life. It's me and Diana who still have to figure it out."

"But I feel like I'm not the one going anywhere. I wanted to be a Space Captain. I wanted to be going to the Interstellar Academy in a few weeks. Instead I'm being sent to a school where I'm going to learn things I already know amongst boys who didn't know what to do with their lives and will probably make my life a living hell."

"Yes, but you don't know that do you? Don't ever make presumptions about things you don't know until you're there."

Cassandra leaned against the window and sighed. "I still can't help thinking that I'm stuck. I'm at a wall and instead of having nothing there at all I have to climb over it in order to keep going."

"Don't you think other people have to go through that?"

"Of course I know that other people have to go through those things. I just don't understand why I have to be one of those people."

After Cassandra stopped speaking she almost felt ashamed of herself. Not only because she sounded like a wailing infant complaining that it wasn't so easy to make her own way in the world when she had been spoon fed her entire life but also because of Selina. Of all people she was saying this to her. Selina had a hard life from the very beginning. Society made it very clear to her that it wasn't going to make it easy for her when it came to making her way in the world. All because of the circumstances of her birth. It was cruel and it was unfair and Cassandra complaining about something which was trivial in comparison to Selina's problems was rather unfair also. Cassandra looked up to see Selina's reaction, praying that she wasn't offended or felt like she had been slapped around the face if she was in Cassandra's position at the moment. Selina was quiet for a moment. Cassandra thought for a moment she was going to leave and the next morning she would come to her and she would tell her to stop complaining about her life and think about how Diana had it harder than she did with another few weeks of ignoring her. She knew she would probably deserved it but she didn't want her friend to feel like her problems weren't important. In fact in some ways, they were more greater than Cassandra's.

"It's the adversity which makes us stronger. The harder the road the stronger we become." She said finally. Cassandra rolled her head and stared at Diana. "You should be grateful for that. Not see it as a curse."

Cassandra scoffed. "Why do you say that?"

Selina shrugged her shoulders. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." She replied. "People go through life with things being handed to them on a plate its only the people who really fought for their place in this world which are remembered. When they face obstacles they stand their ground and fight it. They survive. When they go through phases of suffering, the periods of happiness are longer in comparison. You've been through your fair share of that, I know but that's why you're so strong."

Cassandra shook her head. "No-"

Selina took her hand in her and stared into her eyes intently. "Don't let anyone take that from you. Most of all yourself."

Cassandra simply stared back at Selina and nodded. "Okay."

"You promise?"

"Promise." She replied in a shaky voice.

Selina wrapped her arms around her and they both stared up at the stars together. "They're so beautiful." She murmured. "No wonder you spend so much time looking up at the sky and I don't blame you for wanting to go up there."

"Whenever I look up I do it to remind myself I can do anything. Right now its making me feel like I'm smaller than ever. Like I'm nothing."

"You are not nothing." Selina whispered fiercely into her ear and kissed her on the cheek.

"Then what am I?"

"You're strong."

Hearing this again made Cassandra feel like she was being slapped around the face or punched in the face. She had heard the words 'strong' and 'determined' too often to describe her character but she knew it was probably closer to pride or stubbornness which drove her ambitions. She just wanted to be like her father. She wanted to be free. She wanted to be freer than free, she wanted to find those undiscovered lands and she wanted to be the first to touch those unreachable stars. She was overly-ambitious if anything. Cassandra took in a deep breath and was glad Selina wasn't staring straight into her face otherwise she would've seen the tear rolling down her cheek. She hated it when people saw her cry because they felt it was their cue to give them a hug. She hated that. It was the proud streak in her which hated it when people were giving her sympathy. She associated with with weakness and she hated people seeing her when she was most vulnerable. She had to admit she didn't mind being the one to comfort others but she did find it difficult to reconcile herself with being in an environment where there were plenty of girls crying about being away from home. She hated it when people saw her cry. She was alright with other people crying just not other people seeing her cry.

"Okay." She consented.

Selina chuckled. "See? It's not so difficult to agree with me now is it?"

Cassandra shrugged her shoulders. "Well I suppose so. Although there is one thing I can't really agree with you on."

Selina frowned. "What?"

"Your taste in clothes."

She knew this was going to be something which was going to follow a terrible punishment and readied herself for anything Selina wanted to throw her way. She glanced over her shoulder and was face to face with Selina whose eyes were widened in shock and anger. She thought for a moment she might have gone too far and actually offended her. Then she remembered what a good actress Selina could be. She knew, deep down she was putting on a charade to fool her for just a moment so then she could attack her on unawares. That was always her trick, sometimes it was a trick that she would use to ensnare a man even though she was yet to lie with one. Funnily enough, contrary to what many people thought Selina was still a virgin. She grabbed a cushion and began to hit Cassandra with it who just laughed harder. She grabbed a cushion herself and started to hit her back. What was once a solemn, serious conversation, a meeting of hearts became a furious moment of hysteria and laughter with feathers flying through the air, brushing against their skin which was as soft as moonlight sparkling against the ocean surface. The room was now filled with laughter and feathers flying in her air. When the cushions were destroyed they rushed to the bed to use the others ones in the room. In the midst of all the fun they heard a voice at the door.

"What are you two doing?"

They both turned around to slowly to see who it was at the door. At first they feared it was the Captain or Cassandra's brother standing there but in fact it was Diana. For a moment Cassandra was so glad that they didn't have an older escort here otherwise it was likely they would have been whipped or had their ears being boxed at the moment for behaving in such an immature manner. Diana however was giving them a look as if she was going to do just that. She stared at the feathers covering the floor and her two friends in their nightdresses and holding pillows in their hands. They both exchanged a glance and ran towards Diana. She screamed and ran back into the parlour and grabbed a cushion to defend herself. All three girls attacked on all side and were having so much fun they didn't realise two men who were standing in the doorway.

"Sister?" One said hesitantly.

Cassandra stopped even when the other two continued to hit her with their cushions. "George. Captain Hawkins!"

She blushed when she was aware of that her shoulders and arms were exposed. Also the neckline and material didn't leave much to the imagination. Jim also looked down however couldn't deny that he found her attractive in a nightgown.

"We heard voices..." George's voice drifted when his eyes drifted onto Diana whose face was beetroot now.

"Well there's nothing wrong here. We were just..."

"Having a pillow fight?" Jim suggested with a slight smile on his lips. "We are familiar with them, Miss Richardson. We were just thinking because of the situation that there may have been another reason why there was such a commotion coming from the room."

"Well, we're not sorry that we bothered you, Captain." Selina said in a seductive voice. Cassandra glanced over her shoulder and gave her a look. "In fact, why don't you stay since we brought you down here and we're not particularly tired, despite the hour."

"Oh I don't-"

"Of course. Everyone is on duty and we really should be getting some sleep but like you...can't seem to get any."

Captain Hawkins was already making himself comfortable on the sofa which made Cassandra want to just sink to the follow and dissolve.

"Wonderful!" Selina shrilled throwing Cassandra's nightgown on her head. She struggled to get it off her head until someone helped her. She finally escaped from the coat and found it was Captain Hawkins.

"Are you alright there?" He asked in an amused voice.

She pouted. "Yes. Thank you."

"You're welcome." He gazed at her as if he was contemplating something. She narrowed her eyes at him and decided to take a chance.

"What?"

"Nothing I was just trying to remember the last time I saw you smile."

Cassandra stared back at him and tilted her head until the moment was ruined by a certain robot and a pink morph floating in the air.

"SLUMBER PARTY!" Ben cried.

"Ben!" Jim roared.

"Well, why else are you down here?" He asked innocently. He turned to Cassandra peered at her.

"Do I know you?"

"Yes, Ben. You do." She replied with a smile on her face. He thought on it for a moment and then his eyes widened.

"Cassandra!" He grabbed her hands and swung her arms about. "Look at you! You're so preeeettty! Isn't she Morph?"

Morph responded by wolf-whistling and turning into a miniature her and swinging her hips from side to side. He turned back into him again and rubbed himself against her cheek.

"Pretty, pretty, pretty." He chirped.

"Okay. Okay. That's enough excitement for you two." Jim grumbled but was still smiling.

"But I haven't met Cassandra's equally preettty friends." Ben said wriggling his eyebrows. Selina giggled at this and held out her hand.

"Yeah, yeah." Jim replied grabbing him by the neck. "Sorry about that, ladies."

Cassandra glanced up at him while she was still giggling due to Morph rubbing himself against her face. Jim's face was ceased into an angry expression mixed with a little frustration. She tilted her head knowing that he wasn't aware of being watched. There was something that was hiding something else beneath his expression. There was something natural about his frustrations. Something which told her that it wasn't all about protocol. There was another reason why their behaviour was annoying him. He struggled to hold Ben under his arm and grab Morph at the same time who kept darting across the air. She laughed a little at the whole scene which almost made him look like a father who was trying to control six children at once. Her shoulders began to shake and Cassandra lifted her hand to her mouth and giggled. She had to press her fist against her teeth to stop him from hearing her laugh. She didn't want to ruin her relationship considering that it was damaged enough as it was. She never thought she would be able to laugh in the same room as James Hawkins. She wasn't sure she would be able to laugh at all. He frowned at her when he heard her and wasn't sure whether he should be annoyed at her or not. Really, he was glad she was smiling again, it was just a shame she was hiding it behind her hand.

He took her hand and she thought he was trying to see her smile one last time. Instead he brought her hand to his lips.

"Goodnight, Miss Richardson."

She stared at him, utterly breathless and nodded. "Goodnight, Captain Hawkins."

"Perhaps we might have another again?"

The words made Cassandra's heart flutter. She remembered the first time he said that all those years ago when she was just a girl. Back then she felt that she was mentally older than many girls her own age who still wanted to play with dolls and dream up their perfect wedding when she had more grounded ambitions. However she was still a child. There were still some things she wasn't aware of in the world. It was since that voyage when she had learnt a thing or two about how brutal life could be to the soul if you let it. She knew it until now when she really felt like a woman, especially when it concerned her feelings towards Captain Hawkins. When she thought about him on her last voyage she smiled to herself in a girlish fashion and sometimes even giggled to herself. Now she didn't need to do that. She just felt warm inside. When he uttered those two words she knew it him telling her that he had not forgotten and he would never forget. They almost felt like their own secret code language when he spoke them. Only she and Captain Hawkins understood the meaning of those words. Nothing more needed to be said it was almost as if he was saying...George kissed the hands of Selina and Diana, whose hand he held for a little longer and gave Cassandra a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Goodnight sister." He said charmingly.

She narrowed her eyes at him before he walked away. She gazed after Captain Hawkins who carried a protesting Ben and glanced over his shoulder with a smile on his face.

~ (***) ~

Marianne threw off her clothes as soon as she got home. She slammed the door behind her and checked the halls to see if she had been followed. She knew that when she heard the Duke of Orion and Cassandra Richardson in the same sentence she knew instantly that she was in danger. She was the only one left that knew what had happened there and she had to stop it because when it came to the Duke it would always be more than just a coincidence. In fact there were no coincidences when it came to him. She left Kathy's as soon as she could and when she knew she wasn't going to do something foolish. She had to catch up with that ship, or find a way of getting there before Cassandra did. She knew from years ago that if she returned to Orion she would discover the truth. She knew that if she encountered the Duke she knew it would be something which would only lead to her discovering the truth. She knew if Xavier was still alive he would do everything in his power to make sure that she didn't get onto that ship. From what she could get out of Kathy they left earlier that day. She looked out the window and saw that it was dark. It was the perfect time to try and stow away onto a ship. She threw on her more practical clothes, wrote a quick note explaining what was going on and packed up as much as she could when she heard a rustling behind her. She grabbed her sword and held onto it tightly.

"Who's there?" She demanded. There was no answer. "Show yourself I know how to use this and trust me I'm not-"

"Alright, alright."

An old man emerged out the darkness and stepped forward. He was a feeble, grey haired old man but he still had a few more years left in him, she could see that.

"Who are you?"

"I am Albert Wick. I am the family lawyer of the Richardsons."

Marianne blinked and removed from her sword. "Alright. So why are you here?"

"I have just been informed that Xavier Richardson's older daughter, Cassandra has just embarked on a voyage to Orion. She doesn't know this but I remember her father instructing me that if anything do with her...even visiting Orion would be out of the question."

She chuckled. "That's a bit of an understatement."

He shrugged his shoulders. "Well I suppose that is why he also told me to seek you out if all else failed. I had no idea that she was going there since she didn't mention it." He reasoned.

She nodded. "Well you're in luck sir."

He frowned. "Why?"

"Because it looks like we both have the same goal." She paused for a moment. "Mr Wick? Is there anything else you know about Cassandra that her father told you about? Something else she also wasn't to know?"

He sighed and looked downwards. He glanced upwards with a look in his eyes which said more than a thousand words could ever convey.