Keeping Fantasia: The Third Book of the Fantasia Series

Chapter 47: Neverland Misadventures - Time Will Tell

Chapter 47: Neverland Misadventures – Time Will Tell

(When: Somewhere in Time)

As a teenager, Ariel would have been reluctant to lay with an elderly man. 

Actually, she probably would have been mortified. And she definitely would have made a face and said: "Eeew, don't be gross!"

But when Ariel looked at her husband, she didn't see an old man: she saw Jim. It was odd, but his age was immaterial. To Ariel, Jim was no different than the first time she saw him at the Benbow Inn.

So, it was without hesitation that Ariel agreed to help. Although Wendy was still missing, the group hurried to find shelter (lest they be spotted by Captain Hook). Jim was carried to a nearby lighthouse, a kerosene lamp was lit, and Ariel was left to comfort her husband.

"Lay on the center of his body." Silver instructed, removing all but Jim's trousers. "We'll give ye a good long time alone with him. Peter's flying around searching for Wendy. Morphy and I are going to the lantern room on the top of the tower, to look for Hook.",

Silver spread out Jim's clothes. Displeased, he pressed the concrete floor. "Blasted. This floor is cold as a frozen heart! Jimbo's clothes will never dry out on this. He'll never warm up!"

Ariel scratched her trident across the concrete. Heat swelled through her trident and into the rock, casting a deep pink color within the stone.

"This should heat the ground," Ariel said, warmth rising through her boots. Discarding her trident, she unfastened her jumpsuit. "Silver, what do I say when he wakes up?"

Silver averted his eyes as Ariel undressed. "How do ye mean?"

Ariel lowered her sleeves. "Do you think I should tell Jim he's older?"

"Most likely," Silver said, tricorn pulled over his eyes. Carefully, he headed for the spiral staircase. "Remember, Jim is the Outerworld guardian. He's just like old Billy Bones, wise in the way of stars. He knows all about black holes, an' he'll probably be able to tell us more than we can tell him."

Silver paused at the staircase.

"Blessed," he chuckled. "Sometimes I forget that my ratty, little Jimbo knows more about the galaxy than me."

Ariel wove her hair into a loose braid, stalling for time. "But what if he gets upset? How do we know if this Jim actually fell in love with me? Jim said black holes are filled with infinite universes, and those universes are filled with infinite numbers of ourselves that all lead to infinitely different lives –"

Silver waved his robotic hand.

"No worries lassie," he assured. "Jim loves ye, and love always stands the test of time. You just keep that boy warm. And when he wakes up...well..."

Silver lumbered up the stairs. "Time will tell."

Ariel tried to remain hopeful. Silver's idiom was very fitting for the situation, but it chilled her to the bone. The Black Hole's ability to warp time was too unpredictable, even for a free-spirit like Ariel. She didn't know what to expect when Jim woke up...but she did know that he needed her help.

As Silver's footsteps faded, Ariel removed her space suit. Shivering in her underwear, she curled over her husband.

Jim was freezing. His skin was piercing cold; it almost took her breath away. Sliding over a kerosene lamp, Ariel rubbed Jim's chest.

Jim moaned.

Ariel's goosebumps nearly shot off her body. Too afraid to speak, she rubbed harder, praying the friction would spark Jim to life.

"Ohhhh." Jim took Ariel's hand. His grip was weak. "Wow. Cold."

Ariel waited. Nothing else happened. Jim didn't even open his eyes.

Lifting on her elbow, Ariel inched towards Jim's ear.

"Hey." she whispered, voice trembling. "Are you awake?"

Weakly rotating his head, Jim opened his eyes.  His irises blazed like teal galaxies,  untouched by old age.

"Ariel?" Jim touched her check.  Then his arm slowly fell, too weakened by the cold. Nevertheless,  he smiled as his fingers rippled down Ariel's braid.

"Is this a dream?" he asked. "Or is this heaven?"

Ariel was honest. "I don't think it's either. But I'm honestly not sure."

"Ah. Got it." Jim closed his eyes. He patted her hand on his chest. "Ariel?"

"Yes?"

"Why are you so young?"

Ariel panicked. Jim was puzzled by her age, even though she hadn't become any younger or any older.

Woefully, Ariel realized she must be speaking to a futuristic Jim...or perhaps a Jim of an alternative future.

Ariel swallowed. "Jim, I'm not young. You're old. Like wicked old. Wizard old."

Jim snorted, but he kept smiling. "I'm old, huh? Weird."

He pressed her fingers. "Are you freaked?"

"No." Ariel lied.

Jim opened an eye.

Ariel smirked bashfully into her shoulder.

"Okay a little," she admitted. "But...I love you. And I'm glad you're here."

"I love you too, babe." Jim laid back his head. Tiredly, he sighed. "Just let me rest. Let me warm up. I'm not sure what's going on, but if you're young to me, and I'm old to you, then something is shit-faced in time and space. Don't worry..."

Jim smoothed her wedding ring. "I'll figure it out."

Ariel nodded. She was desperate for answers, but her concern for Jim overrode her impatience. 

Snuggling alongside him, Ariel squeezed Jim's hand.

"Go to sleep sailor." she breathed into his chest. "I'll wake you when Peter and Silver get back."

Jim suddenly tensed beneath her.

"Silver's here?"

Ariel lifted her head. "Of course. He's upstairs in the lantern room, looking for Captain Hook."

She rotated, searching his face. "Jim? What's wrong with Silver?"

Jim didn't answer immediately. He peered at the ceiling, eyes tracking back and forth, almost like he was watching Silver through the lighthouse tower.

"Nothing." he finally said, body relaxing. "Just do me a favor, okay? Don't let that scalawag steal my map while I'm sleeping."

Ariel lifted her head. "Your what?"

"My....map..." Jim's words melted into long, exhausted sighs. "My gift...from....the...Wishing...Star."

"Wishing Star? You mean the map? Billy Bone's map?"

"Yup." Jim murmured.

Ariel couldn't contain her curiosity.

"But how?" she asked. "You lost that map. You lost it during the Battle to Take Fantasia. How did you find it? Where did you find it? How is any of this possible? Jim? Jim?"

Ariel asked a billion questions, but Jim had fallen asleep before he could answer a single one. 

Yielding to a night of wondering, Ariel realized that her questions would be answered as Silver had originally predicted:

In time.