This is a collab between moi (LeParapluie) and SonoSvegliato. It's a bit of a Peter Pan AU, set on the shores of Neverland. And despite current...situations...it will be a Spamano story! We'll try to upload weekly, but school might mess us up a bit. Let us know what you think please :)
It was too early to be dawn, but too light to still be night. The stars were faint against the fading indigo of the sky, and a gentle breeze swept through the trees. Waves lapped against the shore, and a few birds sang for nobody to hear. It was all but a peaceful morning.
Antonio Fernández Carriedo was slung along a branch, his legs dangling high above ground. Looking at him, one would have thought he was merely enjoying the sight of the horizon, attempting to see the sun rise. Maybe he was relishing in the youth of a new day, or listening to the sound of the sea.
However, the appearance of a ship dashed any of these possibilities. It cut through the waves, yielding for no one and nothing. It had an agenda all its own. It had a plan, a routine, a schedule.
Antonio shuddered. The man that captained that ship was a disgusting creature. He patrolled the waters surrounding the island every morning and every evening, and had done so since- since, well, forever. He couldn't remember a time when the ship had failed to appear on the horizon. It annoyed him to no end.
"Oye, Lovi," he whispered, smiling. "You want to have some fun?" He received a hearty kick to the neck by a little foot. "Aww, don't be like that." He picked up the little fairy by his tiny collar and set him on top of his head. "You should wait to curse until at least the sun comes up." His ears rang as the fairy spat and shook and stomped. For such a cute looking creature, Lovino sure could curse like a sailor. At least, that was what it sounded like. Lovi's language was that of a ringing of a bell. It made no sense to him, and he only understood him by his generous facial expressions and colorful hand gestures.
"You're going to get yourself killed, bastard," he imagined the fairy grumbling.
"Killed?" he scoffed. "Nonsense. I'll die when the land does." The fairy hrumphed, giving him a half-hearted kick to his temple. "I'm just going to say buenos días."
"And I'm going to be nice."
"Don't come," he suggested. "You don't have to follow me around everywhere if you don't want to. No one's forcing you to stay with me."
Another string of ring-ring-rings, though softer. He felt Lovino's tiny hands knot in his hair, and he set a finger atop his head. The fairy bit him.
"Ow! Lovi, that hurt."
"Don't call me that, idiot!"
No, Antonio did not understand Lovino at all. The fairy obviously disliked him, and while Antonio never asked him to stay, he never left. He just settled -steaming- back in the crook of his neck. He could be in the middle of a good fight, yet the fairy refused to fly much more than a few meters away from him.
Ay, maybe he was a sprite. Sprites were ruthless little buggers. Set one foot into their territory, and they'd chase one for miles like a swarm of killer bees. He managed to find a nest once- Lovino had bit him so hard he let the pixie have his way and left.
He pushed himself up, marching down the length of the branch. His heart leapt up in his throat with every step, but he swallowed his fear and spread out his arms with another wide smile.
He keeled forwards and, whooping, fell into a graceful dive. The water grew increasingly closer with each second; a few more and he'd hit the waves with a resounding smack-
He pulled up just as he felt the spray of seawater splash upon his nose, going so fast he brought an arc of water up with him.
"Stop doing that, you bastard!" Lovino jingled in his ear.
"Aw, lo siento, mi tomate pequeño. Did you get your wings wet?"
"Me! You got my wings wet, you bastard!"
Antonio laughed, speeding towards the ship. It was a small dark dot on the water, and hedrifted lower to the earth. He noticed with a frown that not many of the crew were out this morning. A pity, really. He was in the mood to play.
He squinted at the bow. A man stood stock-still, looking out on the young sunlight glittering on the rolling swells. He wore a dark red coat, complete with black cuffs and collar. From his hat sprouted a large feather, which he fingered absentmindedly as he contemplated the new day. His other hand was settled on the hilt of a sheathed sword.
Antonio cupped his hands around his mouth, Lovino pulling at his collar. "Hola, Captain!"
The head jerked up, and bushy eyebrows drew down over bright green eyes. "Ah, Carriedo. What a surprise to see you here."
"It's just to make your day."
The captain scowled. "Your 'surprises' are more like the ones one gets when seagulls are flying around. You do not need to ruin my morning, fairy-boy."
"Fairy-boy!" Antonio clucked, swimming circles above him. "Why are you so irritable?"
"Perhaps it is your irritating presence. Just a hypothesis, though."
Antonio flipped onto his back. "Hmm. An interesting one. I assume you've waiting for me, considering you must have left one of the red-heads at the wheel. Rhys?"
"It doesn't matter who mans my ship, and I'd prefer you don't pry into my own matters."
"Ah, but what is so interesting than the words that come out of the great Captain Kirkland's mouth! What are you looking for today, good sir?"
It was obvious, really. They both knew he was doing it just to annoy Arthur, but the Briton refused to amuse someone as maddening as Carriedo. "The same thing I was looking for yesterday and the same thing I'll probably look for tomorrow."
Antonio nodded, lips twitching in the beginnings of a knowing smirk. "Pixie Hollow."
"The island changes with each new day. And one day- one day- I'll be granted with the grace of finding it. It's only a matter of time."
"You're very odd."
The captain ignored him. "Of course, it would be a whole lot easier if you told me where it was."
"Would it? I hadn't thought of that." They'd been over this countless times. Arthur brought it up each time Antonio came to bother him.
"You've seen it before. Surely there's a way of getting there."
"Surely," he agreed, creeping closer.
The captain brought his hand up to his face and clenched it into a fist. "I'm still offering you the chance to become a part of my crew. You can travel the Mainland with me. Just think of it, Antonio. New lands to explore, new wealth to use, so many new things to discover! All I need is-"
At this moment, Antonio swept his hat from his head and hurtled out of reach with a bright laugh. "Pixie dust!" he exclaimed in a terrible British accent. "Look, I'm you! Come on, Antonio. Join me, Captain Arthur Kirkland! Sacrifice the lives of thousands of mythical creatures so I can be rich! Huhuk, huhuk, huhuk!"
Arthur's face reddened with rage. "Give that back, you imbecile!"
Antonio merely continued his charade. "And what do I need the Pixie Dust for? To get back to the Mainland! If I can just fly up to the second star on the right, then I'll get there! Blah blah blah, blah blah blah!"
"Carriedo!"
Antonio stuck his tongue out. "What's the matter, Captain?"
Arthur seethed, and he drew his sword waving it in the air. "You just wait. One day- one day- one day I'm going to get you!"
"Get me?" Antonio gasped in mock horror. "I'm oh-so-very terrified." He tossed the hat, sending it spinning towards the ship's captain and knocking him on the head.
"You just wait!" he heard Arthur call as he flew away, laughing. "One day! One day!"
Ha! Let me know when One Day comes!
Three words: TINY. FAIRY. LOVINO.
Please let us know what you think! Reviews (even hate ones!) are much appreciated.