|| This FF uses characters and themes from the original book, the Disney version, and another live action version where Peter was a blonde (not Hook) I do not own any of the characters besides my OC Kate and the general plot||
-Chapter One-
Wind rushed across the sea, buffeting the cliffs with its harsh chill. Lush green tree's swayed violently in the wind, a light splattering a rain thrumming against broad leaves. A boy sat at the edge, numb to the cold the enshrouded him. His emerald eyes fixed on his hand, a hand so familiar to him, yet now so different. "What is happening to me?" he mumbled, his voice lost in the wind that whipped his tangled blonde hair across his face.
Black clouds churned overhead and the rain finally let loose, the heavy drops hitting the smooth stone with heavy smacks. Another boy rushed from the bushes, his red fox like hair hanging in wet strands across his face. "Peter! Come quick!" he shouted, grabbing Peter by the shoulder and jostling him from his thoughts.
"What is it Slightly?" he asked, instantly roused from his musings. "It is Tootles, he has grown another foot!" the wiry youth yelled, blue eyes wild with fright. Like Peter, his clothes didn't fit quite right, the hems too high around his wrists and ankles. "What is going on?" Peter groaned, rising into the air and shooting off towards the massive tree that served as the Lost Boys hideout; Slightly ran along the forest floor under him.
Peter landed at the base of the tree, its gnarled roots curling across the forest floor and overtaking most of the land around it with its massive girth. Peter brushed his wet hair from his brow and kicked his foot out, hitting a hidden knot in a section of the tree. Slightly showed up then, covered in mud and out of breath, placing his hands on his knees. "Why is the rain so cold?" he huffed, following Peter down into the secret tunnel that had revealed itself moments before.
Inside the tree it was much warmer, and Peter's chilled feet smacked against the ground as he emerged from the tunnel, all the boys were crowded around Tootles who had his arms wrapped round his legs in a corner. Water fell from Peter's clothes and covered the ground as he crouched down next to him. "It will be all right Tootles, I will figure this out, and get us all back to normal."
The boys shuffled around him as he rose, there once young leader now looked closer to being a man, but still not yet old enough to grow facial hair. "Where is TinkerBell?" he asked, looking around for his friend. "She is in her room, she hasn't been feeling well." The twins said in tandem, both pointing towards the small hollow where Tink kept her things.
Peter strode over, and pulled back the curtain; his face filling her whole doorway. "Tink…Tink are you ok?" he said, his voice growing concerned at how dim her glow was. The soft sound of bells game gently from her small frame, she looked very tired as she rested on her tiny bed. "What does this all mean Tink?" he said, resting his chin on the ledge, feeling more helpless than he had felt for a long time.
Tink tried to sit up but fell back over and the sound of bells came again as she spoke to him. "You think that…no one believes in us anymore?" Peter said slowly, his brow creasing. "That only applies to fairy's Tink." He said, but the small fairy had closed her eyes and begun to rest. Peter returned the curtain to its place and faced the boys who were all staring at him expectantly.
For once Peter was unsure what to do, he was the leader and everyone relied on him to make sure everything was ok. He took a deep breath and spoke, slowly working things out in his mind. "Tink seems to think that the reason this is happening is that people do not believe in us anymore." He said, sitting down in his grand throne and propping a long leg over the armrest.
"That doesn't make any sense." Nibs said, crossing his arms over his chest and pulling a face. "Oh stuff it Nibs." Slightly said "Tink has been here longer than we have and she is sure to know a thing or two about what is going on." His tone was very matter of fact, Nibs scowled at him but said no more. Curly turned to look at Tootles, before speaking to Peter. "What if she is right Peter, what can we do?" he said, feeling just as baffled as always.
Peter thought for a moment, completely lost with what to do when Tootles finally spoke up, he seemed to have snapped out of whatever state he was in. "Perhaps Wendy has forgotten us?" he said, stretching his legs out. A light went on in Peter's head; Tootles always had the greatest ideas.
"That's brilliant Tootles! I haven't been to see Wendy's grandchildren in ages! Perhaps they have forgotten about us and we need to bring them back here to restore the magic!" he said, growing animated and flinging himself from the chair. "Tootles, you are in charge till I get back, Keep an eye on Tink for me." He called, his feet lifting from the ground as he shot through the nearest tunnel.
The twins turned to look at Tootles, their eyes wide with fear. "Let's get some rest boys, Peter knows what he is doing, and if anyone can figure this out it is him." Tootles said, ushering the two youngest toward there bunks in the far wall. Slightly scowled and flopped down onto his bed. "Why does Peter always make you the leader? Everyone knows I'm the oldest." He complained into his pillow.
Tootles sighed, not really sure of the answer. He wasn't much of an adventurer, usually missing out on all the action while doing chores for Peter. Nibs called from his bunk "You only think your oldest! I think you just think that because you are taller than the rest of us." Slightly stuck his tongue out at Nibs and wriggled under the covers. Tootles peeked in on Tink for a moment before turning out the light.
"Be safe Peter." He whispered; the sound of the wind outside echoing quietly through the tunnels around him.
Kate lye curled up in a ragged sleeping bag, her long brown hair strewn out across the ground in tangled greasy locks. A small camping light illuminated the corner where she slept. The rest of the room was empty and a draft coming from the snowy outside churned up the dust motes that covered the floor. Boards covered the once grand windows and no furniture graced this once lavish home.
Kate rolled over, her stomach waking her from her restless sleep. It had been days since her last meal and just the thought of it made her dizzy. A soft groan escaped her, she felt as though the hunger and cold would never end and that nothing would be warm and clean ever again. Fuzzy memories floated through her clouded mind.
Glimpses of the orphanage she grew up in, the stern nuns with their sharp words and stinging rulers. The thick bland tasting gruel every day and the harsh punishments met with her rebellion against everything that place was about. Another hunger pang rushed through her and she curled up into a tighter ball, her arms wrapped across her torso as if she were trying to hold herself together.
'Figures I am going to die of hunger.' She thought, a slight smile playing across her dirty face. 'If those nuns could see me now I know just what they would say.' She thought wistfully. "Don't you wish you had the gruel now Katherine, look what you did, wasting it all on silly pranks." She could still hear the sister's high pitched voice in her ear.
She chuckled, the sound coming out more of a gurgle than a laugh as she thought of the last prank she pulled on those wretched people. It had been the first day of summer, and they had told her she couldn't go outside as punishment for locking Sister Claire in the closet for a good hour.
Of course Kate quickly thought of a way to retaliate and ended up dumping the whole pot of gruel onto the head nun. That was the last straw for them and they cast her out onto the streets, Kate had been on her own ever since. Things weren't looking so great now though, she was a terrible thief, and making money was hard for a street rat.
Her mind began to slip back into sleep again; rest was the only escape from the hunger pains. 'Maybe I won't have to wake up this time.' She thought, before slipping into darkness.
Peter alighted on a roof, his arm covering his mouth, tears streamed from his eyes, the soot and smog burning them. "How long have I been gone?" he asked, wishing for the fresh clean air of Neverland. Ahead of him, Wendy's old home loomed like a skeleton. The windows were dark, and the outside looked so run down he wondered why it hadn't fallen over yet.
"Oh Wendy, I have forgotten you, and you have forgotten me." He said sadly, flying over to stand on the sill he used to visit so often in the past. Time passed differently in Neverland, never the same amount passed each time he returned to this realm, but this was the greatest distance he had witnessed by far.
He placed a hand on the wood that covered the window, a thin layer of soot coated the surface and he pulled his hand away disgusted. As he did so he saw a faint light shine through the cracks in the wood, ducking down he peeked through and saw the small glow through the dirty windows.
"Perhaps they still live here after all." He mumbled to himself. He tugged at one of the boards, and at first he thought it would not give way when it finally cracked and went tumbling down to the lawn below. He looked anxiously around but all the houses around him were empty, there hollow faces staring blankly out at the street with no lights to warm there inner halls.
He yanked off two more and ducked down, unhooking the lock on the window as he always did and slipped inside. The house was just as cold as the wintery outdoors and Peter resisted the urge to rub his arms as goose bumps ran across his flesh.
His footsteps were muffled by the thick dust as he padded over to the lamp; he glanced at the bundle lying next to it and jumped back when it ruffled as the occupant rolled over. "Wendy? Jane?" he called out, his voice barely a whisper, a groan came from the sleeping bag on the floor and he took a few steps closer.
He gasped when he saw who was in it, a girl, or more a skeleton from what he could tell, rested in its depths. Her eyes were rimmed with purple and sunken in, she looked more like a dead body than a living being. "I don't have money…" she mumbled out, pain shooting across her face.
This was definitely not Wendy, or anyone Peter had ever seen before. The girl cracked open her eyes and Peter was startled by how bright they were; the teal depths sharp with color. While he was staring he did not realize her other hand come out of the sleeping bag and aim for his head. He blinked with surprise, her hand grazing his face. Her aim was good but there was no strength behind it.
"No money." She mumbled again, her eyes closing and her body going still. Peter sad there for a moment, thinking hard, there was no way he was going to find Wendy in time. Who said it had to be Wendy or Jane for that matter. It only took him a couple seconds to decide before he scooped the girl up into his arms and headed for the window.
"You may not be Wendy, but you still might be able to save us." He said, rising into the air and heading towards the second star to the left, its once bright light dimmed by the smog and clouds from the busy city just beyond the slums.
"You might even be a little better off."
|| Hello readers and welcome to the rewrite of my "The Lost Girl" story. I have gotten older, and thus, gotten better at writing so I decided to redo the whole thing and hopefully make it more enjoyable to fans old and new! I will be keeping the old version up for those of you who still wish to go back and read it. Thank you so much for reading and keep an eye out for chapter two! ||