Fallen Embers.
A Peter Pan Fan Fiction.
Written by SnapeyBoy.
A/N: This is the first of the rest of the chapters to be updated. The plot of the story is on hold until I can figure out what is going on. For those of you who wish to review this chapter but have done so before, don't sign in. It can still work, I think. Enjoy.
Based on the song 'Fallen Embers' by Enya from the album 'A Day Without Rain'.
Disclaimer: Nope. I don't own Peter Pan or its characters. I do own Evelyn Townsend. She came from my crazed mind. I do not intend to make any money from this, it's just something I want to do to pass time.
INTRODUCTION
Evelyn Ava Townsend. A feisty nineteen year old English woman from central London, is Wendy Darling's cousin. Although, much to Peter Pan's disappointment, the two are completely different. Evelyn has emerald green eyes and long, curly dark hair. She stands around 5'9" and has a medium build but a rather athletic figure for a woman of her age. The reason being: She is a member of the British Secret Service.
Evelyn was assigned to spy among the Nazi front, and with her seductive nature she quickly became a close counterpart of Adolph Hitler, the founder. But it was soon to end. Evelyn was claimed as Hitler's newest mistress in early 1939, but Evelyn had overheard he and his Second in Command talking eventually discovering that there was a British spy within their midst.
Evelyn made a break for it that night. Clad in only her Nazi uniform and her hip pouches which contained little money and things that were necessary to live, she fled back to England to report to Churchill of her failure.
She never made it. Her plane was shot down a few miles out of London and Evelyn had escaped badly injured. She was presumed dead by her colleagues.
Evelyn took refuge in an old Church within the ancient city, and she attempted to regain her strength. She didn't have long to wait before she was rescued by a strange young man…
Fallen Embers
Once, as my heart remembers,
All the stars were fallen embers.
Once, when night seemed forever
I was with you.
Once, in the care of morning
In the air was all belonging.
Once, when that day was dawning.
I was with you.
How far we are from morning.
How far are we
And the stars shining through the darkness,
Falling in the air.
Once, as the night was leaving
Into us our dreams were worth keeping.
Once, all dreams were worth keeping.
I was with you.
Once, when our hearts were singing,
I was with you.
CHAPTER I
A/N: I've updated this chapter as my writing skills have improved. I hope you like it, and the other chapters will be updated momentarily, as will the rest of the story.
The fluttering of wings dashed by a broken stained glass window that symbolised St Michael, and soon came to an abrupt halt. Surrounding the wings happened to be a flickering light, one may confuse it for a firefly. But alas, it was too big for a firefly. It had to be something else. A Fairy, perhaps? No. Fairies exist in children's imaginations.
One would expect such a calm night to be peaceful. But alas the peace was shattered by the piercing noise of the all too familiar howl of an air raid siren. A lone B-52 buzzed overhead a small church. The pilot for the time being decided to use his last bombs on something more worthwhile, so the plane continued ahead. But the small church did contain something worthwhile, besides the rats and pigeons that decided to take shelter for the cool evening. Inside the church was a woman. A woman clearly showing the signs of war. She lay on the raised platform underneath the tall crucifix before her. A mat of dark curls was the source of her hair, littered with knots and dust. But as she groaned and turned on her side to rise, an unmistakeable symbol was borne upon her right upper arm. The infamous Horse belonging to Hitler's Nazi's. The uniform itself was torn from overdue use. The woman struggled to rise as the sirens continued to howl. She had to take shelter somewhere. Spluttering as she rose to her feet, she gave a tired look toward the crucifix. Although she was Christian and this was a Catholic Church, she asked silently for a way out. Her eyes at that minute shifted to the Priests' study. She smiled, and started to hurry toward it. As her hand touched the doorknob, the B-52 had returned. She tried to yank it open but the door was locked, and the engine's hum buzzed nearer. She drew her pistol and fired once at the door lock, but it required another shot to loosen. The bomb dropped through the roof. Her eyes widened in horror and she fired again, swearing in German, the door swinging open. She ran inside and leapt into the air the second the bomb exploded.
The smell of blood was what woke Evelyn Townsend of the British Secret Service later that evening. Her jade eyes opened to see a section of the roof blown away, and a piece of wood that had nailed her shoulder to the floor like a javelin. Evelyn turned slightly, raising her left hand. She howled in pain and determination as she yanked the wood free, tears filling her eyes and a strange tingling sensation flowing up and down that wounded arm. Sitting up, Evelyn grunted. She spat out blood which was the result from her heavy fall, and used her left hand to touch her face. Nice, she thought. Glass from the window had scraped her face, as she had felt blood draining from her left temple. Sighing, she removed the small fragment of glass from the side of her head, causing more blood to flow. It would only be a matter of time before she bled to death. There was only a small triangular bandage in her first aid kit. She knew that it wouldn't be enough to pressurise the wound in her shoulder, as triangular bandages were known to be used as slings. Evelyn sighed, closed her eyes, and all seemed quiet. She soon fell asleep to be greeted by dreams of a flying teen, and a tall; dark figure.
Peter Pan was a known visitor to London. But when he received word a relative of Wendy's was in trouble, he had to act quickly. He left Neverland in such a hurry he almost forgot his fairy – Tinkerbell. Tinkerbell was reluctant to rescue a relative of Wendy. But as Wendy had saved Peter's life a few years ago, the fairy no longer hated Wendy. She just didn't like her. Peter had to hide from the planes as he feared being discovered. Then he saw the church. He gave a nod to Tinkerbell and the fairy took off into the church in a stream of golden light. Peter hovered nearby, keeping his hand close to his sword. Tinkerbell returned, confirming Peter's assumption. The two then flew into the church, spotting Evelyn sleeping amongst fallen rubble. Her legs were pinned underneath a fallen bookcase. Peter thought for a moment as he looked toward Tinkerbell, who shrugged in reply. Peter flew up to the bookcase and with a groan, lifted it off Evelyn. Still Evelyn did not move. A crunch came from nearby, Tinkerbell jittering madly as if telling Peter to hurry. Without further ado, Peter lifted Evelyn into his arms. He struggled to get into the air at such a weight holding him down, but with Tinkerbell's aid he succeeded.
"Oy!" Came a shout, and Peter gasped. "Stop!"
Peter took off through the blown roof, Tinkerbell staying long enough to stick her tongue out at the Nazi who had come to kill any survivors of the recent bombing.
The dream of flying through the air seemed almost too real as Evelyn came around the next morning. Dazzling, warm sunlight that she had not felt in years caressed her cheeks as if it were her husband affectionately telling her 'Good morning'. Evelyn let her eyes open slowly, and looked down. Suspended above a crystal ocean and pure white beaches lining the shores below. Some dream. Evelyn thought, feeling something tight around her shoulder. A well made pressure bandage, and stitches in her temple. Something else was odd about her, too. Her hair was clean. Cleaner than it had ever been, and she wore odd attire to match. Brown pants, black knee high boots, and a baggy white shirt. Very odd. She heard something snickering underneath. Her left hand flew to her holster, and to her disappointment, finding it empty.
"Damnation". She announced out loud, shaking her head slowly.
Evelyn sat up in the hammock, leaves falling to the ground below that had been her pillow. Her cousin, Wendy Darling, had spoken of such a beautiful place only once before…
"Welcome to Neverland!" Said a voice, Evelyn gasped in surprise and raised both fists in self defence. Her shoulder was only strapped, but it still pained to do such a movement. Her eyes narrowed as she studied the boy before her. About the same height as she, large honey eyes and reddish blonde hair clearly showing he had been riding the winds. Silence had followed the boy's words as he let an impish grin spread across his tanned face. Evelyn tilted her head to the side and wondered how the boy managed to get up such a height. "Not happy to see me?" He asked her, still grinning like the Cheshire cat.
"How did you get up here?" She asked, appalled at how stupid that question sounded.
"Watch". He then started to rise before her, Evelyn watching him with anticipation. He folded his arms across his chest until his feet came within Evelyn's eyesight.
"My God, you're Peter Pan!" She declared, baffled.
"About time!" Peter smirked, and flew horizontally as if laying beside her. "Wendy's told me a lot about you".
"She's told me everything about you". Evelyn pursed her lips together. "Why am I here?"
"To save you".
"But I was fine".
"No you weren't". Peter pointed to Evelyn's shoulder. "Does that look like you were fine?"
"You're very sweet, but I must return home…" Evelyn looked around. "Uh, Peter…"
Peter grinned. "Yes?"
"How am I supposed to get down?"
"Fly".
"But I can't fly".
"I'll teach you". Peter drew his fingers into his mouth and hollered a whistle. Tinkerbell was soon dancing beside his ear, waving to Evelyn.
"Hello, Tinkerbell. Wendy's told me a lot about you as well". Evelyn smiled a little, not wanting to scare the fairy. But Peter grabbed Tink in his hand, and started to shake her. Golden dust fell around Evelyn like leaves, and she felt happy.
"Just think a happy thought, and they lift you into the air!" Peter demonstrated by showing off with a flip. Tinkerbell was released from his grasp, not looking impressed at all.
Evelyn only felt happy. She didn't have a lot of happy memories, or thoughts for that matter. She miscarried her first child at the age of seventeen as the result of a rape. But there was one thing that seemed to make her feel happy. A faceless man in her dreams, whispering words of comfort when times were rough. She could still feel his breath upon her neck as she thought about him.
Evelyn felt herself rising, although she was still in a sitting position. Peter tapped her lightly on the shoulder and Evelyn gasped.
"This is crazy". She said to him, letting her legs drop underneath her.
"This is fun". Peter replied with a grin. "Come on, we have a bit of exploring to do".
"Exploring? But Peter, I don't know if I'm up to it". Evelyn slowly sunk back toward her hammock.
The teen thought for a moment, and his smile widened. "There are mermaids. Pirates and Indians!"
Evelyn had little imagination due to the intensity of her job as a Secret Service Agent. But to see such sights may make her healing process faster. "All right. What have we got to lose?"
"For you, a bit. I think I have a sword somewhere that might help".
Evelyn followed Peter downward, amazed at how simple flying actually was. But keeping her body straight was a little hard. Her back still ached. They tore through jungle, so fast Evelyn had no idea where she was headed. It was obvious Peter didn't want her to take any notes of how to get to their location. But when they arrived, Peter lifted a small door to the hole of a tree. He gestured for her to go inside. She had to duck because the hole was the size of a child. When Evelyn entered it smelt stale, she wrinkled her nose and took another step forward, then fell down a slide. She shrieked in surprise as she hit rock bottom, Peter grinning down at her.
"And this is our home. Well, the lost boy's home anyway". He wandered toward his so called 'throne'. Evelyn glanced around. A small waterfall sat to the right of Peter's throne, giving them fresh water. Flowers lined the rocks. She took slow steps forward, spying her weapons belt and hip bags sitting nearby. Everything appeared to be intact. But if Peter trusted her, why would he steal them from her? She wasn't sure of the answer, as Peter presented Evelyn the hilt of a fine looking sword. She grasped the hilt and lifted the sword into the air, her eyes following its movement. It felt light. The hilt was large and made of the same silver as the sword but thicker. It was simple enough. She let a small smile escape as a downward slash was performed. The sword hummed through the air.
"You can keep it". Peter added. "Do you know how to fight?"
Evelyn turned away to pick up her weapons belt. Peter allowed her to do so without question. "Yes, somewhat. I am not terribly good at it, I am more fashioned with pistols than swords". She turned back to the boy as she buckled the belt around her small waist. Peter had already added a sword holster to it, and she let it slide in. The belt hung off her left side a little more so than the right due to the sword's weight. "But I know I can kill anything that comes for me".
"Even Pirates?" Peter questioned, sitting upon his throne.
"Perhaps". Evelyn kept her poised position, resting both hands on her hips. "Distract them with a few fancy sword movements and then fire my pistol while they are distracted".
"I don't know how to use a pistol, but your methods seem pretty good". Peter shrugged. "Well, I suggest we go and take a look around now".
Evelyn nodded and followed the boy out of the underground home.
Neverland truly was a beautiful place. It responded with Peter's moods, rain when he cried and stormed when he was angered. But at the moment it was a cloudless sky, blue stretching as far as the eye could see. Evelyn in the meantime found flying to be quite boring after a while. She often challenged herself with flips and in air cartwheels, but soon received headaches due to the stitches in her temple. She had fallen behind Peter.
"Hey, are you coming or what?" He asked, floating in a sitting position.
"What's that down there?" She responded, her head gesturing to a beautiful looking ship sitting untouched in the harbour. It appeared abandoned.
"The Jolly Roger. After we took Wendy home, we decided to leave it there. Felt kind of bad for Hook, I suppose". Peter shrugged. "No sign of life. Me and the Lost Boys check there every third day".
"How long has it been since you last checked it?" Evelyn questioned, curious as she had never seen an actual Pirate ship before.
"Two days. Why?"
"Maybe we should take a look…"
"I don't think so". Peter frowned.
"What, you're saying that there's something there?"
"No, of course not".
"Then why are you suggesting it's not a good idea to check it out today?" Evelyn could feel she was winning this battle.
"I don't know… wait, Evelyn!" Peter called after her, but the dark haired woman had left before he could look twice.
But Evelyn didn't get close enough to the Jolly Roger. She was held back, hovering in mid air. Her chest heaved with sorrow, as if mourning for a loved one. She saw the battle being laid out before her. Peter Pan and a Pirate were clashing swords in mid air, Peter laughing and enjoying it as if it were an amusement ride. The male Pirate kept on shouting at Peter, saying he had won, but Peter ignored him. Then the chants sounded. Old, alone, done for. Peter gave a triumphant cry as the Pirate slowly descended to the ocean, hovering a mere cinch above a very large crocodile. The Pirate looked directly up at Evelyn, crossed his arms over his chest and let the animal swallow him whole. A cheer erupted, and Evelyn felt a tear fall down her cheek.
"Evelyn?" Peter asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. She slowly turned to face him. Unsure, confused, and angered.
"Why?" She wondered, her eyes tearing away from the child and taking off in the direction of the tree in which she slept.
She and Peter didn't say another word about the Jolly Roger incident. Evelyn rested in her hammock that afternoon, lying on her stomach. She could feel the sword hilt pressing against her waist. The Jolly Roger was ahead of her and to the west. Evelyn stared at the ship, wondering why she had that vision. Was it a vision, or was it an actual occurrence? Was that vision the reason why no one could get close enough to the Jolly Roger to inspect it? Surely, Peter must have been lying to her. He and his Lost Boys must have been too frightened by the vision to get close enough to the ship. Evelyn twirled a strand of her dark curls around her index finger. She will step foot on the deck of that ship, even if it killed her. But at the moment, sleep was calling her. The wonderful colours of the twilight soon faded and the blackness of night began, a full moon being shown.
But alas, Evelyn did not see it. For she was already asleep, and her dreams were slowly beginning…
She stood on board some ship, clad in a fine red dress. She stared blankly out over the crystal-clear blue waters before her, and felt his warm kiss upon her neck. Evelyn turned around gradually and smiled, returning his kiss upon his lips, soon rising into something more passionate than she had ever felt. She couldn't see what this man looked like, all she knew was she loved him with all her heart and he loved her in return. But, it wasn't to last. Their kiss ended abruptly, Evelyn finding herself holding him in her arms. She heard the withdrawing of a sword. He had been murdered.
"No!" She screamed, and suddenly awoke.
To the face of Peter Pan.
Evelyn protested in splutters, glaring at him appallingly. "You frightened me!"
"I heard you scream…" Peter added, his eyes showing distress for his friend. "I was worried".
"I am fine". She concluded. "What time is it…"
"Just past midnight". Peter smiled. "Tink and I usually look out for a few hours".
"I see". Evelyn yawned and lay back down, the hammock rocking gently to her movements. She stared up at the star filled sky and sighed. "I wonder if the war is over yet".
"War?" Peter asked, as he crossed his legs and hovered beside her.
"Yes. The war in which you so gallantly rescued me from".
"I didn't know there was a war going on". Peter wrinkled his nose. "But that siren I heard before you were found frightened me a little".
"That's the air raid siren. It gives us enough warning to go into underground bunkers from air attacks from the enemy. Probably five minutes warning at the most". Evelyn shrugged. "And they usually happen early in the morning when everyone is sleeping. Because that's our most vulnerable time".
Peter looked oddly confused. "Air attacks?"
"From fighter planes. Bombers. They drop bombs on buildings and other things". Evelyn rubbed her nose and sat up. "It's not a pleasant time".
"How long has the war been going on for?" Peter questioned, eyeing Evelyn with interest. And slight attraction. He had never met a female warrior before.
"Three years". She answered. "Three years of absolute hell. I have been in the Secret Service for two".
The little golden light appeared above Peter's ear. Tinkerbell began to jingle madly. She sounded as if she was worried where Peter was.
"I'm fine, Tink". Peter commented, glancing at his little fairy friend. "Is everything fine down there?"
Tinkerbell nodded.
"I can look out for a while if you want", Evelyn suggested. "I doubt I'll get back to sleep anyway".
"No, no it's fine. You can stay here. If we need any help, Tink will get you".
The fairy looked horrified.
"Take care…" Evelyn whispered as Peter and Tinkerbell vanished beneath the trees. And soon enough, Evelyn herself went back to sleep.