From that day on, Peter's life was never the same. He remembered that fateful day vividly in his mind, all the while with a smile on his face. He would recall the events of that day and would feel like he could soar weightlessly through the sky, or like he could defeat all of his enemies.
It all started long, long ago, so long, in fact, that Peter could no longer remember the exact date. He was a smart boy, strong, no more than the age of fourteen. Nothing could scare him, or so he said. Well now, this wasn't entirely true. Peter's one fear was of growing up. The adult life did not appeal to him; too much stress and too many responsibilities for his taste.
One night, he wished upon the brightest star in the inky sky asking to never have to grow up. It never did occur to him that this wish would be silly, not until he told his parents later that evening. They laughed and told him that such things were impossible; that he was being illogical, and that he should go to sleep.
He did. But lying awake in bed, Peter found he could not sleep. He felt embarrassed for telling his parents of his wish and of thinking of something so foolish.
Deciding that he had been twisting and turning for long enough, Peter got out of bed and looked out the window to calm down. Something caught his eyes in the darkness. Was it possible? He blinked. Was it just from lack of sleep or did his wishing star look much larger than it should have been? Peter rubbed his eyes and blinked several times again before peering out the window once again. This time, the star was twice the size as it was only a few seconds ago! Studying the star more closely, he noticed that it was indeed growing. It seemed to be moving too, moving towards … him!
Peter opened the window and quickly stepped aside to let in the ball of light, now no bigger than a hand. It swooped through the unblocked window and stopped abruptly over the unmade bed. The light dimmed away; in the absence, Peter was revealed… a fairy?
Peter could not believe his eyes. He crept over to the creature and studied carefully, it stared back at him with equal fascination.
The fairy had the usual semi-transparent wings, as did every other fairy in mythology. On her slim pale body hung a jagged-bottomed green dress and a matching pair of slippers on which were decorated with a white pompom. Her soft golden hair was tied neatly into a bun on the crown of her head. Her enormous eyes were the same blue as the summer sky and her plump lips were the color of fresh crimson roses.
Peter reached out to touch the object of fascination. The moment his finger brushed her little foot, she panicked and glittery powder covered Peter head to toe.
Not a minute later, Peter felt feather-lightness and utter happiness in the pit of his stomach. He also noticed that he was glowing too, oddly enough. The teeny fairy grabbed hold of his index finger with her minuscule hands and managed to drag him effortlessly out the window and into the blackness of the night.
It wasn't until his feet were deprived of land that Peter noticed that was no longer supported by anything at all and was that he was suspending in midair while gliding through the cool nocturnal air. Overcome by a sudden nauseous feeling in his gut, he shut his eyes. He listened to the calming sounds of the city while he breathed deeply. In, out, in, out, in – Silence… Where had all the sounds gone? Peter immediately opened his eyes and gasped.
The city noises were no longer there for a perfectly explainable reason: it was because the city was no longer there! The inexplicable thing was how did it come to vanish in the first place? He found himself gazing out at an island, seemingly deserted, carpeted with lush greenery. He could see smooth and amazingly blue pools of water, and jagged cliffs of rock and a waterfall. Numerous pointed, massive mountains impressively stood in the middle of the island, wrapped in garlands of clouds. Peter was shocked and could no longer move, all the while gaping stupidly at his surroundings. He didn't even notice that the fairy was leading him down to the island.
The shock of his situation didn't hit him until his feet touched the sand of the beach. He suddenly felt an emotion horrible loneliness for he failed to notice any signs of life during his descend.
"Mom, Dad?" He called out. When he could not hear any sign of movement other than his own choppy breathing, he called out again. "Mrs. Bennet? Robert?"
Peter then started to run. Where? He did not know. All he wanted was to find people… Animals… Anything! Anything that showed sign of life in this bizarre country. He also wanted to find a shelter because he was dead tired thanks to of the lack of sleep he received back at home. He ran passed a tree, tuned left around that odd looking bush, right passed a bed a red flowers, and to his wonderful luck, he came to a welcoming cave opening in the rock wall of an enormous cliff. Peter entered it without hesitation. He then plopped himself onto the cold stone floor and was out like a light almost immediately.
Urgh… Wow, that was a terrible sleep. And that also was some strange dream! I mean, imagine – me, flying? HA! That's impossible. What a laugh and a half!
"Wonder where he came from."
Hey, what was that?
"I don't know, but look at him; he must have come from a reeeeaaaally strange place, and far far away too. He's huge!" came high child-like voice.
Are those whispers?
"He scares me. Let's go dump him in the lake," came a much deeper voice.
Uh oh…"We can't do that! If we do, we won't be able to know where he came from or what he is!" said a fourth voice.
Oh, thank the lord! I have to get out of this uncomfortable position very soon, I think.
"But he might be dangerous! I think we should get rid of him before he can hurt us," cried out the higher voice.
Oww, my neck! It's a wonder I was able to fall asleep like this!"Sshhh… He's waking up!"
Peter slowly lifted his eyelids. They felt like they weighed like two-ton elephants. His body seemed to be configured out of peanut butter. At first, his vision was blured with sleep. When it cleared, he found from the whispers were coming from a group of young boys huddled on the other side of the cave, some looking nervous, others confused while only a one wore a curious and eager expression. They were numbered to about six and they were all wearing animal pelts. Two among them seemed to be twins for they were identical and wore the same raccoon skin.
Peter clumsily sat up and looked around and was drowned in a million and one comments and questions.
"Who are you?"
"Better yet, where did you come from?"
"How do you get to be so tall?"
"Move aside already, Fox! I wanna look at him!"
"You already got your chance to see him. It's my turn!"
Dizzy from sleep, Peter remained quiet. It suddenly struck him that his adventures last night were not part of a dream! It was real?
"Where is she?" asked Peter suddenly.
The animal boys fell silent. A clearly clueless twin stepped up and simply asked: "Who?"
"The fairy," cried out Peter. "The one in green and all glittery. Where is she? She's the one who brought me out here, wherever here is…"
The boys looked at each other. It didn't seem that they had a clue about whom he was talking about. One of them, the tallest one, in a fox skin, stood out of the crowd and came closer to Peter.
"She's a mysterious one, that fairy," he said. "All she does is flit about – darts back and forth – here one minute, gone the next. No one really knows anything about her. This should be the first time, I think, she has brought someone back with her from one of her trips."
"Do you have any idea whatsoever to where she might be?" asked Peter desperately.
"I'm sorry. No, I don't."
"How could that monster still be alive, Smee? I told you to kill that crocodile!"
"I-I'm so s-sorry, sir," said the small balding man, cowering in his chair from his tall, long-black-haired, and very-dangerous-when-angry pirate captain who stood fuming in front of him.
"Blast!" cried the captain in frustration before slamming his fist into a nearby wall. He looked out the window a few feet to his right when a sparkle of light caught his eye. He focused on it and his eyes widened when he saw that he had discovered a tiny girl gliding through the sky.
"Smee, see that little… thing out there? Tell me a bit about her."
"Me sorry, Cap'n. All I know is that she is a fairy and that she possesses magic."
The captain grinned evilly. "Magic, eh?"
Peter was at a loss. He desire terribly to go home, but he searched high and low with that group of what he came to know as the "Lost Boys" – I quite like them, they seem to be able to get in and out of trouble easily, he thought – and still no sign of the wonderfully irritating and mysterious fairy.
"Grab her, Smee! That fairy's getting away!"
Peter looked up just in time to see a blur of shinning green and yellow light whiz by. A tall man who looked suspiciously like a pirate and another shorter and wider man followed moments after. Peter recalled seeing something resembling that same splotch of whizzing colour before but failed to remember where.
"Hold on a minute," Peter cried out. "Did that man just say 'fairy'?'"
He dashed behind the trio and followed them until they came to a great lake. The men had unfortunately grabbed the only rowboat on shore so Peter had to dive into the water and swim out to a ship – which cleared was a pirate ship – to where the colorful glow was headed.
A giant thud and a female cry echoed through the still air coming from the ship. When he arrived to the ship, he climbed aboard and explored it, starting with peering into the cabin window. He came to a window and saw that it was indeed "his" fairy that the men were chasing. She was trapped under an upturned glass sitting on a wooden table in the complete center of the room. She looked up, and when spotted Peter, a wide grin spread across her face. Peter held up a finger to his lips to indicate to her to keep quiet and crept aside, away from the window.
"What should I do? She is my only ticket to get out of here.: He pondered for a moment and remembered his travel from his bedroom to the new land. "Hey! I flew before! I wonder if I could do it again? How 'bout if I jump?"
Peter closed his eyes, squatted, then leapt into the air as high as he could… Nothing. He repeated the entire process. Again, he was still standing on the wooden deck flat on his two feet.
"Okay… That obviously did no work. How about if I spin around to create enough wind to carryme?"
Nothing happened.
"Darn it! What does it take to fly? Should I ask nicely?" He paused to clear his throat and then said: "Excuse me, mister… umm… I'm not really sure to whom I'm talking to, but would it be possible for me to fly again? Please?"
A cool breeze drifted by and ruffled his hair, however, once again he could still not fly.
"Must have been a one-time thing then," mumbled Peter, starting to lose hope. "When I soared up high like that, it was so exhilarating -- even though I was out of my comfort zone (no way I'm going to admit I was scared!)." A smile, the first genuine smile since a long time, spread across his face and he was touched by a momentary feeling of joy. All the excitement from his first flight rose from his stomach into his throat. "It was like I left all my worries behind with the ground. Oh, I wish I could do that again."
Almost immediately after he uttered these words, Peter's body immediately warmed before leaving the deck entirely. Peter felt like he could explode with happiness that very moment, but he quickly sobered up and set for the captain's cabin.
Lucky for him that the men inside were facing away from the unlocked door both deep in conversation – the tall one on the right and the shorter one who oozed of an air that screamed "side kick" on the left – so Peter simply glided in mutely. He immediately had an idea, one that will amuse him greatly. He floated directly behind the tall man and tapped his left shoulder. The man immediately jumped and turned around. Luckily Peter flew quickly out of the man's peripheral vision and remained unseen.
"Anything wrong, Cap'n?"
Turning back around, the captain replied: "No, it was nothing, Mr. Smee. Probably the wind."
"But, sir, the winders are shut."
"Yes, I know that," snarled the captain. "But can't you tell when someone does not want to admit something, or is your skull too thick to comprehend that?"
Peter reached out and tapped the tall man for a second time, this time on his right shoulder. He was rewarded with and even quicker reaction, yet he managed to dodge his enemy once again, this time behind the short Smee.
"Captain?"
Peter dashed to the captain's right once again, just before the raven-haired man turned around to face his companion.
"Quit tapping my shoulder, Smee!"
"I din do it, Cap'n, but maybe that boy did."
Peter decided that this was the perfect timing for one last poke.
"What are you talking about? There is no –" The captain whipped around when he felt another insanely irritating tap. His eyes widened at the sight of a young teenage boy seeming to be… floating in the air?
"Hi!" said the teenager. "I'm Peter. What's your name?"
"AHHHHHH!" yelled the pirate. "Who are you?"
"I already told you, I'm Peter. Now it's your turn."
"Don't sneak up behind me like that!" growled the infuriated man.
"Hey, sorry, it was only a ga – " but Peter never got to finish his sentence for the captain lunged for him and grabbed his legs resulting with Peter tumbling to the ground.
"Tie him down, Smee!" ordered the tall pirate.
"I'm sorry, mister," said Peter. "But I do not want any trouble. I just came for that fairy. Release her, and I will be on my way."
Smee pinned Peter down to the ground, rope in hand and grunted before replying: "No can do. My master wants to possess her magic as his own. You can have her when we have had her completely drained of her powers."
"I was right!" Peter cheered. "You are the sidekick!"
"I beg your pa – " started Smee before his prisoner threw him off. Once freed, Peter flew out the door of the cabin, in hopes of luring his enemies away from their prize.
The pirates quickly took the bait and they both charged in Peter's direction. Unfortunately for them, they crashed into each other when they reached the door entrance coincidentally at the same time, and fell to the floor before they could catch the runaways.
Wow! How stupid can they get? Couldn't they see that they were running towards one another? Hey, that gives me an idea!
"Come here, Jack," taunted Peter, hoping to grab the attention of the men seeking him. "I have a cracker for you to give to your Polly!"
The lead pirate was the first to spring out of his daze and he quickly regained his footing and dragged his still stunned servant up with him. They were led to the edge of the boat. Peter flew out over the water and waited to see his followers' reactions. Would they give up the chase, rush to retrieve their rowboat, or (hopefully) dive into the water after him?
Again, Peter was not disappointed for both the men jumped into the water without hesitation and swam after him.
"Well, that's taken care of," Peter said. He flew towards the ship turning his back to the pirates, before a screeching shriek pierced the air.
"CROCODILE! GET BACK! I SAID GET BACK, YOU HORRID CREATURE!" came the voice of the captain. "SMEE, LET ME UP!" he cried to the small man perched on top the rock that stood in the middle of the deep lake.
"No room, Cap'n. Now hurry and get to shore! He's getting closer!"
Indeed, the crocodile was rapidly catching up to the pair. The captain panicked and swam away hurriedly, the reptile hot on his tail.
Peter flew back to the ship and freed the fairy from her glass prison. She let out a gleeful cry and hugged Peter's middle finger, earning from him a warm smile.
"You're very welcome, little one," said Peter. "You're very adorable when you're this happy, I have to say. I'm sorry to say that I have a favor to ask of you, though: could you bring me home now?"
The tiny girl pulled away and sat on the rim of the glass. She started to gesticulate wildly as if trying to tell him something. It surprised Peter to find that he understood her.
"So you're saying that you were only trying to help me? How's th – " Peter froze. Did she just say what I think she said? "I-is that b-be-because – so you're telling me – that… that this place – Neverland you call it – enables me to s-stop growing up? Seriously?"
The fairy nodded her head furiously. She started to move her arms again.
"And, you mean to tell me… that I can stay here?"
The skittish sprite gazed intently into Peter's eyes for a while before nodding firmly, as if to prove that she was serious and not making all this up.
Peter paused to reflect. Should I stay? Thought Peter. I shouldn't make such rash decisions so quickly. I may never have this chance again. But then, if I stay, I won't be able to see my friends and family…
"Whom am I kidding?" he exclaimed. "I've wanted this my entire life! I love this world and I love the fact that I cannot grow up!" He wrapped his hand around the fairy's minuscule waist. "Thank you so much! C'mon, we are going to celebrate!" He ran to the side of the ship. "Weigh the anchor; hoist the sails; and Fairy," He deposited her on the side of the ship before continuing: "Please do to the boat what you did to me to make it fly, if it's possible!"
She automatically took off on the air high above the ship. Glittery powder trailed down from wherever she flew. The entire boat glowed gold and rose out of the water.
"That's out ship!" called out a voice from below. Peter looked down and found Smee glaring back at him, the captain nowhere in sight. The croc probably got him.
"My goodness me! I nearly forgot about you, Polly," Peter called back. "Don't worry; we'll give it back after a while. Just talking it on a joy ride!"
"HEY!" Smee hollered, but the roar of the gushing water created by the flying boat drowned his comment out.
"Sail ho! Up, up and away we go!" yelled Peter at the top of his lungs. Out of the corner of his eye, way down below on the beach, he saw movement. Concentrating harder on the moving dots, Peter saw that they were actually the Lost Boys. He then turned to the fairy that had settled herself back onto the side of the boat and ordered her to direct the vessel in the direction of the costumed boys. As they got closer, Peter called down to invite them along for the ride to which they promptly agreed.
As night fell, the passengers were drained of energy and many were fast asleep on the wooden deck. Peter positioned himself at the steering wheel gazing absent-mindedly at the impressive white orb hanging in the horizon. He heard a familiar jingle behind him, indicating the fairy's presence, but he decided to ignore it – he had too many troubling thoughts floating in his head to care. One of them was that he would soon have to return the ship, which disappointed him terribly, however, yet another one troubled his thoughts even more.
He was so excited earlier about hearing the news that he may never be obliged to grow up that he had decided too quickly. Did he really want to stay here, in an odd land away from home and his family, in a place where time stood still?
His gaze shifted from the moon to the sleeping boys. It suddenly occurred to him that the new world felt completely perfect, and that he would never want to leave it for this was where he belonged. This was his real family. He stood up straighter and looked out in front of him and saw that the boat was steering itself towards his house.
He finally turned around to face the fairy that held an expression that clearly said: "I'm sorry." Twisting back so that he was facing his house, he found that he no longer felt any attachment or love towards it, almost as if they weren't really there in the first place. He did a half-turn back around to the magical creature behind him and informed her that he did not wish to live in the building any longer.
"It never felt right, in that place, ever," he continued. "So don't worry about if I meant what I said today, because I did. Completely, and utterly, I meant it both this after-noon and now."
At this comment, the sprite's lips spread into the widest smile possible. She seemed even happier than when Peter freed her from the upturned glass.
"Aww, you're happy because I decided to stay, aren't you?" The fairy nodded her head jovially. "Alright now," continued Peter. "Let us return home, then."
"You can stay with us, Peter! It will be a blast, I promise you!" offered the boy in the skunk pelt.
Peter agreed to the invitation gratefully, but immediately made a point that he was only staying until he found a place of his own, not fancying the idea of being too much of a nuisance.
"Follow me us, troops!" Lead by the raccoon twins, the boys started to disappear into the woods, one by one; their guest not far behind them. Before Peter stepped off the boat, he noticed that the fairy was following him too.
"Do you live in this direction?" he asked.
His pursuer answered with a shake of her head.
"Go home, then. You must be dead tired."
She abruptly burst into a furious frenzy of arm waving and head bobbing.
"Do you want to stay with me? Like, as in my 'partner in crime'?"
She flew up close, mere inches from Peter's face, and grabbed the tip of his nose and nodded.
"You're not going to let go, are you; not until I say yes, eh?"
A mischievous smirk planted itself on the fairy's lips in response to his question, earning her a warm-hearted laugh from her prisoner.
"Fine, you can come with me, but you have to tell me your name. Do you have one?"
The fairy shrugged and waved her arms about once again.
"You don't think so, eh? That's great! Would you give me the honor of naming you?"
Her face lit up, and she hastily propped herself onto Peter's head and waited while he thought and pondered. The familiar jingle echoed in his ear and the perfect named formed itself in his mind.
"I've got it! I shall call you Tinkerbell."
Author's note Hey guys! Well, here is my first story posted onto Woop-dee-doo! Victory dance I had meant to write one someday. Anywhoo, this idea came to me while I was home in bed with a tremendous headache for my creative writing assignment for English class. It also gave me an excuse to write fanfiction. I hope you guys enjoyed it! Now, I have to tell you that my facts aren't completely right because I didn't grown up watching the Disney Peter Pan over and over like other people so I didn't end up appreciating the story as much, even though it has a great plot. .Review and tell me what you thought of it!