Peter Pan and the San Angel Children
Here is the second installment to the story, I'll upload the next chapter as soon as I can. But it'll take some time.
I own nothing, all property belongs to their respective owners.
Chapter 2: Peter arrives in Mexico
Peter Pan, along with Tinkerbell flew straight towards the second star. Once they were through, Peter can see London overhead. Part of him wanted to stop by the Darling House, and see if Wendy, John, Michael were still talking about him. But the other part of him wanted to get to Mexico as quick as possible, but as usual, Peter rarely listens to his head. So without thinking, Peter headed off towards the Darling Home. Tinkerbell grabbed him by the ear and asked him what he was doing.
"Look, I know we're supposed to be going to Mexico. But I just want to see Wendy one more time." Tinkerbell huffed in response. "We won't stay long I promise, we won't even talk. I'll just peek through the window, Deal." Peter put his index finger out towards Tinkerbell for her to shake. She reluctantly shakes his finger with her tiny left hand. "Great! Let's go!" Peter flew off towards the Darling home, and landed right on the rooftop of a house across from Bloomsbury. There he can see the Darling Home, but the window of their room appeared to be dark, indicating that they were already asleep. Then suddenly, the window on the left suddenly opened. And there stood Wendy, dressed in her signature blue nightdress, and gazed out the window in a dreamy matter.
"So Wendy, how do you like your new room?" Said a man's voice from behind, apparently her father.
"It's wonderful!' Wendy exclaimed. "See George, I told you she'd love It." Said her mother. Wendy went back inside to finish the conversation with her parents. Peter could hardly believe his eyes, Wendy had finally moved out of the nursery, and into her own room. Wendy was growing up, which means no more stories, and no more coming back to the Darling Home. Peter was heartbroken, he got up and started to walk along the rooftops. For he felt no happiness in his soul, therefore he couldn't fly. Tinkerbell hated to see Peter like this, so she jingled in his ear.
"You're right, Tinkerbell. Wendy has made her decision, and so has her brothers. They are the past, and The San Angel Children are the future." Tinkerbell nodded her head in agreement. "Come on, we've wasted enough time." With that, Peter and Tinkerbell left London and flew across the Atlantic Ocean to San Angel, Mexico. It was dawn by the time they got there, Peter was surprised to see how festive and exotic Mexico looked from above. All the streets were still decorated from last night's parties, and white clay buildings' with red tile roofs could be seen for miles. He even saw ancient ruins along the way.
"This place is loco." Peter whispered to Tinkerbell. "I love it here!" Peter exclaimed as he did a backflip in the air, and rocketed himself into the clouds. From the sky, the clouds started to part, and he can see almost the whole desert from above. "So Tinkerbell, where do you think San Angel is?" he asked. Tinkerbell pointed north. "You gotta be kiddin' me! I'm supposed to go out there, in that barren wasteland?" Peter wasn't so sure he wanted to go out there. But Tinkerbell told him that's where the mirror told them to go.
"Ugh! Alright. But it better be out, I'd sure hate to get stuck out there." Peter decided to stay high in the sky, so to see the desert better. So far, all he could see was sand and cacti. "How could anyone live in such a barren place?" he thought to himself. He was just about to turn around, when he spotted a huge lake in the center of the desert. In the middle of the lake, there was a guitar-shaped island with two large structures on either side of it.
"Could this be San Angel?" Peter asked. Tinkerbell smiled and nodded her head.
"Finally!" Peter sighed with exhaustion. "I thought we'd never find this place." Peter swooped down, and land on top of the Church bell tower.
"Let's not announce ourselves, this bell tower looks like a great place to hide out until nightfall, then we can find those three kids." Peter told Tinkerbell as they surveyed the area. It was late afternoon, the town didn't look that very big, and they didn't see a whole lot of people.
"Uhh! You'd think we'd see a whole lot of people right now." He looked to Tinkerbell who just shrugged her shoulders in response. "Well let's just take advantage of the moment to find a rooftop to hide on while we look for three kids." Peter saw a building that looked to be a butcher shop. "Let's go there." He said. Peter and Tinkerbell left the bell tower to land on the butcher shop rooftop. "You see anything?" Peter asked. Still not a soul to be found, just then he heard laughter approaching.
Manolo, Maria, and Joaquin were running through town enjoying the day. "Tink there they are!" Peter exclaimed quietly. "Quick, let's get down." Peter got onto his stomach, and Tinkerbell followed suit. Suddenly, Maria heard a pig squeal. She stopped and spotted the most adorable little fellow locked behind the walls of a large corral. He looked at her with big pig eyes.
"You're so cute!" she exclaimed. A knife-sharpening sound made her turn. She noticed the butcher shop sign. Her eyes darted from the pig to the sign and back to the pig again.
"Oh no, not on my watch." Maria pulled out a sword and announced, "We have to free the animals!"
"Huh?" Manolo and Joaquin said at the same time. She gave them her best troublemaker grin. "Come on you guys, let's do this!"
"Hold on, Maria! Don't!" Joaquin wasn't sure. But Manolo was ready. "Yeah!" Maria lowered the sword on the corral lock, and with a crack the door swung open.
"Whoa! Tink did you see that? She totally busted all those animals out, without even thinking about the consequences. All she thought about were those animals." As he was saying those words, Maria jumped on the back of a large pig, and the stampede began. The butcher walked out, and saw that all of his livestock was gone.
"AHHHH! WHERE'S ALL MY MEAT?" He bellowed. Peter and Tinkerbell laughed as they flew off to see where the three amigos were going.
In the center of town General Posada was presiding over a military recruitment program. His trained soldiers were there to help. The townspeople gathered around in the public square to hear General Posada's speech. Carlos was watching the event along with father Domingo and several nuns.
Peter and Tinkerbell landed on another rooftop and saw everybody gathered in a big circle. "So this is where everybody is? Hmm… must be something big." Peter wondered.
"People of San Angel, please, I beg you!" The general said. "After the revolution, we need more volunteers to join this mighty brigade." The soldiers standing there were weak and pathetic. The General's face fell at the sight of his ragged troop, but he straightened his sombrero and finished his speech.
"Wow look at that guy, Tink!" Peter said pointing to General Posada. "He almost looks like Hook doesn't he?" Tinkerbell nodded in agreement. "I'd sure like to see him in combat." Peter said giggling. Tinkerbell giggled as well.
"Uh, you know a heroic brigade to protect us from Chakal." He unfurled a wanted poster with the picture of Chakal's menacing face. The townspeople shouted out in fright. No one volunteered to join General Posada's troop. Suddenly, the ground beneath them began to shake.
"Oh no, Chakal is here!" Ignacio exclaimed. Everybody screamed. But it was only the baby pig come hoppin' by. Everybody sighed with relief. But then a stampede of crazy animals came bursting through the square like the running of the bulls in Pamplona! Everybody screamed in terror. "Oh this is gonna be interesting!" Peter said to Tinkerbell, who was sitting cross-legged on his right shoulder.
"FREEEEEDOOOM!" Maria led the animals' escape, riding the back of a pig like a horse. Manolo, holding the pig's tail, was dragged behind, while Joaquin ran alongside, trying to keep up. Maria waved her small sword and cheered. The crowd panicked, and the general's soldiers instantly held up their hands in surrender.
"Maria! What have you done now?!" Her father bellowed. "Freedom is coming through!" Maria replied.
"Stop!" General Posada ordered. Just then Manolo lost his grip on the little tail. As he tumbled away, Joaquin tripped over him and they both crashed into the general, knocking him into the ground. The two boys kept flying through the air until they hit a fruit-stand. Fruit rolled everywhere, and in the chaos, Manolo's guitar was trampled. Peter and Tinkerbell watched with delight as the entire scene unfolded before them. They never would've imagined three little kids could wreck such havoc, and they were enjoying every minute of it.
"Oh no! It's that crazy warthog!" An old man shouted. Joaquin sat up and saw the warthog about to charge into the General. He leaped up, shouting, "Look out, General!" In a brave move, Joaquin knocked General Posada out of the way just in time. Joaquin was now in the warthog's path.
"What does that kid think he's doing?" Peter asked in shock. "He's gonna get hurt, or worse." Tinkerbell covered her eyes. The warthog slammed into him, sending Joaquin skidding on the ground for several feet.
To his surprise, he got up without a bruise or scratch. Joaquin noticed the glow of the old man's medal hidden under his vest and smiled. It worked. Peter looked on with amazement. "How did he do that?" Peter wondered, as Tinkerbell sighed with relief. One of the nuns, Sister Ana, was now in the warthog's path. "Oh dear!" She shouted.
Joaquin called to Manolo, "No retreat?" Manolo replied in turn, as they had done so many times before, "No surrender!" He grabbed a woman's red shawl and placed himself between the nun and the warthog. "Now what does 'that' kid think he's doing?" Peter exclaimed. Seeing Manolo jump in front of that warthog, and waving the woman's shawl. "Does he honestly think he can fight that animal?" he asked. Tinkerbell looked on with amazement.
"Toro, Toro." With a bullfighter's skill. Manolo swiftly deflected the hog. The townspeople began to cheer with shouts of "Ole!"
Carlos watched his son at work. "He has the gift," he said proudly to an old man standing nearby. The old man nodded as the fight between Manolo and the hog continued. Manolo dodged the warthog, and did a somersault over it's back.
"Ole!" The crowd shouted again. Carlos couldn't stop grinning. "Great form, mijo."
Manolo leaped off a soldier's shoulders, using the shawl to parachute in front of the doorway of a shop. He shook the red shawl at the angry warthog, calling, "Hyah!" The warthog charged at the Manolo. Manolo spun the shawl and teased the hog until finally, the warthog crashed into the shop. "Ole!" Shouted the townsfolk when they saw the warthog was stuck.
Now Peter and Tinkerbell were truly amazed. A young boy with that kind of talent and bravery deserves to have a special place in the land of eternal youth. Tinkerbell was also amazed by Manolo's skill, and was instantly attracted to him.
"That's my son!" Carlos said.
The old man smiled as the town hooted and hollered for Manolo. The rest of the animals ran away and escaped.
Sister Ana said, "Thank you, Manolo," while the nuns sang out, "Gracias!"
General Posada had been knocked unconscious when he fell. He opened his slowly. "Oh my," he said. "What did I miss?" Joaquin helped him up. "You okay, sir?"
General Posada put his arm around Joaquin. "You have saved my life." Manolo came rushing up, holding the baby pig Maria had seen earlier, And I—"
"Shhhhh." Quiet boy. I'm talking." General Posada cut him off. "But I—" Clearly the general hadn't seen Manolo's bullfight or how he had saved Sister Ana. "Quiet," the general ordered. Manolo looked down sadly. The town square was a mess. Small fires burned. Barrels and carts were knocked over. A pig was playing tug-of-war with a soldier over General Posada's sombrero, which was also on fire.
The general surveyed the devastation. "Whaaaa—?" That girl is in so much trouble." Maria peeked around the corner of a building. "Uh-oh."
"MAAAAAAARIAAAAAAA!" General Posada bellowed from the top of his lungs. Peter and Tinkerbell looked at each other. Riding her pig, wooden sword dragging on the ground, she approached him. "I'm sorry Papa, it's just that I—" She stopped as she noticed something broken on the ground.
"Manolo's guitar!" Maria gave an apologetic look to Manolo. "Maria! Her father's face was red with anger. "This rebellious nonsense ends now! You are going to become a proper lady."
"Why?" She asked. "Because I said so!" That was that. "I'm sending you to Spain. The sisters at the Convent of the Perpetual Flame of Purity will straighten you out!"
Manolo and Joaquin both exclaimed, "What?!" Peter and Tinkerbell gasped.
"But Papa—" Maria began to argue. "No, it is decided!" General Posada frowned at her. "Now go home!" Maria began crying and ran off with Manolo's guitar still in her hands.
"Did you hear that Tinkerbell?" Peter asked. Tinkerbell bobbed her head up and down, telling Peter pan that was a 'yes'. "He's going to send Maria away! We have to act fast if we want all three of them to go." Tinkerbell agreed. They continued to listen to the conversation.
General Posada turned to Joaquin and pointed to the statue of Joaquin's father, Captain Mondragon. "Joaquin, you are so much like you father. This town could use a new hero." He put his arm on Joaquin's shoulder. "Come, you are like the son I never had! My Boy, your father was like a brother to me."
As they walked away, the baby pig jumped out of Manolo's arms and stood by his side. The townswoman took back her shawl. "Man, that kid got a raw deal!" Peter said as he saw how little Manolo was appreciated. Tinkerbell crossed her arms in disappointed, she too was not happy about Manolo's lack of appreciation. Manolo tried to follow Maria, but his father stepped in front of him.
"Epa!" Where do you think you're going?" Carlos asked.
"He can't send Maria away!" Manolo said.
"Well, Fathers do what's best for their children. Come along." Manolo took one last long over his shoulder, but Maria was gone. He sighed and followed his father away from the square.
"So Tink, who should we follow? Maria, Manolo or Joaquin?" Tinkerbell didn't hesitate. She pointed in the direction of Manolo. "Are you sure?" Tinkerbell gave him a "are you serious" look. "Ok, ok, jeez, I should've known better than to question your decision." Peter and Tinkerbell flew off after Manolo and his father.
On the outskirts of town Carlos and Manolo stood on a high hill overlooking San Angel. The baby pig stayed close to Manolo's side. Looking out at the town's bullfighting ring, while Peter and Tinkerbell spied on them, from a rooftop of a building right next to them.
Carlos said, "Mijo, I saw how you fought that beast. You made our ancestors proud."
Manolo glanced at his father. "You think Maria was impressed?"
Carlos grinned. "Maria and every girl in town!" Manolo smiled and Carlos went on.
"People said I was the greatest bullfighter in our family's history. But, it is you, my son, who will be the greatest Sanchez ever! They will write songs about you!"
"And I will sing them!" Manolo said enthusiastically.
"Wait, what?" Carlos asked, confused.
"I will sing them?" Manolo echoed with less certainty.
"Son, music is not work fit for a Sanchez bullfighter."
"But I want to be a musician," Manolo protested.
"No," Carlos said. "You must focus. Your training begins at once. Your Grandpa Luis taught me when I was about you're about age."
"Wait, isn't that when that bull put you in a coma?"
"Ah, memories!" Carlos nodded. "My only son fighting angry, thousand-pound beasts! The family tradition continues."
"Yay," Manolo moaned as he and the baby pig set out towards home.
Back at the belltower, Peter and Tinkerbell were discussing the dilemmas the three amigos lives, they didn't know much about Joaquin's family. But they did see that he is incredibly brave, and invulnerable. "Perfect Lost Boy material wouldn't you say, Tink?" Tinkerbell nodded her head in agreement, then she jingled in Peter's ear.
"Yes I totally agree, I don't think Manolo gets enough credit for what he does." Then he had a thought. "Well we're just going to have to do something about that, don't we?" Tinkerbell gave Peter her signature mischievous smile. "You know, help the kid out, give him a little taste of freedom and fun, after all, isn't that what Neverland is all about?" Tinkerbell agreed enthusiastically.
"Oh! And let's not forget about poor Maria. And her hook-handed dad sending her away." Peter added. Tinkerbell just landed on his knee and nodded.
"In order to make this work, have to catch all three of them at the same time, and place. And convince them to come back to Neverland with us. But how?" Peter wondered. His chance came sooner than expected.
For that night, Maria was to leave to study abroad. The three amigos would be no more, or so you thought. Manolo and Joaquin came by General Posada's mansion to say farewell to Maria, while Peter looked on from the balcony out of view.
"Hola, senor!" Joaquin said as General Posada let them into his home, along with Manolo.
"Well, look at you Joaquin." General Posada said as he noticed Joaquin's little military outfit. "Don't you look all grown up!" With that, he turned on his heel, and said. "All right boys, Maria is up in her room, getting ready. I advise you boys to be out of there in 30 minutes." He walked away.
"Ahem!" Joaquin coughed. "What about Manolo?" Stating that Posada forgot to compliment Manolo's new look. "Huh? Oh yay, you look nice to, Manolo." He didn't even turn around to tell him that, which made Manolo very sad.
They entered Maria's room to find her sitting on her bed in sadness. She turn around to find Manolo and Joaquin standing sadly to the side of each other. Maria hurried over to her friends. "I'm going to miss you guys," she told the boys.
"We'll be here, waiting," Joaquin said.
"For as long as it takes," Manolo added. Maria hugged Joaquin, then turned to Manolo.
"Don't ever stop playing, okay?" She held him for a long embrace. Stepping back, she pointed a finger at Joaquin's chest. "And you, don't you ever stop fighting for what's right." Joaquin agreed. Peter was watching them, through the balcony glass doors.
Manolo handed Maria a box with holes punched in the top. "I got you a present, you should probably open it now."
Joaquin was stunned. "Wait a second, we were supposed to bring gifts?!" He hadn't brought anything. Maria gave Joaquin a small smile and opened Manolo's box. Inside was the adorable baby pig she rescued, all curled up and snoring softly.
"I named him Chuy. He'll look after you," Manolo said. Maria tenderly lifted the little pig out of the box and snuggled with it. "Oh, I remember you."
"I figured you needed a little part of town to go with you," Manolo told her. Maria was touched. "Thank you."
"Huh? You know Tink if I didn't know any better, I'd almost say that Manolo and Maria have feelings for one another." Tinkerbell went wide-eyed, then crossed her arms.
"Seriously, no one told me about bringing gifts," Joaquin groaned. Maria turned to him and asked, "Can you hold Chuy for me?" She then picked up a box of her own and handed it to Manolo. "This is to make up for breaking your guitar."
Manolo knelt to the floor and open the box. Inside was his guitar, completely repaired. On the side was engraved, 'ALWAYS PLAY FROM THE HEART'. He couldn't believe it. He held the guitar close. "Thank you."
"I just wish there was someway for me to not ever leave you guys." Maria told her friends.
"Now's my chance." Peter said. "There is." He said as he burst through the balcony door to Maria's bedroom.
The three friends' eyes went wide.