A/N: Most of the action and dialog in the latter part of this chapter is from The Pirate Fairy.

Chapter 3

"Men, I present our new captain," James announced once he boarded the Jolly Roger. "Captain Zarina."

The pirates gasped as she fluttered forward, the satchel with all her belongings slung over one shoulder. She hovered above their heads like a graceful butterfly.

"A real live fairy!" Port breathed.

"She's so tiny," said Oppenheimer, squinting at her.

"Good sirs," James said in the friendliest voice he could muster. "Show some respect." He glared at Yang who was leaning against the helm with his arms folded and a scowl on his face. "Don't forget the enormous favor Captain Zarina is going to do for us. We are at your service, Captain." He dipped forward in a bow and was pleased when his crew, including reluctant Yang, followed suit.

A reddish tinge touched Zarina's cheeks. She inclined her head slightly.

"Now we have to figure out a place to grow that Pixie Dust Tree," James murmured, more to himself than anyone else as he strode to the ship's bow and peered down at the lonely beach. Deep blue waves lapped against the hull and curled onto the shore. If it hadn't been for the saplings Zarina had grown, the place would have been sparse: just sand, rocks, a few scattered palms, and shrubs. He didn't want to be stuck here longer than he had to. Besides this beach would not be a good place to plant the Pixie Dust Tree since it was too exposed to the elements. They couldn't risk a hurricane knocking it down and delaying their mission even more. There was probably nowhere on this tiny island that would work.

James turned in the opposite direction and peered out to sea. A grayish dot poked out of the water in the distance. It was that massive, skull-shaped rock they had passed days ago, when they'd been blown off course. An enclosed island, it would be a perfect shelter for the Tree, with enough openings to let in light.

"What are you thinking about, James?" Zarina's sudden jingles startled him. He turned to find her hovering eye-level to him, her wings rapid.

"I just figured out an excellent location to plant your Pixie Dust Tree."

"We're going to leave this beach?" Her eyes brightened with excitement. "I've only been to the Mainland once, for Fairy Camp."

"The Mainland? You mean England?"

Zarina nodded.

"That's not what I had in mind. It's too far and too crowded. The place I'm thinking of is completely private and will keep the Tree protected. It will be our own special spot." He winked at Zarina. "Just give your orders, Captain, and we're off to Skull Rock."

She grinned. "To Skull Rock!"

"You heard her, men!" he shouted to his crew. "Weigh anchor and let's cast off. Head due east, to Skull Rock."

James remained at the bow as the Jolly Roger sliced through the waters at a rapid pace. The sea-scented breeze brushed against his face and toyed with his hair, reminding him of why he'd fled London's high society and its constraining social etiquettes. He was back where he felt most at home, with the flapping sails overhead and the deck shifting beneath his feet.

He'd almost forgotten about Zarina until he heard her jingling in his ear. "Is this any way to treat your new captain?" Her tone was teasing. "Aren't you going to show me around the ship?"

"Oh, of course. I forgot my manners. Please forgive me." He dipped into an elaborate bow. "The Jolly Roger is now yours, so make yourself at home."

James opened the door to his cabin and felt a sudden tightening in his chest. He would now have to sleep below deck, next to the galley, with the rest of the crew. They were loud and smelly and he'd have to put up with the infernal ticking of Oppenheimer's alarm clock. But the temporary discomfort would be worth it. He had to keep reminding himself of that.

"Welcome to your cabin, Captain," he said, stepping aside and allowing her to flutter into the room. "We'll build another door for you that is just your size."

Zarina gasped as she looked around. James swallowed. He eyed his large bed, fancy desk, book-lined shelves, and the facetted windows that allowed the sunlight to filter through in golden beams. There was no such natural light below, just those dreary oil lamps. His gaze strayed to the locked closet, where he had stashed his captain's coat and hat. He wouldn't don those again until the time was right.

"This is all…mine?" Zarina's awed jingles were so soft that James could barely hear them.

"Yes, Captain."

She fluttered about the cabin, inspecting it. "Half of Pixie Hollow could fit in here. There's so much more room for my experiments. Thank you, James." She flew up to him and brushed his cheek with her lips. Her kiss was so faint it was barely more than a tickle.

"Well, you are the captain and these are the captain's quarters." James looked her over. Her tunic was even more tattered than it had been when he'd first met her. "Of course, you will need different clothes, something more suited to your new position."

He rummaged through a trunk where he'd stashed some plundered items that didn't have much worth. He hadn't wanted to get rid of them in case they eventually proved useful. He pulled out fabrics, costume jewelry, and several hatpins. "I don't have anything fairy-sized. I could see if Bonito can come up with something. He's the only one of the crew who can sew, although I'm not sure how skillful he will be with something so, well, small."

"Not to worry." Zarina reached into her satchel and pulled out a handful of green dust which she sprinkled over herself. "Tinkering dust ought to help with this. Just leave it to me."

James slipped away.

She emerged from her cabin a few hours later, garbed in a short dress with a snug bodice that emphasized her slender waist, and knee-high boots. A decorative pin-sword was tucked into the bracelet-belt that looped her hips. Her wild hair, which tumbled over her shoulders, was held out of her eyes by a thin blue band.

James stared. Zarina was more beautiful than any of the human women he had courted, before he chose a pirate's life. An uncomfortable stirring filled him. If only she were human he'd take her to his bed…

He forced his mind away from that fantasy. He couldn't lose focus. He had to concentrate on their next goal, to get her to grow that Pixie Dust Tree. Besides, she was only a fairy, a creature he planned to destroy once their plans had been fulfilled.

Mists rose from the sea the next morning when they arrived at Skull Rock, giving its looming face an even more ominous appearance. Seagulls swarmed it, swooping in and out of the black, empty eye and nose caves. Yang steered the ship into the wide, jagged mouth. They entered a vast cavern with a waterfall flowing down one side and a small hill in the center. As James expected, enough daylight slipped in through the openings. The lapping of the sea, the babbling waterfall, and echoing seagull cries created an eerily peaceful ambiance.

"That looks like a perfect place to grow our Tree," Zarina said, flying toward the hill even before the anchor was lowered.

James and the others hurried down the gangplank and gathered around her as she reached into her pocket and sprinkled a handful of pink dust onto the hill's peak. They gasped as a sapling with bright green leaves instantly sprouted from the soil. It grew several feet, its trunk thickening and roots curling down the side of the hill. Zarina smiled as she looked over her creation.

"Astounding," James breathed, honestly impressed. "You are an extraordinarily talented fairy. It's Pixie Hollow's loss but our gain." Her grin widened.

"It will still take several months for it to reach its full size," she said. "I'll also have to get enough blue dust."

"Blue dust?"

"That's what will make the Tree work. I only have a few specks with me, which I use to make the talent dusts and replenish my gold dust supply. But the Tree will need much more."

Anger flickered through James. Why was she telling him this now? "Do you know how to get this blue dust?"

Zarina nodded. "I'll have to go back to Pixie Hollow." She winced slightly. "But I've figured out a plan. In several months, they will have their annual Four Seasons Festival. That will be around the time the Tree is ready. All the fairies will be in one place. I'll incapacitate everyone and take the dust."

James's admiration for her returned. She was thinking like a true pirate.

That evening, after dinner, they toasted Zarina's success with mugs of grog. James had poured a tiny bit for her in one of Bonito's thimbles.

"Go ahead, Captain," he said, grinning and taking a gulp from his own mug. "It's a pirate drink. You're one of us now."

"A good hearty brew!" said Starboard.

Zarina took a tentative sip and grimaced. James laughed. "It's a bit of an acquired taste."

"I still prefer tea."

James leaped to his feet. "If it is tea you want, Captain, it is tea you shall have. I believe we have some Earl Grey down in the galley." He hurried down the steps to get some.

The Tree grew taller and thicker each day. Zarina coaxed it along by continuing to add pink dust. With the use of the tinkering dust, she helped James draw up a plan for a way to eventually funnel the gold dust onto the ship. James and the other pirates made frequent trips in the Jolly Roger to gather wood from a forested side of Never Land to build this contraption, as well as the ladders and scaffolding so they could reach the massive Tree.

During this time, James taught Zarina how everything on the ship worked and they had friendly jousting matches as he showed her how to use her sword. She was surprisingly strong and a quick study, something he found grudgingly admirable. She was far smarter than all of his men combined. He told himself not to get soft if he was to follow through with the plan to kill her once the Jolly Roger took flight.

His men were often frustrated in keeping up with this charade, especially with all the waiting. They longed to be back on the seas, plundering.

"We'll have the world in our grasp if you scallywags can hold on for just a little longer," he had to keep reminding them when Zarina was out of earshot.

It took nearly an entire year for the Tree to reach its full size. "The Four Seasons Festival will take place tonight," Zarina said. She stood before James on the desk in her cabin. A long, deep blue captain's coat draped her slender form and a matching hat was perched on her head at a jaunty angle. He couldn't help thinking how she looked like a proper pirate captain dressed like that, only much more beautiful than any captain he'd ever run across. "The plan is for you and the others to wait for me on the shore. I'll slip in and grow the giant poppies, making them appear to be part of the act. When they open, their pollen will spray over the crowd, instantly putting everyone to sleep. That way no one will see me when I enter the Pixie Dust Depot and…and take the blue dust." She looked down and closed her eyes. The rich light of the setting sun spilling through the windows painted her face with shadows, making it difficult for James to see her expression.

"Zarina, we can go with you. A bunch of pirates should scare off—"

"No!" Her eyes flew open. She shook her head. "Humans can't perceive Pixie Hollow, let alone enter it. I alone must do this." Her jingles softened to whispers.

"I see you are having doubts." James carefully placed his fingertip beneath her chin, lifting her face. "Just remember how you were treated. Why, you told me that even your so-called 'friends' deserted you in your time of need. You certainly don't owe these fairies any quarter."

Her countenance hardened, then melted into a grin. "Okay. Let's do this." She sprinkled purple dust, which she claimed was for fast-flying, over her wings.

"This is your first plunder," he said, rising to his feet. "You will now be a proper pirate."

Impatience surged through James as he waited on the forested shore in a rowboat with Port and Starboard. He was used to swooping into cities, towns, and villages with his sword drawn, slaying all who got in the way of the loot he was after. This waiting was intolerable. He fidgeted with the tiny captain's hat Zarina had handed him before she took off for Pixie Hollow. She didn't like to wear it since it always blew off when she flew.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he caught a glimpse of a rapid blue light coming from the trees, headed their way.

"I got it!" she cried as she flew into the rowboat, holding a miniature, glowing bag.

"Magnificent!" James exclaimed as Port and Starboard pushed off with the oars.

"Fine haul!" said Starboard.

"We got their blue dust," added Port.

"It's not theirs anymore," said Starboard.

"It is theirs no longer."

"I just said that, ya daft potato muncher!"

James rolled his eyes as the two men continued to argue. He handed Zarina her hat. "Let me just say your plan worked perfectly, Captain." She bowed, placed the hat on her head, and held up the bag of blue dust.

"Here's to perfect plans," said Port.

"Aye, perfect!" said Starboard.

"I can't wait till the other lads hear!" Port said as they continued to head toward the Jolly Roger. "A little bit of pillage, a little bit of plunder."

Several tiny figures with golden wings suddenly appeared, flitting around them. A second later, tendrils of seaweed grabbed Port and Starboard's oars, which smacked them on their heads.

Zarina, still holding onto the bag of blue dust, leaped into the air.

"Fairies!" James gasped. One of them magnified the full moon's light, reflecting it off the water to shine into his eyes, blinding him.

"Get her!" he heard Port yell.

"Outta my way," Starboard hollered, rocking the boat as James rubbed his eyes, struggling to recover his vision.

The water grew rough, tossing the boat about. Rage and horror flashed through James. Zarina had apparently not put all of Pixie Hollow to sleep. Those other fairies had to be some of the Nature talents she had spoken of.

"You sack of bones, get off!" Port yelled at Starboard as James tried to stand. The boat was still rocking too hard. He lost his balance and fell back, accidently pinning Zarina against the side with his arm. A black-haired fairy glared at her and, jingling harshly, grabbed the bag and tossed it to another fairy. They took off in a stream of sparkles, headed in the direction of a waterfall.

"Oh, she's gettin' away!" Port shouted.

"They took the blue dust!" James couldn't believe this was happening. They'd come so close. Zarina pulled free and dashed after them at top speed. "Captain!"

He stared at the fairies, which were merely incandescent gold dots in the distance. They threw the blue bag to one another as the speck he knew was Zarina struggled to grab it. He could faintly hear their jingles.

Zarina suddenly tossed a stream of rainbow dust that swirled around the other fairies and pulled them into the waterfall. She grabbed the floating bag.

Relief and triumph flooded James. "Head back to the ship, men. The captain has it all under control."

"I got the dust!" Zarina exclaimed, speeding toward them, the blue bag in her arms. Her face was flushed but she was smiling. "We don't have to worry about the other fairies. I took care of them."

"Our dream of flying is closer than ever!" James almost forgot about his plan to dispose of Zarina…almost. He gazed at the Second Star, which was nearly drowned out by the moonlight. "Tomorrow we celebrate."

The End

The rest is continued in The Pirate Fairy.

Guest: Thank you for your reviews!